Spanish indie

[Jirin]

Over the last two years I've been trying to find good non-anglophone bands, mostly discovering them from country-specific searches on RYM. But the ones that tend to dent the highest on my end of year lists have mostly been Spanish. Last year it was Christina Rosenvinge and Antonia Font, this year it's Klaus & Kinski and Grupo de Expertos Solynieve.

So, a question for the Spaniards on the forum, are these albums coming from a distinct big indie scene in Spain? If so, what other groups can you recommend from that scene?

[Otisredding]

In my opinion, your selection of indie Spanish is excellent.

Probably my two favorite albums of 2011 are those of Antonia Font and Christina Rosenvinge.

In 2012 I recommend:

John Talabot: Fin
Klaus & Kinski: Herreros y fatigas
McEnroe: Las orillas
Pegasvs: Pegasvs
Annie B Sweet: Oh, Monsters!
Grupo De Expertos Solynieve: El eje de la Tierra
Los Punsetes: Una montaña es una montaña
Love of Lesbian: La noche eterna. Los días no vividos
Sílvia Pérez Cruz: 11 de noviembre

[Miguel]

Thank you very much for your interest in Spanish music, Jirin. I hope it sets an example.

Christina Rosenvinge is one of the most beloved singer-songwriters by critics and the public in Spain, but I don't like at all. Antònia Font is a very interesting band that makes good albums, but irregular and perhaps a bit overrated. No doubt his best song is "Dins aquest iglú" (Last year, Honorio translated that song).

With regard to the albums of 2012 cited by otisredding, (by the way, man, congratulations for your excellent work in the Megacritic Chart!):

“Fin”: I am afraid I am unable to appreciate this music.

I haven't listened the albums by McEnroe and Love of Lesbian, but I don't like too much their previous recordings.

I really like the two previous albums by Los Punsetes, especially their self-titled debut album. I haven't listened "Una montaña es una montaña” yet.

“Herreros y fatigas”, by Klaus & Kinski, seems to me a very disappointing album. However, his earlier work, “Tierra, trágalos” was excellent.

This is a list of the Spanish albums that I like most in so far this decade. I made a spotify playlist, with the most remarkable song from each album. Neither "Por amor y jerarquía" nor "Hablaban con frases hechas" are avalilable. Anyway, you can find clips on youtube, here and here.

The order is as follows: artist, album title, release year, musical style and two or three similar artists.

1. Los Directivos: Por amor y jerarquía (2010) – Synth Pop (New Order, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode)
This album can be downloaded for free at bandcamp.
2. Cooper: Mi universo (2011) – Mod Revival (Paul Weller, Teenage Fanclub, Small Faces)
3. Klaus & Kinski: ¡Tierra, trágalos! (2010) – Shoegaze (Yo La Tengo, Pale Saints, Slowdive)
4. Bla: La mejor enfermedad (2010) – Twee Pop (Helen Love, Shonen Knife, Television Personalities)
5. Nacho Umbert & La Compañía: ay… (2010) – Singer-Songwriter (Lambchop, Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy)
6. Jorge Ilegal y Los Magnificos: Nuevo rumbo (2011) – Traditional Pop (Señor Coconut, The Pérez Prado Orchestra)
7. Doctor Explosion: Hablaban con frases hechas (2011) – Mod Revival (The Who, Small Faces, The Jam)
8. Single: Monólogo interior (2010) – Art Pop (I find nothing that resembles them)
9. Mittens: Dear Park Mirage (2010) – Twee Pop (Belle and Sebastian, The Ladybug Transistor, Allo Darlin´)
10. La Troba Kung-Fu: A la panxa del bou (2010) – Rumba (Manu Chao, David Byrne)
11. Russian Red: Fuerteventura (2011) – Pop (Feist, Cat Power, Bright Eyes)
12. Los Punsetes: Lp2 (2010) – Pop (Beat Happening, Young Marble Giants)
13. Dolores: Disco póstumo (2011) – Post-Punk (Joy Division, The Cure, Talking Heads)
14. Pauline en la playa: Física del equipaje (2010) – Pop (Josh Rouse, Elliot Smith)
15. Maria Rodés: Una forma de hablar (2010) – Folk-Pop (Regina Spektor, Fionna Apple, Beth Orton)
16. Grupo de expertos Solynieve: El eje de la tierra (2012) – Folk-Rock (The Jayhawks, Bob Dylan, Wilco)
17. Tachenko: Os reis porque sois jóvenes (2010) – Pop (Teenage Fanclub, The Flaming Lips)
18. Aias: A la piscina (2010) – Noise Pop (Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls)
19. Silvia Pérez Cruz: 11 de novembre (2012) – Folk-Pop (Astrud Gilberto, Caetano Veloso)
20. Remate: Superluv (2011) – Pop/Rock (The Magnetic Fields, The Hidden Cameras)

