Mozart Parties é apenas um homem, James Benett, de 23 anos, natural do Lake District, mas a viver em Londres.
"Black Cloud" já tem um ano mas vai aparecer, a 31 de Outubro, como o primeiro single deste projecto.Como lado B, "Black Cloud" terá um novo tema, " Raining At The Crossroads". Além de "Black Cloud", outro tema mais recente é "Wish My Thoughts Away”.
Do álbum "West", do qual aqui falámos e demonstrámos um vídeo, em Agosto há um novo vídeo para o tema "Lazy Bones". A Thrill Jockey, a editora da banda, tem agora uma edição do disco em vinil laranja que inclui, gratuitamente, um single em vinil de "Phonograph" e um saco de pano da banda.
Feist apresentou alguns dos seus temas do seu novo álbum, "Metals", disponível a 3 de Outubro, na famosa rádio norte-americana KCRW, no, ainda mais famoso, programa "The Morning Becomes Ecletic". "The Circle Married The Line", foi um dos temas.
O álbum já está disponível em "stream". Para tal, basta enviarem o vosso e-mail aqui ao lado.
Os Sun Airway, que apresentámos aqui em Outubro de 2010, estão de regresso com um novo single, “Wild Palms” (imagem da capa, à esquerda), que foi editado em Julho, e tem no lado B, "Symphony in White, Nº 2". Este single sucede o álbum, já de 2010, "Nocturne Of Exploded Crystal Chandelier".
Como em “Put The Days Away", vídeo que podem ver no nosso post de 2010, o vídeo para "Wild Palms" foi também realizado por Ricardo Rivera (dos Klip Collective). No novo vídeo, apenas um membro da banda participa, Jon Barthmus.
Do novo disco dos belgas dEUS, "Keep You Close", editado há dias , a 19 de Setembro, segue-se o primeiro vídeo oficial, deste disco, para o single "Constant Now".
O disco, de 2008, 'Hits Are For Squares', que é uma compilação de temas dos Sonic Youth, escolhidos por diversos artistas ( Beck, Flea, Radiohead, Eddie Vedder, Flaming Lips, entre outros) vai ser reeditado e chegará às lojas a 31 de Outubro. Os temas de "Hits Are For Squares" são:
1 Bull in the Heather (escolhido por Catherine Keener) 2 100% (Mike D)
3 Sugar Kane ( Beck)
4 Kool Thing (Radiohead)
5 Disappearer (Portia de Rossi)
6 Superstar (Diablo Cody)
7 Stones ( Allison Anders)
8 Tuff Gnarl ( Dave Eggers e Mike Watt)
9 Teenage Riot (Eddie Vedder)
10 Shadow of a Doubt ( Michelle Williams)
11 Rain on Tin ( Flea)
12 Tom Violence (Gus Van Sant)
13 Mary-Christ (David Cross)
14 World Looks Red ( Chloe Sevigny)
15 Expressway to yr Skull (The Flaming Lips)
16 Slow Revolution (novo tema onédito)
Faz também, este ano, vinte anos que foi editado o filme dos Sonic Youth "1991: The Year That Punk Broke", em que, para além dos Sonic youth na sua digressão europeia desse ano, também se podem ver actuações de outras bandas como as Babes in Toyland, Dinosaur Jr., etc. A sua reedição estará disponível a 30 de Outubro.
De "In Heaven" (capa do álbum, à esquerda), há um novo single, “Kimmi In The Ricefield”, e vídeo, realizado por Dan Devine e pelo baterista da banda, Bryan Ujueta.
Os Craft Spells foram nossos convidados, em Abril deste ano. Agora, Justin Vallesteros y sus muchachos, Anna Luxx, Frankie Soto, e Jack Smith têm um novo single e vídeo, "Your Tomb", retirado do álbum "Idle Labor", disponível desde Abril.
O vídeo de "Your Tomb" foi realizado por Aaron Beckum
Depois do muito bem sucedido álbum "Becoming A Jackal", de onde saiu um single homónimo que recebeu, já este ano, o importante prémio Ivor Novello, na categoria "Melhor Tema Liricamente e Musicalmente", Conor O´Brien ( Villagers) regressa hoje com a edição de um novo single.
O tema, "Cecelia & Her Selfhood", teve direito a um vídeo em formato de animação por Adrien Merigeau.
Os Publicist são o projecto a solo de Sebastian Thomson (baterista dos Trans Am e dos Weird War). Editaram, em 2009, o 12" "Momma", e, em 2010, outro máxi-single, "Keep It Off The Record", e um EP com o mesmo nome. Em 2011, já têm três EPs disponíveis, "Professional Show Business Part I",
"Professional Show Business Part II", e, o mais recente. "Hardwork", publicado a 20 de Setembro. A 13 de Setembro, saiu um EP partilhado pelos Publicist e os Tussle.
Há notícias de Brooklyn, via Shara Worden, mais conhecida como My Brightest Diamond, que acompanhamos aqui desde 2008. O tema "Be Brave" estará incluido no seu novo álbum, "All Things Will Unwind" (imagem da capa, à esquerda), que será editado, na Europa, a 10 de Outubro. Contudo, a edição do single conta com duas remisturas, sendo uma delas de Son Lux e outra de Prefuse 73.Realizado por Murat Eyuboglu
Foi hoje editado o primeiro single do novo disco dos Erasure, Tomorrow's World'. O álbum estará disponível a 3 de Outubro.
