We won’t catch them again this time

I am referring to one of my favourite bands ever, Sunny Day Rea Estate. I remember the first time I listened to them on Radio 3, I was amazed about the first LP, “Diary”, but it was not until some years later that I really had access to all their work. The Rising Tide is, simply one of the best albums of all time and let’s say the best in the 2000 decade that is almost about to finish. And it was my 25 birthday’s present.
Now, they are on a reunion tour to be held in North America starting in September, 20 dates that if people are wise, will be sold out. Again, wel will miss them, and maybe for the last time. A worship band, I hope they will tour Europe or they will change their minds. Two of the bands I have missed, Nirvana and them, two of the greatests.

Tick tick tick tick tick tick Tickets!

This is the second post about concert tickets. Some of those shows will be always in my heart, special moments that will be remembered forever.

I saw Last Days of April just one day before my debut with Rakiss Meiniss. It was a great show and we won the following day also, it was a game at 9:00.

Teenage Fanclub, one of the ebst live shows I have seen in Tavastia, my favourite venue in Helsinki! Definitely astonishing!

The first time I saw Kent live was in Stockholm. That tour (Turné 19) was awesome, and Du & jag döden was a fantastic album!

Sonorama 2005. Mogwai, Maga, etc,

I was not supposed to attend this show, but a friend could not go, and I got the ticket. I liked it a lot though! I would like to see Bloc Party again soon.

And this could have been the best show I have ever attended! Magic The Posies in Madrid. One of the bands of my life.


And two of the festivals I went to last summer, I had a lot of fun in those! Great!

Besides, I will still attend concerts when possible. This summer I have already planned a couple of festivals and maybe some concerts. Let’s see if there is a third chapter soon!!!

Best albums of 2007

A good year. This list does not pretend to be a bible or something like that. This is just my opinion, taking into account that I am not able to listen to all the released cd’s. But, despite the fact that I have been quite busy with my PhD and with all the things I have been up to, I have listened to quite a lot. I am sure that there are more, but I am not the only one music freak that writes a review for the best albums of 2007!
Lastly, I listen to a lot of music, and I mean a lot. I have to admit that I download music, yes, but I still buy cd’s also. I can not buy everything I listen to. Anyway, here is the list. Neither has it an order or something. There are not definitions with which we can define an album is better than another, simply, this reflects if I have liked the cd a lot or not. Here it is:

Albums of 2007

Bloc Party [A weekend in the city]
Dog Day [Night Group]
Vhs or Beta [Bring on the comets]
Lapko [Young Desire]
Pinback [Autumn of the seraphs]
Rubik [Bad conscience patrol]
Band of Horses [Cease to begin]
The Enemy [We’ll live and die in these towns]
The National [Boxer]
Interpol [Our Love To Admire]
Klaxons [Myths of the near future]
The Automatic [Not accepted anywhere]
Biffy Clyro [Puzzle]
Pigeon Detectives [Wait For Me]
Editors [An End Has A Start]
Travis [The boy with no name]
Rilo Kiley [Under the blacklight]
Arcade Fire [Neon bible]
[Idlewild] Make another world
Triangulo de amor bizarro [s/t]
Manic Street Preachers [Send Away the tigers]
The Orders [Guilt & Confusion]
Tegan and Sara [The Con]
Smashing Pumpkins [Zeitgeist]
Arctic Monkeys [Favourite Worst Nightmare]
Rogue Wave [Asleep At Heaven’s Gate]
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club [Baby 81]
The Perishers [Victorious]

It is a quite good list, I guess. There have been others as well, but first let’s talk a little about the list I wrote above.
There are albums I have really been impressed by, like “A weekend in the city“, criticized by a lot of people for being different or worst than “Silent alarm”, their debut LP. “AWITC” makes a step forward in the evolution of Bloc Party. More mature, rich and worked, definitely, among the top 10 of the year. It would also win the best cover, as I really like those night pictures of cities. Worth buying the deluxe edition, incluiding a DVD with videos and a live performance at Reading festival.
Another cd I love is Dog Day “Nigh group” . The canadian band got my attention witht their song “Lydia”, which I listened to in a compilation. Then, I listened to the whole cd, and then I bough it, last Christmas. Another top ten of the year. Here is one mp3 available thanks to their website “Oh dead life“. One of the bands of the moment. And I will not mention why they do not come to Spain. Neither to Finland.

