November 26, 2012

They Only Have To Hold The (Koda)Line



You may have seen Kodaline's All I Want on YouTube. Almost a quarter of a million people have. Not exactly Gangnam Style statistics, but still, pretty impressive for a debut single. It's the lead track from the Dublin quartet's EP and the video is a real tear-jerker, a beauty-and-the-beast melodrama with a happy ending (don't be rude). On first listen, Bon Iver came to mind, as All I Want is filled with beautiful harmonies and melancholy lyrics of lost love and heartache. The video will definitely tug at your heartstrings and captures the essence of the songs so perfectly. If you don't cry or at least get misty-eyed watching it, you're dead inside. You're a hollowed out husk of a human being. You're probably not even a human being. Watch, weep, re-watch. 

With an album due out early next year, these boys could be set for a very big 2013. We're gonna hear a lot more from this band. You'll see!







November 19, 2012

Youth


The one thing we all undergo at some point or another is a childhood. And after that, every belt-notch year leading up to a fully-realized adulthood. As an adult, we often think of nothing but our youth; what we did right or wrong, or might have done differently. In youth, we didn't cherish time as we do now because we had no concept of it. This is a trope deeply imbedded in humanity and a facet of the human condition. Many an author has written a novel or poem about it. And many a musician, as well, has written a song about it. Here you have a list of those songs in your music library.





November 2, 2012

Loads Of Love (LOL)

Most of you are always asking me for Spanish indie bands. Today is the day. You already know that I tend to listen more music in English, not in my language. So consider this an isolated "incident". TBH, here's a post I should have done ages ago but it took seeing this band live to kick my arse into the gear and write this article. BTW, great gig in the very best company! :))))


In addition, this band has recently released an eye-catching video (I can hardly describe or qualify it). So there's no excuse for not introducing you these guys with such a suggestive name: Love Of Lesbian. Those who have Googled "hot lesbian blondes having fun" can already leave this website. Sorry to disappoint you, dudes.

Si Tú Me Dices Ven  is a well-known anthem by Los Panchos, a Latin pop trio famous for its romantic ballads and boleros. Ok, as you can imagine, it's not my cuppa. Nevertheless, this is a tune with a great tradition in my country. The last word, <ven>, is pronounced as  <Ben>. So that explain the funny title of the song by the Spaniards: Si Tú me Dices Ven, Yo Digo Affleck. There are several more examples of word-plays on their track titles (you know how I love these phonetic mix-ups!), such as Houston, We've Got A Poem or Te Hiero Mucho -I Hurt You A Lot- (instead of "Te Quiero Mucho", -I Love You A Lot-). [Ouch, buddies. Dunno if it all makes sense since puns are not the same in different languages translation.]

Aiight, let's go with the video!

NB:
Tortilla = Spanish omelette. 
Tortillera = Spanish slang for lesbian, mainly used in a disparaging way.


There is an irrefutable fact: The pleasure of eating certain foods. Some of them even wake up our most primary instincts. That's exactly what happens when two of the characters featured in the clip wolf down a very special Spanish omelette. Dildo hats cornering a girl against a wall, a hand with raised two fingers appearing from a man with super hairy pelvis and parents suffocating their son for being gay, are just some of the symbols associated with homosexuality that you'll find in the following short movie.




The band has been together since 1997 and after three English-language albums, they decided to sing in Spanish (other similar outfits from the same area in the country, like Sidonie, did the same when realised that achieving some mainstream success abroad was not as easy as it might seem). But still and all, Love Of Lesbian reached their commercial peak in this first stage supporting great band names such as The Cure (in 2000) and making a tribute compilation to Echo & The Bunnymen covering Ocean Rain (pay attention to it by clicking the button below).



But, without hesitation, the most remarkable thing about this group is the brilliance of their art visuals from their previous long player, always starring the same couple. We'll become witnesses to their love story: since they get to work out their infatuation during a rock concert till the moment in which love between them is grown stale. Beautiful, innit? This is only a small sample of what I'm talking about:


Club De Fans De John Boy


Allí Donde Solíamos Gritar



Segundo Asalto


For those eager to find out more stuff like this, click on the Spotify icon.