[Zorg]

13. Dolores: Disco póstumo (2011) – Post-Punk (Joy Division, The Cure, Talking Heads)
18. Aias: A la piscina (2010) – Noise Pop (Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls)

Well those two hit the money! I'll try and find them. It's weird to think that what I know of indie has basically only been made in the suburbs of UK, US and Canadian cities.

[HRS]

This list was really awesome! Made my day! Muchas Gracias, Miguel!

Los Directivos reminded me of Hipster Electrobrega from Brazil. This genre divides many opinions over here.

I was also looking for the thread we had about French music and I was searching through the website in hope to stumble across one that would contain more non-anglophone artists, like a Contemporary Non-anglophone music thread but it didn't happen. I know the World Cup is really opening doors when it comes to that, but I think we should talk about doing a thread about this sometime.

[Jirin]

Yeah, I've got a lot of listening work to do here.

Also Eleanoora Rosenholm has been climbing up my 2011 list since I heard a song of hers in the foreign WC.

It's unsettling to think that the stream of music we get exposed to is dictated completely by the language it's recorded in.

Maybe the reason mostly Spanish acts are climbing into my top lists is that Spanish acts are more likely to be licensed in US steaming services than some other European countries?

[Honorio]

I got now some time to spend at the computer so maybe it’s time to do some catch-up on some interesting threads that I haven't participated. First this one of Spanish indie music but I'm afraid I don't have much more to add to my Spanish colleagues. In particular Miguel selection is awesome, with excellent choices on his speciality, pop with a female touch (Miguel, I missed Linda Mirada, don’t you like it? too 80s?).
Only two brief comments:
- Many thanks Jirin (and Zorg and HRS) for your interest in Spanish music. One of the wonderful things of these times is the (almost) unlimited access to music all around the world, something unthinkable not many years ago. Sadly only the more inquisitive people (like the ones that participate on this forum) goes beyond the obvious. It’s always have been like this, technology does not really change the attitudes.
- My favourite Spanish album of 2012 so far (selected also by Otisredding and Miguel) is Silvia Pérez Cruz's "11 de Novembre", a delicate album that benefits from the highly emotional voice of Silvia (in this occasion very influenced by Portuguese fado, an unusual influence today on Spanish music), the subdued production of Raül Fernández from Refree (a favourite of Miguel and me) and an open-minded sound (including references to flamenco, fado and tropicalismo but also jazz or pop).
[imgsize 200x180]http://e.snmc.io/lk/f/l/dde274dd487e9ff ... 181466.jpg[/imgsize]
If I find the time maybe I could come back later to this, Jirin. Enjoy the Spanish experience.

[Miguel]

Miguel, I missed Linda Mirada, don’t you like it? too 80s?

I haven't listened her latest album, "Con mi tiempo y el progreso". His debut, "China es otra cultura," I liked a lot, I don't know whether despite or because of his style so eighties, really.

[Otisredding]

http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/ ... diy-scene/