Bloodbuzzed's Agenda of Concerts: Winter-Spring

As we did on Fall 2013, we have prepared a new Blog's agenda of concerts, listing the gigs and festivals that we are willing to attend until next May. You can imagine how anxious we are to see all these awesome bands and tell you all about it. Obviously, this isn't a closed agenda. On the contrary, it's an ongoing calendar, so the idea is that the marked dates will increase. Any proposal to expand it will be welcomed. Have a look (and hopefull, see you there)!

Best Records of the Decade So Far

As promised, and following the Best Spanish Records, here are our Best Records of the Decade So Far, with our 60th favourite albums released within the first five years of the decade (2010-2014). As you can imagine, it has been a tough one to make, leaving out many records we love is SO painful. Anyway, just enjoy it & stay tuned. We are working on a spectacular list with our Best Songs of the Decade So Far (we love playlists too!)

60, Say Yes!- The Hi-Life Companion
59. You Love It Here- I Was a King
58. Sugaring Season- Beth Orton
57. Tall Tall Shadow- Basia Bulat
56. Build a Rocket Boys!- Elbow
55. Siesta- The Zebras

54. Sky at Night- I Am Kloot
53. The Luxembourg Signal- The Luxembourg Signal

52. Colour of the Trap- Miles Kane
51. Cold- Be Forest
50. Release Me- The Like
49. The Fool - Warpaint
48. The Soft City- The Soft City
47. Bang Goes the Knighthood - The Divine Comedy
46. Torres- Torres
45. Desire Lines- Camera Obscura
44. Cape Dory- Tennis
43. The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years- The Wild Swans
42. Are We There Yet?- Sharon Van Etten
41. Sealed with a Kiss- Alpaca Sports
40. Evans the Death- Evans the Death
39. Atlas- Real Estate
38. Only in Dreams- Dum Dum Girls
37. The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas - Courtney Barnett
36. Canines- Shrag
35. Veronica Falls- Veronica Falls
34. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light- Spiritualized
33. Alps - Motorama
32. Moth- ExLovers
31. Over the Bluffs- The Holiday Crowd
30. Loveless Unbeliever- The School
29. Collapse Into Now- R.E.M.
28. Ride Your Heart- Bleached
27. Kill My Blues- The Corin Tucker Band
26. Oshin- DIIV
25. Without Why - Rose Elinor Dougall
24. Heart of My Own- Basia Bulat
23. A Year with the Very Most - The Very Most
22. Trouble Will Find Me- The National
21. What we lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood - The Mynabirds
20. Choose Your Own Adventure- Arts & Leisure
19. Europe- Allo Darlin'
18. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
17. Always- Alvvays
16. Hospitality- Hospitality
15. Between the Times and the Tides- Lee Ranaldo
14. Heaven- The Walkmen
13. The King is Dead- The Decemberists
12. Suck It and See- Arctic Monkeys
11. Personal Record- Eleanor Friedberger
10. Silence Yourself- Savages
9. Loom- Fear of Men
8. Honeyblood- Honeyblood
7. Wild Flag- Wild Flag
6. Teen Dream - Beach House
5. Rips- Ex Hex
4. Days- Real Estate
3. Let England Shake- PJ Harvey
2. Tramp- Sharon Van Etten
1. High Violet - The National

Best Songs of the Year 2014: 25-1

Drumroll, fanfare, revelry! We have reached the final round of the 4th edition of the Bloodbuzzed's Best Songs of the Year. Here are our top 25 favourite tunes of this 2014. Many great songs had been left out (we could have easily extended the list to 150), so we assure you it’s been an extremely hard, never-ending, but also a very fun list to make. We hope you enjoy this last selection, as well as the whole ride. Remember, you have  the playlist available at our Soundcloud page. And Happy Holidays!

