The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 179

After a long & busy week of work, it's finally Friday! That means we are ready to unveil our new round of TOP TEN Jukebox. And what do we have prepared for the first playlist of March? As always, many discoveries in a pretty great variety of styles ranging from the shoegaze of Soft Wounds to the surf-pop of Boytoy, or our trademark 'Antipodean touch' of RVG (don't forget that name), plus a little surprise in the form of a movie soundtrack tune with the great PJ Harvey. As you can see, a lot to listen and enjoy! And remember, all tunes are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2018 Jukebox playlists

Week 171  Week 172  Week 173  Week 174  Week 175 Week 176  Week 177  Week 178

Best Songs of the Year 2016: 25-1

Here it is, the final round! After tones and tones of debate, struggle, thoughtful analysis and extremely tough decissions, we are unveiling the last twenty-five tunes of our Best Song of the Year list. These are our favourite tunes of 2016, as usual at the Blog a mixture of deservedly consecrated names and terrific newcomers. Hope you like the playlist below as much as we have enjoyed preparing it. And, of course, Happy holidays and Best Wishes for 2017. See you next year (we are off for a week)!

25. Lazarus- David Bowie 
24. Timeless- DMA'S 
23. Scattered Ashes (Song for Richard)- Minor Victories
22. Boyfriend- The Goon Sax
21. Ariana- Mercury Girls 
20. Hard to Clean- Chook Race
19. El Grande- Cómo Vivir en el Campo
18. One Fine Summer Morning- Britta Phillips
17. Aviation- The Last Shadow Puppets
16. Sun Drop- Young Scum
15. Strange Torpedo- Lucy Dacus
14. Ámenme, soy un liberal-Nacho Vegas

 13. The Community of Hope- PJ Harvey
12. Coastal California, 1985- Maths and Physics Club
11. To the Rescue- The Divine Comedy
10. Glow in the Dark- Night Flowers
9. Your best American Girl- Mitski
8. No Woman- Whitney
7. Cold to See Clear- Nada Surf
6. Easier Said- Sunflower Bean
5. I’m in Love- Teenage Fanclub
4.  El Progreso- Sr. Chinarro
3. A 1.000 Times- Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam
2. Sister- Angel Olsen
1. Adore- Savages

Best Songs of the Year 2016: 75-51

We told you, the second chapter of our Best Songs of the Year it was going to follow very, very soon. So, without further delay, here are the tunes comprised between 75 to 51. As with the first round, you can enjoy all these songs at our Spotify playlist below. And don't go very far, there are still fifty amazing songs to discover!

75. Full Moon, Hungry Sun- Kane Strang
74. Out of Control- Lush
73. Johnny- Basement Revolver
72. Power- Eskimeaux
71. It’s Alright, I’m Probably Dreaming- De Montevert
70. Évoli- Terrier
69. Hit Town (A.T.H.E.N.S.)- The Perfect English Weather
68. Walnuss- Gurr
67. Experto en Mirar Techos- Invisible Harvey
66. Second Skin- Zen Mantra
65. Twister- Witching Waves
64. Bambú- Juvenilia
63. Everybody Wants to Love You- Japanese Breakfast
62. Coming of Age- Julia Jacklin
61. Face the Moon- Springtime Carnivore
60. Sane- Fear of Men
59. Follow You Around- Purling Hiss
58. Babes Never Die- Honeyblood
57. The Wheel- PJ Harvey
56. Pull My Arm- Flowers
55. La Progresión Exponencial- Doble Pletina
54. New Song- Warpaint
53. Under the Sun- DIIV
52. Shut Up Kiss Me- Angel Olsen
51. Metropolis- Kate Jackson

Best Concerts of the Year 2016

After our favourite EPs, now it's time to unveil the list of our best concerts of the year! Reaching the the amazing "heights" of the live music seen during 2015 was nearly impossible, but still, the ten gigs selected below are full of unforgettable moments. Great veterans and exciting upcoming bands, several "first times" and a couple of "special situations". Hope you like it!  

