Best of 2017. Albums 11-20

Step by step we are getting closer to the very top of the list.

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20. Nudozurdo "Voyeur Amateur" (p)Mushroom Pillow

After beautiful but too calm "Rojo Es Peligro" the metropolitan trio returns with the album full of  emotions and bursts of guitar noise where Leo Mateos and his pals are swimming like fish in the pond.

SPTF

19. Les Sueques "Moviment" (p)El Genio Equivocado

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18. Cala Vento "Fruto Panorama" (p)BCore Disc

The last year's eponimous album of Catalan duo sounded more like the step onto Nueva Vulcano territory, the new one is the major step forward in terms of finding their own way. Sonically and melodically it is more refined record, the sound is thicker and the songs are catchier.

BNDCMP                       

17. Karabash "D'Humans I Essers" (p)self-released

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16. Clara Plath "Yes I'm Special" (p)Flor Y Nata

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15. Niños Mutantes "Diez" (p)Ernie Producciones

The recordings of the jubilee album (produced by Leon Benavente's Cesar Verdu) almost killed the band but resulted in the band's best effort to date.

SPTF

14. Exquirla "Para Quienes Aun Viven" (p)Superball Music

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13. Ran Ran Ran "L'Hereu" (p)Bankrobber

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12. Los Planetas "Zona Temporalmente Autonoma" (p)El Volcan/El Ejercito Rojo    

I should admit I've never got into "Una Opera Egipcia". So for me the waiting period was even longer than for those who embraced Los Planetas' 2010 LP. And now I declare it was worth it to wait for it: the long brooding record that can easily take you away from wherever you are now.

SPTF             

11. Arista Fiera "Arista Fiera" (p)Elefant

Welcome to my convoluted world where the 7 song long debut album by a young dreampop band may stand atop the brilliant long-awaited double LP by the Spanish indie rock definitive band.

BNDCMP

#SonoramaRibera2014. The Report. Day 1, 13.08.2014. How to kickstart the event correctly

First of all, we had an intention not to repeat the past mistakes. The last year we came to Aranda right at the day when Sonorama started and we were late, and what was more important, after that crazy run of "full working day - then long sleepless nigt flight from Moscow to Madrid - then travel by car from Madrid to Milagros - then run to old Aranda - then to recinto ferial" from the start of the fest we were as full of life as mashed potato and as energetic as yesterday's beer. This year we came to Aranda beforehand so we had almost full day to watch the ducks swimming in the Bañuelos river, to walk the narrow streets of perfect Aranda and to drink cold white wine from the melting glasses in the tiny cafeterias making the day flowing slowly into the night.

Este año somos VIP

The next morning we also had the activities hardly related to music, but as the day had crossed its middle line our thoughts were leaning to what was waiting for us this night more and more. The first day of Sonorama 2014 was limited in terms of quantity of musicians to perform but in the same time absolutely unlimited in terms of impression due to the names of these musicians. I don't have much words about Hermanos Cubero - the acoustic folk duet of the most conservative pop tradition, but the brothers should be followed by two legendary names: Automatics and, most of all, Los Planetas. 

Automatics is the band from Jaen that appeared in the first half of 90's and formerly derived in equal parts from Madchester and psychedelic indie bands from the both sides of the ocean like Spacemen 3 or Mercury Rev. They dissolved in the early 2000's and their appearance in Sonorama was a big surprise to me as I have never heard about they are active again. And waht to say about Los Planetas? There is no other band in Spain that could be on par with them in terms of influence, and if there is the band to whom you may apply the sentence 'without them it all wouldn't be possible' than it's them. This year Los Planetas had returned to activity and the first day of Sonorama should be one of the first performances of the legendary band after 3 years of hiatus. So this promised to be the glorious night.

Los Hermanos Cubero from afar

And it really was the one.

The Automatics were great. They played almost one hour long set of songs that covered most of their past career. As long as the musicians never quit on making music (with the one part including the singer Jose Lozano to form the equally cool Universal Circus, and the second part playing in the band named Husband) they appeared to us in the near-perfect form. Their songs were always cool and catchy, and time haven't made them worse.

Automatics

Los Planetas

Los Planetas decided to show us their meditative side for the most part of the performance, with the main hits like "Mi Hermana Pequeña" or "Que Puedo Hacer?" and other driving songs being grouped close to the final of the show. The centerpiece of the performance was almost 8 minutes long song named "Toxicosmos" originally from the album "Una Semana En El Motor De Un Autobus" that many sources considered the best disc in their back catalogue. The audience raved full throttle, and I was absolutely stunned throughout the show feeling like losing my breath there at the stage right before Jota playing. Really, I never had an intention to see them live just because I never dared to believe I could have the opportunity to. 

The band walked out for the encore twice prolonging for us the majesty of this night.

On our 40 minutes long way back to hotel I shivered like hell and I did not know why - was it because the night weather in Aranda is relatively cold, too cold for my t-shirt, or was it because of some kind of the nervous disorder I got at that moment.

De Viaje Por Los Planetas de nuevo

There's a good occasion to return to Various Artists "De Viaje Por Los Planetas" album. From now on you can obtain it on the 'name your price' basis from Ondas Del Espacio's bandcamp page (find a link below). I strongly suggest you to spend a couple of bucks on this great comp.

Ondas Del Espacio bandcamp

Ha Llegado: VV AA "De Viaje Por Los Planetas"

This weekend has brought me the good news: my copy of "De Viaje Por Los Planetas" arrived.

"De Viaje Por Los Planetas" is a limited edition book ((c) Ondas Del Espacio) which marks 20th anniversary of the first Los Planetas' LP "Super 8", with the companion CD that includes the cover versions of LP's songs made by renowned Spanish bands such as Pumuky, Doble Pletina, Klaus & Kinski, McEnroe, Disco Las Palmeras! and others.

The book is only about to be read, but CD was auditioned right after the mail package was torn apart. 

Most of the bands involved into the project are well-known not only within the music community but also for the foreign beholders like me. 

Doble Pletina, Klaus & Kinski, Denver  - they have turned Los Planetas' songs into their own pieces. For instance, it's almost impossible to discover some familiar sounds of the [probably] most famous LP's track "Que Puedo Hacer" in the version made by K&K. Odio Paris and Pumuky were more accurate to the legacy of the band which was one of the main influences for them. The absolutely gorgeous version was made by Pamplona's finest Muy Fellini. 

At least two bands have surprised me in the good way: Grushenka and Universal Circus. Never heard of them before, but both are absolutely great.

Los Treinta Principales. #22. Los Planetas "Super 8"

#22. Los Planetas "Super 8" (p)1994 BMG

"Super 8" was not the first experience of planting the contemporary british/american alternative rock sound onto the fruitful lands of Iberian Peninsula. It was not the most successful guitar album of the time in terms of revenue. Arguably, it was the first truly creatively successful effort - successful to such level where it might sin duda compete with the 'inspiration sources'.

But, what is significantly more important, it was the album that stabbed the polemark of the audience attention to the whole (pretty much burgeoning at that time) Spanish scene of guitar-driven music in the vein of american 'smart' alternative rock (in the range from Dinosaur Jr to Mercury Rev) as well as of pre-'Cool Britannia' post-psychedelic quasi-shoegaze model (from Spacemen 3 to Swervedriver).

So, it was not the album that spawned the 'underground movement' - it was the album that started something on macro-level.

The best tracks: Brigitte, Estos Ultimos Dias, De Viaje