Having started off 2014 in a healthy state it’s safe to say that the malware infection which threw the Wordpress version of Muso’s Guide off track in the spring was a setback that we’ve been slow to get back up to speed from. Contributors disappearing into thin air over the past few months has also obviously been less than helpful in a year that, initially, was shaping up to be extremely good – we’d covered our first festival in the USA, reviews were being published at a rate seldom before witnessed and UK & European festival coverage was on the increase. Significant progress was also being made in the area of music-related books.

We’re still here though and as committed as ever to reviewing whatever we feel like, agenda-free and entirely honestly & whilst the past 12 months have thrown up challenges we’d definitely not anticipated it’s not been a bad year for music. I’ve personally thoroughly enjoyed my experiences at all of the festivals I’ve covered (Liverpool Psych Fest, Le Guess Who? & Long Division all for the second time and Beaches Brew & Bradford’s Threadfest for the first times). Practically everywhere you look now has a similar urban event going on at some point in the year so 2015 will see coverage from those already mentioned as well as the likes of Hipsville and a look at what Ghent & St. Malo have to offer.

On the recorded music front I’ve lost track of the enjoyable individual songs that have leapt out at me at various times across various platforms but we’ve tried to corral those we’ve particularly enjoyed on our soundcloud-hosted Underexposed playlists as well as collating the bigger named acts in a similar manner over on Rdio. As for albums keeping an ongoing list for the purposes of reference in this article has as ever been invaluable.

In no particular order then I can safely see myself still caring enough to be listening to the following in the year ahead:- Quilt’s Held In Splendor, Holy Wave’s Relax, Mark Morriss’s A Flash Of Darkness (which benefits greatly from his voice sounding a tad cheerier than with The Bluetones), The Faint’s Doom Abuse (possibly their best album yet), Chiaroscuro by I Break Horses, East India Youth’s Total Strife Forever, Bleeding Rainbow’s Interrupt, Pontiak’s Innocence, Skaters’ Manhattan, from way back in December 2013 The Frowning Clouds’ Whereabouts (the only act amongst this lot who’ve managed to have another album out in the same 12 month period), Todd Terje’s It’s Album Time, Cuello’s Modo Eterno, Luminous by The Horrors (who’ve managed to fully change their spots with a work that came close to being played to death), Clipping’s Clppng, White Fence’s For The Recently Found Innocent and, finally, the musical riot that is the self-titled debut from Meatbodies.

Gig-wise Augustines, Teenage Fanclub, Muck And The Mires & The Black Lips stand out for me but the bulk of performances taken in were during the previously mentioned festivals with Gnod, White Hills, Nissenmondai, Theo Verney, The Vaselines & Einstürzende Neubauten all delivering brilliantly (the latter being the best performance for this and many previous years combined). 2015 has a lot to live up to. 

So it's been a while but the releases from Barcelona's BCore have trickled in over the last month or so & it seems only fair to pass out an assessment of their merits.

In no particular order then we'll kick off with Cuello's Modo Eterno, and what a kick it is. Racing out of the traps like a souped up version of The Cardiacs opener 'Te Vas De Lado Siempre' pulls you along in its wake and sets the scene for a punishing but euphorically punked-up journey through the album's entirety. Things calm down a bit round about songs for & five but by the time 'San Balon' thunders around, with it's anthemic '77 feel, repeated chorus and the bludgeoning drumming of its final minute any respite gained has been well and truly erased.

This album proves without a doubt the Cuello is still a key plank in the musical life of the prolific Jose Guerreros (Jupiter Lion, La Orquestra del Caballo Ganador, Betunizer & Rastrejo being his other ongoing concerns) and the quartet have delivered one of the best punk albums, of any sort, of the year. It doesn't let up until the very final note of 'Tu Fuego De Luces' and there's nothing reasonable to do other than start it off again.

Joan Colomo's La Filia I La Fobia, his fourth solo effort (like Jose Guerreros he too is not one to have only one creative outlet, being the driving force behind La Célula Durmiente, amongst others), is a wide-ranging pop affair. It has therefore it's fair share of jagged, energetic songs but there are lusher moments such as third track 'Dona Negra' and the later 'Maquina Del Temps'. Like a cross between a talented Miles Kane and Sebastien Tellier Colomo delivers a dozen short blasts of varying stridency that all give off the atmosphere of summer.

Whilst his voice gets rather too child-like on 'Tu Pies' the delicate guitar work redeems the track at the end and it's such a minor dip in form that it's soon forgotten within the warmth of the latter half of the album. One for that party you were planning on your balcony.

No More Lies have been playing hardcore at home and abroad since as far back as 1997 yet this is only their fourth album and the first since 41º46.5'N 3º1.9'E from 2005. Both lyrically and musically accessible for this reviewer seeing as they sing in English, theirs is a tight and at times furious assault on the ears, showing their passion for playing and getting their message across is as fresh as at the beginning. Describing them as Spain's Husker Du is entirely apt. None of the ten songs on this release passes the three minute mark and yet they cram more changes of pace, solos and melodic elements into each track than you'd think possible. 

Jaime L. Panteleon's La Ley Del Si once more takes things back to a calmer musical neighbourhood. Sparse and, at times, mildly psychedelic instrumentation backs Panteleon's emotive vocals. Vocally the work at times borders on pretty mainstream but there is enough maturity and diversity in the musical accompaniment to keep things repeatedly interesting - at times vaguely like John Fahey ('Sin Luz') or Nick Drake with accompaniment on 'Infinitamente Sonámbulo' and a number of other nuances and nods towards throughout the ten tracks. 

Finally there's the Todo Por El Bien Comun single from Nueva Vulcano. Another band with quite a few albums behind them this release is their first since the Los Peces De Colores album. Citing Wire and Guided By Voices as influences the two songs here definitely offer shades of those acts amidst weightier music than either have been known to produce but fans of both bands would do well to give 'El Bien Comun' and 'Mogolion' a listen.

All of the above releases can be heard at and purchased from the BCore bandcamp page.