makeajoyfulnoisehere

RECORDS FOR THE YEAR, SO FAR (UPDATE)

2008-03-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

And as another attempt to my update on this blog, here we have some of the records from this year I've been listening the most so far, in alphabetical order.

AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT - I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART
The record that let us know that Mr. Moffat has a middle name is the record that resumes his sex obsessions the most. The first one that he publishes under his name is a compendium of short songs/poems and a long story with samplers of classic, camera music, beat boxes, accordions, film sequences and many other things. The final result makes blush Mr. Tellier with his concept album about sex. Fun the first time you listen to it, but also a complex musical record for your romance nights if you want to avoid to play again Marvin Gaye.

ATLAS SOUND - LET THE BLIND LEAD THOSE WHO CAN'T SEE BUT CANNOT FEEL
Under this pseudo-biblical name lays my favorite record of the year so far. The guy under Deerhunter publishes the record of his side project and exceeds the achievements of his main band. Psychedelia, shoegaze, feedback, atmospheres and good songs, not only in the record, but also in the many eps and songs that you can download for free in his blog. Even more songs and as good as in the record. This is quite more impressive than the Radiohead pay-what-you-want effort. Can't wait to see them live.

EL GUINCHO - ALEGRANZA
Many things in many places have been already written about this record. The most impressive thing, probably is that he's Spanish and he's having an impressive international success with his first record. And the record is really good, probably so influenced by Animal Collective and Panda Bear (as you can see in all the reviews) but also with a lot of personal characteristics like the inclusion of tropical stuff that makes it quite a festive record. See him play live in one of the three dates planned for this month in London.

FOALS - ANTIDOTESYeah, I know. Too much interest probably in this band before the publishing of their first record. I quite lost my interest before listening to it and after seeing the forth single sounds exactly the same as the first three. But wait, the record is enjoyable and more assorted than what you can expect. Don't believe the hype but this is not a bluff, at least not yet...

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - H.A.L.A.
Most people will track this record thanks to knowing about Antony's collaboration in Blind. And his collaboration in the band, in many other songs of the record, is crucial. Who could predict that his voice could fit that well in a post-disco wrap? But this is not all in this record. The other voices, the arrangements and the songs themselves have also enough value to consider this project not only another one where he helped adding his personal voice.

HIGH PLACES - 03/07- 09/07
Probably this is the closer we've been to listen to the sound of water in a record. All the arrangements in the record look like they've been filtered out under the sea: pianos, African orchestras, percussion instruments of all kind and vocal melodies that remember the happy easy days of Beat Happening. Probably the most original production of the year so far.

LITTLE ANNIE AND PAUL WALLFISCH - WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PIANOS
Little Annie maybe should have to change her name as she's not little anymore. She's older and bigger than ever before in this cover record that recovers our faith in the genre after listening to the deception of the second Cat Power's effort miles away to her previous one in personality and success. Annie takes the songs to her cabaret flavour atmosphere. Maybe the closest Tom Waits feminine version we have nowadays.

SAMAMIDON - BUT THIS CHICKEN PROVED FALSEHEARTED
Nobody sang that bad in a folk record since the first Will Oldham efforts with a result that it's not annoying but enriches the songs giving them more naturallity and emotion. Nothing new but good songs and good performance.

Some songs for the year

2008-03-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

Because of my lazyness, here you have a resume of some of the most interesting songs of the year so far:

HOT CHIP - READY FOR THE FLOOR
OK, probably already fed up of listening to the song and watching the video. But saw them live last Friday and enjoyed it so much

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - BLIND
Antony in a disco anthem. Not a good idea before listening to the song. A strange but perfect marriage after listening to it

MGMT - TIME TO PRETEND
Psychodelia, Flaming Lips, and a strange look close to The Klaxons for a perfect pop song.

MORRISSEY - THAT'S HOW PEOPLE GROW UP
And Morrissey publishes his compilation number eight, but this time with two new tracks, at least. This is one of them

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - DIG, LAZARUS, DIG
They are back after the Grinderman lapsus. As biblical and strong as always

BLOOD RED SHOES - YOU BRING ME DOWN
Published some months ago as a B Side now it becomes a deserved single before the album comes out. Teenage rage.

NOAH AND THE WHALE - 2 BODIES 1 HEART
Another quirky home-made video for another happy-sad song.

ANNI ROSSI - WHEELPUSHER
Another folk girl, not with an harp or a guitar, but with a violin.

ALICE AND THE MAJESTY - I COULD LOVE YOU
Alice McLaughlin hidding behind her band.

YILA FEATURING SCROOBIUS PIP - ASTRONAUT
The beardy man did it again. Another infectious crazy dance song.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - MANSARD ROOF
One of the bands with more "One to watch in 2008".

FOALS - CASSIUS
And the band with definetely more "One to watch in 2008"s

BAND OF HORSES - NO ONE'S GONNA LOVE YOU
A really beautiful song

Back in Business

2008-02-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

OK. I had a long lazy period. Half of the reason is my problems with an Internet connection for the last months and the other half is laziness, busy times or I don't know why. But well, I'm going to try a regular periodicity again, and who knows, maybe I'll get it this time.
I'm going to start with the discovered-to-late-to-be-on-the-end-of-the-year-list records.

THE HONEYDRIPS - HERE COMES THE FUTURE
A record that could have been published in the post-madchester/shoegaze fever, close to Screamadelica, Ride, The La's or the first Charlatans but also close to the end of the nineties revival of the genre but filtered through a Swedish clean pop vision not far from some of their contemporaries.

MIRACLE FORTRESS - FIVE ROSES
And another shoegaze-inspired record full of perfect pop songs, this time with more electronic and string arrangements and with vocal harmonies close to the sound of the Beach Boys. Totally addictive and perfect for sunny days.

EUGENE MCGUINNESS - THE EARLY LEARNINGS OF...
A boy who is not older than my neighbour's dog and already has the poetry and harmonies of a long lived man with a voice that you will recognise after just one listening. he's suposed to form part of a new scene of young folk-pop singers including Laura Marling, Emily the Great and Lightspeed Champion but he is absolutely the one who is a step forward in the class.

BEST RECORDS OF 2007

2008-01-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

And with quite a delay here there is the best of the year record list.
Concived three weeks ago but not upload until today.

80 – CASTANETS – IN THE VINES
79 - !!! – MYTH TAKES
78 – THURSTON MOORE – TREES OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY
77- TWO LONE SWORDMEN – WRONG MEETING I & II
76- SPOKANE – LITTLE HOURS
75- FUTURE CONDITIONAL – WE DON’T JUST DISAPPEAR
74- CHROMEO – FANCY FOOTWORK
73- PELLE CARLBERG – IN A NUTSHELL
72- APPARAT – WALLS
71- BRAKEN – WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEED
70- PANTHA DU PRINCE – THE BLISS
69- DINOSAUR JR – BEYOND
68- DEVENDRA BANHART - SMOKEY ROLLS DOWN THUNDER CANYON
67- LITTLE DRAGON – LITTLE DRAGON
66- AVEY TARE & KRIA BREKKAN – PULLHAIR RUBEYE
65- YO MAJESTY – YO EP
64- DEERHOOF – FRIEND OPPORTUNITY
63- A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
62- THE GO TEAM – PROOF OF YOUTH
61- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – ASK FORGIVENESS
60- FIREWORKS NIGHT – AS FOOLS WE ARE
59- A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW – SCRIBBLE MURAL COMIC JOURNAL
58- MUSCLES – GUNS BABES LEMONADE
57- DIZZEE RASCAL – MATHS & ENGLISH
56- LITTLE WINGS – SOFT POW’R
55- BJORK – VOLTA
54- VON SUDENFED – TROMATIC REFLECTIONS
53- BARR – SUMMARY
52- JUSTICE – CROSS
51- YOKO ONO – YES I’M A WITCH
50- ELVIS PERKINS – ASH WEDNESDAY
49- OKKERVIL RIVER – THE STAGE NAMES
48- ROBERT WYATT – COMICOPERA
47- ANGELS OF LIGHT – WE ARE HIM
46- SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO – ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE
45- BLACK LIPS – GOOD BAD NOT EVIL
44- HOLY FUCK – HOLY FUCK
43- THE SHINS – WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY
42- NO AGE – WEIRDO RIPPERS
41- DAN DEACON – SPIDERMAN OF THE RINGS
40- MAHOGANNY – CONNECTIVITY
39- DEERHUNTER – CRYPTOGRAMS
38- DAVID KARSTEN DANIELS – SHARP TEETH
37- TUNNG – GOOD ARROWS
36- V.A. / PILOOSKI – DIRTY EDITS VOL.1
35- BILL CALLAHAN – WOKE ON A WHALE HEART
34- BENJY FERREE – LEAVING THE NEST
33- DIGITALISM – IDEALISM
32- RADIOHEAD – IN RAINBOWS
31- PHOSPHORESCENT – PHOSPHORESCENT
30- LONEY DEAR – LONEY NOIR
29- BOWERBIRDS – HYMN FOR A DARK HORSE
28- CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – SOME LOUD THUNDER
27- THE NATIONAL – BOXER
26- IRON & WINE – THE SHEPHERD’S DOG
25- GRINDERMAN – GRINDERMAN
24- ALASDAIR ROBERTS – THE AMBER GATHERERS
23- JULIE DOIRON – WOKE MYSELF UP
22- GRIZZLY BEAR – FRIEND
21- MATHEW DEAR – ASA BREED
20- BEIRUT – THE FLYING CLUB CUP
19- ARCADE FIRE – THE NEON BIBLE
18- KLAXONS – MYTHS OF THE NEAR FUTURE
17- ANDREW BIRD – ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA
16- SANTOGOLD – I BELIEVE IN SANTOGOLD
15- AKRON/FAMILY – LOVE IS SIMPLE
14- LIARS – LIARS
13- JENS LEKMAN – NIGHT FALLS IN KORTEDALA
12- BURIAL – UNTRUE
11- ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – STRAWBERRY JAM
10- STUDIO – WEST COAST
09- BATTLES – MIRRORED
08- LOW – DRUMS AND GUNS
07- ALELA DIANE – THE PIRATE’S GOSPEL
06- THE TWILIGHT SAD – FOURTEEN AUTUMNS AND FIFTEEN WINTERS
05- LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – SOUND OF SILVER
04- THEE STRANDED HORSE – THEE STRANDED HORSE
03- FEIST – THE REMINDER
02- M.I.A. – KALA
01- PANDA BEAR – PERSON PITCH

the end of the year so far...