10. Desperate Journalist (Minifestival, March 12th)
Too short to rank higher… but what a blast! Giving everything they have from second zero, kicking the gig with ‘Control’ and ‘O’ as starters, taking no prisoners. Heavyweight post-punk, with an unstoppable melodic power and an overwhelming breakthrough, led by the stormy presence of vocalist Jo Bevan. She's an authentic force of nature, able to shock the audience with her frantic performance to disarm you with the introspection of ‘Remainder’ or ‘Wait’ in a matter of seconds. Desperate Journalist are fated for greatness.

Desperate Journalist, the sound and the fury. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

9. PJ Harvey (Primavera Sound Festival, June 4th)
It ranks lower because of the unbearable, extremely annoying, disrespectful behaviour of people. So depressing it makes you think what’s the point of attending festivals or concerts (sorry, I’m not interested in drunk people or posers, just in music). And it’s even more depressing if you consider Polly Jean Harvey is one of the most incredible artists a concertgoer can see live. Goosebumps and wonder, goosebumps and wonder, what a show she put at Heineken! Surrounded by an incredible cast, the amount of mesmerizing moments was just unbeatable. The funereal march introducing 'Chain of Keys'. The otherworldly 'When Under Ether'. Or how 'Down by the Water/To Bring You My Love' became one haunting somber number. PJ is in a league of her own, adding real substance and real attitude to pop.

PJ, stories from the (real) world. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

8. Espíritusanto (BIS Festival, Espai Jove Les Basses, April 9th)
A truly stunning album ‘Algo nos va a pasar’ released by our friends at Discos de Kirlian. An incontestable live show, founded in the power of keyboards as thunderous as the percussion and, of course, in the vocal dialogues between Andrés Federico and Eli Maqueda. A couple of singers able to channel these emotional heartbreaks in overwhelming choruses, such as ‘Poligono Industrial’, ‘Flores de Bach’, or the epic and frenzied ‘Nadar a croll II’ and ‘La distancia sobrante’. Vine (at last in Barcelona), vidi, vinci. Kings of the BIS Festival.

Ready for another striking chorus? Photo: Bloodbuzzed

7. Tindersticks (Guitar Festival, Auditori, April 14th)

It has been a year heavy on “first times” seeing “major bands” (always a relative, personal concept) live. Like Tindersticks, in Barcelona to present LP ‘The waiting room’. What was I expecting from the Nottingham lads? Exactly what they offered at Auditori. That soundtrack for movies-yet-to-be-filmed. That clash between contempt and drama. Tension and space. That perfection in sound. That smoky, drowned nostalgia. And Stuart Staples’ voice. THAT voice. Since the opener ‘Second chance man’ kidnapped by that baritone voice. By the keyboards of David Boulter or the bass lines of Dan McKinna. And by tunes like ‘Sleepy song’, ‘Medicine’, ‘Boobar come back to me’, ‘We are dreamers!’, ‘My oblivion’ (oh my, oh my) or ‘Sometimes it hurts’. That medicine it works inside of you/ In your head/ In your dreams / In your dreams. The medicine we want...

Tindersticks, heartache surgeons. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

6. Robert Forster (La [2] Apolo, January 14h & Primavera Sound Festival, June 4th)

A bit of a trick here, as this is not a gig but two. But we are talking about Mr. Robert Forster so his inclusion on the list was a no-brainer for this blogger. More so considering I had never seen him live before. And despite both experiences were sort of incomplete, together blended majestically, as the maestro deserves. First, at La [2] de Apolo, enjoying his solo, acoustic show, where he proved he is a true showman, goofing himself with his “rock star” poses, asking for a coffee at the bar… while delivering the excellent ‘Songs to play’, with gems like ‘Let me imagine you’ or ‘Love Myself (and I always have)’, along with immortal classics as ‘Head full of steam’, ‘Part company’, ‘Love is a sign’ (hit) or ‘He lives my life’ (sunk). But we missed some of the brilliance of his compositions without the instrumental arrangements or Karen Bauler’s vocals. Luckily, there was a second chance awaiting at CCCB. One with full band, including Karen and her violin. The set was too short to consider it a proper gig, but what a pleasure every single minute it was. 2 for 1 of Robert Forster? Isn’t that the real deal?