25. Younger- SW/MM/NG
24. Distant Drive- The Luxembourg Signal
23. Try- The Zebras
22. Long After Tonite’s Candles Are Blown- Comet Gain
21. Goshen '97 -Strand Of Oaks
20. Els Dies S'Allarguen- Renaldo y Clara
19. In the Water - Radical Dads
18. Descent- Fear of Men
17. Trouble- TV on the Radio
16. Raised By Wolves- U2

15. Grey Is a Lie– Boutade
14. Last January - The Twilight Sad
13. Habit- Ought
12. Kissing Can Wait- She Sir
11. Wond'ring- The Very Most
10. Super Rat - Honeyblood
9. Horseshoe- Withered Hand
8. Don't Wanna Lose- Ex Hex
7. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight- U2

6. Happening- Desperate Journalist
5. Mistakes of My Youth- Eels
4. Your Love Is Killing Me- Sharon Van Etten
3. Talking Backwards- Real Estate
2. Archie, Marry Me- Alvvays
1. Wounded Desire - Line and Circle

Best Songs of the Year 2014: 50-26

As promised yesterday, here's the third chapter of the Bloodbuzzed's Best Songs of the Year, now with our favourite tunes comprised between positions 50 to 26. Yes, we have reached the top 50, so this special music countdown is getting closer to its conclusion. You'd better stay tuned, the final top 25 is about to be revealed! Again, you have the complete playlist at our Soundcloud page. We are sure you're going to enjoy, many superb tunes here not to do so!

50. 1997, Passing the Hallway - Martha
49. Radiance - She Keeps Bees
48. Wishing Pool- The Luxembourg Signal
47. Just Like Before- Beach Beach
46. Wait- The Zebras
45. Far from the Pavilion- Comet Gain

44. Holding Pattern- Dean Wareham
43. Santa Fe Skyway- Martin Carr
42. Por Pequeño que Seas- Neleonard
41. Pale- Young Romance
40. My SIlver Lining- First Aid Kit
39. Fandango de la Libertad- Grupo de Expertos Solynieve
38. Radio On - Ex Hex

37. Way to Escape - Boutade
36. Losing to the Dark- La Sera
35. Every Time The Sun Comes Up - Sharon Van Etten
34. Hi-Five - Angel Olsen
33. So What - Avi Buffalo
32. Magazine - The Proper Ornaments
31. Moving On - James
30. Arsenal de Excusas - Los Punsetes
29. Familia/Trabajo - Cosmen Adelaida
28.Killer Bangs - Honeyblood
27. Luna - Fear of Men
26. Mine Is Mine - Line and Circle

Best Records of the Year 2014

After EPs and Books, now it's time for the Best Records of 2014. As previous years, we have listed our favourite 30 LPs, the releases that we have enjoyed the most. Many of these bands have already appeared at our "Discoverer Section", others have been played at our "Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Series" and a bunch of them have done our "These Go to 11" questionnaire (thank you, thank you, thank you). Many tough decissions have been made, excluding many bands & records that we love, but finally, here it is. So many amazing music gathered here!

30. Our Years in the Wilderness - The Hi-Life Companion
29. Let You Go- Tape Waves
28. Mundo Fatal- Me and the Bees
27. Do What You Want To, It’s What You Should Do- Flowers
26. The Sea- Beach Beach
25. Une Longue Si Attente- Watoo Watoo
24. Seeds- TV on the Radio
23. Floristry- Trick Mammoth
22. Feel Not Bad- Sw/mm/ng
21. Too True- Dum Dum Girls
20. Fumes- Lily and Madeleine
19. Burn Your Fire For No Witness- Angel Olsen
18. Courting Strong- Martha
17. Before There Were Pictures- Pale Lights
16. Go Guitars- She Sir
15. Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave- The Twilight Sad
14. Fruits del Teu Bosc- Renaldo y Clara
13. Paperback Ghosts- Comet Gain
12. La Foto Fantasma- Cosmen Adelaida
11. Sealed with a Kiss- Alpaca Sports
10. Siesta- The Zebras
9. The Best Hunter- Boutade
8. Up at Lagrange- The Hobbes Fanclub
7. The Luxembourg Signal- The Luxembourg Signal
6. Are We There Yet?- Sharon Van Etten
5. Always- Alvvays
4. Honeyblood- Honeyblood
3. Atlas- Real Estate
2. Loom- Fear of Men
1. Rips- Ex Hex


Want to check last year's list? Then check here
And 2012's? Click here
And 2011's? Just click here

Discoverer 104: new indie findings

A very diverse trio of proposals today in our Discoverer Series. Hope you enjoy!!

