After much begging, pleading, questioning of press credentials, and discussion of karma, the doorman at The Annex mercifully let me–and my hands, each of which was decorated with a massive “X”–into Friday’s “Sounds of Spain” showcase. I went in expecting to find mostly mediocre psychedelia and mumbly alt-rock (Spain’s genres of choice), and came out pleasantly surprised. I’d like to dedicate this post to that reluctant but accommodating door man; he was the only one to let me in anywhere on Friday. Join me after the jump for hot Spanish dudes and the unfortunate experience of being an actual 20-year-old college student at CMJ. MORE »
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Idolator Goes To Spain
CMJ Day Four: Idolator Goes Back To Spain, Gets Carded
Idolator Goes To Spain
The “Times” Stays Classy In Madrid
If you’re planning a trip to Madrid and feel as if my “box of wine* and a half-assed Google search” approach to the city’s music scene just isn’t cutting it, The New York Times has a nice writeup of Madrid’s jazz/funk/fusion scene that provides a more well-rounded (and better-funded) report. MORE »
Idolator Goes To Spain
Movida Madrileña Makes For Great YouTubing
In light of Clevertrousers’ comment earlier today, I thought it might be fun to take a look at what was going on in the Madrid music scene back during the Movida Madrileña, a cultural movement in the years directly following the death of Franco when Spanish people basically freaked the F out (i.e. lots of drugs, sex, and drag). At the forefront of this movement were people like Pedro Almodóvar (surprise surprise) and his singing parter Fanny McNamara, who possessed precious little musical talent, but more than made up for it with campy theatrics. These days Almodóvar y McNamara (as the duo was known) are good for two things: fodder for crusty Spanish art professors to wax poetic about the Movida (I’ve experienced this first hand), and YouTube videos. MORE »
Idolator Goes To Spain
¿Qué Tal Tu Móvil?: The 10-Second Songs That Are Ringing Spain’s Mobile Phones
Spanish mobile carrier Yoigo has posted a list of its most popular ringtone downloads in the Sala de Música section of its Web site, and not surprisingly, Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” is No. 1. Rihanna must have a killer European publicity team, because she has an almost God-like omnipresence on this continent. But the rest of the list is highlighted by Spanish and Latin American pop, including a Sevillan boy band and Spain’s particularly pathetic Eurovision entry. MORE »
Idolator Goes To Spain
Part 3: Dirty Folk Pop, Dudes From Toledo, And A Familiar Voice
I have yet to establish myself as a superguay member of the Madrid cultural elite, and thus I’m surely missing out on a lot of great music, but as an outsider looking into the Spanish music scene I mostly just see bands like this, which can best be described as “just like Los Planetas, but not as good.” However! There are definitely good things happening. You just have to ask the right person at the right time of day and click on just the right “related videos” on YouTube. MORE »
Idolator Goes To Spain
Part 2: Singalongs, Puppy-Filled Dreams, And “Passionate Kisses”
It’s been a minute since last I filed a music report from Madrid. I’d like to claim that it’s because I’ve been busy, but to be honest I’ve just been lazy and negligent, and for that I apologize. I still have a few albums waiting in my listening queue, but until I get around to them (soon! I swear!), here are a few miscellaneous bits of the Spanish music scene I’ve picked up by various means, most of which involving lots of cerveza and the wee hours of the night. MORE »
Idolator Goes To Spain
Part 1: Ambient Synths And Fedora-Wearing Dudes
It’s a bit too preoccupied with 1960s psychedelia (seriously, give it a rest), but the Spanish music scene is proving to be a relatively rich landscape of nice, solid indie rock*, as well as the occasional non-indie surprise. My music-gathering experience here has come almost entirely from people I meet in bars or other various social situations, and is therefore dependent on who I talk to, but I think I’m starting to get a handle on some of the finer points. Thanks to some obliging Spaniards, I’ve amassed a handful of bands to recommend, which I’ll be doing in a few installments so as not to overwhelm your delicate americano sensibilities (just kidding, most of what I’ve heard pretty much sounds like American indie rock except in Spanish). Here’s the first batch. MORE »
