Reviews

Discos Banana

Error de Paralaje Imagen Latente LP

This Granadan trio casually swung in at the tail end of 2025 and dropped off one of the year’s best records. Maybe too casually. Unlike other recent bands who you could similarly describe as jangly or power pop-y, they haven’t been buried under mountains of praise. I’m not sure if that’s due to a lack of exposure, or the fact that they can’t obviously be lumped in with the current jangle/power pop revival. In any event, they are a band you should be paying attention to. ERROR DE PARALAJE isn’t simply reheating BIG STAR or GUIDED BY VOICES; they’re taking a rich post-punk stock and clarifying it into a bright, delicate pop consommé. This 12”, the band’s second release since forming in the late 2010s, is a record dripping with a nostalgia not conveyed via obvious signifiers like a band donning period costumes, but via melodies that genuinely ache for a past that promised something other than the bleak reality we inhabit. The music walks such a fine line between sweet and melancholic, often sounding something like a stripped-back LOOK BLUE GO PURPLE mixed with BLONDE REDHEAD’s “Hated Because of Great Qualities.” Or a track like “Mi Mundo Gris” has you imagine a world where the  FEELIES were heavily inspired by ENNIO MORRICONE. It’s such a strange, beautiful record that I want more folks to love, so please check it out!

Sistema de Entretenimiento 300 Noches Sin Dormir LP

Spanish goth/post-punk/new wave/pop from the early ’80s that was associated with the Movida Madrileña cultural movement is one of my soft spots. The resurgence of synth/post-punk from Spain in the last few years has been very welcome for me, and this band is one of the top-tier acts pushing this forward. On their second LP, they (more than ever) bring to mind legendary bands like PARALISIS PERMANENTE, if maybe colored with a shade of modern lo-fi punk vibes (so as to not say egg-punk). There’s actually a lot of PARALISIS PERMANENTE in this record to my ears, but a reference point more people can understand would be a snotty, punkier early JOY DIVISION. Either way, this is a great fucking record with an immersive dark vibe, “fuck you” attitude, and a bunch of synths. What’s not to fucking love? 

V/A Matado Por La Muerte Vol. 3 LP

I remember quite well the first time I listened to Matado Por La Muerte Vol. 1. I think it was 2008. It just felt like being hit in the face by a brick and just laughing about it while you bleed. It became an instant classic. This is the third volume (the second was released in 2015), with 21 exclusive tracks from eighteen Spanish-speaking bands. As always, the comp is full of gems and styles, all sharing the same iconoclast spirit. Here are some of the songs I enjoyed the best: CAMPAMENTO RUMANO’s PEGAMOIDES-meets-REZILLOS sound, the lo-fi fun of FINALE, the fury of Mexico’s CREMALLERAS, Peru’s MORBO’s street knowledge, Spanish SATÉLITE’s gothic notes on modern life, and the anthemic “EspaÁ±a Me Pertenece” from TENDIDO CERO. This a really good introduction to current Spanish-speaking punk, hardcore, and post-punk if you’re interested in getting into it.

Waldo Faldo Nueva Especie Humana EP

Madrid-based histrionic new wave-y synth punkers filled with energy. This is their second piece of work, pinching up the synth influence in their music. Lyrics verse on new world order and biotechnology applied to humans, carrying such prospects to the table in tracks “Año 2033” and “Nueva Especie Humana.” Monotone clean vocals follow the drum machine but especially the synth lines mixed with keyboards, which tend to be addictive and create a great atmosphere for egg-punk lovers. All four tracks carry a similar intention, giving a feeling of passing through videogame levels in the same tones. Interesting enough, eager to hear more from them.