Welcome to the ramblings of a man who really should have grown out of listening to "that sort of music" a long, long time ago...A place to share thoughts and photographs on music and related paraphernalia.
Showing posts with label Las Aspiradoras. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Aspiradoras. Show all posts
Podcover - Hipsville Go-Go Girls Photographed by Zig Criscuolo
Retrosonic Podcast Episode 28 "The Easiest Person To Fool Is Yourself" is out now on Soundcloud & iTunes. In a decidedly non-retro Retrosonic episode we take a look at some of the new music that's found it's way to the Retro Man Blog over the past few months. We've got a great Hammond organ instrumental intro from French trio Gerry Bright & The Stokers, a song from Joss Cope's debut solo album and the opening track from The Galileo 7's forthcoming album "Tear Your Minds Wide Open". King Salami & The Cumberland 3 give us the great "Pineapple Mama" and we pick a song from Oh! Gunquit's excellent "Lightning Likes Me" LP. The Jack Cades are a kind of Garage Rock 'supergroup' featuring members of The Baron Four, Missing Souls, The Masonics and The Embrooks and there's a song from their "Music For Children" album. Talking of The Embrooks, they were on the bill at our recent sold-out reunion shows for The SolarFlares and there's one of the highlights of their set, the current single "Nightmare". Also on the bill were King Mojo who went down a storm and there's a song from their debut album too. Parsley from The SolarFlares also plays Hammond in The Mynd Set who have a new E.P. out now and we choose one side of a superb new 7" single from Jetstream Pony. Glenn Prangnell's Groovy Uncle have just released arguably their best album so far and we state the case with a great song featuring Suzi Chunk on vocals. We play the new split single in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust featuring cover versions of two Jam classics given a French twist by Popincourt & French Boutik and there's a track from The Kite Collectors new album "Shockerwick 135". Another superb night at Weirdsville introduced us to The No-Things from Edinburgh and the Spanish band Las Aspiradoras and to finish off there's the brand new single from Ebbot Lundberg & The Indigo Children. I hope you enjoy the great music in this episode, if you do please check out the highlighted links above for more info on the bands! Retrosonic Podcast has a valid PRS certificate. Podcover photo of the Hipsville Go-Go Girls courtesy of Zig Criscuolo at ZigPix.
I know it has become a bit of a standing joke that after every visit to Weirdsville I proclaim that I have just witnessed my new favourite band. But thanks to Mr A and Alexandra Beat Girl (and Ade when it comes round to their yearly Hipsville A-Go-Go Weekenders) I get the rare chance to see some superb acts from all corners of the globe, well, if globes had corners that is. Some I have seen before like Giuda and Les Kitschenette’s but it’s often the first chance I will get to see such a band play live. For example, I have seen The Revox and The Jackets from Switzerland, Autoramas from Brazil, Los Sustos and Viv & The Sect from Mexico, Kinoko Hotel, The Ladybugs and The Stompin’ Riff Raffs from Japan, The Satelliters from Germany, Messer Chups from Russia, Shupa from Spain and Johnny Mafia and Les Grys-Grys from France. I don't know how but they even managed to book Davros & The Deep Space Deviants all the way from the planet Skaro!
The No-Things at Weirdsville - Photo @ Retro Man Blog
The No-Things at Weirdsville - Photo @ Retro Man Blog
Tonight’s opening act The No-Things are in comparison, relatively local to Weirdsville in that they come from Edinburgh and they have a familiar vocalist, well not at first they don’t because he is missing when guitarist Alex, bassist Scott and drummer Calvin take to the stage and crank up the opening number. It’s Laurent from Les Bof! and he is in the crowd down at the front dancing away before suddenly leaping on stage to join in. With his impressive sideburns, Beatle-boots and stripey T-Shirt Laurent is the quintessential Garage Rock front-man. When he's not blasting out some superb harmonica he's dancing, spinning and leaping into the audience at every possible opportunity.
The No-Things at Weirdsville - Photo @ Retro Man Blog
The No-Things at Weirdsville - Photo @ Retro Man Blog
Second song “Don’t Get On My Tits” is an absolute snotty-nosed Garage Rock classic and I keep finding myself rather embarrassingly singing it aloud in the office; it boasts an unbelievably catchy chorus and it has a rude word in it, what’s not to like? Likewise "Diamond Ring" and "Birds Flyin' Outta My Head", stand-out tracks on their "Here Come The No-Things" LP are insanely catchy and the brilliantly nagging guitar riff to "J'vais être Riche" gets lodged in your head for days after. While the rhythm section are impressively locked in tight there's a nice Punky edge to Alex's guitar that adds to a thrillingly unpredictable sound. It's raw Garage Rockin' R'n'B at it's best.
If I thought The No-Things were wired then I was in for a bigger shock with headlining act Las Aspiradoras who upped the fizzing energy levels to the max. They kicked off with the triple shot of "Malmete", "Para Ser Guay" and one of my favourites "Autodestrucción" without even so much as a 'hello' and proceeded to storm through a relentless set crammed with well over 20 more songs. Singer/Guitarist Chicho has one of those voices that is sometimes described as if he 'gargles with razor blades and gasoline' and he is a suitably energetic front-man. Like Laurent before him, Chicho seems to spend most of his time among the audience, either kneeling down slashing out some great riffs or even laying on his back spreadeagled on the floor. At one point, Mr A gets in on the act and strums Chicho's guitar enthusiastically as he lays there. Jungle Julia is an stunning visual foil to Chicho, she looks great and plays the organ with her elbows, knees and feet (you have to see it to believe it...) as well as the rather more conventional method. They also possess a great rhythm section featuring Juanjo on bass, who trades poses with Chicho and there's Oscar on drums, who leans precariously into his mic to add some backing vocal harmonies.
Some of my personal highlights included "Ni Rastro De Polvo" and "Mi Adicción" which I would love to sing along to if my Spanish was any good; but all their songs have hooks that really do stick in your mind. They also play some choice cover versions such as Freddie Cannon’s “Palisades Park” and Los Macana’s excellent “Radio Go” that go down a storm on the night, as does Chubby Checker’s “Karate Monkey” which inspires some audience participation of accompanying monkey grunts and karate moves. I think I spent the whole set with a huge soppy grin plastered all over my face; they are that kind of band. You can’t help but smile and jump around, or in my case being an old git and rather shy, I can’t help but stand there, tap my feet and nod my head in time to the music. But believe me, inside I am jumping around like a loon! Weirdsville, you have done it yet again!
For more information on Las Aspiradoras check out their Facebook page here and The No-Things can be found at this link. Weirdsville happenings take place on the last Saturday of every month so if you want to be introduced to your new favourite band, check out their web-site here. More photos of the gig can be found at the Retro Man Facebook page here and there are some more videos of both bands at our Retro Man YouTube channel, along with many more Weirdsville acts.
