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Tag: Music Alliance Pact

  • Music Alliance Pact November 2012

    Bulan ini sebelum jalan-jalan keliling dunia mari kita memakai sepatu dulu. Sudah tahu lagunya? coba download dulu Harlan Boer – Kiri Kanan (feat. Stephanie Eka) di entri Indonesia.

    Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 40-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Plástico – Cinicos
    For the 50th edition of MAP we have chosen a brand new band from a western suburb of Buenos Aires. Plástico’s sound is a mixture of trip-rock with some electronic and acoustic elements that caught the attention of famous producer Raphael Gordon (The Strokes). Together they recorded a couple of tracks. One is Subir Al Tren, which was used on their first video. The other is Cinicos, previously unreleased, which is a great preview of their upcoming debut album.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Courtney Barnett – History Eraser
    It’s hard to pin down what exactly defines that distinct ‘Australian’ sound. For all the ringing guitar riffs and choruses sung in unison etched into our collective memory, there’s something about Australian music that still flails an antipodean flag. We isolate ourselves on the coast; we recycle stories about strangers, lovers and backyard melancholia; we make poetry championing the suburbs. Melbourne singer Courtney Barnett is certainly at home on her track History Eraser. A colloquial ode to The Triffids, ticket inspectors and nights with good company, this track is a perfect summary of the earnest freewheelin’ and rambling wit that makes music from this end of the world just so great.

    AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
    Mauracher – Outer Space Dancer
    Outer Space Dancer is the first single from the new, fourth Mauracher album Super Seven, out now on Fabrique Records. For this album, Tyrolean electronic musician Hubert Mauracher has teamed up with singer Sonia Sawoff (of Sawoff Shotgun). Together, they create synth-filled dream-pop with ethereal lyrics such as, “When I close my eyes, I stop thinking”.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Sexy Fi – Pequeno Dicionário Das Ruas
    From our capital Brasília comes Sexy Fi, a band that knows how to make a good first impression. Their debut album was produced by John McEntire (Tortoise) and received great reviews in Brazilian alternative blogs. Pequeno Dicionário Das Ruas is the song that opens the album and sees them experiment with indie-rock, resulting in a tropical, alternative sound.

    CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
    Some Minor Noise – Tape Experiments
    Toronto duo Some Minor Noise’s Tape Experiment gets its name from the fact that every sound used, except the kick, snare and vocal, was recorded through a 13-year-old cassette deck, an Optimus CTR-117 (Google it), to a very worn cassette tape that’s at least 10 years old. The end result has a richness and humanity that’s very often missing from electro-pop, and a perfect example of Some Minor Noise’s refreshing take on a familiar genre.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Nader Cabezas – Doble En El Espejo
    Synthesizer layers, guitars with heavy feedback and a lo-fi sound are the attributes of duo Nader Cabezas. On their new album, El Hijo Del Mounstruo, released through LeRockPsicophonique, their music goes deeper into this direction, resulting in dense and obscure rock but without losing focus on what matters – the songs. Doble En El Espejo is taken from this album.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Chui Wan – Berber
    Chui Wan is a four-piece experimental psychedelic rock band from Beijing. Their lush arrangements of guitar, keyboard, viola, other assorted instruments and random sound samples often eschew reliable melodies and vocal harmonies in favor of occasional passages of minimal drone or maximal sonic layerings. They will have their debut release tour with Brooklyn-based band Psychic Ills in China this month.

    COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
    Alfonso Espriella – Cielo Adentro
    Alfonso Espriella is a tireless and dedicated musician who has been making alternative rock for more than 10 years. Joel Hamilton produced his most recent EP, Anima, from which Cielo Adentro (“Heaven Inside”) is taken. It evokes marked influences of acts such as Caifanes from Mexico or Robi Draco Rosa from Puerto Rico, with deep lyrics and an emotive sound.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    The Savage Rose – Soldier On The Run
    On Love And Freedom, The Savage Rose’s 21st album since their eponymous debut in 1968, the legendary rock outfit stage love and politics on an amazing backdrop of hauntingly soulful rock – just as they did when they were a young band – taken to magical heights by frontwoman Annisette’s breathtaking vocal and a performance I could never do justice to in words. Because it’s anniversary time on MAP, here’s a mindbogglingly exclusive download of Soldier On The Run.

    DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
    Janio Lora – Mi Nueva Edad
    For this MAP special edition, singer-songwriter and dreamer Janio Lora has recorded a new demo. Produced by Argentinian composer Pablo Dacal, Mi Nueva Edad blends elegant tango melodies with poignant lyrics as a preview of what to expect from Janio’s upcoming album.

    ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
    Da Pawn – Casi Siempre
    A band’s music lasts over time when its songs become part of a generation’s culture. Da Pawn, one of the revelations of this year, reworks a popular single by the important electronic indie-pop band Can Can into a beautiful folk-rock song. This track is taken from the free download album Malas Influencias (Remixes y Reversiones), which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Can Can.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Dan Croll – From Nowhere (Ben Gomori’s Staring You In The Eye Remix)
    Dan Croll is a Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts graduate who doesn’t like The Beatles, a folkie who’s gone electronic, and a bespectacled boffin who is no softie – in fact, he could have played rugby for England until an accident waylaid his plans. Instead he’s the new golden boy of indie Afro-tinged synth’n’b. From Nowhere is his debut single, a catchy slice of electro-pop with a breezy vocal about losing control and a hook designed to lodge in your skull.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Statues Made Of Matchsticks – If I Didn’t Comb My Hair
    Folk trio Statues Made Of Matchsticks joins the 50th MAP post celebration with an exclusive song recorded at their rehearsal room this month. If I Didn’t Comb My Hair features the band’s signature laid-back acoustic sounds and a sweet pop melody to create a perfect sunset-on-front-porch kind of song.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    Colours In The Street – Paper Child
    Colours In The Street’s members are still in high school but have acquired a big following with only two years behind them thanks to delightful pop songs with strong English influences and a very thorough sense of composition. Having won several contests with only the few songs from their first EP, Euphory, they decided to push further and have been recording a second EP, Paper Child, due out on December 15, from which this song is taken. Watch them playing an acoustic set in a bathroom here.

    GERMANY: Coltran
    Touchy Mob – Seven Hills (Afternoon Touchymap version)
    I’m very proud to present an exclusive recording by my favourite German artist Ludwig Plath aka Touchy Mob, who was first featured on MAP in February 2011. He has reworked his song Seven Hills with guitar, bass and rattle – resulting in something he calls ‘fuzzybuzzy’. I love his velvet voice and how his attention to detail and songwriting skills make my hair stand on end.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Le Page – Ileana
    Le Page is a secret worth knowing about. They are clearly ready to step out from the shadows and play timeless music intended for dreamers and romantics. Their new digital single feels like the product of careful, thoughtful growth, bringing in new influences while maintaining the group’s core sound. It makes an indelible mark. Shimmering, beguiling and evocative, Ileana is a song that boldly merges the subtle and the overt. It will haunt you for many days to come.

    ICELAND: Rjóminn
    Biggi Hilmars – War Hero
    War Hero is the second single from Biggi’s upcoming solo album All We Can Be. It is a rearrangement of Ponds, one of Biggi’s most sought-after compositions, which has been featured on numerous films, TV series and commercials around the globe. Biggi wrote the lyrics and dedicated the song to his sister Agusta, who had been fighting cancer for years. She is the War Hero.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Harlan Boer – Kiri Kanan
    Harlan Boer is a humble singer who writes simple yet sophisticated lyrics and infuses them in melodic, acoustic arrangements. Kiri Kanan is a glorious indie-pop tune.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Owensie – Distance Of Her Love
    Distance Of Her Love is possibly the first song that could be called an Irish bossa nova tune, but that description doesn’t tell the whole story. Lilting bright guitar with a Brazilian slant and Michael Owens’ threadbare falsetto lead the way on a song about a mother’s faraway son, while the mournful brass underscores the lyrical sentiment. It’s taken from Owensie’s confident second album Citizens.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Crimea X – Essential
    Crimea X is the project of Jukka Reverberi, from cult indie band Giardini Di Mirò, and DJ Rocca (Maffia Soundsystem). They play cosmic disco with krautrock and Marxist influences. If space stations have radios, they’ll definitely be playing some Crimea X on repeat. In February 2013, Crimea X will release their second album, Another, produced by Bjørn Torske (Smalltown Supersound), and Essential is a MAP exclusive preview.

    JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
    For Tracy Hyde – Shady Lane Sherbert
    Over the past year, Japan has been experiencing a boom in indie-pop music, with artists from every corner of the country embracing twee sounds. New Tokyo trio For Tracy Hyde are similarly enchanted, but unlike a lot of their peers they incorporate more experimental touches into their music. Shady Lane Sherbert brings in a sprinkling of chillwave, but does so in a way that keeps the song bouncy.

    MALTA: Stagedive Malta
    Beangrowers – Ranchero
    For more than a decade, Beangrowers have been Malta’s indie ambassadors, having released albums and played tours on both sides of the Atlantic. The female-fronted trio can always be counted on to deliver quirky, off-the-wall but nonetheless catchy numbers. With all three members living in different countries for the past couple of years, the good news is that they have now regrouped and a new EP is in the works.

    MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
    Niñovan – Pequeño Folk
    Apparently the beautiful Baja California landscapes are inspiring enough to write and record simple, innocent folk songs. At least that’s what we imagine while listening to Niñovan, a boy/girl duo from the coastal city of Ensenada. Karina Niño and Efraín de la Rocha released their first album, Pequeño Folk, this year and won a place in this month’s MAP through an open announcement we recently made at Panamérika. Their song Pequeño Folk (translated as “Little Folk”) puts the emphasis on the infantile aura of this project, projected even in their own name (“niño” means “child” in Spanish), and perfectly sums up their ideas and imagination.

    NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
    Vox Von Braun – Dig A Hole
    Vox Von Braun are the undisputed chroniclers of the seedier aspects of Dutch provincial life. Habitual stoners, gonzo wannabes and possibly the laziest and unluckiest of outfits, you’re more likely to see them mooching about all-night bars in Groningen than performing anywhere near you. But there’s strength in adversity: this most charming of bands harness their kitchen sink romance to one of the most beautiful, crystalline walls of sound you’ll encounter. And for such a horizontal bunch they have influential fans: the new LP was mixed by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and recorded in Brighton by Matt Thwaites from The Electric Soft Parade. MAP exclusive track Dig A Hole features Brenda of bozo poets Spilt Milk, with their second LP, Rich & On Wheels, out in December.

    PERU: SoTB
    Francois Peglau – Life Is Indefinable
    This month the Music Alliance Pact turns 50 and, to celebrate, we bring you an unreleased song recorded by Francois Peglau especially for the landmark. Life Is Indefinable is dedicated to his newborn son and has a beautiful acoustic warmth and much tenderness. The London-based Peruvian is working on his second album. You can watch the video for his latest single Everybody Loves Me, filmed in New York, here.

    POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
    Plug&Play – Cities I’ll Never Go To
    Plug&Play is changing. Having been on the Polish alternative scene for about six years, they’re moving from post-punk/dance-punk origins to more sophisticated song structures, a good example of which is Cities I’ll Never Go To. The lyrics of this track are a metaphorical journey through different cities all over the world. Since we’re on MAP check if your hometown is one of them.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Balla – A Casa (Wall Of Sound Mix)
    For this very special 50th post/month, multi-instrumentalist and producer Armando Teixeira, one of the most talented Portuguese composers, offers MAP and its followers an exclusive new mix for A Casa, one of his tracks from Balla’s new album, Canções. The original version as well as the full album are available for free from his website.

    PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
    Los Niños Estelares – Satya Yuga Está Por Comenzar (Sesión Archipiélago)
    Clearly the product of an internet age, Los Niños Estelares unleashed their brand of heartfelt and biting satire on an unsuspecting Puerto Rican populace four years ago via YouTube. Half a million views later, the duo is back with Satya Yuga Está Por Comenzar, a direct sequel to their most popular song. Fernando Castro-Álvarez barely catches his breath as he lays out the path to righteousness through internal struggle, while Darío Constaín keeps things simple on the guitar, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. This special live take, a preview of the band’s upcoming fourth album, was recorded for Puerto Rico Indie’s Archipiélago video series and is available exclusively for download here.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    We Singing Colors – Cantec De Seara
    As a special gift for the MAP anniversary, our friends from We Singing Colors have prepared a simple but intense song in their familiar acoustic/electronic style. Their intimate set-up combines vocals, guitar, handmade instruments and beautiful lyrics in Romanian.

    RUSSIA: Big Echo
    DZA – I Love U
    After the successful launch of his Surrender EP, DZA drops a new tune, I Love U, on his SoundCloud. The famous Russian beatmaker twists the classic chiptune-style sound into the house playground. Big up, Sasha!

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire – Queenstown
    When I launched the Music Alliance Pact with a dozen blogs in October 2008, I never imagined it would be going as strong as it is today, with 40 countries around the world now part of the project. For this, the 50th consecutive month of MAP, I’m returning to where it all started with my first ever Scottish pick, Roddy Hart, albeit in his full-band guise. The Glaswegian has vacated the singer-songwriter path and is aiming for a Springsteen meets The National vibe with Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire’s self-titled album, due out in spring 2013 and produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay). From it, savour the compelling Queenstown, a MAP exclusive download.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Gema – Before
    Gema’s debut EP Before is a sprawling canvas of sounds, textures, layers, beats and samples that come together to form a cohesive theme of soulful disturbia. I’m somewhat afraid of what I might find inside Gema’s head. Every sound seems to have a sort of nascent meaning, which is scary because such premeditated behaviour has no place in the hands of a musician capable of carving another world straight into your skull. He’s one of the newest additions to the Syndicate stable, and we hope the marriage of the two will equal three.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    Diamond Thug – Lipstick Stains
    A smattering of synths, piercing vocals and some cutting lyrics turn Diamond Thug’s Lipstick Stains into instantly addictive listening. The trio is made up of Danilo, Dylan and Chantel, and while the project is in its infancy, given the quality of work they are producing they’ll soon be making waves.

    SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
    Hugh Keice – We Are Islands (acoustic)
    Originally from Seoul, London-based singer-songwriter Hugh Keice counts both John Mayer and Jamiroquai as influences, owning to a sound that ranges from acoustic pop to neo soul. His third EP, Slow Tree, is scheduled for release in January. He has recorded an acoustic version of his new song, We Are Islands, exclusively for MAP.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Ceremoney – Morning Body
    We are always pleased to hear new tracks we can dance to, and that’s exactly what Ceremoney has delivered with Morning Body. They describe their sound as post-tropipunk, probably influenced by the crossbreeding of Hispanic and British cultures you find in the Balearic Islands, where they’re from. They craft post-punk with tropical, danceable roots, which is fresh to listen to and perfect to move your body to.

    SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
    Last Lynx – Killing Switch
    Last Lynx is a Stockholm-based band inspired by the organic 60s, howling wolves and modern electro-pop. When those worlds collide and become one, magic happens. The young quartet mixes slick guitar grooves with well thought-out electronic elements and wonderful vocals, with amazing and highly addictive results. Killing Switch is the first single off their as-yet-untitled sophomore EP, due out in early 2013 via SoFo Records.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    The Monofones – Drop Dead
    The Monofones hail from Berne and play straight-edge garage rock right in your face and heart. They’ve just released their third album Super Hits. For the 50th edition of the Music Alliance Pact they have made an exclusive recording of Drop Dead, which is straightforward, raw and dirty.

    TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
    Seni Görmem İmkansız – Tarçın Gezegeni
    Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul, always boasts Turkey’s most interesting new acts. The two young women who make up Seni Görmem İmkansız are BFFs who down doubles of rakı, our national drink, on stage. It actually fits when you consider their band name means “impossible to see you”, a line from an unnecessarily depressing Arabesque song from the 80s that goes instinctively well with rakı. In Tarçın Gezegeni, synths and drums take us back to that decade, with the sultanic melody of a toy melodica creating a weirdly elegant and hard-drinking piece of work.

    UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
    The Pass – Real Summer
    For MAP’s 50th month of posting, electro-rock outfit The Pass have allowed us to post a web exclusive track off their new album Melt. Real Summer is a tornado of sound that builds and builds with each note. Have your ears perked from the three-minute mark to close – it’s one of the best stretches of music this year.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Audrey Holder – Cuando No Sé De Ti
    Audrey Holder is a young woman from Caracas whose melodious voice is part of the Cantoría José Antonio Anzoátegui, one of Venezuela’s leading choirs. She’s preparing her first album, but here we can hear an acoustic track she recorded earlier this year.

  • Music Alliance Pact October 2012

    Bulan ini kita mengirim Rock N Roll Mafia untuk disertakan di Music Alliance Pact. Tradisi bulanan ini sudah mencapai edisi ke 49 dan pesertanya semakin banyak. Bulan ini kamu juga bisa mendengarkan lagu dari Ekuador sebagai anggota baru perkumpulan Music Alliance Pact.
    Selamat menikmati.

    Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 39-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Trebian – Modernidad
    Trebian is a folk trio from Buenos Aires. Their songs are acoustic-driven with wood percussion and, above it all, the beautiful voice of lead singer Sofía Galarce. Modernidad is a preview from their upcoming second album, which will be released later this year.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Mansion, Alaska – Steps
    If a ‘best of’ compilation was made featuring the top American indie tunes of the last four years or so, this track would probably sum them all up. Mansion, Alaska may be channelling a sound similar to Local Natives, Grizzly Bear or even Volcano Choir’s debut at times, but comparisons aside – what an impressive track from this young Melbourne band. Steps is seamless: beautiful harmonies, flowing piano arpeggios, sharp percussion and some dreamy guitar work gravitating around stratosphere level.

    AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
    B. Fleischmann – I’m Not Ready For The Grave Yet
    Working in a bookshop and on various musical projects as well as composing scores for TV series, electronica veteran Bernhard Fleischmann is a busy bee. On his new album I’m Not Ready For The Grave Yet, he uses his own voice for the first time instead of inviting guest singers. Occasionally he also adds film snippets, such as in the album’s title track.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra – Afrodisíaco
    Afrobeat is the sound of the moment in Brazil. Bands such as Bixiga70 and Iconili are presenting the genre to a new generation and in Rio de Janeiro the main representative of this trend is the Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra. Afrodisíaco is an example of the band’s trippy music.

    CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
    The Wilderness Of Manitoba – White Woods
    Like their namesake, The Wilderness Of Manitoba is a Canadian national treasure, and one of our best kept secrets. Their lush harmonies, delicate melodies and sparkling arrangements seem to always be attuned to their environment, creating music that sounds like it’s sprung from fertile patches in the Canadian Shield, blooming against all odds. White Woods is taken from their new album, Island Of Echoes, which introduces electric guitars to give their music a whole new pulse and feel.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Shogún – Unciónextrema
    Cristián Heyne, a producer whose output ranges from mainstream (Enrique Iglesias, La Ley) to indie (Javiera Mena, Gepe), has always kept his own musical project, Shogún, under a discrete, hermetic cover. With only a few limited edition records and a handful of shows, he has attained a faithful cult following that has endured the last 15 years. His complete recordings were recently released via iTunes, giving a new life to his previously hard-to-find and unavailable works. Unciónextrema is El Brujo’s opening track.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    The Gar – Love Will Lost Your Love
    One of China’s most beloved cult indie bands, The Gar is without equal in both substance and acclaim. Wholly unconcerned with the trappings of stardom, they arrive, play their hearts out and exit stage left, blending seamlessly back into the crowds. On stage, however, the band transports audience members to a sonic wonderland coloured with soaring harmonies and unforgettable lyrics. The Gar just released their new EP, The City Of Burning Identities.

    COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
    Ondatrópica – 3 Reyes De La Terapia
    This is what we call a supergroup. The union between Colombian musician Mario Galeano, from Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will Holland, aka Quantic, resulted in Ondatrópica – a musical research project through Colombian tropical sounds. Both Galeano and Quantic, scholars of Colombian and electronic rhythms, were given the task of recreating traditional sounds with vintage equipment and old recording techniques, but searching for its contemporaneity. Proof of this is 3 Reyes de la Terapia (“3 Kings Of Therapy”), featuring Juan Carlos Puello, which was made using a marimba, accordion and beatbox.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Kjartan Bue – Rosen And Danny
    Half Norwegian, half Danish and raised in Denmark, Kjartan Bue debuts his five-track alt-country EP Man Riding Backwards on November 15 (I’ve heard it and it’s great). Here’s Rosen And Danny as a MAP exclusive download, and do make sure you also check out the title track and closing ballad Old Woman here – the latter is also up for free download.

    DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
    El Gran Poder De Diosa – Moriviví
    A Moriviví is a minuscule tropical plant that has an unusual reaction when touched: it folds up and “dies” then “comes back to life” after several minutes. This song by reggae/Caribbean-influenced band El Gran Poder De Diosa reflects that internal debate between life and death, good and evil, through soothing tunes and clever wordplay.

    ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
    Clo Sismico – Cassette Pirata
    Clo Sismico is a renowned musician, producer and MC. He is founder of two important bands in the local independent music scene, 38 Que No Juega (hip hop) and Punto De Encaje (hardcore). This year Clo Sismico released his second album, Cassette Pirata, which blends rap, funk and Latin music with explosive, direct lyrics.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Nadine Shah – Aching Bones
    Straight out of Whitburn comes this singer and pianist-guitarist of Norwegian and Pakistani parentage who actually sounds more like the love child of Nick Cave and Polly Harvey. Shah’s tales of lust and loss, revenge and regret are female takes on Trent Reznor’s industrial blues, her voice redolent of the battle-worn Marianne Faithfull circa Broken English. The title track of her EP is vengefully dark business as usual for Shah as she roars over an insistent clang that provides the rhythm for the song. Her debut album Love Your Dumb And Mad, due early next year, should be a fiery, passionate hoot.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Paperfangs – Everyday
    Paperfangs is a dream-pop trio that draws inspiration from old movies, visual arts, geometric shapes, late-night biking trips, vintage girl groups, chamber pop and shoegaze as well as the latest indie gems. A debut album will not be ready until next year, but in the meantime we can enjoy the band’s take on one of the greatest melody makers ever as the trio covers Buddy Holly’s Everyday.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    Total Warr – xxx Hate xxx
    Total Warr are not complete unknowns in the blogosphere, having been widely praised for their sweet electro-pop. Stereogum premiered xxx HATE xxx back in May and now that the Corbay EP is out, you don’t have any more excuses not to listen to it.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    VIMES – UpStairs
    It’s getting cold really fast these days so let’s turn to some music which may give us comfort. Cologne newcomers VIMES is a duo with a penchant for vibrant electronic music. The voice of Azhar Syed gives the electronics of Julian Stetter a melancholic and yearning touch, thereby making VIMES recognisable. Live they are accompanied by VJ Till Beutling for a complete audiovisual experience. They are currently recording their debut album.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Circassian – Eastern Patterns
    Circassian is a quartet formed in Athens in 2008. Their music demonstrates their traditions and habits, while their philosophy is based on bringing together experimental, neo-psychedelic patterns and forms of atonality along with ethnic melodies drawn from parts of Asia and Northern Africa. They create an eerie yet intimate atmosphere with a distinctive sound. Their second EP, Procrastinational, is available on Bandcamp.

    ICELAND: Rjóminn
    Borko – Born To Be Free
    Born To Be Free is Borko’s first single from his long-awaited sophomore album, also named Born To Be Free, released in Iceland this month through Kimi Records and on November 2 through Sound Of A Handshake for the rest of the world. Borko’s first LP, Celebrating Life, was released to rave reviews.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Rock N Roll Mafia – Never Give Up
    Indonesia’s finest electro band is back with their new album Prodigal, produced by Widi Puradiredja. Their sound is so fresh, optimistic and definitely danceable.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Lar Kaye – Effector
    While his main band Adebisi Shank are between things, guitarist Lar Kaye has been at his musical toy box and that bout of activity has resulted in a dizzying five-track solo EP. Effector is a hyperactive child of a song featuring pounding drum crashes, 8-bit melodies, cartoon samples, R&B female vocals and spiralling guitar notes. The sound of one man having a lot of fun and dishing it out for free. Infectious.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Montgomery – Refrigerator
    It was very hard to choose just one song from the split EP by Montgomery and ED (available for free download on Bandcamp). Every track captures a perfect moment of acoustic pop, both light and moving, so my advice is to check out both acts. I picked Refrigerator by Montgomery because it’s the best ‘goodnight’ song I’ve heard in a long time. Montgomery is a promising new group from Verona with members from the bands Canadians and Le Man Avec Les Lunettes.

    JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
    mus.hiba – Magical Fizzy Drink
    Magical Fizzy Drink features vocals courtesy of Yufu Sekka. Thing is, Yufu Sekka is not a real person but rather a character tied to something called Vocaloid software, a singing synthesizer program. Tokyo-based artist mus.hiba uses this program in a way few in Japan have – instead of using the digital singing as a diva stand-in, Yufu Sekka gets turned into an electronic ghost haunting the background of this gorgeous, heady production.

    MALTA: Stagedive Malta
    Brikkuni – Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan
    Torn between their arty pretensions and a morbid fascination with kitsch, Brikkuni (“scoundrels”) try to have a stab at both. With Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan, the band leaves no stone unturned in its determined quest to marry reluctant bedfellows. The lyrics, sung in Maltese, recount a particularly tense day in a chicken coop owned by the titular Sultan. Riffs rise and ebb and rise again, leading to an an epic conclusion underscored by horns, strings and a pulsating bass line, all strung together by an insistent keyboard motif and… a purple chicken struggling to take flight. The song is taken from Brikkuni’s sophomore album Trabokk.

    MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
    Los Macuanos – Sangre, Bandera, Cruz
    Like a reveille amidst times of war against drug trafficking, Tijuana’s Los Macuanos have released what may well be the curfew at the sunset of president Felipe Calderón’s administration, with his six years of futile strategies having left more than 70,000 human losses. Sangre, Bandera, Cruz (translated as “Blood, Flag, Cross”, written with witchcraft-associated symbols) is an ironic testimony that pictures the zeitgeist of Mexico during 2006-2012.

    NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
    WOLVON – Unicorny
    This summer, Dutch bands WOLVON and Neon Rainbows set off on tour through the Balkans, playing in four countries of the former Yugoslavia. Whilst battling the blistering heat, bored/corrupt border police, broken vehicles, stray dogs and their own preconceptions about Southeastern Europe, it was decided they’d release a split 7″ to commemorate the experience. Unicorny is WOLVON’s side of the record, launched during the independent culture festival Incubate last month. This noisy dream-pop trio has made a name for itself while touring the Dutch underground, thanks in part to their maniacal live antics. They’re currently recording their debut full-length, which will be released through Subroutine Records in spring 2013.

    PERU: SoTB
    Pamela Rodríguez – Re-conozco
    Pamela Rodríguez is one of the best female voices in Peru, and recently received a Latin Grammy nomination for her third album Reconocer, which is both fresh and intense with a lot of pop inclination. The truth is that when her music starts to play, something magical happens in the ears of the listener. No matter what style she chooses, the true protagonist of her songs will always be her voice – sweet, free, sincere and perfect. Re-conozco is a beautiful and exciting piano song like few others.

    POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
    KAMP! – Cairo
    It’s no exaggeration to say that KAMP! is the most popular band in Poland without an album to their name (although their debut record is due in November). Their elegant pop songs and fantastic live shows, which has included SXSW in Texas, have created a great buzz around this trio. Cairo was originally released as a single on Portuguese label Discotexas.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    The Weatherman – Proper Goodbye
    Alexandre Monteiro (aka The Weatherman), after his presence on MAP in January 2009, is back with a new single which opens the way for his new album, Weatherman. A more intimate and autobiographical set of pure pop songs than his previous two albums, it’s a sort of trip to outer space with plenty of time to think about life, where one can be viewed but can’t view the observers.

    PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
    Fantasmes – Redness Moon
    Mario Negron and Dario Morales have been working together in psychedelic ensemble Fantasmes since 2007. For their third release, Redness Moon, Fantasmes required a space where they could compose, rehearse and record at their own pace, free from external pressures. And so a house in Santurce – San Juan’s vibrant arts mecca – became Casa Fantasmes, where the duo worked tirelessly for months. The outstanding result of these sessions is their first release for New York indie label Last Bummer Records – a trippy, sci-fi, end-of-days dystopian video for first single Redness Moon was directed by Danilo Parra and is well worth your time.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Manfellow – Why
    Manfellow are an alternative rock band founded in Bucharest in 2011. They are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances and their fusion of many genres, including post-rock, progressive rock, alternative rock and electronic music. In December, they will represent Romania at The Global Battle Of Bands world final in London.

