The Next Big Thing

Now that The Ramones are all gone – you know I don’t include Mark(y) – there’s a vacancy to be filled and there are some Spanish youngsters called Pantones that understand what makes that old punk rock ticker skip a beat or three. Their recent “¿Quién Quiere Primavera?” Is mostly in their native lingo but that doesn’t stop it hitting all the spots.

They have a grasp of what makes rock’n’roll radio great. It’s all about the tunes and these kids have those and the chops to deliver these rather tasty numbers with a gusto that suggests that all may not be lost after all. They’re making inroads at home but sooner or later, Spain won’t be able to contain them and they’ll explode worldwide. Maybe via a movie soundtrack or some such vehicle but somehow or other Pantones are just too contagious not to start a pop pandemic.

Imagine The Fastbacks having cut “Bark Like A Dog”, Paty Critter’s voice isn’t a shouty yelp. I think I mentioned before that she sounds like a smoky mix of Joey and Susannah Hoffs via Belinda Carlisle. Their take of “The Sign” by Ace of Base is a riot and it suggests that they could make a killer record in "English" should they ever care to do so.

Last year’s finest seasonal single is included and there’s always the hope that it might appear struck into 7” vinyl where it so rightly belongs. One of these days I’ll get to see them play but for now getting acquainted with their Subterfuge Records releases will have to suffice.