Author: bolachas

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Milhões de Festa 2012 preview: day 1

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.

(For this article and the following, I’ll review the Taina Stage and the swimming-pool concerts separately, unlike both Milhões and VICE stages, since there’s no overlap and they occur continuously)

Equations © Amílcar Rodrigues

Swimming-Pool Stage

My advice: go early to the swimming pool if you feel like enjoying a swim. And I’m not saying this because of the number of people the pool will have by the peak of the afternoon, but due to a lot of fucking great partying concerts (“a lot”, they’re just four actually). Starting with Jibóia, Óscar Silva’s one-man-show project, consisting of crawling rhythms and guitar-riffs who bite, since its name means “boa constrictor” in Portuguese. Expect great reveries and crazy stuff. Ten points for Slytherin.

The next band is math-rockers Equations – oh come on, I’ve got already a bad fame for lame puns -, and expect nothing but amazing things happening right here. If you were one of the fifteen people who went to see them at the Lovers’ Stage last year you know what I’m talking about: nudity. This year, with the first record released, with an always ready-to-party swimming pool and well, even less clothes, I hate this word but it’s going to be epic. PS: there’s nothing wrong with the frontman’s voice.

ALTO! They’re next and ready to rumble. Also bringing a new album this year (critically acclaimed, nothing special) this band knows their shit and won’t have a problem playing loud and clear. Don’t judge the “Made in Barcelos” tag, it would be a perfectly good band to play at a later hour, showing that this year the swimming pool isn’t just a spot for chillin’.

Way to ruin my speech now with the last name playing here, Lovers & Lollypops Soundsystem everybody. And yes, it’s that good bad. Don’t even expect to hear the most foolish sounds from the turntables of the three big bosses of Portuguese music scene, and have a great DJ set by 5:30 pm, because it makes even more sense that in somewhere else night club by three am. Play The Smiths and Scooter, please be there, it’s not worth it.

New Kind of Mambo @Termómetro 2012 © Musicómetro

Taina Stage

First name of the stage who’s going to compete with the swimming pool is Tren Go! Soundsystem, also a one-man-show who relies exclusively in an electric guitar and pedals. It gets noisy, for sure, with a little help from a loop station. This should be interesting, it’s a similar project to Jibóia and they both start by the same time, make your choices!

Ready for a New Kind of Mambo? Time for the blues-rock to make a hearing in Milhões, in form of a duo, boy and girl, guitar and drums respectively. Yeah, recently it’s been a cliché this format of a band, but the thing is that it works. Go shake a leg with them.

Here’s the first glimpse of metal of the day, it’s Burning Man. Clearly these kids have the school of slugde, and a know-how that translates in very interesting rhythm notations. Metal fans won’t miss this, and maybe the people who already got to see Alto! before.

To enclosure this panoply of sounds that is Taina Stage, Savanna. And the word “panoply” also fits in Savanna’s music, which takes a little of progressive rock sometimes (the keyboards do the resemble), hard rock, sometimes even metal. Sure it is refreshing, and the one name that’s inexcusable for you to not check at Taina this day, even at a nice time.

BARONESS.

Main Stages

Opening the Milhões Stage we have La La La Ressonance, and what a formidable band. I guess it’s correct to call them a veteran band, since they have three albums out and their music is pretty mature when compared with most bands on the lineup. The jazz vibe is indissoluble from their sound, but for sure way more electric and straightforward

Second metal band of the day, Löbo, doom-metal from Setúbal, Portugal. What’s to expect? In first, a little help from RA, Rei Abutre, in the electronics; then, a sluggish and loud guitar persisting; and all of a sudden, the exploding moment where the tension is unleashed and shit, you’re scared as hell. It’ll be fun!

What to say about Sensible Soccers? Great name for a band, penetrating ambience as hell, without forgetting some cool bass and guitar work. Seriously, this gets astonishing. Plus: when you have two Macs, why do you need a drum set for? Chillin’. I’m absolutely sure this will work so much at Milhões. Just charge the sound a lot, please.

This is it, bearded fellas and mustached girls: Baroness. The big name of the day, and the first foreign band to play, uncanny (and I’m not considering League foreign). And all I can think about right now is… it will fuckin’ rock. Fuck subgenres, fuck cheap talk, and hopefully fuck this last album too (I haven’t heard it, but trusting other people’s words it’s a letdown).  Also fuck the “metal fan exclusively”, this is for everyone. Bring it!

