Primavera Sound 2012 in brief, day 2

Doble Pletina. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

And following the first post on the Primavera Sound Festival development here's the second part about what happened on Thursday 31st, now at the Parc del Fòrum.

The Good

Mr Dury. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Spanish twee-pop: I was looking for Doble Pletina's gig, and they didn't disappoint me. On the contrary, I ended their show with the feeling I finally found a band that does justice to twee-pop in Spain. Lovely.
Sound quality: All stages sounded really well. Cheers for that!
Great afternoon: Doble Pletina, Baxter Dury (another nice discovery, they reminded me Blur, and Baxter is a charismatic frontman), Archers of Loaf (I was just making time) and Lee Ranaldo. Diversity, with great sounding and seen in a comfortable way. That offer is what makes the PS unbeatable.
Beirut: A music obligation that I finally saw live. It wasn't a completely satisfying gig, but still, debt paid.
The Bad

Massification: I know that compared with last year's edition this problem has improved, but moving from or to the Mini stage (named Llevant in 2011) is a nightmare when the headliners gigs start. I'm sure I'm not the only who is deciding about the "overlaps" having in mind distances, and in particular, avoiding that stage.
So-so night: Linked with the previous one and what I wrote on the post about the first day. Too much people is just at PS just for the sake of "being there" and is annoying for the ones that are there for the music. Beirut's and Franz Ferdinand's gigs (although for latest one we were keen with the idea of watching it from the distance, in a more relaxed way) were a bit dull due to the combination of masses, tolerable levels of discomfort but many annoying people, constantly chatting or moving around when the song was unknown/known for them.

Hope Sandoval. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

No mercy for the press: That long and very slow queue under the criminal sun was the worst thing ever. Wouldn't be easier to allow the press to pick our accreditation during the previous days, as the rest of the attending public?
Overlaps: Missed The Afghan Whigs, Wilco, Spiritualized due to overlaps. That hurts.
Mazzy Star: Really awaiting for this gig, and it was a complete disappointment. Just my opinion, but to me Hope Sandoval sounded tired and cold. Lifeless gig.

The Queen

Lee Ranaldo: If on Wednesday the "indie myth" I discovered was The Wedding Present, on Thursday I was blown out by Lee Ranaldo. I started checking his album "Between the Times and the Tides" just a couple of weeks before the start of Primavera, and my addiction was growing steadily. But after seeing him playing now I'm totally converted. What a guitar maestro, what a stunning performance. What a great record, to me a crossover between R.E.M's and the softened version of  Sonic Youth's guitar style. Mesmerizing.

Friday's brief coming next!

Primavera Sound 2012 in brief, day 1

This morning I can make a quick post about how is it going the Primavera Sound Festival so far... To start with, the "Opening Day", Wednesday 30th!

The Wedding Present at PS
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Good
Barcelona-Primavera Sound: From many points of view, "opening" the Festival to the city is a great decision from the organization. And the location, Arc de Triomf, is an excellent choice for a free, open-air gig.
Discovering Myths: The first one on a Festival that so far is being great in that area. Didn't know what to expect from the Wedding Present, but after the gig all I can say is that I was happily impressed. On research mode since now on!
Sound quality: Past edition at Poble Espanyol was quite disappointing in that sense. Major improvement at the Arc de Triomf.

The Bad

View from the Arc Triomf on Wed. 30th
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Massification: Of course, one "collateral damage" of "approaching" the Festival to Barcelona is the risk of massification. The Arc quickly became overcrowded, and with the extremely hot weather, it was a bit too much. And sorry to say, there was a vast amount of people just "showing-up", something usual about this city, extremely worried about how it looks and not about what it does, not giving a s*** about the music, and frustrating the ones that were there to hear the bands with their constant chatting, shouting or, plain stupid behaviour. We gave up after the first songs of the Black Lips as we were too pissed by people.
Discovering new bands: Not really impressed with No More Lies (ages away from my tastes), and Jeremy Jay, sorry.

Fabulous The Walkmen
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Queen
The Walkmen: What a band. Great performance, with Hamilton Leithauser being a thunderous performer again. New songs from "Heaven" sounded amazing, and even the silly people (as mentioned on the previous paragraph) couldn't frustrate enjoying such a powerful song like "The Rat". My only complains. They didn't played "We Can't We Beat", a song I can stop hearing and that the gig was too short! We want you back in Barcelona"!


Thursday's brief coming very very soon!

