Computer Age

Marzipan Man American Music Club
Sala Acapulco (Gijón)
20 February 2008

Mallorca opened the concert Jordi Herrera, lead singer of the Satellites, currently focused on its parallel project under the name 'Marzipan Man'. Inspiration, personality, good songs and a great performer, with a mixture of voice and spell bastard children. He offered an acoustic concert, only with a guitar and harmonica almost unnecessary (and no doubt pitch prominence). Eyes closed, glued to the microphone as if he desires with passion and bamboleándose slowly on the seat, on either side, giving the impression that it could fall at times, was shelled the half dozen songs that appealed the public, basing his repertory releases more intimate that the new album (among the most talked about 'Corrine, Corrine', folk-blues classic traditional version by dozens of performers, or 'Where did you sleep last night,' Song better known as Leadbelly's version of Nirvana).

Had not followed his career so far, after this action has left me wanting to follow in his footsteps. As only downside to mention his obvious attachment to the excesses (with the consequent risk that the noble timber that is actually still end up rotting if floating in the waters).

Below them was the turn of 'American Music Club. The impression with which I was after the concert is "I espareba more", ie not convinced me. After the big discs that have produced and maintained in the years to the fore an expected, or at least what I expected to see a cohesive group and delivered on stage. Instead what I saw was a band with seemingly little test marked feeling amateurism, led by a strong personality, Mark Eitzel, excited at first but as the concert was going to deflate, floating a clear sense anger towards the end. Once the action can get the 'track list "that each musician was at his feet, and check and after the seventh song jumped almost all the rest of the portfolio, leaving the 16 songs that were scheduled to play in only 10, including on a final (on several occasions I was doubt whether he would be bothered by the voices of people at the bar not stopped talking, or whether it would be for his irascible personality). Acompañandole were Steve Didelot, the new battery, also doing vocals, and Sean Hoffman on bass and vocals, which perfectly met and made good vibrations. Vudi the faithful guitarist, did not have his best night, has a reputation for chaotic and this time it proved by far the world and absorbed in his guitar, not always in tune (and continually trying to refine it), sometimes conveying a lot of strength that the scenario was perceived, and sometimes lost in the distortions, with the clear evidence euphoric chemical grounds that it was carrying. Luckily, the moment was to save the great voice of Mark, his charisma and his great (but rare) songs are able to shine through cloudy nights and illuminate many emotions. Although the tour is based on the new album "The Golden Age," whose songs gained in intensity and much more convinced me to be played live, they also performed other more familiar themes of his previous work ( "Johnny Mathis' Feet", " Home "," Revolving Door, "" Jesus' Hands, "which he sang with a guitar just before leaving for the first time and complete, or" Hello Amsterdam "to finish). While Vudi and his companions came to a table to talk to people, Mark recorded their instruments. Some fans approached him asking for autographs, looking unwell signed courtesy but with clear signs that this is not the least wanted, responding as quickly as possible to those who tried to bring some sort of conversation. I just wanted to leave the hotel early and did so before.

To summarize, I stick with the successful performances, with moments of feeling good and happy memories of a given audience (at least those who were closest to the stage). While the feeling that things could have given more than we offered, along with my expectations to meet with a lot more, take me to speak with the flavor that I was at the end: bittersweet.

List of songs performed:

1) The Decibels and The Little Pills ( 'The Golden Age')
2) All the Lost Souls Wellcome You to San Francisco ( 'The Golden Age')
3) Johnny Mathis' Feet ( "Mercury")
4) All My Love ( 'The Golden Age')
5) The Sleeping Beauty ( 'The Golden Age', previously published in "Candy Ass" - Mark Eitzel)
6) Home ( 'Love Songs For Patriots')
7) The Windows Of The World ( 'The Golden Age')
8) Revolving Door ( 'San Francisco')
9) Jesus' Hands ( 'Everclear')
10) Hello Amsterdam ( 'San Francisco')

Bandini Delco American Music Club
Sala Caracol (Madrid)
21 February 2008

We have already poured into this page to a multitude of accolades Bandini, but they, shy away from continuing to grow as a band and as musicians, as were able to demonstrate in their role teloneros American Music Club. Bandini in September offered a short, barely 30 minutes in which focused on new issues that have to nurture their new album, some items more leathery, more dense, more difficult to know which attract the attention of the few souls who had Caracol in the room at such an early hour. Richard sings better every day and every time you note more comfortable on stage. The recovered items that held the "Sunny The Album" also sounded more direct, more lively, more concise. We eagerly await the second album.

After September Delco Bandini gave a concert willful and illusions, but I think not marry well with the overall tone of the night. Anyway I have not heard any of his recordings which deliver a verdict on his performance would be deeply unjust.