O single tem dois vídeos, um para a versão original, que é uma montagem de imagens ao vivo e outro de uma das misturas disponíveis no single.
Os Wavves neste vídeo (abaixo) apresentam as melhores ideias de como nós, portugueses, poderemos contribuir para tirar o país do buraco. É só seguir as instruções do vídeo do segundo single do seu EP, "Life Sux". Prestem atenção para detectarem quem é o cameo no vídeo.
O Ep estará disponível no dia 27 de Setembro.
O alinhamento do EP é:
Lado A
1. Bug
2. I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl
3. Nodding Off (feat. Best Coast)
Side B
4. Poor Lenore
5. Destroy (feat. members of Fucked Up)
6. In The Sand (live)**
Os Other Lives são uma das bandas, ainda pouco divulgadas, de que gostamos muito. Do seu disco editado no final de Agosto, há um novo single e vídeo que é também a canção que dá o título ao álbum "Tamer Animals".
Apesar de não ser um tema novo, e do seu último álbum de originais ter sido "My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky", em 2010, é interessante ver os Swans a tocarem , ao vivo, em Dublin, em 2010, "I Crawled", um tema de 1984, do EP "Young God".
Jody Prewett (voz, guitarra, baixo), Ben Rimmer (teclas) e Kit Monteith (bateria), mais conhecidos como Trophy Wife, já dispensam apresentações. Eles foram aqui formalmente apresentados, a 17 de Janeiro de 2011, apesar de terem passado neste blogue anteriormente, na edição de Novembro de 2010, do Music Alliance Pact, pela mão do blogue de música do jornal The Guardian, que representa, no Music Alliance Pact, a Inglaterra.
Nos últimos dias, os Trophy Wife apresentaram dois vídeos para dois dos temas do seu próximo EP, "Bruxism", a ser editado a 17 de Outubro. Neste disco, cada tema foi produzido pela banda e um artista diferente. "Canopy Shade", que abre o disco de cinco temas, foi produzida pelos Plaid. A segunda canção ,que dá o título ao EP foi produzida por James Yuill, "Seven Waves" ficou a cargo de Andrew Halford e Aidan Laverty dos Foals, "Sleepwalks" pelo reputado produtor Berlinense Ewan Pearson, e, por último, "Wolf", um dos vídeos deste post, foi produzido por Yannis Philippakis, dos Foals.
Produzido por Yannis Philippakis (Foals)
Realizado por Johh Keirs & Sef Tedder
Director de Fotografia: Alex Kent
Apesar de os Male Bonding serem um trio londrino, é a norte-americana Sub-Pop que é responsável pela edição do seu segundo álbum, "Endless Now", depois da bem sucedida estreia com o LP "Nothing Hurts". Segundo a sua editora, este disco foi gravado numa igreja onde os B-52s’ gravaram “Love Shack” e os Dinosaur Jr.’s "Where You Been". O produtor do disco foi John Agnello que, curiosamente, já produziu Dinosaur Jr. e o mestre Thurston Moore.
Há oito dias, falámos aqui do projecto de um dos Grizzly Bear, os CANT, e do seu disco, "Dreams Come True". Temos agora um vídeo para o tema "She Found A Way Out".
Os Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., de Detroit mas a viverem em Los Angeles, são apenas dois, Josh Epstein e Daniel Zott, mas nenhum deles é filho ou familliar do corredor e dono de uma equipa da NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Eles têm um novo vídeo para o tema "Simple Girl", incluido no seu disco de estreia, 'It's A Corporate World'. Esta canção já tinha tido outro vídeo, no final de 2010, porque também foi single, nessa altura, e fazia parte do EP "Horse Power"; disco que tinha quatro temas, três originais e uma versão de "God Only Knows", dos Beach Boys.
Dominic Maker e Kai Campos, conhecidos como Mount Kimbie, têm um vídeo para um tema, "Carbonated", do seu disco de estreia, "Crooks & Lovers", de 2010, e que também faz também parte de um EP, também baptizado como "Crooks & Lovers", editado no passado 1 de Agosto. O vídeo foi realizado por Tyrone Lebon. Realização: Tyrone Lebon
As Warpaint, uma aposta deste blogue desde o início de 2010, têm um vídeo da sua prestação de "Burgundy", numa gravação para as Rough Trade Sessions. O tema fará de uma edição especial, disponível a 26 de Setembro, de "The Fool" (dois cds com o o álbum "The Fool", o EP "Corpse", "Undertow (Neon Lights Remix)" e "Billie Holiday (Radio Mix)"). O vídeo foi realizado por Jane Pollard e Iain Forsyth
A Avestruz Amarela começou apenas com Alex Schaaf (que tem tempos foi membro dos The Chairs) em Wisconsin. Em Março de 2009, editou o seu primeiro EP, com nove temas, seguindo-se outro, "Carousels", em Maio. Schaaf decide-se então por trocar o seu Wisconsin por Brooklyn e, am Janeiro de 2010, edita o seu primeiro álbum, "Wild Comfort", a que se seguiu o single "Whale", em Março, e três EPs em Agosto, "The Serious Kids", "The Morgan Freeman" e "Fade Cave". Já na sua vida em Brooklyn, os Yellow Ostrich receberam outro membro permanente, o baterista Michael Tapper (Bishoop Allen).
