How I wish to write and write, make long posts. But I’m busy. So busy. Today I’m waking up much earlier than usual for a whole day of orientation at work. Tomorrow the same. Every day I end up leaving a bit later than the day before. I know it is because I’m only learning the ropes, getting to know all the processes and dynamics of the workplace, but I haven’t been this busy in a long time! I am barely listening to new music! I’m glad I had a bunch of posts prepared in advance, as if I could predict the future.
So what’s new?
Avind: I think back in February I recommended one song by this Norwegian songstress whose real name is Tonje Tafjord. A song called “Dumrian”. I think at that time she was just telling everyone that her album was going to be released in May and was sharing some songs that were to be included in it. Today I find myself listening to the full album, that was indeed released in May. It is titled “Evig Blenda” and it has 8 songs all sung in Norwegian. It is pretty nice I have to say. The sort of pop music that is great for rainy afternoons. You know what I mean.
Dronjo Kept By 4: a new tape by this fan-favourite Japanese band is now available on Galaxy Train Records. That’s good news of course! The “Exhibition EP” is limited to 100 copies and brings to us 4 brand new songs: “Parasol”, “Flowers”, “Lemonn” and “Never Let You Down”. If you like your indiepop to sound canonical, to have boy/girl vocals, and be catchy, why not give these Japanese popsters a chance?
Useless Youth: this Mexico city quartet have just released their new digital single, “En Este Lugar”. I don’t know much about it, if it will be part of an album, an EP, or even something bigger. But I do know the guitars are jangly, the song sounds fun, and the art for the digital single is quite lovely. The band is formed by Yak, Ian, Pepe and Emi.
Pelopincho: I found this Argentinean band from Valentin Alsina (in the province of Buenos Aires) by following my friend’s David Bandcamp activity. He is such a tastemaker I must say! Anyways I found this song called “Guía básica para zafar del bajón un ratito <3 ” which kind of translates as basic guide to escape from being down just for a moment, and thought it was pretty good! There is not much more on their Bandcamp only another song called “Oscuridarks” which is also terrific. I really should keep an eye on this band. Sounds very promising!
It Looks Sad: and the last band for this post hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, and it is the dreamiest of the bunch. If you are into dreampop/shoegaze this might catch your ears. There are right now two songs streaming from their forthcoming album “Sky Lake” which is set to be released on November 2nd. Right now you can actually pre-order it by the way. The two songs you can check out are titled “Light” and “Drool”, and if I had to choose my favourite, it might be the latter!
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As I continue traveling the world remembering bands that made an impression on me I think of Sybil Vane from Spain, a superb girl group that was around the 2000s and that I loved dearly their first album. I must admit that I didn’t follow them afterwards, and I have no clue what are they doing now. I just remember loving that first record, playing a burned copy quite a lot on my CD player. Today I just managed to order a copy of that first album, “Mermelada de Tomate”, from Discogs, and I can’t wait to have it at home. Why did I wait so many years to get a copy?!
The ban formed by a trio of girls, Luciana della Villa, Padi Fuster and Rocío Campaña, released as far as I know two albums, a single and a split 10″ while they were around. I hope to complete my collection in the next few months if there’s luck.
The first album as I was saying earlier was that pop masterpiece that is “Mermelada de Tomate” that was originally released by Cydonia Records (CY29) in 2004. That album included 10 songs, “Iba a Decirte”, “Arde Puente”, “Invisible sin Desaparecer del Todo”, “Agua en los Bolsillos”, “Pomme de Terre”, “Heynananá”, “You Disparo Tú”, “Pachorra”, “Hongos” and a hidden track. Two years later, a bigger label called B-Core Discs would sign them and was to re-release this same album, changing the artwork reds for greens and adding three more songs: “Funhouse”, “El Sabe Que Le Estamos Mirando” and “Bananas”. This CD also included the promo video for the song “Invisible Sin Desaparecer del Todo“. The album was produced by Lluís Cots at the Cydonia studios at Vilassar de Dalt. It was mixed and mastered by Santi Garcia at Ultramarinos Costa Brava in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
That same year, 2005, the band released a 7” with Piedra Papel Tijera Discos. This label doesn’t have a catalog, might it be a self-release? Also something that caught my attention is that three of the songs that were added to the reissue of “Mermelada de Tomate” are included here. This record had on the A side “Fecha de Caducidad” and “Bananas” while the B side had “Funhouse” and “Él Sabe que le estamos Mirando”. Maybe this record was released before the reissue? Would be good to get the timeline right.
