MUSIC ALLIANCE PACT :: FEVEREIRO 2016 com The BED LEGS

Os Bed Legs são um quarteto de Braga que fabrica pura energia pescada no blues e rock. Eles editaram, no final de Janeiro,  Vicious, álbum de onde vem o tema deste mês no MAP. Também o podem encontrar aqui assim como os restantes temas.


Além do tema dos Bed Legs, temos mais 15 temas e bandas, de quinze países, nesta edição do Music Alliance Pact.  

Clique com o botão direito do rato, por cima do título da canção, para fazer o download do mp3 ou faça um download do ficheiro completo, com os dezasseis temas, através do Dropbox aqui.





  ARGENTINA: Zonaindie Rosal - John Rosal are one of our all-time favorite bands from Buenos Aires. Led by singer Maria Ezquiaga, they have been around since 2002 delivering indie-pop gems with fine arrangements and catchy lyrics, such as John, a track from their first album. Rosal just released La Musica Es Mi Eje, which features live versions from their five albums and some great covers.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They? The Delicates - Chimera Exactly the type of song you'd expect to hear come out of Australia in the middle of our long, hot southern summer. The Delicates are five wallflowers from the Gold Coast who play soothing, understated jangle surf-pop with a hint of the type of melancholy that you only get from bands born outside the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis. Chimera will drift in and out of your headphones without much of a fuss but not without leaving you feeling a little lighter in the process.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado Rodrigo Ogi - Aventureiro Aventureiro is the opening track from RÁ!, one of the most acclaimed Brazilian albums of 2015. Rodrigo Ogi raps about life in São Paulo, its challenges and experiences. For those who do not speak Portuguese this track speaks for itself with its strong beats and flow.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo P'ARIS - Focus The identity of P'ARIS is currently unknown but one thing is for sure, they know how to write a pop jam. This totally channels the essence of fellow Canadians Tegan and Sara.

  CHILE: Super 45 Los Valentina - Danza De La Lluvia From Piloto, the record label that brought guitars back to Chilean indie-pop, we introduce Los Valentina with their debut EP Señoras. Simple songs about simple things, delicately executed and perfect for the summer, with the unmistakable voice of Valentina Martinez inviting us to listen over and over again until we learn the lyrics to sing along like nothing else matters.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria El Bloque - Sazón Hip hop group El Bloque are part of this year's Rap De Colección Vol.2 compilation that serves as a platform to show off Ecuadorian talent. The album features El Bloque's tasteful single Sazón, which comes with this video.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar Pygmy Marmoset - Cerita Senja Pygmy Marmoset are a duo from Bali who sing pop songs with strong lyrics about the environment. Their latest release Cerita Senja (roughly translated as "The Afternoon Story") is about someone who craves a hug after working long hours and commuting through traffic and pollution.

  IRELAND: Hendicott Writing Tuath - Casting Shadows Over Sun (Shammen Delly remix) Typically an Irish language post-punk act, what makes this locally-leaning remix from Tuath interesting is in part that it's so atypical of them. A remix of fellow Donegal act Shammen Delly, this is an atmospheric bit of slow-building, fuzzy electronica that is decidedly not post-punk. Fortunately, it offers great evidence that Robert Mulhern is not a man to be pigeonholed, once again exploring rhythm and texture, simply through an entirely different medium.

ITALY: Polaroid Paisley Reich - Fade Paisley Reich were on the MAP playlist in January 2013, but they have grown up a lot since those early songs. They just released a vinyl EP on Lady Sometimes Records and it shows a new maturity in songwriting and a great awareness in the definition of their sound. Taking inspiration from the likes of Interpol and The National, these guys from Rome are able to create a music landscape full of shadows, noise and mystery, but which also shines with melodies and a psychedelic sweetness.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies Foodman x Meuko Meuko - Wan Wan Wan Wan This MAP entry sees wonky Japanese producer Foodman team up with equally left-of-center Taiwanese artist Meuko Meuko for a woozy electronic number. Wan Wan Wan Wan jitters ahead, eventually settling into a nice thump, albeit one that takes place in a sonic jungle courtesy of nature-centric samples. Despite all of the disparate parts clanging together, Wan Wan Wan Wan ends up a danceable tune.
 
MALTA: Stagedive Malta Divine Sinners - Busy Bee Divine Sinners is a four-piece band from Gozo (Malta's sister island). Originally founded by Charles J. Attard & Frank Buhagiar, they have been playing live for the past six years and have recorded four albums. Divine Sinners are currently working on their fifth album.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika Memo Guerra - Que Es Lo Que Siento Continuing the impressive growth of his netlabel Abstrakt Muzak, the Monterrey-born, Austin-based virtuoso Memo Guerra has recently released his new album Moon Phase. The aesthetic choices on swooning first single Que Es Lo Que Siento - drum machines, programming, synths, an unforeseen guitar outro and more - are enveloping by themselves. Yet, underneath all these layers and sonic textures, the song comes into full in effect with its hooky central melody.

