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Category: Music Alliance Pact

  • Music Alliance Pact March 2011

    Bulan ini Amazing in Bed berkesempatan merilis single nya secara serentak di 36 negara, karena anggota MAP bertambah. Saya memilih mereka karena kagum dengan perkembangan dan usaha mereka yang tidak pernah pudar, dan dalam kesempatan akan datangnya album mereka yang berikutnya ini, tidak ada salahnya kita ekspor musik mereka ke berbagai negara lain.
    Dan selain mp3 dari Amazing in Bed, kamu juga mengucapkan selamat menikmati sajian musik dari 36 negara.
    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Amazing In Bed – Circle
    Amazing In Bed never stop growing as they keep making music with new approaches and willing to take notice of critics. And now, even if we are able to trace the roots of their garage-punk songs, we still understand and recognize them as Amazing In Bed.

    To download all 36 songs in one file click here

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Utopians – Pepe Le Pew
    Utopians is a garage rock band led by singer Barbi Recanati. They usually sound like a wild rampage of 70s-like guitar riffs and distortions, especially on their new album Freak. This song is the exception – an intimate acoustic ballad with Spanish lyrics inspired by a cartoon character.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Seekae – Gnor
    Seekae’s new album +Dome is out on March 25 and I’m super excited since their previous album, The Sound Of Trees Falling On People, is one of my favourite Australian albums of all time. When I say “I’m super excited”, I am talking on your behalf – I already have a copy of the album and can confirm that it is fantastic. Gnor, the first ‘official’ single from the album (presumably because 2010 single Blood Bank features an updated and better mix here), is one of the closest songs to the sound of their debut, making it a good jumping-off point for people looking to get enveloped by their ‘ghetto ambiance’ all over again.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Nuda – Maruimstad
    Preparing to release their first album in the coming months, Nuda is a promising band that mixes regional Brazilian rhythms with alternative rock and experimentation. Maruimstad expresses the most exciting facet of the band and shows their ability to innovate while pleasing from the first listen.

    CANADA: I(Heart)Music
    Meligrove Band – Heart Attack
    Looking for power-pop perfection? Then look no further than Meligrove Band’s Shimmering Lights. It’s one of those albums from which you could pick a song at random – be it Heart Attack, Bones Attack!!! or any of the other eight tracks without the word “Attack” in the title – and you’d be guaranteed to come away listening to one of catchiest tunes you’re ever likely to hear.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Prehistöricos – Como Las Piedras
    Prehistöricos formed during the summer of 2010, when actors Tomäs Preuss and Jessica Romo merged their musical ideas to create a collection of acoustic songs about teenage love. Their debut album La Orquesta Ocúlta (“The Hidden Orchestra”) – released last October and available for free download here – received great reviews, focused mainly on the bright and naive nature of their repertoire. Mentioned in many Latin American media ‘best of the year’ lists, this duo are one of the highlights from a growing list of Chilean pop bands.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Omnipotent Youth Society – The Less Than Omnipotent Comedy
    Formed in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, in the late 90s, Omnipotent Youth Society take their influences from the Blind Melon sort of alternative American bands in the 90s, as well as jazz, blues and psychedelic noise. They released their debut album last year, which has been highly praised by critics and fans.

    COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
    Two Flow – Como Te Llamas
    Two Flow is a duo consisting of Charly and Fabio, singers from Barranquilla. Como Te Llamas is a collaboration with Punto G, a tropical band from the same city, and was named the No.1 song of the Barranquilla carnival. This combination of tropical and urban flavors have made Como Te Llamas a hit on the radio and in discothèques.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Powersolo – I Love You But I Hate You
    It’s 10 years since the release of “donkey-punk” duo Powersolo’s debut album, Lemon Half Moon. To mark the occasion, Kim Kix and The Atomic Child (aka the Railthin Brothers aka Kim and Bo Jeppesen) have released their fifth album, Buzz Human. It’s a generally great and always entertaining mash of psychobilly, 60s garage rock, punk, psychedelia, utter madness and catchy hooks.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    AlunaGeorge – Disobey
    Aluna Francis is the one with the impossibly high, breathy-girly vocals and George Reid is the one responsible for the electronic production that seems to be as steeped in pop mores as it is aware of dubstep and R&B techniques. Imagine a 21st century Dollar if they’d formed in the shadows of FWD>>, if you can picture such an exciting proposition. Disobey is a final mix exclusive, so now you can make your own minds up about the duo described variously in our New Band Of The Day column as “fabulous” and “itchily glitchy”.

    ESTONIA: Popop
    Kosmofon – Kvasar
    Kosmofon is a spaceship built in 2008 and commanded by Martin Laksberg, Rasmus Lill and Marten Kuningas. They listen in their secret laboratory to Sirius and examine neutron stars to open a new dimension to the music of outermost depths of space. Kosmofon’s works are the memoirs of heroic astronauts and announcements of thousands and millions of light years formatted into progressive electronic music.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Blackbird – Did I Say That I Loved You?
    Captain Cougar’s Jussi Petäjä discovered Jenna-Miia Kaivosoja one night while watching TV singing competition Idols. Impressed by her performance of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, they started collaborating and making real music. Now with the addition of keyboardist Matias Tyni, they have formed Blackbird to create a surprising combination of folk and bubblegum pop. If this first song is a good indication, their debut album due out in the summer will be catchy, cheesy and fun.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    Young Michelin – Les Copains
    Young Michelin is a four-piece band led by Romain Guerret, an accomplished solo artist who made two albums under the name Dondolo. Signed to American label Holiday Records, they are trying to merge their 90s English indie-pop influences with the use of French language. Inspired by The Wake, The Field Mice and labels such as Sarah Records, they aim to make music that is simple and honest, and succeed brilliantly, as this instrumental shows.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Silent Portraits – Mama
    Music recorded in one take always has the charm of authenticity. And music recorded with lo-fi equipment in a bedroom can have wonderful results. As you listen to Silent Portraits, you feel the raw energy behind these sketches. Imperfect, powerful and benign, Maxi’s voice and reverbed guitar create a warm and somewhat melancholic soundscape reminiscent of PJ Harvey or Becky Lee. You can download the other songs of this unsigned Berlin-based artist via MySpace or Bandcamp.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Zebra Tracks – Isabelle Creeps
    Zebra Tracks collect their darkest impulses and put them on stark display. The single Bicycles / Isabelle Creeps brims with their vehement energy and constitutes an intriguing step in the evolution of their simple, yet oddly affecting, and certainly promising sound. A start-to-finish rush of invigorating riffs and pointed narratives that heightens with repeated exposure. A thrilling, incontrovertible evidence of their bright future.

    ICELAND: Icelandic Music Maffia
    Ikea Satan – The Wait
    The trio Ikea Satan plays satanic blues-metal. Unnar Kolka drums, Pétur Úlfur plays guitar and sings, and Hannes Þór plays bass. The Wait is taken from their three-song Sound Of The Planet EP, released last year on Icelandic label Ching Ching Bling Bling.

    INDIA: Indiecision
    Bombay Bassment – Hip-Hop [Never Be The Same]
    Mumbai electro rockers Bombay Bassment have lofty ambitions. Their brand of hip-hop meets drum ‘n bass meets funk takes on established conventions of those genres – a careful mix of curated samples, some pro MC chops and an affinity to bass-driven melodies. Hip-Hop [Never Be The Same] puts those ambitions front and center. This is a band that’s sure-footed and ready to, as cliched as it may sound, “make it to the top”. We’re certain they have the chops to do just that.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    We Are Losers – Cheerleader
    The brainchild of Gavin Elsted, who has been joined by members of Super Extra Bonus Party and Grand Pocket Orchestra, We Are Losers have been directing shafts of sunshine lo-fi indie-rock into ear canals for the past six months. Cheerleader is a fine example of what the band do best. Catchy choruses, a hint of 50s pop, handclaps and happy melodies.

