Porcys

Dec 7

Armando Suzette: “All Hallows Eve”

Armando Suzette is a project of Mateusz Tondera, the vocalist of the quite unremembered Cracow-based indie rock band White Rabbit’s Trip. Ditching the sharp-edged tone of the band, he put out an EP, Summer Quest, in 2010. It was a bit of a chaotic set of demos with surf accents redolent of early Animal Collective. However, “All Hallows Eve,” released on Halloween 2011, took a more concrete form and was Armando’s best production back then. Withdrawing from all remnants of rock, Tondera focused on synths and created a neat low-budget bedroom R&B sketch. Over the absolutely spartan background of keys and a terse drum loop, the astonishingly meandering vocal melodies are both charming and disquieting.

By Łukasz Konatowicz

(Originally published at Porcys.com in November 2011. Translated by Krzysztof Pytel)

Nov 7

Rycerzyki: “The Mating Season”

rycerzyki

Rycerzyki come from the same pocket of the Kraków scene that birthed Die Flöte, and similarly paraphrase indie’s must-have tropes of the moment. Imagine Stereolab covering “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac, as re-imagined by Nite Jewel. “Mating Season” beckons with its lack of pretension and tastefulness of arrangement. Given the minimal production, the song sounds like a throwback to the post-disco and post-kraut era, right when Yo La Tengo and Stereolab were fashioning their influences into the modern standard of indie pop.

By Michał Hantke

(Originally published at Porcys.com in September 2012; translated by Patryk Mrozek)

Sep 22

ZaStary: Stary Dance (EP)

While the guys from Crab Invasion, one of Poland’s most promising rock outfits right now, are gearing up for a missile volley in honor of the classy guitar twang to come on their debut album, the band’s frontman has decided to start shooting early. And his solo act is by no means a blind shot.

Viadrina: “Jeannie”

It seems that Christina Aguilera’s debut album took the top place in her discography for good. Right now, nothing shows that Aguilera’s going to pull herself together and release a record that would make use of her great potential. Disenchantingly, her 1999 self-titled LP remains one of the last gems of teen pop. Anyway, it’s good to hear “Genie In A Bottle” the way Viadrina offer it. The versatile duo carries on a deft narrative built around the main hook of Xtina’s single, putting it into a deep-house frame. The nearly eight-minute track passes swiftly, and that’s always telling. You have my recommendation.

By Kacper Bartosiak

(Originally published at Porcys.com in May 2012; translated by Krzysztof Pytel with editing by Emily Pudalov)

May 23

KDMS: “Wonderman”

“It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes,” sang Nelly, and he was definitely right. It’s not the first time we host Kathy Diamond and Maximilian Skiba on Porcys, but now, as the duo has come out with a new single, a new video, and a debut LP (Kinky Dramas & Magic Stories), they become a feather in our cap. And it was just a few years back that we needed a microscope to search for any traces of good dance-pop in Poland (say, Novika, barely meeting expectations). Today, Kamp! and Rebeka are signed by Discotexas, the son of Krzesimir Debski and Anna Jurksztowicz (as Jimek) has remixed Beyonce’s “End of Time,” and I hardly remember that Max Skiba was born here too. What we get from The KDMS is high quality, flawless production, Diamond’s great vocals, and a chorus that manifests a high repeatability coefficient for the upcoming summer open air.

By Kamil Babacz

(Originally published at Porcys.com in April 2012; translated by Krzysztof Pytel with editing by Emily Pudalov)