Bloodbuzzed: pitchfork

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Friday, June 3, 2016

Primavera Sound 2016 in brief, days 1 & 2

Here we are, in the frantic, exhausting (adding some Primavera Pro activities) but always remarkable Primavera Sound Festival days. So, like we always do, here are our quick chronicles of what's going on for us within this 2016 edition. To begin with, the first couple of days, the opening day, Wednesday 1st, and yesterday's first "big one", Thursday 2nd. Let's begin!

The Good

First Day Pro: First time attending, and finding it pretty interesting. Liking the mixture of conferences (I attended a couple on the not very bright future of music journalism with members of Billboard, Stereogum, Pitchfork and Intro) and music (the plan is watching several gigs there). Letting aside the criminal midday sun, the CCCB is a comfortable and interesting place to be.
Núria Graham: Precisely, my first gig at PS16 was Núria Graham on Wednesday... and what an incandescent talent she is! Alone, just armed with her guitar and haunting voice, she can be effortlessly epic, lightweight poppier or St.Vincentnesque in a matter of seconds.

Ms. Graham, young magician. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Spanish indie: Also on Wednesday, our main interest of the afternoon at the Fòrum was my beloved Doble Pletina, who nailed it despite the hour and the huge stage for their minimalistic indiepop proposal. But to my surprise, the real winner of the afternoon (at least for me) was Sr. Chinarro, who managed to deliver a very powerful set, combining some of his expected greatest hits with several strong takes of new album 'El Progreso', that were the real highlights of his show. A veteran glowing.

Sr. Chinarro, still progressing after so many years. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Algiers/Protomartyr: Although their gigs weren't perfect they are two terrific bands. Algiers couldn't beat their mindblowing set at Primavera Club (the bar was so high with what they did at Apolo) but they are such a fierce presence, musically, lyrically, live, you always have to rise the white flag with them. Same can be said about Protomartyr. A very fun mess, with Joe Casey being such a chaotic yet ravishing frontman. Will follow closely.

Protomartyr, indeed it shakes, wildly. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Bad

Massification: PS might die due to success. Going to "Mordor" (H&M and Heineken stages) is always a punishment, but this year, even on Wednesday Primavera stage was incredibly full. Can't even imagine what's going to happen today with Radiohead's gig...

El Último Vecino: Sorry, just don't get it. And the live show hasn't improved a single bit...

Primavera Sound on strike: Living pretty far from Fòrum (as almost every person in the city who is not a tourist)? What about having to deal with a combined strike from subway and bus on the days where Primavera takes place? Nice, very nice... Years complaining on how ridicule are the lame transportation options every night of the Festival and now this...

The Queen
Daughter: I really don't qualify as a Daughter fan (not that fond of their records, my previous live experiences with them have been so-so), but what happened yesterday evening at Heineken stage was really something. An incredible mass of people gathered (the whole Mordor esplanade, scary and impressive at the same time, as Elena Tonra pointed out), to listen such a subtle music proposal. It's true that Daughter opted for some "muscle" at times, like the forgettable 'No Care', but the whole majority of the gig was simply arresting, with incredible moments as the surprising, very respectful silence (there's hope! there's hope!) while the quartet delivered 'Smother', the affecting power of 'Human', 'Youth' and 'Numbers' or the dreamy bliss of 'How'. Add that you can't help it but fall for Elena's adorable shyness and you have it: a wonderful, bewitching gig.

A very joyful Elena. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Brief of the second "big day" of the PS16, Friday 3rd, coming very soon here!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

With Beach House tonight!

Big concert tonight, a rainy day with Beach House in Barcelona at Sala Apolo, presenting "Bloom", it couldn't be more approppiate (can't say really why but to me Beach House music and rain fits together incredibly well). Review on the gig coming very soon. To celebrate the concert, here's the wonderful short film recently released by the band and Pitchfork, entitled "Forever Still". Four tunes "Wild", "The Hours", "Wishes", and "Irene" filmed with the dreamy and isolated landscapes of Tornillo, Texas, as a unique, haunting background. An intriguing, cinematic and captivating work. Really worth the watch, enjoy!

Monday, January 14, 2013

"Damsels in Distress", a hipster comedy?

Damsels in Distress

Here's a good film to start a debate about the "meaning" of making films, about the purpose of cinema. After watching a film like "Damsels in Distress" the question came to my mind again: should a director think on the audience when filming? or exclusively on what he/she wants to say?

Because this film is an attempt of making a really original comedy, but it doesn't work (I would add at all), or I guess it just works for director Whit Stillman and his legion of fans. I ask myself: what's the purpose of a comedy? making you laugh and/or have a good time, and if the film is very good, do that while making you think. "Damsels in Distress" doesn't make you laugh and sorry, I don't think it really wants to say anything. But what puzzles me more is that I don't believe Stillman cares about that.

Deadpan, off-beat comedies I have seen a few, is not that surprising, but I can guarantee you watching this film is an odd experience, at least for a (long) while.The dialogues on which the characters are involved are unique. But they are not just surreal or crazy, which could lead to a very suggestive film (like Spanish masterpiece "Amanece Que No es Poco", the recent "Submarine" or the craziest moments on Woody Allen's or Wes Anderson's filmography). Dialogues and characters attitudes are pretentiously ironic (I concede the qualification of pretentious, for sure) off-putting, deliberately bizarre and to me, frequently irritating. It really takes a while and a considerable effort to go on for the viewer.