    ISRAEL: Metal Israel
    Sonne Adam – We Who Worship The Black
    Jens Prueter, head of A&R at Century Media Europe, puts it best: “We are proud to sign a young band from Tel Aviv, Israel that knows the meaning of death unfortunately better than most of us. Sonne Adam mix the old doom/death of early Paradise Lost and technical insanity of early Morbid Angel with a fresh passion and raw energy that reminds me of the hunger and dedication I heard 20 years ago, without sounding retro.” Black Sabbath dirges mix with rabid speed to create an aural monstrosity. Check them out.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Casa Del Mirto – Faces
    Let’s put aside the obvious comparisons to Washed Out and Neon Indian. Yes, you can call Casa Del Mirto ‘chillwave’ or ‘glo-fi’, but I feel the songs have a different mood, something more intimate, melancholic and familiar. Not to mention those gorgeously brilliant sounds. Casa Del Mirto is the project of Marco Ricci, from Trento. His new album, 1979, is out now on Mashhh! Records.

    MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
    Toño Tranquilino – Candyflip
    Hipekinetik is the solo album of Toño Tranquilino (drummer of stoner rock band Yokozuna), in which he explores many other forms of making music. Its sound tastefully blends 60s Brazilian psychedelia and heartfelt folk songs, led by a jazz-influenced piano. Candyflip stands out on the introspective 12-piece set, as a cathartic moment in his captivating relief which eventually becomes a self-discovery quest.

    NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
    Blues Brother Castro – Walk In The Park
    Few Amsterdam rock ‘n’ roll bands play with the same swagger and passion as Blues Brother Castro. Be it onstage or on record, their sound is typically raunchy guitars, waves of energy and savage calls. From beneath their well-worn 90s indie overcoat emerges elements reminiscent of Rob Tyner’s howl, Ron Asheton’s growl and even James Brown’s scowl. It’s been almost five years since they’ve had new songs to showcase, but their third album, Out On The Beach, will be released via Excelsior Recordings on April 4.

    NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music Journal
    Orchestra Of Spheres – Boltzmann Brain
    Otherworldly psych and alien trance unite in Orchestra Of Spheres’ hypnotic jams. The group has been entrancing audiences in their native Wellington and further afield for years, and never fail to leave jaws hanging at their free-spirited but tightly-wound motorik dance. Live, they’re a spectacle of concept costumes, handmade instruments including a cake tin guitar and rack of keyboard foot pedals played by hand, and look as though an alien troupe descended the stage. Boltzmann Brain will induce in you their contagious mystic madness.

    NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance
    Sandra Kolstad – The Devil
    Sandra Kolstad is a young woman who will release her debut album, Crux, in the spring. There’s already quite a buzz around her here in Norway and this summer she’ll play one of our biggest festivals, Øya. Her music is characteristic, peculiar electro-pop with a finesse that many other artists lack. Maybe it’s her education in classical piano, maybe it’s her gift at writing. I don’t know, but I can hear hints of another great artist who masters both classical and indie, Owen Pallett, as well as traces of Fever Ray, Jenny Hval/Rockettothesky and maybe Dirty Projectors.

    PERU: SoTB
    Futuro Incierto – Fue Ayer
    Futuro Incierto is one of the most symbolic Peruvian hardcore bands. Fronted by Pedro Allemant, their 20 years of melodic punk are proof of the musical experience they have gained. For their most recent record, Ego, some problems arose that forced them to re-record the content, yet it resulted in the best album of their career. In this work, the songs delve deep into personal themes, mature feelings and the conflicts caused by ego.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Mazgani – Beggar’s Hands
    Shahryar Mazgani was born in Iran but moved to Portugal when he was just five. In 2005, Mazgani was considered one of the 20 best new European acts by French magazine Les Inrockuptibles. He has three albums and 2010’s Song Of Distance, where this month’s track is taken from, was acclaimed by the Portuguese media as one of the best rock records of the year.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Robin And The Backstabbers – Soare Cu Dinti
    Robin And The Backstabbers made their debut almost a year ago in Bucharest. The guys mix indie with what they call ‘melodramatic pop’ and the result is an upbeat nostalgic sound that gets to you in the best ways. They have released two singles, both very well received by the public and underground radio stations. This is their third one and, by the sound of it, I’m sure it’s going to be another success.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Little Eskimos – Start It Up
    You’d never guess that Little Eskimos’ anthemic debut album Are You Still With Us? (available on Bandcamp) is the work of just one man – chief songwriter Kevin Harper played all the instruments and recorded it himself before getting a band together. Little Eskimos clearly owe a huge debt to the West Coast slacker rock sound, and the infectious Start It Up will leave you counting the days until their second album comes out in the summer. Keep up with them on Facebook in the meantime.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Caracal – Bears
    Brazen smatterings of post-hardcore and hard rock are the name of Caracal’s game, something they do exceptionally well. There are shades of Underoath, Fugazi and mewithoutYou all over their straight-shooting, swashbuckler of an album, Bear. Shark. Wolf. Even if the music’s genre isn’t your cup of tea, one thing you can never fault this young band on is how proudly they wear their hearts on the sleeves, beating loudly for all the world to sit up and take notice.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    aKING – The Runaround
    When aKING embarked on their new album in 2010, they were ready to explore and venture into new territory. The Runaround, the first single from the band’s third studio album The Red Blooded Years, shows off their formula of acoustic rock, distinctive vocals and riffs. There are also new sounds and influences that have crept in, with a distinct 80s feel shining through on many of the new tracks. The change has taken aKING to new heights.

    SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
    J Rabbit – aMorejo
    Super-lovely duo J Rabbit has been gathering a bit of attention since November last year when they first started posting music on YouTube via friendz.net. In March, the two girls released their first album, It’s Spring, and they are now hoping it can provide their audience with delight and fresh energy. Supported by an acoustic guitar, aMorejo is a sweet song with lyrics that’ll stick even if you can’t understand the words.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Oso Leone – Rebellion
    Formed in Majorca, Oso Leone started to make their name at Levi’s Unfamous Music Awards contest, in which they were finalists. They didn’t win, but they were chosen as the supporting band for These New Puritans’ Spanish tour and later signed to Foehn Records, home of Spanish indie acts such as Emilio José and Marina Gallardo. Using structures similar to Vic Chesnutt’s, echoes of Americana and contemporary folk go hand in hand on their music and show that the boys are just a breath away from success.

    SWEDEN: Swedesplease
    Impo & The Tents – Bubblegum Machine
    Punk-inspired garage rock from Stockholm’s Impo & The Tents. Not much else to say about something so simple and forceful.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Cryptonites – Hey Kidz
    The two blokes behind Cryptonites surely do not intend to diminish the power of any superheroes. On the contrary, their objective is to strengthen young kids with their electrifying sound. With their new EP Hey Kidz in stock, these two sound manipulators might just accomplish their mission because the four-track material is a bona fide crowd pleaser. The centerpiece Hey Kidz is the heart and soul of the release on Freakz Me Out.

    UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
    Cloud Nothings – Understand At All
    Cloud Nothings has it all: DIY bedroom charm, memorable melodies and
    jangly guitar work lost somewhere in an era of grunge and punk rock.
    This solo project from the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, packs a punch
    live too – something I plan on seeing for myself this month.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Planeador – El Regreso
    Planeador is a rock band with influences of folk, country and blues formed in Anzoátegui in 2006. After playing at major festivals around the country, they finally released their first album in April 2010, which launched the single El Regreso. It has remained on the playlist of several radio stations with the video rotated on MTV Latin America. They are currently working on their second studio album.

