Kire
“Carta de Despedida” (La Plaga D.I.Y., 2024)

I believe the first artist I heard, that sang in Spanish, was Julio Iglesias, a massive romantic singer that was, before becoming an artist, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper. Now that is one odd equation. Well, time went by, and I discovered a different band: Héroes del Silencio; and 90ies kids will definitely remember the name. I lived close to the boarder, so I had an almost constant contact with their music on TV and on the radio. They were never a favourite of mine, but it did open the way for me to appreciate music sang in Spanish, and that first record is good.

Fast forward a bunch of years, and we have Kire and their “Carta de Despedida”. And this is a really cool and enthusiastic album! It has Punk, it has Pop melodies, it has a bit of that Spanish Punk sound, it has a bunch of elements that make a kick-ass release! It is all in the melodies the band puts out, all in the melodies. Spanish language does have a melodic side to it, a bit like the French and the Portuguese: no need to really understand it, you just enjoy it and absorb it along the way.

Spanish Punk is a strain of its own. As mentioned before, they add Pop melodies to Punk riffs, and make it sound good, not cheesy as the lads from the US of Arsehole do. Kire is a Punk quartet from Baix Llobregat, Barcelona. And now you can get a glimpse of what the band is all about: Punk and Catalonya? Well, that means war, my friend. Catalonya, Basque Country, Galicia, synonyms of Revolution. All these autonomous regions have a thing for Punk Rock and Revolution, and the music always comes out bursting! Kire is no exceptions, and with catchy chorus, and sing-along moments, grabs the crown by the throat and takes it for a ride! And this particular ride takes less than 13-minutes, and I assure you it is a feisty one.

The female vocal, paired with male vocal, gives the music not only different layers, but different moods, d’you know what I mean?! She makes the music less aggressive and more delicate, or it seems at first! No weak moment here! It is all stab and kick! “Carta de Despedida” is a 5-track EP, a short boxing match, a fast effect pill, it is whatever you want to call it, but it rocks, and in the end that is what matters. Hasta mañana, gilipollas.

Revertt / Kolpeka (Mendeku Diskak, 2024)

The Basque Country has always fascinated me. People might be left wondering why, but it only shows that they know nothing about Politics and Punk, right? Social movements, political fights, creative rebellions, and Eskorbuto. Yes, Eskorbuto. Who does not love Eskorbuto?

But we are gathered here today to talk about 2 acts from this oh so special place: Revertt and Kolpeka. Hardcore Old School style, attitude and melody. A metaphorical kick to the balls and punch to the face, that is the physical expression of their music. Revertt is a steamroller, no stops and continuous aggressiveness and destruction. Love it, just love it. Old School Hardcore, be it NY or Boston – I do prefer Boston, honestly – is always something to hope for! More than that, is the bloody aura you get from the music, d’you know what I mean? Agnostic Front’s “Cause for Alarm” has that aura, that raw thing to it, and Revertt has bits of that raw and street-like aura.

Kolpeka was a surprise when they came out in 2020. Has it been really 4 years ago? These lads have grown, as we can easily hear. Their music has become harsher, dirtier, bigger! You can definitely hear evolution in their sound. “Zeurie Dana” is immense! If at first, they were more modest and simpler, they can now demand respect from their pears, as these lads are ripping it. The Basque Hardcore Punk scene is tremendous, and it has been for some years now!

Again, what I get from the Basque sound is raw emotions, dirty combat boots and ripped trainers, and plenty of powerful melody. Bloody fuck!

Terre Neuve
"Depuis Les Marais" (Mendeku Diskak, 2024)

Who is better at playing Punk Oi?! Lads that speak French, right? Maybe not completely right, but I get your idea. And what we have here today is a Belgium band, from Brussels, to be more precise, that play a Punk Oi sound, rich in melodies and with the sufficient – and demanded – level of aggressiveness. Well, Punk Oi is never about the aggressiveness, in my opinion, but everything about the melodies, and these beer drinking Punks have a lot of it.

The sound, it sounds raw, it does have that grain, that dirty touch, right? From the streets ahahah and melody? Well, “OK Cafard” really has the melodic side we all know, and love, from Punk Oi. What more to say? Just go check it and stopping being a little bitch! Thank me later…