  PERU: SoTB Los Tuertos - Faith In God Los Tuertos features Humberto Campodonico, formerly of the band Turbopotamos, alongside Francisco Chirinos and Claudio Pando. Having made their debut in 2014 with the single Tuerta Navidad, their music has a predilection for folk and nostalgic melodies in a style they call Peruvian gospel.

  PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco? Bed Legs - Vicious The sound of Bed Legs, a quartet from Braga, is pure blues and rock 'n' roll. Vicious was the first single taken from their debut album, Black Bottle, released in January.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop Mt. Doubt - Soft Wrists Leo Bargery is the guiding force of Edinburgh's Mt. Doubt, whose 2015 debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast (available on iTunes) broods with impressive variety, from driving indie-rock to melancholic introspection and everything in between. Vocally reminiscent of Neil Halstead, the incremental crescendo-building of Soft Wrists deserves to be played loud and often. 

  SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK Earip - 1984 Earip started her musical career as the vocalist of 90s indie-pop band Sweater and has continued on her own as a singer-songwriter for the past decade. Her fifth solo album Exile has just been released and is full of lovely tunes. Inspired by George Orwell's novel, 1984 showcases Earip's characteristic, warm voice over a calm piano arrangement.

MUSIC ALLIANCE PACT :: NOVEMBRO 2015 com THE WEATHERMAN

Está de regresso Alexandre Monteiro,  mais conhecido como The Weatherman. Ele já tinha passado pela Music Alliance Pact, em Dezembro de 2008  e em Outubro de 2012, mas agora regressa com o seu novo trabalho.

 Ice II é o tema que abre o caminho para a edição do quarto álbum de The Weatherman. É mais uma das excelentes canções pop a que o Alexandre Monteiro já nos habituou, deixando-nos a desejar mais. 

Além do tema de The Weatherman, temos mais 16 temas e bandas, de 17 países, nesta edição do Music Alliance Pact. Clique com o botão direito do rato, por cima do título da canção, para fazer o download do mp3 ou faça um download do ficheiro completo, com os dezoito temas, através do Dropbox AQUI.



  ARGENTINA: Zonaindie El Violinista Del Amor & Los Pibes Que Miraban - Inofensivos El Ruido y La Culpa: Una Opereta Lastimera is the band's fourth album in more than six years on the road. It's a crazy journey through an eclectic salad of genres, something we're quite used to with them. Their music overcomes drama, bad mood and guilt with humor, irony and abandon.

  AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They? Spookyland - Bulimic Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve. This track stabs it profusely, draws a stake through the middle and stands over watching as your arteries bleed out in 4/4 time. Sorry for the emotional terrorism, but hear this track from Sydney outfit Spookyland and you'll probably agree it warrants the description. Marcus Gordon's prose is stark, its delivery brutal at times - but you get the feeling there's something important to be said beyond the rhetoric. It's a stoic, turbulent six-minute epic - and the ending is worth the wait.

  BRAZIL: Meio Desligado Bonifrate - Museu De Arte Moderna Museu De Arte Moderna is the title song from Bonifrate's new album. It has the psychedelic vibe of the whole record, plus some Beck influence that makes it more contemporary. His album is one of the jewels of the Brazilian indie scene in 2015.

  CANADA: Ride The Tempo Pony Girl - Candy Ottawa's Pony Girl creatively blends acoustic elements such as guitars and wind instruments with electronic samples for the delicate harmonies of their single Candy. Who knew two singers in unison could be so beautiful?

CHILE: Super 45 Niños Del Cerro - Nonato Coo Niños Del Cerro had already displayed their fresh sound with La Pajarería, a single that didn't go unnoticed among the ears of the independent music press. Now they're back with their first album, Nonato Coo, which continues its path of Latin rhythms and ethereal textures and confirms the return of pop guitars in the sound of Santiago.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo Montaña - En Bicicleta Bogotá quartet Montaña has been experimenting in the fields of instrumental post/math-rock for more than three years. Pending the release of their first album we can enjoy En Bicicleta, a track that is gaining a lot of attention in the independent scenes of the Colombian capital.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian HÔN - Vulture He's the frontman of lauded nordicana outfit The Rumour Said Fire, but two weeks ago Jesper Lidang debuted as HÔN with the album White Lion. On it he mixes indie, R&B, dance and the 1980s to a compelling alternative pop cocktail. Here's Vulture as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria Los Detectives Helados - En El Camino Los Detectives Helados formed in the small town of Piñas in 2012. The band, whose name was inspired by a poem by renowned Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, have just released their debut album which mixes indie-rock, pop, experimental sounds and blues. Here is first single En El Camino featuring Ricardo Pita.

  IRELAND: Hendicott Writing Joseph Panama - Side 2 This 22-minute ambient track might be one of the more unusual and slow-gestating songs ever to have been included in the MAP project, but it's also a great example of Ireland's modern-day musical diversity: deceptively intense as it flits on, yet still walking a fine line between background music and inventive modern electronica. One for a long, thoughtful walk, it's a far cry from its creator's rocky day-to-day project Overhead, The Albatross.

