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Thursday, July 7, 2016

Spanish Indie 29: suggesting the best national acts

Pop, pop and more pop in our latest trio of national bands. Brace yourselves, gorgeous music is coming!

El Palacio de Linares. Drummer Gonzalo Marcos founded the band in 2011, initially with Mariví Hernández Lara, Ángel Román and Elena Cascón, debuting in 2012 with 7"'Himalaya' out on Elefant Records. Changes in the line-up began while the group released EP La Casa Es Negra on Discos de Paseo in 2013, as well as singles with Discos de KirlianDiscos Walden, plus the Mini-LP La Espalda de un perro via Sweet Grooves Records a year later, which looked like the final release of the band. But Gonzalo didn't want to quit, so instead he relaunched the band in San Sebastián with the help of Alex & Raúl from Nuevos Hobbies and the support of Yon Vidaur from Ama. The new and reinvigorated ensemble now has come out with first LP ‘Ataque de amor’ via the great Pretty Olivia Records. A collection of pluperfect tunes echoing some of the greatest pop artisans, in between The Feelies and Belle and Sebastian, but with a trademark sense of humour and costumbrist grace. Smashing pop attack!

Evripidis and His TragediesEvripidis Evripidis Sabatis is a classically trained musician, visual artist and writer born in Athens, Greece, but adopted by Barcelona a decade ago. Here, with the support of likely minded musicians and artists, he gave form to his own particular musical and aesthetical universe, a solo project that expands into a collecive process. Since 2006, Evripidis has released several EPs, music for short movies and art projects and three LPs, the self-titled debut in 2007, 'A Healthy Dose of Pain' in 2011 and, since this March, we can enjoy 'Futile Games in Space and Time' in a joint release by Snap! Clap!, Canada Editorial, Jigsaw and Inner Ear. Piano-based, his soft pop is kaleidoscopic: sometimes vintage, devoted to 50s & 60s, others baroque, or flirting with Motown as well as with Belle and Sebastian, but always lush, hopelessly romantic and adventurous. Oh! This charming man...

Islandia Nunca Quema. Although they hail from Reus and Tarragona, this quartet formed in 2010 has their music DNA in distant places like Brisbane, Glasgow or Dunedin... also known as the "kingdoms of indiepop". Debut release arrived in December of 2012 with 7" 'The Wrong Parade / Pile of Junk', out via Philatelia Records, followed by another 7", only digital, entitled 'Behold the Evil Mind/ Dotted Lines' in January 2014. 'Applause', first album to date was next, again via Philatelia, with a 'Covers' record made public early 2015, including versions of The Kinks, Lloyd Cole, The Velvet Underground and Young Marble Giants, among others. So, while we wait for the new chapter of these "Islanders of pop", we can enjoy all their good deeds: their knack for penning classic, lasting melodies, their chiming guitars lines, their flirt with psychedelia... Contagious tunes.

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