With Mr. Foster and Co. heads full of pop. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

5. The New Raemon (Sala Apolo, January 29th)

More than a regular gig due to the format and length, two hours & thirty-three songs revisiting his career to date with a full, impeccable band. And because the special company coming from quite far. The occasion deserved. A chance, courtesy of Ramon Rodríguez, to join him in a trip to the (recent) past to celebrate the present and look into the future. Precisely, the night kicked in with latest "icebreaker trilogy" ‘Una historia real’, ‘Oh, Rompehielos’ and ‘Reina del Amazonas’, setting the festive tone of an event with a tone of remarkable moments. Like combining ‘El Refugio de Superman’ with ‘Estupendamente’. Or ‘La cafetera’ with ‘Sucedáneos’. Or knocking us out with ‘Hundir la flota’, ‘Variables’, ‘Risas enlatadas’ in a row, leaving us emotionally messy but with an ear-to-ear smile on the face. ‘Desencuentros’, ‘Fuera complejos’, ‘El fin del imperio’, ‘Te debo un baile’, guest stars like McEnroe’s Ricardo Lezón’, and, needless to say, the end with ‘Tú, Garfunkel’. Hymns for screwed romantics.

The New Raemon, our favourite icebreaker captain. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

4. The Posies (Sala Razzmatazz, April 21rst) And another first time seeing a loved band. And a very special one, as I had the chance of, together with other media, meeting Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer in advance of the gig, chatting with them while we were discovering their flamboyant new record ‘Solid States’. An incredibly nice experience (made the right choice wearing my old, highly recognisable R.E.M. t-shirt) thanks to Scanner FM. And a cool way to warm-up and be prepared with what was about to happen at Razz. A relentless power-pop attack for two generous hours, full of electricity and passion, combining stunning new pieces like ‘We R Power’, ‘Squirrel vs Snake’ and ‘Unlikely Places’, their experimental side (check ‘The Plague’), alongside the unstoppable hits like ‘Dream All Day’, ‘Solar Sister’ or ‘Flavor of The Month’. Plus a heartbreaking rendition of Charlie Bell’s ‘I am the Cosmos’. The complete, knock-out Posies experience.

The Posies, making you dream all night. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

3. Minor Victories (Primavera Club Festival, October 22nd)
It was the “big name” of this year’s Primavera Club. And Minor Victories didn’t disappoint. First, thanks to a gigantic Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) at the guitar, blowing out our heads and ears to the ones that, like us, were located at the first rows (such a heavenly way to die) making the impossible: that the Rachel Goswell (Slowdive) hooligan in me got hooked by the irrepressible strength of the veteran musician, perfectly seconded by the muscular bass of Justin Lockley (Editors) and the shuddering drums of his brother James. But Rachel, that initially seemed to be on the verge of getting buried within the dense wall of sound of the instrumental trio, still had a lot to say. Like the epic fragility of the colossal ‘Breaking My Light’, the incandescency of ‘Folk Arp’ and ‘Higher Hopes’. And, of course the pop gem that is ‘Scattered Ashes (Song For Richard)’. Almost an hour happily lost in space…

Rachel Goswell, brekaing the lights. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

2. Whitney (Primavera Club, October 23rd)A highly enjoyable album crowned by a perfect tune named ‘No Woman’. It seemed like an easy, reliable bet, but far from being a must-see of the Festival. Until the bubbly Julien Ehrlich started singing with his high-pitched falsetto while commanding the drums and the guitar of Max Kakacek began drawing indelible melodies. And then, the miracle. A band in a state of grace, making every single tune bigger, prettier, fuller, dreamier than the album versions. Like The Band unabashedly embracing soul music —the «good old one»— and only playing at dawn. Vocal harmonies, keyboard, a fundamental trumpet, everything falling in its right place. Romantic without a sugar overdose. Joyful without being silly or part of a beer advertising campaign. Melancholic without selling the drama. The connection with the audience was immediate and the gig offered so many instants to highlight. Like the delicacy of ‘Light Upon the Lake’, the euphoric version of Dylan’s ‘Tonight I’ll Stay With You’, the end of ‘Follow’, the almost danceable ’No Matter Where We Go’. And of course, ‘No Woman’, with a reprise and a trumpet solo that should last forever. We have them back in Barcelona in June, so see you there.