The second foreign band is Holy Other, adding electronic to the mixture. I guess they go fish a little bit of R ‘n’B, reminding me trip hop at times, although nothing to do with? Witch house so it seems. It’s the kinda thing to work just right or simply making people uninterested, and to make their task even more difficult the following band is…

…Throes + The Shine! Well actually it’s not a band but two bands, Throes do rock and The Shine are a kuduro act. Glue them together and you have rockuduro, and honestly one of the most interesting projects born in Portugal in the last couple of years. How to describe it? It’s really fucking danceable, you get to feel the intensity of a rock concert and express it in some moves, like in a Buraka Som Sistema concert (reference to the readers unaware of the kuduro genre). And The Shine duo are great MCs as well, it’s so much fun. It will be, I assure you.

Throes + The Shine (batida)

To finish the night, dj sets from Meneo and Glam Slam Dance. Announcing them just like this, because by the hour they occur I won’t be very judicious, but let’s see if they surprise me.

Other bands to check: Youthless and League.

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bernardo@bolachas.org

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This is one of the most beautiful albums I ever released since I started Cakes and Tapes two years ago. After months of waiting, it’s finally out and I want everyone to listen to this so bad that I’m going to lose my mind and do a GIVEAWAY!!1

To enter to win a free Meridians cassette, you need to be a Tumblr user. Just reblog this post and you’re entitled to win a free tape; I’ll assign your usernames to numbers and then have random.org pick a number.

To enter to win a free Meridians digital album, just comment on this post, the same procedure will ensue. We’ll announce the winners next Sunday! Scroll down to listen to the full album. Good luck!

aêLegends earned a free cassette and Michael P. got a free download. Contact admin@bolachas.org to get your prizes.

DSS

Meridians is Julie Napolin (Citay) and Trevor Healy (Cakes of Light). Their open-form ballads are alternately driving and hypnotic, exploring the overtones, dissonances, and consonances created by voice, electronics, and guitars. Julie currently plays solo under the Meridians moniker, performing live with tape drones and guitarists such as David First (Notekillers) and Tom Carter (Charalambides).

The unreleased tracks in the Meridians self-titled LP set were co-written and recorded in 2008-2009 by Julie and Trevor. It was recorded with Tim Green (The Fucking Champs/Nation of Ulysses) in San Francisco. There are echoes of British folk, minimalism and the more cinematic strains of krautrock as the two combine intricate electric and 12-string guitar melodies over pulsing loops of flute, violin, found objects and oscillators.

<a href=“http://cakesandtapes.bandcamp.com/album/meridians” data-mce-href=“http://cakesandtapes.bandcamp.com/album/meridians”>Meridians by Meridians</a>

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Milhões de Festa 2012 preview: novelties & day 0

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.

For instance, say goodbye to the Lovers and Lollypops stage, that attempt at a beach party by the river Cávado, ruined by the Super Bock Super Rock 2011 sandstorm trauma of many festival-goers. And say hello to Taina stage, which might be… kind of like it. Ok, I can’t assure you it is occurring at the same place, but it has some similarities: everybody can attend its concerts – it’s free – and it will take place by the afternoon, as an alternative to the swimming pool concerts (don’t you worry, they’re back and better than ever). The main difference besides one we’ll talk later in this article is, and I suppose, the direction it will take this year. The website of the festival suggests you to bring the pick-nick towel and to sit and chill with your friends, instead of the rocking fest it took place last year. We’ll see.

As for the rest of the stages, they’re staying the same (oh, sorry, SWR Barroselas stage also dropped out, which is unfortunate, putting a stage by the other side of the river wasn’t the best option), remember them: Milhões stage and Vice stage, with concerts alternating between the two stages at the Ribeirinha zone (yeah, no overlaps); the swimming pool stage, one of the greatest (don’t judge its size), and also the two new ones, Patuscada and Red Bull City Gang.

This year there are concerts on the campers’ reception day, or day zero as people usually call it. And music coming from the streets, not the ones usually listened at the bars of Barcelos. Starting with the Red Bull City Gang.

