Only-apartments' blog

ONLY BE AMSTERDAMMER

ONLY BE BUDAPESTER

ONLY BE VENETIAN

ONLY BE BARCELONIAN

ONLY BE BERLINER

ONLY BE VALENCIAN

ONLY BE ISTANBULITE

ONLY BE FLORENTINE

ONLY BE LISBOETA

ONLY BE LONDONER

ONLY BE NEW YORKER

ONLY BE MADRILENIAN

ONLY BE MALAGUEÑO

ONLY BE MILANESE

ONLY BE PARISIAN

ONLY BE PORTUENSE

ONLY BE PRAGUER

ONLY BE ROMAN

ONLY BE SEVILLIAN

ONLY BE PROXIMAMENTE

ONLY BE ATHENIAN

ONLY BE COMING SOON

Last posts

The Chameleons vox live concert in Madrid!

Mónica Boixeda Madrilenian, Only-Be

Hypnotic guitars, charming atmosphere, dark lyrics sung by a sensitive and heartbreaking voice, are the characteristic sound of one of the most influential post-punk bands, “The Chameleons vox”. Formed in 1981 in Middleton, England by Mark Burgess, vocals and bass, Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, guitars, later joined by drummer John Lever, recorded their first single in 1982 and their first album the following year, which was called “Script of the Bridge”. Although the band did not achieve such a huge success as their contemporaries “The Cure” or “The Smiths”, their sound managed to attract a large number of fans and, above all, gain an excellent view of the criticism. In 1985 they released their second album, “What does anything mean?, basically” and in 1986, their album “Strange times”, which strengthened their sound and which would influence many other contemporary bands such as Clan of Xymox or The horrors. In 1987 and with new material to record, the band’s manager died suddenly, what caused a sudden band’s dissolution. Despite this, the band’s music kept on gaining fans around the world, what caused their return in 1999, with multiple concerts. The following year they released a new album, “Strip” and in 2001, “Why call it anything?”, albums which marked the second stage of the British band. This time the concert takes place in Madrid and it’s a must see event, not only for the old school “post-punk fans”, but also for the post-punk revival lovers as, moreover, The Chameleons clearly influences successful bands of the moment such as Interpol or the already famous Editors. The concert will be on the... read more

Exhibit of Franco-Symbols in Barcelona

Mónica Boixeda Barcelonian, Only-Be

The Memorial Democratic in Barcelona is presenting the exhibit „Símbolos de Franco” (Franco Symbols) until the 13th of February 2011. The curators are Jordi Gixe and Francesc Abad.The exbihit examines the remains of the Franco era that still can be found in Catalonia. The idea is to remind about 40 years of dictatorship to avoid the development of new totalitarian ideas. The Memorial Democratic was founded to promote democratic values and create an initiative that remind of the historic past. Therefore the initiative supports the research and the promotion of these values.In accordance the Memorial is presenting the research results of an investigation of the Franco symbols that are still found throughout Catalonia. Thousands of symbols and images that are still found in Spain demonstrate how far-reaching Franco’s propaganda was. And although more than 3 decades have gone by these symbols still exist in public as well as in private.The symbolic meaning of Franco is comparable to other fascist symbols in Europe and is characterized by many eagles, arches and military references and also images associated with the Catholic Church so Franco would have a better reputation outside of Spain. The symbolic meaning of Franco emerged during the Spanish civil war and served the propaganda for the dictator. Many of the symbols have their origin in the Spanish falange movement of the JONS which added many traditional symbols.During the Franco dictatorship this symbolic spread and used to put a doctrine into place. A good example was the adjustment of the military uniform: a fusion between the uniforms of the JONS and the traditionalists.To reach a totalitarian and global presence... read more

The spooky Chamberí station

Mónica Boixeda Madrilenian, Only-Be

Maybe the only detail that is missing in Joyce Ulysses novel a subway system. The Irish writer wrote a book after the massacre of World War I which didn’t praise heroism of war but describes much more the frustrations of the modern hero. After the horror of the war it seems impossible to glorify heroism of the war, but much more to portrait the new hero of the city. As Dublin didn’t have a subway, Joyce placed the action parallel to Odyssey’s visit to the Hades in the cemetery, but we cannot stop imagining how much proper would it have been if the action would have happened in the underground, real neuralgic centre of modern big cities that puts us in direct touch with the phantom reality at the same time that serves as an adequate illustration of the dark labyrinth of the human unconscious. Many artists and writers were fascinated by the subway, real black hole of urban cosmos, as a group of dimensions governed by a different time and space, easily accessible and highly elastic, it has attracted an important part of the creators of the 20th century, interested somehow by its metaphors. Despite Joyce’s omission, both literature and cinema (Jarry, Queneau, Córtazar, Malle, Godard, Besson, Carrax…) have been able to include sometimes this world underneath our feet which almost seems like a parallel universe in which you can see ghosts. After having witnessed the indescribable horrors of the Great War, it was no other choice than rejecting to show the myth of the ancient military heroism and its conquest codes, which are male chauvinist and authoritarian... read more