Whitney, light upon the Primavera Club. Photo: Bloodbuzzed 

1. The Chills (Primavera Sound Festival, June 4th)
Who would have guessed I was going to see The Chills live, one of my all-time favourite bands, twice in a three years span? And who would have guessed that the second time, after all the special excitement of the “first time” was gone, it was going to be an even better experience than the gig at the indispensable Indietracks. That’s what happened at Ray-Ban stage. It could be the hour, late afternoon, when Primavera Sound is getting crowded but you can still breath. Or the scenario (the coolest one), specially when the sun starts to come down. Or that this humble fan, impatiently awaiting at the very centre of the first row, knew the lyrics and loved all the tunes of latest LP ‘Silver Bullets’. Or, most probably, because Martin Phillips and Co. just nailed it, making the newest pieces shine alongside with the expected “classics”. An hypnosis session with our eyes (and ears) wide open, with too many moments to treasure: 'Underwater Wasteland', 'America Says Hello', 'Pink Frost' for sure, ‘Heavenly Pop Hit’, where my throat said enough for the rest of the Festival and, in particular, 'Doledrums', as glorious as I ever dreamt of. Best show of the year. Here’s hoping I’ll be able to see them at least a third time soon. Perhaps in a smaller venue for a much longer gig?

Warm, mighty pop waweforms with The Chills. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Want to check last year's best concerts? Just click here
What about 2014? Click here 
And 2013? Click here
Or 2012? Then check here
And 2011?

These Go to 11: interviewing Phosphene

Last interview before holidays! And what a great one! Because our guests answering the questionnaire this time are Phosphene, one of our favourite music discoveries on this 2016 so far and, besides an exciting band, are a trio of wonderful people. These Go to 11!

Rachel, Matt and Kevin, seeking for the light among the haze

Phosphene

Haling from Oakland, CA, they started to play in 2008 when Rachel Frankel (vocals / guitar) and Matt Hemmerich (drums) met in class. Two years later the couple decided to start a music project together, launching a first EP that by now must be a rising collectors' item. But Phosphene needed a major factor to become what they are now (an ace band, that is): meeting Kevin Kaw (bassist/ guitarist) in a songwriting event featuring Aaron Dessner's from The National (a shared passion with this Blogger) in 2013. With Phosphene becoming a trio, they recorded s/t first LP in July 2014 followed by the terrific EP 'Breaker' this April (among the best of 2016 so far). A stunning blend of dreampop, indie-rock and shoegaze fated for great things to come. Here we go!

The millennial heartbreakers 

1.First record that you bought (be honest)
Matt:​­ 'Dookie' by Green Day.
Kevin: '​­Fountains Of Wayne' (s/­t album).
Rachel: ­'Millennium' by Backstreet Boys.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
Matt​­: AFI in 2003, most recent: Low with Andy Shauf.
Rachel: Hanson in 1999 with my mom (SUPER COOL), most recent: Low with Andy Shauf.
Kevin​­: my sister took me to see Duran Duran in 1993, most recent: Treasure Island Music Festival.

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

Rachel:­ 'Transantlanticism' by Death Cab for Cutie (not all that embarrassing, but it’s a super sappy album and they’re a very mushy indie rock band).

Matt​­: 'If You're Reading This It's Too Late' by Drake.
Kevin:​­ 'Me&The Rhythm' by Selena Gomez.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Matt:​­ 20” Paiste Dimensions ride cymbal.
Kevin:​­ my Torino Red 2000 American Standard Stratocaster.
Rachel​­: my great­grandmother’s violin.

