«If Los Planetas brought us in as the opening act and Jota was the first to do a promotional campaign for us, how could we not sound like Los Planetas? We recorded the first album at his house with him hanging out there – and he can endure it for an entire recording. “We slept three days at his house.” This is how Lori Meyers’ leader joked about the recording of his first album, ‘Viaje de Estudios’ (2004), when he visited our podcast REVELACIÓN O TIMO a couple of seasons ago.
Jota’s band was initially more influenced by The Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine; in the last 15 years, more for flamenco. Noni’s were much more 60’s and later tended towards timeless pop-rock. Los Brincos and Los Ángeles, never an influence on Jota, never stopped appearing in practically all of Lori Meyers’ vocal melodies.
In truth, The Planets and Lori Meyers were as little alike as Blur and Oasis. His sense of humor, from ‘Cumpleaños Total’ to ‘Enborracharme’, is completely different. But how tempting it was to put them in the same bag, and how beautiful is this photo in which they share Play Station, which has just arrived in our mailbox.
Last Saturday Los Planetas performed at the Plaza de Toros de Granada. Rockdelux began its chronicle by indicating that “it was one of those days that remain in the memory of a city.” From early in the morning, people could be seen wearing group t-shirts in the bars. After such pertinent opening acts as Alcalá Norte and Depresion Sonora, Los Planetas performed – with Eric – first ‘Súper 8’ for their 30th anniversary, and then hits from all eras, such as ‘Segundo Premio’, ‘Islamabad’ and ‘Pesadilla en the amusement park’.
Just a week later, today, October 5, it is Lori Meyers’ turn in the same venue. It will be the closing of the ‘Espacios Infinites’ tour and there are very few tickets available. The authors of ‘Alta fidelity’ appear on social networks totally excited about this quote, and even announce a new football shirt. Let the fever go away with the Bernabéu, they have closed it anyway.
The snapshot that accompanies us was taken in 2003 at Jota’s parents’ house in the mountains, where the famous Air Raid Shelter resides. Lori Meyers’ Alfredo recalled in our podcast: «Jota’s studio is downstairs, next to it there is another building. He told us: “get in here.” But in the end we went into his house. He wanted to throw us out and we told him: “no, no, Jota, you go, we’ll stay here.” It was a very good time. We learned a lot. In three days we did practically everything. ‘Study Trip’ would end up being the album that contained ‘Tokio no longer loves us’, a song that continues in their repertoire; also ‘Parapapa’ and ‘Two men with hats’, two songs that the group has been leaving behind, but that at the time were played a lot on Radio 3; or ‘Canada’, a personal favorite of Noni’s.
That album was produced by Mac McCaughan, singer of Superchunk. This is how they remembered him on the podcast: «Mac McCaughan didn’t give a shit about the recording. He just wanted to see the Alhambra and we also had to take him to see Evan Dando from Lemonheads, who is a friend of his and played, perform. There were many fans of Superchunk and his label.
In this photo that is the history of Spain, you can see Banin Fraile in the background, who worked on the recording; Julián Méndez, bassist for Lori Meyers at the time and later temporary bassist for Los Planetas; and of course you will have recognized Alejandro Méndez and Noni Meyers talking, while Jota and Alfredo Núñez play Play. We have not found the author of such a nice snapshot, although we know that it is not Floren, and much less Mac McCaughan…