    RUSSIA: Big Echo
    Anton Malinen – Rain Song
    After his successful debut Cape Of Good Hope, Anton Malinen from Saint Petersburg has released several songs through social networks. His impressive guitar and piano-based folk music continues to charm an online audience, but if Anton wants nothing more than some nice green tea for his songs, let it be the best supply for a few years at least!

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Kitty The Lion – Duck!
    There’s cute and then there’s Kitty The Lion cute, and the promo video for Duck! really does take this Glasgow band to unsurpassable levels of adorability. Frontwoman Anna Meldrum seems to set herself a personal challenge of writing songs about subject matters that are as mundane as possible, but first impressions can be deceiving. Closer inspection of her lyrics reveals exceptionally clever wordplay and crafty double entendres. What isn’t ambiguous is Kitty The Lion’s pop heart, with a near-flawless grasp of melody flowing through their indie-folk veins.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Galactica – Saul’s Tighs
    In a little-known recess in Singapore’s music scene, there existed a group of science fiction aficionados with a common love for the space odyssey Battlestar Galactica. They went on to write some dreamily-inspired shoegaze with titles such as Saul’s Tighs and Gaius Is Crying… Again, referencing series characters Colonel Saul Tigh and Dr Gaius Baltar. While the concept is an inside joke, the music is anything but. Their songcraft and taste in melodies evoke an immense sense of loss in the immeasurable vastness of space. It takes you back to the heyday of science fiction when the music was sprawling and searching, as opposed to present-day equivalents of over-budgeted pyrotechnics.

    SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
    404 – Water
    Two-piece band 404 comes from the most interesting part of Korea’s indie music scene. Not looking to put a label to their music, they say it’s simply “what a guitar/drum two-piece band would sound like in Korea in the year 2012”. They recently released their first album, aptly titled 1, featuring their take on post-punk, modern rock, noise, folk-pop and a hint of blues in a surprisingly coherent mix. Water progresses playfully in a way that makes it impossible to sit entirely still while listening.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Wilhelm & The Dancing Animals – Elephant
    Wilhelm & The Dancing Animals are from Pamplona, home town of a new wave of indie bands. Their sound can be described as folk with punk/rock influences and the animal kingdom is a feature that is often repeated in their work. They’re certainly a band to follow, as we can tell from listening to their first album.

    SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
    Thus:Owls – White Night
    Thus:Owls is a Swedish/Canadian five-piece led by singer and composer Erika Angell. Together they craft carefully arranged, moving and melancholic pop with cinematic elements that’s just simply beautiful. Their widely and rightfully praised sophomore album Harbours is out now via Avalanche (North America) and Hoob Records (Sweden), and will be released in the rest of Europe next year on 
Kytopia.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Monotales – It’s Alright
    Velvet Underground, country, Americana, college-indie-rock, hair metal… you name it, Monotales have got it. They’ve just released their sophomore album Hidden Thrills. Anything other than a lot of fun would have been a disappointment. And we looked anything other than disappointed after hearing it for the first time.

    TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
    Surrender! – Conflicted
    Surrender! is one of the newest, emerging electronic music producers in the Turkish dance scene. Conflicted is one of his older tracks, but we are already excited about the upcoming album which will definitely be worth checking out.

    UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
    The Cairo Gang – Everybody Knows
    The Cairo Gang make drifting seem like the only way to go about life. Their music hovers slightly above, moving at its own pace and coming down in a soft swoop at all the right moments. Hailing from Kentucky, The Cairo Gang bring warmth and introspection to the harshest country winters.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Sincrónica – EsCupido
    Sincrónica is a power trio formed in Caracas in 2001 when they participated in a college rock festival. Between 2002 and 2010 they recorded several EPs, before finally releasing their first album, Todo Lo Que No Sabes, in 2011. From this, we present the simple song EsCupido, which is also being included in the video game Rock Band.

  • Music Alliance Pact September 2012

    Dalam rangka merayakan tur Brilliant at Breakfast ke Jepang, maka demi orang-orang diseluruh dunia bisa mendengarkan musik mereka yang asoi-asoi indie-pop maka kita kirimin deh lagunya ke 38 negara. Dan sementara itu kalian bisa mendengarkan sambil milih-milih musik asoi dari seluruh dunia inih.

    Selamat menikmati.

    Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 38-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Sobrenadar – 1859
    Born in Chaco, Paula García relocated to Buenos Aires for the first time in 2006 to study music production. Since then, coming and going between Chaco and the capital, she adopted the Sobrenadar identity, developing it through two LPs and three EPs, self-released digitally. 1859 is her latest album, and the highest point of that constant evolution. Released through Bandcamp during the first half of this year, it has already obtained several reviews that name her as one of the most promising new local electronica artists. The song 1859 is a bonus track from a special reissue by Mamushka Dogs Records.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Bad Dreems – Too Old
    Any of our overseas friends who are fans of The Twerps, do tune in. Sydney via Adelaide four-piece Bad Dreems are one of the best Australian bands at the moment (in our humble opinion). Too Old is about a fizzling relationship, with a nod to the humdrum routine somewhere in between. Its delivery is anything but boring, though. Loose treble riffs, vocalist Ben Marwe’s casual drone and arguably the catchiest hook being passed around all make this track so great. If only everyone else took a cue from these guys and stopped trying so hard to sound good. Downer-pop at its best.

    AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
    Dust Covered Carpet – Fragile Soul / Heavy Heart
    “A rooftop above concrete or a cliff above the shore or an accident on the street.” The first lines of Fragile Soul / Heavy Heart set the tone for the rest of this strangely calm, reduced and peaceful song that is, after all, about suicide. It is no surprise, then, that Dust Covered Carpet are based in a city with a well-known affinity for all things morbid: Vienna.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Dibigode – Mariposa (A Lagartixa E O Urubu)
    Dibigode is a creative band formed by five young multi-instrumentists who make post-rock music full of melodic lines and dynamic sounds. This version of Mariposa (A Lagartixa E O Urubu) is part of the new remastered version of their debut album, Naturais E Idênticos Ao Natural De Pimentas Da Jamaica E Preta, available for free download at the band’s website.

    CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
    Evening Hymns – Arrows
    On his second album as Evening Hymns, Jonas Bonnetta has made public his very private and personal response to his father’s passing. There are moments of sentimentality and sweetness, and there are times when raw nerves are exposed, stinging with pain and heartache. Arrows is a touching, haunting song about the ghosts that linger long after a loved one has passed away.

    CHILE: Super 45
    Ases Falsos – La Sinceridad Del Cosmos
    Ases Falsos present their debut album Juventud Americana (Arca Discos), a collection of songs that refer to the Latin American ideology yet manage to sound contemporary at the same time. The classy use of synthesizers, the meticulous vocal harmonies and the melodic wrapping are, along with irony-filled lyrics but with a strong political and social meaning, the highlights of this work. Our pick is La Sinceridad Del Cosmos (“The sincerity of the cosmos”), a song that questions police brutality… from an animal’s point of view.

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Baby Formula – Warm Song
    Baby Formula, currently the only shoegaze band in Beijing who plays dream pop live, are formed by an artist who dedicates himself to being a loser, a senior who doesn’t know where to get a master’s degree and a writer who hasn’t sold any piece of work yet. Their music is influenced by a wide range of bands from Slowdive to The Radio Dept.

    COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
    Bomba Estéreo – Pa’ Respirar
    After four years of waiting, electro-cumbia group Bomba Estéreo returns with a more reflective album in which they explore their essence, but without forgetting their Caribbean power. Pa’ Respirar means “to breathe”, a theme that reflects the band’s new vibe, where you can feel the world they inhabit.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Indianna Dawn – I Always Miss You
    There’s been a new wave of Americana and country music sweeping Denmark in the past few years (I say ‘new’ – I don’t really think there ever was one before) and one representative of this is the quintet Indianna Dawn, centered around singer and songwriter Dianna Dønns. MAP exclusive download I Always Miss You is from their great debut album Somebody’s Dead.

    DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
    Duluc – La Mano Partía
    From the depths of rural laments, La Casetera’s first MAP submission is all about Dominican folklore. José Duluc is part of our musical history, playing alongside iconic rock star Luis “Terror” Días for many years. His nostalgic approach to peasant work on his latest song, La Mano Partía, makes us contemplate the aspirations of the less fortunate and their longing to be generously rewarded someday.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Woodpecker Wooliams – Crow
    Woodpecker Wooliams aka Brighton girl Gemma Williams is a 27-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and for once that term is true: the former midwife plays harp, kora, omnichord, keyboard, harmonium, electric organ, accordion, penny whistle, clarinet, bells, glockenspiel, electric shruti box, recorder and drums. She’s also more Björk than Beyoncé, a kookstress with a high chirrup of a voice and a back-story involving a bird obsession and a bee fetish. Don’t expect wall-to-wall cute, though. On Crow, one of several avian-related titles on her The Bird School Of Being Human album, she sings about building “a great funeral pyre” as the music becomes increasingly clanging and industrial. Prepare to be haunted long after it ends.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Skip Zone – Leaving Planet Boredom
    Skip Zone is a six-piece folk-rock band from Helsinki that performs mid-tempo cosmic Americana songs with some outstanding vocal harmonies and catchy pop melodies. A little bit early Wilco here and a little bit Ryan Adams there create well-crafted songs. Skip Zone’s debut EP can be heard on SoundCloud in its entirety.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    Aud – Violets
    Aud is a folk-pop duet hailing from Nancy, heavily influenced by Patrick Watson, Sufjan Stevens, Beirut and other indie acts. Their first EP, Origami, released in 2010, brought them much success and Violets is taken from their second one, The Death Of The Stag God, released on September 14. Not only are they brilliant lyricists, but also exceptional multi-instrumentists who use guitars, drums, pianos, glockenspiel and harmonica to create a diverse spectrum of sounds and feelings.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Stabil Elite – Hydravion
    Let’s conclude our series on new Kraut with this fine trio from Duesseldorf, whose debut Douze Pouze had quite an impact on German music scene. They combine the charm of monotony and repetitive patterns with distinctive lyrics reminiscent of Neue Deutsche Welle. But Stabil Elite is not just one of those retro bands – it’s mature, handmade music with a great range of originality.

