EL AVIADOR DRO

I will save you the historical context today. EL AVIADOR DRO is a hugely influential Spanish new wave band, and more information about their legacy, history and discography is readily available on the internet. The internet has a lot of things on it. In fact, you are on the internet right now....

My 2003 European Odyssey was full of discoveries. Five months on the continent, countless new friends and acquaintances, some of whom I still call friends today - two tours, nine weeks each, with a Scandinavian vacation in between...it was epic and excellent. Saw tons of good bands, thankfully have forgotten most of the bad ones (if I played with you on those tours and you are reading this now, I am certain that you were in one of the good bands), saw some castles...I mean, it was Europe. They have castles there, so you go see them. ARTIMUS PYLE played a chunk of shows in Germany, France and Spain with THE NOW DENIAL (good ass band) at the start of the whole thing, and we hung out with some really sweet folks in Valencia (the story is long and involved and ultimately not very interesting unless you are generally curious about Tour Odysseys, but it involves a delicious meal, inadequate plumbing, mosaic tile and unusual street parking, feel free to ask me in person someday)...and that's where I heard about Paco. Paco was from Valencia and had moved to London, where we met him a short time later...conveniently, he had organized our gig at The Swan. NATION OF FINKS and HUMAN BOMB played, wild ass weed soaked reggae DJs crushed the front bar...the poster still rests on my wall, the show was killer and we retired to Paco's apartment afterwards. The three of us sat up with him until the wee hours talking about music, learning about new bands (and old bands new to us), I decided to start storing my EP dust sleeves outside the picture sleeves that night (true nerd shit here, but truth is truth, and I try to not be scared of truth). We listened to records. We bought records (like any good salesman, Paco ran a distro and managed to ply plenty of Euros/Pounds Sterling from us that evening....money well spent of course), and Paco played EL AVIADOR DRO. He talked about how they were one of his favorite bands, about how this group of independent and DIY anarchists played insanely popular new wave/dance music....or maybe it was about how this crazy popular new wave/dance band were actually DIY anarchists and pressed and distributed their own records despite offers to enter The Mainstream. I don't remember exactly...I just remember that I loved the tunes and kept thinking how much more I would have loved them if I had heard EL AVIADOR DRO in the '80s when this shit was my fukkn jam without exception. So I was like having this weird time warp flashback, but for music that I had never heard....weird, right? And Paco, because he is smart and perceptive - and a good friend - sensed all of this and made me this tape. So here you go: 90 minutes of EL AVIADOR DRO. There is so much more available to visitors who want more...and that's how the internet is supposed to work. Consider me your shovel....now go dig a hole. 

EL AVIADOR DRO

FREAK SHOW

Spanish hardcore, wild and nasty. I know nothing about this unearthed '90s gem that's not included with the tape so I'll save you the know-it-all bullshit and let you get to raging. Heavy '80s USHC influence, five songs in five minutes. You're welcome.

FREAK SHOW DEMO '93

ORDEN MUNDIAL

Was not excited at all to miss these Spaniards when they rolled over the west coast a few years ago, and pulling this tape out brought back old feelings of regret. What was I doing that weekend that was so important? Work? That was stupid. Long long family in town? Bad decision. At the bar? Not my style. Four tracks here from 2013....ugly and deliberate hardcore. Get it. 

ORDEN MUNDIAL

TENSIÓN

Boots on the ground, punks. Street hardcore from Madrid, TENSIÓN get straight to it and don't let up. Every time I found myself starting to think "I've heard this before..." these kids would drop something so good - a tasty lick, a killer riff, a perfectly timed snarl - that I couldn't wait for the next track. Certified banger status achieved. 

TENSIÓN

TROIKA

Catchy ass female trio from Madrid. Multiple vocals, whoa-oohhs when appropriate, straightforward and addictive, in the indescribable way that it sometimes seems only Spanish punk can be. New band...this demo just dropped a few months ago. Enjoy. 

TROIKA

KARTON D VINO

I scooped this one on my first trip to Europe in '03, and every time it comes out it stays on repeat for several days. Last week was no different...doing a little quick reorganizing between a road trip and a short tour and I spied KARTON D VINO peeping out from the second layer of a banger box. "Are we gonna do this again?" the tape asked. "Yes," I replied, "we are." Fierce fist in the air Spanish ramshackle punk anthems from a band who only left us with two cassettes...this one is the second, from 2001, and I'm still searching for the first. 