Red Bull City Gang isn’t properly a stage, but many of ‘em. During the afternoon, when the campers are still arriving and putting up their tents, Barcelos will witness some cool bands rocking by the market and other traditional shops:

– The Glockenwise, shitless rockers and resident band (connotatively and denotatively speaking) will play at 4:30 pm by the Mercado Municipal de Barcelos, which means municipal market in Portuguese. It’s on Barreta Street;

– At 5:30 pm, it’s about time Käil brings down Casa Meira with their full-powered electronics. For those who’re wondering, Casa Meira is a hardware store, at Barjona de Freitas Street, number 19;

– An hour later, Aspen’s multifaceted stoner-doom rock will color Largo do Apoio’s esplanade with a Brazilian accent. It’s at Largo do Apoio, doh, which means Apoio’s Square, you can’t miss it;

– And ending this Red Bull City Gang, Cálculo! Because a Whitney wayfarer-glassed MC is a new standard for SWAG. Casa Lurdes already trembles, and that’s not very cool since it’s a clay handicraft store. Go check it for yourself at Fernão de Magalhães Street, number 26, 7:30 pm.

This is really what you need to know a priori, because Bolachas’ schedules will be gladly back, so keep in mind these. They’re also free concerts, if you haven’t guessed yet. And thank you a lot Google Maps.

Or you can also print this, if you’re really unmindful.

By the end of these you should feel your stomach asking for food, and maybe something else, so what to do? Taina Stage is the answer!

“Patuscada”/“taina” means something like foodspree in portuguese, it’s a big meal of the day where you kinda forgets manners and eat a lot, all with heavy drinking too, a big party all in all. For the menu, you’ll have codfish slices, pork sideburns, roasted chicken, grilled sardines… all this with bread, you choose. Even if you’re vegetarian (or someone who takes care of his/her health), tofu burgers and peppers are also on the menu.

As for the musical menu – and don’t forget to consult the incoming Bolachas schedule for the shows’ times – you’ll have Pedro Santos opening and closing the stage as a dj, as also some girl named ANA (Objection! It’s João Alves Marrucho, a male Porto based electronic producer) before his second turn. As for bands, The Glockenwise shall rock again, don’t worry, late people. The other two bands in charge of making music for the patuscada are Johnny Sem Dente, not-too-serious band but a serious rock ‘n’roll band, and the most attractive act of the day, GNOD.

I hope I’ll be drunk/whatever as hell for this one (easy, they’re good!), because their sound just asks for this. Heavy bass guitar loading just enough, with a somewhat danceable drummer beat, and the singer’s voice effects with electronics to go along, that’s the main course for dinner. If you ask me, it’s a perfect sound who allies the metal crowd with the typically hipster taste, so this should be great. InGnodWeTrust!

And that’s what’s the festival got to offer. But that’s not all Barcelos has to offer, oh no. And if you really want to know what’s to offer, well, just go to Milhões de Festa! Because everything’s better in Northern Portugal. Stay close for the analysis of the line-up in the next few days.

PS: Looks like there’s about to happen a MP3 Battle during the festival, you just bring your little shitty mp3 player, get yourself a pair and compete with others. I don’t know much about it besides this, but looks like something I would totally join. And what about some Homem Fino (something like “Draught Beer Man” in Portuguese) playing god knows where? And bands playing while the crowd’s waiting in line to pick their tickets and bracelets? Surprises, little charming surprises. That’s one of the beauties of Milhões.

PS2: The tickets will increase price by 13th July at 11:59 pm, so what are you waiting for?


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▼ bernardo@bolachas.org

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Remembering Optimus Primavera Sound 2012: a month later and day 4

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?

 

Yep, I was one of the lucky ones who got a ticket for Olivia Tremor Control and Jeff Mangum at Casa da Música. (Actually forget luck, I went earlier to the festival site, waiting in the line for those golden tickets who assured entrance to these shows. Took me about 2 hours for one of it to be in my hands, but people by the same place in line as me even managed to get it faster, due to the fact that there was the waiting line to get in the festival and then the actual line for the tickets, and by the entrance the inspection was divided by gender and the girls were quicker and ok fuck that, I got it and you didn’t, moving on)

By the reaction of the crowd, it seemed that the Olivia Tremor Control concert was being amusing. Well it wasn’t. It wasn’t just that. It was, also, incredible.

Six musicians – only the drummer, I think, played the same instrument all along – who knew their shit, some of them very talented. And by “some of them” I mean the bassist. When he wasn’t the violinist. Or when he wasn’t the oboe player (oboist sounds awful but so it is). Also, he looks a lot like with me, which explains all the delighted chicks on the crowd. And that is the last time I’ll go personal, sorry again for that.








I’m the blue one.

By this point everybody can assume this was intense. And sure you’re right, OTC playing song after song with little or no interval in between. All great songs, very characterized with that Beach Boys vibe, thank you all for singing (musicians!), but also fearless in experimentation and tripping balls. Yes, I’m talking to you, Mike Love. Pussy.