Anyone who has seen occasionally Mark Eitzel live either alone or together with American Music Club aware that live more than a swampy ground for the composer California. Mark Eitzel does not feel at ease in front of the audience, and their performances are very sensitive to their (common) changes of mood, so we must always be prepared for everything.
On Friday it was not a good concert, to be malicious to say that we are now grazed by the pathos, but I will stay with the talent and songs, a very large and very good the other. And that is to classics like "Blue And Gray Shirt" or "Hello Amsterdam" is not more to enjoy and surrender to the evidence that Mark Eitzel is one of the songwriters' most important of our time.
The new rhythm section chosen for the recording of "The Golden Age" and the subsequent tour just does not fit well with the times require that the songs of American Music Club and in general the whole band sounded thick and scattered. He stressed the great "Home" from "Love Songs For Patriots" and a cut of his new album as the sinuous "All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco," although the truth is that the final impression, after little more than 45 minutes Action was frankly disappointing.
Mark Eitzel and American Music Club is much more than what they showed on Friday.

A video introduces you to become a collector's item, if not the time. This is the original formation of Bandini is Richard Ruiz, Jose Guinea Cabezalí and Charlie Manuel Bautista (both now militating Havalina Blue), playing the chilling "Depression" in the 2005 edition of Bilborock.

This issue (one of the first successes of training) is included in ending Sunny The Album, but rather modified. In this video you can hear the original version, but quite aggressive and rude, with the chilling of ebow guitar Manuel Cabezali that creates an atmosphere unmatched

Bandini teloneando to be the day American Music Club on February 21 in Room Caracol Madrid. A good opportunity to hear directly the issues that comprise his second album is almost ready.

If you want to download this video and others from the same period, along with some early issues, you can go through the site informal Bandini: http://bandini.computer-age.net

Here another link supposedly there is a more recent concert Bandini, specifically offered at Cafe La Palma de Madrid last year, but I have not been able to see anything (I guess problems codecs)

Kaplan
Foam
2000

No damn disc is born with a vocation for it. Circumstances are often themselves the chance to condemn an album ostracized by the masses and the time, the blind admiration of a few.
In reality "Foam," the debut album Kaplan was designed to be the beginning of all, the starting point for a career that is felt long and bright, but ended up being a testament to the bands more personal and interesting recent years.
Kaplan formed in Madrid in mid-90s, about the personalities of three brothers, rock fans all over real soon to be organized to articulate his first band, Dirty Pond, just with Fernando and Jose Luis and later Kaplan, where they would join the youngest brother, Ricardo Ruiz.
The musical interests of the brothers focus on the great classics instilled at an early age by his father (Floyd, Beatles, Stones) and sounds that go with educating their hearing as they grow (American Rock, Springsteen, Buffalo Tom , Bettie Servert) is therefore not surprising that the first well-known songs Kaplan, the meeting in the first EP "Solitude" (1998) is an amalgam of all these influences, mixed with a surprising sense and discretion as evidenced topics in the end of the band classics as "Blueprint For A Breakdown," "Letter For An Unknown Man" or "Stone Bird."
Following the success of this first EP and their overwhelming passage through some of the best festivals in Spain (Barcelona, Benicassim, Festimad) it was time to translate their sound on a disc, a disc that would be called "Foam" and that never published.
"Foam is a confirmation that Kaplan was something more than a group with a handful of catchy songs. In fact in this record (hard and difficult), there is little commercial songs, and if, instead, an intensity, an emotion and a majesty truly fascinating, and that, somehow, Kaplan knew that these songs would be last tocasen that together, so be responsible in these memorable sessions reflect the best possible universe.
"Choose Me" with that recognizable acoustic intro is the theme that opens the disc, a moving and powerful figure among the best of the album. Kaplan, when they recorded these songs brought together several years and had his back to a lot of concerts together, so it is not surprising that seek to translate part of their live in these new songs. "Solitude Park" can also be put more light on that side of the album, a melodic instincts with an insurmountable that shows where they could reach with Kaplan melodies. Another huge pop theme is "Self-Portrait with guitars such as Buffalo Tom powerful drawing figures impossible beauty.
The core of "Foam" but rather is composed of songs more introspective, more emotional weight. So we can talk about the beautiful "There Is A Distance That Never Changes" with this shocking letter, or the terrible and distressing "Reckless As The Break Of Dawn". We can not fail to mention "A Lump In My Troat" sung by Richard and is a clear history of darkness that would come later with Bandini.
Completing a debut that seems insurmountable issues are more bizarre and experimental as "Please Listen", "Timing" or the tremendous "You're So Frail" perhaps future advances and address concerns of the band.
After recording this record, and after searching unsuccessfully for some time that a company would take over the publication of the album, Kaplan decided to dissolve itself. Among the reasons that led to this situation, we can guess some tedium, labor and personal situations insurmountable, but the real reason that led to the disappearance of Kaplan remains a secret at the heart of its characters, and perhaps this is the best.
We, as always in these cases, we continue to be the songs.