"The Beat is the Law", Sheffield, not Pulp

The Beat is the Law: Fanfare for the Common People

The extraordinary Beefeater In-Edit, the local music documentary Festival, teamed again with the San Miguel Primavera Sound, offering a highly recommendable offer of rockumentaries as another complementary activity prior to the days at the Parc of Fòrum. And in principle, the movie programmed on Monday couldn't be more engaging: a film, premiere in Barcelona, about Pulp's story? Count me in.

But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. It might be very bad advertising, or perhaps, intentionally, a way to make it more attractive for bigger audiences, but "The Beat is the Law" is not about Pulp, is about Sheffield music scene, from the 80s to middle 90's.

Director Eve Wood starts the documentary tracing a quite ambitious, for a music film, overview of how it was living in the 80s in Sheffield, not precisely the friendliest city in the world. Unemployment and few hopes for youth clashing with the Margaret Thatcher totalitarian regime, explained by the opinions of Sheffield musicians and people related with the music industry/business of the city.

Right. Among the people interviewed you'll find Pulp members Russell Senior, Candida Doyle, Nick Banks and Jarvis Cocker. And of course, you'll be hearing part of their story as a band struggling to survive, virtually not existing while the city deals with a social agony provoked by the governmental policies and then against a vibrant music scene that exclude them, until the circunstances/luck/opportunity change so much they will become the forefront of the britpop movement in the middle 90s. But this is just part of the film.

"The Beat is the Law" is also the (partial) story of Richard Hawley, of the Longpigs, of Chakk, of Rob Gordon and the Warp label, of Clock DVA, of acid house, dance and the club culture. With all that material and the cooperation of so many artists the film could have been amazing. But there's no balance on it. After almost an hour of documentary devoted to politics and the evolution of a music scene in Sheffield during the 80s, giving a lot of the film length to dance and house growing movement, Pulp reappears, almost out of the blue, for a homecoming gig. And then they headline Glastonbury in front of 80.000 people? Wood also allows the Longpigs to explain how they failed in a moment when they seemed capable of "making it" too. But again it fells so short compared with the previous hour of film. There's no real analysis of what/how/why britpop exploded. And after Glasto's performance, the film abruptly ends. So you cannot say this documents Pulp's career.

Overall, "The Beat is the Law" gives you a quite blurred image of these times. Its lack of definition and scope gives the spectactor an undefined picture, with social and historical remarks, artists and band members (some very relevant, some barely known outside UK) sharing their view on the city and music evolution. Many are interesting and engaging, but cannot help the sense it fails as a whole, as a cohesive music documentary.

SCORE: 5,5/10

My Primavera Sound 2012 playlist!

Primavera Sound Festival 2012 is finally here! Music, music and more music, with some additional parallel activities starting today. With the format of a playlist, here's a little sneak of what I'm going (or at least expecting to) to hear during this week. See you around, I'll keep you informed!

1. Hey Jane- Spiritualized
2. Heartbreaker- The Walkmen
3. Turn On the Water- The Afghan Whigs
4. Waiting on a Dream- Lee Ranaldo
5. September Gurls- Big Star
6. Postcards from Italy- Beirut
7. Trellic- Baxter Dury
8. Fade Into You- Mazzy Star
9. Devil's Spoke- Laura Marling
10. Hollywood Forever Cemetey Sings- Father John Misty
11. Eleanor Put Your Boots On- Franz Ferdinand
12. Don't Do Me No Favours- James Hunter
13. Misread- Kings of Convenience
14. It's Real- Real Estate
15. Don't Fall- The Chameleons
16. Hoop of Love- Dominant Legs
17. Get Myself Into It- The Rapture
18. Love Song- The Cure
19. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea- Jeff Mangum
20. One Day- Sharon Van Etten
21. Starry Eyes- Veronica Falls
22. Hearts- I Break Horses
23. Tonight the Streets are Ours- Richard Hawley
24. Ahora Sabes- Odio París
25. Into the Black- Chromatics
26. Música para Cerrar las Discotecas- Doble Pletina

Spanish Indie 9: suggesting the best national acts

New proposals in this section thanks to a new, fundamental release, and some promising Spanish acts that will perform next week at Primavera Sound. Hope you enjoy!

