Las Resenas Casuales. Velcro "Hojalata"

Velcro "Hojalata" (p)2014 El Hombre Bala Records

I'm more than excited on this one.

As far as I know "Hojalata" is not album in the whole meaning of the word - it's more like collection of songs from early demos and self-edited works which were revised, renewed and re-recorded to the undeniably wonderful results. From the very first track you find yourself trapped into the velvet walls of post-'Cool Britannia' dance rock (does anyone remember Jesus Jones?) mixed with quasi-industrial electro-wave and leftfield electronica. Some may call them 'the Spanish Primal Scream' and it would be not so far from truth but I suppose that the musical pallette of Velcro in comparison with Bobby Gillespie's drug-soaked angst-ridden cynicism-based vehicle (if not counting PS's stylistical fluctuations back and forth from psychedelia to arena rock to electronica over and over again) is even wider.

You may write off a considerable part of admiration which is more than noticeable here on my general adoration of Canarian rock but even if you divide the emotional component of this review by 3 you will nevertheless get the great tunes and catchy choruses and happiness for everyone in the bottom line.

The best tracks: Me Rompe El Alma, Final, Que Va A Hacer?

Las Resenas Casuales. Polock "Rising Up"

Polock "Rising Up" (p)2014 Mushroom Pillow

Another Spanish band that sings in English. I'm not familiar with their previous releases but this one definitely steps into Two Door Cinema Club's (or any other young band ever labeled 'indie rock' in 2010's) territory.

I don't have much words about this album really. It seems to be pretty good at entertaining but I cannot feel myself deep into this kind of music. I even don't want to spend the time trying to find some additional words to make this piece of spelling practice a full-fledged review. It's not bad, it's not wrong - it's just not my piece of cake.

The best tracks: Rising Up, Hockney

Las Resenas Casuales. Poomse "Vs. The Kingdom Of Death"

Poomse "Vs. The Kingdom Of Death" (p)2014 Foehn Records

All the Mallorcan bands that I'm known of... Well they're not so numerous though - I know only three Mallorcan bands: Sexy Sadie, L.A. and Poomse (I don't know exactly what the word 'poomse' means - maybe it's something out of taekwondo vocabulary). They all sing in English, and English of all of them is perfect. From the beginning of this review I should admit that the mere use of English is Poomse's weakest feature (well again - it's all about my own cockroaches in the attic, as I prefer Spanish or Catalan to English). Their best feature anyway is... everything the rest.

"Vs. The Kingdom Of Death" is the second full lenght work of Poomse. While the first one - "Tomorrow Will Come & It Will Be Fine" - was mostly 'one man stand' of Llorenc Rossello who played almost all instruments himself, the new album was recorded as a band.

Poomse play sadcore. Or slow indie rock mixed with americana. Or... Ok, I'm enough with these stylistical measurements now. Let's put it in the way of facts and/or comparisons.

The third number on the disc,seven minutes long "Ronette", plays a homage to titular "Twin Peaks" theme.

"Still Sharks" is the slowest song on the album. Oh no, the next song - "Song For Roberta Sparrow" where Llorenc Rossello sounds like Lou Barlow in the most quiet numbers of his Folk Implosion project - is the slower one. On "August, 2011" Llorenc starts to sound like Robert Pollard (despite the fact that Robert Pollard has never penned such a slow song neither in Guided By Voices nor within zillion of his solo projects). One of the numbers is titled "Tomorrow Will Come" making a bridge to the previous effort. And the closing "The Kingdom Of Death" begins as [seemingly un]controlled destroy but when the first minute is over it turns into the beautiful song which evokes again the reminiscences of Sebadoh/Folk Implosion... at least until the moment when the trumpets are on.

Overall, it's the beautiful album sometimes gloomy sometimes meditative but never boring or sleepy. And "Daily Bread" is the best song that I've listened to in the year of 2014 so far.

The best tracks: Daily Bread, Empty Sea, August 2011, Ronette

A Quick Guide To... Foehn Records

Recently we (me and my mujer Tanya) have spent a couple of days in Barcelona to celebrate Tanya's birthday. On the last day of our short trip we met Marc Campillo, the head of Barcelona-based indie label Foehn Records (before the viaje I contacted him via Facebook so our short encounter was not a surprise for both of us).

It took a small amount of time for us to find the place where Foehn is really based, and shortly after I pressed the button of the intercom and said "Hola! Soy Mikhail desde Rusia!" a man with the natural red-coloured hair appeared on the treshold. Also, he was in the I Am Dive (one of the definitive Foehn bands) t-shirt. He brought us four CDs that I'd ordered, and also 3 CDs additionally as un regalo for us. The Spanish people of music never cease to amaze me - they're all so amicable and welcoming, and Marc is not an exclusion at all.

