Artist: VACACIONES Title: EMMABODA Format: CD Label: DISCOS IMPRESCINDIBLES / AUTOPOP Reference: DIMP-001 barcode: 8428846001999 Release date: 3rd October 2005

 Tracklist:
                1. Emmaboda
                2. Dis Berlin
                3. Mil piruetas
                4. Suelta los problemas ¡ya!
                5. ¿Qué tienen otras...?
                6. Agosto
                7. Batido de vainilla
                8. Sé que voy a vomitar
                9. Fenoscandia
                10. 2 corren x 3 calles
                11. Moral femenina

   VACACIONES are a six-piece from Murcia, Spain, currently formed by Ruth (vocals), Rafa Skam (guitar), Ángel (guitar), Carlos 77 (bass), Maria del Mar (keyboards and backing vocals) and José Alberto (drums). The band starts in mid 98, and some months later they have managed to have a first release out: a delightful coloured vinyl seven inch single for Elefant’s single club, including the band’s first hit “Poppy girl”, that got more than acceptable sales in Japan. The first official live show takes place in February 99 in Madrid’s Siroco Club; and the band hasn’t stopped growing up since then: they have been playing all around Spain, with the best Spanish acts (LOS PLANETAS, COOPER, LOS FRESONES REBELDES, LA HABITACION ROJA, FANGORIA,...) and international outfits such as THE FRANK AND WALTERS, SING SING, MARINE RESEARCH, etc... They have also played in the most important Spanish summer festivals (Benicassim, Primavera Sound, Doctor Music, Contempopranea, Lemon Pop, Festimad,...), and even a festival in Sweden, the Emmaboda Festival, in the summer of 2004, sharing the bill with bands such as THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR, THE RADIO DEPT, KAITO, BEARSUIT, and so on, and collecting some good reviews in the swedish press.

   After releasing 3 singles (two of them in 7” vinyl format), they released their debut album, ‘Sonreir’, in 2002, that was recorded in ‘El Refugio Antiaereo’ studio in Granada, by Carlos Hernandez, who produced the album along with the band. The production avoids gimmicks and “special effects” in favour of a naked sound that leaves clear the main ingredients in VACACIONES, those really appreciated by their fans: those bright and sparkling melodies that only they can do, with Ruth’s charming and naturally fresh vocals, the sunny guitars, the dancing basslines and that hammond organ sound which gives them that special sixties touch.

   Once their first album was released (and that it’s sold out now), they started a tour all over Spain; they also take part in some compilations all over the world, one was the Original Soundtrack for “Looking for Chencho”, a short film by Kepa Junkera; they also release a new cd-single from ‘Sonreir’ in 2003, called “No me digas que me quieres”, which includes some new songs and a cover of LIO’s “Amoureux Solitaires”; they record a video-clip of the song “No me digas que me quieres”, shot by 'Les Nouveaux Auteurs', and with the surprise that a pop icon adored by the whole band, Amelia Fletcher (TENDER TRAP, MARINE RESEARCH, HEAVENLY, TALULA GOSH,...), joined them in the making of the clip.

   There are some changes in the line-up, as they add a second guitar player, Angel, and also Maria del Mar (ex-YELLOW MELODIES) joins the band on the keyboards and backing vocals. Then they build their own recording studio, called ‘Gratis’ (‘Free’), and they record 4 new songs that cannot come out with Elefant Records, as Elefant cannot release all the stuff they would love to, so they decide to release the new CD-Single, called ‘Suelta los problemas ¡ya!’ with a new label called ‘Discos de Paseo’. This CD-Single comes out in February 2005. By that time, they start recording the 11 songs that they will include in their second album, called ‘Emmaboda’.

   VACACIONES spend 4 months (from February to May 2005) recording their second album, featuring 11 new songs which the band themselves record and mix, and which is also self-arranged and self-produced, in their own ‘Gratis’ studio. The album title is taken from the wonderful swedish festival where they were playing in the summer of 2004, and where they spent their first real holidays playing in a foreign but magical festival. Those days meant a really inspiring and creative experience, they even wrote there the song that starts and titles the album. ‘Emmaboda’ is plenty of exciting brand new numbers as fresh and cheeky as their first creations but much more professional and effective, proving the band has really done its homework concerning practising and playing live around the country during all these years. They have also re-recorded 2 old songs (“Batido de vainilla” and “Moral femenina”), which only existed previously in demo format. And they finally include the main song of their recent cd-single, “Suelta los problemas ¡ya!”. The songs in the album are written by Jose Alberto, Angel, Carlos and Rafa.

   VACACIONES believe now in the “do-it-yourself” way, as not only they have written the songs in this album, but also they have recorded and mixed them, they have also arranged and produced them,... Angel has designed the artwork, and Rafa Skam has created a new label, called ‘Discos Imprescindibles’, and ‘Emmaboda’ is the first reference of the new label, but with the help of the Elefant sub-label ‘Autopop’... this means that the relationship between Elefant and VACACIONES has never disappeared. The album has been mastered by J.M. Rosillo. And by listening to the record, we can honestly say that they have been up to the expectations aroused and have delivered a whole collection of songs without being boring or repetitive; and not every band can go through this succesfully.

   ‘Emmaboda’ shows they are talented enough as to be placed at the top of the current Spanish underground pop scene. The amateurism of their early recordings is left behind in order to reveal all the band’s potential in these songs: the album is plenty of delighting details that enrich their sound, but keeping that multicoloured and fresh touch that features the band. In this second album, we find a wider sound of guitars, as we must remember that now we have two guitar players, Angel and Rafa, who draw beautiful textures where some rocking and effective riffs get on really well with some magical guitar arpeggios; then we add the classical sound from the hammond organ, and a wide range of lushy arrangements, where we can hear strings, horns, xylophones, sitars, pianos, and so on... Ruth is more self-confident now, and her charming and naturally fresh vocals sound better than ever, managing to transmit all the enchantment that she hides in her heart. Maria del Mar draws perfect harmonies that match perfectly with Ruth’s voice; Ángel also shares vocal tasks with Ruth in this album, and Rafa is also in charge of some backing vocals.

   The sound of VACACIONES is halfway through energetic, vibrant sixties pop (“Dis Berlin”, “Suelta los problemas ¡ya!”,...) and the sweetiest indie pop with female vocals (“Moral femenina”, “Mil piruetas”,...), featuring almost a dozen of songs with a special melodic intuition to bump into the catchiest chorus.

   They have also made a new video-clip, of the song “Dis Berlin”, and they will start a tour to play live the songs in this album.
 

   VACACIONES discography:
ER-199 “Dani” Single 7” (Elefant, 1998)
ER-214 “Espero una respuesta” Single 7” (Elefant, 2000)
ER-327 “Un año de...Vacaciones” CD-Single (Elefant, 2000)
ER-1085 “Sonreír” LP / CD (Elefant, 2002)
ER-350 “No me digas que me quieres” CD-Single (Elefant, 2003)
DP-001 “Suelta los problemas ¡ya!” CD-Single (Discos de Paseo, 2005)
DIMP-001 “Emmaboda” CD (Discos Imprescindibles / Autopop, 2005)
 

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VACACIONES website: http://www.elefant.com/vacaciones