2007-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

And another year is going by, and the best of the year lists arrive.
As habitual, I've prepared mine, both of them, Best singles of the year and Best albums of the year.
I have to announce new rules for the singles one, rules that I've auto imposed to myself. These are the following rules:
1- All the songs on the list must have been physical single during 2007. If it's not like this, download single or promotional song/video of the album is allowed.

2- Evident re-editions, in a year that they've been so common, are not taken into account. No covers too.

3- No more than one song per artist is included on the list.

4- Songs that appeared in last year's list are not included as well.

So the list is longer than ever, 100 songs that make the soundtrack of this year, most of them with its promotional video or live performance in the case there's no video. Here we go in countdown order:

100- BONDE DO ROLE - SOLTA O FRANGO

99- JOSE GONZALEZ – DOWN THE LINE

98- CRYSTAL CASTLES – AIR WAR

97- WILCO –WHAT LIGHT

96- SHIT DISCO – OK

95- LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION – GALAXY OF THE LOST

94- PJ HARVEY – THE PIANO

93- M. WARD – TO GO HOME

92- SHOCKING PINKS – VICTIMS

91- THOMAS TANTRUM – SHAKE IT SHAKE IT

90- LO-FI-FNK – THE CITY

89- NANCY ELIZABETH – I USED TO TRY

88- A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – TO FIX THE GASH IN YOUR HEAD

87- SUBURBAN KIDS WITH BIBLICAL NAMES – MARRY ME

86- PRINZHORN DANCE SCHOOL – YOU ARE THE SPACE INVADER

85- CHROMEO – TENDERONI

84- NO AGE – EVERY ARTIST NEEDS A TRAGEDY

83- SCOUT NIBLETT – THE KISS

82- THE GO TEAM – DOING IT RIGHT

81- DINOSAUR JR – BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME

80- DEERHOOF - +81

79- DNTEL – THE DISTANCE

78- SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR – CATCH YOU

77- !!! – HEART OF HEARTS

76- SONS AND DAUGHTERS – GILT COMPLEX

75- SEVENTEEN EVERGREEN – HAVEN’T BEEN YOURSELF

74- PETER, BJORN AND JOHN – OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION

73- RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – I’M GOING TO A TOWN

72- BISHI – NEVER SEEN YOUR FACE

71- ROISIN MURPHY – OVERPOWERED

70- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – STRANGE FORM OF LIFE

69- MUM – THEY MADE FROGS SMOKE TILL THEY EXPLODED

68- HOT CHIP – MY PIANO

67- SHY CHILD – NOISE WON’T STOP

66- DANIEL JOHNSTON – DEATH OF SATAN

65- DIGITALISM – POGO

64- BANGERS AND CASH - B.O.O.T.A.Y.

63- CANDIE PAYNE – I WISH I COULD HAVE LOVED YOU MORE

62- THE NATIONAL – MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS

61- ELVIS PERKINS – WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

60- LE VOLUME COURBE – FREIGHT TRAIN

59- JAMES YORKSTON – WOOZY WITH CIDER

58- DIZZY RASCAL – PUSSYHOLE

57- NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB – THE BOMB

56- LIZ GREEN – BAD MEDICINE

55- FANFARLO – FIRE ESCAPE

54- THE SHINS – AUSTRALIA

53- ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI – HEART IT RACES

52- IRON AND WINE – BOY WITH A COIN

51- JULIE DOIRON – NO MORE

50- BLACK LIPS – KATRINA

49- BENJY FERREE – IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

48- BLONDE REDHEAD – 23

47- I BLAME COCO- I BLAME COCO

46- BLOOD RED SHOES – IT’S GETTING BORING IN THE SEA

45- LONEY, DEAR – I AM JOHN

44- VON SUDENFED – FLEDERMAUS CAN’T GET IT

43- BEIRUT – ELEPHANT GUN

42- MATTHEW DEAR – DESERTER

41- EBONY BONES – WE KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU

40- ADELE – HOMETOWN GLORY

39- RIHANNA - UMBRELLA

38- MILK KHAN FEAT. DOLLY PARTON – HERE YOU COME AGAIN

37- OKKERVIL RIVER – OUR LIFE IS NOT A MOVIE OR MAYBE

36- YO MAJESTY – CLUB ACTION

35- BILL CALLAHAN – DIAMOND DANCER

34- STUDIO – WEST SIDE PART 1 & 2

33- CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – SATAN SAID DANCE

32- FRYARS – THE IDES

31- NOAH AND THE WHALE – IN 5 YEARS TIME

30- AMY WINEHOUSE – BACK TO BLACK

29- TUNNG – BULLETS

28- BAT FOR LASHES – WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO

27- LITTLE DRAGON – TEST

26- JUSTICE – D.A.N.C.E

25- GRINDERMAN – NO PUSSY BLUES

24- GOSSIP – JEALOUS GIRLS

23- ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – PEACEBONE

22- FEIST – 1234

21- THE TEENAGERS – HOMECOMING

20- METRONOMY – RADIO LADIO

19- ALELA DIANE – PIECES OF STRING
.

18- THE TWILIGHT SAD – THAT SUMMER, AT HOME, I HAD BECOME THE INVISIBLE BOY

17- KATE NASH – FOUNDATIONS

16- LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – NORTH AMERICAN SCUM

15- LIARS – PLASTER CASTS OF EVERYTHING

14- SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO – IT’S THE BEAT

13 - KLAXONS – GOLDEN SKANS

12- BARR – THE SONG IS THE SINGLE

11- ARCADE FIRE – NO CARS GO

10- JENS LEKMAN – FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE DRIVE IN BINGO

09- DAN DEACON – THE CRYSTAL CAT

08- M.I.A.- JIMMY

07- FRIENDLY FIRES – ON BOARD

06- FOALS – HUMMER

05- BJORK – DECLARE INDEPENDENCE

04- BATTLES – ATLAS

03- PANDA BEAR – BROS

02-DAN LE SAC VERSUS SCROOBIUS PIP – THOU SHALT ALWAYS KILL

01- GRIZZLY BEAR – KNIFE

rear-view mirror: JOY DIVISION

2007-10-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

It's the Joy Division year, no doubt. With Control on the cinemas, the deluxe re-edition of their albums, and many groups imitating their sound in the last years, everybody is talking about them again.
If you want some information about the band (is there anybody out there who still doesn't know their story?) you just have to watch the great Anton Cobijn biopic based on the book Mrs Curtis wrote some years ago. Here we are to celebrate that his music is more famous than ever before, and maybe more current and up-to-date are we seem we are leaving again a period of global depression.
Here we are some of their most relevant tunes:
ATMOSPHERE

TRANSMISSION

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

SHE'S LOST CONTROL

album of the week: YO MAJESTY - YO EP / SPANK ROCK & BENNY BLANCO - BANGERS AND CASH EP

2007-09-28T01:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah I know, two EPs don't make an album but these are the tunes for this week.
Yo Majesty is the feminine answer to electro hip hop masters Spank Rock or the new and wilder version of an up-to-date Salt 'n Pepa, and they even make a tribute to them in Kryptonite Pussy where they hum Push It . With only this EP in the market they've already signed to Domino Records for the next release. Their songs are fun and so are they, so they use to perform live topless, No Bra style. And they're going to be huge now that fat is cool (Beth Dito is their declared number one fan). Wait for Club Action to be a massive hit when somebody on TV discovers it and uses it in a commercial or as the tune for a TV series.
CLUB ACTION

Spank Rock's mc, also called Spank Rock, has teamed up with Benny Blanco to make this Bangers and Cash EP. Five songs, all of them including a sample of 2 Live Crew, with dirty lyrics and dirty tunes. But even more dirty are all the different covers and art work they are preparing to promote this release. here you have some of them:

It's difficult to decide which one is more disturbing...

2007-09-25T02:17:00.000-07:00

We all know the Don't look back series of events that take place in some venues around the world and commemorate mythic albums of mythic bands bringing them live from the first song to the last in the same order they were published. We've been able to see Slint's Spiderland, Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, Low's Things we lost in the fire, and some more.
So they've proved that looking back is not always a retrograde and rancid activity done by some people who always think that, as Karina said, any past age is always better than the present, or "there's not good music nowadays". Sometimes is just a memory exercise to understand better the present or to remind memories and feelings we thought they were forgotten or impossible to revive again.
So this is what I'm going to do with a new section, named with the not-so-original title "REAR-VIEW MIRROR", with unknown periodicity, order or criteria (this is my blog so I do what I really really want).
And I'm going to focus more on bands than on records, bands that were important in one moment of my life and that they are still important nowadays, even if they don't exist anymore.
So here we are, with the first opportunity of reminding our pasts (thanks, Youtube) and the first lucky group is no other than Spacemen 3.
Spacemen 3 were a band formed in 1982 that split in 1990, basically run by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce who were meant to do something together as they were born the same day. We can define their sound as "hypnomonotony" or repetitive drones of two chord noise but it developed in many different ways until they published their last record that was recorded by the two of them separately, each one one side of the record, proving that the difference of styles they were into at that moment was obvious, which took them to split the band, and form Spektrum and Spiritualized respectively.
And now let's watch the music with some of their most famous songs:
REVOLUTION