    ICELAND: Rjóminn
    Monotown – Can Deny
    Monotown just finished their debut album in a collaboration with four-time Grammy-winning mixing engineer Michael Brauer. While the album’s narrative may have roots in their motherland, its sound will be equal parts American western film score and Beatles psychedelia, flavored with haunting textures reminiscent of contemporary indie-rock bands.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Brilliant At Breakfast – Gundala Putra Petir
    Brilliant At Breakfast are one of this country’s finest indie-pop/twee-pop bands. Hailing from Yogyakarta, they already enjoy a global reach, distributing their records around the world via Apple Crumble (Japan), Hands And Arms (France), Susy Records and many more. Enjoy their heartfelt tune Gundala Putra Petir.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Forrests – Tarifa
    The duo of Paul O’ Reilly and Owen O’ Mahony only have two Forrests tracks available online but form from their other band Channel One and a couple of super live shows have confirmed them as a vital prospect. Their music reaches for the night sky, à la M83 or Fuck Buttons with a crisp digital sheen and warm breaths. Tarifa is a beauty.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Go Dugong – White Sun (feat. Welcome Back Sailors)
    Listening to this song in September may be painful: the level of nostalgia for the summer that just faded away (at least on this side of the globe) can become dangerously high. In any case, the music Go Dugong makes is so good it’s worth it – sunny synths, samples lost in the echoes and lots of beats. Go Dugong is the solo project of Giulio Fonseca (from the brilliant band København Store) and he just released his first EP on the Czech label AMDISCS.

    JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
    Fancy Books – Sister Carry Stars
    Saitama duo Fancy Books takes a lot of cues from groups currently generating buzz in Tokyo, especially blog-approved outfits Jesse Ruins and Sapphire Slows, whose sounds swirl dance music with unsettling ambient touches. Sister Carry Stars, though, leans closer to pop, with a jaunty melody and sweet vocals that sound inviting. Still, Fancy Books take an otherwise summer-friendly number and turn it woozy with their synths.

    MALTA: Stagedive Malta
    Tollens – Beautiful Day
    Tollens (real name Ryan Formosa) bought his first guitar at age 13, but it was only recently that he started recording proper songs. He came up with the name as a nod to Bernhard Tollens, the German chemist. After unleashing his first EP on SoundCloud to good feedback from friends and even people he’d never met, he decided to take it further. Beautiful Day is taken from the EP Drowning In A Dream – a proverbial bedroom-pop rollercoaster, available as a free download from Bandcamp.

    MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
    Eddie Mercury – In Mexico
    September 15 marks Mexico’s National Day, and to set the mood for a chauvinistic party we’ve brought in local Electrique Music genius Eddie Mercury. On this eight-minute bouncing trance, a digitally bloated voice emphasises he wasn’t born in New York, Chicago or Detroit – he was born “In Mexico”. So let’s dress in red, white and green and insanely dance to this new national (house) anthem.

    NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
    Spilt Milk – Our Despised Decay
    During the dark days of December 2011, Amsterdam-based quintet Spilt Milk found comfort in the first eight published poems by American modernist poet Wallace Stevens (1879-1955). Gathered under the title Carnet De Voyage (“Travel Notebook”), these songs are full of stars, sunsets, landscapes and rivers. Although Stevens’ poetry may not be the easiest or permeable, listening to Spilt Milk’s drone-folk adaptations makes entering his Buddhist-like, abstract view of the world a rewarding experience.

    PERU: SoTB
    The Cocainers – Let’s Dance
    Although The Cocainers’ career is very new – they formed only five months ago in Lima – it looks very promising. They are in the process of making their first album, but already we can find songs at the level of Let’s Dance. With its old school rock, vibrating vocals, electro touches and an inherent indie flavor, it’s a powerful song which will make your muscles move without you noticing.

    POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
    Muzyka Końca Lata – Dokąd
    OK, so this track might be from 2011 and the name of the band means “music of the end of the summer”, but Dokąd is earning international fame, having been voted Song of the Summer 2012 in a contest run by popular Seattle-based podcast Too Beautiful To Live. Muzyka Końca Lata is influenced by bigbit – a popular genre in Poland in the 60s – and you can check out the beautiful lyrics of Dokąd here.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Minta & The Brook Trout – Falcon
    Minta & The Brook Trout are one of the most interesting Portuguese bands around. They were first in MAP in December 2010; Now they are back with their new album, Olympia, out on September 17. To celebrate the release, here’s the first single, Falcon.

    PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
    Dandy And The Walkers – Video Ho
    Out of the blue, Dandy And The Walkers broke into the Puerto Rican independent scene late this summer with this single, Video Ho. A shared love of The Shirleys and The Ronettes brought Michelle Fernández, Melissa Collazo and Enrique Olivares together, while their sonic exploration led them to recruit Laira Díaz, César Jiménez and Juanto Arrroyo. Mario Negrón (of psych-rockers, Fantasmes) got them to record at Casa Fantasmes, producing this track which showcases the raw talent and contagiously fun vibe the ensemble is able to create. Dandy And The Walkers are currently recording their first album.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Popa Sapka – Stinky Bastards
    The music of Popa Sapka, heavily influenced by Balkanic melodies and rhythms, is a mix of ska, pop, punk, gypsy, reggae, folk and the traditional music of ‘mother Russia’. Their lyrics, originating from the band’s multicultural background, present a twisted mix of English, Russian, Romanian and Gagauzian languages. The light-heartedness and sincerity of their songs are what makes Popa Sapka so appealing.

    RUSSIA: Big Echo
    FPRF – Crystallization Point
    Novosibirsk-based shoegaze band FPRF prepares for its next full-length release with Crystallization Point, a calm and beautiful slow-burning jam backed with remixes by beats producer Ta-ku and future garage from Nocow.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Siobhan Wilson – All Dressed Up
    Siobhan Wilson’s music pursuits have taken the 24-year-old from her native Scotland to a surprise pop career in France, back to Scotland and now London, where she finds herself charming all-comers with her folky, jazzy bilingual storytelling and cartoon-like glamour. Unrequited love is the dish of the day in All Dressed Up, the captivating standout track of her just-released mini-album Glorified Demons.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    FAUXE – Be My Love
    A mysterious force has been brewing in Singapore, bubbling beneath the shiny veneer of saturated city lights. The glitchy imperfections of static haunt the corridors of abandoned buildings, a sign of life from androids realising self-awareness. FAUXE leads a charge into this unknown realm, stirring up quite the storm with his debut EP Ubuntu and letting his music trickle down your window panes on a rain-sodden day.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    Al Bairre – Youth De Freitas
    Symphonic indie-rock band Al Bairre was formed at the begining of 2011, drawing influences from bands such as Arcade Fire, Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. The five-piece have seemingly perfected the indie-dance genre, combining cello, violin, keys, Fender guitars and ukulele to produce an exciting sound that has seen them scale the local scene.

    SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
    Big Baby Driver – My Goodbye
    After many years of crafting lovely music, singer-songwriter Big Baby Driver recently rose to fame after having a few songs featured in Korean television drama series A Gentleman’s Dignity. Last month she released a collaboration single with former MAP artist Kim Mokin. My Goodbye, with its bossa rhythms, is Big Baby Driver’s contribution to the release.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Naturalesa Salvatge – Sota L’aigua
    Naturalesa Salvatge are a five-piece from Barcelona who make melancholic but dreamy melodies. Their main influences are The Smiths, Teenage Fanclub and The Radio Dept. Formed during a national lo-fi explosion, Naturalesa Salvatge have shown they’re not as ephemeral as similar acts, most of them now defunct.

    SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
    Caviare Days – You’ll Qualify
    Swedish sisters Lina and Maja Westin formed Caviare Days in New York, which isn’t at all surprising since one could easily compare them to a couple of other female-fronted garage bands linked to the city’s scene. This is a good thing, of course. Their 60s-inspired psychedelic rock is as refreshing as it is really, really good. The duo’s self-titled debut LP is out now in Sweden and will be released in North America on October 9.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Fai Baba – Peach Orchard Mama
    The first time Fai Baba was on a stage he had just come back from a spiritual journey through India. Then he picked up his guitar, wrote a few songs and played his ass off in cellars, whisky bars and squatted houses. His psychedelic blues-rock is best enjoyed during live shows, they tend to get ecstatic. His debut album Snake Snake was released in August.

    TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
    On Your Horizon – Untitled #1
    On Your Horizon is a four-piece experimental post-rock gathering from Eskisehir and Istanbul. Their album Home is a DIY production released for free in 2010 via Bandcamp. Having made a tremendous impact, the band’s self-confident has increased and their new track Untitled #1 is an ironclad song which builds splendidly.

    UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
    Seamonster – Normandy Landscape
    The music of Seamonster is a slow-moving invasion of simple yet powerful movements of sonic exploration that ultimately transports the listener to another world. Every layer upon layer reveals itself slowly until every instrument is swirling and floating above. Melt into this track, let itself wrap around you and take over.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    HolySexyBastards – Getting Over You
    When we decided to include HolySexyBastards in this month’s MAP, they were just another competitor in Festival Nuevas Bandas, one of the biggest new music festivals in Venezuela. Today, this power trio formed in Valencia are the winners (along with Okills, who were on MAP in January 2012). HolySexyBastards offer us the track Getting Over You, included on their self-titled album released in May.

  • Music Alliance Pact August 2012

    This month we’re sending a rare find item by Awl to the Music Alliance Pact, find out yourself about who they are and please enjoy the 34 songs from around the world from this month MAP. Don’t forget to spread the fun to all of your friend.

    Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 34-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Liza Casullo – Rojo Lojojo
    After alt-rock band Doris broke up in 2007, most of its members started their own musical projects (Onda Vaga and Valeu!, among others). Singer and guitarist Liza Casullo decided to go solo, but she took some time off to develop her acting career. A couple of months ago she released her first official album, Velvetbonzo. It’s a great record in which a minimalistic acoustic sound blends with psychedelia, garage and folk. Rojo Lojojo is our favorite song, which we also managed to capture on video during one of her shows.

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Cogel – Felusine
    It’s a guarantee that tidy string sections and pulsating drums will typically heighten melodramatic feelings of bad love and melancholy, but you can’t pass over this glorious track from Sydney’s Cogel. Those violins and cascading treble guitars which duck and weave out of the chorus provide a nice backdrop to the band’s quieter moments and slight Arcade Fire stylings that mesh together so well. If Felusine is a pitch into the musical void, someone needs to sign these guys real soon.

    AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
    Plaided – Freaks And Geeks
    “Would you run run run run run run run to my place and watch Freaks and Geeks all night long?” We totally would! Plaided is an acronym that was inspired by a Girls Rock Camp participant’s band and thus matches the feminist background of Veronika Eberhart and Julia Mitterbauer. The duo will go on a US tour with Grass Widow in September and also record a 7″ record there. Freaks And Geeks is taken from their debut album Playdate, recorded by Wolfgang Möstl (of previous MAP act Mile Me Deaf).

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    Iconili – O Rei De Tupanga
    The fusion of jazz, experimentalism and African beats is the guideline for Iconili, formed by eight young musicians from Minas Gerais. O Rei De Tupanga is their new single, taken from their forthcoming album.

    CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
    Expwy – Warm And Stricken By Lashes
    With Little Hand Fighter, Expwy’s fifth album in two years, one-man band Matt LeGroulx sets his sights on the oft-neglected genre of bossa nova, imagining how it might have sounded if, instead of originating in the 50s and 60s, it was borne out of late century indie-rock sensibilities and lo-fi production values.

    CHILE: Super 45
    The Paintings – Sunrise
    Eija-Lynn and Hieronymus are The Paintings. Besides being a couple in real life, the duo revisit the vigor of 70s garage, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and the apathetic rage of The Jesus And Mary Chain. The music speak for itself, though, and this song Sunrise is their newest single.

    COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
    Planes (Estudios Universales) – Lonelii
    Within the new movement of pop/rock bands in Colombia, Planes (Estudios Universales) feels like a blast of fresh air. The quintet have no borders or limits in their search for folk and electronic sounds. As we wait for their first studio album, enjoy Lonelii.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Alcoholic Faith Mission – Running With Insanity
    Released in 2011 in Denmark, Alcoholic Faith Mission’s fourth full-length, Ask Me This, is now available worldwide and thus there are no good reasons not to check out the outfit’s alternative pop. Begin here with the excellent Running With Insanity.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Stealing Sheep – Shut Eye
    This all-girl Liverpool trio’s debut album Into The Diamond Sun is more Staves/Warpaint than Atomic Kitten. The fact that one of the members hails from an area with a rich folk tradition seems to have seeped into their music, which has a pagan-ish, medieval quality to it. Elsewhere it is possible to detect influences as varied as The Go-Go’s and The Monkees, The Doors and Talking Heads, and there is a blend of good old-fashioned “played” instruments and electronic drones and effects, but always the folk elements shine through.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Satellite Stories – Anti-Lover
    Indie quartet Satellite Stories have delivered several party songs over the last couple of years to become one of Finland’s most promising acts. Anti-Lover is the first single from their debut album Phrases To Break The Ice which will be released this autumn. It is three minutes of energetic guitar-based, dance-oriented indie-pop.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    The Aerial – Clarity
    The Aerial are one of France’s top up-and-coming bands. Hailing from Nancy, they released their first EP in April, in which each of their songs show a different influence, all while staying very danceable. In just four songs, they manage to sound like The Rapture, Foals and Foster The People. Clarity is their most electro-pop oriented song and is supported by a killer beat and an impeccable production. Don’t miss unreleased single Running on YouTube.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Camera – Ausland
    Let’s continue our little series of new Kraut with Berlin trio Camera. Although they connect to the old Kraut by playing with Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius, their music sounds refreshing. First single Ausland keeps the typical meandering melodies and synths but brings back rock to Krautrock. Their debut album, due out this month, incorporates many more influences and will, of course, be released on Bureau B.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    The Last Drive – Child Of The Sky
    The Last Drive are regarded as one of the most important and influential bands of the Greek underground music scene. They were formed 30 years ago and, through their explosive live performances and unique sound, became rapidly popular. After their dynamic comeback in 2007 (they split up in 1995), they released Heavy Liquid, a crafted mix of intense, raw rock ‘n’ roll songs, blurred melodies, addictive fuzz guitar riffs and almost primitive drums that unites disparate musical elements into blasts of noisy cohesion and howling passion. Right before the recording of their new LP, they have just unleashed News From Nowhere, an imprint of the difficult times we’re living.

    ICELAND: Rjóminn
    Jónas Sigurðsson – Þyrnigerðið
    This is the first single from Jónas Sigurðsson’s upcoming third album, Þar Sem Himinn Ber Við Haf (“Where The Sky Touches The Sea”). Jónas, who is widely considered one of the most inventive musicians in Iceland, reinvents himself yet again by introducing electronic influences to his otherwise soulful, folksy and rhythmic sound. If you like what you hear you should really check out his first two albums.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Awl – Albertine
    Awl is Joan Lumanauw (The Wispy Hummers) and Mickey (Tenderpaw) creating noises and melodies for the world to dance to. You might think of The Raveonettes or Best Coast but if you listen carefully you’ll find something of their own.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    Orquesta – Kokomo (feat. Jape, Kathi Burke & Katie Kim)
    His recent acceptance into the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy is yet another reason to pay attention to Dublin producer Orquesta. Previously, he shot to attention with this gorgeous cover of The Beach Boys holiday anthem Kokomo. Featuring the vocal talents of Irish stalwarts Jape and Katie Kim, the song is a modern tropical uplift.

    JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
    Greeen Linez – Palm Coast Freeway
    Greeen Linez take a lot of inspiration from City Pop, a style of music that was popular in Japan during the late 80s and early 90s. Palm Coast Freeway captures this luxurious sound quite well, the elegant synths and bass suitable for both a dance club and a bank lobby. Palm Coast Freeway is on the album Things That Fade, which features even more modern takes on the City Pop sound.

    MALTA: Stagedive Malta
    Hey Sus! – The Press
    Mike and Andrew write tunes under the name Hey Sus! They try to create surfy indie-pop-folk with hip hop beats, provided by Thom. They recently released a split EP on cassette with Clandestines, titled Summer Camp For Pale Young Boys, from which The Press is taken.

    MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
    Soul Compas – Por Insurgentes
    Soul Compas is a rap group formed by Eric El Niño, Konceptos and Milio Boogie, three well-known MCs from the Mexican rap scene. With the influence of Native Tongues, G-funk and post-Dilla movements, they have created Al Compás Del Soul, a humorous and fresh album that can be downloaded for free on their website. Por Insurgentes is one of their most interesting tracks. Aside from those swell samples, they’ve pictured an imaginary trip on one of the most important avenues of Mexico City, Insurgentes, which happens to be the longest road that crosses the city north to south, and shows most of its contradictions and emblematic places.

    PERU: SoTB
    Herzchenschmerzchen – Tic Tac
    Herzchenschmerzchen, a word written in German and difficult to pronounce, is the name of Maria Jose Jordan’s solo project. This young woman reveals her indie-folk interests in her self-titled debut EP. Get ready to open a Pandora’s Box of musical gems such as the sweet Tic Tac.

    POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
    Fair Weather Friends – Fortune Player
    As MAP’s first ambassador for Poland, I bring you some catchy electro-pop from Fair Weather Friends. Fortune Player was used in an official commercial for this summer’s Heineken Open’er Festival (and Coke Live Festival) and caused some internet buzz thanks to its goofy video. You may have heard dozens of pop songs based on synth hooks on MAP but what you might not realise is that this singer is white, with Michał Maślak originally from guitar band Searching For Calm.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    PAPERCUTZ – Where Beasts Die
    PAPERCUTZ returns to MAP with an exclusive track. Where Beasts Die is from their new album, The Blur Between Us. Bruno Miguel’s impressive project has paved its way with hard work, gathering a considerable fanbase outside Portugal. They were recently selected for the Red Bull Music Academy, which will take place in New York next year.

    PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
    Pasajero – En La Playa
    Daniel Vicente brings a delicate blend of pop, rock and electronic flourishes to his art and music project, Pasajero. His most recent EP boasts three layered tracks that highlight this idiosyncratic mix of influences, ranging from local acts like Superaquello to international names such as The Postal Service. En La Playa is a powerful tune featuring guest vocals by Carolina Martinez. With a dreamy pop quality that reminds us of waves slowly crashing at the beach at dusk, the song also addresses Puerto Rico’s current state of affairs and the alarming apathy that seems to have taken over its inhabitants. A great lead-off track for a “political dream-pop” playlist.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Changing Skins – Perfect Foes
    Changing Skins is an eclectic Bucharest-based band who rock the thin line between alternative and electronic music. They plan to release their debut album in October. NME recently posted a live video of their song Baby on their website.

    RUSSIA: Big Echo
    Cream Child – With The Wind
    School Skulls is not just another sweet summer record with soft beats – it’s a great balance of good and evil, happy and melancholy, that results in tunes inspired by Russian folklore, candy, death and marvelous melodies like With The Wind.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Quickbeam – Seven Hundred Birds
    Quickbeam play at a volume that requires pin-drop silence from the audience and they’ve got the talent to write songs that demand such reverential obedience. Harmonium and strings shepherd Seven Hundred Birds into beautifully fragile and exquisitely precise spaces, marrying the raw intensity of Low with the melodic emotiveness of Sigur Rós. Cinematic stimulation is provided by the song’s staggeringly ethereal promo video.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    MUON – Aqua Assault
    The muon is an elementary particle similar to an electron. MUON is also a musical entity that exists in Singapore, whether as one person (Nick Chan) or more (currently, Jordan, Ren and Adam). Despite its varying states of existence, MUON’s music is rather akin to its sub-atomic namesake with its deconstruction of pedantic structures, but also as intelligent, intense and cryptic aural and visual forms. Always exciting and always new, MUON has been forged in its singularity, and their craft emerges through parallel universes.

    SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
    Lang Lee – Hahaha
    Lang Lee could be likened to a Korean Daniel Johnston, but with her own crazy and quirky, sometimes delightfully whimsical, storytelling ranging from teaching Yoda enough Japanese to be able to order green tea to love stories inspired by Kurt Vonnegut. Hahaha is an example of the latter and comes fresh off her just-released first album Yon Yonson.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Pajarita – Animals (ASIMO Remix)
    Pajarita began in March 2012 as the musical project of Norah Alexandra Vega and her ukelele and, a few months on, she’s already about to release her first album via Discosdelrollo. Pajarita’s style can be described as lo-fi pop, dreamy and awesomely catchy for its simpleness and discretion. Animals (ASIMO Remix), though, might be the exception that confirms the rule about her music.

    SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
    Picture – True
    Picture, aka David Kyhlberg from the enigmatic duo Sail A Whale, makes elusive, trance-inducing electronic pop that’s nothing short of amazing. True, the title track and first single from his debut EP, is no exception. This is probably as close to The Tough Alliance as you can get in 2012. The EP is out now on one of our favourite labels, Cascine.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Biggles – Let A New World Begin
    Sven Rüf aka Biggles from Zurich is a singer-songwriter with a special talent for making music that sounds simultaneously humorous and fragile. His songs always come with a decent dose of mischief, which is why we love him so much. His fifth long-player Cloudspeaker is released this month, guaranteeing pop music without boundaries.

    TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
    Adult Monkey – Supermarket
    Adult Monkey is one of the cutest groups in Istanbul. They nestle all kinds of genres, especially chillwave, ambient lo-fi stuff. Besides being a band, Adult Monkey also contains illustrations and animations. In fact, Adult Monkey is a whole life portfolio for the two cartoonists who put together the band. Supermarket, their newest release, is a knockout track for the hot hot HOT summer.

    UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
    Houndmouth – Penitentiary
    Louisville, Kentucky’s Houndmouth writes music that I like to call “recession rock”. Their music echoes the dirt roads of back-country counties during the night, the discarded bar stools in the back lot of an abandoned whisky joint, or the overall beauty that can sometimes be found in despair. Houndmouth, while young, bring the similar sounds of The Band back into contemporary rotation.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Los Polaroid – El Blues De Sus Piernas (Chicago Blues)
    Los Polaroid formed in Maracaibo in 2010 with the idea of creating a musical proposal inspired by genres like jazz and blues. So far they have released two EPs and are currently on a tour that will take them around the country.

  • Music Alliance Pact: July 2012

    Hi guys.
    Let’s go around the world again. 🙂 and this time we have Marcel Thee as our host.

    Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 37-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

    ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
    Los Coming Soon – No Way
    This is one of our favorite releases from 2012. We Are Family is Los Coming Soon’s first album, in which they deploy 10 great songs filled with electronic textures and a soft, minimalist funky-disco base, all played with real instruments (no programming whatsoever). It was hard to pick one song for MAP, but we think No Way is representative of the whole record (you can buy it here).

    AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
    Runner – Flaws
    Flaws is an understated instrumental track that drives the emotive dream-pop at the heart of Runner. These guys originate from the west coast of Australia but their sound would sit perfectly with any shoegaze stoner melody coming out of 90s Melbourne. Flaws builds beautifully to a crescendo layered with harmony and a wall of hazy guitars.

    AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
    Ogris Debris – Sexy Chair
    This electronic duo is best known for their onomatopoetic track Miezekatze, a club and radio hit in 2010. Mixing such diverse genres as house, funk and soul, the tongue-in-cheek track Sexy Chair is taken from the Affine Records compilation What A Fine Mess We Made. The most recent Ogris Debris release, The Way feat. Ken Hayakawa (listen on Soundcloud), has a more Arabesque vibe to it.

    BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
    BNegão & Seletores de Frequência – Essa é Pra Tocar No Baile
    It took almost 10 years for BNegão & Seletores de Frequência to release their second album, but now their music is even more influenced by black music and rhythms such as Afrobeat, soul and samba rock. Essa é Pra Tocar No Baile is one of the breakthrough tracks of the record.

    CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
    Digits – Where Do You Belong?
    My heart melts every time I hear Alt Altman – the one-man techno R&B band known as Digits – purr: “It’s just a broken heart/but you ain’t had a broken heart/like this,” on Where Do You Belong? A song this catchy and infectious should come with warning labels: “May induce repeated listens and become lodged in your head for weeks at a time.”

    CHILE: Super 45
    La Big Rabia – Nos Gusta Que Sea Así
    Music abounds during times of crisis, and La Big Rabia is one of the symptoms of this social unrest we are living with in Chile. Their EP, La Bestia, and their shows begin with a disruptive speech made through a loudspeaker by singer Sebastián Orellana, a sort of tired and furious crooner. After this, a retro rock disposition is unleashed on songs like Para Todos Los Hijos De Puta, with its chorus: “Todos contra los poderosos / Todos contra los que tengan sed de poder” (“Everybody against the powerful ones / Everybody against those thirsty for power”).

    CHINA: Wooozy
    Glow Curve – Brain Washer
    Glow Curve formed in Beijing in 2011 and are influenced by post-rock and electronic music. The quartet absorb and explore new elements to blend complex instrumental sounds from contrasting emotions – manic or quiet, warm or cold.

    COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
    Zalama Crew – No Hay Marcha Atrás
    Zalama Crew is a collective based in Cali, a city very close to the Colombian Pacific coast. An excellent example of what is happening in these lands, their project mixes hip-hop, urban and world music. No Hay Marcha Atrás (“There’s No Turning Back”) is taken from their first album Zalama Lekum, which fuses African rhythm with electronic sounds.

    DENMARK: All Scandinavian
    Kúra – Anchor
    With the amazing vocal of Fanney Ósk Þórisdóttir as a general highlight, Danish/Icelandic trio Kúra’s debut Halfway To The Moon is a dark, melancholic and rather enticing affair mixing electronica, trip hop, dub and (indie) rock. Here’s single Anchor, co-produced by acclaimed DJ and producer Buda (Lulu Rouge) and accompanied by this beautiful video by Kristian Touborg and Jesper Dalgaard.

    ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
    Josephine – Pray That I Move
    Manchester’s Josephine Oniyama is not another soul girl, even though some early breathless accounts of her work and voice are of the “you won’t believe this isn’t a classic lost R&B or blues recording” variety. Actually, as Pray That I Move shows, Josephine’s vocal delivery and idiosyncratic lyrical vision have more in common with Morrissey than Mahalia Jackson. She’s already made a big stir on the regional scene with Elbow’s Guy Garvey and singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt among her champions. Her debut album, Portrait, is out on October 8.

    FINLAND: Glue
    Minttu & Olli – Corduroy Boy
    Minttu & Olli are a graceful couple homebrewing sweet pop songs. With great vocal harmonies, a gentle folky spirit and smooth melodica sounds, the duo is a Nordic version of She & Him that could have easily been featured in the soundtrack of (500) Days of Summer.

    FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
    The Lemon Queen – Sailing In A Wild Love
    The Lemon Queen hails from Angers, east of France, where the music scene is flourishing at the moment, with everyone trying to play their cards right. The band makes a difference with their psychedelic pop-rock sound, reminiscent of Klaxons, a comparison particularly true on Sailing In A Wild Love. With catchy melodies and an undeniable energy, this quartet should be followed very closely.

    GERMANY: Blogpartei
    Sandy Bird – Revoke
    Little is known about this band from Berlin which formed in 2008 and have already experienced some member changes. Revoke is taken from their Bambaloo EP. Expect to hear more of this promising post-rock act soon.

    GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
    Electric Litany – Sad Part
    Bleak and broody music has never been quite so thrilling. Sad Part is an elaborately orchestrated, inherently dark, minimalist, piano dirge, like a sad dream scented with rain, with searingly compelling lyrical imagery, eerie vocals full of intuitive swells and fades, pauses that embrace some of the pious silence of a prayer and tremolo guitars that do an excellent job of creating a beguiling atmosphere. Electric Litany’s highly anticipated sophomore album is set to be released later this year.

    ICELAND: Rjóminn
    Útidúr – Grasping For Air
    This latest track from the ambitious chamber-pop 10-piece sees them entering almost disco-like realms. A new album should see the light of day in the coming months but those who want to get to know this joyous collective better should check out the band’s 2010 debut album This Mess We’ve Made.

    INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
    Marcel Thee – Endless Heart
    After more than 10 years channeling his creativity with the indie-rock band Sajama Cut, Marcel Thee is now the only original member left. Here he pursues his passion for lo-fi, layered sounds, gospel music and poetry. If you love W.B. Yeats, the album is a tribute to him.

    IRELAND: Nialler9
    No Spill Blood – Good Company
    Formed from members of Adebisi Shank, Elk, Magic Pockets and Hands Up Who Wants To Die, No Spill Blood’s first EP is released this month on Sargent House, home to Fang Island, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Les Butcherettes. If you’re familiar with any of the bands mentioned then it won’t surprise you to hear that No Spill Blood play it fast and furious, running on the noxious interplay between drums, effect-laden synth, low-end bass fuzz and bellowed vocals.

    ITALY: Polaroid
    Cosmetic – La Fine Del Giorno
    Cosmetic may sing in Italian but I’m sure their songs will speak to you anyway. Their rough and nervous shoegaze sound often drifts towards more muscular music as it makes way for an explosion of guitars. When I saw them live the first name that came to my mind was Dinosaur Jr. The motto on their Facebook page – “Noise and melodies that fight to get the better of each other” – pretty much sums up Cosmetic.

    JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
    Cuushe – I Dreamt About Silence
    Tokyo artist Cuushe last brought out an album three years ago, and it turns out she spent the stretch of time after it was released building her own world. I Dreamt About Silence sees her stretched-out vocals covered in hazy synths, every sound wrapping around one another to create a glowing track you want to be enveloped by. Cuushe shows the best way to escape the rush of the modern world is to construct your own dreamy universe.

    MALTA: Stagedive Malta
    Bark Bark Disco – Let’s Do This
    Bark Bark Disco is a lo-fi pop band fronted by former inventor Morris Woodcock (great-grandson of Manfred von Richthofen aka The Red Baron). Their songs have a raw immediacy with catchiness befitting a Broadway musical. Let’s Do This is from their latest EP of the same name.

    MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
    Sonido Gallo Negro – Leticia
    Chicha is a psychedelic mixture of cumbia with rock ‘n’ roll elements, originating in Peru during the 70s. Mexico City’s Sonido Gallo Negro have unearthed the genre and hybridized it with local surf and rockabilly. Supplemented by the spooky visuals of design wizard Dr Alderete, their live shows are an intoxicating display of collective hypnosis. Throughout July 2012, this song and 13 more will be available for free download from Red Bull Panamérika as part of our fourth birthday compilation.

    NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
    EARTH CONTROL – Mijn Nieuwe Steekkar
    Art-school punks Bert and Marcel met at Groningen’s local venue Vera. Every week they formed a brand new band, recorded an album and played one show. But with EARTH CONTROL, things didn’t go exactly as planned; the duo decided to continue under this capitalized moniker. Though barely audible due to their lo-fi production and sub-par electronic equipment, EARTH CONTROL sing in their native Dutch tongue. Their sardonic lyrics deal with everyday subjects such as cell phones, sweaters or, in this case, the online purchase of a new trolley.

    PERU: SoTB
    Grita Lobos – Mr Danger
    Grita Lobos is a musician who hides behind an Ethiopian mask, his sound influenced by New Order and Depeche Mode in mesmerizing electronic songs that suggest dark stories. Mr Danger is taken from his debut self-titled album which features vocals from actress and singer Anahí de Cárdenas.

    PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
    Micro Audio Waves – Cartoon Real
    Micro Audio Waves, who made history in 2004 by becoming the first Portuguese band to have a John Peel session, have released four albums and a fifth is due soon. Cartoon Real is a MAP exclusive free download, taken from their Zoetrope concept album, developed with choreographer Rui Horta and released with a DVD featuring one of their unique multimedia and performance live shows.

    PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
    El Medio – Hasta Caer
    El Medio is the solo project of Leonardo Balasques (Oscilador 4, Balún). Since 2004, Balasques has used this outlet to release very personal songs about life, friendships and love. Using his bedroom (and subsequently his living room) as a recording studio, Leo has crafted an expansive discography that experiments with the confrontation of synths and traditional instruments to create a folk/pop hybrid that warms the heart and stimulates the brain. El Medio has just released the album No Le Tengas Miedo Al Amor, on which you’ll find Hasta Caer, featuring strings by Balún’s Angélica Negrón and an unexpected, yet much welcomed, dose of blistering guitar noise and distortion.

    ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
    Subcarpați – Underground Folclor
    Subcarpați is an explosive mixture of old and new. It’s an eclectic combination that brings together melancholy Romanian folk songs, Romanian unity songs, traditional instruments and the rhythms of trip-hop, dubstep, hip-hop and dancehall.

    RUSSIA: Big Echo
    Lomovolokno – 22
    On this short preview from his upcoming album, beatmaker Lomovolokno moves to the next level of romantic harmonies, leaving us excited for a full-length release. He is one of those people who needs time and space to make music, so you need to wait patiently. But when the tracks are finally out, there is nothing as beautiful to compare.

    SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
    Holy Esque – Rose
    There’s a tangible buzz about the Glasgow music scene right now and part of that has to do with the emergence of Holy Esque. There’s a dark magic about their sound. The rasping, quivering vocals of Pat Hynes calls to mind The Undertones or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, while the squalls of guitar elicit comparisons with Joy Division or Glasvegas. The anthemic Rose, a MAP exclusive free download, is taken from their excellent debut EP.

    SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
    Kiat – Riding Past Draco (feat. Klose)
    Exciting times are looming in the urban jungle of Singapore as audio-visual super-collective Syndicate turns up the heat, dropping influential honcho Kiat’s new album like an A-bomb of intricate beats and samples that warp you into the inner workings of string theory. Featuring stellar collaborations with artists such as Vandetta, Klose, Digital and Isaac Aiesili, the album – titled The Inner Galaxy – decisively proclaims that electronic music from Singapore has come of age and is a force to be reckoned with. Evolution never happened this fast.

    SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
    Fire Through The Window – Hey!
    Meet Fire Through The Window. They have the ability to take a simple melody, add their very own quirky styling and turn it into something truly infectious and endearing, all while maintaining a fun pop sensibility. That is wholly true with their song Hey! – it is fun, funky and best shows off the band.

    SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
    Wagwak – Arabian Night
    Loud indie-folk duo Wagwak have been around for a few years and made themselves a name at home. They recently left Korea to travel through Europe, playing gigs where they can, and having sung in English all along they’re well prepared to bring their sound to an international audience. Before moving from their native Seoul, Wagwak released EP The Way To Drive Into The Arabian Sunset, opening with the slightly psychedelic Arabian Night.

    SPAIN: Musikorner
    Stand Up Against Heart Crime – I Can’t Stand Myself Sober
    Stand Up Against Heart Crime are five desolate souls whose lives have been touched by unease and unhappiness, five romantics who create the soundtrack of a loser who has grown up through the years. They are from Barcelona, and they have played in one of the most important festivals in Spain, Sónar. I Can’t Stand Myself Sober is a pitiful fable of lack of self-esteem.

    SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
    Hanna – Lioness
    Hanna is Gothenburg-based Hanna Göransson, formerly known as Hanna Lovisa and one half of Cat5. As Hanna, she has teamed up with acclaimed Swedish producer Dan Lissvik (of Studio) and Canada’s Young Galaxy to record her new EP Lioness, where feisty pop á la a certain Robyn meets Lissvik’s characteristic grooves. The Lioness EP is out now via Sunshower Records and a first full-length is in the works.

    SWITZERLAND: 78s
    Marochine – Braunvieh Express
    Marochine is an instrumental band from Lucerne which alternates its style skilfully between jazz and noise to create beautiful soundscapes. They have released a four-song EP that can be downloaded for free on Bandcamp.

    TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
    Soaked – Groove On
    Soaked is a synth-pop band based in Istanbul. They formed in 2003 but their first EP only came out in 2010. With the success of it they recorded the Aftermath album at the end of 2011. In their own words, they describe themselves as “not only a musical ensemble but also a creative artistic platform, determined to provide the quality performance and art that Turkish audiences crave”. It might sound pretty pretentious but it sure is true.

    UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
    Poolside – Slow Down
    New-to-the-scene DJ duo Poolside, from Los Angeles, couldn’t have found a better way to jump into the public consciousness than funky superjam Slow Down. Sounding like a sublime mix of Sebastien Tellier and LCD Soundsystem, the track glows and shimmers in every way – and now it’s perfectly positioned to dominate summer mixtapes across the world.

    VENEZUELA: Música y Más
    Tomates Fritos – Eterna Soledad
    Tomates Fritos returns to the Music Alliance Pact after first appearing in July 2010. This time they have released their fourth studio album, Hotel Miramar (free to download on Bandcamp), in which they dare to show a “purest” side to the band – a slight departure from the folk sound that featured in previous records.