The Sea, Cakes and Tapes. New album Runner out next September 18 on Thrill Jockey (not on tape, though). Judging it by this preview, sounds like it will be more exciting than the latest kinda boring three albums. Mssng Nassau.
DSS
Where it all starts. And for me, the day started a little bit rough, I’d slept only a few hours and woke up dripping wet with sweat, because hell, the sun was already strong as if it were mid afternoon, although it nearly was 10:30 pm. But at least I made it in time for the first concert, right?
‘Tá maluca né?
It’s over, Milhões de Festa 2012 is already past. From now on I’ll spend the days missing all the fun in the last weekend (I’ve already done all the sleeping I didn’t during the festival, so that’s what’s really left). And by “fun” I mean the concerts all the crazy stuff you did so you can brag to your friends at some coffee’s esplanade. This article here won’t have more than a few shows of 19th July, differences to the past editions, novelties, complains, praises, histories, et cetera. Yes, you’re still reading Bolachas.org, not VICE. Let’s do a list! Mssng Milhões de Festa.
River Cávado
Aff, last day of the festival, it’s always an awkward feeling, knowing that these days only will be back in a year. But what is this, I’m already missing Milhões de Festa when it hasn’t even started? No can do. And there’s a lot going on on Sunday, so save the whining for Monday morning. Off we go.
Moon Duo
To make up for the lack of Milhões de Festa greatness for me this year, Sun Airway just saved my summer through this song. Sure, it has nothing on it that hasn’t been done by acts like Twin Shadow in the last couple of years (seriously, look at this banner and then remember Forget’s cover art) but could we say no to a great, catchy song with a big chorus? Soft Fall is out next October 2nd through Dead Oceans and I seriously hope it’s better than Confess.
DSS
Our sound snippet for the day comes from Port St. Willow, a project of one Nick Principe. If you google his name, you are as likely to come across “childhood friend of that dude from The Antlers” as you are to find “frontman of Port St. Willow”. There’s a reason critics keep pointing out the connection with the Antlers frontman though. Childhood friends, it turns out, sometimes share magical musical bonds. And in this case: if you like one, you’ll probably like the other.
EAK
Ah, the middle day of the festival, always the most intense. And if in the day before the lineup lacked international projects, this day makes up for that. I’m really waiting to be surprised by a lot of shows, so should you. Let’s see.
Bro-X’s album cover. Graphic.
Swimming Pool Stage
Hey look, it’s GNOD again. I’ve already said some words about this for Thursday at day zero, so I won’t bother you much. Just pointing out that the conditions will be very different, as it’s the beginning of the afternoon at the swimming-pool versus a midnight show, let’s see how this second show (and not the last, you wait) manages to please the audience.
Next is Revengeance. Ready for feedback, quick tempo and screaming? It’s grindcore, bitches. Really can’t be more succinct.
Seriously man? Bro-X? Jeez. This is hilarious. Mixing hip hop with nintendocore (whatever that means), these guys don’t have a problem with honest lyrics, so to speak. This will be surreal. Please hear the song at the end of this article if you haven’t done so.
Another two-bands-become-one project: Moullinex + Xinobi, alter-egos of Luís Clara Gomes and Bruno Cardoso, respectively. I’m hoping, as usual in this type of collabs, that the result will be even better than just the sum of both DJs beats, and in fact creating something new and vibrant. It will work, I’m sure.
Who’s Da Chick? I don’t know, Rihanna, but she sure sounds like a funny gal. Singing over some funky beats, this is party music. Also, it says “Live Act” on the line-up, will she have a real band supporting her? Doesn’t matter, we’ll still dance to it.
Unicornibot and aluminium paper
Taina Stage
An appealing day in Taina Stage. To start, Jorge Coelho, ex-guitar player of Zen and other cool older Portuguese bands from the 90s. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what kind of things he does solo, but he was a hell of a guitar player. He still is. Should be interesting.
But the great name to highlight here is Unicornibot. Demented stuff, guys with aluminium paper on their heads doing crazy guitar riffs, when they don’t freak out at all and start doing pure noise. Sure, it’s an act, but they also sound great. These Galician guys are a must see.
Also check: Hunted Scriptum and Was an Outsider
El Perro del Mar (Sarah Assbring)
Main Stages
Milhões Stage will start rocking soon, with Blues Pills. Heavy blues-rock (as the name hints), with a Janis-Joplinesque vocalist. Yes, sounds exciting. People, do an effort and go early see this.