WALKING WITH JESUS

HYPNOTISED

BIG CITY

K RECORDS TURN 25

2007-09-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

And if the Sonic Youth revival was not enough to made me feel old, here we have K Records turning 25!!! Maybe not as talked about as Factory or Creation, but with a longer life and also a lot of influence in everybody who is interested in music. With a Do-it-yourself punk philosophy (originally the K is for punK), Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson, the founder and most important figure in the company, has presented us some of the most amazing bands during all these years, most of them in the 90s but still with many interesting things to offer. With the International Pop Underground series of events he presented unknown bands that later became so popular such as Nirvana, Bikini Kill or The Vaselines or influenced others like The Moldy Peaches.
And as they are not doing anything transcendental for the celebration, the people of Ashmatic Kitty thought they could do something about it and they recruited some of their bands to cover some of the label songs that influenced them during these 25 years. You can listen to them online here:
http://asthmatickitty.com/main.php
And visit the K Records website for further information:
http://www.krecs.com/
Let's remember some of the bands:
Beat happening is no doubt the most emblematic band of the label. With their naive punk pop and Calvin's low voice they took to the limit the simplicity of the three cord song
BEAT HAPPENING - HOT CHOCOLATE BOY

HEAVENLY - TROPHY GIRLFRIEND

BUILT TO SPILL - CAR

MIRAH - COLD COLD WATER

LITTLE WINGS

HALO BENDERS - DON'T TOUCH MY BIKINI

NATION OF ULYSSES - FIGHT SONG

Sonic Youth performs Daydream Nation

2007-09-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

I probably was 17 when I first listened to Daydream Nation. I think it was my second Sonic Youth record after Evol. The influence Sonic Youth had in my late teenage years was definitive. It was the years I discovered bands like Dinosaur Jr, Yo la Tengo, Pavement, Beat Happening, Sebadoh and other American bands that marked my musical development and the general music development of the late 80s and first 90s. And now I had the opportunity to travel back in time and go to a concert to celebrate that I'm older and these times that I was in my parent's flat listening non-stop to these records will never come back. But the amazing thing of it all is that the sensation of Deja Vu was not as huge as I thought it would be. Maybe because the record got older so well, maybe because Sonic Youth did a pact with the Devil and they look younger than they are or maybe because most of the public in the concert was around my age. It was a nice experience.
Check the performance of Teenage Riot one of the three nights in London

albums of the last weeks

2007-09-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
The first album from this New York band is a compendium of songs that can remind when JAMC matter, mixing the best of the Psychocandy era with the industrial sounds of Automatic and accelarating and doubling the volume. Maybe they don't have great songs but they have a great sound.
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS - TO FIX THE GASH IN YOUR HEAD

APPARAT - WALLS
The last Apparat album is his most accurate collection of songs, talking about the classic concept of pop song, covered in an electronic environment. What a shame that he chose one of the weekest instrumental songs for the video
APPARAT - YOU DON'T KNOW ME

BEIRUT - THE FLYING CLUB CUP
The only problem of Beirut's second album is his first album, but not even that. When you have a so particular sound and voice you maybe can fall into repetition and what was a great idea for a first album can be the death of the second coming, but it looks like it didn't happened to Beirut. The second record is even better than the first one, and we can see that the sound is not exhausted and they are already trying to find new ways of expression without doing something completely different. And the songs are great, inspired and thay filter deaply inside your veins from the first listening. Watch this magnificent performance in one of the Take away shows for the French Website.
BEIRUT - NANTES

BLACK LIPS - GOOD BAD NOT EVIL
Garage is back. Remember The Cynics or even more far away on time, The 13th Floor Elevators? So here we have Black Lips resurrecting the label with succesful fortune and a fame for beeing banned from some venues because of their wild shows.

BLACK LIPS - KATRINA

DEVENDRA BANHART - SMOKEY ROLLS DOWN THUNDER CANYON
The new Devendra record is a consequence of his previous album, the Cripple Crow. Far from the acoustic bittersweet songs of his first three records he continues exploring electric passages and different styles. He discovered his own "The Band" and it didn't fit him so well. The album is too abstract, with the feeling you are listening to a compilation of jams and with hard to diggest moments too inspired but The Doors and other boring bands. But it also has some great songs like Bad Girl that makes you keep the faith not everything has been lost
DEVENDRA BANHART - SEAHORSE

LITTLE DRAGON
At the beggining of this year a great single appeared in a really small London label. This was Little Dragon's Test, and it has been spinning in my turntable since then. Now is time for the record and the waiting has been rewarded with a beautiful collection of soul pop electronic songs filtered with dub and jazz and one of the most personal voices since Tricky's muse Martina.
LITTLE DRAGON - TEST

OKKERVIL RIVER - THE STAGE NAMES
A lot of good things have already been said about this record, most of them in Pitchfork. This record is the logical progression in the ascending career of this band that everytime is less complexes about playing louder. Here you have the unstoppable hit that everybody is going to know by the end of the year.
OKKERVIL RIVER - OUR LIVE IS NOT A MOVIE OR MAYBE

Some videos

2007-09-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

PJ Harvey is back. After the boring UH Huh Her, she comes back with a record based in piano compositions singing with a candid high voice that is sometimes a bit irritating. The single When Under Ether is a good example but I have to say that it sounds better when she sings it live. Check it in this version she did in the Copenhagen opera.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM's new single, Someone Great, was first an instrumental fragment of the incredible Nike sport jogging dance symphony 45'33'' and ended up as a song in the singles factory that is Sound of Silver.

The new Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip single, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, probably based in the French film with the same title??, is not the automatic generational hit that was the anti-generational hit Thou Shalt Always Kill, but it's more radio friendly, so maybe now they are going to reach the international fame they didn't get with their first anthem.

And publishing in Lex Records as well, we have KID ACNE and his old school new single Roc Roc Radio

but if we talk about old school we better don't forget the new Dizzee Rascal single with the most famous acid-house sample.

The latest SHINS single, Turn On Me, with its camp video about disasters in the white trash American Hollywood type sub culture.

Shocking Pinks

2007-09-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

Shocking Pinks, once a band from New Zeland now just a solo project, have recently signed up for DFA. Three albums and some singles published during the naughties with no international success made them think that the first releases for LCD's label should be a compilation of the best moments published before. And the way to do it was no other than for EPs (three 7' and one 12') published in just one month (one per week)before the publication of the album called just Shocking Pinks. They are a limited edition of 500 each, they say we believe, and the packaging is just the same picture in a shocking pink color with combinations of blue, orange, green or red for each single. The B sides, some of them better than the A sides, are not going to appear in the record so hurry up if you want to get them.
It is not a classic DFA band, no dance rock moments but shoegazing emotions of late eighties first nineties inspiration (Ride, Slowdive, Pastels, Vaselines...)mixing noisy fast melodies with quiet peaceful passages.
Check this old video for End of the World

new videos

2007-09-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Siouxsie is back, no Banshees, no Creatures, no band, no husband (got divorced from Budgie, Banshees' drums and Creatures partner, after more than 25 years together), just Siouxsie. And she looks great in the video for what is her presentation as a solo career after 30 years in the business.
Siouxsie - Into a swan

Animal Collective schizophrenic video for Peacebone

Video for delicate Beach House's Master of None

Finally Dan Deacon's Crystal cat is to be released as a single and here we have what we can consider the campest video of the year so far

No Age friends Mika Miko resuscitate riot grrrls spirit. Check it in Business cats

albums of the last three weeks

2007-09-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

JENS LEKMAN - NIGHT FALLS OVER KORTEDALA
After a lot of singles, EPs, CDRs and two albums compiling some of this previous staff for Secretly Canadian, we can say that this is the first international record with new songs by Jens. And it has all the ingredients that we've seen before in his recordings: Seventies lounge, winds, kaleidoscopic cheesy lyrics, and some great pop tunes.

ANGELS OF LIGHT - WE ARE HIM
Ex Swans' Michael Gira comes back with a new record from his most recent project, helped by some members from Akron/family as some times before but with his best record under this name. As he explains in his website the album was supposed to be simple and basic but ended up calling a lot of friend to contribute in the final orchestration and choruses that accompany to the personally dark voice that Gira has.

THE GO TEAM - PROOF OF YOUTH
With the new record The go team get more noisy than before. This is the basic difference from the previous record. From the title to the Bull in the heather cover that they make on the b side of the first single, they look now so influenced by Sonic Youth, apart from all the 70s/80s funk, old school hip hop and soundtrack stuff that we are used to. They know that their formula was good for a record but they had to do something a bit different not to repeat themselves, and the difference is not so big, but effective.

SPOKANE - LITTLE HOURS
Spokane is one of this bands that you forget from record to record(they take their time to make them)but you love every record they make. Not many new things on this album, maybe the songs are a bit shorter now, but they keep playing with the vocal harmonies (with more feminine presence in Little hours) with ambient sounds and well-placed silences, leaving a pleasant atmosphere all around your bedroom, the place that this record is designed to be listened to.

weekly videos

2007-08-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

And we have the new video from Foals, Mathletics, 7' out this week

And finally, a Gossip 7' that is not a re-issue of one of last year's singles, the Shangrilas-meet-siouxsie Jealous Girls.

And Siouxsie goes... I don't know, probably Siouxsie 2007 in what is going to be her first solo single ever, and also first realise in years with Into a swan

New Jens Lekman single, Friday night at the drive in bingo, has no video but I've found a piece of a live version of the song.