Foehn Records is the home for the thinkful music. You won't find any pop-oriented moneymakers here.

From Marina Gallardo to Inigo Ugarteburu, from Ursula to Blacanova, from I Am Dive to Oso Leone, from Lucius Works Here to El Gos Binari - at least one common thing unites all these bands and artists as well as all other bands and artists on the label: you can't listen to them on a fly. To feel and to understand this music you should really dive into it. You should sit down and listen to. I said sit. Down.

The CDs I purchased:

Oso Leone "Mokragora"

Poomse "Vs. The Kingdom Of Death"

GAF y la Estrella de la Muerte "Sunriser"

Ursula "10 Anos Por Amigos"

The CDs Marc presented to us:

Blacanova "Blacanova"

tannhauser "Para Entonces Habras Muerto"

Lucius Works Here "Pequeno Almanaque Espacial"

All of them would be reviewed here pretty soon.

Las Resenas Casuales. Sidonie "Sierra Y Canada"

Sidonie "Sierra Y Canada" (p)2014 Sony Music

Let's start to move the Sidonie albums from 'Rock' to 'Electronica' category, cos this catalan trio (known for the "fuck the barbershop" attitude) has abandoned guitars and started playing the synth-driven future pop. Also you may take Parade or even La Casa Azul as the new reference points to the Sidonie's creative heritage. Quite embarassing? Don't bother. Their trademark touches of psychedelia ain't gone anywhere and still are clearly present. But the main reason why should we not to worry about the changes in the band's modus operandi are the songs. The songs here are the best in the band's career. Even their breakthrough 2007's album "Costa Azul" was not so perfectly crafted melodically. 

Though desperately missing the guitars in the mix and still considering "El Fluido Garcia" as their strongest effort to-date, I can't deny the melodic grandeur of the new album. These songs will surely make you sing and dance along and get stuck in your head for (at least) months.

The best tracks: Rompe Tu Voz, Un Dia De Mierda, Sierra Y Canada (Historia de Amor Asincronica), Las Dos Correas

Las Resenas Casuales. Modelo De Respuesta Polar "El Cariño"

Modelo de Respuesta Polar "El Carino" (p)2014 Limbo Starr

While the previous effort of Modelo de Respuesta Polar "Asi Pasen Cinco Anos" was mostly shoegaze album, "El Carino" is rather free-form post-everything rock with folk roots. It contains quiet slow-to-mid-tempo songs that incorporate winds, synths and digital effects galore and slowly evolve (or not evolve - which is more than usual here) towards the epic final. Only two songs - almost 7 minutes long "Tan Blanco" and closing "Los Mejores Anos"- remind me of the previous incarnation of the band. So if you liked "Asi Pasen Cinco Anos" much (as I did) this is not for sure that you would like "El Carino" the same way - these albums are not different to the point where they might be considered as made by two different bands, but the crevice is quite wide. And this crevice goes mostly from the absence of the muscular guitar parts on the new disc. So, "El Carino" is by no means beautifully arranged and perfectly produced album that may be a bit too calm and sleepy and a bit not what I expected from the band.

The best tracks: Tan Blanco, Los Mejores Anos, Miedo

Las Resenas Casuales. Russian Red "Agent Cooper"

Russian Red "Agent Cooper" (p)2014 Sony Music

It's neither good nor bad nor anything like that but the 'early version' of Russian Red is gone.

Lourdes Hernandez have changed alot. Gone are the quiet acoustic pickings and strummings, along with the quiet tongue-in-cheek singings which were more than usual on her previous two albums - "I Love Your Glasses" and "Fuerteventura". Now Lourdes sounds rich, and her singing - still tongue-in-cheek - is now definitely not quiet. Her voice has changed as well. The childish girlish obertones gave way to vocals which belong to a woman, not a girl - masterfully mixing longing with confusion and/or grief with all that passion with the greatest of ease.

The name of the album clearly appeals to "Twin Peaks", a creature of gloomy genius David Lynch (coincidentally, the definitive TV show goes to its 24th anniversary this year). "Agent Cooper" consists of the songs named by male names or surnames. Hastily I assumed that all the songs are named in honor of the series characters but it was a mistake - I can't recall anyone called Xavier or Tim B amongst the "Twin Peaks" characters.

The music. The music now incorporates the full arrangements, the elements of vintage pop, the tricky processing effects and all that 'chicks with brains' attitude that made the girls like Katie Herzig or Butterfly Boucher famous. For the better effect, all the aforementioned ingridients are covered with the salsa of vulnerability and new-found sexuality.

And, you know, this is really cool album. I like it more than any previous Lourdez' effort - but overall feeling is somehow kinda ambivalent, cos it's always a bit sad (though contradictory promising) when the young girls grow up.