Chin Yi – Sanguinem Mitto (2013)

Miga

La Gramola

Bandcamp

• Post-punk 
• Avant-punk 
• No Wave 
• Dance punk 
• Art punk 
• Electroclash 
• Electro-punk 
• Electronic 
• Alternative dance

Comment: this bunch of 6 tracks released by a Granda, Spain-based combo (Pablo Medina (guitar and voice), Vicente Jiménez (bass and guitar), Carlos Gimeno (drums) and Marta Corchs (synths) on Miga Label, and La Gramola Netlabel is a smooth drift between the raucous, insinuating spirit of Mark E Smith (especially at tracks like A Vissen, and Unus through the singing manner, voice timbre and more experimental, dissonant compositional approach), and a synth-punk and electroclash (indeed, the past being externalised through such combos as Searchers, Tuxedomoon, Devo and The Screamers which foresaw its future, and now both temporal categories on their respective sonorous appearances are organically crystallised at one and the same place). Paradoxically, it is great that MES`s spirit and legacy continues living through a thousands of ensembles though the Mancunian legend would certainly hate the cases of similarity based on The Fall. On the other side, all the aforementioned back then in the 70s went on uncompromisingly experimental and artsy rather than poppy and hedonistic. All that power and intriguing arrangements can be heard from within this whole. Very pro.

Gain – Entropia (2014)

La Gramola

Bandcamp

• Hard rock
• Alternative rock
• Post-grunge

Comment: the Catalan-based Gain`s third album Entropia is a clear-cut hard rock album in principle. Indeed, the group gushes out powerful energy, shows large muscles and reflects upon hidrotic skin. Beside obvious hard rock influences the listener may perceive some buried (post-) grunge draughts. Maybe Testigos del Abismo is managed in a way to get ornamented with some more obscure aspects (reminding a little of Sonic Youth-alike guitar alchemy here and there). There is also up Escapismo which incorporates some quadrangular patterns of math rock. A title, Kaksipäinen Varis is in Finnish. Is it about the former langlaufer Kaisa Varis and her affairs with the blacklisted medicaments? However, they used to sing in Catalan.     

Nult - Asil Liseli (2013)

La Gramola
Bandcamp

• Post-rock
• Alternative rock
• Chamber rock
• Experimental rock

Outstanding tracks:

Aire

Beauty

Lint
Cançó de Posta

Violeta Päivänkakkara - Kuu EP (2012)

La Gramola
Bandcamp

• Forest folk
• New Weird Finland
• Experimental folk
• Avant-folk
• Singer-songwriter
• Free folk
• Indie folk
• Freak folk
• Post-psychedelic electronica
• Dream folk
• Psychedelic folk
• Lo-fi
• DIY
• Weird folk
• Musique concrète
• Avant-garde
• Experimentalism
• Electro-acoustic
• Acousmatics

Outstanding tracks:

Sateenkaari

Nainen Tarina

Tuuli Ulvoo Yöllä

Arktinen Yötä

Violeta Päivänkakkara - Kuu (2012)

La Gramola

FMA

Bandcamp 

9.5

/Forest folk, New Weird Finland, New Weird Europe, Weird folk, Free folk, Singer-songwriter, Organic electronica, Alt-folk, Experimental folk/

Comment: VP is a Finnish artist whose music to this album can be considered a part of the famous Finnish forest folk scene. The listener can be sure an intriguing example related to the genre is played craftily out. She provides a handful of addictive, bucolic tracks which are arranged with the assistance of searching, harmony-coated clambering guitar chords, glockenspiel-alike touches, some slightly bleak keyboard lines, microscopic noises and more or less whispering vocal lines, however all of that is accompanied with concrete sounds and thin air plateaus surrounding it at any corner. Furthermore, possible "faults" which might be found out from within the whole seem to be so affective, organic and concept-related thereby demonstating themselves like the strength on it. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Paavoharju, and Keijo (Virtanen), Lau Nau and Islaja. Simply glorious.

Kyoto - Lo que vuelve para vengarse (2010)

La Gramola
Bandcamp

9.4

/Shoegaze, Progressive rock, Art rock, Alternative rock, Experimental indie, Space pop, Psychedelia, Post-rock, Avant-rock/

Comment: Kyoto, a Zaragoza, Spain-based collective pushes off with dizzy cosmic and shoegaze fused guitars-drums-keyboards. A truly eargasmic moment by any means. The following pieces used to continue with the controlled dizziness, more concretely, rocking off with acidic keyboards and intriguing female timbres and singing in Spanish reminding a little of Electrelane. The ditties are characterized by lush textures and murky melodies, spatial gliding and suggestive harmonies. Or endlessly longing interludes like Hasta La Eternidad headed by harmonica-induced motives and drifting ambiances around it. A fabulous issue indeed. In a word, it is our progressive rock, a qualitative next step after Pink Floyd.

Nureyev- La Leyenda Del Esquimal (2012)

La Gramola

9.0

/Indie rock, Alternative pop/rock, Psychedelic rock/

Comment: a handful of chirpy pop songs sung in Spanish. Catchy harmonies and hooks which have been managed to get a slightly psychedelic touch due to sonorous keyboard/organ sounds, and intense guitar treatment. On the other side, it includes a little bombastic and artificial segments either. You can perceive some similarities with such artists as My Morning Jacket, and The Band Of Horses. However, the opening notch William C is a killer, obviously the best piece I have experienced during the year of 2012 so far.