Mentioned in our our recent “Top Local Spanish Bands That Will Blow Your Mind” list by Catalan alternative, post rock infused post hardcore band TREES WILL TELL, noise rock / post punk / post hardcore act PALMAR DE TROYA caught our ear immediately and we’ve been looking for an opportunity to showcase their work, learn more about their lyrics and give you something special. We managed to make it a quick follow up and here it is: Palmar de Troya 10″ EP presentation with special commentary from the band, and their exclusive Top 10 Spanish Foods list, plus a Spotify Playlist with a name that’s not safe for work. ¡que aproveche!
Palmar de Troya formed in April 2019 in Granada, South Spain when Marina (vocals and synthesizers), Marcos (drums and vocals), Alfonso (bass), Salinas (guitar) and Toto (guitar) teamed up to create something that would extend their experience with previous bands Maine, Gentemayor, Alondra Galopa or Red Passenger.
For fans of: Girls Against Boys, Fugazi, Milemarker, Hot Snakes, Trail of dead, etc.
Putting our their debut EP this year, Palmar De Troya makes a strong political and social statement in a record that is as full of rage as it is of haunting melodies. If you’re into early 90s raw sound, and a Dischord or Touch and Go alumni, this is your band. – TREES WILL TELL
Asked about their backgrounds, the band comments:
The musicians who were part of the band knew each other from many years ago. Salinas (guitar), had played among many other bands like Maine, which is a mythical group of emo in Spain in the early 2000s. Alfonso is a bass player who has gone through independent bands (Martina Karch) as well as professionally bassist for national mainstream artists;s; he had coincided with Marcos (drums) in other projects such as Red Passenger and experimental formations. Toto (guitar) currently plays in another noisepunk band called Gentemayor and in the experimental electronic band Music Komite. Marcos is a professional sound technician and has participated in many band and personal projects collaborating with people like Dreyma, Zinumm, Trépat … Marina (voices) has training in singing and piano, and is a good friend for years ago.
The style that came out when we started to see each other to play is what you hear in our first EP. It is our roots and what gives us the best, what identifies us the most. We come from the national punk and hardcore scene and whatever music style we play, it is always present in one way or another; We listen to all kinds of music but we like to play with the melody and the anger, the dissonances … we are very identified by what bands like Girls Against Boys, Milemarker, Shellac, Fugazi, Murder City Devils, Tropical Fuck Storm…
This EP is our first job. We recorded it in november of 2019 in La Resinera Estudios.We are very happy with the result and we were very care with the specific sounds of each instrument, we thought about it a lot. That it was clean and clear, but that it had the energy and punch that we like. We recorded six songs and made many of the arrangements in the same studio. We spent two days recording locked up in a house where we could record ourselves at any time, which made it much easier for us to never disconnect from the session. This album was going to be released by Linier Discos in 10 ”format, but finally, with the COVID19 crisis, it was postponed and we are waiting.
Continued below…
Our lyrics are essentially political, social … whatever you want to call them.
We do not like to tell anyone what to do or not to do, but on a personal level, we all believe in art as a form of reflection and social criticism. It is a key moment, globally and nationally … and it is important to participate and take a stand, because from this we are going to emerge, or stronger, or weaker than ever … with an increase in extreme neoliberalism without any kind of complex to go into the most literal fascism. We believe that in that sense and because of our convictions, we have a responsibility and it would be not being honest with ourselves if we ignore these issues.
More lyric videos: HERE, HERE, and HERE.
We also see conservatism in the artistic sector and a lack of acceptance of new things that scare us … especially because they are from people who are supposed to be cultural references, who are left out of the game in the face of new trends or platforms, and not… They are able to recognize the creativity, for example, of a 15-year-old boy cheating with a laptop in his room.
Plans for the nearest future
One of our plans was obviously to play live. We already had several dates closed and just before everything started we had just started the promo. We have continued with the promo and put the album on bandcamp for free for anyone who would like to download it. We really want to present the EP live. Besides, during this time even in the confinement, we have continued composing and we already have some new songs in progress that we hope to be able to record at the end of summer of this year. In any case, until we see how this new normality is developing, we do not want to propose projects that we do not know if we are going to be able to carry out or not.
Thoughts on COVID-19 pandemic
In Spain, as in the vast majority of the world, COVID19 has ended any type of public activity. Concerts, festivals, performances… have been canceled and our country has been one of the most shaken with a large number of infections and deaths. It is a rare situation, because it has unsettled all the agents involved in the cultural sector, who do not yet know, how to cover the space that the concerts had. On the other hand, in our case and I imagine that in the rest of the bands, we will continue to play, rehearse, record … the sector most affected has been the professional sector, but in this country it works through clientelism and money. We are outside that and we are neither interested nor want to be part of it. We believe that it is good at a certain point that flawed and disguised forms of acting disappear, when she was a true mafia of cultural management.
Local alt music scene in Southern Spain
We live in the South of Spain, where the main cultural identity related to music has been flamenco. In this area it was difficult to see live bands, The scene was quite small despite the fact that the region is the largest … but from a few years ago to the present, we have one of the best musical scenes in Spain, with bands of all styles and with brutal quality. People like Adios Caballos, Habitar la Mar, Dreyma, Atavismo … there are a number of brutal gangs, and all with a lot of identity and very good, because in this area to visualize yourself, you have to work very hard.
Other bands worth your time
This year at the international level there are two albums that have surprised us like the Englishs BLÓM and the guys from EX WIVES. Shame is one of another new bands that we listen a lot. Both noisy and with a lot of energy. They are young groups and you can see the honesty of that force.
On a national level, we have the new works of Habitar la Mar and Adiós Caballos, which have broken all expectations, or the Catalans Trees will tell. They are all young bands, but with musicians who have a long way to go. Bands that have not released album this year but we highly recommend you to see the immense level that we have in this country would be Adrift, Cuchillo de fuego, Lisabo, Ugatz … we have a very fit scene.
10 Spanish Foods You Must Try
We are not young people… actually, one of the goals of the band is to eat typicall foods of each city where we play. It is one of the most important reasosns what we play with 40; Here we put a list of most of the amazing and exquisite Spanish food:
TRVE SPANISH POTATO OMELETTE. The REAL only have eggs and potatoes.
Its a fucking drug.
A classic from south coast cities
5. Salmorejo
In summer, we survive eating this all the time.
6. Paella
Our most internationally (and most fucked) food: the true is from Valencia and its like this.
Typical from the province where we live. Very good against the cold days and for a good “siesta”.
8. Alubias de Tolosa con Chorizo
In basque country, you can find most of the better foods of Spain. This is a good example.
A great fish with vegetables tipycal from the south.
10. Torrijas:
and one dessert… you can eat them until your death.
Spotify Playlist: Music to Cook & Fuck
We put here a variety of music that we would like to listen when we are cooking or fucking; two things that we love.
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