  • Music Alliance Pact February 2011

    Bulan ini kita mengirimkan Pee Wee Gaskins ke Music Alliance Pact, karena kita kagum dengan perkembangan mereka dalam berbagai hal, terutama dalam hal musik dan banyak band bisa belajar dari mereka tentang pemanfaatan social-media, pengelolaan fans dan manajemen band.

    Kalau kamu fans PWG, share postingan ini lewat facebook atau twitter. 🙂
    Jika kamu tidak suka lagu PWG, ini masih ada 32 lagu lainnya yang bisa kamu coba dari berbagai negara.

    To download all 33 songs in one file click here

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Iguana Lovers – Bloqueada
    The history of Iguana Lovers goes as far back as 1991 when they released Universo, their first album, which had a limited run in cassette format. Along with big acts such as Babasónicos and El Otro Yo, they managed to create a whole new movement within Argentine rock music, with a post-punk sound influenced by British bands like Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and New Order. Bloqueada is from their new EP, International Mistery Man, which can be downloaded from their website.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    aBillion – Soldiers
    It may not be summer where you are right now, but it’s definitely summer in Australia – and despite the natural disasters there’s still enough sun and surf to make a song like Soldiers really hit the spot. Sydney’s aBillion has burst onto the blog scene riding the proverbial chillwave, engaging many of the micro-genre’s tropes but managing to make them their own. Although, there’s a lot of music like this floating around at the moment, Soldiers has enough of a hook and groove to it to make you tune in.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Cabruêra – Visagem
    Cabruêra is a band from the north-east of the country who merge typical regional rhythms with contemporary music such as electronic and rock. They’re famous for their insane shows, always full of stage dives and crowd-surfing from the band’s frontman, Arthur Pessoa. Visagem is an instrumental theme that shares its name with their most recent album, which was released last year and is available for free download thanks to Petrobras, the Brazilian oil company that is the biggest sponsor of culture in the country.

    CANADA: I(Heart)Music
    Fire And Neon – Everybody’s Going
    Disco never died. It just went into hiding somewhere on the outskirts of Canada’s capital, where it was then discovered by Fire And Neon. They, in turn, nursed it back to health and made a debut EP full of irresistibly dancey anthems.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Namm – Stellar
    Pablo Flores is one of the most iconic Chilean musicians. Aside from founding the experimental music netlabel Jacobino Discos, he takes part in several projects. In Namm, Flores joins Loreto Molina, Pablo Fuentes and Anita Gallardo in exploring synth-pop from an experimental perspective, but elegant nonetheless. Stellar is taken from his latest EP, Saba, offered under a Creative Commons license.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Re-TROS – Up Next: Bela Lugosi’s Back
    Also known as Rebuilding The Rights Of Statues, this post-punk outfit formed in Beijing in 2003. Inspired by the likes of Bauhaus, Gang Of Four, Magazine and Joy Division, Re-TROS have become a mainstay in the Chinese underground scene. Hua Dong has one of the most piercing vocals and his distorted guitar lines add ‘darkness’ to the Re-TROS sound. The band have released two albums to date and have been very well received by fans and critics alike. They have been invited to support Gang Of Four for a one-week Australian tour at the end of February.

    COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
    Cris Supra – Este Verano
    Under the influence of R&B, Cris Supra gives us Este Verano, his new single for 2011. Supra is a representative exponent of the electro hip-hop scene in Colombia, with the principal base of his music coming from influences such as LMFAO, Pitbull, Lil Jon, David Guetta and Kid Cudi.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Stupid White Men – Walk And Slaughter
    Banjos, dobros, pathos-filled lyrics, dark emotions and a dusty Southern rock feeling. Sounds like a good combo to you? Then you’ll dig quartet Stupid White Men and their excellent debut album It’s A Fine Day To Kill Someone Nice, which was released last month.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Star Slinger – Zonked
    Darren Williams is a Manchester-based sample-mad musician who uses snippets of old songs, often classic soul and R&B, to create new tracks. Not for nothing has he been compared to the late, great J Dilla in terms of his ability to create amazing fresh sounds from ancient vinyl, while in terms of obsessive crate-digging for sonic gold he’s like a one-man Avalanches. “He takes a fragment, a pop particle, and uses its DNA to construct a brilliant new piece of music,” wrote our New Band Of The Day columnist recently, commenting that Williams’ ethereal, crackly take on sexed-up R&B made him a sort of cerebral R Kelly for bedroom lo-fi nerds.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Moses Hazy – Something You Ate
    From the far north of the Finnish Lapland, Moses Hazy deliver the first single from their third album. This is a pretty straightforward rock song with an in-your-face chorus and a bunch of acid notes to add some psychedelia to the mix. Danceable and fun.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Touchy Mob – Atlantic Back
    Folk-techno, as Ludwig Plath calls his music produced under the name Touchy Mob, seems to be the natural connection of two currently popular genres that tend to be honest and plain. But as you listen to his songs and remixes you are drawn into hypnotic structures, great arrangements and Plath’s soft, gentle voice. Atlantic Back is just one facet of his talent – check out more songs from this promising Berlin-based artist on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Exposed By Observers – Doubt Is Dead
    Exposed By Observers frantically blend cheap samples, drum machine sounds, distinctive beats, clicks, bleeps and tightly-coiled guitars riffs with manic electro buzz and raw, squawking vocals. Yet they are less faithfully wed to punk and more interested in dance-derived rhythms. Doubt Is Dead is taken from their digital single, Fake Stories, the first in a series of monthly releases (there will be at least five parts). Visit Soundcloud to check out Fake Stories Never Get Old and their debut EP, Secondhand Youth.

    ICELAND: Icelandic Music Maffia
    Rökkurró – Sólin Mun Skína
    Rökkurró’s music is built around Hildur Kristín Stefánsdóttir’s voice and swooping strings. Their debut album Það Kólnar Í Kvöld… (“It’s Getting Colder Tonight…”) was released in 2007. Sólin Mun Skína is taken from their more mature second album, Í Annan Heim (“In Another World”), released last year by Icelandic label 12 Tónar and produced by Alex Somers, partner and music collaborator of Jónsi of Sigur Rós.

    INDIA: Indiecision
    IAFWAY – Unsaturated
    New Delhi hardcore act IAFWAY (short for “I Am Fake Who Are You”) are unlikely contenders for Indian metal glory. Still in school, the sextet can’t even legally buy drinks at the clubs where they hope to take their brand of screamo. Yet their videogame-inspired tunes bely a maturity well past their years. On Unsaturated, a track from their free debut EP, they bring together melodramatic hardcore trappings with an almost graphic novel-ish wielding of screamo à la Bring Me The Horizon.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Pee Wee Gaskins – Jakarta Is A Mistake
    Pee Wee Gaskins divide opinion – lots of people hate them but even more love the five-piece South Jakarta pop-punk boys. Since their music has grown in maturity and their lyrics have become deeper, we should agree about the progress they have made. Put aside the band promotion, public relations and social media consciousness, it’s the music itself that continues to redefine the sound of PWG.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    MOTHS – Slow/Down
    The definition of ‘one to watch’ is an artist who is clearly adept at making music and impressing but maybe hasn’t gone as far as the album-making cycle. MOTHS aka Jack Colleran has a good excuse. He’s only 17 and still in school in County Kildare but he has already made a couple of standout electronic jams. Definitely keep an eye out for more of this goodness.

