British trio Crystal Fighters are back in town, this time at Poble Espanyol, to play tracks off ‘Hypnotic Sun’, their latest EP. They’re currently working on their upcoming LP, so maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll give us a preview of what they’re up to. Belako get things going as the opening act.
Cellist and singer Kelsey Lu‘s experimental, labyrinthian music has spellbound listeners and earned her admiration and collaborations with some of biggest names in pop and R&B — Solange, Sampha, Florence And The Machine, Dev Hynes, and more. Lu’s latest track, released today, is technically a cover, but her version makes you forget all about the original. Lu’s version of 10cc’s yacht-rock classic “I’m Not In Love” is gorgeous and sprawling. It’s a showcase for Lu’s voice, which is excellent, and sometimes under-appreciated amid the praise for her cello wizardry. Lu co-directed the dreamy, DIY-aesthetic video for the song with artist Alima Lee.
Korean pop (aka K-pop) gets a lot of attention, but Korean indie is something you don’t hear about as often.
At the top of the pack in this genre is a band called Hyukoh. A true tale of industry determination, Hyukoh got their start in 2014 when lead singer Oh Hyuk gathered up some friends to form a band, starting on the underground club circuit in Seoul’s hipster hub, Hongdae. Their career really got going, however, after their appearance on a South Korean reality show called Infinite Challenge. The fan response got them some festival gigs and enough interest for them to record a studio album, and they’ve only climbed higher ever since. Stateside, their song “Citizen Kane” featured in an Apple commercial.
Though “K-pop” is increasingly used as a catchall term for all South Korean music, Hyukoh are, without a doubt, a rock and roll act. Though guitar-based bands seem to be fading in much of the Western world, as R&B and pop take the day once again, Hyukoh’s star is on the rise. Owing to their global popularity, this show’s almost sold out. Tonight in concert at sala Apolo.
Alternative dream-pop band Vaarwell consisting of Margarida Falcão, Ricardo Nagy, and Luís Monteiro. The Lisbon, Portugal trio blend brightly cinematic bursts of sonic color through a familiar base of guitars, vocals and drums – adding in the production studio as a fifth and powerfully manipulative instrument. The band’s 2017 debut album HOMEBOUND 456 is a must-listen, pulsing with touching melodies and intimate lyrics that cut both band and listeners to their core.
Having established themselves as a formidable talent, Vaarwell return triumphantly in 2018 with ‘Stay’ and in 2019 with ‘Money.’
Her first album hasn’t been released yet and she hasn’t even debuted live in our country, but Billie Eilish is on a roll. The new post-millennial pop star will be tonight in the Sant Jordi Club,
Every step of this Californian artist is a new milestone… and she isn’t even 18 yet! Any statistic or fact Billie Eilish one day has drastically changed the next: keeping track of her hundreds of millions of listens on streaming platforms is impossible, as is counting her army of followers or trying to predict her limit (if she has one that is). So for now we will content ourselves with the latest facts we know about her: her first album comes preceded by the icy Bury A Friend, probably her most ghostly and rawest track to date, and she has also contributed a song, When I Was Older, to the soundtrack inspired by Alfonso Cuarón’s film Roma.
Pecas, aka Brooklyn-via-Madrid artist Sandy Davis. Pecas’ twitter bio describes her sound as “gotha nova” (which we are proclaiming best new genre name), and misty new dream-pop slow jam “T-Shirt” has an ethereal but just vaguely creepy vibe that walks a fine line between seductive and playfully sinister.
Bleu Toucan is an emergent duo composed by Emmanuel et Léonard. They produce electronic pop with English lyrics for the prestigious independent label Profil de Face, like Vendredi sur Mer. With already 3 EP releases, their music a fresh and dreamlike journey. Available in a live version or Djset the already played in fancy Parisian places like the Nüba club, The hotel Particulier Montmartre or Le Carmen. They’ve just shared their new single.
