Looking for the Primary Colors (a trip to London, part I)

Hey there, stranger. 

Almost a year ago I visited London after 10 years since the last time I was there. The purpose of that visit? Attend to the Royal Albert Hall for a very special show: the 10th anniversary of Primary Colors, by my beloved The Horrors. 

Of course, that was the perfect excuse not only to visit the city but also to see my friends there: Helena (who gladly let me stay at her place), Viveka and Carla. But let's start for the beginning, the first day!

I arrived there in the morning without any trouble, although I forgot that at the entrance of the airport they ask you several questions and so. My flight was to Southend-O-Sea Airport, so that's about one hour away from London... But when you live in The Netherlands or in the south of Spain like me, you're used to travelling to get there, so that was more than ok. Plus the flight took less than an hour, blimey!

Once in London I went to Helena's flat and left my suitcase there. We caught up for a bit while having some food (second breakfast for me, like the good hobbit I am) and after that, she had to work (I was lucky that during my stay there that was the only day she had to work!), so I decided to walk around the city centre by myself, pretty excited since last time I did that was so long ago!

(Read more here)

30 songs

Yesterday night I couldn't sleep, so I made a fun challenge about 30 songs. I think it's a very nice way of talking about myself :)

1. A song you like with a colour in the title > Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand

2. A song you like with a number in the title > The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 

3. A song that reminds you of summertime > Blur - For Tomorrow

4. A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about > The Jesus & Mary Chain - Just like honey

5. A song that needs to be played LOUD > Kula Shaker - Great Hosannah

6. A song that makes you wanna dance > Fanfare Ciocarlia - Iag Bari

7. A song to drive to > The Bloody Beetroots feat. Dennis Lyxzén - Church of Noise

8. A song about drugs or alcohol > Backyard Babies - Painkiller

9. A song that makes you happy > Garbage - Only happy when it rains

10. A song that makes you sad > Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)

11. A song that you never get tired of > Dead Can Dance - Rakim

12. A song from your preteens years > The Cure - The Lovecats

13. One of your favourite 70s' song > Pink Floyd - Shine on your crazy diamond 

14. A song you would love to be played at your wedding > David Bowie - Heroes

15. A song that is a cover by another artist > Florence + The Machine - You've got the love (original by Candi Staton)

 16. One of your favourite classical songs > Dmitri Shostakovich - Waltz No. 2

17. A song would sing a duet with on karaoke > Los Bravos - Black is black 

18. A song from the year you were born > The Cure - Primary

19. A song that makes you think about life > David Bowie - Life on Mars?

20. A song that has many meanings for you > Suede - The Wild Ones

21. A favourite song with a person's name in the title > Supergrass - Mary

22. A song that moves you forward > Placebo - Pure Morning

23. A song that you think everybody should listen to > Refused - New Noise

24. A song by a band you wish they were still together > Pulp - Do you remember the first time?

25. A song by an artist no longer living > David Bowie - Andy Warhol

26. A song that makes you wanna fall in love > The Horrors - Still life

27. A song that breaks your heart > Crystal Castles - I am made of chalk

28. A song by an artist with a voice that you love > Gabby Young & Other Animals - Male version of me

29. A song you remember from your childhood > Leonard Cohen - So long Marianne

30. A song that reminds you to yourself > Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day

 And if you feel curious, here you've got the Spotify list I made with them! Enjoy!

One of the last Gentlemen (So Long, Marianne).

I was 5-6 years old and it was summertime. The weather in Balsareny was hot, and I used to spend my afternoons at my dad's bedroom, learning how to write in a typing machine and reading books that were too big for someone of my age. 

My dad was always smoking on his bedroom, and listening to music. Pink Floyd, Bowie, Velvet Underground, Vangelis or Leonard Cohen, those were some of the tunes that you could hear inside that room. I didn't understand a word of what those people were singing, but I was fascinated with that sounds, that music.  