    ISRAEL: Metal Israel
    Blank Divinity – In Another Life
    Blank Divinity is a metal band from Ashkelon, a seaside city no stranger to rocket attacks. They rightfully boast transcendence over all metal genres into their own sometimes brutal, sometimes melodic and most of the time completely shredding brand just waiting to be picked up by the right record company. Their talent is undeniable (though their occasional female vocalist is not to my taste) and I can definitely see these guys playing the major European festivals one day. Check them out.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Green Like July – Flying Scud
    Green Like July’s second album, Four-Legged Fortune, was recorded at the ARC Studios in Nebraska and produced by A.J. Mogis (Saddle Creek). In fact, it definitely has a Bright Eyes vibe but this song in particular, with its Dylan-esque mood (that organ, that bridge), is a pure folk-rock jewel, intense and fragile at the same time. I love the way it burns out when it reaches the last words, you can totally see the trembling light of the stars, and the night fades away.

    MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
    Marlento – As The World Turns
    Marlento is one of those bands with the outstanding ability to stir vivid scenes on their listeners’ minds. This five-piece from Guadalajara sports a deviant mixture of influences within their songs, from Americana to New Wave, ebbing and flowing from furious post-punk to melancholic Mexican folk. As The World Turns is the quite catchy and tight first single from their sophomore album, Ludo, to be released this month.

    NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
    Nikoo – Shameless
    There’s a real urgency to every sound this noise-pop outfit creates. Tribal drums clatter ferociously, while guitar fuzz emanates through the entire frequency spectrum, at times the mid-range riffs starting punch-ups with harmonic-fried highs. But drawing members from some of the Netherlands’ most underrated alt-pop bands (Foam, The Sugarettes, amongst others), raw and enduring harmonies are rarely far from the surface of the noise. Imagine all the fun and chaos of Baltimore’s Ponytail but with much less banshee.

    NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music Journal
    Popstrangers – Avenue
    Noisy shoegaze collides with angry post-punk in Popstrangers’ songs. They released their second EP, Happy Accidents, in November on Shoot The Freak, and its five distorted pop songs instantly stand out. There’s a real menacing quality to the slacker vocals, drilling rhythm section and rusty guitars. Avenue sounds like a classic Flying Nun track in some regards, all pent-up aggression and hooky choruses dropping off to a sweetly serene bridge.

    NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance
    Jonas Alaska – In The Backseat
    Jonas Alaska is a 22-year-old up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Åmli. He’s currently living and studying in Liverpool and playing shows solo or with the band Homestead. He’s no doubt walking in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, but don’t be mistaken – he’s not a pale copy, rather a brilliant musician in the same vein. He spent the fall of 2010 recording his debut album and we can all look forward to its release this summer.

    PERU: SoTB
    Kanaku & El Tigre – Bicicleta
    Kanaku & El Tigre are a cool group who will revitalize our ears this summer. Bruno Bellatín and Nico Saba’s compositions take in folk melodies and experimental sounds made by any unusual instrument. Their stories talk about vices and selfishness, but also about sweetness and a weird hope. Bicicleta is from their first LP, Caracoles, a real hidden treasure.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Hipnótica + Unixx – Perfect Betrayer
    T(h)ree is the name of a collaborative compilation featuring 33 bands from Portugal, Macau and Hong Kong. Hipnótica, who recorded and produced this track with Hong Kong group Unixx, is one of the most interesting Portuguese alternative bands and have been releasing music since 1997. Twelve-Wired Bird Of Paradise is their critically-acclaimed latest album and came out last year.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    White Walls – The Lost Art Of Chapeaugraphy Part II
    This month we’re presenting you something a bit different. Progressive metal that blends furious riffs with moments of calm, harsh vocals with melodic ones, alternating explosions with restraints. I’m talking about White Walls, from Constanta, four guys becoming ever more appreciated thanks to their live performances and debut album, Mad Man Circus, available for download via their label, Asiluum.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Reverie – Get To Know Me
    Reverie is the stage name of Louise Connell, a striking 21-year-old singer with a tempting voice and pop songs with hints of Martha Wainwright. Get To Know Me is such a flawless acoustic strum, it surely can’t be long before daytime radio is all over this. The track is taken from her surprisingly diverse debut album Melodies which you can download for less than the price of a glass of wine at Bandcamp.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Elektone – Falling Into You
    Memories fade in and out of reality when it comes to Elektone’s dreamy brand of electro-pop. Started by Zulfadly Amin, a graduate of our National Arts Council’s Noise Singapore initiative, he and his merry band capture love and light waves as pangs of desire wash over Singapore’s bullet-speed society. Taking a moment to enjoy Elektone’s music is almost like allowing yourself to fall asleep in a mass rapid transit, dreaming of tomorrow as yesterday happens all around you.

    SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
    Auhm – Hide In The Fog
    So far, Youn Sang Hoon is best known as the guitarist in the beyond lovely indie-pop act Donawhale, but with the band on hiatus that may well be about to change. In addition to occasionally supporting former MAP artist Apollo 18 on stage, he’s been making some music under the moniker Auhm. Hide In The Fog is a glorious post-rock track that is far from as shy as the title implies. Hopefully an EP will be out before the summer, but for now we’ll have to be satisfied with Auhm’s wondrous demo recordings.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    AtletA – Evasión y Victoria
    12twelve were one of Spanish post-rock’s top bands. Out of its cinders and spirit, many creative adventures rose, AtletA being one of them. Composed of two former members of the aforementioned Barcelona band, Jaume L. Pantaleón and José Rosselló redefine their sound with a bigger experimental expression. Krautrock, synth loops and free-jazz structures dissolve and pass the baton that Pantaleón already held in Ruizpantaleón, shading the compositions with hypnotic brightness, as Evasión y Victoria shows.

    SWEDEN: Swedesplease
    Stay Hungry – Against The Wall
    I guess I should have asked for a couple of more songs from the straight edge hardcore band Stay Hungry since this one clocks in at only 1:27. Still, it’s a perfect use of a minute and 27 seconds – nothing is wasted in this band’s minimalistic aggro punk. I’m not a hardcore expert and am far removed from the scene, but to me these guys have it. Whatever ‘it’ is.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Death Of A Cheerleader – Flesh & Blood
    Death Of A Cheerleader is a four-piece from Winterthur. They recently released Flesh & Blood, a forerunner to their debut album, recorded and produced by Magnus Lindberg in Sweden. The track is gloomy and haunting, six-and-a-half minutes full of No Wave in its best manner. If their full-length lives up to the promise, Flesh & Blood shows it’s going to get a cheerful release party.

    UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
    New Animal – Last Winter
    Atlanta duo New Animal command a wide variety of genres and sounds on their self-titled debut LP (available free here), from electro-pop to avant indie-rock. The anthemic and meditative Last Winter is a great example of their songwriting chops, just one of 15 reasons to love this emerging band.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Rawayana – Bahia
    Together since 2007, Rawayana fuse acoustic sounds with genres such as funk and folk to create something unique. Since mid-2009, they have been playing in the main bars of Caracas with bands such as Los Mesoneros, Wahala and Lebronch.

  • Music Alliance Pact January 2011

    MAP pertama ditahun 2011 kita mengirim ((AUMAN)) sebagai ‘the freshest headbanging sound” dari Indonesia untuk menggetarkan dunia permusikan di 35 negara sekaligus. !