No mês passado editaram o segundo álbum da vida da banda, "Mistress", mas agora numa editora independente com algumas mais valias, a Barsuk Records. "Whale", que já tinha sido um single em 2010, volta a ser o destaque da banda (que a editora está a permitir o download gratuito - ver abaixo) para o novo disco e recebeu um vídeo realizado por Eric Gross, apesar da banda já ter realizado, no passado, um peculiar vídeo caseiro para esta canção.
A banda já teve a oportunidade de ser suporte dos Ra Ra Riot e os The Antlers.
Os Sigur Rós disponibilizaram um vídeo que faz parte de "INNI", um álbum duplo gravado e filmado ao vivo, em dois concertos, esgotados, dados no Alexandra Palace, em Londres, em 2008. Para quem conhece "Heima", esperem algo diferente e mais perto do concerto/vídeo.
"INNI", realizado por Vincent Morisset (responsável por "Mirroir Noir" dos Arcade Fire), será editado, a 7 de Novembro, em diversos formatos (blu-ray, dvd, vinil, cd, audio-digital). Haverá uma edição limitada com alguns extras únicos a ela mesma e não disponíveis nas outras edições.
A banda também disponibilizou o descarregamento gratuito do tema deste vídeo, "Festival", no seu sítio, mas poderão usar a ligação abaixo para o descarregarem.
Os Atari Teenage Riot têm um novo single, "Black Flags", retirado de "Is This Hyperreal?", e aproveitam, no seu vídeo, construído com imagens cedidas por fãs e amigos da banda, para fazer uma afirmação política relativamente à situação económica que se vive na Europa e nos EUA.
Este single será editado a 3 de Outubro, e a digressão europeia da banda não passará por Portugal.
Os Artic Monkeys têm um novo vídeo para o seu novo single que, curiosamente, é o tema que também dá o nome ao seu último álbum. Apesar do tema estar já disponível no álbum, a edição do single, com outras novidades, está agendada para o fim de Outubro.
O motociclista protagonista do vídeo é representado por Matt Helders, o baterista dos Artic Monkeys.
A realização do vídeo foi da responsabilidade dos dois Focus Creeps.
Este mês temos uma banda repetente, no Music Alliance Pact, a representar o nosso país. O sexteto lisboeta Iconoclasts já tinham passado por aqui em 2009, mas como não queriamos deixar passar despercebidamente o lançamento do seu primeiro álbum, "Mt Erikson", que estará disponível fisicamente no dia 19 deste mês, temos a honra de vos apresentar aqui a possibilidade de descarregarem gratuitamente o energético "Stranger in A Strange Land". Esta música já tem um vídeo, realizado por Nuno Neves, que poderão ver já abaixo.
Para fazer o download dos 35 temas num só ficheiro, carregue aqui
ARGENTINA: ZonaindieHernán Martínez y Las Estrellas - Revolución En Verano Hernán Martínez was the man behind Voltura, a magnificent but rather unkown indie-pop band from Buenos Aires's underground music scene (they only recorded two EPs, which are free to download from here and here). Revolución De Verano is Martínez's first solo album, released by Perinola Discos and recorded with his band Las Estrellas. As with previous EPs by Martinez and Voltura, his songs are both catchy and melancholic. Revolución En Verano is the first single from the album.
AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Royal Headache - Down The Lane After a couple of years of drip-feeding 7", CD-R and cassette releases, the time has arrived for the release of Royal Headache's debut album. Down The Lane is a great introduction to Royal Headache and shows exactly why people are so excited about them.
BRAZIL: Meio Desligado4instrumental - Não Mais 4instrumental is a band whose sound is influenced by the history of Sabará, a city founded 400 years ago, while permeated by that kind of constant search for renewal typical of rock and roll. They're prog rockers, but also funky, jazzy and experimental, as you can hear in Não Mais, from their first EP, released two months ago. The quartet are activists of a way of life that believes culture is a means of social transformation. They travel through the country expanding this idea while making people feel some catharsis with their instrumental music.
CANADA: I(Heart)MusicZoo Legacy - Shockwave Is it hip-hop? Rock? R&B? I don't know. What I do know, though, is that Zoo Legacy create music that's a genre-bending mish-mash, and they do it extremely well.
CHILE: Super 45Fakuta - Aeropuerto Fakuta is one of the best bets in the current Chilean musical scene. Behind that moniker, architect Pamela Sepúlveda builds introspective synth-pop songs filled with detailed soundscapes and warm textures. Aeropuerto ("Airport") is the second single from her debut album Al Vuelo, available for free at her website.
DENMARK: All ScandinavianSiamese Fighting Fish - A Liar Cried Wolf In early 2011, alternative metal six-piece Siamese Fighting Fish released their grand debut album We Are The Sound, which this site's metalhead, Thomas Brunstrøm, suggested you check out if you'd like to know "what it would sound like if Muse, System Of A Down and Incubus went on stage in a metal club in Sarajevo and tried to out-weird each other. Featuring a guy playing the violin." At the end of August, the gang released epic new single A Liar Cried Wolf, which is a MAP download exclusive.
ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogSpotlight Kid - Haunting Me Twenty years ago, there was grunge, and there was shoegazing, and that was pretty much it for the alternative rock scene. Spotlight Kid wonderfully evoke that era when My Bloody Valentine meant more than the Beatles and the Stones combined, and every young band was in thrall to the sound of MBV's Isn't Anything album and wanted to be signed to Creation - that is, Creation B.O. (Before Oasis), when it was all radiant guitars and ethereal, billowing, androgynous boy/girl harmonies. Spotlight Kid don't come from the Thames Valley like their forebears (they're from Nottingham) but everything else about them screams - or rather, sighs and shimmers - shoegaze.
ESTONIA: PopopTaavi Peterson & Üdi - Tibet Ocean Singer Taavi Peterson got his first taste of fame in 2007 from the first series of the Estonian version of Pop Idol, coming third, but he decided to turn his back on the shiny pop world. The band Üdi ("bone marrow") was formed in 2008 and their plan is to keep their hearts in the 60s but minds in the present day and make helluva good music. Is it possible for one band to change something? That's what they are trying to find out.
FINLAND: GlueThe New Tigers - Pocketful Of Sand From the west coast of Finland, The New Tigers are a guitar-driven pop band that might remind you of Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth or Galaxie 500. On their debut album, The New Tigers show an austere sound straight from the rehearsal room with no unnecessary embellishments. Loud guitars are all over the album and extend the songs with some good jams, but the band never forgets to include a good pop melody.
FRANCE: Yet You're FiredPendentif - Riviera These days you see "pop" in every review you read and, over time, it even had bad connotations, as if it was the simplest music you can create. In fact, we forgot we could be surprised by it, and Pendentif are here to remind us of how great pop is, not by reinventing it, but by offering highly enjoyable pop songs, using the best the genre has to offer. Signed to the same label as previous MAP band Young Michelin, Bulle Sonore Records, they are just as great and sing in French as well.
GERMANY: BlogparteiDear Reader - MONKEY (You Can Go Home) Dear Reader's debut was subtle in a folky way; the second album, Idealistic Animals, continues this promising cachet in a more janiform way. South African Cherilyn Macneil decided after some soul-searching about conscience and religion that she needed a change and now lives in Berlin, continuing Dear Reader as a solo project. Although her lyrics are very intense and profound, the music seems breezy and effortless, which makes a great and lasting combination.
GREECE: MouxlalouloudaYour Hand In Mine - A Boy And The Birds Your Hand In Mine present a deeply personal sense of chamber music and an emotive, atmospheric dreamworld through intricate arrangements, waltzing rhythms, fluttering accordions, mandolins, delicate glockenspiels, woozy laments and beautiful, melancholic melodies that conjure a cinematic romanticism. Their second album, The Garden Novels, is a testament to the versatility and adventurousness of their sound, where nine sonic novels, nine small stories told in a fictional garden, are transcribed into warm and intimate musical notes.
ICELAND: Icelandic Music MaffiaSamaris - Hljóma Þú Samaris consist of singer Jófríður Ákadóttir, computer programmer Þórður Kári Steinþórsson and clarinet player Áslaug Rún Magnúsdóttir, three students from Reykjavík aged 17-18 who came together in January 2011. The trio plays a mixture of trip-hop, dubstep and downtempo beats. This year they won the Icelandic battle-of-the-bands competition Músíktilraunir. Hljóma Þú is the title track of their first EP.
INDONESIA: DeathrockstarJirapah - Crime Jirapah duo Ken Jenie and Mar Galo are lovers, both Indonesian students who stayed in Brooklyn. But Ken is currently living in Jakarta, partly because of the good reception their music has received in the capital's indie scene, where he has started playing live with several other musicians. Their music can be described as something dreamy, layered and lo-fi.
IRELAND: Nialler9Alarmist - Giraffe Centre Intricate melodies intertwine and search for ears in Dublin band Alarmist's Giraffe Centre, taken from their brilliant self-titled five-track EP. Like Tortoise and Battles, this band are all about turbo-charged but beautiful instrumentation.
ITALY: PolaroidThree In One Gentleman Suit - Green Riots Pure is the fourth album by Three In One Gentleman Suit, a band that keeps getting better and better. Moving from post-rock and math beginnings, TIOGS developed their own style - a kind of Modest Mouse epicness with more synth and samples, and with an incredibly strong live impact. You can download Pure for free from the band's website.
JAPAN: Make Believe MelodiesMiila And The Geeks - New Age Miila And The Geeks grab familiar elements of rock music and contort them into slightly disturbing shapes. New Age, the title track to their recently released debut, uses simple repetition and jittery drumming to turn what could have been a by-the-numbers garage rock song into a captivating, no-wave-inspired number. Yet it is the saxophone popping up at various moments, seemingly blessed with a mind of its own, which really cements New Age as a fascinating listen.
MALTA: Stagedive MaltaHunters Palace - Tal-Metall Hunters Palace was initially an indie-folk outfit with a tendency to lay on some psychedelic improvisational grooves, but has recently evolved into a power trio playing abrasive free rock. Its core membership has always comprised two people, Peter Sant and Alex Vella Gera, but over the years others have contributed to the band's sound including Adolf Formosa and Vinicius Duarte. The track on offer, Tal-Metall, is a krautrock-ish assault meaning to be a dance anthem.