Because one of the main acts of the MdF lineup isn’t really playing that late as usual on festivals as well. I’m talking about El Perro del Mar, Sarah Assbring’s indie pop project. And what’s to expect? New songs, from the forthcoming album Pale Fire! The older tunes won’t be left behind, I’m sure, you’ll get to be happy singing and shaking your little heads.
If this was 2007, Prinzhorn Dance School would be really well received [via hype]. Meanwhile, they took a long time releasing another record. It’s out by now, but hadn’t a chance to hear it. And what, who cares about the hype? It’s minimal, raw, but also not for pussies, this Tobin Prinz and Suzi Horn’s kind of post-punk. 2007 wasn’t a lot time ago and it still sounds fresh.
Connan Mockasin will probably give one of the best concerts of Milhões. This New Zealander psych pop crafted by Connan Hosford gives a sample of the exotic sound MdF has to give, as comparison to Secret Chiefs 3 last year, I’d say. Let’s ride on a trip? (Translation: got drugs?)
But yeah, the big metal act of the day is missing! Make way for Weedeater then. Powerful stuff. Death growls on a effect loaded micro has got to be badass. Plus slugdy metal to go along. Yep, dirty thing.
Keeping up with the comparisons, I’ve got a feeling that this Publicist concert will happen in the middle of the crowd, as example of Monotonix and Lobster performances in previous years. Ok, maybe not, as this isn’t really rock music but a solitary musician who controls it all with a simple drum set and few pedals, effects and a auto-tuned/phased micro are there too. You’ll be there as well.
Other bands to check: Lüger, Gala Drop, Ghunagangh, XxXy (really), Hoy! (I’d love to talk about some bands in here as well, but the time is ticking and you should have an opportunity to read this at least a day before the first day of Milhões de Festa. Enjoy the music)
▼ BSC ▼
bernardo@bolachas.org
Diamond Rugs is John McCauley (Deer Tick), Robbie Crowell (Deer Tick), Ian Saint Pe (Black Lips), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate) and Bryan Dufresne (Six Finger Satellite). You didn’t even need to listen to a single song to like them already, right? Diamond Rugs is out now on the amazing Partisan Records and they’ve just recently played this song on Letterman. Watch the performance below.
DSS
We teamed up with P3 again to give you the nicest looking printable timetables to 2012’s Portuguese summer festivals. Coming up next is Milhões de Festa, from July 19 to 22 in Barcelos. Click above to download + print it!
NOTE: The concerts on the two main stages probably won’t overlap, please ignore that small visual mistake.
Now it’s time to check out the bands performing on 20th July, first day of Milhões de Festa. In overall, looks like the day with the most Portuguese bands performing, but that doesn’t mean there’s not quality here with Baroness being absolute headliners, to the joy of many metalheads and others.
The new logo, as this is the 5th edition of the festival.
Hard to believe a year has passed since we all last visited Barcelos, such a lovely northern town. The reason? Milhões de Festa. The mythical festival where it’s kinda hard not to fall in love with everything it offers. And it’s back this year! Happening next 19th to 22nd July in Barcelos by the riverside of the Cávado river. But there are some novelties to it.
Ah, Optimus Primavera Sound. It’s been already a month. From now on it will be way slower the time passing by to the next edition, already confirmed to take place at the simply perfect Parque da Cidade, Porto, from May 30th to June 2nd. Really hard to wait, you say? Don’t you worry, it looks like the Autumn version of the festival, the Primavera Club will also take place in Portugal this year! Take note: November 30th through December 2nd in Guimarães, European Capital of Culture in 2012. How cool is that?
Moving on, if you haven’t been to Primavera but wanted to know all that happened, you realized that there aren’t many reviews from the last day. Not hard to figure why: venues with limited space, a lot of people who left Porto earlier and so on. As for Bolachas?
Four new spacey, dreamy jams by the Bay Area trio Metacomet, mastered by master James Plotkin (OLD/Khanate). Free download available, but the crushing closing track ”Innerfaces” alone justifies the couple of dollars you could donate.
If you’re in the Bay Area next Saturday, Metacomet are playing on the Meridians album release (tomorrow on Cakes and Tapes!) show. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/251741008275407/
We teamed up with P3 again to give you the nicest looking printable timetables to 2012’s Portuguese summer festivals. Coming up next is Optimus Alive, from July 13 to 15 in Oeiras (right next to Lisbon).
Headliners include Radiohead, Stone Roses and The Cure, with some smaller (well, not small at all!) bands like Mazzy Star, The Antlers, Refused, Tricky, Metronomy, Death in Vegas or Caribou also taking part of the festival. See the full lineup here and click the title of this post to download and print your timetable. See you there!