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    ((Auman))
    [download id=”326″]
    Auman means “animal’s roar”, and their music is wild, dirty and full of energy – like a tiger deep in the Sumatra jungle that is ready to eat its prey. ((Auman)) is the latest group worth hearing in the local headbanger scene.

    enjoy, bulan ini lagunya asoi-asoi. deh
    To download all 35 songs in one file click here

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Les Mentettes Orchestra – Cosmic Sidewalks
    Les Mentettes Orchestra is the augmented version of Les Mentettes, a psychedelic pop band from Buenos Aires that features more than 20 musicians live on stage. A couple of years ago we featured one of their early recordings, but now it’s time to unveil a great song from their first and self-titled album. It was recorded live at ION, a legendary studio that still works with tape and analog equipment. The album is available on iTunes and there’s also a video of Cosmic Sidewalks.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Spartak – Nightshift (Version)
    Spartak were one of many great bands I discovered on the recently released compilation, The Sound of Young Canberra, which is full of exciting music from the oft-forgotten titular city. Spartak’s tune stands out amongst a very strong set that makes a solid case for reevaluating Australia’s capital as something of an emerging cultural hub. Nightshift (Version) reminds me of a Spoon demo, bringing together Spoon’s knack for effortless songs draped in subtle studio trickery. I look forward to more from these guys.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Apanhador Só – Maria Augusta
    Contagious and catchy, Maria Augusta is an indie semi-hit from Apanhador Só, a band from the cold south of Brazil who released a good album last year that can be downloaded for free via their website. They’re part of a new scene of bands who sing in Portuguese, of which they are considered one of the greatest revelations. Maria Augusta quietly shows a group that do not take the easy route – they explore alternative ways of making music, such as using a bicycle wheel as an instrument.

    CANADA: I(Heart)Music
    Hooded Fang – Laughing
    Think of The Strokes. Now think of The Strokes if they slowed things down considerably, but still managed to retain all their cool and catchiness. Got a picture/sound in your head? Then, as Laughing shows, you’ve got a good idea of what Hooded Fang sounds like.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Elefante Mecánico – Génesis
    Génesis heralds the comeback of Elefante Mecánico after their celebrated Memorias De Un Elefante album, self-released in 2008. In this record, Bame, Jota and DJ Antioch pick up on old school hip-hop sounds, throwing inspired rhymes about cosmos, love and eternity.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Pet Conspiracy – Beyond
    Beijing-based Pet Conspiracy plays funky, danceable electronic music that takes influences from punk-rock, new wave and disco. The band consists of two female singers, a guitar/synthesizer player and a drummer. Lead guitarist Hu Zi is already an established artist in the Beijing underground scene as an electronic musician. Pet Conspiracy is known for their high-energy live performances and the array of toys and costumes they bring on stage. They have just returned from a successful tour of Europe.

    COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
    The Colombian Party Cartel – La Murga De Colombia
    Two Colombians and one gringo make up The Colombian Party Cartel. The crew resides in the United States, where every weekend they mix the best Colombian music. Carey James is the lead vocalist and principal producer of CPC. La Murga De Colombia samples a Willie Colón song and creates a new fusion of Colombian cumbia and urban style.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    CODY – The Light
    The vessel for frontman Kaspar Kaae’s musical output, alternative country and Americana seven-piece CODY hit it big in Denmark in 2009 with their excellent debut album Songs, from which The Light is taken. Come March they’ll play both Canadian Music Fest and SXSW, and around the same time the album will be out in the US on Thrill Jockey Records. They’re a really great live band as well.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Anna Calvi – Suzanne And I
    If you’re only going to pay attention to one name on all those Tips For 2011 lists then let it be Anna Calvi. Her influences – from Morricone soundtracks to doomy goth and opera – suggest her music could be preposterously overblown, yet Calvi is clearly an expert when it comes to dynamics and restraint. Cavernous drums open proceedings on Suzanne And I, then ominous, twanging guitar lines ring out before Calvi steps up to the microphone. Each new addition ratchets up the tension a notch, drawing you in so that, by the time Calvi’s wailing away on top of thundering riffs, crashing cymbals and a couple of spare kitchen sinks, you’re too involved to notice. Her self-titled debut album is out on Domino on January 17.

    ESTONIA: Popop
    Galvanic Elephants – Rum Rumble
    Galvanic Elephants hail from Tartu. They came together in August 2010 and have released only one single so far, but that one song has earned them praise from critics and music bloggers and created anticipation for new material that should be released soon. With no concerts announced so far either, Rum Rumble is the only chance to enjoy the rough sound of Galvanic Elephants right now, but it definitely makes you want more.

    FINLAND: Glue
    On Volcano – Acceleration Of Heartbeat
    On Volcano is one of the best underground bands in the Finnish indie scene. They play obscure post-rock songs with long instrumental movements and intense dynamics and atmospherics. Their latest EP is available for free on their website.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Sizarr – Fake Foxes
    Sizarr are lucky guys. Yet to finish school, they have already played big festivals in Germany such as the renowned Melt! without being signed to a label yet. These three guys from Landau have a very distinctive style, especially singer Fabian Altstötter, whose voice is very dark and uses a memorable stretching technique. Together they create modern electonica landscapes inspired by many other genres. They plan to record their debut album this year.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    drog_A_tek – In_No_Sense
    The movie Homeland, directed by Syllas Tzoumerkas, is an explosive parable of Greece coming apart at the seams, shown through the spectrum of a dysfunctional family, which decides to give up one of its members for adoption to a richer relative. The original music score, a compelling concoction of styles that continually surprises, reflects precisely those feelings. drog_A_tek, a band that records moments in real-time and produces temporary audiovisual environments, uses objects, analogue and digital musical instruments, typewriters, frequencies, recording archives/waste and technology landscapes to depict the film’s mood. As a result of this, no moment of Homeland is left unfilled with sparkling music ideas. Listen to In_No_Sense, where their ingenuity shines.

    ICELAND: Icelandic Music Maffia
    Miri – Góða Konan
    Miri began at the LungA festival in the east fjords of Iceland in 2003. The debut EP, Fallegt Þorp, was recorded live one night during this festival in 2005, produced by Curver Thoroddsen. The band plays almost wordless, progressive noise mixed with beautiful guitar work. Góða Konan is featured on their 2010 full album Okkar.

    INDIA: Indiecision
    Adam And The Fish Eyed Poets – Little Monkeys
    Adam And The Fish Eyed Poets is the solo project of Kishore Krishna from Chennai. His music finds a place between the lush industrial sound of Nine Inch Nails and rootsy American rockabilly. Little Monkeys comes from his debut album, Snakeism. Featuring several clinky electronica bells and whistles, it is a resounding tune that is over almost as quickly as it starts. It’s a builder in a hurry; a chorus-heavy singalong that’s emphatic and imminently memorable.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Retarded Cop – Copvan
    Formerly of Dublin punk rockers Moutpiece, Gaz Le Rock has expanded his repertoire into an amazing 30-minute radio show called The Loving Room Floor and is now releasing tunes at a blistering pace as Retarded Cop, a project which has the catchiest pop-punk tunes you’ll hear all year. A debut LP is forthcoming.

    ISRAEL: Metal Israel
    Yerachmiel – Yom Shekulo
    Yerachmiel “Rocky” Ziegler is an international musician who owns Little Apple Studios in the trendy Jerusalem artists’ enclave Nachlaot. He is an authentically indie artist, though his work is distributed worldwide and features on several albums. Yerachmiel’s music spans several genres but this specific song, Yom Shekulo, is a trance-rock rendition of ancient Passover liturgy that speaks of Messianic times (and it really picks up quite nicely in the middle).

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Young Wrists – I Want You To Disappear
    Alberto and Letizia come from the coastal town of Pesaro and there is definitely a breezy, summery shade in their jangly, noisy pop. Behind their C86 abrasive guitars and shining melodies you can hear a bright ode to adolescence and nostalgia, in the vein of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart or Dum Dum Girls. Well, you can decide not to trust me because I am too involved and helped them release their debut 7” (on We Were Never Being Boring), but just listen to this bittersweet bonus track and fall in love right now.

    MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
    Disco Ruido! – Amorfos
    Although Disco Ruido! has made its name in Mexico City’s hipster nightlife as a non-stop party combo, their debut album delves into a neon-blurred nostalgia from lost childhood afternoons watching pop stars miming on TV. Mercedes sings like a doll high on ephedrine (no doubt this song’s title is translated as “amorphous”), while the band explores the enormous legacy of harmonies that dwell in the Mexican collective memory. I wish Thalía and Paulina Rubio (the glamour-pusses from seminal 80s teenybopper group Timbiriche) could be doing this kind of sophisti-pop.

    NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
    Lola Kite – Everything’s Better
    At times pop trio Lola Kite can’t resist the playfulness of lo-fi, losing themselves to retro electro-pop tech and washes of hazy, melodic psychedelia – which undoubtedly reminds you of Animal Collective when combined. However, their debut album Lights, finally released this month following loads of gigging promise, shows they’re more than a quirky and charming proposition, upping their game with upbeat and snappy dance-pop gems such as Everything’s Better.

    NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music Journal
    Golden Axe – Telephone
    There’s nothing like the enthusiastic waveform tones of Golden Axe. Named after the Sega game, Chris Cudby and Daif Kent’s keyboard-based band has been making party-friendly psychedelic music since late 2001. True to their fun and eccentric form, the July release party for their latest album, Fantasy Footwork, saw them play inside a giant paper mâché igloo that they made themselves. Download the Telephone EP and buy Fantasy Footwork from their Bandcamp.

    NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance
    Aristillus – Dying, Keep Dying
    The members of Aristillus are aged 17 and 18 but, in spite of their youth, they sound much more mature than many other hardcore bands. With heavy drums, sharp guitars and lyrics as dark as their sound, I believe they’ll soon get a lot more attention. Their influences are Norwegian hardcore bands such as Snöras, JR Ewing, Kollwitz and Rumble In Rhodos, and they’re releasing their debut album, Devoured Trees & Crystal Skies, on January 24 on the Norwegian indie label Fysisk Format. Aristillus is playing at by:Larm 2011 and I’m quite sure that won’t be the last you’ll hear from them this year.

    PERU: SoTB
    Voz Propia – Lentes Amarillos
    With a career spanning more than 20 years, Voz Propia is still current, their sound having been renewed to the demands of each time. El Manifesto is their eighth production and it could be the definitive work of this mature band. Post-punk is the essence in their sound again so hold on, Voz Propia is back.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Balla – Equilíbrio?
    Armando Teixeira, who has been playing in bands and as a solo artist for more than 25 years, is one of the most talented contemporary musicians and producers of modern Portuguese music. He is a creative multi-instrumentist and sought-after producer for labels and studios. Balla is one of his solo projects and we wish to thank Armando for letting MAP make Equilíbrio? the first free, worldwide downloadable track from latest album Equilíbrio.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Nebulosa – Trains
    Nebulosa is the music space child of three people living on different continents: Noamme, Andrei and Vladimir. The sound is dreamy and sincere, using very simple chord structures and lyrics. Their debut EP, Chimes, can be downloaded from their website, a free ticket to the stars.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Aaron Wright & The Aprils – Go On Yer Self
    Aaron Wright & The Aprils’ self-titled debut album, due out conveniently enough in April, features guest vocal contributions from Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell and Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake as well as instrumental ones from Belle & Sebastian duo Stevie Jackson and Mick Cooke. Those influences certainly makes themselves heard on Go On Yer Self, which mixes a classic Scottish folk-rock sound with a strong helping of Beatles-esque melody-making. The 24-year-old shaggy-haired Edinburgh singer and his band will be heading out on tour in March as support to The Charlatans. The ingenious video for their new single, Trampoline, is also worth a look.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Kevin Lester – Rockstar 2.0 feat Vanessa Fernandez
    Hip hop isn’t something one associates with Singapore’s music scene, but it exists, usually even more underground than rock, metal or hardcore. Ironically, it’s in response to rampant commercial radio that the local music community, regardless of style, has become a close-knit family. In his debut, Kevin Lester brings out the collaborative and experimental strengths of hip hop, forging a sound with slashes of rock and soul, and working with some of the country’s best singers to put out a record with incredible heart and talent.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    Thieve – Champion
    Thieve are a trio hailing from the hub of Cape Town, whose motto and reason for picking the band name comes from the fact that “nothing is original – everybody steals”. While you can hear that sentiment heavily influences their song, Champion, they maintain a unique feel with their melding of swirling pop rhythms, a soft rock sound and a nostalgic lovestruck feel to their lyrics. With the experience of all the members being involved in previous well-known bands, they’ve turned Thieve into a tight-knit group that is set to take over the rock ‘n’ roll scene.

    SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
    Swimmingdoll – Last Take
    After a year in the making, experimental shoegaze band Swimmingdoll were finally ready to present their first album, 8wimmingdoll, in the last weeks of 2010. Last Take is a gorgeous layered production with a sound well suited for “the infinite world of the spacewalk” the band wish to portray.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Oblique – Without Making Noise
    Oblique’s music and aesthetic could remind us of 80s electro-industrial music (or even EBM) bands and, certainly, their biggest inspiration comes from dark synthpop acts such as The Human League or Ladytron. Without Making Noise, the second single taken from the eponymous album of this trio from Barcelona, features dark atmospherics and, of course, a catchy chorus. It’s got what it takes to be a perfect futurepop track.

    SWEDEN: Swedesplease
    Klifton Filente – It Takes A Thorn To Remove A Thorn
    Klifton Filente is one of the underappreciated, unsigned and relatively unknown artists from Sweden that I am keeping my eye on. On the song It Takes A Thorn To Remove A Thorn, taken from their Common Ground album, you can hear echoes of Crosby, Stills and Nash as well as the lilting folk-pop of early Paul Simon.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Aie ça Gicle – Whisper Jet
    Sonic Youth is the keyword when it comes to Aie ça Gicle’s musical universe. But the band’s debut album S.Y.R.U.P. offers more than just a blueprint. Their influences range from post-punk to grunge to post-rock. They pile guitar layer upon guitar layer, interlace some catchy refrains and try to be as laid-back as possible.

    UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
    Smith Westerns – Weekend
    Chicago’s Smith Westerns break out of the relatively dull and dispassionate tunes of their first record and, in the upcoming Dye It Blonde LP, give us 2011’s first truly great album. It’s a wonderful construction upon the flashy glam rock that gave careers to David Bowie and T-Rex, endlessly listenable and replayable, particularly opening track Weekend.

    VENEZUELA: Barquisimeto
    Greasy Grapes – Candles In The Rain
    Greasy Grapes are a straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll band formed in Caracas in early 2006. Their music is influenced by American traditional southern music, which also inspired legendary bands in the late 60s and 70s such as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Faces, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the The Allman Brothers Band. Candles In The Rain is taken from Greasy Grapes’ 2009 debut album At The Back Of The Hill, which blends a vintage vibe with rock, soul, blues and country sounds.

  • Music Alliance Pact November 2010

    Sekarang sudah tanggal 15, berarti saatnya ngedengerin lagu-lagu asoi mancanegara melalui Music Alliance Pact.
    Bulan ini Indonesia dengan bangga mengirimkan Bangkutaman, band indie-pop asal Jakarta (Yogyakarta) yang memiliki sejarah panjang perjuangan dalam karir musik mereka. 🙂
    Selamat menikmati.

    To download all 34 songs in one file click here

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Alvy, Nacho & Rubin – El Galán De La Paternal (The Magnetic Fields cover)
    Alvy, Nacho y Rubin Interpretan a Los Campos Magnéticos is the result of a singular process of research, translation and reimagining of Stephin Merritt’s songs. The project was crafted by three talented musicians from Buenos Aires and Mr Merritt himself revised and approved the adaptation of his songs. El Galán De La Paternal (The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side) is the first single and you can download it here as a MAP exclusive. The whole album is available on iTunes.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Ghoul – 3Mark
    I’m excited that over the next six months we’ll be getting both a mini-album (in January) and a full-length release from Sydney experimental/glitch/pop crew Ghoul. It’s been a long wait, but Ghoul have grown a lot since self-releasing their debut mini-LP A Mouthful Of Gold in 2008. Both the production and the songwriting have taken epic leaps toward a more nuanced, crisp sound that relies less on jazz streaks and tangential arrangements to maintain attention and more on melody and detail. 3Mark is a sign of great things to come.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Labirinto – Anatema
    Epic, dark post-rock is at the core of Sao Paulo-based band Labirinto, whose first full-length album is already one of the best Brazilian releases of 2010 and is also remarkable due to its gorgeous artwork. Anatema is the main song on the album, which is available from their Bandcamp.