Many thanks to Rita, a strong lassie on fights for setlists

This noisy and carried away part got a lot intense by the middle of the concert, approximately, much like in their acclaimed last work, Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1, back in the days. And also lots of songs from this one (setlist above), for example “Hideaway”, making me shake my head like it was a dog’s tail who just saw his owner arriving home, or “I Have Been Floated”, ear friendly chorus and IS THAT JEFF MANGUM? Oh yeah, just before the 2nd chorus, there he was, the former member of OTC, joining them on stage, for the rejoice of the fullpacked crowd of Mangum’s fans.

Few more headshaking moments and then realizing the concert was about to finish, in little more than 60 minutes I think, wasn’t paying attention as you’d imagine. And what can I say? Well, let me put into this: if I had gone to this as a hardcore fan of the band, this right here would be the best concert of Primavera 2012. But now I’m becoming one of those nuts, I’m converted. As if the beauty of discovering and enjoying unheard bands by attending clueless one of their shows wasn’t enough. Loved it.

 

© http://www.blipfoto.com/heybeans

So, what about Neutral Milk Hotel? Jeff Mangum, whatever. This one was special, as you might have guessed, due to popular demand, he had to play another concert by four o’clock for those who couldn’t make it to the evening show. Hardcore fans attending those two didn’t regret it for sure. I also heard that the afternoon one missed to “sold” out, which is a shame. As I already mentioned, the venue was fullpacked, opening seats for the orchestra countertop in the back of the stage and also in the balconies.

Uff, so much I could talk about. In fact, fuck it, I’ll just stay short in words. There’s no way I could add anything more to the satisfaction of the fans, it was a dream who came true to a lot of those people, checking their indie idol just three feet away. Oh yeah, Jeff sent a big “fuck you” to Casa da Música and invited the people to get up and go to up front and some even sat on the stage by his side. Screw you, benches (no pun intended). Can you already imagine all the fans hysteria? (PS: Olivia Tremor Control also deserved this, you people)

As for the non-fans, which were not a few I risk to say, me in part included… I’m quite bipolar to Jeff Mangum songs, some I think are marvelous, others crap, others just fun. But in the end? Most his set was composed of songs from the first batch. It was pretty good, indeed. I caught myself singing to some songs (Jeff allowed us to sing along some tunes, don’t beat me) and even the ones I definitely don’t like were cool. Totally worth it. Thank you very much for “Naomi” and a handful of other greats, man. Go die in peace, Mangum’s people (compliment).

So is this how it ends?

Credits to: Hugo Lima

Kindness © Hugo Lima, Optimus Primavera Sound

No funking way! Bad joke aside, there I was, moving from Casa da Música to Hard Club to check Kindness, with, I can almost swear, the other only 3 people who did this. While it sounds like no one cared about this option for the last day of festival, I’m just going to say that it was actually worse than Jeff, in terms of space to move. Seriously, I had never seen Hard Club’s Room 1 so full, and it’s the Porto venue I most visited. And there’s an easy explanation, which we concluded soon we got there: since the shows were free and the ticket to them was obtained right there, all the foreign people who couldn’t attend Mangum’s shows or even couldn’t care less showed up. And thank you, it was a blast. Kindness are still young as a band, but their ways to make you groove are way back to the days, and their final product isn’t quite antiquated. A charismatic frontman, which best job is to go through the crowd with a tambourine from the stage to the exit door, only noticeable when he’s meters from you (seriously, mindfuck of the day, he’s tall and long haired, how come he just shows up when he’s already in front of you?!), two hot chicks doing choirs and even assuming the lead sometimes, sweet bass, sweet guitar, sweet keys and holy shit the drummer! What an animal. Completely stole the show. 

Their two top hits “Gee Up” and “That’s Alright” didn’t miss, of course, and even came back in the encore. That was the worst think I can remember from the show, but nevermind, got a chance to see that drummer do a solo and, fuck this, destroying the set with a little help from the leader. And that’s how you close the best urban festival to take place in Portugal. It will be a hard year mssng Primavera.

© Hugo Lima, Optimus Primavera Sound

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bernardo@bolachas.org

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Metacomet, “You Run Too”

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.

<a href=“http://metacomet.bandcamp.com/album/you-run-too-2” data-mce-href=“http://metacomet.bandcamp.com/album/you-run-too-2”>You Run Too by METACOMET</a>

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/