The "fucked up" song. The National during the durational performance of
'A Lot of Sorrow' by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson. Photo: Charles Roussel

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

Matt​­: "You are my center when I spin away" ­ Radiohead, “Videotape”; "I'm a moth who just wants to share your light" Radiohead, “All I Need”; "I live in a city sorrow built. It's in my honey, it's in my milk" ­ The National, “Sorrow”; "I still owe money to the money to the money I owe" ­The National, “Bloodbuzz Ohio”.
Rachel: ​“I’m a modern girl, but I fold in half so easily” ­ Rilo Kiley, “Pictures of Success”; “Bored in a role, but he can't stop standing up to sit back down, and lose the one thing found. Spinning the world like a toy top 'till there's a ghost in every town.” ­ Elliott Smith, “Can’t Make A Sound”; “There’s always a siren singing you to shipwreck” ­ Radiohead, “There There”.

Kevin​­: “No longer cradled in gravity’s memory...” ­ Pale Saints, “A Thousand Stars Burst Open”, “Over the moon and under the influence” ­ The Trash Can Sinatras, “Easy Read”.

Neko Case, a true original

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Matt:​­ Neko Case, Thom Yorke, Carrie Brownstein, Killer Mike, El­P.
Rachel: ­ ​Neko Case, Elliott Smith, Alan Sparhawk, PJ Harvey, Rachel Goswell.
Kevin​­: Kurt Feldman, Jen Goma, Koji Nakamura, Robert Smith, Johan Duncanson, Jeremy Wrenn.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)

Matt​­: 'Unknown Pleasures' by Joy Division.
Rachel: ­​​'July Flame' by Laura Veirs, 'The Eraser' by Thom Yorke.
Kevin​­: 'Kid Games' by Airiel, 'I Love You, Honeybear' by Father John Misty.

'We got you, babe'... repeat ad eternum...

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 

Matt​­: Movies because I’m illiterate. 'Carol' is one of the most evocative films I’ve seen in some time.

Rachel: ­books- 'Kafka On The Shore' by Haruki Murakami, 'All My Puny Sorrows' by Miriam Toews

Kevin​­: books- 'The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay' by Michael Chabon, 'Man V. Nature' by Diane Cook; movies- 'Groundhog Day'.

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of

Matt​­: It’s a tie between 'Rogue' and 'Wire'. Both are dear for selfish reasons. 'Rogue' was the first song I ever wrote and sung a vocal melody on. 'Wire' is the first song I wrote in full on guitar.
Rachel:​­ I’ll pick one from our first album and one from our second. I was really happy with the way the melody turned out on 'Thief' and 'Be Mine' is probably my favorite child from Breaker.
Kevin​­: I’m quite fond of 'Wild Decay'.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Matt:​­ Indie is more of an ethos to me than a genre. There’s a huge community of musicians, bands that encompass it, so you can really stick “indie” in front of any sound. Being indie, however, doesn’t inform the music itself.

Rachel: ­I still don’t really know the answer here. At its core the term just represents “independent” music, but like Matt said it’s evolved into an entire scene. It’s actually pretty meaningless for me at this point.

Kevin​­: I think it involves making something for the sake of making it, and then sharing it with others, all on your own terms.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
Matt:​­ residing in Portland, Oregon with Rachel. A black cat and corgi are mandatory in this house. Ideally, we’ll still be creating music with Kevin as Phosphene labels.
Rachel: ­ ​I’d love to keep playing music and gain a stronger following over time. I also hope to be living in the Pacific Northwest and continuing my work as a designer and illustrator, probably with lots of animal babies and a HUGE kitchen.
Kevin​­: I don’t know, but wherever I end up, I’m sure it’ll involve donuts.

 Zillion thanks Matt, Kevin and Rachel!

United We Can: A Playlist

As you might know, today is General Election Day here in Spain. A day that hopefully means the beginning of a new form of government for my country. One where corruption is not the norm and putting people (as Bernie would say, the 99%) first becomes the fundamental doctrine. One where neoliberalism is not a mantra and public service recovers its true meaning. One ruled by the unity of the people, not the will of the few powerful and rich. I'm not shy of sharing what I'm voting (I have always voted the real left) but, I'm hopeful this time we have a real chance to determine politics in Spain (as is already happening in cities like Madrid and Barcelona). So I have prepared a quick playlist with some politically charged and personally meaningful bands and songs (tried to skip the most usual political artists, like Dylan or Marley, and Sam Cooke/ Creedence have a lot to do with what my father taught me) for this long and important evening. So, if you don't share my political views, at least I hope you enjoy the music!