MEXICO: Red Bull PanamérikaJuan Cirerol - Corrido Chicalor Storytelling and improvisation are two qualities rarely seen among musicians nowadays, since abstract compositions and studio over-productions rule the landscape. Enter Juan Cirerol, a twenty-something guitar-yielding cantina troubadour from the desertic Mexico-U.S. frontier city of Mexicali, all-stereotyped with pointy boots, worn-out cowboy shirt and a Johnny Cash square-jawed grin. With a carefree, nomadic take on the music business, Juan is kind of an outlaw riding a black horse into the shy, dusty streets of the Mexican indie scene. Nobody saw him coming and now everybody is talking about this charming youngster. If you feel attracted to this stranger, download his debut from the Vale Vergas Discos site.
NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdamhouses - Walk Away This young Amsterdam-based quintet share in an unashamed love of North American indie guitar pop, spending the past decade absorbing the melodies and atmospherics of bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Stars and Broken Social Scene. It's most noticeable in how their guitarist and keyboardist duel over shimmering riffs, while their choruses naturally soar as Ella van der Woude's sweet and airy Feist-esque voice is lifted by the urgency of the rhythm section. Following plenty of local gigging and a self-released EP in 2010 that perked up the ears of local radio, their debut album Clean Life is released on September 19.
NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music JournalJon Lemmon - Exodus I When asked to make a summery pop song for a compilation, US-born New Zealand-based artist Jon Lemmon set about writing a tune about the end of the world. Exodus I is a lush and enigmatic opus, boasting everything from honky-tonk piano to squelchy synth bass and an incredibly catchy wordless vocal singalong in the chorus. Lemmon shows his breakout potential with this huge song from his forthcoming album that he's aiming to release by the end of October.
NORWAY: Birds Sometimes DanceMikhael Paskalev - I Spy Mikhael Paskalev is an astonishing young talent from deep within the fjords of Norway. He makes joyful folk pop that sometimes resembles Port O'Brien, Slow Club and other indie folk acts, yet also with a certain regard for the old ones, like The Everly Brothers. We can't wait for his debut album due out next year.
PERU: SoTBMoldes - Trés Malade Among the noise, psychedelia and experimentation, Moldes, a quartet formed by two boys and two girls in 2008, released their first album in August 2010 to good reviews. Trés Malade is a song that comes from a French poem written by Katia De la Cruz.
PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?Iconoclasts - Stranger In A Strange Land Iconoclasts first appeared on MAP in 2009 and they keep on rocking. At last, the band's debut album, Mt. Erikson, is released this month. Stranger In A Strange Land shows just why they are one of the most promising acts from Lisbon. Pump up the volume.
ROMANIA: Babylon NoiseWe Singing Colors - There When You Sleep We Singing Colors is the side project of Andrei Hațegan from indie band The Amsterdams. The boy/girl vocals, the exploration of simple sounds and everyday noise, and the melodic themes approached from a different angle create a very intimate pop atmosphere.
RUSSIA: Big EchoSynecdoche Montauk - Infinitely Many Primes Summer is almost gone and now it's time for calm and beautiful melodies, so I guess Infinitely Many Primes suits the weather perfectly. Acoustic guitar, violin and abstract lyrics create a complicated mood that mixes calmness, nervous, sweetness and melancholy. Synecdoche Montauk say their album is nearly finished so hopefully it will be available before the end of the year.
SCOTLAND: The Pop CopPearl And The Puppets - Little Diamonds We join Pearl And The Puppets at a career crossroads, with Katie Sutherland having split from her record label this summer before she had the chance to release a debut album. While the Glasgow-based singer is better known for her radio-pleasing acoustic pop, Little Diamonds takes an altogether more refined approach, with Katie whispering her lyrics over gentle piano notes and subtle string work. The best is yet to come from this lass.
SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...Hanging Up The Moon - Water Under The Bridge Hanging Up The Moon is the self-titled debut album and solo project of Sean Lam, best known for fronting Singaporean band Concave Scream. After an extended hiatus, Sean's return to songwriting has been welcomed by many, especially for his minimalist and introspective approach. The songs in this album, which you can pay as you wish for at his website, were birthed in the stillness of the night before dawn breaks. You can just imagine the quiet corner where these carefully-crafted songs were committed to recording, without a squeak or whimper; and when each track is done, only a still air lingering.
SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!EJ Von Lyrik, Isaac Mutant and Teba - Goldmine (Shockwave Edit) The sounds of funky Cape Town hip-hop artists EJ Von Lyrik, Isaac Mutant and Teba shine through this month as they combine their talents on Goldmine (Shockwave Edit). Each artist brings their own unique South African feel and musical style which reflects the melting pot that is Cape Town. It's fun, fresh and has a funky feel that is sure to get heads nodding and feet tapping.
SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROKNinesin - Arena Although competition is tough, Ninesin is one of the best hardcore acts Korea has to offer. Following the remarkable The Death, We Will Face from 2009, their second full-length album comes out this month. Arena is the first track revealed from the self-titled release. It has a shotgun beat and shows Ninesin's characteristic grasp of good melody.
SPAIN: MusikornerThe Suicide Of Western Culture - The Italian Chapel The Suicide Of Western Culture have become one of the most successful Spanish electronic bands. They have, so far, supported Animal Collective in their last visit to Barcelona and played at the most important festivals in Spain and even in Berlin's Popkomm. With a post-rock soul, as epic and ethereal as Explosions In The Sky but as intimate as Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, they have released an eponymous album filled with their thoughts and emotions; the final result is a highly visceral and passionate record.
