Beef

David: guitar and vocals
Juanjo: guitar and vocals
Joanra: bass
Blas: drums

BACH IS DEAD were one of the few pioneer bands which first draw some attention over the new generation of bands which appeared in Spain by the beginning of the decade. David Rodríguez, former member of BACH IS DEAD, is now the leader of BEEF a band which has been ages creating in silence the most innovative music in this country, and which now begins to be renown as one of the Spanish bands with the best future. The story of the band dates back to the late eighties, when talking about a Spanish independent scene was still almost sci-fi. There were no bands, almost no labels, and most media ignored the few interesting bands around. Prevailing mediocrity provoked a chain reaction which ended in the exuberant abundance of the beginning of the nineties. Among those who were ahead of their time were BACH IS DEAD, an almost mythical band formed back in 1988 in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, near Barcelona, who started the race with their celebrated LP “Sonotone”.

In 1993, after BACH IS DEAD split up, David, who shared a four track recorder with some friends gave Servando Carballar (from a Spanish indie label who wanted to sign BACH IS DEAD) a home-recorded demo tape under the name of BEEF . “Beef Songs” came out in 1994. The record passed unnoticed (partially because of the problems which would end up with the disappearance of the label), but it gives enough traces about the genius we would meet later on. With the band free of any ties, Acuarela (then a sublabel of Elefant Records) decided to release a single with the “Beef Sings” session, recorded before than the LP. David began then to rehearse with his current band: Juanjo (also in STEREORENT), Joanra (now in LOVE OF LESBIAN) and Blas (also in PENURIA); and gave the first show with this line-up.

Due to the contact of Acuarela with well-known producer Kramer, in which studio had already recorded SR. CHINARRO (and GALAXIE 500, and many others), BEEF moved to New York in March1995, and with Kramer’s help they recorded their second CD, “Beef Tongues”. it was received to critical acclaim, and it got to the first places in all the year charts. This al bum would be reissued in Elefant in 1999, including the songs of “Beef Sings” as bonus tracks.

The next step would be the recording, already under the Elefant fold, of “A.O.R. EP”, a splendid record (chosen again as the best EP in1996; critics have already surrendered to the talent and freshness of these guys), which is worth much more than what it costs and in which they make clear that avant-garde, risk and experimentation aren’t at odds with sense of humour. After their concert at the Benicàssim International Festival (where they played just before STEREOLAB), by the end of the year they rented an old house in their hometown what is their long awaited third LP, “Fi Qasr Sheikh Al-Dabant”, a new turn to their particular, ironic vision of rock: mutant dance tracks like “Martínez” or dandy instrumentals as “Belmondo” live together in harmony with shots of fleshy rock and other eccentricities in an awesome record which them, with charming naïveness, consider as their “commercial record”.

Its 1998 follow-up, “España a las ocho” (“Spain 8 AM”, the name of a very popular radio show) is their first one published both on vinyl and CD, and features a much better sound and some cameos by ex-MARS, ex-DON KING Mark Cunningham, alongside with that free mixture of guitars,samplers, humour and avant-garde extravaganza which has characterized the band from their beginning.

BEEF release their fifth album in January 2000. ”Misery And Lies” features the production of Wharton Tiers, legendary producer of some of the best American noise acts of the last 20 years -SONIC YOUTH, PUSSY GALORE, DINOSAUR JR and many others. The result is BEEF’s most rocking album so far, leaving aside avant-garde and concentrating on guitars.

2002

On May 2002 a new album by BEEF appears, under the name of “La bohème”; recorded in Pere Serrano studios, produced by the band and mastered in NYC by Wharton Tiers. The band offer us their best collection of songs, with a very solid sound and more catchiness than usual in BEEF! One of them is “Platinum”, with a very cool video by Les Nouveaux Auteurs.

In 2002 Italian band LO-FI SUCKS releases their album “Temporary burn-out”. One of the tracks contains a sample of JACKSON’ s “Push me”. (JACKSON’s a side project of David).

On the same month the band plays in the opening party for Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona. They play with SIX BY SEVEN, CLINIC, AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD and VUE.

They play in Benicassim/Fib 2002. The show includes songs from the band’s whole career and it’s pointed out as one of the best in most Spanish media. Some interviews are given to MTV or XTV.

“La Bohème” leaves clear the excellent moment BEEF are going through. BEEF make a big statement with this album: you can play guitar rock in 2002 without being retro or without having prejudices against any other genre.

After this album, BEEF and Elefant Records follow different paths. The band releases in 2005 a new album, "Victoria Principal", sung in Spanish and released through El Ejército Rojo, the record label owned by LOS PLANETAS.

BACH IS DEAD discography:
- “Burra Guitarra Vieja” in Armas Jóvenes (compilation Marylin, 1991).
- “Sonotone”.- LP/CD (Marylin, 1992).
- “Hole Sand / Prismatics Girl”.- single (Marylin, 1992).
- “Frank”, in Circuit Zero (CD GGAA, 1993).
- “One Shoe Man / Insert”.- single (Marylin / Voxx, 1993).

BEEF discography:
“Beef Songs”.- CD and MC (La Fábrica Magnética, 1994).
“Beef Sings”.- EP (Acuarela, 1994).
“Beef Tongues” CD (Acuarela, 1995).
ER-303 “Adult Oriented Rock EP” Extended CD-single 1996
ER-1043 “Fi Qasr Sheikh Al-Dabant” CD 1997
ER-172 “Bored Single” Single 1997
ER-1053 “España A Las Ocho” LP/CD 1998
ER-1025 ”Beef Sings Tongues” CD 1999 (reissue of “Beef Sings” and “Beef Tongues”)
ER-1067 “Misery And Lies” CD 2000
ER-1096 “La Bohème” CD 2002

Songs in compilations:
- “Gaspar” in Navidades Furiosas (CD La Fábrica Magnética, 1993).
- “Truck” in Give Me More Of That Sound (CD Spiral, 1994).
- “Bored Song” in ELEFANT RADIO (CD Spiral 32, ER-1029, 1996).
- “We Are The Shaggs” in MARAWORLD (CD Sala Maravillas, 1996).
- “E.S.P.” (The Buzzcocks) in PUNKADELIA (CD Colectivo Karma , 1996).
- “Rebelde Sin Caspa” in BENICASSIM 96 (CD RCA, 1996).
- “Perception vs. Me in RUIDO? vol.2 (CD RCA, 1997).
- ”See you In Australia” in SUPERMARKET (CD ER- 1051, 1998)
- ”See you In Australia” in SNIEGOWE RYTMY (cassette Arnold, Poland, 1999)
- “Cosmopolitan” in VERANO DEL 99.-(CD, ER-1062, 1999)
- “Sweet Bavarian” in ELEFANTDIEZ. (CD, ERDL-001, 1999)
- “Highlights” in LE MOUCO #4 (fanzine+CD, Portugal, 2000)
- “See you in Australia” in HOME SLEEP HOME (CD Homesleep Italiy, 2000)
- “Melt away” and “Instrumental” (the latter signed as DABJ) in SNOWSTORM, A TRIBUTE TO GALAXIE 500 (Double-CD ER-1038, 2001)
- “Highlights” in ELEFANT DOSMILUNO -(ER-1083 CD 2001)
- “Misery” in LOOKING FOR CHENCHO B.S.O. (PIAS CD 2002)
-”Platinum” in BENICASSIM 2002 (CD, FIB 2002)