Best Songs of the Year 2016...so far

Following the best records /EPs list, here's the list with our favourite tunes (trimmed down to 30) of 2016 to date. We have listed them in alphabetic order (remember we rank them at the end of the year), taking in mind only "two rules": songs have been released during 2016, and just one song per group (a really hard decision in some cases). The Spotify playlist (plus some soundcloud links for the ones missing) below the picture, as well as the complete list. Enjoy!

             Click here to check the Spotify playlist!

Adore -Savages

Ámenme, soy un liberal- Nacho Vegas

Ariana- Mercury Girls

Aviation- The Last Shadow Puppets

Baby Blue- Soft Wounds

Coastal California- Maths and Physics Club

Cold to See Clear- Nada Surf

Crooked Cop- Beverly

Crowd- EGO

Different Shades of Blue- The Buildings

Easier Said- Sunflower Bean

El Progreso- Sr. Chinarro

Évoli- Terrier

Full Moon, Hungry Sun- Kane Strang

Infamous- Basia Bulat

La progresión exponencial- Doble Pletina

Lazarus- David Bowie

Moon- Beth Orton

No Woman- Whitney

One Fine Summer Morning- Britta Phillips

Out of control- Lush

Scattered Ashes (Song for Richard)- Minor Victories

Second Skin- Zen Mantra

Squirrel vs Snake- The Posies

Strange Torpedo- Lucy Dacus

The End of Things- Bob Mould

The Wheel- PJ Harvey

Under London Skies- Close Lobsters

Under the Sun- DIIV

We Are Dreamers- Tindersticks

And if you want to check the previous years, click on 2011,2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 selections!

Primavera sound 2016 in brief, day 4

Ready for the third round? Here's the last of our Primavera Sound's quick chronicles, devoted to cover Saturday 4th, another day full of music attractions and must-sees. Come on!

The Good

Primavera a la Ciutat (part III): Yep, again the day began quite early at CCCB, but there were plenty of reasons to do so. The first one, Invisible Harvey with a short but charming full band gig. 'La Puerta Giratoria' is a blissfully beautiful debut album that deserves to be celebrated. And the second one was fated to be even more special. The great Mr. Robert Forster backed with full band too, including Karem Bauler at violin and backing vocals (sorry to insist, but the violin, the violin!)... Finally, being able to hear Go-Betweens' tunes in full...Oh, that was simply a moment to treasure deep in the heart.

Robert Forster, head full of pop. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Richard Hawley: After leaving Brian Wilson's gig (see reasons below) we went straight to Ray-Ban stage to watch Richard Hawley. What a great choice turned to be! Killer presence, masterful guitars, solid vocals and impressive tunes like the slow storm of 'Standing at the Sky's Edge', the beauty of 'Tonight the streets are ours', 'Heart of Oak' or 'Don't Stare at the Sun'. True artist.

Richard Hawley, blue is the colour. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Bad
A.R.Kane: As much as I enjoyed their show at Adidas stage on Friday, on Saturday at CCCB their volume was just insufferable.

Brian Wilson: Of course this has NOTHING TO DO with the musician, but with the organization and, mostly, with the audience. But if the living legend and his band doesn't want/can't deliver a show for such a big venue as the Heineken stage why having him there? Without enough volume for the masses gathered, and 'Pet Sounds' being a not so catchy (in terms of immediacy) record, aside from the most well-known tunes, people just wander around talking, etc, paying no attention for the show. So unconsidered & sad we decided to go for another option.

PJ Harvey: Again, this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with Polly Jean Harvey either. She is, to keep it short, one of the most incredible artists I have ever seen live. And the show she put at Heineken, with the help of an incredible cast, was mesmerizing (that death march at the intro of 'Chain of Keys', the scary, otherworldly 'When Under Ether', the way she transformed 'Down by the Water/To Bring You My Love' into a funereal dance). Songs, attitude, performance, art, politics, all in an experience that goes beyond music. But at times, it was also one of the most annoying situations I've ever faced at a concert. I believe we weren't that far away, but the people was unbearable, zero respect for the music and/or the person right next to you trying to listen/watch (I'll be polite and leave it here...). I'm pretty sure that if festivals didn't have alcohol the amount of public attending would be appalling. For many concertgoers, music is just the excuse to get drunk. And that's depressing. Period.