"What music do you wanna listen to now, Libertad?", he used to ask me from time to time, when one of those records where finished. "I wanna listen to that man that sings from the Moon", I answered referring to Bowie, "Or that one about Marianne". 

"So long, Marianne" was the first song in English that I ever learned. At the end of that summer, when I was going back to Algeciras, he gave me a cassette with a copy of "Songs by Leonard Cohen" and, on side b, "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. I think I still have that cassette back in Algeciras.  I want to believe that, at that moment, that man who was my father started to get interested in me because of this little things.

This morning, we woke up with the news that Leonard Cohen has died at 82. Even if I understand that this would happen sooner or later, I feel sad about him leaving us. 2016 took lots of my idols from my childhood and life in general. Now, exactly10 months after the departure of David Bowie, another big poet and musician leave us in this world, which is a little bit colder today. 

Hope you will travel through the stars and find again Marianne, Mr Cohen. One of the last Gentlemen. 

Traducción: Se ha marchado uno de los últimos caballeros. Gracias por todo, Leonard.

Lost photos from SOS 4.8 Festival

Last May we went to SOS 4.8 Music Festival in Murcia, and I found today photos from my digital camera. There aren't great pictures, but also wanted to show them.

El pasado mes de Mayo fuimos al festival de música SOS 4.8 en Murcia, y me he encontrado hoy con las fotos de la cámara digital. No son grandes fotos, pero quería mostrarlas igualmente.

 Morrisey

 Palma Violets

 Years & Years

 Temples

 The National

Bonus track: a photo with my beloved César Segarra at Primavera Sound 2015

There's a Starman waiting in the sky.

For me, it's not that David Bowie has died, but someone who guided me through the stars, opened doors to other worlds and dreams has left. And he's not coming back. He left me here, alone in this world that makes me feel so weird and like from outer space. 

As many of you know, my mother raised me alone, she's always been my guide, but there have been things that she couldn't teach me, as usual. When I discovered David Bowie, his music and talking and way of life completed some pieces of me that were incomplete. Often, in key joke, I called him "Dad". Daddy Bowie. It sounded good.

With his music, I learned to dream big, to question what should be "normal" or not. From him, I learned that it was not unusual or wrong for a man to wear high heels and lipstick, or that a woman could do what she fucking wanted to do without being questioned. I learned the beauty of being different, of being you. I learned that we are all stars and we are made of the same material. With his music, David Bowie made me feel closer to him and the stars. The dark side of the moon. He was not a musician, he was a mentor. And more than a mentor, a father who was away but sent letters in the form of songs with life lessons. At least that's how I felt about him.

"If God exists and is a musician, is David Bowie," I would tell my friends. All those who really know me have heard me say those words. Well, God is again with the stars. And I cry a lot with his departure. And I miss you.

I love you, David. Thank you for all you have taught me. Thanks for being part of me with your art. Thanks for the dreams. I know where you're going you'll be in good company. Greet those who I love most, they can tell you what you mean to me and you can tell them that I miss them. Thank you, I thank you from the depths of my being.

And to you, who stay here with me, remember:

There's a starman waiting in the sky (...)
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

Savages: rompiendo los estereotipos femeninos dentro de la industria musical.

Photo via Muzikalia

El pasado 6 de enero, como regalo de Reyes, el nuevo videoclip de la banda londinense Savages salía a la luz. Un potente vídeo con las cuatro componentes de la banda como protagonistas, en una actitud seria, desafiante, casi retándonos a mantener la mirada de la implacable Jehnny Beth, que con su voz y la intensidad de sus ojos se comen la pantalla de tu ordenador. 