Eternal Summers. Hailing from Roanoke, Virginia, Nicole Yun and Daniel Cundiff started Eternal Summers as a duo in 2009. A prolific band, they debuted with split 7" 'Summer Reading', followed by LP 'Silver' on the great Kanine Records in 2010. An EP, another split 7" and a compilation album of unreleased material entitled 'Dawn of Eternal Summers' kept the band busy during 2011 and 2012 when, now as a trio after enlisting bassist Jonathan Woods, they came with  sophomore album 'Correct Behavior'. Keeping the releasing path, on March of 2014 they released their 3rd album, 'The Drop Beneath'. Indie-rock with a 90s vibe,with a foot into shoegaze and noisy atmospheres, while the other enters jangle-pop territories. Eternal Summers' music is a rich and suggestive kaledoscopic of emotions condensed within addictive 4 minutes pills.

Anthony Atkinson & The Running Mates. Long story here. Born in New South Wales, but relocated to Melbourne since 1995, Anthony Atkinson has a 16 years' career over his shoulders. First, as the frontman for The Mabels, with whom they released two celebrated albums and a trio of 7"/EPs between 1997-2011 and, more recently, as a singer/songwriter in his own right. First solo album, 'Come Home for Autumn'. appeared in 2003, with sophomore release, 'Loyalty Songs', followed in 2006, with his fully formed super-band, The Running Mates, comprising members from our beloved The Lucksmiths, The Zebras and Mid-State Orange, being established. After a long hiatus, Atkinson & Co. are now back with 'Broken Folks', out now on our dear Lost and Lonesome Records. It's a formidable folk-pop statement, solid from start to finish, gathering witty vignettes of social comment & daily lives with perennial pop melodies and little details (arpeggios, second vocals, subtle arrangements) enveloping a memorable record. Don't miss it.

Line & Circle. One of the Blog's most immediate crushes. Although based in L.A., the band origins have to be found in the Midwest, where college friends Brian J. Cohen & Brian Egan met. The Ohio mates decided to make the move to California, where they expanded the initial ideas into a full formed quintet in 2008. Early recordings found their way into the hands of R.E.M.'s drummer/producer Joey Waronker and string arranger Lewis Pesacov. Things got stucked, but after a change in the line-up, the momentum was found again in 2012. Pesacov, who happens to be the man behind White Iris Records made them took the studio, transforming the early demos into the 7" 'Roman Ruins / Carelessness'. With renovated vigor and confidence, the band has grabbed 2014 with unbeatable single 'Mine is Mine' in February and now with a self-released S/T EP which includes some of the best songs of the year to date. 80's college rock, R.E.M.'s early years lost vibes, Mozz-alike vocals and melodies that stop time. We are extremely excited with Line & Circle.

Discoverer 101: new indie findings

Our 101 post in our discoverer series is a special one: another trip "down under", but this time to Melbourne, Australia, where three exciting bands are ready to blow you away!

The Zebras. Pop veterans that started their career in Brisbane in 2001 when Jeremy Cole, Edwina Ewins, Matt Jones and Leon Dufficy made the move from Cairns and shoegaze, quickly supporting bands like Lambchop and The Shins, a most promising fact fuelled by the airwaves love of first single 'Car of Idiots'. In 2004 arrived their eponymous debut album on Lost and Lonesome, with sophomore LP 'Worry a Lot' coming in 2007, to much of acclaim from fans and critics. But then came frustration with Brisbane's pop scene, which provoked the group's disband. Although there was an EP in 2008, 'New Ways of Risking Our Lives' with Cole and Ewins introduced assembling a new line-up, The Zebras got in some sort of hibernation... until now, with the arrival of flamboyant new album 'Siesta', out since June on Jigsaw Records and Lost and Lonesome. POP in big capital letters, sumptuous, jangling, endearing, sun-soaked, with Edwina Ewins melting hearts vocals. Serious contender for the best-of-the-year albums lists...