PJ Harvey, let consciences and ears shake. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Queen
The Chills: Expectations were high, of course. Even higher after enjoying them at Indietracks a few years ago. But I believe their gig at Ray-Ban stage was even better. Not just because their classics sounded hypnotically magic as expected ('Pink Frost' for sure, but particularly 'Doledrums', they played 'Doledrums'!), but also thanks to new tunes like 'Silver Bullets', 'Underwater Wasteland' and 'America Says Hello' that resist the comparisons with the old ones gracefully. All in all, a glorious 45 show, crowned by 'Heavenly Pop Hit' where this humble blogger and, guess you know by now, Antipodean music lover, "gave all he had", leaving his throat (happily) at the best show of PS 2016, in our modest opinion.

The Chills, the heavenliest pop from down under in BCN. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Here are the links of the previous chapters!

Day 1 & 2
Day 3

Our Primavera Sound 2016 Playlist

We are about to start another edition of Primavera Sound Festival, so we have prepared a stunning playlist with all bands we are aiming to see in the forthcoming days. We'll keep you posted, see you at the Fòrum!

Primavera Sound 2016: my draft schedule

Time to honour another Blog tradition! The timeables of Primavera Sound Festival 2016 have been revealed, so let's (try) to make our schedule (first attempt). Despite general opinions, this edition is quite far from being a favourite, and the recurring, inevitable, painful overlaps, are going to make it worse (that's why here we have listed only the gigs we believe will see fully). But no complaints, let's "play" and complete the puzzle! This is what our PS 2016 looks like (initial impressions):  

Wednesday, June 1st, Parc del Fòrum

17:00 Doble Pletina (Primavera)
18:00 El Último Vecino (Primavera)
19:00 Sr. Chinarro (Primavera)
20:30 Goat (Primavera)
22:00 Suede (Primavera)

Day without issues... except the bands we really want to watch are just Doble Pletina and Suede, first and last on the schedule

Thursday, June 2nd, Parc del Fòrum
18:00 Algiers (Heineken)
20:00 Daughter (Heineken)
21:30 A.R. Kane (Adidas Originals)
23:45 Protomartyr (Pitchfork)
Troubles begin: Algiers versus Lee Ranaldo. incomplete Julien Baker, Suede clashing with Daughter, clashing with Destroyer, empty until Protomartyr. Pretty disastrous day overall.

Friday, June 3rd, Parc del Fòrum
12:30 Big Summer (CCCB)
13:00 Cala Vento (CCCB)
14:00 Julien Baker (CCCB)
14:30 Cass McCombs (CCCB)
17:30 Aliment (Pitchfork)
18:30 Ben Watt Band (Ray-Ban)
19:05 Titus Andronicus (H&M)
20:00 Savages (Heineken)
21:00 Beirut (H&M)
22:15 Dinosaur Jr. (Ray-Ban) 
23:35 Royal Headache (Pitchfork)
00:25 The Last Shadow Puppets (Heineken)
Could we make it? The challenge is titanic (12 bands, plus Beach House as an additional option after the Puppets) and yet I'm furious there are some tough choices to be made. No Radiohead? Savages of Robert Forster? Lush at the Hidden Stage? Move some of them to Thursday! That's criminal!

Saturday, June 4th, Parc del Fòrum
15:00 Robert Forster (CCCB)
17:00 Bob Mould (Hidden Stage) 
18:40 The Chills (Ray-Ban)
20:00 Brian Wilson (Heineken)
22:35 PJ Harvey (Heineken)
00.50 Julia Holter (Ray-Ban)
And after a terrifying day full of choices, a Saturday quite so-so, with the main clash between Brian Wilson and Richard Hawley. Aside from that, pretty clear...

Sunday, June 5th, Apolo/Sala BARTS
19:30 Mudhoney (CCCB) 
21:00 Black Lips (CCCB) 
Huge questions marks for the closing day, very doubtful we'll make it, we'll see!