Son muchas las bandas compuestas sólo por mujeres hoy en día, pero me atrevo a decir que no son tantas como Savages las que se mueven en un halo de misterio y profesionalidad. Impecables, casi asexualizadas en su imagen pero no en su género (son mujeres y se enorgullecen de serlo, como bien han señalado en varias entrevistas), evitan utilizar su sexualidad como reclamo hacia su música; una actividad que, si bien realizan muchas mujeres dentro de la industria musical, sobre todo dentro de la culturilla pop (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Madonna y un largo etcétera entrarían aquí) es algo menos frecuente dentro del ámbito indie o post-punk (donde se mueven Savages, PINS, September Girls y otras bandas). No por ello son menos femeninas, ya que es característico ver a Jehn sobre el escenario ataviada con unos tacones de infarto; pero sencillamente no explotan esa faceta.

No me malinterpretéis, a mí que Madonna enseñe cacho y se mueva como una diosa me parece fenomenal. Qué coño, ADORO a Madonna. Pero lo que me hace admirar también a Savages es precisamente el cómo en "Adore" prima la calidad musical que a veces escasea dentro del mundo pop o rock, sobre todo en lo relacionado a artistas femeninas, como si no pudieran escribir sus propias canciones (sí, vale, algunas no dan para más, igual que podemos decir lo mismo de muchos artistas masculinos o boy bands, donde no hay arte, no hay) o como si para vender necesariamente tuvieran que enseñar su cuerpo. Savages, al igual que SIA dentro del pop, están aquí para demostrar que no hace falta entrar dentro del circo para hacer un producto de calidad. Una banda que, durante sus conciertos, piden por favor al público que no haga fotos y se centre en su música, no en ellas. Para los tiempos que corren, donde lo importante es hacer check-in en el evento y fotitos para el Instagram del grupo en cuestión que supuestamente vas a ver (hola, mi opinión sobre conciertos y, en especial festivales, podéis leerla aquí), esta actitud me resulta más que admirable. 

Photo via Rolling Stone

A pesar de ser cuatro mujeres hechas y derechas, con una presencia impresionante dentro y fuera del escenario, Savages no han sido (de momento) esa banda de portada en diferentes medios especializados, con la excepción de Weekly DIY. Aparte de una pequeña mención en Vogue.com por el lanzamiento de su primer disco, pocas publicaciones de índole más "femenino" tampoco le han dedicado espacio entre sus páginas. 

Que se hable de Adele más por su pérdida de peso que por su música me parece lamentable; pero que no se hable de bandas femeninas como Savages, de una calidad casi insuperable, me parece más lamentable aún. Da la impresión que por el mero hecho de no corresponderse con la imagen de "banda femenina" que la mayoría tienen en sus cabezas, no merece la pena. Que para que hablen de ti dentro del mundillo más indie has de tener una actitud más Haim, que hacen como más gracia y son "más girly" (y por ello sí han tenido portada en Nylon, NME, V Magazine, SPIN o Company, por mencionar algunos medios). 

Gracias Savages por demostrar que esto no ha de ser siempre así. Puede que no sean las primeras en este ámbito, pero sí son las más actuales y en alza. Ojalá con este segundo trabajo, "Adore Life", les llegue el tan merecido reconocimiento. 

 

A little opinion questioning why we don't hear and see more about bands like Savages in the media. As always, click on the "Translation" button on the sidebar. 

Thanks for reading and sharing!

Put your arms around me, fiddly digits, itchy britches... I love you all

This weekend I watched Frank, an Irish film directed by Lenny Abrahamson who shares the story of Frank a charismatic person who lives behind a big fake head and has a band, the Soronprfbs.

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a frustrated songwriter who joins the Soronprfbs, an experimental band with a very peculiar leader, Frank (Michael Fassbender). They go to Ireland for the recording of their first album, and there they have to solve some problems, as the hate that Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has for Jon. 

They finally record the album, and thanks to some videos that Jon has been posting on Youtube, they go to South by Southwest festival at Texas. There, they have more fights and something bad happens...

I must say that I've enjoyed the film so much, and the music is amazing. I couldn't imagine that Michael Fassbender has this amazing voice, and I would love that the Soronprfbs would have released that first album for real because it sounds amazing.