Twerps. Formed in late 2008, this quartet were already supporting big names like Deerhunter, The Bats, Black Lips, Yo La Tengo and Thee Oh Sees within a few months of their first show. Their debut EP, 'Good Advice', arrived on Chapter Music a year later in late 2009 (also released on cassette at US by Night People label). Hype became a fact when Uncut magazine called them “best new band in Australia”, fostered in 2011 when they released single 'She Didn't Know' and 'Black Eyes', followed by self-titled debut album co-released by Chapter Music and Underwater Peoples. A new single, 'Work It Out/He's In Stock', and a tour with Real Estate came in 2012. Now, after a line-up change on drums, Twerps return to action with eight song EP 'Underlay', out this August on Chapter Music and Merge Records. Immediate pop, playful and unaffected. Lazy voices, crystalline guitars, killer melodies, lo-fi scent... Honouring their own tradition (hard not to hear echoes from The Bats or The Clean) while giving us an irresistible dose of immaculate guitar-pop.

Lowtide. Although technically, they began in 2008 as Three Month Sunset, built around the solo workings of Gabriel Lewis, the band's rebirth as Lowtide in 2010 was more than just a name change, becoming a full and expansive sounding quartet. That same year the group released debut EP 'You Are My Good Light'. Shows with A Place To Bury Strangers and Festivals with names like Caribou, My Disco and Toro Y Moi followed. 2011 seem the band releasing a two-track single entitled 'Underneath Tonight' on Departed Sounds, with more shows alongside bands such as Royal Baths, The Laurels or Beaches. On 2012 and 2013 Lowtide focused on playing and preparing their self-titled first album, which was anticipated this May by the mind-blowing single 'Blue Movie', and its out since middle July on Lost and Lonesome. Somewhere in between the lovely Ride and celestial Slowdive (yes, talking big here), Lowtide have created and extraordinary record, full of reverb and dreamy layered guitars, air-suspended vocals and lush textures. A dreampop classic in 2014.

These Go to 11: interviewing My Little Owl Records

Musician, indie label co-founder and wise blogger. Plus super-friendly & nice, talkative and extremely charming. Today we have the pleasure to count with Vinnie Ransome answering our questionnaire. We can assure you that approaching, collaborating with her and preparing this post ranks among the most pleasant experiences this humble blogger has had. These Go to 11!

Vinnie Ransome, The Mini Skips

Vinnie & Markie: screaming pop

Vinnie hails from Sheffield although now she has relocated to Bristol, and is half of The Mini Skips, a lovely duo of charming and (darkly) witty folky indiepop. Along with her matte Markie they debuted in the autumn of 2012 with single Advice for New Lovers via Nottingham’s House Vs Home records, followed with the 7” 'Evil / Shy', one of the best tunes of 2013 on the label she co-founded, My Little Owl, where our dear Jeremy ‘The Very Most’ Jensen released his mind-blowing latest EP ‘Things Too Obvious to Sing'. Want more? She is also the runner of Antipopdean blog, where she haunts and discovers the best music from Australia and New Zealand. Already in love with her? Yes, that’s easy to understand. Here we go! 

Casual wear in the 80s...

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

It was Adam and The Ants 'Prince Charming' LP in 1981. I had the gatefold blue tacked to the bedroom wall right next to my bed until I left home. The posters around it changed over the years but Adam Ant stayed put.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

I’ve got two answers to this as I’m not sure which one counts as the first. I went to see Morrissey at the Colston Hall in Bristol in 1990ish which was the first big concert I’d gone to by myself. But a year or so after that I went see my A level history teacher, Mr Law , play bass with his DIY indiepop band at the Mauritania, also in Bristol. I’ve been desperately trying to remember the name of his band and it’s completely escaped me...But anyway I loved it, loads more than the Morrissey concert, and that was the gig that made me want to play in bands and got me into fanzines and DIY gigs.The last gig I went to was to see a garage band from Denmark called The Youth which was completely awesome and tomorrow I’m going to see Hallie and the Annies, Frozy and The Nervy Betters in Bath. 

The Mini Skips, 12 points!

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

Ok, well I’m going to cheat a bit with this one as my guilty pleasure isn’t really a song or a band but an entire genre. People who know me well will know that I absolutely love the Eurovision Song Contest ...I know we shouldn’t; musically, politically, and probably morally it’s against everything I believe in, and yet I love it! I would truly love to write a song for Europe, in fact, some of the Mini Skips back catalogue are my rejects.