And the new Trans Am video, Tesco vs Sainsburys. Checking the video maybe now I finally understand what new rave means

album of the week: M.I.A.- KALA

2007-08-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

And finally, after many months waiting for the album, Kala is here. One year of anticipations, we've already listened to XR2 in 2006 and to Bird Flu and Boyz in 2007, and we also could have listened to the bonus track, the one featuring Timbaland, in his record out some months ago. So when you listen to Kala from head to toe it sounds already familiar, like if it was a kind of compilation with bonus tracks. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing. The tracks that are completely new for our ears are not album stuffing. I suppose you already know the album's been made around the world (mainly around Asia and Africa) with musicians and mcs from the places she was travelling through. And you can feel it in every little sound of the record.
The first four tracks of the record are amazing. In Bamboo Banger she even sometimes sings like John Lydon out of P.I.L.; in Bird Flu she tribalised the arrangements like Sepultura did before in all the Roots period but softening it with cheerleader-like child choruses. Boyz is maybe the less surprising song as it seems out of Arular but is a hit from the beginning. And Jimmy, the new single, is a Bollywood goes Boney M anthem that is born to be a massive hit worldwide.
The next two tracks, Hussel and Mango Pickle Down River are the ones with more protagonism of the collaborations and also the dance oriented. 20$ is another crazydance tribal song and The Turn is a weird sung ballad that quiets the tempo before XR2, a kind of neu-rave goes ethnic anthem that has different and better arrangements than the version we heard last year. And we are already at the end of the record with Paper Planes, another highlight of the record, where she sings as she's never done before and we can dance to gunshots followed by cash till ringings.
The bonus track, the awaited collaboration with Timbaland, is also the less interesting. Maybe last year was timbaland's year but 2007 will probably be his fall.
So this is one of the records everybody will talk about this year and will finish in the top of most of End of the year lists.
You just have to have a look at Jimmy's video.

FIELD DAY REVIEW

2007-08-14T02:46:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was what it was supposed to be one of the most important events of the London summer. After assisting, I have confronted feelings and opinions about this first edition of this festival in Victoria Park. Let's say the bad things first:
- The toilets and the bars were definitely not enough as you had to cue for more than half an hour and fight with the people to get a single beer and the toilets were literally overflowing after four hours the event started. As a consequence, the people improvised toilets all around the park.
- The sound was terrible in most of the stages, and you couldn't hear anything even if you were just some metres from the stage. Some of the stages were maybe too small, such as the Homefires stage, that was overcrowded during some concerts.
- Half an hour for most of the acts was probably not enough.

Let's say the good things now:
- We were lucky as it was one of the hottest days of this horrible summer, and the spirit of "one day out in the park" was actually fulfilled.
- The place is great for an event like this, near from the centre and well-communicated.
- The spirit of a small festival with not-so-big names in the year 2007 is not easy to get.
- the apology e-mail from the managers of the event about the toilets-bars chaos.

Let's hope next year they try to solve these problems and keep the good things and probably then is going to be a great date to remember.

albums of the last two weeks: STUDIO - WEST COAST / LIARS - LIARS

2007-08-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

STUDIO - WEST COAST
This is not a new record, it was published last year, but now it has been re-edited due to popular demand. And now it's when everybody started to talk about them. They are a strange mix between dub, The Cure circa 82-83, afro beat, post-punk, Can and many other things. Long tracks, sometimes instrumental sometimes with lyrics, from two guys from, once again, Sweden. And check also the compilation Yearbook 1 for more tacks and different versions of the songs. Sorry, no video.

LIARS - LIARS
I don't know if I have some sounds so internalized but some of the new records of some used-to-be-difficult bands this year sound me as the most commercial records they've ever made. And this is also the case of the new LIARS record. It is another step, as they use to do with every record, to new territories. Doesn't sound to any of the first three albums but have elements of all them and you can also recognise from the first moment that it is a LIARS record. Dark sounds, drums and more drums, and strange atmospheres. And again they've made a great record. Maybe their best yet and also their most assorted. And the first single and first video is amazing. Lynch inspired video is terrifying, as it is the song. Check it out:
Liars - Plaster Casts Of Everything

The first videos for August

2007-08-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

The first blog of videos for August are from the three electro albums of the Summer: The first records of Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and Digitalism. At the end of summer nobody is going to be able to disassociate Summer of 2007 from these tunes. As we can see after listening to these records they've been created not only to dance at the club but also to be listened to in your house. They have pop songs to be danced to or dance songs to be heard. None of these records are great but the three of them have some great tunes and are fully enjoyable. Let's listen/watch some examples:
Simian Mobile Disco:
Hustler

It's the Beat

I Believe

JUSTICE
D.a.n.c.e.

DIGITALISM
Pogo

Zdarlight

album of the week: TUNNG - GOOD ARROWS

2007-07-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

Tunng return with a new record, the first one published in Thrill Jockey, known to be one of the most important labels of the 90s and pioneer of post-rock experiments. We can not hear many changes from the previous record but we can not ask for many new things as it has only passed a year between both publications. Folk and electronics, or folktronica or whatever or just folk and pop in a band where they use electronic elements to fulfill the general atmosphere of it all. Beautiful songs in a beautiful package. Not yet a video for the new single so watch last year's video for Jenny Again

SOME VIDEOS

2007-07-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here we have a long selection of the last great singles and videos of the season:

The Distance is the single for the long awaited new DNTEL album.

Video for new Feist single, 1234, is another dance along musical inspired colorful happy film

Architecture in Helsinki's new video for Heart it Races is a lo-fi Z film, inspired in Africa, or that's what I think so.

Beirut's beautiful video for new single Elephant Gun

French newest cool band The Teenagers with their hit Homecoming

James Yorkston latest single Woozy with Cider

The Go Team's first single Grip like a Vice from coming new album

Fanfarlo's Firescape

CSS video for next single Alcohol

Bat For Lashes' mysterious great video for latest single What's a Girl to Do

More album updates

2007-07-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

It's taking time to update the blog after my out-of-line period, but I'll try.
Other albums I have to mention are:

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - STRAWBERRY JAM
After the so critically acclaimed FEELS and the PEOPLE Ep, we already have here the so anticipated new record, the first one for Domino. And I say so anticipated because, as it is now so habitual, you could find some songs on the Internet from the beginning of June, and the album is supposed to be released in September. Members from Animal Collective asked the journalists who leaked the songs that, once the damaged was done, please leaked all the album for the people to be able to hear it altogether and they also prosecuted these journalists so the promotional copies were watermarked.
So because of that, we are already able to hear the full new album and they've done a logical progression from their previous works. Less atmospheric than their previous record and more based on samplers and keyboards than anything they've done before, it's their most commercial record to date as well, which it has not to be a bad thing, and maybe not as brilliant as Feels or Panda Bear's this year record, but still in the first class league.
I saw them live last week, and I have to say they were great. They didn't use any guitar, just drums, samplers and keyboards, but you could here many acoustic sounds coming from their machines. As they become more commercial record by record, they still don't make any concession when they play live, avoiding any song from their last record, presenting the new one but without playing what should be the obvious hits, and playing a lot of new songs that maybe are going to have release in a future.
Here you have the video for Fireworks:

LONEY, DEAR - LONEY, NOIR

This is the debut of this Swedish band for Sub Pop but it's their second album, if I'm right. Quiet melodic and euphoric pop as it seems can only be made in Sweden nowadays. The voice of his singer gets high levels that we could only imagine Newsom or Bush could get, and he's a man. Here you have two videos:
Saturday waits

I am John

Out of the line

2007-07-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

After one month of many logistic problems, with the computer and the Internet connection, I'm back to misinform. Many records of the week without a post, some videos and concerts and a few more things. During this last month I've been listening a lot to the next records:
THE BOWERBIRDS - HYMNS FOR A DARK HORSE

Coming from North Carolina, this debut album from these indie-folk kids has some of the most talented hymns of the year, such as In our Talons. Guitar, drums, violin and accordion along with voices and chorus from the three members.

IRON AND WINE - THE SHEPPERDS DOG

The new record of Iron and Wine is the natural next step in his carer. Better sound and more instrumentation than the previous two records, more in the line of The Woman King EP. Some will miss the naked intimacy of the first records, also represented here in some tracks, but I don't think that the full-band arrangements destroy any of the charismatic features that has always been characteristic of his songs.

MATTHEW DEAR - ASA BREED

The new record of this electro-pop freak is somewhere between more commercial and less commercial than his previous records. The strange slowdown voices are more present than ever before, the sounds from drum machines, and the convination of electronic and organic instruments is sometimes frightening and dark but it's also his record with most standard and classical pop songs, more slow motion than dance oriented and with clear postpunk influences (and who doesn't nowadays).

THEE STRANDED HORSE.

Frenchman Yann Tambour, known previously for his work in the abstract electronic project Encre, has just made one of the most interesting folk records of the year. his reason to start this project was the discovery of Kora, an African instrument somewhere in between an arp and a big pumpkin, and most of the songs of the record are played with this instrument. The originality of the project is the convination of this instrument, acoustic guitar, his personal voice (that reminds Devendra Banhart's without the overly dramatic component) and the silences, as important in the record as any other instrument. Some people already call him the masculine answer to Joanna Newsom, but its own personality makes it the best folk record of the year so far.

some new videos for this week

2007-06-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

The new M.I.A. video, BOYZ, from her so anticipated upcoming album KALA

Finally, this week the first single from Blood Red Shoes It's getting boring by the sea was released.

The video for the new Klaxons single, It's not over yet

The new video for the first single of Roisin Murphy's (Moloko) new album where she makes a poo while brushing her teeth.

My new favourite unsigned American christian band

2007-06-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sweater weather, incredibly still unsigned, is one of the new wave of Christian pop bands spreading out in the USA. Following the steps of Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Anathallo or Brand New, they combine the energy of mellow melodies full of arrangement with weird Christian faith messages in their lyrics. A talent to watch out from a near position...

Watch a live version of one of their best songs, The pains of Relocation and go to their myspace website to download three songs for free.

album of the week: NO AGE - WEIRDO RIPPERS / BARR - SUMMARY

2007-06-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

And yes, I know, I should change the name of the section and call it the "two" albums of the week instead of just the album, as I'm always including two albums in that section, but I always try to put together two records with things on common. And today, taking into account that these two bands are friends between them, that they've played live together in many occasions, and they've published together in some American labels, maybe is the best excuse ever to join them in this post. Let's say that because apparently, their sound doesn't have many things in common when you listen to both records one after the other. No Age, as you can maybe discover through their name, sound a bit like the N.Y. bands from the beginning of the eighties, the No Wave movement, but with many influences from Noise, Pop, Post-hardcore and Post-rock. They publish this first Long record in Europe through Fat Cat, but have been publishing different EPs in underground American labels during their first year of existence. In the PPM site they define them as "Two parts of Wives make up this new group. Not perfect in the normal sense, but perfect in the sense that they think it is. Pretty and ugly meet somewhere in the middle of punk and art. You will see very soon. One guy broke his neck and had brain surgery, and the other guy got in a car accident and got a lot of money, it kinda sounds like that."