SWEDEN: SwedespleaseVampyramiden - Pyromanens Dotter Vampyramiden are still serving up strangely appealing Swedish-language indie pop. The band's new EP (which has a fantastic cover) is called Teenage Destiny and I can only guess the lyrics are some sort of combination of teenage angst, wizarding mythology and, of course, vampires.
SWITZERLAND: 78sSan Marino - Strangers To Ourselves Since there's no music blog representing San Marino, we came across a nice substitute in the form of a Swiss band pleading the country's music case. San Marino hail from Zurich and represent not only the small country in the heart of Italy, but do so as well for Switzerland's surf-indie-pop conscience. Their debut album was released in May.
UNITED STATES: I Guess I'm FloatingTHE-DRUM - Omar Much like their Chicago brethren Supreme Cuts and How To Dress Well, THE-DRUM are catalysts for precognitive future-music, hybridizing molasses-slow R&B vocals against shockwaves of percussion and echoing synth melodies. The results are as vibrant and unique as they are compelling, and Omar, released just two weeks ago, is perhaps their best experiment yet.
VENEZUELA: Música y MásLos Expresidentes - Te Rodeo En El Rodeo It is impossible to listen to this band and not think of a film about the Old West and imagine American cowboys on their horses. Los Expresidentes make an interesting, enjoyable fusion of punk rock, country and rockabilly. Their debut album, Lanzados Al Rodeo, has fun lyrics and a really contagious rhythm.
ARGENTINA: Zonaindie Hernán Martínez y Las Estrellas - Revolución En Verano Hernán Martínez was the man behind Voltura, a magnificent but rather unkown indie-pop band from Buenos Aires's underground music scene (they only recorded two EPs, which are free to download from here and here). Revolución De Verano is Martínez's first solo album, released by Perinola Discos and recorded with his band Las Estrellas. As with previous EPs by Martinez and Voltura, his songs are both catchy and melancholic. Revolución En Verano is the first single from the album. 
AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They? Royal Headache - Down The Lane After a couple of years of drip-feeding 7", CD-R and cassette releases, the time has arrived for the release of Royal Headache's debut album. Down The Lane is a great introduction to Royal Headache and shows exactly why people are so excited about them. 
BRAZIL: Meio Desligado 4instrumental - Não Mais 4instrumental is a band whose sound is influenced by the history of Sabará, a city founded 400 years ago, while permeated by that kind of constant search for renewal typical of rock and roll. They're prog rockers, but also funky, jazzy and experimental, as you can hear in Não Mais, from their first EP, released two months ago. The quartet are activists of a way of life that believes culture is a means of social transformation. They travel through the country expanding this idea while making people feel some catharsis with their instrumental music. 
CANADA: I(Heart)Music Zoo Legacy - Shockwave Is it hip-hop? Rock? R&B? I don't know. What I do know, though, is that Zoo Legacy create music that's a genre-bending mish-mash, and they do it extremely well. 
CHILE: Super 45 Fakuta - Aeropuerto Fakuta is one of the best bets in the current Chilean musical scene. Behind that moniker, architect Pamela Sepúlveda builds introspective synth-pop songs filled with detailed soundscapes and warm textures. Aeropuerto ("Airport") is the second single from her debut album Al Vuelo, available for free at her website. 
DENMARK: All Scandinavian Siamese Fighting Fish - A Liar Cried Wolf In early 2011, alternative metal six-piece Siamese Fighting Fish released their grand debut album We Are The Sound, which this site's metalhead, Thomas Brunstrøm, suggested you check out if you'd like to know "what it would sound like if Muse, System Of A Down and Incubus went on stage in a metal club in Sarajevo and tried to out-weird each other. Featuring a guy playing the violin." At the end of August, the gang released epic new single A Liar Cried Wolf, which is a MAP download exclusive. 
ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog Spotlight Kid - Haunting Me Twenty years ago, there was grunge, and there was shoegazing, and that was pretty much it for the alternative rock scene. Spotlight Kid wonderfully evoke that era when My Bloody Valentine meant more than the Beatles and the Stones combined, and every young band was in thrall to the sound of MBV's Isn't Anything album and wanted to be signed to Creation - that is, Creation B.O. (Before Oasis), when it was all radiant guitars and ethereal, billowing, androgynous boy/girl harmonies. Spotlight Kid don't come from the Thames Valley like their forebears (they're from Nottingham) but everything else about them screams - or rather, sighs and shimmers - shoegaze. 
ESTONIA: Popop Taavi Peterson & Üdi - Tibet Ocean Singer Taavi Peterson got his first taste of fame in 2007 from the first series of the Estonian version of Pop Idol, coming third, but he decided to turn his back on the shiny pop world. The band Üdi ("bone marrow") was formed in 2008 and their plan is to keep their hearts in the 60s but minds in the present day and make helluva good music. Is it possible for one band to change something? That's what they are trying to find out. 
FINLAND: Glue The New Tigers - Pocketful Of Sand From the west coast of Finland, The New Tigers are a guitar-driven pop band that might remind you of Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth or Galaxie 500. On their debut album, The New Tigers show an austere sound straight from the rehearsal room with no unnecessary embellishments. Loud guitars are all over the album and extend the songs with some good jams, but the band never forgets to include a good pop melody. 