If you do, you'll find yourself more or less involved in its college story, one where guys are desperately stupids (some fun here) and girls completely insufferable. But in my case at least, I went on just for the sake of figuring out whether or not there was a goal, an end, a conclusion where all these strange kids could reveal something, not because I was going to find something satisfying. And although by the middle of it you get used to this sort of awkward humour and occasionally you will laugh, once the credits end, there's nothing to talk about or worth remembering. Just a very eccentric film, just for the sake of being eccentric. Right now I'm thinking of a dozen of ultra-cool indie bands, with enjoy quite a successful position on alternative industry who, of course in my opinion, "sell" that sort of eccentricity... while lacking songs. Yes, know I get why Stillman and hipster are words commonly used in the same sentence. Unfortunately, is that meaning of hipster that means: "Look how I wear! Check my instagram! Read my very important tweet in the middle of a concert! and How I scream the only song I know about the NEXT BIG THING Pitchfork magazine has written about!"... Sorry about the rant.

Then again, I'm pretty sure Stillman must be satisfied with his work, achieving what he was aiming for or how he directed the cast (I have read fantastic comments on Greta Gerwig's performance, is true she's convincing on her role... but unfortunately is also part of this film). But sorry, is that enough? That makes Stillman an author? I doubt it, because I can only qualify "Damsels in Distress" as a seriously failed film. Or at the very least, a film that wasn't for me.

SCORE: 4,25/10

Sunday, August 12, 2012

My People's List: Best Albums 1996-2011

Pitchfork is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a participative proposal: a top albums' list, from 1996 to 2011, but made by us. It has been a really really hard & challenging (therefore interesting) thing to do, so here's Bloodbuzzed's contribution. See you all next week (off for holidays until Sunday!!).

1

TOP PICK

High Violet

The National

2

Boxer

The National
3

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle And Sebastian

4. Trailer Park- Beth Orton
5. The Bright Carvings- Monkey Swallows the Universe
6. The Back Room- Editors
7. Alligator- The National
8. Let England Shake- PJ Harvey
9. You Are Free- Cat Power
10. OK Computer- Radiohead

11. This Has Been the Death Of Us- Saint Judes Infirmary

The Innocence Mission

Check the full list, with all the Pitchfork's visuals/format at http://peopleslist.pitchfork.com/list/372a3a41/

And have your say!!

Friday, August 5, 2011

The haunted castle: The National's best performance

Oh, summer mornings when you are a bit lazy to do anything... But sometimes you end checking, by chance, a series of old videos you didn't see when they were made public (May 2010). In this Pitchfork.tv series, "The Castle Rock Sessions", The National play three songs from "High Violet" at an abandoned castle on the Hudson River. The building, in the middle of the woods, seems to affect the sound, providing the music an otherworldly energy. Might be the best performances I have seen (goosebumps with "Little Faith") of these songs, and intertwined with the amazing visuals the location provides, it makes a haunting experience.

"Terrible Love"

"Anyone's Ghost"

"Little Faith"

The National. Since "Alligator", the best band on the planet.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Strokes, the "Angles" of disappointment

Angles- The Strokes

There were some warnings in advance. The ugly cover, to start with. And some revealing comments on the article by Jonathan Garret on Pitchfork:

"I won't do the next album we make like this. No way. It was awful...just awful".
"We're all learning to work on each other's songs and learning how to deal with emotional issues in relation to the songs.. I feel we have a better album in us, and it's going to come out soon". Guitarrist Nick Valensi.

"I mean...yes....It's a tough question because I think the whole point was that I was going to let things go so there's a bunch of stuff on the record I wouldn't have done". Singer Julian Casablancas, asked if he likes the finished album.

So what are we going to find in "Angles"? In my opinion, a band trying striving to find themselves, but without knowing if they are still a band, resulting on a pastiche of styles trying too hard to fit together in the mix. Sadly, it clearly shows the lack of direction on the recording. The start is strong, though. "Machu Picchu" is addictive with its peculiar groove, and "Under Cover of Darkness" is a fine single, despite the irony of Casablancas singing "Everybody singing the same song for 10 years" when the tune qualifies as a polished auto homage of their first album.

"Two Kind of Happiness" and "You're so Right" are so-so tunes, but the guitar work saves them. And "Taken for a Fool" is the other highlight from "Angles". But if this was just an EP ending here, it would have been a fine comeback for The Strokes. Because there's little to be saved from the second half of the album.

The subdued electropop of "Games" is remarkable only if we compare it with the following song, "Call Me Back", a serious contender for The Strokes worst song. "Gratisfaction" is catchy and happier, but come on, that would have been discarded and used as b-side years ago. And "Metabolism" is The Strokes doing Muse. Hell no. At least the album ends on a positive note with the pleasant "Life is Simple in The Moonlight", but that's not enough to avoid the feeling of huge disappointment from the expectations created after so many years of hiatus.

SCORE: 4/10

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