These Go to 11: interviewing Wild Balbina

Keeping Galizian indie power! Second time in a row interviewing a great band from that region (coincidence or signal there's something going on there?). This week we have the pleasure to count with the answers, riot grrrl style, of Marta González from our dear Wild Balbina. These Go to 11! 

Marta González, Wild Balbina

Wild-teen-riot-surf

If you are a regular follower of this blog you already know that we are fans of Elefant Records. So, last year, in one of our regular checks of their always exciting roster we had the pleasure to discover Wild Balbina. Coming from Vigo, they formed in 2010 when Antía Figueiras and Marta González moved on from their initial covers combo to a real band after recruiting V. Zapata. Local buzz followed until 2012, when they released the EP 'Eat Tacos' and became a most promising act to follow. In 2013 the group became a quartet with Miguel Binachi and now, with this year's release of the excellent mini-LP 'Sisters Before Misters' they are a complete reality, something also showed live, as we recently saw them supporting the fundamental Comet Gain. Youthfulness, energy, electricity, freshness and an addictive mix of garage, riot grrrl (they also run the feminist-cultural fanzine Typical Girls), surf, C86 and noise-pop sounds. Here we go!

When riot grrrl went danceable

1. First record that you bought (be honest)
Talking in general maybe a Laura Pausini’s cassette, I don’t know! Talking about vinyls the first one was 'Feminist Sweepstakes' by Le Tigre.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
The first one was when I was a child because my family and I used to go to some free shows that in summer are still celebrated in our town, Vigo, at a spectacular natural-concert hall, Castrelos. There we could see Depeche Mode, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Emir Kusturica, etc, and yes! some glories of the spanish’s pop as Sabina, that maybe was the first one. The last one was in London in October, Acrobat + Brain Washington + The Mvp’s at Buffalo Bar which we have read that maybe will be closed :(. Sorry for the length of the answer!

Blonde ambition, take 47...

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
'What you waiting for?', Gwen Stefani, a diva.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
The Spanish edition of 'If You Knew Suzi' by Suzi Quatro (1978).

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
So many but I may choose only one, 'Disarm' by Smashing Pumpkins.

Kat & Kurt, smelling like teen spirits...

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Kathleen Hanna and Kurt Cobain.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
'I love Delaware' by Drop Nineteens.

The Riot Grrrl's  "Bible"

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

Both! A book: 'Riot Grrrl Collection' by Lisa Darms, a good brief of the contents of the fanzines belonging to the movement. The film: 'Hausu' by Nobuhiko Obayashi.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
'Spit your love'.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Indie is something pure that come up of somebody without the influence of a third person (that obviously can offer money in return of); and that’s done for not only satisfying other people as well. Any music style can be indie.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’m not sure of the answer of this one, I don’t usually think about that kind of stuff!

Zillion thanks Wild Balbina!

These Go to 11: interviewing Doble Pletina

Back to groups in our interview series. This week, we are lucky to have Doble Pletina, one of our favourite national bands submitting their answers to our questions. A quick and straight one, but full of pop brilliance anyway. These Go to 11!

Doble Pletina

Doble Pletina, the only tape deck
revival that makes sense

The Barcelona band started in 2010, originally as the duet formed by Marc Ribera and Laura Antolín, once the peculiar covering band Abrevadero called it a day. The buzz about their knack for pop melodies and their witty lyrics started to roll, in particular after releasing 2011 slow-burn hit 'Música para cerrar las discotecas'. After three singles between 2011-2012, in 2013 they released 'De lo Concreto a lo General' via Jabalina Records, crystallizing all the promise into a irresistible pop reality. Smart, fun, intimate and accurate music. Anthems for extremely good-tasted, sensitive and a bit shy pop lovers. Here we go!

Indeed the devil came & together
they went to the disco

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

Jaume: Dover 'Devil came to me'
Marc: Mc Hammer 'Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em'
Laura: UB40 'Promises and Lies'
Francina: Spice Girls 'Spice'

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
Jaume: First concert: S.A. (Sociedad Alkohólika) / Last one: Moodoïd
Marc: First: Smashing Pumpkins / Last: Los Ganglios
Laura: First: Elton John / Last: Los Ganglios
Francina: First: Els Pets/ Last: Daniel Lumbreras

Surprise! Not the song about a monument

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)Jaume: Hummm… maybe a TV  theme? (Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin)Marc: You want us to confess something like 'Agapimu by Ana Belen' or 'Ella o Yo by Rocío Jurado', right? 

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Jaume: The Pocket Piano Midi! It's so playable that sometimes I fall asleep freaking out with it in bed.
Marc: A couple of singing saws.

Your average wind instrument...

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

Marc: Dory Previn  'Doppelgänger'

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Jaume: Yo la Tengo

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Jaume and Marc: Spark’s 'Propaganda' is unbeatable.

High school's mandatory read

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

Francina: Books AND Movies! I’m reading 'Mirall Trencat' now (my third consecutive Mercè Rodoreda’s book). The last movie I watched that I would recommend is 'Under the Skin'.

  

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
Marc: 'Es innegable'.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Jaume: A dead tag, like “punk”. 

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Marc: Hopefully still making songs
Jaume: Under a bridge...

Zillion thanks Doble Pletina!

"Belong", The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and all the bands we love

Belong- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Before starting this review, let's admit something. One can't be fair judging the Pains. They are called "indie pop revivalists" and they might be right. Because "Belong" is an ode to early Smashing Pumpkins, "The Body" sounds indeed like New Order, "My Terrible Friend" steals a dream melody from The Cure, or "Strange" blissfully evokes My Bloody Valentine. But wait a second: these are all bands we love (or that we use to love). So, for starters, if The Pains can be accused of mimicking other indie bands, at least give them the credit for the damn fine taste they have.

A lot has been said about the fact of superproducers Flood and Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails) teaming with the band on their sophomore effort. But let all the "polished/bigger/selling out vs. low-fi/honesty/indie attitude" discussion apart. "Belong" sounds terrific. So when the tune is good, the improvement in sounding propulses the songs to new levels for the band, in particular for lead singer Kip Berman, now much higher in the mix.

And for the majority of the record, it does it, indeed. The first trio of tracks, "Belong", "Heaven's Gonna Happen Now", and "Heart in Your Heartbreak" are enough to justify buying the album. Dream pop full of hooks and perfect choruses, melancholy and lyrics about coming of age are again trademarks of the band, as it was their debut. But the new album also presents a louder, edgier sound, and a more diverse approach to the songs, giving the impression the album is less immediate, or that is not the exuberant collection of songs the first one was. But tracks like "Too Tough" or "Girls Of 100 Dreams" are livelier than anything they recorded before, and reverb brings you the feeling you are listening to a wonderful hidden track from one of your favourite bands of the early 90s. So "Belong" could be a brave step towards a more defined and confident band.

Lets face it. Loving The Pains of Being Pure at Heart might be a guilty pleasure. But also a very logical one. At the end, what matters is if a song sticks with you. And The Pains are masters in that genre.

SCORE: 7,25/10