Moving on to 2006 to see the light of their sophomore album, “Turismo de Interior”. This one was released by B-Core Disc (BC.142) in both CD and LP versions. It is clear the label had a lot of hope in them. The record art was designed by Alicia Roselló and was again mastered and mixed by Santi García at Ultramarinos Costa Brava. The record included 11 songs: “Mientras Dura”, “Turismo de Interior”, “La Primera Piedra”, “Enésima Oportunidad”, “Fracciones y Fricciones”, “Madre Soltera”, “Perdiendo el Tiempo”, “Bahamas”, “Te Voy a Matar”, “Fecha de Caducidad” and “El Fusell Que Va Coquerir L’oest”. There was a video made for the song “Turismo de Interior“.
Lastly, in 2007, the band put out a split 10” with the band Mondo Ray on B-Core Disc. Interestingly the record doesn’t have a catalog number. On this record each band contributed 4 songs, and the A side was for Sibyl Vane. They had the songs “Me Quiero”, “He Estado de Ánimo”, “Te He Dicho Que No” and “Marinera”.
There are also a bunch of compilation appearances. The first is on the 3CD set “Indie Radio 2” released by El Diablo! (EDD163) were the band appears with their name spelled wrongly as Sybil Vane and contributing the song “Invisible sin Desaparecer del Todo”. That was released in 2005 just as the compilation “BCore 1990-2005” that included “Pomme de Terre” and “Made in Barcelona” double CD that included “Pomme de Terre” and “Invisible sin Desaparecer del Todo” that was released by Satélite K (SAT K-CD-043).
The band also appears on two 2006 compilations. On the “Rock One Vol.21” that was released by Rock One (RONECD021) they had “Invisible sin Desaparecer del Todo” and on the “Bendito Pop” released by Junk Records (JKR 30) the song “Turismo de Interior”.
For 2007 they had “Madre Soltera” on the “Sidecar: Tinc 25 Anys!” released by Sinedín Music (SM-108) and “Invisible sin Desaparecer del Todo” on the DVD compilation “Fruits of the Season” released by B-Core Disc (BC.132). Lastly in 2008 they had “Mientras Dura” on the “Bcore Disc Sampler 2008”.
I check out also what other bands were the three girls involved with. Padi had been in a band called Centella who released an album in 2008 on Producciones Doradas. The one that continues making music to this day is Luciana della Villa with the band Svper who were previously known as Pegasvs who released a super self-titled album in 2012 on Canada. I missed this record. And I didn’t know at the time the connection with Sibyl Vane. It is a small world. But that is not all, Luciana had also been involved in Anticonceptivas, Amore and Thelemáticos. She also contributed vocals to the band La Otra Gloria. Rocío had been in Thelemáticos and La Otra Gloria as well.
Time to dig deeper. And guess what, I immediately find an interview the girls did with Rafa Skam from the Yellow Melodies fanzine. Here they say a bunch of interesting things about the band:
– They hail from Barcelona, specifically from the Vallès Occidental
– Their name is indeed taken from the character with the same name from the “Portrait of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
– The title of their first album, “Mermelada de Tomate”, is due to the tomato mermalade Rocío’s grandma does.
– At the time Padi was studying maths and used to work at a pool. Luciana studied art history and had studied fashion. Rocío was studying fine arts and photography and some days used to work at the Heliogábal bar in Barcelona.
– They had played Primavera Sound and Easy Pop Weekend.
Then another interview on the fine Popchild website. Here we learn:
– The band formed during the summer of 2003.
– There was a time when Padi was living in Madrid. It was due to her studies.
On the University of Alicante website I notice the band played a gig there at the International Women’s Day and the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Student Council. Then on indierock.es there are mentions of the band playing at La Telonera in Granada (22/10/2005).
There is yet another interview I find on La Factoría del Ritmo though it doesn’t give us many details about the band but it does tell us what were the favourite songs about the band, how they like to tour, etc. It is in Spanish though.
I keep looking for more information. I only see biographies and biographies of the band with the basic information I’ve shared already. It is clear that the label managed to promote them in many different blogs and zines back in the day. I do see a few websites for their newer projects where their old band is mentioned. But can’t find the reason why they split. If they had been in any bands before being in Sibyl Vane. If there are any other recordings by the band. Perhaps some demos? If they prefer singing in Spanish over Catalan? And why? What about that 7″ they released? Why that one is barely mentioned? What other cities in Spain did they play? Did they ever play abroad? Many questions I would love to ask them.
Does anyone remember them?
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Listen
Sibyl Vane – Pachorra