Los Punsetes. Every music scene needs a group like them. Careless, free, fun and brave enough to say what everyone thinks. But even Los Punsetes needed to move on. The band hasn't lost their ability to write verses that feel like punches in the face (hear "Los Tecnócratas" or "Tráfico de Órganos de Iglesia"), but its indeed a farewell to the lo-fi/humorous spirit. "Una Montaña es Una Montaña", their third album, out now, sounds terrific, urgent, more dense and full, with a heavy presence of guitars lines and drums, in a great production from El Guincho. The drift from punk-pop to space-rock style like Los Planetas fits them incredibly well. Los Punsetes are back. Better than ever.

Beach Beach. The great record label La Castanya has hit the spot again with this group from Mallorca. With "Tasteless Peace", released on March, following their first EP “Leeuwnehoek”, Rau Riutort, Tomeu Mulet, Àngel Garau y Lluís Cabot, are confirming the promise: a great, utterly enjoyable dose of sun-baked lo-fi tunes devoted to the 90s American indie-rock, with echoes of Pavement, hints of punk and an occasional tropical vibe that recalls Vampire Weekend, always with guitars and percussions smelling like summer. A great option to see them live at Primavera Sound this week.


Mujeres. Our third proposal is also going to be playing next week at Primavera Festival. And its an option that should be very carefully considered, as with their second album, "Sof Gems" out since March by Sones (another very good label), the band has perfected their proposal to a knockout garage-rock with traces of surf and classic sounds that makes them being not only at the top of their game, but also on the forefront of the national independent scene. Their music is ridiculously addictive, as all the good music should be.
Mujeres "Soft Gems"

More Primavera Sound als Bars with Partido!

Few days before the Primavera Sound Festival begins! Here's another taste of some the previous gigs coming next week!

Partido. Absenta Bar, Barcelona, May 22nd

Partido at Absenta Bar.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Among the names listed for the Primavera als Bars, a great parallel activity prior to the start of the Festival, I was looking forward to this gig, as the impression they gave me live at Festival Plaça Odissea last year was terrific. Then I checked what was available in their web and confirmed the feeling of having discovered a "real band", with a solid music proposal in their hands/mind. On Tuesday, Víctor Partido and company reinforced that impression.

Close-up of Victor Partido.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Absenta Bar, a very tiny venue for the amount of crowd gathered for the gig (can't imagine the level of discomfort and sweat of the people in the corridor) become something comparable to a sauna. But Partido were capable of making us focus just in the music. Sure, their proposal is not going to shake the foundations of music in terms of originality, but their folk-rock, deeply rooted into the Americana style, is not that frequent in Spain, and most importantly, it is played with an honesty and passion that makes the band stand out from the majority of their peers.

Another pic of the gig.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The most rewarding for me was realising how much care and work there's on the songs. In particular on melodies, which their new album, "Leaving All Behind", just out now, is plenty. Thanks to that, tunes like "Jesus" or "Not Full of Anger" or the great "Carnival", can mute, evolve, go in many directions, amplifying their folk-rock ground. Traces of Wilco, The Jayhawks, Neil Young, but also from Big Star ("Happy Birthday" is a colossal song) or Mojave3. Great referral names, I know. But the comparisons are deserved. Partido is an excellent band. Go check "Leaving All Behind" as soon as you can. And watch them live if you have the chance. You'll thank me.

Flatstock, gig posters at Primavera Sound

Flatstock. The World of Music Posters
La Virreina Centre de la Imatge, Barcelona, May 15th-June 3rd

Primavera Sound has added a very interesting parallel activity to this year's Festival: Flatstock, a touring show of concert posters, that will take place on the Parc del Fòrum from the 31st May until the 2nd June. The exhibition, the biggest of this type to visit Europe, includes the work of more than 30 artists from Europe and the USA, is organised by the American Poster Institute (API), an NGO dedicated to promote music posters since 2002.

View of the exhibition. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Nice Beirut poster. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

At the entrance.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The fair is complemented by the free exhibition "Flatstock: the world of music posters" , part of the San Miguel Primavera a la Ciutat activities.at La Virreina Centre de la Imatge. The selection of more than 70 works, chosen by Flatstock and The Poster Collective, is a nice warm-up for the forthcoming fair at the Fòrum. Love the idea, as I believe visual arts are a great addition to music (you already know how much I criticize the bands/artists that don't care about their album artworks, for example).

I can't say I was very impressed (my personal opinion, I know this is just a matter of taste) by the selection exposed at La Virreina, with only a couple of posters that I liked. But I'm sure the full fair next week is going to be a fantastic parallel activity... and a serious threat for any budget! Hard to resist the temptation of a great concert poster hanging on your wall!