Spanish Indie 22: suggesting the best national acts

It's about time to bring you more national discoveries. Today, pop, pop, and more wonderful pop! 

Fred i Son. Been meaning to write about them for ages! Hailing from Barcelona, Elisenda Daura, drummer at Las Dolores, and Xavi Rosés, the man behind Coach Station Reunion (author of one of our favourite records of 2013), guitarist at Epic Kind and occasional bassist at Veracruz, met in 2005, finding love and a shared passion for the best jangle-pop. Around 2007, the homemade music affair is transformed into a proper duo when a friend of Eli proposes the couple to participate at Minimúsica (a little indie Festival devoted for kids). In 2009, the couple gets married, and friend Xesc Cabot enters the band as bassist and lyricist. The trio keeps writing songs and making some buzz with gigs, contests and first demos collection 'En Pijama (Early Takes)', followed by their first album 'Diu que no sap què vol' released by Sones in September of 2010. 'Un altre temps' their second album to date arrived two years later via Sones-Warner, with the band now expanded to a quartet with the addition of their record producer, Cristian Pallejà. Their latest release to date, on December 2014, has been the lovely EP 'El Carter' out through our friends Discos de Kirlian. Intimate, disarming, delicate and joyous jangle-pop, honouring all the greatest: Go-Betweens, Aztec Camera, Pale Fountains, Lucksmiths, Ben Watt, Pastels, Marine Girls, Aventuras de Kirlian. Our best kept secret in pop now revealed to you. Go fall in love with them!

Montserrat. Hailing from Madrid, this quartet formed with musicians from bands like El Hijo, Litoral, Julio de la Rosa or Abraham Boba, initially was the solo project of Javier Montserrat in 2007, not becoming the band they are now until early 2011. On September of 2012 they self-released their first EP. At the end of 2013 they achieve the needed economic resources in order to release their self-titled debut album through a crowdfunding campaign, which was published past April of 2014. Gentle, humming pop-folk with a sixties vibe and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Songs to intimately sing-along. Don't miss them!
Neleonard. I thought I already wrote about them (I reviewed their debut EP at Indienauta) because they were one of my biggest crushes from 2014. Formed around the Barcelona artistic collective HiJauhUSB?, this sextet leaded by Manuel Navío (Nele) was born in 2012 as his personal project, but he quickly started to recruit people in order to create the best POP tunes. The first 6 gems arrived past October with debut EP 'Agosto', out through our dear Elefant Records. One of the best EPs from 2014, this is indeed music in capital letters, magnetic, powerful, emotional, sometimes lightweight, others melodramatic, always honest and heartfelt. Pluperfect POP.