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

I’m definitely more attached to songs than the physical records, maybe that’s a funny thing for someone who runs a label to feel, but it’s true. So I’m actually going to say the physical record which is most precious to me is the Adam and the Ants LP because it’s always been there as well as some compilation tapes and CDs I’ve been made over the years which pointed me towards the Aussie indiepop I love particularly. 

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

Oh goodness, it depends on the mood I’m in I think. Of course it’s going to be some Lucksmiths lyrics but which ones? Ok.. subject to me changing my mind in about ten minutes my favourite lyrics are :

There was no need for a note

It couldn’t have been clearer

The absent dufflecoat

The clothes across the bed

They spelled it out instead

'The Winter Proper', Spring a Leak

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

I’d like to meet The Zebras properly. I am gutted that I’ve twice been in the same place as them and didn’t go up and say hi and be unashamedly star struck. There is a background story to this though because I was lucky enough to see them play a show with Three Month Sunset when I was  in Melbourne a few years back and I did actually pluck up the courage to go over. I walked across the room to say hi, tell them I am a massive fan, that their songs inspire me and make me dance, that I’d travelled all the way from the UK... What actually happened was that I tripped over a very poorly signposted step and fell into the drummer... I’d like to live that moment again, without the step.

Up, 'Eux Autres' charming music.
Bottom, still figuring out what to say

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)

Can I have two answers to this please?! Sensible answer ... My favourite artwork is from Eux Autres 2012 'Sun is Sunk' LP. It’s proper classy. Secondly... I’ve recently been helping out in a charity record shop and every week I sneak photos of the most amazingly kitsch artwork, mainly from the 1960s. A few weeks back we found this. I have never seen anything so indescribable. 

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

Books for me, no question. The best book I’ve read recently is 'Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls' by Alissa Nutting. I love films too, mainly European cinema, if you’ve not seen any Emile Kusturica I’d recommend any of his films, for the soundtracks alone. But I personally do prefer a book.

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

I find this really hard to answer, and I’ve gone all shy! I think the answer is probably 'The Foghorn Song' which we now play as The Mini Skips. It took me less than ten minutes to write the lyrics and music, which is unusual for me, songs tend to take a really long time to develop but this kind of wrote itself. People who write songs I think are brilliant have told me they like 'The Foghorn Song'; Markie, Pete Green, Val from Robberie, Pete Bee, Jeremy ‘The Very Most’ Jensen and others too. That makes me very, very proud.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)

I’d never use it on its own to describe the music I love because it really doesn’t mean ‘independent’ or small label or DIY to most people. That’s not a bad thing, I love that language evolves like this so quickly, but I do cringe a bit when someone describes the music I like as ‘indie’.To me the ‘indie’ in ‘indiepop’ means just that the primary motivation behind the songs probably wasn’t huge commercial acclaim and success and that it probably wasn’t produced in a huge high budget setting with session musicians flown in from thousands of miles away. People make their music sound very perfect on a shoestring, and did so even before the technology improved.

My Little Owl Records logo:
indiepop gets cute

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years My Little Owl Records would love to still be releasing 7” singles , we are going to release the first MLO LP this autumn too so maybe by then we’ll be up the 10^th LP,  50^th single and 20^th live show? I’d like to develop the Antipopdean blog more, that started as a twitter ‘song a day’ blog promoting brilliant Aussie and Kiwipop to the rest of the world but we are getting asked to do loads of reviews now and have the word press blog too. I love all the stuff I’m getting sent, especially from young DIY artists in Dunedin, what a great city for pop music! Finally, I know I’ve said this loads of times before but the most important thing to me is that I will still be playing. It’s so important to me that women keep performing and don’t feel the pressure to stop as we get older, I’ll be almost 50 then but I absolutely don’t want to stop. Someone a few years ago said it was great that I am ‘giving it one last go’ at being in band with The Mini Skips ...I’m not really sure what they meant, but sorry, while I’m still loving it, you’re stuck with me playing my Eurovision rejects!

Zillion thanks Vinnie!