It’s a bit of a slow week.

At nights before falling asleep I read slowly and with pleasure the book “Pequeño Circo – Historia oral del indie en España” by Nando Cruz. I was lucky that Toni could bring me this book when he visited NYC for NYC Popfest. The book, for those of you who don’t understand Spanish is a compendium of interviews to people that were involved in the Spanish indie scene since the beginning of it in the mid, late 80s.

I’m almost halfway through, I think I’ve on page 350 or so. I thought then, that as I know many people are not aware of this scene, I could introduce you to some of the good bands that appeared on that period, or at least some of my favourite songs. By the page I am now, Elefant, Siesta and Jabalina are just starting. It’s a chronological book, though it is also geographical as the chapters seem to be divided by cities where different indie pockets were appearing. So I won’t be getting into the obvious bands like La Buena Vida or Le Mans that many of the English speaking people know, but into some that may have been under your radar.

Aventuras de Kirlián is a beauty of a band. They went to become Le Mans. They were supposed to release a split record with El Joven Lagarto on the Stamp label. I hope Miguel one day puts it out even if it was supposed to be released ages ago. They released one album and was very hard to find. Their record was reissued this year as part of the Record Store Day. Of course, as like everything that is released that day, I missed it. My favourite song is not “Un Día Gris” (their most famous song) but “Entre Días Largos“.

So I was talking about El Joven Lagarto. Well they were to become another classic and legendary Spanish indiepop band, Family. The sound was already very similar, perhaps a bit more lofi, but that probably has to do with the recording studio. I love their song “Soy un Sentimental“. Shame none of their stuff has been released.

La Insidia is another pre-Family band. Less poppier than El Joven Lagarto, much more post punk. Their songs seem like lost gems from the Cherry Red catalog. Great lyrics. This is “Todavía“.

El Niño Gusano from Zaragoza are a cult band, with 3 albums and a bunch of singles. I would guess everyone in Spain that has a clue about indie knows about them. Though not thoroughly indiepop, there are some great p!o!p! slices in their repertoire. Perhaps you’d like this song called “Pon Tu Mente al Sol“.

Another band that is mentioned is El Viaje de las Flores. I’ve been lucky to interview them in the blog!

Then we have Los Vegetales who appeared on a split flexi that came along the Stamp fanzine. They shared the flexi with none other than Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes! The song they contributed was “Gallinas Gigantes Con Metralletas” which is a good song but not my favourite by them. I think my favourite is their ode to the Silver Surfer, “Estela Plateada“.

Then of course we have Meteoro, a superb and fantastic band that only left us a perfect album, “Chitty Chitty Big Bang”, as legacy. It was released in 1994 and still sounds so fresh! Last year there was a pretty nice tribute album to them too thanks to Rubén Blanco. A super fun sounding band with very ingenious lyrics, this was the sort of music that for me describes perfectly the Spicnic sound. Hard to pick a favourite song, but I’ll go for “El Increíble Mundo Menguante“.

Another great band that gets a mention in the book is Terry IV. I came to know about them thanks to a cover of their song “De Dónde Viene la Nieve” by Los Fresones Rebeldes. One album, “Nuestro Arsenal”, which I believe is more of a compilation, released in 1996, and a bunch of singles, including a split flexi with the Fat Tulips on the Stamp label, is their whole discography. Great lyrics, and always fun to listen to. Hard to pick one song again, but I’ll go by the same pick Los Fresones did: “De Dónde Viene la Nieve“.

Patrullero Mancuso at the end of their career were picked up by Elefant, but before that they had a bunch of releases on Munster Records. 5 albums during the 90s and a handful of singles, and you can see them becoming poppier and poppier since a rockier and more lo-fi start. There are many favourite songs of mine, I remember listening them a lot (even though I actually don’t own their albums, shame on me! I have to admit many of these 90s Spanish releases are hard to come by this side of the Atlantic) back when I was in Miami. I always loved “La Matanza de Lugo” (there’s a promo video for this song, but the audio is not very good).

There are many more bands mentioned in the book so far, some that deserve being skipped to be honest, but I think next week I’ll make a second part. I leave you one last song though, from a not very indiepop band, but that I actually enjoy quite a bit. It’s by Surfin’ Bichos and it’s called “Comida China y Subfusiles“. Another cult band that also after disbanding formed other classic Spanish bands like Mercromina and Chucho.

Second part next week if it’s still slow in indiepop world. In the meantime I’ll keep reading.

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I google for “Penny Priest” And well, it seems there are a few Penny with the last name Priest. There’s one that on Twitter calls herself a mum, clinical psychologist, singer, songwriter, cyclist, that was a runner once and hopes to be a swimmer. For some reason I think this is the Penny Priest I’m looking for, she wears an I Am Kloot shirt on her profile photo. Would this be the Penelope Priest that appeared with the song “Sometimes” on the amazing compilation”Manchester North of England”?

It could be. Think about it. On this compilation Johnny Dangerously from I Am Kloot (and The deBuchias) appears too. There’s a connection here. Other bands that appear in this classic compilation were the super favourite band of mine The Man From Delmonte, The Raintree County, The Waltones, Pepplekade 14, and more.

I sadly don’t  have a copy. The shipping prices for sending one record to the US from the UK at this time are just outrageous. Will have to wait for me to travel to the UK and get it there. Hopefully next year! It feels so strange that I didn’t fly there this year. I’ve been going for so many years straight! Anyhow, it’s not that rare this record, the LP version (originally it was a tape!), that you should get it!

It was released in 1988 by Bop Cassettes (BC 001). This label I knew because of their various Man From Delmonte releases, but also remember they released The Bedflowers demo tape!

The tape came in an over-sized black moulded plastic cassette case (a bit like a miniature VHS box) with with 16-page fold out insert. Black cassette shell with black paper labels. Whereas the LP version was distributed through Revolver and The Cartel and was available by mail order from BOP Cassettes in Manchester. It was presented by BOP Cassettes and City Life Magazine. Contains 14 tracks all of which were unreleased at this time. Limited to 1000 copies. Including an A4 insert with tracklist.

We also know that the title for this compilation comes from the t-shirt designed by Identity Clothing. The 14 tracks were compiled by NME journalist Jane Champion.

I find a clipping online where it says that you could get both Mirrors Over Kiev and Penny Priest’s demos from a John Slater who wrote for City Life Magazine back in 1988.

Another clipping I find on the Manchester District Music Archive is from what I presume is a photo of Penny Priest and an article talking about how Paula Greenwood from Playtime Records was organizing a series of women-only gigs at The Gallery. Everyone was going to be women, the bar staff and the door staff. Wonder if Penny Priest did play there as there’s no mention of her on the article but of two women, Faye Wray and Claire Mooney.

Another mention of the obscure Penny Priest comes from a flyer for a concert were she opens to The Rhythm Sisters at the Green Room (sponsored by Becks Bier). Then again another flyer at the same venue where the bill is: George Borowski, Johnny Dangerously, Bob Dillinger, Penny Priest, and Kevin Seisay. The gig is aptly titled “5 Go to Play Guitar”.

And that my friends is all I can find about her. The thing is, this one song, “Sometimes”, is a true jangly beauty. So I wonder, if anyone out there has her demo or any other songs by her. Would love to know more about Penny Priest, her gigs, her band, her songs and her Manchester. And why she didn’t get to release anything!

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Listen
Penny Priest – Sometimes