If you love music and artists like Daniel Johnston, you'll love and enjoy this film so much as I did.

 

Este fin de semana he visto la película "Frank", de Lenny Abrahamson; y todos deberíais de verla, porque además de divertida, cuenta una historia interesante de lo que puede ser el proyecto creativo de algunas bandas musicales.

Tomorrow Never Knows (about Krautrock & psychedelia)

The song "Tomorrow Never Knows" is one of the most revolutionary songs in music history. it marked a before and after in the career of The Beatles, and opened the closure of psychedelia and krautrock. It's a song that makes you travel in tenths of a second to faraway places, even other galaxies.

La canción "Tomorrow never knows" es una de las canciones más revolucionarias de toda la historia de la música. Marcó un antes y un después en la carrera de The Beatles, y abrió la veda de la psicodelia y del krautrock. Es una canción que te hace viajar en décimas de segundo a lugares lejanos, incluso a otras galaxias.

 Hat - H&M

Top - H&M (old)

Crystal stones' vest - Vintage (present from my friend Tina)

Skirt - Cache Cache (old)

Shoes - Mango

Necklace & skeleton hairpin - Kreepsville666 via Madame Chocolat

When I was a girl and spent summers with my father in Balsareny, he used to hear a lot of music that, unknowingly, marked my childhood and my life. Besides loving Leonard Cohen almost accidentally (with six year old I asked him to record a cassette of the man who sang to Mary Ann and he couln't believe it), I found many groups of krautrock, prog rock and psychedelia, as Tangerine Dream, Can, Brian Eno, Emerson, Like & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Supertramp (a group that also learned to love thanks to my mother). It's a genre that has also influenced much more current artists like Radiohead or my great music discovery so far this year, the Chilean Föllakzoid.

 
The truth is that it is a kind of ideal to lay in bed and dream music, letting go.

Cuando era pequeña y pasaba los veranos con mi padre en Balsareny, él solía escuchar mucha música que, sin saberlo, marcaría mi infancia y mi vida. Aparte de hacerme amar a Leonard Cohen casi sin querer (con seis años le pedí que me grabara un cassette del señor que le cantaba a Mary Ann y alucinó), me descubrió muchísimos grupos de krautrock, rock progresivo y psicodelia, como Tangerine Dream, Can, Brian Eno, Emerson, Like & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson o Supertramp (un grupo que también aprendí a adorar gracias a mi madre). Es un género que, además, ha influenciado mucho a artistas más actuales, como a Radiohead o mi gran descubrimiento de este año, los chilenos Föllakzoid.

La verdad es que es un tipo de música ideal para tumbarte en la cama y soñar, dejándote llevar.  

In other order of things, these days we had in Barcelona the visit of Mariko Suzuki, editor of the alternative fashion magazines Kera and Gothic & Lolita Bible in Japan. Last Thursday she came from Madrid, after having previously walked the Camino de Santiago from Porto; Arashi and I went to pick her up, having lunch and taking a walk around the city.

En otro orden de cosas, estos días hemos tenido en Barcelona la visita de Mariko Suzuki, editora de las revistas de moda alternativa Kera y Gothic & Lolita Bible en Japón. El pasado jueves llegó desde Madrid, tras previamente haber recorrido el Camino de Santiago desde Oporto; y Arashi y servidora fuimos a recogerla para comer con ella y dar un paseo por la ciudad.  

We had lunch at the French restaurant En Ville, which as you know is one of my favorites here in Barcelona ... a place you cannot miss if you come to town.

The truth is that it was a great day, and I loved meeting Mariko-san;I hope she also had fun with us!

Estuvimos almorzando en el restaurante francés En Ville, el cual ya sabéis es uno de mis favoritos aquí en Barcelona... un lugar que no os podéis perder si venís a la ciudad.

La verdad es que fue un día estupendo, y me encantó conocer a Mariko-san; ¡espero que ella también se divirtiera con nosotras!