Watch the video for the fast and furious Boy Void:

BARR is a one man project, that requests some help when touring, that finds in the sentence "less is more" a modus operandi of his music. He used to play with Animal Collective before they even had a name and has developed through the years a very personal flow when he recites in his minimal spoken word compositions about his personal experiences. In this record, published some months ago, we can find one of the best songs of the year so far, the single "The song is the single" a meta-song about the song itself.

Andrew Bird live at Scala

2007-06-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I went to see Andrew Bird live. The invited live acts were Dosh, that use to play drums with Bird in most of his gigs, and St Vincent, also known as the live piano and guitar for Sufjan Stevens. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive on time for Dosh but I could see her act from the beginning. Her songs are beautiful, both lyrics and music, but maybe she could try to add a bit of aggressiveness to her performance. Andrew Bird played most of the songs of his last record and some of his previous songs, leaving out of the show, incomprehensibly, Sovey, his best song to date. The way he sings and plays the violin is magnificent but can be a bit tiring but the end of the concert. Nevertheless, a great concert.

album of the week : ALELA DIANE - THE PIRATE'S GOSPEL / ELVIS PERKINS - ASH WEDNESDAY

2007-06-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

And we are again in front of two folk records. Am I maybe obsessed? Or maybe that's because to take a guitar and play your songs is the most universal and classical way to transmit your compositions? Whatever it is, these two records are not only a voice/guitar thing. Alela Diane, who was grown up in Nevada in the middle of the woods, has been publishing CDRs for a while until she last saw how Holocene Music realised her record. You can compare her to many other female folkers like Joanna Newsom or Marissa Nadler but her voice, arrangements and songs are quite personal not to always have Joanna's name in her reviews (although they are friends). Her songs reminds of the past, but they also have this timeless condition that made you think they've could be published anytime.

Pieces of string

Elvis Perkins is the orphan son of the scary Anthony Perkins and the photographer Berry Berenson, who died in one of the planes that crashed the twin towers during the terrorist attack of September 11th. With a past like that I'm sure that he had enough stories to, at least, publish one record of songs about love and death and it's another record that becomes an instant classic. Check the video I published some days ago.

And why it ain't a hit yet?

2007-06-02T05:34:00.001-07:00

I bought the limited and expensive 7' of Dan Le Sac versus Scroobius Pip "Thou shalt always kill" like two months ago and I was sure it would be the next big thing. It's the best underground meta music dance hit I've heard since Losing My Age. It has everything to become a hit (maybe everybody dance it in clubs, but as I'm never going out to trendy places I didn't realize yet): Political punk attitude, rhythm, image, a destructive remix on the b-side with the addictive chorus "the beatles, just a band, nirvana, just a band the cure, just a band, the pixies, just a band..."
And it even has an endless groove at the end of the A side praying " Thou shall not make repetitive generic music"
We want more hits like that. The best of the year so far

Watch the video here:

And read the lyrics here:
http://www.goodweatherforairstrikes.com/test/2007/02/11/thou-shalt-always-kill/

Weird covers

2007-06-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

Be prepared for some weird covers:

Dawn Landes - Young Folks (Peter, Bjorn and John)

The Moscow Coup Attempt - Sprout and the bean (Joanna Newsom)

Rihanna, the new mainstream queen

2007-06-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Every year there's a mainstream song nobody can resist, from the mothers and grandmas to the indie kids and ravers. Let's remember Kylie's Can't get you out of my head, Beyonce's Crazy, Madonna's Music or Nelly Furtado's Maneater. And this year will be Rihanna's year. Let's forget about the crappy duet between Shakira and Beyonce, who will never have a hit like Crazy again, and the only thing that they got with the song is to look so pretty and the same in the video. Rihanna even stole Beyonce's boyfriend to perform in her song, and this is the superfluous part of the song. More pop than Rnb', Umbrella has an irresistible chorus that can remember Cranberries' Zombie, and the way she pronounces umbrella (um-ba-re-la) is so contagious. And she is more pretty and sexy than those two, and she has a real curved body. And the way she dances with the umbrella remind me Madonna in the Open your heart video... and so on... Viva Rihanna!!!

Blogotheque: les concerts a emporter

2007-06-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Do you know Pitchfork? Of course, who doesn't... Pitchfork has become the international most influential and visited serious music online magazine. And it's an American site, of course. And if we keep on searching the web we can find an equivalent in most of the countries like Drowned in Sound in the UK or Blogotheque in France. But let's stop in this French site because apart from being a great on-line magazine in French (with an English translation option)they have a mini site with the concept: Blogotheque: un concert a emporter, with one of the most interesting and original concepts I've seen for a while on the Internet: live concerts of people like Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Herman Dune, Alan Sparhawk (Low), Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, Hidden Cameras or Jens Lekman, most of them in the street, while they are walking, a Capella or in strange places like a roof of a house or a balcony. You can check the website:
http://www.blogotheque.net/concertaemporter/
...and you can find some of them on Youtube, of course

Grizzly Bear

Sufjan Stevens

Jens Lekman

Herman Dune

Andrew Bird

Grizzly Bear Live at Scala

2007-06-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't know that the guest band for Grizzly Bear at Scala was Gravenhurst, I just realized when I was there for the concert. And I knew they were the band because they were selling T-shirts at the entrance. If not, there was not way to recognise them. Nothing to do with the acoustic concert I saw once in Barcelona. And nothing to do with the records too. They were not good or bad, but the contrary.
And then Grizzly Bear appeared on stage. And the guy with the best nose doesn't look so cute when you have it in front, with bags under his eyes and a prominent belly under his shirt. But you start to find him sexy again when he produces these high "ououoes". And the concert was full of ououoes, transformed melodies and estranged pop songs, mostly from their last record and a great cover of the Crystals' scary beautiful sado song He hit me (and it felt like a kiss). And I couldn't stop singing The Knife trying to achieve these ououoes during the next week.

Some new videos for some interesting singles

2007-05-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

The National - Mistaken for Strangers

Elvis Perkins - All the Night Without Love

Candie Payne - I Wish I Could Have Loved You More

album of the week: SHY CHILD - NOISE WON'T STOP / SHITDISCO - KINGDOM OF FEAR

2007-05-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Shy child is not a new band but it is for a lot of people, and they know it. That's why on their new album, the first one for Wall of Sound, they take some of the best songs of their previous record and some new. And the final result is so good. And they're going to be famous. At least for a season. Their sound is limited, syth'n'drums, but fresh and danceable. And comparisons to Klaxons, as they are touring with them and wear hoodies, are not valid (they were before and are from NYC) but unavoidable. Judge yourself:

Noise won't stop

Drop the phone

After some singles, Shitdisco release the first record. They don't have an increadible new sound so they sound more or less as a lot of people nowadays (LCD soundsystem, Gang of four and post-punk in general) but they have good melodies. They include both sides of the singles so they know these are their best songs.

Reactor Party

OK

I Know Kung Fu

Disco Blood

New videos

2007-05-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here you have the videos for a couple of songs from two bands that I think that sound interesting.
The first one is for what is going to be the second single of Friendly Fires, released in two weeks. They also make an incredible cover of the Frankie Nuckles' Your Love. This one is called On Board

The second one is the video for the limited second single, already sold out, of Foals, Hummer

Holiday

2007-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Luis and me went for Holiday to Tarragona and Barcelona. Not many days, but at least some. Tom and Joe came for the weekend to. We spent some days with friends and went to the beach too. Here you have some pictures

album of the week: DAN DEACON - SPIDEMAN OF THE RINGS

2007-05-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

I really don't know how to define this record. The only thing I know is that sometimes experimentation is not an enemy of great tunes that you will never forget, and here we have the prove. But I can also understand that some people can find this record so irritating. The combination of really high distorted sounds, analogical electronics, surf melodies, hippy-like hymns and cartoon noises to name just some characteristics, is not supposed to be for all kind of public, but the positive good energy and the pop background open the possibilities to be adored for the masses if they overcome the first listening. If you are patient and open-minded you have one of the records of the season here.

Grinderman live at the HMV store

2007-05-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

And that's one of the good things of living in London. One day, at 2.00 in the afternoon, you have the opportunity of attending to a free Nick Cave concert, with Grinderman, at a music store. And not just a couple of songs. Seven songs in total (Don't forget that there's only one Grinderman record available). It was the first time I was able to see Nick Cave live as he doesn't perform live so frequently in Spain, but after the experience, I hope it's not the last one. He rocks!!!!...How old was he?

Low at Shepperd's Bush Empire

2007-05-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

And after seeing Low, some months ago, in a small venue pre-presenting the new songs from their album Drums and Guns, the "official" presentation was here. And it couldn't be better. The "new sound" was only represented with Belarus. The rest of the songs were transformed live through the classic Low sound, slow tempo with dramatic guitar crescendos, but they felt more comfortable performing the songs that way. Some great remembering moments were Over the Ocean, Amazing Graze, Lust, Starfire or Two-step.

album of the week: THE TWILIGHT SAD - FOURTEEN ATUMNS AND FIFTEEN WINTERS

2007-05-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

The first time I listened to these guys was live, opening in an acoustic show for Micah P. Hinson. I have to say that I was taken aback. The so Glaswegian accent of that guy shouting in the Union Chapel with the acoustic environment was so strange but also appealing and expecting to listen to the record. Once you listen to the record you realize that the acoustic format is not made for them as they cover the songs with electric explosions. And I can't imagine they could be from another place other than Glasgow. From the accent to the sound they seem not having been out from the Scottish city during their whole short lives (the influence of Mogwai or Arab Strap can be recognized). And we can imagine for their lyrics that these lives have been a bit tortured as well, as they make a full portrait of the adolescent period.

