Pitchfork

Photo by Daniel Canto

Unless you made it out to Valencia for spring break this year, chances are your record shelf is lacking a copy of Alegranza!, the sampledelic debut album from El Guincho. The set's out now in a few spots-- like Pablo Díaz-Reixa's native Spain, natch-- but in spite of all the buzz, getting one's hands on a (legal) copy of the Best New Music-garnering disc has proven difficult.

As promised, El Guincho's new label Young Turks/XL Recordings will soon swoop in to change all that. Alegranza! is now due for release October 7 in the U.S., and the day before in the rest of the world. The disc will be preceded by a 7" for "Palmitos Park" on September 22, which features the Ruby Suns covering "Palmitos Park" on its B-side.

Alas, though El Guincho's album may be making its way around, he himself is taking a little unexpected break from travel to rest up after a very hectic start to 2008. Man, whenever I'm feeling worn down by the weight of the world, I put on some good-timey music, and it all melts away. In fact, I know just the record...


Alegranza!:

01 Palmitos Park
02 Antillas
03 Fata Morgana
04 Kalise
05 Cuando Maravilla Fui
06 Buenos Matrimonios Ahí Fuera
07 Costa Paraíso
08 Prez Lagarto
09 Polca Mazurca

El Guincho:

08-08 Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
08-14-16 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop
09-13 London, England - End of the Road Festival