Discos Pinya
Buy: Bandcamp
I don’t know Spanish, nor do I know Catalan. However, I will never shy away from a great sound or Google Translate. The second volume of Barcelona punk label Discos Pinya‘s Nadal a 10 bandes (vol. 2) is a perfect example of this. There are some great songs on here, all in the punk, hardcore, ska genres. A few songs really stood out to me, most especially Les Salvatges‘ “Fins que rebentem,” a reworking of the classic Bobby Freeman song from 1958, “Do You Wanna Dance,” into a Catalan punk Christmas jam about eating way too much at the holidays. On first listen, that song alone is worth me picking up the cassette they are offering (they also have a volume 1!).
I also really, really loved “Està tot molt mal” by Meconio, where they sound like they are having the most fun possible singing about some real heavy shit. Google translate this song – it is a left-wing punk rock anthem with some jingle bells tacked on. Want to sneak some politics onto your mix without your relatives realizing it? Done! Here’s a taste of the end:
It’s all very bad
they keep raping (and killing) us
and abortion
it is still illegal
It’s all very bad
and we’re up to our pussy
but with the guitar
we will continue to make songs
Vidal Soler‘s “Curset de nadales” also stood out, a meta song about writing a song, but while warning you not to let the songs or the season drag you into the consumerist trap. Incredibly short and awesome, they get what they need to say done in a minute and a sneeze. Truly fantastic.
This compilation hits more frequently than most, and at name-your-own-price on Bandcamp, is as close to a sure thing as you can get. Throw them some money and pick out your own favorites, why don’t you?
Bottom Line: The best punk compilation I’m come across in a good while, this record has some mix-worthy stuff for sure.
Christmas Underground 