Dog Day portrait by
Chris Frey
From left to right:
Crystal Thili, Seth Smith, Nancy Urich and Casey Spidle.

Another big surprised was “Bring on the Comets” by VHS or Beta, with a danceable atmosphere that includes the, I must say, HIT singles, She Says and Burn it all down.

Lapko live by Ville Yli-Knuutila

One of the cds I have listened to most this year is “Young desire” by Lapko. Also the band that I have seen more times: 4. But I really feel this is one of the finnish cds of the year, with of course, other of the great discoveries: The Orders and their magnificent Guilt & Confusion.
And there have been returns, like Arctic Monkeys, still in the crest of the wave with “Favourite worst nightmare” and manic Street Preachers, with “Send away the tigers”, debuts, like “Myths of the near future” by Klaxons or
The Automatic with “Not accepted anywhere”. In the case of Arctic Monkeys, it has been an honorable continuation to “Whatever people say I am…..“, if we think about all the pressure they must have had. They have toured almost all around the world, and, with the exception of festivals, they are now used to play 1 hour. No encores at all. An hour of pure adrenaline and watts, but nothing else, as I had the opportunity to check in their pre-tour concert in Barcelona.
Smashing Pumpkins have returned. yes it is not the same, they should not be called SP anymore. Maybe. but the truth is that, despite all this, is a good cd to return. Let’s see what follows!
And well, I could continue this post for ages, even until next year, the albums are there, in the list, so, I should not say more. Just listen to them. And give your opinion. Tell me if I have forgotten any. Thanks.

Mr. United States of America live at Pinkpop Festival, May 28th 2007 (Greetsia Tent/ Hyperphoto/ WireImage.com)

Musical post for year 2006

English speakers, scroll down, please!

Como ya hice el año pasado, voy a dar la que es mi humilde y personal opinión sobre la mejor música del pasado año 2006, y, ¿por qué no? también de la música que no pertenece a esta año categóricamente, pero que,eso si, he descubierto a lo largo del mismo.
Empezando por lo más fácil: conciertos. Este año, desafortunadamente, no he ido a demasiados. The Soundtrack of our Lives en enero y We are Scientists en Febrero. Después, en Finlandia ví a Poets of the fall en el escenario de Esplanadi, y a Damn Seagulls en Tavastia. De ellos, quizas el mejor fue el de Soundtrack of our Lives, pero de todas formas, como son tan pocos, merecen ser recordados todos. En cuanto a discos, aquí la cosa está más jugosa, he tenido la oportunidad de escuchar toneladas de música y de discos. Ahí van unos cuantos de los mejores discos de 2006. Estoy seguro que con el tiempo descubriré más, pero a día de hoy, es lo que hay:

Ya es difícil mejorar un primer álbum que ha tenido una repercusión mundial y que ha sido alabado por muchisíma gente, [Hot fuss] les lanzó a la fama, con temas como Somebody told me, [Sam’s town] ha sido en mi opinión un discazo, mejor incluso que el mencionado multiventas. The Killers han conseguido eso que tanto cuesta a muchos grupos, sacar un segundo disco equiparable al primero, e incluso mejor.
Pero este año he tenido algunas cuantas pequeñas debilidades en forma de disco: Yeah Yeah Yeahs y su flamante [Show your bones] hits como Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into y Cheated hearts hacen de este disco una maravilla; Placebo ha logrado con [Meds] lo que, en mi opinión (muy discutida, cierto) no lograban desde su primer album hacía 10 años. Para mí, todo había sido empeorar. Hasta éste. Genial. Ved aquíDrag” Live @Rock am Ring, y aquí el video de Meds. Por otro lado, Mogwai lanzaban éste año un nuevo disco, [Mr.Beast], nueva cita después del fabuloso [Happy songs for happy people], es un disco que sigue en su línea, quizás un poco más cañera y distorsionada que el anterior. En mi opinión son discos similares en calidad y estructura. No me pidáis que les saque cosas negativas, desde que escuché su ya mencionado “Happy songs…” en Noruega, tan pausadamente después de levantarme un sábado por la mañana sin prestar atención a otra cosa ya no pude dejar de admirar sus canciones. Friend of the night es mi favorita del disco, también primer single. Antes me gustaban, pero ahora….me encantan. También este año han reazado un disco homenaje a Zidane, anunque un poco más espeso y sin muchas escuchas por mi parte aún.
Y dos más dentro de estas pequeñas debilidades: los daneses Nephew con [Inter Kom ind], una continuación tremenda para el ya bueno [USAdsb]. Nephew cantan en una original mezcla de danés e inglés, con muy buenos reesultados. Es curioso cómo desde las tierras escandinavas salen cientos de grupos que merecerían estar en el top 10 de toda Europa, pero que, raramente consiguen incluso hacer un tour que llegue hasta el sur de la misma. Casi nunca vienen a España. Una pena, porque nos perdemos grandes conciertos, como he tenido oportunidad de comprobar, aunque no con Nephew. Ved algunos videos en su página web. Desde Leeds llegan ¡Forward Russia! , nombre particular donde los haya, con su [Give me a wall]. Este grupo reúne una mezcla de estilos punk, lo-fi, melódico y bailable que los hace especiales. Se podría dar a conocer como el grupo de los números, porque, hasta ahora todas sus canciones se llaman como números: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, y así sucesivamente. Hubo un par de meses en los que los oía a diario.
Desde la compañía de discos en la que debutaron nada más y nada menos que Nirvana, Sub Pop, llegan dos grupos que están en la mayoría de los “reviews” musicales del pasado año, y también en el mío: The Thermals, con su disco [The the body, the blood, the machine] y Band of Horses con [Everything all the time]. El primero, más guitarrero y sucio, más underground, pero con unas canciones geniales. Los descubrí gracias a “A Pillar of Salt” primer single del disco. En cuanto a los segundos, son más pausados, pero siguen teniendo algo de guarro en sus guitarras. Aqui el video para The Funeral.
Este resumen se está haciendo muy largo, así que voy a ir resumiendo. Me gustaría mencionar a los grandes triunfadores de 2006: Arctic Monkeys con su multimillonarias ventas de [Whatever people say I am that’s what I am not], ahora el disco se ha convertido en un imprescindible, y, por lo que parece, no sólo para mí, he tenido la oportunidad de ver y oír su repertorio en el festival de Reading y la aceptación que tienen entre el público inglés es la que tiene una banda de culto. Todos cantando las letras de memoria. Aqui podeis ver “I bet you look good on the dancefloor” en directo en dicho festival.
Y algunos discos más sobre los cuales no quiero escribir porque esto se haría larguísimo:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ….]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]
The Frames [The cost]

Jack’s Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Aquí me gustaría hacer una mención especial a Minus the Bear, (ver imagen) que ha lanzado en España una edción especial de [Menos el Oso], disco originariamente de 2005, pero que, pese a esto, está incluído en el resumen dada la repercusión que ha tenido en mí esta banda.

Y creo que, por ahora, eso es todo. de todas formas hay muchos más grupos que he descubierto este año, pero que no han sacado nada, haré un mix también para que la gente los descubra.