PREFIERO VIVIR DE PIES, KE VIVIR ABURGUESAD@

CHROMA

If I say: Barcelona band with members of LAS OTRAS and RAKTA then that should be enough. And in case it isn't, listen to the fukkn guitar on "Corpus Dóciles" and we should be all set. Sometimes, there's a reason all of The People say that A Thing is great...it's because The Thing is great. 

CHROMA

ASESINATO DEL PODER

As simple as it is ferocious, this 2013 banger from northern Spain drops eight solid punk jams right in your lap. "Atrapado" and the four note "Celdas" slow the pace to a creepy crawl, but the rest of this tape is some kind of DBeat/pogo hybrid - fast, pure, raw, and very punk. You like the way it looks? You'll like the way it sounds.

ASESINATO DEL PODER

ARREST

This one made waves when it dropped a couple of years back, and for good reason: Barcelona's ARREST bang out top notch hook laden punk rock, simple as that. Easy to reiterate how perfectly the Spanish language fits with this style of music, but I don't want to gloss over how good the songs are; the guitar lead that plops down on top of the five note riff that makes up the verse of "Functionario" is so simple that you wonder why it hasn't been written a thousand times before - and maybe it has, but that won't matter one fukkn bit while you are listening to this demo. The two vinyl releases from earlier this year are stellar as well, though naturally I tend to lean towards the rawer presentation here. Those of you who are still upset that CRIMINAL DAMAGE shut down their operation after just three albums can rejoice, because ARREST will help fill that void.

ARREST

LEAF HOUND

The 1971 LP from LEAF HOUND is a bonzer of sorts for those who dabble in heavy/psych rock, and for good reason. "Drowned My Life In Fear" is my personal standout, LED ZEP caliber hard blues, with so much gravel in the vocals that you wish the dude was singing for proto punk or NWOBHM bands, because he would have killed it. A veritable proving ground for would be classic rock stalwarts, after Growers Of Mushroom members went on to form and/or join FOGHAT, ATOMIC ROOSTER, FREE and CACTUS. Not pretentious or over indulgent, just killer hard rock.

GROWERS OF MUSHROOM

This record only took up one side of a mix tape, and someone was nice enough to fill the other side with more jammers, which are included in the above link (because I am also nice, obviously). Aside from the 2006 EP from CIRCULUS, which is some third rate hippie throwback shit that I do not like (and has a flute), the tracks are all bangers. Spain's MAGIC takes the cake with their 10+ minute split with T.N.T. from 1983, but the more I listen to the two 45s from Scotland's E.F.BAND the more I think that they might be the champions here - "Comprende" is simply screaming. A banger from FIST (UK) and the way under the radar 12" from Colombia's CARBURE round out the attractions. Also, there's (most of) a mysterious and atrocious version of "Iron Man" that I know I've heard before but I can't quite place, so assistance would be appreciated.

TU SILENCIO AHOGA MIS GRITOS

Ten band compilation featuring Spanish language punk from all over Latin America with a token European submission from SIN DIOS, not at all surprising considering the time (released in 2000) and the political focus (anarchism). FUN PEOPLE (Argentina), RECICLAJE, @PATIA NO, LOS RESIDUOS (Venezuela), DESARME and NIQUITOWN (Colombia), ACTITUD SUBVERSIVA (Puerto Rico), VANTROI (Mexico)...and oh yeah BANDA JACHIS is from Spain too. Earnest melodic punk, a few hardcore burners and a handful of tracks that came as complete surprises (NIQUITOWN's "El Cambio Es Ahora" is by far my favorite jam on the tape). The whole thing was released by Noeske Records to benefit El Libertario, a Venezuelan anarchist periodical.

TU SILENCIO AHOGA MIS GRITOS:

El Anarquismo En America Latina

CISMA

That jerky modern interpretation of the pogo? That one that kinda goes side to side and looks especially cool when performed by punks wearing dangly earrings? Yeah, it was fukkn invented for bands like this. CISMA are raw, blown out, furious and furtive hardcore punk of the highest order, with vocals stretched to their very limit without ever breaking stride. I knew this was gonna be a killer (Alta Intensidaz has yet to disappoint), but when Imagenes Podridas kicked into high gear with "Urnas de Miseria" I went from a self congratulatory swagger to an immediate realization that CISMA have just raised the bar. This is punk for fukkn punx. 