Fireworks Night and Benjy Ferree at the Spitz

2007-05-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

When I bought the ticket for the Benjy Ferree gig I had no idea that the guests were Fireworks night, who made one of the best debut 7" of the last year (well, they have a self-released record). What I also didn't know was that they were about to play an acoustic set, just two of the members. They are going to play a normal show in some days as the support act for Charlie Parr, that I'm not going to miss. The show was ok, but I think that they have much more to offer in a normal show. The new record is going to be released at the end of May and I can't wait to listen to it. You can pre-listen some tracks in their myspace website:
http://www.myspace.com/fireworksnight
Watch the video for last year's single When we fell through the ice

The Benjy Ferree show was, as he could say, awesome. I was not able to understand his so American sense of humour, but apart from that, the performance, with a full band, was great. Watch the video for the single, and his best song so far, In the Countryside.

Rufus is tired of America

2007-05-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

After the excessive but great Want One and Want two Rufus comes back with Release the stars, and this is the video for the first single Going to a town. He's coming to this town but it's already sold out.

album of the week: BJORK - VOLTA

2007-05-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I surprise myself saying these words but Bjork’s new record is great. I used to be a Bjork fan long ago but record after record I started not to stand her voice and her pretentiousity, even more after the mostly unstoppable Medula. So I was not expecting anything, even less when the group of collaborations (Timbaland, Konono n1, Lightning bolt …) was announced and it took me by surprise. First the first single, Earth Intruders, her best single in ages, and then the second song I heard from the album, not only the most original song she’s ever made but also one of the best songs I’ve heard this year so far. This song is Declare Independence and it reminds me of the dark punk crescendo of Sonic Youth’s Flower updated in 2007. Noisy, political and threatening. But you can also find more good songs such as the two duets with Antony. And the strange thing is that maybe this is also her most commercial and simple record since Post and also her best, two things that do not always go together.
Watch this live presentation of the first single in a TV program:

MAHOGANY live!!

2007-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Mahogany played at the Water Rats club as the main act of the night (they've been playing as the opening act for this week's Bloc Party concerts /??/). After two forgettable and sometimes annoying guest bands they appear on stage with a furious and powerful guitar noise sound that reminded me of the good moments of the first Mogwai gigs and that sensation I had not experienced since then that the music is floating under your skin.
And watch the video for the Stereolab-inspired Neo-plastic Boogie-Woggie

FEIST LIVE IN SHEPPERD'S BUSH EMPIRE

2007-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Last week Luis and me went to see Feist live. All the concert was based on her new record The Reminder, published this week, and apart from all the songs of her new work she just played the inevitable Mushaboom, Mocky's last year's duo Fighting away the tears and a song I didn't recognized. Nevertheless, the concert was fully enjoyable as she was amusing and the performance and sound were great.
And we can finally see the video for the first single, My moon my man, again musical-inspired but again fun.

The rise and the fall of Peter, Bjorn and John

2007-04-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

After considering Young Folks last year's best song and Writer's blog a beautiful record I was expecting to know if their live act would also be remarkable. Maybe I waited too much to go to see them, they've played many times in London these last months, and the number of gigs and to grow in popularity have not played on their side. The show was full of stadium poses, they seemed determined in destroy the songs and too conscious of the hit Young Folks is as we had to heard to two different versions of the song (electronic and sitar) before the show started.
And now let's wait for the next record to know if we have to forgive or condemn them...

album of the week- BATTLES - MIRRORED

2007-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

The first proper album of Battles after some EPs and a compilation of those is like if LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and ANIMAL COLLECTIVE played together covers of JOHN ZORN. It's published by the now so heterogenic trademark that is WARP, and it's going to be one of the most original records you've heard this year so far. The record is preceed by a single-anthem called ATLAS that is magically infectious. Check it watching the video:

album of the week: MAHOGANY- CONNECTIVITY!

2007-04-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

After five years without news from Mohagany, when nobody remembered them, they come back with their second record. Their fame grew up little by little after the publication of some great singles inspired by the shoegazing old school but with the publication of the disapointing first record, The dream of a modern day, nobody expected such a good comeback. The old floating atmospheres are still here but now with more instrumentation, a post punk bass and more rythm than in the old tunes.

Watch the videos they already have for two of the songs of the record

Supervitesse

One plus one equals three or more:

album of the week: A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW - SCRIBBLE MURAL COMIC JOURNAL

2007-04-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

A project created by Ben and Robin Daniels, brother and sister, whose name comes from the effect that a sunny day in Glasgow had in him, while he was living there, after many weeks of clouds and rain. Using mandolins, banjos, noise, samplers, lots of cuttin' n pastin' and also normal instruments they create a kind of Shoegazing-meets-electronics-goes-strange music near to the spirit of My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins. This is their first record after the self-edited EP, The sunniest day ever, which songs are also included here.
here you have the video for C'mon, maybe the most strange and frightening song of the record, made with shootings of the effects of the Katrina hurricane.

TAYLOR MAC at the Soho theatre

2007-04-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday the 30Th Nella, Luis and me went to see the show of Taylor Mac at the Soho Theatre. We saw a sketch of his show some months ago at Ducky and left very impressed so we decided to go and see the complete show. It's a mixture of humour, sadness, transvestism, music-hall and gay protest songs on ukulele.You can see what's about in that video:

album of the week: DINOSAUR JR - BEYOND

2007-04-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

If there's a thing on earth I don't believe over all it's not God, religion, science or eternal happiness: it's reunifications. We've seen the return of many dead bands that, looking at the results, should have stayed dead forever like Jane's Addiction, Blondie or even Pixies. The fashion of comebacks has also created monsters such as The Jam without Paul Weller, Culture Club without Boy George or Smashing Pumpkins with just two original members. But I don't know if I'm feeling nostalgic but I don't find the Dinosaur Jr comeback record that bad. It doesn't seem that time has passed because it sounds like any other Dinosaur Jr record. It's not as good as Bug, for sure, but it could have been released between Where you been and Without a sound , but with Lou Barlow, so you can hear his voice in one of the tracks.

ENCYCLOPEDIA PICTURA

2007-03-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

After watching a couple of videos I thought they have some things in common I realised that they both are from the same collective that is called Encyclopedia Pictura. If you go to their website there's not a lot of information of the people who are working under this name and you just can find their creations and some pictures of animals instead. Another thing you can find is some of their leitmotivs or Fields of Interest: Virtual Reality, Psychokinetic Energy, Cryptozoology, Natural Geometry, Psychedelic Shamanism and Fruit Sandwiches. Strange but maybe reasonable when you watch their creations. Anyway, I think they are doing the most interesting and original music videos I've seen for a long time. One of these video is the Grizzle Bear clip for Knife I posted some weeks ago and here you have the other one:

SEVENTEEN EVERGREEN - HAVEN'T BEEN YOURSELF

These are the only two music videos they've made but you can see other projects they've done in their website:
http://encyclopediapictura.com/

GILBERT AND GEORGE RETROSPECTIVE AT THE TATE MODERN

2007-03-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today Luis and me went to the Tate for the Gilbert and George exhibition that is taking place there from 15Th February to 7Th May. We didn't have great expectations but at the end we both enjoyed it so much. The exhibition is a retrospective of all the different periods these subversive artists have gone through, from the end of the sixties to nowadays, maybe not so clear at first sight but different enough once you read all the information of the program. I also have to add that they have not lost the power of subversion and they will probably continue making interesting things in the future.
Here I adjunct the webpage link that the Tate Modern has dedicated to them with interesting video interviews where they explain some of the aspects of their creations.

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/gilbertandgeorge/

Album of the week: DAVID KARSTEN DANIELS - SHARP TEETH / BENJY FERREE - LEAVING THE NEST

2007-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

and yes...two records together again. And two folky records again... but...
Do we need more folk-pop troubadours? If they are like those two the answer is YES!!!
David Karsten Daniels' new record, the first one published in FAT CAT,has some of the ingredients that makes me love a record. For example, the first song starts little by little, and develops in a final crescendo of violins and choruses singing LA,LA,LA...; the second one starts nude with an acoustic guitar and suddenly a trumpet orchestra is added in the middle of the song; the lyrics of the fourth song are classic but irresistible, and so on...
Benjy Ferree's album is the cause Domino Records have signed up for the first time in their long life an American artist in exclusiveness. Only for that, you can imagine that is worth. But I also can add that his sound, songs and voice are different and personal doing something that millions have done before.

And here you have the video for David Karsten Daniels' Jesus and the devil

New LOW video

2007-03-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

mmm...No comments for the new Low video for their song BREAKER. Judge yourself

As you maybe already know, last year Alan Sparhawk started a new project called Retribution Gospel Choir. They made some concerts around the States and sold a couple of EPs during that shows. Their sound was an extension of what Low were doing in their The Great Destroyer period, more noisy than in their previous records; a project that after hearing the new LOW album that escapes from these raw sounds, has even more sense now. Most of the songs that they were playing during that shows ended up in LOW's last record, DRUMS AND GUNS, but in a very different version. Here you have a visual proof of how they made that same song live.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM'S SOUND OF SILVER REMIX PROJECT

2007-03-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

Here we have the umpteenth example of the Internet terrorism: the appearance of a free-to-download remix project of the new LCD SOUNDSYSTEM record before its date of release (it was upload a couple of weeks ago). I have to say that the project, called SOUND LIKE SILVER, is enjoyable as a complement of the record but also in isolation. You can dowload it song by song or as a Bit Torrent file at http://lcdremixed.com/

ARCADE FIRE live at the Brixton Academy

2007-03-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Luis, Susanna, Eva and me went to see the quickly sold out act that is an Arcade Fire concert nowadays. One week after its publication, the new record is already number two in most of the sales lists worldwide, an incredible thing taking into account that the first single has not been published yet and the popularisation of the first record was a mouth to mouth process that nobody expected to rise that way. Once again, we have here another example of the power of the new technologies to spread the word. They performed all the songs of the new record and remembered three of the most emblematic songs of Funeral. Now they are even more people on stage, the performance is great, the new record too but I couldn't avoid to have the sensation that something has been lost in their way to heaven...

