From September to December, Madrid and Ourense will be full of the best American independent music within a season that has brought the best artists throughout all its editions. From American music legends such as Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Victoria Williams, The Posies, Howe Gelb (Giant Stand) and Josh Rouse, to the most current names on the scene like Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Little Wings, Woods and Peter Broderick.
The SON Estrella Galicia American Autumn has its roots in the autumn of 2009 at the Café & Pop Torgal in Ourense as a series of American music concerts in a small city and with capacity for 100 people. From the beginning, the season has ensured an original and quality line-up which, with the support of the public, has grown year upon year until it took the big leap in 2013 of being held for the very first time in Madrid as well as in Ourense.
MAC McCAUGHAN (SUPERCHUNK)
When: Tuesday 10 November, 10.30pm
Where: Sala El Sol, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €12
Ticket sales: Ticketea
When: Monday 9 November, 8pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: For a limited period €10
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
One of the great and definitive icons of American indie rock. Co-founder and owner of the Merge label, Superchunk front man, and also of Portalstatic, the name under which he has released solo albums. With Superchunk, as much copied as respected, the success was more than modest. As Portalstatic, Mac disguised what he has only dared to do in 2015, which is to sign a record under his real name. Non-Believers is its name and in it he offers a more fragile image of his side as a composer.
WILL JOHNSON (CENTRO-MATIC, SOUTH SAN GABRIEL)
When: Thursday 17 December, 10.30pm
Where: Sala El Sol, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €12
Ticket sales: Ticketea
When: Sunday 20 December, 8.30pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: For a limited period €10
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
Will Johnson is back. This time with a new album, Swan City Vampires, which will be released on 25 September. In this new record, the artist from Austin has a more rugged and aggressive aspect, like a Neil Young with his Crazy Horse in a pure state. Sound hurricanes that take you on those southern state back roads. Mr Johnson never stops. Be it with his Centro-Matic or with his thousands of projects with friends like Jim James, David Bazan and Jay Farrah, he’s always at the forefront.
VETIVER
When: Monday 21 September, 10pm
Where: Sala El Sol, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €12
Sold Out
When: Tuesday 22 September, 8.30pm
When: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: For a limited period €12
Last tickets available: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
Vetiver is an American indie folk group fronted by Andy Cabic. Collaborating frequently with Devendra Banhart from the start, this musician from San Francisco has attempted to create his own path record by record with his personal project, always framed within traditional North-American music. In this sense, Vetiver has never left the most orthodox standards and that hasn’t allowed them to find a comfortable position behind the frontline of folk-pop.
JUAN WAUTERS
When: Tuesday 22 September, 10pm
Where: Teatro del Arte, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €10
Ticket sales: Ticketea
When: Sunday 26 September, 9pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: For a limited period €10
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal y Ticketea
A Uruguayan settled in New York, he became the face of The Beets in 2004, a psychedelic rock and garage band. Signed by the very trendy indie label, Captured Tracks, they were active until the end of 2013, when Wauters announced that he was going solo. His debut album is quite naked, with a folk slant that puts it close to Syd Barrett (looking back) and Devendra Banhart and Little Wings (looking to the present).
LADY LAMB
When: Friday 9 October, 9.30pm
Where: Fotomatón, Madrid
Tickets: In Advance €10 / At the door €12
Ticket sales: Ticketea
When: Sunday 11 October, 11pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: In Advance €10 / At the door €13
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
For many, Lady Lamb is an enigma, behind this artistic name is Aly Spaltro. A daring artist that can command a completely empty and dark stage just with her voice. However, when accompanied by her band, what started as a sweet and broken lament, becomes something powerful, the lights come on and there’s an explosion. During this American Autumn we can enjoy these two equally brilliant facets. She brings with her After (Mom+Pop), her second album.
LOW
When: Monday 26 October, 10pm
Where: Teatro Lara, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €15
Last 20 tickets available on: Ticketea
Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker have been the visible face of this musical project since the very start, and have been accompanied by the bass player Steve Garrington since 2008. The depth of their sound has grown throughout these years to become one of the most complete experiences in the rock universe. With a career spanning over 20 years, and 10 albums, they reach American Autumn with a new album in their hands, ready to move us and make us experience another of those magical moments.
ALELA DIANE & RYAN FRANCESCONI
When: Monday 30 November, 10pm
Where: Sala El Sol, Madrid
Tickets: For a limited period €15
Ticket sales: Ticketea
From their very start, the specialised press realised there was a new muse for folk, someone with a modern nostalgic touch that evoked the spirit of Laurel Canyon. Like a Joanna Newsom without eccentricities. To Be Still and Alela Diane & Wild Divine, both with the Rough Trade label, made her climb up the fame ladder. With About Farewell she returns to her own label Rusted Blue Records.
MARK OLSON (THE JAYHAWKS)
When: Saturday 31 October, 9.30pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: For a limited period €10
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
Mark Olson, founder, singer, guitarist and co-writer of the The Jayhawks’ hits, will present in Spain Good Bye Lizelle, his revealing 2014 album, alongside Ingunn Rongvold and the great Spanish harmonica player Juan Blas Becerra. Good Bye Lizelle will be performed by an acoustic trio (acoustic and electric guitar, dulcimer, harp, keyboard, djembe…) and a wide rage of harmonicas with, at times, natural and at others processed sounds, that combined with percussion, adds innovation and freshness to a traditional sound.
STEVE WYNN
When: Thursday 15 October, 8pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: €12
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
After a successful one-month tour through Europe, Steve Wynn will go on his first solo tour throughout Spain. The tour is called “Solo Electric” and that’s exactly what it is, Steve performing all his hits with a hollow body Gibson, an amplifier and his voice. Undoubtedly, en electrifying experience at Café Torgal with one of the greatest American musicians in the last twenty years. The Dream Syndicate, Gutterball, Danny & Dusty, The Baseball Project are some of his most important projects.
DENISON WITMER
When: Friday 30 October, 9pm
Where: Café & Pop Torgal, Ourense
Tickets: €10
Ticket sales: Café & Pop Torgal and Ticketea
Denison Witmer is a folk singer-songwriter with a career spanning over 20 years, and 10 albums to his name. This will be his first visit to Spain and one of the few to Europe. Frequently collaborating with Sufjan Stevens, who helped him to produce his latest album Are you a Dreamer?, Witmer’s style has been classed as neo folk, and he has been compared to artists and composers from the 70’s including Cat Stevens and Nick Drake.