FRANCE: Yet You're Fired Pendentif - Riviera These days you see "pop" in every review you read and, over time, it even had bad connotations, as if it was the simplest music you can create. In fact, we forgot we could be surprised by it, and Pendentif are here to remind us of how great pop is, not by reinventing it, but by offering highly enjoyable pop songs, using the best the genre has to offer. Signed to the same label as previous MAP band Young Michelin, Bulle Sonore Records, they are just as great and sing in French as well. 
GERMANY: Blogpartei Dear Reader - MONKEY (You Can Go Home) Dear Reader's debut was subtle in a folky way; the second album, Idealistic Animals, continues this promising cachet in a more janiform way. South African Cherilyn Macneil decided after some soul-searching about conscience and religion that she needed a change and now lives in Berlin, continuing Dear Reader as a solo project. Although her lyrics are very intense and profound, the music seems breezy and effortless, which makes a great and lasting combination. 
GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda Your Hand In Mine - A Boy And The Birds Your Hand In Mine present a deeply personal sense of chamber music and an emotive, atmospheric dreamworld through intricate arrangements, waltzing rhythms, fluttering accordions, mandolins, delicate glockenspiels, woozy laments and beautiful, melancholic melodies that conjure a cinematic romanticism. Their second album, The Garden Novels, is a testament to the versatility and adventurousness of their sound, where nine sonic novels, nine small stories told in a fictional garden, are transcribed into warm and intimate musical notes. 
ICELAND: Icelandic Music Maffia Samaris - Hljóma Þú Samaris consist of singer Jófríður Ákadóttir, computer programmer Þórður Kári Steinþórsson and clarinet player Áslaug Rún Magnúsdóttir, three students from Reykjavík aged 17-18 who came together in January 2011. The trio plays a mixture of trip-hop, dubstep and downtempo beats. This year they won the Icelandic battle-of-the-bands competition Músíktilraunir. Hljóma Þú is the title track of their first EP. 
INDONESIA: Deathrockstar Jirapah - Crime Jirapah duo Ken Jenie and Mar Galo are lovers, both Indonesian students who stayed in Brooklyn. But Ken is currently living in Jakarta, partly because of the good reception their music has received in the capital's indie scene, where he has started playing live with several other musicians. Their music can be described as something dreamy, layered and lo-fi. 
IRELAND: Nialler9 Alarmist - Giraffe Centre Intricate melodies intertwine and search for ears in Dublin band Alarmist's Giraffe Centre, taken from their brilliant self-titled five-track EP. Like Tortoise and Battles, this band are all about turbo-charged but beautiful instrumentation. 
ITALY: Polaroid Three In One Gentleman Suit - Green Riots Pure is the fourth album by Three In One Gentleman Suit, a band that keeps getting better and better. Moving from post-rock and math beginnings, TIOGS developed their own style - a kind of Modest Mouse epicness with more synth and samples, and with an incredibly strong live impact. You can download Pure for free from the band's website. 
JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies Miila And The Geeks - New Age Miila And The Geeks grab familiar elements of rock music and contort them into slightly disturbing shapes. New Age, the title track to their recently released debut, uses simple repetition and jittery drumming to turn what could have been a by-the-numbers garage rock song into a captivating, no-wave-inspired number. Yet it is the saxophone popping up at various moments, seemingly blessed with a mind of its own, which really cements New Age as a fascinating listen. 
MALTA: Stagedive Malta Hunters Palace - Tal-Metall Hunters Palace was initially an indie-folk outfit with a tendency to lay on some psychedelic improvisational grooves, but has recently evolved into a power trio playing abrasive free rock. Its core membership has always comprised two people, Peter Sant and Alex Vella Gera, but over the years others have contributed to the band's sound including Adolf Formosa and Vinicius Duarte. The track on offer, Tal-Metall, is a krautrock-ish assault meaning to be a dance anthem. 
MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika Juan Cirerol - Corrido Chicalor Storytelling and improvisation are two qualities rarely seen among musicians nowadays, since abstract compositions and studio over-productions rule the landscape. Enter Juan Cirerol, a twenty-something guitar-yielding cantina troubadour from the desertic Mexico-U.S. frontier city of Mexicali, all-stereotyped with pointy boots, worn-out cowboy shirt and a Johnny Cash square-jawed grin. With a carefree, nomadic take on the music business, Juan is kind of an outlaw riding a black horse into the shy, dusty streets of the Mexican indie scene. Nobody saw him coming and now everybody is talking about this charming youngster. If you feel attracted to this stranger, download his debut from the Vale Vergas Discos site. 
NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam houses - Walk Away This young Amsterdam-based quintet share in an unashamed love of North American indie guitar pop, spending the past decade absorbing the melodies and atmospherics of bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Stars and Broken Social Scene. It's most noticeable in how their guitarist and keyboardist duel over shimmering riffs, while their choruses naturally soar as Ella van der Woude's sweet and airy Feist-esque voice is lifted by the urgency of the rhythm section. Following plenty of local gigging and a self-released EP in 2010 that perked up the ears of local radio, their debut album Clean Life is released on September 19. 
NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music Journal Jon Lemmon - Exodus I When asked to make a summery pop song for a compilation, US-born New Zealand-based artist Jon Lemmon set about writing a tune about the end of the world. Exodus I is a lush and enigmatic opus, boasting everything from honky-tonk piano to squelchy synth bass and an incredibly catchy wordless vocal singalong in the chorus. Lemmon shows his breakout potential with this huge song from his forthcoming album that he's aiming to release by the end of October. 
NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance Mikhael Paskalev - I Spy Mikhael Paskalev is an astonishing young talent from deep within the fjords of Norway. He makes joyful folk pop that sometimes resembles Port O'Brien, Slow Club and other indie folk acts, yet also with a certain regard for the old ones, like The Everly Brothers. We can't wait for his debut album due out next year. 
PERU: SoTB Moldes - Trés Malade Among the noise, psychedelia and experimentation, Moldes, a quartet formed by two boys and two girls in 2008, released their first album in August 2010 to good reviews. Trés Malade is a song that comes from a French poem written by Katia De la Cruz. 
PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco? Iconoclasts - Stranger In A Strange Land Iconoclasts first appeared on MAP in 2009 and they keep on rocking. At last, the band's debut album, Mt. Erikson, is released this month. Stranger In A Strange Land shows just why they are one of the most promising acts from Lisbon. Pump up the volume. 
ROMANIA: Babylon Noise We Singing Colors - There When You Sleep We Singing Colors is the side project of Andrei Hațegan from indie band The Amsterdams. The boy/girl vocals, the exploration of simple sounds and everyday noise, and the melodic themes approached from a different angle create a very intimate pop atmosphere. 
RUSSIA: Big Echo Synecdoche Montauk - Infinitely Many Primes Summer is almost gone and now it's time for calm and beautiful melodies, so I guess Infinitely Many Primes suits the weather perfectly. Acoustic guitar, violin and abstract lyrics create a complicated mood that mixes calmness, nervous, sweetness and melancholy. Synecdoche Montauk say their album is nearly finished so hopefully it will be available before the end of the year. 
SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop Pearl And The Puppets - Little Diamonds We join Pearl And The Puppets at a career crossroads, with Katie Sutherland having split from her record label this summer before she had the chance to release a debut album. While the Glasgow-based singer is better known for her radio-pleasing acoustic pop, Little Diamonds takes an altogether more refined approach, with Katie whispering her lyrics over gentle piano notes and subtle string work. The best is yet to come from this lass. 
SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To... Hanging Up The Moon - Water Under The Bridge Hanging Up The Moon is the self-titled debut album and solo project of Sean Lam, best known for fronting Singaporean band Concave Scream. After an extended hiatus, Sean's return to songwriting has been welcomed by many, especially for his minimalist and introspective approach. The songs in this album, which you can pay as you wish for at his website, were birthed in the stillness of the night before dawn breaks. You can just imagine the quiet corner where these carefully-crafted songs were committed to recording, without a squeak or whimper; and when each track is done, only a still air lingering. 
SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker! EJ Von Lyrik, Isaac Mutant and Teba - Goldmine (Shockwave Edit) The sounds of funky Cape Town hip-hop artists EJ Von Lyrik, Isaac Mutant and Teba shine through this month as they combine their talents on Goldmine (Shockwave Edit). Each artist brings their own unique South African feel and musical style which reflects the melting pot that is Cape Town. It's fun, fresh and has a funky feel that is sure to get heads nodding and feet tapping. 
SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK Ninesin - Arena Although competition is tough, Ninesin is one of the best hardcore acts Korea has to offer. Following the remarkable The Death, We Will Face from 2009, their second full-length album comes out this month. Arena is the first track revealed from the self-titled release. It has a shotgun beat and shows Ninesin's characteristic grasp of good melody. 
SPAIN: Musikorner The Suicide Of Western Culture - The Italian Chapel The Suicide Of Western Culture have become one of the most successful Spanish electronic bands. They have, so far, supported Animal Collective in their last visit to Barcelona and played at the most important festivals in Spain and even in Berlin's Popkomm. With a post-rock soul, as epic and ethereal as Explosions In The Sky but as intimate as Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, they have released an eponymous album filled with their thoughts and emotions; the final result is a highly visceral and passionate record. 
SWEDEN: Swedesplease Vampyramiden - Pyromanens Dotter Vampyramiden are still serving up strangely appealing Swedish-language indie pop. The band's new EP (which has a fantastic cover) is called Teenage Destiny and I can only guess the lyrics are some sort of combination of teenage angst, wizarding mythology and, of course, vampires. 
SWITZERLAND: 78s San Marino - Strangers To Ourselves Since there's no music blog representing San Marino, we came across a nice substitute in the form of a Swiss band pleading the country's music case. San Marino hail from Zurich and represent not only the small country in the heart of Italy, but do so as well for Switzerland's surf-indie-pop conscience. Their debut album was released in May. 
UNITED STATES: I Guess I'm Floating THE-DRUM - Omar Much like their Chicago brethren Supreme Cuts and How To Dress Well, THE-DRUM are catalysts for precognitive future-music, hybridizing molasses-slow R&B vocals against shockwaves of percussion and echoing synth melodies. The results are as vibrant and unique as they are compelling, and Omar, released just two weeks ago, is perhaps their best experiment yet. 
VENEZUELA: Música y Más Los Expresidentes - Te Rodeo En El Rodeo It is impossible to listen to this band and not think of a film about the Old West and imagine American cowboys on their horses. Los Expresidentes make an interesting, enjoyable fusion of punk rock, country and rockabilly. Their debut album, Lanzados Al Rodeo, has fun lyrics and a really contagious rhythm.
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