Album of the week: FEIST - THE REMINDER

2007-03-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

Three years after she published Let it Die, the record that made her famous after including her song Mushaboom in a TV advertisement, the whitest voice alive comes back with another great record. Not many new things: the habitual collaborations(Mocky, Gonzales and Jamie Lidell) and her voice as the main protagonist. White soul, white pop and even the white soft gospel of Sea Lion Woman. The first single, My moon my man, is already out in the shops but we'll have to wait until the end of April to get the record and see her live at the Shepperds Bush Empire.

Back in black

2007-03-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

During the last year we have attended to a new fashion promoted by the record labels that consists into re-release the first single of an album that has been growing up little by little and has become popular after a year the first single was out. We've seen it with Hot Chip's Over and Over, Gossip's Standing in the Way of Control and now is the Klaxons turn distributing again their first single, Gravity's Rainbow, with the excuse of the new recording version of the album and with a new video for the occasion, with less glow colors and all dressed in black. The fact is that these three examples have more good songs in their records worthy to be singles but I suppose that they don't want to run the risk...
And here you have the new video:

Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music By Harry Smith

2007-03-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

In the next link:
http://www.hinah.com/catalog/?l=en&t=g&ref=hinahgift013
you can find a free-to-download compilation that covers every track of the American Folk Music Compilation by Harry Smith, three volumes originally published in 1952 and a fourth one just published some years ago. While the first three volumes covered the period between 1927 and 1932, the volume number four covered the years comprised between 1928 and 1940.
The free download tribute compilation is still in progress and the people of Hinah records upload the songs to the website as soon as they receive them. At that moment you can find already more than 10 songs to download, most of them from the great Duluth folk revisionist Charlie Parr. You can also find a lot of free-to-download tracks from Parr in his own website:
http://www.charlieparr.com/

Don't miss his cover of Henry Lee, famous song due to the Cave & Harvey performance of that song in Cave's Murder Ballads record.

deceptions of the year

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another section of this meaningless blog. This time: deceptions of the year. What's about? disapointment and frustrated expectations. Once on top, and now into the rubish basquet.

Chapter one: "The Science of sleep" makes me sleep.... Boring new film from Michael Gondry who once made the dynamic film Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and many great videos for people like Daft punk or White stripes. This new film is boring, has the Amelie syndrome and an erratic developement.

Chapter two: Cocorosie's "The adventures of ghosthorse and stillborn": Pretencious from the title and not a big deception as I was expecting it would be that bad (and I don't know why...) Most of the tracks are just stupid and they try to find new ways of expression, as the second album was a copy of the first one, but these new ideas (ambient and hip hop?????????)just don't fit them so well...

SCOTT MATTHEW

2007-03-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

Next march 13Th will be published the DVD of one of the most controversial movies released last year: Shortbus. For the people who missed it on Cinema I highly recommend to buy/rent the DVD as I suppose it's going to be full of extras. And one of the best things about the film is not the fact that it has sex explicit images, he's not the one that made it first, but the soundtrack and the way that the music appears in the film: Azure ray, Yo la tengo, Animal Collective, Hidden cameras and a great discovery that is the still unpublished Scott Matthew, a kind of pop troubadour, whose voice can remember Stephin Merritt's, and if he finally publishes a record this year, it's going to be for sure on top of the best of the year's lists.

album of the week: AVEY TARE & KRIA BREKKAN - PULLHAIR RUBEYE

2007-03-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Last week I considered the Panda Bear new record as my record of the week, and just one week after that, I have here the new record from another Animal collective member, Avey Tare, this time together with her new wife, Mum’s Kria Brekkan. This super couple duo is about to release the album in April but they’ve already published online the first track of the album, Sis around the sandmill, in two different formats: normal and reverse. And you can also find the complete album online in both of the formats. The amazing part of the entire story is that they threw the rumour they will publish it in reverse, that they prefer it that way, but as you can also find the normal version online, I’m not sure of what is going to happen at the end.
I have to say that both versions are amazing and I recommend downloading the version that is not going to be published to understand the whole part of this experiment. If this is an experiment, because maybe they are laughing at us with this reverse advance and at the end it’s going to be published just the right way. Nevertheless, whatever is the final version, all this story is so interesting and takes advantage of the myspace era to play and create expectations as nobody made before.

If you want to read Avey Tare explanation to all this controversy I recomend to read the following link:

http://www.prefixmag.com/blog/prefix/2007/03/01/avey-tare-kria-brekkan-pullhair-rubeye/

GRIZZLY BEAR'S NEW VIDEO

2007-02-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is the new video for the song "the knife" from one record of the last year I'm really listening to this year and I discovered the day after publishing my "best of the year" list. The video is strange, as strange are the arrangements for the song. And I have to say that the vocalist have one of the best noses I've ever seen!!!

MY NEW TURNTABLE

2007-02-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

I finally got myself a turntable thanks to the HMV vouchers Pret gave me (at least something good about working for Pret) and the discount Eva got me. From £79 I only had to pay £15.95!!! It’s not great, it’s a portable, but it’s Numark and it looks beautiful with the suitcase!!!!

album of the week: PANDA BEAR - PERSON PITCH / BRACKEN - WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEED

2007-02-26T07:24:00.000-08:00

These two records have more things in common than what you can imagine from the beginning. Both come from individual acts from components of notorious bands; Animal collective’s Panda Bear and Hood’s C. Addams (called bracken for the occasion). Both records come from the necessity of doing something different from their main bands. Both use repetition, loops, samples, echoes and atmospheres but getting different results. While Bracken sometimes gets near the forms of Clouddead or Subtle, in fact the record is published through Anticon records and their members have collaborated with him before, Panda Bear goes more spatial and tribal, abandoning the acoustic spirit of his previous solo works

Peter, bjorn and John's new video

2007-02-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

Here you have the new video for Peter, Bjorn and John's new single, "objects of my affection". And with a slightly different version of the song that the one it's on the record.

Micah P Hinson at the Union Chapel

2007-02-24T03:46:00.000-08:00

And two days after the low gig I went to see Micah P Hinson at the Union Chapel in a semi-acoustic gig. Maybe the best venue in London, beautiful as it is an old church and keeps most of the antic elements. I hope the promoters will make more gigs there now that it is reopened. The concert was good, but maybe I was waiting for the electric moments of the end of his concert two years ago at the Primavera Sound Festival. And even more now that his last record is more electric than the first one. But, nevertheless, he was great performing, helped by a young guy who played guitar and drums, and playing new songs and Cohen covers.

LOW live 15-02-07 Spitz, London

2007-02-24T02:23:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to see Low live at Spitz, great chance to see them in a small venue and playing the songs of their new eminent record, Drums And Guns. As I expected, most of the show was focused in the new album, they played all the songs. Their interpretation was quite different from the record, produced by Dave Friedman in a way where all the voices come through one speaker and the instruments mainly from the other one, but sometimes travelling in a curl from one side to the other. They also give a lot of prominence to electronics and forget about the electric storms of The Great Destroyer, their previous work also produced by Friedman.
This gig was classic Low performance, guitar, bass and basic drums, no additional elements. Darkness and silence, but also light and prettiness. And they rescued some classics such as Sunflowers, Lazerbeam, In Metal, Soon, In the drugs or their classic ending with Will The Night.
Now we have to wait for the Gig in the Shepherds Bush empire next month to see if they’re going to try to represent the record as it is recorded or they’re going to do the same kind of gig.

album of the week: ANDREW BIRD - ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA

2007-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

The first time I heard the new Andrew Bird record, Armchair Apocrypha, I was a bit disappointed. I was looking for Sovay, one of the best songs of two seasons ago included in the record The Mysterious Production of Eggs, and of course, not included in this one again. After listening to that new recording four or five times, I realized that this new album is even better than the previous one, and has many songs as good as Sovay, like Plasticities, Fiery crash or Heretics. Maybe the main difference between this album and the last one, his best works to date, is that in this one his violin is more integrated in a whole band, but still giving a distinctive characteristic to the final result of the product. I can’t wait to see him live, but I think I’ll have to wait so the tickets for his concerts in London are already sold out.
The record will be in the shops on March 20th.

Bonnie 'prince' billy live

2007-02-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday 11th I went with Eva to see Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in the Shepherds Bush Empire. The opening act was Scoutt Nibblett, now without the big blonde wig. As she sometimes was helped by Oldham’s drums, it was not as chaotic as she use to, but I think the best moments of her performance are still when she sings just helped by some out of tune and time drums, and not when she thinks she’s the new old grunge star.
The Bonnie gig was so Rock as he was helped by a band (guitar, bass, drums and keyboards). He came all with make up and a strange hat, like performing a character. Only three songs from his great last record “The letting Go” (none of the three singles), and not so many classics, avoiding the happy applause and changing the songs (sometimes it was impossible to recognise them). If you’ve ever been before to one of his concerts you’ll know you can expect that; so instead you were expecting a “greatest hits live” and got disappointed about that, the concert was fully enjoyable. And now he’s just starting a solo tour I hope is passing through London again. It will be another chance to see him, and maybe now we’re going to recognise some of the songs and will sing along…

Here you have the video of the great first single from his last record

album of the week: BILL CALLAHAN: WOKE ON A WHALE HEART

2007-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

After the much overrated album “A river ain’t too much to love” Bill Callahan comes back with his best album since “Dongs of sevotion”. But now he signs with his real name, not Smog or (Smog) anymore. Songs like “Diamond dancer” or “Day” are also going to be classics like “Bathysphere”, “Cold blooded old times” or “Ex-con”. The album is going to be released in April by Drag City.

New Section!!!!