English

As I already did last year, I am going to give my personal opinion about the best music of last year 2006, and, why not? Also (although in other post) of the music that does not belong to this one year categorically, but that, it if, I have discovered along the same one.
Beginning for the easiest thing: concerts. This year, unfortunately, I have not attend too many. The Soundtrack of our Lives in January and We are Scientists in February. Later, in Finland I saw Poets of the fall in Esplanadi’s stage, and Damn Seagulls in Tavastia. Of them, probably the best was Soundtrack of our Lives, but of all forms, since they not so many, they all deserve to be remembered. As for records, here the thing is more interesting, I have had the opportunity to listen to tons of music and cd’s. Here they go a few of the best discs of 2006. I am sure that with the time I will discover more, but a today, it is what I have considered:

It is very difficult to release a seconf album better than a first that has had a world repercussion and that has been praised for a lot of people: [Hot fuss] threw them into the mainstream, with songs as Somebody told me, but [Sam’s town] has been in my opinion a great cd, even better than the multisales mentioned. The Killers have reached what is so difficult for many bands: to release a second album comparable to the first one, and even better.
But this year I have had some small weaknesses in the shape of album: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their fabulous [Show your bones]. Hits like Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into and Cheated hearts make this cd a wonder; Placebo has obtained with [Meds] what, in my opinion (very discussed, certainly) did not obtain since their first album 10 years ago. For me, every single cd they released seemed to get worse. Until this. Brilliant. You can see here “Drag” Live @Rock am Ring, and here the video shoot for “Meds”.
On the other hand, Mogwai also released new disc, [Mr.Beast], new appointment after the fabulous [Happy songs happy people], is a disc that follows its sound, maybe a little more energetic and distorted that the previous one. In my opinion both are similar discs in quality and structure.Do not ask me to tell negative things about them; since I listened to the already mentioned “Happy songs…” in Norway, after waking up a saturday morning without paying attention to any other thing, I could not give up loving their songs. Friend of the night is my favorite of the disc, also first single. Before I liked them, but now… I admire Mogwai. This year, it has been released a disc tribute to Zidane as well, although a little thicker and still without so many listenings.
And two more cd’s within these little weaknesses: the danish Nephew with [Inter Kom ind], a tremendous continuation for the already good [USAdsb]. Nephew sings in an original mixture of English and Danish, with very good results. It is strange, as from Scandinavian lands hundreds of bands exist that deserve to be in the top 10 of all Europe, but they are rarely able even to tour around the Old Continent, and it is very weird that they tour in Spain. A pity, because we lose great concerts, since I have had opportunity to verify, although not with Nephew. You see some videos in their website. And from Leeds arrives ¡Forward Russia!, particular name, with their [Give me a wall]. This band reunites a mixture of punk, lo-fi, melodic and dancing styles that make them special. I could happened to be known as the group of the numbers, because, until now all their songs are called like numbers: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, and some more. There were a couple of months when I listened to them every day.
From the same label in which Nirvana made history in rock, Sub Pop, also arrive two bands that are mentioned in most of the musical reviews of the past year, and in mine as well: The Thermals, with [The the body, the blood, the machine] and Band of Horses with [Everything all the Time]. The first, more energy in their guitars and dirtier, more underground, but with brilliant songs. I discovered them thanks to “A Pillar of Salt” first single of the record. About the second, they are slower, more calm but they still have something dirty in their guitars. Here the video for The Funeral.
This review is getting very long, so I am summarizing. I would like to mention the great winners of 2006: Arctic Monkeys with their multimillionaire sales of [Whatever people say I am that’s what I am not], becoming famous all around the world. Now the album has become an essential, it seems that not only for me, I have had the opportunity to see and to hear its performance at Reading festival and the support they have among the English audience is the same as a cult band has. Everybody singing along the lyrics by heart. Here you can see “I bet you look good on the dancefloor” live in this festival.
And some other cd’s which I do not want to write about because this would get so long:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ….]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]
The Frames [The cost]
Jack’s Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Here, I would like to mention the band Minus the Bear, that have released a special edition of [Menos el Oso], that, although it is not properly an album from 2005, I want to consider it here, due to the effect it has had on me. A great band!

I think that, by now, it is everything I have to talk about. There are many more bands I have discovered this year, but They have not released any record. Iwill select a mix with some of their songs for the people to discover them.

2006 MUSIC!

Muy pronto , de hecho ya esta bastante redactado, voy a publicar un post con mi opinion sobre la mejor musica de 2006. ¡¡Estad atentos!!

Very soon I will publish a post with what it has been, in my opinion, the best music for year 2006.
Stay tuned!