La Buena Vida (The Good Life) is a Spanish

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

group from San Sebastián, Spain. The band was formed in 1988 and continues to make music as of today. They have recorded 7 albums and 14 EPs. Their music is a form of pop also known as the Donosti Sound, a 1990s indie pop movement in San Sebastián.

Biography

The band's career can be divided into two stages. Initially, their music bore many similarities in sound and attitude with groups known as "

twee pop Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 '' NME'' compilation '' C86''. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about lo ...

", in particular those of the legendary UK label

Sarah Records Sarah Records was a British independent record label active in Bristol between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop, which it released mostly on 7" singles. On reaching the catalogue number SARAH 100, the label celebrated it ...

and of their countrymen

Aventuras de Kirlian Aventuras de Kirlian was a Spanish indie rock band in the 1980s. Although they experienced only moderate commercial success, they achieved a significant cult following in the Basque country, and their music has been a major influence on many S ...

. They were also influenced by pop music of the late 1960s like

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacL ...

Honeybus Honeybus were a 1960s pop group formed in April 1967, in London. They are best known for their 1968 UK Top 10 hit single, " I Can't Let Maggie Go", written by group member Pete Dello who also composed their previous single "(Do I Figure) In Y ...

, Pic Nic and Vainica Doble, with touches of

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

. They have also recognized the influence of French

chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic ...

(

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoc ...

and

Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; born 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter. Mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads, Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut, spanning a career of ...

). Their lyrics in this first stage reflect everyday life situations, as well as the feelings and concerns of average kids of their age (approximately 18) using a melancholy and evocative but natural tone. Their second stage began with the LP ''Soidemersol'' (1997). Parting from their usual influences while keeping their own personality, they began to use complex orchestral arrangements in their songs. Their lyrics also began to mature, reflecting more complex sentiments and often being much more bitter and less innocent than before. Today, La Buena Vida is one of the most respected and influential indie pop groups in Spain.

Members

* Irantzu Valencia (vocals) * Mikel Aguirre (vocals and guitar) * Pedro San Martín (bass) * Javier Sánchez (guitar) * Raúl Sebastián (drums) * José Luis Lanzagorta (keyboard) Borja Sanchez, founder of the group and lead guitarist, left the group after the album ''Soidemersol''. On February 17 of 2009, the departure of Irantzu Valencia, the group's main singer for the last 15 years, was announced via the band's website.The group's new label in 2009 talks about the departure of Irantzu Valencia (In Spanish)
Pedro San Martin (Bass) died on May 14, 2011. The musician who was 39 years old had a car accident after a concert in Burgos (Spain).

Discography

Albums

* ''La Buena Vida'' (

Siesta A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...

, 1992) * ''La Buena Vida'' (Siesta, 1994) (known by fans as ''"Los mejores momentos"'', the title of the album's first song) * ''Soidemersol'' (Siesta, 1997) * ''Panorama'' (Siesta, 1999) * ''Hallelujah!'' (Siesta, 2001) * ''Álbum'' (

Sinnamon Sinnamon was an American female R&B vocal trio, consisting of Connecticut natives Barbara Fowler, Marsha Carter, and Melissa Bell from New York City. The group went through an abrupt development from a minimalist contemporary R&B sound of pos ...

, 2003) * ''Vidania'' (Sinnamon, 2006) * ''Sencillos'' (Siesta, 2007) (collection of singles and rarities)

Singles and EPs

* ''La Buena Vida'' (Siesta, 1992) * ''La Buena Vida'' (Siesta, 1994) * ''Magnesia'' (Siesta, 1995) * ''Pacífico'' (Siesta, 1997) * ''Desde Hoy en Adelante'' (Siesta, 1997) * ''Tormenta en la Mañana'' (Siesta, 1999) * ''Eureka'' (Siesta, 2000) * ''Qué nos va a pasar'' (Siesta, 2001) * ''Harmónica'' (Siesta, 2002) * ''Los Planetas'' (Sinnamon, 2003) * ''Desde Aquí'' (Sinnamon, 2003) * ''Un Actor Mejicano'' (Sinnamon, 2003) * ''hh-mm-ss'' (Sinnamon, 2004) * ''La Mitad de Nuestras Vidas'' (Sinnamon, 2006) * ''Viaje Por Países Pequeños'' (El Volcán, 2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buena Vida Spanish musical groups Indie pop groups