2007-02-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

I am going to start a new weekly section called “album of the week” where I am going to say which album is the one I am playing the most the present week and why. Due to the advantages of the internet and that you sometimes can have access to an album before the date of release, it sometimes will not correspond to the “real” market timetable. Times are changing…

Berlin

2007-02-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

hi there!
I was in Berlin with Luis last weekend and we tried to enjoy despite the cold weather.We had to go for a coffee every half an hour to warm up but at least they have real coffee there...

What the hell is nu-rave?

2007-02-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

Can we go back to 1989? Acid house, new beat, summer of love, smiley, Ibiza, madchester, fluorescent glow-sticks, forbidden parties in the middle of the nature, design drugs…
The rave culture started that summer and went on and on during the nineties with the popularization of the electronic music.
Nowadays, the lack of new ideas is bringing back old concepts with the intention of refreshing them for a new generation. The last gap from the eighties to bring back from the tomb was the rave movement.
So what is nu-rave? Is the same old shit but with new bands and it mixes rock with electronic music. During 2006 a new fanzine called Supersuper appeared in the London underground with fluorescent colours everywhere and talking about new bands like The Klaxons, Van She, Steed Lord, Shitdisco, Hadouken, Brazilian Girls, Lo-Fi-FNk, Daisy Daisy, Niyi, Crystal Castles, Namelee ‘n the Namazonz or Fox ‘n wolf. Most of these bands mix punk rock, pop, electronic, grime and have either collaborated or remixed each other. Maybe this is the only thing they have in common; this and that they use fluorescent colours. And also that most of them reject the nu-rave scene so they don’t want to be just part of a fashion movement and then disappear.
So at the end everything is a bit confusing, even more when we know that the NME has already heard about the movement and dedicated a special number, compilation included, popularizing the nu-rave to sell more numbers. What is more, I really don’t understand what all these bands have in common with the Acid house movement apart from the glow colours, and also what makes them different from other bands that appear during the last years such as Chicks on Speed, LCD Soundsystem, !!! or even Bloc Party.

Time will say the bands that will survive to the fashion and the ones that we will remember at the end of the year. From now on, I highly recommend the Klaxons that have four really good singles and a remarkable album.

Here you have some links to try to understand everything better…

THE KLAXONS - ATLANTIS TO INTERZONE

THE KLAXONS - GRAVITY'S RAINBOW

THE KLAXONS - MAGIK

THE KLAXONS - GOLDEN SKANS

VAN SHE - KELLY

SHIT DISCO - REACTOR PARTY

HADOUKEN - THAT BOY THAT GIRL

NAMALEE N THE NAMAZONZ - U GLO GIRL

LOST PENGUIN-PLEASUREWOOD KILLS

DAISY DAISY - MICHELLE PLAYS PING PONG

DJ MEHDI - I AM SOMEBODY

TRASH FASHION - IT'S A RAVE DAVE

NU RAVE DOCUMENTARY IN GERMAN TV

MY SPACE LINK TO MAGAZINE SUPERSUPER

http://www.myspace.com/thesupersuper

LINK TO FASHION DESIGNERS CASSETTE PLAYA. THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR IF YOU WANT TO NURAVE!!!!!

WWW.CASSETTEPLAYA.COM

OK. I THINK IT'S ENOUGH.....!!!!

roots bloody roots

2007-02-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

And finally, the new M.I.A. video. She is now closer to Pantera than to reaggeton but don't be scared; She is not into Trash metal but getting even closer to her roots. It's not an easy track:listen to it twice, three times, four times and it's going to be one of your favorite hits of this year. I say of your year, because I'm sure that it's going to fly away from the masses....definetely.

New Whitest Boy Alive video

2007-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hi there!
Late, but back again. Hope I'll write more frequently now...like always.
Here you have an amazing video of one of the worst songs from the Whitest Boy Alive record. A QOOB's user (Mauro-vecchi) made a video for the song and sent it to them, they loved it and now it's official.
Hope you'll enjoy it and don't get hypnotized!!!

Hurt

2007-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hello again

First of all I wish you a HAPPY HAPPY new year. After some days on Holidays in Spain I'm back in London, but not back to rutine so I broke my tiny left toe yesterday evening when I fell down the stairs, and I'm spending the whole day doing nothing, bored, abducted by the computer, sleeping and eating... So maybe it's not the perfect beggining of the year, but I hope everything it's going to change in some days...
Today's Damaso's birthday so say "happy birthday" to the guy of the photo if you see him (the one that's not me).

records 2006

2006-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

...and here we have the records:

60- Tim hecker – Harmony in ultraviolet
59- Current 93 – Black ships ate the sky
58- Annuals – Be he me
57- Mogwai – Zidanne ost
56- Jason molina – Let me go, let me go, let me go
55- Kimya dawson- Remember that I love you
54- The knife – Silent shout
53- Bat for lashes – Fur and gold
52- Clipse - Hell hath no fury
51- Dosh – The lost take

50- Justine electra – Soft rock
49- Alan Sparhawk – Solo guitar
48- Pelle carlberg – Everything now
47- Subtle – For hero, for fool
46- Burial – Burial
45- Johnny cash – American V
44- My brightest diamond – Bring me the workhouse
43- Herbert – scale
42- Jessica bailiff – Feels like home
41- Sufjan stevens – The avalanche

40- Dominique A – L’horizon
39- Akron family – Meek warrior
38- Suburban kids with biblical names- 3
37- Ekkehard ehlers – A life without fear
36- Liars – Drums not dead
35- Sonic youth – Rather ripped
34- Fujiya and miyagi – transparent thing
33- James holden – The idiots are wining
32- Nobody and the mystic chords of memory – Tree coloured see
31- Nina nastasia – On leaving

30- Junior boys - So this is goodbye
29- Jolie Holland – Springtime can kill you
28- Nathan fake – Drowning in a sea of love
27- Tortoise and bonnie prince billy – Brave and the bold
26- Tunng – Comments of the Chorus
25- Lisa germano – In the maybe world
24- Cansey de ser sexy – Css
23- Danielson – Ships
22- Matt elliot – Failing songs
21- Vetiver – To find me gone

20- Espers – II
19- Lambchop – Damaged
18- Tv on the radio – Return to cookie mountain
17- M craft – Silver and fire
16- Sufjan stevens – Christmas songs
15- Howe gelb and the voices of praise – Sno’ angel like you
14- El perro del mar – El perro del mar
13- Spank rock – Yo yo yo yo yo
12- Cat power – The greatest
11- Herman dune – Giant

10- Beirut – Gulag orkestar
9- Peter, bjorn and john – Writer’s block
8- M ward – Post war
7- Decemberists – The crane wife
6- Adem – Love and other planets
5- Micah P hinson – And the opera circuit
4- Casiotone for the painfully alone – Etiquette
3- Hot chip – The warning
2- Bonnie prince billy – The letting go
1- Joanna newsom – Ys

songs 2006

2006-12-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

After some days of wasting my time in something as useless as enthusiastic as designing the list of my favorite songs and records of this year 2006 that is leaving us, here you have the first part of the result: the songs
Am I sure and happy with the result? of course not. I would probably change everything if I'd try to do it again in some days...

70- Ruling class – loose fur
69- Incurable – piano magic
68- You have killed me – Morrissey
67- Written all over your face – holy shit
66- Dans un camion – Dominique a
65- What were the chances – Damien jurado
64- No pussy blues – grinderman
63- Bum – spank rock
62- The lost take – dosh
61- Red thread – lisa germano

60- Horse and I – bat for lashes
59- Launch yourself – adem
58- She’s on the radio – pony hoax
57- Horses – my brightest diamond
56- Your kisses are wasted on me – pipettes
55- Chinese translation – m ward
54- Steady as she goes – james yorkston
53- Paperback bible – lambchop
52- We’re from Barcelona – I’m from Barcelona
51- Please don’t take my sunshine – sparklehorse

50- Jackeyed – micah p hinson
49- Cowboy – trost
48- Elevate myself – grandaddy
47- Give it to me – timbaland
46- Breaker – retribution gospel choir
45- Worms – beth Orton
44- Smiley faces – gnarls barkley
43- Silent shout – the knife
42- Semen song for james biggord – matmos
41- Hi – psapp

40- Downtown – peaches
39- Killalady – Justine electra
38- Get myself into it – the rapture
37- Rehab - Amy whinehouse
36- Swans – islands
35- Tears tears tears - Antony and the johnsons
34- Pacman shopping cars – Schneider tm
33- Awoo – hidden cameras
32- Young shields – casiotone for the painfully alone
31- Led my shoes lead me forward – jenny Wilson

30- The seed – nobody and the mystics chords of river
29- Feathers – Andrew weatherall
28- Whoddat – black sheep
27- Hiding away the tears – mocky and feist
26- Woodcat – tunng
25- Springfield – Arthur Russell
24- Echo’s swing – fireworks night
23- Burning – the whitest boy alive
22- Funny little frog – belle and Sebastian
21- Don’t be shy – spektrum

20- You broke my heart – lavender diamond
19- Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken – camera obscura
18- Maneater – nelly furtado
17- Yankee bayonet – decemberists
16- Yeah yeah yeah song – the flaming lips
15- Rent a wreck - Suburban kids with biblical names
14- Postcards from italy – Beirut
13- 45:33 – lcd soundsystem
12- Silver and fire – m craft
11- Did I step on your trumpet – Danielson

10- Wolfs like me – tv on the radio
9- Something isn’t right – Herbert
8- Alala – cansey de ser sexy
7- Ldn – lilly allen
6- In the morning – junior boys
5- Over and over – hot chip
4- Cursed sleep – bonnie prince billy
3- I wish that I could see you soon – herman dune
2- the greatest – cat power
1- young folks – peter bjorn and john

the whys and hows

2006-12-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

first of all I would like to thank you for losing your time coming to visit this meaningless space of subjective disinformation. I really don't know if I'm going to take care with the frequency and the maintenance of this space but I trully want to I(today, at least) and i have the intention of continuity. There's no general theme or purpose for this space and I really don't know how is it going to be developed...
I just hope it's going to be an exchange of thoughts, opinions and ideas for us (if there's going to be such an us, and not only me).
enjoy (or do not).