IMAGENES PODRIDAS

SOLO SE OYE PUNK vol. 2

A fukkn perfect starter kit for the uninitiated, or simply mandatory listening for even seasoned vets. Silenzio Statico put together this mix tape as a follow up to their Latin American punk primer, and I dare say this one jams even harder. Do Punx Dance? They damn sure better when this is the soundtrack.

DO PUNX DANCE?

DISTEMPER

Ramshackle Spanish DBeat of the highest order, DISTEMPER take rudimentary repetitive DISCHARGE worship to new and wondrous places on this seven song debut. The vocals are a far cry from blown out raw punk, falling as much in line with anxious '80s Southern European Oi! as with anguished noise punk, and the tempo is reigned in to the point of frustration - I want DISTEMPER to unleash, but in the end I am glad that they don't. This is primitive and glorious, and contact info is in the image below.

NUNKA A DE MÖRIR EL DIS

KANGRENA

Legendary Spanish hardcore punk. I don't really need to tell you you should listen to this....do I?

ESTOC DE PUS

SIN DIOS

In the mid '90s stories of their live shows and their fierce political stance starting trickling into my life, and though their records were more melodic than most of the generi-crust I was listening to at the time, the sound of SIN DIOS caught me instantly. As the cover suggests, this cassette compiles releases from 1991 and 1993, lightning fast and hopelessly catchy Spanish hardcore punk, like SUBTERRANEAN KIDS or ROUSE presented for (and with the intention of) motivating and radicalizing what was then a new generation of punks. Maybe it'll work now too.

RUIDO ANTICAPITALISTA // ALERTA ANTIFASCISTA

DESTROY FASCISM

I just spent the evening hanging out with one Spaniard and one yank living in Madrid, so perhaps it would've been wise to ask them what the hell was on this tape. But I didn't. Instead, here's a 24 track comp of Spanish punk....most of the songs are excellent and all are at least good, and track #5 will either win you over to my team immediately or you will wonder why you bother reading the drivel that I write every day - either way I hope we are still friends. The tracks here lean in the HC/punk direction, with an understandable Spanish flare (if you pay attention, then you will know what I mean - if you don't pay attention, then you should start), and the comp was released to bring attention to several anti-fascist and left leaning political causes in Spain. I'm guessing this came out in the '90s (this is only a guess), but I know that the content is superb and I welcome any attempts to identify the artists.

DESTROY FASCISM // NEONAZIS, OPONTE!

And lest you assume that I didn't actually listen simply because I didn't know who was on the comp, my favorite tracks are (in no particular order): 10 (killer 7 SECONDS vibe), 24 (I know I said no particular order, but this song is amazing), 22 (goth punk on speed vibe meets RAMONES? yeah, it rules), 7 (63 seconds of rudimentary hardcore, you know that's my jam), 21 (seriously, what is up with that flute? I love it, but who told them that was ok?), 11 (the closest this comp gets to neanderthal thrash, and it's fukkn perfect), 12 (speed is king, and this one wears the crown), 16 (raw and nasty). See? I paid attention. Now it's your turn.

HOW // UPRISING

Late '90s Spanish punk in two glorious movements. HOW? are stripped down raw hardcore with a deliver that conjures up aural images of INFEST, while UPRISING are stripped down raw hardcore with a delivery that conjures up aural images of INFEST. Both of these bands don't actually sound just like INFEST, but if you like INFEST then this is probably your jam. UPRISING throws an INFEST cover in there just in case you doubt me, but this whole thing just fukkn rips. "Decriminalize Peace" is absolutely the most crucial song you will listen to today.

HOW // UPRISING

MIERDA

Simple and aggressive Spanish hardcore weaned on NEGATIVE APPROACH and DISCHARGE. To the point, to the throat, awesome. 19 songs in less than 17 minutes will kick your ass.

HARDCORE POBLE NOU

ALTERCADO ESPIRITUAL

From the same crew of fukks responsible for the brilliant MUERTE A LA MUERTE demo comes ALTERCADO ESPIRITUAL. Blatant Boston '83 aping forced through a decades old Spanish punk meatgrinder. Irreverent vocals (shit, irreverent everything) and buzzsaw guitars cranking out riffs like there was no tomorrow. Six songs in six minutes - I don't know man, if you like hardcore then you like this.

ALTERCADO ESPIRITUAL