It’s a constant and uplifting surprise that (still!) there are new corners it’s possible to shine an inquisitive torch upon and discover whole new areas of the Pop Basement you imagined you’d pretty much got the measure of after all these years. Finally you think your jaded ears have just about heard it all, you find another niche to poke around in…
One of my closest friends, whose blushes I’ll spare (he knows who he is…), has tried to convince me that “early Elton John” or “early Genesis” are bone-fide labels that we can attach some credibility to. Obviously, this is not the niche I’m referring to, and obviously I’m not having any of this, despite his sober assurances that it really is a “Thing”…
This, on the other hand, is most definitely a “Thing”
Spanish Post Punk
Having written about Melenas almost six weeks ago (I know… I can only apologise…), Pamplona’s finest have recently posted a new track and video which I found out about at Raven Sings the Blues. It’s rather wonderful…
It’s got a proper post punk root to it, with full on skipping, looping bassline, but it definitely has a Melenas heart to it. I’m a loon for the goofy, dumb keyboard breaks and the increasingly chaotic electronic details that gradually impose themselves. I’m also charmed by the youthful goofing around in the studio…
“Osa Polar” means “polar bear” and it’s a cover of 1979 “classic” “Eisbaer” by Swiss band Grauzone. I’m sure you were all over Swiss electronic bands in the seventies but, full disclosure, shops selling Euro-punk were not common in eighties Gloucester, and I have until this point remained completely unaware of this track. I can’t imagine there wasn’t a Peel session but it must have coincided with some long-overdue English essay for this kid…
It’s quite a chilly belter itself, stripped entirely of the warmth of the Melenas cover:
Actually, this really does have a school-night, Peel-show-under-the-blankets feel to it which brings to mind those Cabs records I was eulogising a few posts back.
All of which also reminds me of a record I have my eye on that I saw on Bandcamp. The Swiss label Bongo Joe have a bewildering selection of fascinating crate-dug treasures, relicensed and repackaged which opens up a whole new vista on a European music style which is indeed a “Thing”:
This is the opening track of the La Contra Ola collection that Bongo Joe have put together, which is sounding like a great listen, full of icy metallic beats, jarring dissonance and hearty paranoia.
Esplendor Geométrico are apparently still around, and… go on… seeing as you asked… here’s a little video about them which will fill in the gaps somewhat:
Many worthy pieces have been written about the desperate state of Thatcher’s grey, sullen Britain and its effect on the punk, post-punk and synth scene in the UK, but I would imagine at least as much again could have been said about eighties Spain bearing in mind that Franco’s (actual fascist) dictatorship survived until his death in 1975, and that there was a very real coup attempt in 1980 by his supporters. The paranoia thing must have been all too tangible.
Always good to hear…
Here’s a clip of two songs by one of the bands featured on La Contra Ola called Los Zombies which it would be fair to say would be from the more poppy end of the movement but which is nonetheless, lots of fun. While the second track does seem to be having a bit of bash at cold war themes of isolation and fascism, the first song covers the classic garage punk territory of not getting any.
And what’s not to like about serious bands performing on kid’s shows?
Partly Porpoise 