    CANADA: I(Heart)Music
    Radio Radio – Dekshoo
    On the surface, Radio Radio may seem like a joke: a couple of hipsters from New Brunswick rapping in extremely slangy French about stuff like Kenny G, luggage and, on this song, penny loafers. Dig just a little deeper, though, and you’ll find the band members are actually expert satirists, skewering just about every target they can find (except for Kenny G; their love for him seems serious). With brilliant lyrics and fun music, it’s no wonder the band was included in this year’s Polaris Music Prize shortlist.

    CHILE: Super 45
    La Reina Morsa – Fiesta Pequeña
    Originally from southern Chile, La Reina Morsa’s members took up permanent residency in Santiago with their own music projects. But their common tastes brought them together to release their debut album Dónde Están Las Jugueterías? (“Where Are The Toy Stores?”), the brand new sensation for the current season. Fiesta Pequeña (“Tiny Party”) is the first single, a great presentation card for this band which creates a pop sound that features acoustic guitar, bizarre animal visions and a sweet, child-like naivety. We strongly recommend you download the full album for free, directly from the Sello Cazador website.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    JJay – Nostalgic Melody
    JJay’s ear-melting vocals coasting smoothly over dreamy soundscapes peppered with catchy, thudding beats and soaring synths have earned him a serious fanbase. JJay first moved from Beijing to Shanghai to study while also forming several post-punk bands. After earning a master’s degree in science in the US, he returned to Shanghai and met B6 with whom he shared a passion for Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and Royksopp. Once the voice of IGO with B6, possibly the first synthpop band in China, JJay is now pursuing solo work after the band split in 2009.

    COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
    El Tigre – Quien Como Yo
    Sebastian aka El Tigre is a rapper from Medellin. His new crew, Los Extraditables, are actually giving the world a new theory: Drugs aren’t the only thing that can be exported from Colombia – good music can be too. Quien Como Yo is a classic dancehall track with a nightclub vibe.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    The Kites – Summer Missus
    Exactly one year ago I featured quartet The Kites and their very infectious pop-rock in the Music Alliance Pact. A month later they released the great four-track EP, The Kites Are On, and recently they followed up with this bittersweet gem, co-produced by neo-disco prodigy Vinnie Who aka Niels Bagge. Both the EP and Summer Missus are available for free at their website – so go download it.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Trophy Wife – Microlite (acoustic)
    Exclusive acoustic version of the Oxford indie-dance trio’s debut single, out on Moshi Moshi Records now. “Four minutes of limpid loveliness that suggests – with its gently insistent electronic pulse, swathes of shimmering synths and aching perkiness – Vampire Weekend playing New Order”, says the Guardian’s new band of the day writer Paul Lester. “It’s our old friend, sad disco, something to dance to even as you ponder the vapidity and meaninglessness of frivolous self-expression.”

    FINLAND: Glue
    70vierailijaa – Tärkeintä On (Puutarhanhoito)
    With a gentle touch of female voices blending together and an elegant progressive instrumentation, 70vierailijaa create charming dreamy pop to melt the cold winter nights. Their recently released self-titled debut album is full of traditional Finnish themes and melodies, but with the refreshing twist of soft indie music, in an addictive mix of old and new and of local and global sounds.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    A Forest – A Stereotype
    A Forest definitely run the unfair risk of being overlooked. Their musical mixture of souly electronica does not want to paint the town red. Instead, they create cautious, almost fragile songs on their debut album, Leaves Leaves Fall Fall Rain Fall, that get under your skin. The featured single, A Stereotype, is a perfect example for this sound which is founded on jazzy rhythms and soulful voices, especially from Fabian Schuetze. A Forest will release a new, as-yet untitled EP in March.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Film (featuring Hildur Kristín) – Harmur Fuglsins
    Harmur Fuglsins, an atmospheric song with cinematic aesthetics that effortlessly creates images of tender, hearth-side warmth, is the bewitching outcome of a collaboration infused by the strikingly contrasting geographical and artistic backgrounds of Film and Rökkurró’s Hildur Kristín Stefánsdóttir. Curling around an eloquently subtle arrangement armed with guitars, delicate noises, pounding drums, sombre sonic textures, melodic synth lines and electronic facets and combined with the marvelous, ethereal vocal touches of Hildur brings out its tremendous beauty with every listen.

    ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
    Sykur – Rocketship
    First we had Sykurmolarnir, known worldwide as The Sugarcubes. Now an Icelandic electronic trio of youngsters from Reykjavik goes under the alias Sykur (“Sugar”). Their shows are fun-filled, sexy and energetic and they collaborate with local rappers and pop and rock singers. Rocketship, which has guest vocals from Útidúr singer Rakel Mjöll, is taken from Sykur’s debut album Frábært Eða Frábært, which was released a year ago on the Icelandic Record Records label.

    INDIA: Indiecision
    Sulk Station – Contentment
    Bangalore downtempo act Sulk Station define themselves as “mellowdramatic pop”, a term that captures the essence of their ambient soundscapes particularly well. The young duo’s minimal yet stark productions are powered by vocalist Tanvi Rao’s lazy delivery. Contentment grows from a Zero 7-esque drone to a swirling dance track which wouldn’t be out of place at an EDM club downtown.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Bangkutaman – Ode Buat Kota
    Ode Buat Kota, which means “an ode to the city”, is taken from Bangkutaman’s latest concept album about hard life in Jakarta – the pollution, traffic, crime, house loans, etc. Their music is influenced by The Stone Roses, The Byrds and The Mamas & The Papas. They are one of the most well-respected bands in Indonesia.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Kasette – You Were More
    Kasette consist of a trio of school friends who formed a music partnership while on a J-1 visa in Vancouver. They have just released their debut EP entitled A Mixed Tape which showcases the girls’ brand of chamber folk-pop. Simple and soft, Kasette’s music is in its infancy but it’s already lilting and lovely.

    ISRAEL: Metal Israel
    Desert (featuring Joakim Broden) – Lament For Soldier’s Glory: Order 227
    Israel is comprised of many Russian-born people, some Jewish, some not. Lament For Soldier’s Glory: Order 227 by Desert taps into Russian history, describing Stalin’s cruel command that any soldier captured by the enemy was considered a traitor. Its haunting melodies and driving rhythms sonically depict pain and determination. And as all of Desert served (or are still serving) in the Israeli army, they know what it means to fight for survival. Vocalist Joakim Broden of Sweden’s Sabaton (Nuclear Blast Records) lends his talents to the tale of war and blood.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Sybiann – Monsoon Breath
    You don’t really want to know where this is going to end up. Kraut, post-rock, noise, Liars, Deerhunter… it’s a scary, puzzling orgy of sounds. The amazing debut album of this young band from the town of Ravenna will fire up the imagination of anyone who has the guts to listen to it.

    MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
    Movus – Al Filo Del Origen
    Movus is a five-piece band from Guadalajara. Theirs is a very cinematic post-rock sound, filled with peaks and valleys of instrumental narratives. For their second album Maxa FireKeeper (produced by Jimmy LaValle from San Diego’s The Album Leaf), they were inspired by the Huichol Indians’ myths: Maxa is a deer that guards the mystical fire of the universe. Al Filo Del Origen (translated as “at the rim of the origin”) is as epic as Explosions In The Sky and as evocative as a new soundtrack to the Dr Who sci-fi series.

    NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
    Daily Bread – About Birds And Bees
    This raw trio from the north of the Netherlands label themselves as “sexy garage dance”. They’re certainly sexy, glamming it up at times, banging out taut, fast, noisy grooves reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand or !!! – albeit with a female vocal on top. Particularly live, they’re all about big beats, sweat and dancing. However, About Birds And Bees tunes into a summery Sixties garage-pop vibe instead. And they’ve delightfully avoided any tweeness precedent by writing a deliciously poppy, organ-driven ode to the one-night stand.

    NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
    Disasteradio – No Pulse
    Disasteradio is Luke Rowell’s one-man synthpop outfit. No Pulse comes from his second album Charisma. With this album, Disasteradio has shifted the balance a little more on to songs rather than sounds compared to past releases. The end result is an album with vocodered vocals and a crunchy new wave feel – part Devo, part Gary Numan and part computer game. Charisma is available on Bandcamp and you can watch the video for No Pulse on YouTube.

    NORWAY: Eardrums
    Young Dreams – Young Dreams
    Young Dreams is a Bergen-based collective who make beautiful pop with equal doses of tropical flavours and Phil Spector/Brian Wilson influences. The project started in 2009 and now has as many as 10 members, including profiled musicians such as Matias Tellez and Chris Holm. Young Dreams will release two 7″ singles in early 2011 and their debut album is in the making. They will also perform at the upcoming by:Larm festival.

    PERU: SoTB
    The Satellite – El Sol
    The Satellite began their activities as a band in 2006 with a slight tendency towards post-rock, fusion and experimentation, using any sound that was available. In 2008, with a consolidated style, they released their second EP, 124, which contains El Sol. The band is currently composing more musical pieces and looking forward to making a debut album which they hope will come out very soon.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Emmy Curl – Seafire And Its Waltz
    Emmy Curl lives in a northeast Portuguese town and has studied classic guitar in a music conservatory. However, her songwriting and singing is closer to a mix of ethereal and alternative folk than to anything classical. Imagine a blend of Lisa Germano and Suzanne Vega. She is one of a number of promising unsigned Portuguese artists and is due to have her first European tour.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Thy Veils – The KnifeChild
    Daniel Dorobantu comes from Timisoara and is the mastermind behind this beautiful experimental/ambient project. A bit dark and somehow persistent, Thy Veils’ music is that soundtrack you always wanted for your weird dreams. And if you have trouble dreaming, visit the official site, where a slideshow of the band’s videos (The KnifeChild included) will help with the visuals.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Bwani Junction – Two Bridges
    You should know fairly instantly whether Edinburgh’s Bwani Junction are the band you’ve been waiting for when I tell you that they sound like a cross between The Libertines and Vampire Weekend. They are unsigned but, given the buzz that surrounds them, probably won’t be for much longer. Two Bridges is already a singalong anthem among their rapidly increasing fanbase.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Nicholas Chim – Midnight
    Nicholas Chim is a singer-songwriter who walks the thin line between being absolutely self-indulgent and giving every iota of emotion that he conveys through his music. What results is some of the most earnest songs that shine in their simplicity; yet, the complexity of his arrangements and lyrics come forth distilled and pure. Nicholas is in the middle of recording his second album, Forgiefan, but has kindly shared a contemplative, folksy offering from it entitled Midnight. He hopes you enjoy the music as much as he did writing it.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    Merseystate – Jersey Girl
    With a rock sound that has been compared to other stellar acts but is still uniquely their own comes Merseystate. They are the culmination of alternative rock at its best. Jersey Girl officially launched them on to the music scene last year. It’s a deftly-crafted song that tugs at you then whirls into melodic pop euphoria.

    SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
    Autumn Vacation – Dreamy Even In Deception
    Autumn Vacation showcases the songwriting skills of Bobby Chung – the mastermind behind former MAP artist Julia Hart – and the warm, addictive voice of Gyepy, who could previously be heard as the female vocalist of Broccoli, You Too? The duo recently put out a self-titled album full of what they hope to be perceived as thought-provoking easy listening, providing the same sense of peacefulness as strolling in a park. As lovely as anything else from the band, Dreamy Even In Deception is a light and sweet pop tune that is bound to make you crave more.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    6pm – Letters Play
    Formed in mystical Santiago de Compostela in 2003, 6pm are an electronic/indie duo that has found inspiration in ambient/shoegaze bands such as Sigur Rós, Múm, Styrofoam or even The Postal Service. Letters Play, taken from their rather uknown last EP called Tape Worms, is certainly a breath of air in the Spanish ocean of indie music, where we rarely find inspiring ambient electronic tracks. 6pm are working on their sophomore album, set to be released sometime next year.

    SWEDEN: Swedesplease
    Johan Hillblom – Sneak Preview
    Sneak Preview by Johan Hillblom may be underproduced but that doesn’t mean it’s amateurish. The trumpet solos are great, the odd beats cool, and Johan’s crooning vocals clear and crisp. The lyrics are personal and clever without being pretentious. Examples include “you should see the gallery in my cellphone, you look like an angel from every angle” and “once when I was drunk I accidentally poked you on Facebook, and what’s worse you didn’t poke back”. If you are looking for the next Jens Lekman or Montt Mardié (or the next cast member of Glee for that matter), look no further.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    The Circle Brothers – Hands At The Steel
    You say Nick Cave, I say Alban Ringli. Never heard of him? Alban Ringli is the singer of Swiss indie-folk outfit The Circle Brothers and he gives his two bandmates (who also happen to be his brothers) a special touch in a Nick Cave manner. They have just released their new record Love & Disorder. It sounds gloomy and anxious but still has a gleam of hope.

    UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
    TV Girl – On Land
    San Diegan dudes TV Girl know how to make one hell of a pop song. On Land is quickly becoming one of our favorites of the year, matching the earnestness of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s debut with the hooks of MGMT’s most memorable songs. Their debut EP is a free download on Bandcamp. Keep your eyes peeled for TV Girl in 2011, they’re gonna dominate it.

    VENEZUELA: Barquisimento
    Mochuelo – La Reina Del Lugar
    Venezuelan rock band Mochuelo are known for their electronic sounds and all of the members pour their influences into one unique concept. Their guitar distorsions, contagious rhythms and sweet female vocals saw this band walk away with first prize in the 2005 New Bands Festival. La Reina Del Lugar is from their second album, Un Tanto Mas.

  • DRS X Music Alliance Pact season 1

    Sudah lewat setahun Deathrockstar mengirimkan rekomendasi musik-musik dari Indonesia ke Music Alliance Pact.

    Apa itu Music Alliance Pact? adalah semacam perkumpulan blog-blog musik dari 34 negara yang setiap bulan masing-masing negara mengirimkan sebuah rekomendasi, dan diposting pada tanggal 15 setiap bulannya.

    Karena anggotanya 35 negara (saat ini) maka otomatis tiap musik yang dikirim akan didengarkan di 34 negara lain, lintas batas ideologi, agama dan ras, semuanya berbicara dalam bahasa musik walau liriknya saya ngga ngerti sama sekali.

    Saya sendiri dalam memilih band yang bersedia ikutan mencoba untuk mengkurasi band dari lintas genre, supaya mereka tahu Indonesia punya banyak musik, dan saya juga mengirimkan band berbahasa Indonesia, supaya mereka bisa lebih akrab dengan bahasa kita, dan syukur-syukur jadi bantuan promosi negara ini.

    Dan inilah 12 band pertama yang pernah dikirim ke 30an lebih negara tersebut :
    click DRS x MAP Season 1
    selamat menikmati.