These Go to 11: interviewing We Were Never Being Boring Collective

Time for another interview! Now with Samuele Palazzi, musician and member of one the happiest labels around, our beloved We Were Never Being Boring Collective (WWNBB) because, as they say, "we can't succumb to boredom"! These Go to 11!

Samuele Palazzi, We Were Never Being Boring 

Indie Italians having fun!

The WWNBB Collective was born in June 2009, when Le Man Avec Les Lunettes, The Calorifer Is Very Hot and Enzo Baruffaldi published a collective EP of four covers of Wavves tune ‘So Bored’. Since then, they have published more than 60 releases, including exciting bands such as Be Forest, Burnt Palms, Crescendo, Joyce in Pola, Making Marks, Brothers in Law or Tight Eye. Impressive. But there's more, as aside his work at WWNBB label, Samuele, now living in San Francisco, is a musician, member of The Calorifer Is Very Hot (also known as Calorifero) with whom he released 'Marzipan in Zurich' (2007), 'Evolution On Stand-By' (2009) and 'Mind Warp' (2011) and core member of the worldwide supergroup Still Flyin', leaded by Sean Rawls and with an extensive discography with ten EPs and albums like 'Never Gonna Touch The Ground' (2009), 'On A Bedroom Wall' (2012) or Perfect Future (January of 2016). Not enough?There's even more, as he has played with many bands of WWNBB, like The Ian Fays or The Yellow Traffic Light. All proofs we are in front of a man who breathes music 24/7, every single day of the year. Here we go!

King Kong revisited, early 90s style 

1.First record that you bought (be honest)

I have two stories that I consider my first purchases: do you remember when we used to buy from mail order magazines? My first 2 tapes bought that way were Counting Crows – 'August and Everything After', and Meat Loaf – 'Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell'. But I grew up in the middle of nowhere and I will always remember my first adventure to the record store (bike to the bus stop and then bus) when I was still a kid, asking people at the farmers market where I could find 'On the Rock' (that was the name of the store), and once there I bought Pearl Jam – 'Vitalogy' on vinyl and Pink Floyd – 'Pulse' on CD.

Queen of 'privilege pop'?

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
Good memories here too… First was in Bologna (Italy) and the band was Marion for their tour of 'This World and Body', my 10 years older neighbor (with whom I was obviously in love) asked my parents if she could take me to the show, but obviously her boyfriend came too. Last show was Metric in San Francisco.

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

I have tons! Maybe my biggest crush happened with Lana Del Rey – 'Born to Die'?

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)

I do not go extremely crazy for pricy collector’s items; I mostly care about the music on a support that I can touch. I have a lot of rarities that are not collector’s items, but for me they mean a lot, like limited editions of friend’s projects or the test presses of the WWNBB’s releases.

Mark "joyful" Kozelek: keep your guard up!

5.Favorite lyrics (not yours)
BIRTHH has a song called 'Queen of Failureland', and its opener got stuck in my head the first moment I heard it: 'We live worthless lives just to prove/that we’re victims of the system/that our wounds cannot be mended/that you’ll never understand/the pain inside our chest'…

6.Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Polly Jean Harvey!! And Mark Kozelek too, but with time to chat…

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Pearl Jam – 'No Code' / Mogwai – 'Come on Die Young' / Belle and Sebastian 'Tigermilk'.

Mark Ruffalo, the impossible manager

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
Books: suggesting is too personal, but I can tell you that at the moment I am reading 'Lust for Life' by Irving Stone and it’s very good. Movies: I do like some films that are not really challenging, and one of these that I liked lately was 'Begin Again', especially because I love Mark Ruffalo in it.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
As record label I can’t say. As musician probably The Calorifer is Very Hot! – 'Evolution on Stand-by'.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Indie means that I wake up without knowing what I’ll end up doing for a band that day, that money is something that goes out but doesn’t come in, that if there were no passion there wouldn’t be indie!

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
I really have such a life that I can barely think about tomorrow…10 years from now I don’t see myself being too different than now, but I hope to incorporate some nature-related work and surroundings to music.                                                                     

 Zillion thanks Samuele!