  ITALY: Polaroid Dumbo Gets Mad - Misanthropulsar Psychedelic duo Dumbo Gets Mad's new album is called Thank You Neil, named after the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In fact, the whole album is inspired by the TV show Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and the sound draws from classic Seventies soundtrack composers such as Piero Umiliani and Bruno Nicolai, but also from the American experimental soul of Shuggie Otis and the contemporary works of Connan Mockasin. The vibe is super relaxed overall, but Dumbo Gets Mad know full well how to make you dance as well.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies Shigge - Tiny Block Over the past two years, the city of Fukuoka on the western side of Japan has been home to Yesterday Once More, an electronic label promoting some of the most thrilling young talent domestically and abroad. Label head Shigge has made some of the finest cuts from the collective, and the title track from his latest EP highlights the dancefloor energy the burgeoning imprint is capable of.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta Brodu - Ic-Cimiterju Brodu, formed in 2011, sing in Maltese and play rock music with influences from various genres. The band was set up to record an album of songs written by Mark Abela and the late Darren Gatt. Brodu's debut album Ħabullabullojb, released in 2014, is a diverse collection of tracks featuring many guest artists from Malta.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika G-Flux - Cocaína (feat. Afrodita & Borchi) G-Flux is the alias of Gustavo Naranjo, a Mexican producer and DJ settled in Washington D.C. Even though he's far away from his homeland, G-Flux remains ever present and relevant in Mexico City through his music and collaborations. As one of the strongest advocates of cumbia, G-Flux is never afraid to explore all of this genre's diversifications, like pitched down cumbias. Cocaína, featuring delicious vocals from Afrodita and Borchi, is a hip-swaying track for anyone who's ready to be part of a simmering dancefloor.

PERU: SoTB Ale Hop - Hey Girl Ale Hop is an experimental Peruvian musician with a base in Berlin, and also the songwriter and producer of the band Las Amigas De Nadie. She just released Pangea, an experimental music-video album full of roaring guitars and expansive electronic sound layers which create a very characteristic kind of music. Pangea comes with a music film featuring 10 audiovisual pieces made by several directors and is one of the most ambitious works to emerge from Peru this year.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco? The Weatherman - Ice II The Portuguese contribution to MAP has been long enough to almost follow the complete the career of The Weatherman, the alter-ego of Oporto multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alexandre Monteiro. Ice II is the first known song from The Weatherman's fourth album. It's a sweet, sticky pop single that will have you whistling all day. You can watch its video here.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop Armstrong - Thursday Night Club It's hard not to succumb to the youthful enthusiasm of alt-rock quartet Armstrong. Singer Nicole Mason has energy to burn and oozes star potential with an appealing mixture of confidence and glam. As a reference point, you wouldn't be a million miles off with early Paramore. Here is an exclusive free download of the exuberant Thursday Night Club (with an ace video to boot), which can also be found on Armstrong's self-titled debut EP, released in September and available to buy on iTunes.

  SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK Gus Benevolent - I Was Right Operating under the name Hyun Lee Yang when he was last featured as a MAP artist (in June 2014), Gus Benevolent has released two albums in 2015. His most recent effort, Alexandria, came out in late October and offers almost a full hour of emotional vocals and classic guitar, including a couple of acoustic versions of songs crafted and first released during his days in emo band 99anger. I Was Right features a well-balanced combination of easily relatable lyrics and beautiful guitar play.

MUSIC ALLIANCE PACT :: OUTUBRO 2015 com BENJAMIM

  

Anteriormente conhecido com o seu projecto Walter Benjamim, tendo chegado a representar Portugal na lista de Abril de 2012 da Music Alliance Pact, com destaque no The Guardian, volta agora só como Benjamim e em português.  Tarrafal é o  single do seu novo álbum, Auto-Rádio, que foi dar uma volta ao mundo através desta lista internacional.






Além do tema de Benjamim, temos mais 17 temas e bandas, de 17 países, nesta edição do Music Alliance Pact. Clique com o botão direito do rato, por cima do título da canção, para fazer o download do mp3 ou faça um download do ficheiro completo, com os dezoito temas, através do Dropbox   AQUI.

  ARGENTINA: Zonaindie Fabiana Cantilo y Fer Isella - Viernes 3 AM In 2009 the Argentine goverment published several declassified official documents produced during the dictatorships that ruled the country from 1962-1982. One of these documents is titled "Songs whose lyrics are considered not fit to be played by broadcast services" and it includes compositions by all kinds of Argentine and foreign artists. Canciones Prohibidas is a compilation with 16 versions of these censured songs. For MAP we selected Viernes 3 AM, originally by Argentine rock living legend Charly Garcia, here recorded by (also legendary singer) Fabiana Cantilo on vocals and producer Fer Isella on piano.

  AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They? Fresh Kills - The People At The Drive-In is the first association any rock connoisseur will make with this 90-second post-punk melodrama. It's all energy and emotion without the slightest hint of pretension. The song is chaotic and at times confusing without a single comprehensible lyric (go on, try to figure out what the hell they're saying) but that's exactly the charm of this south Australian band.

  BRAZIL: Meio Desligado Rodrigo Campos - Katsumi Rodrigo Campos, a prolific name in São Paulo's contemporary music scene, has just released his third solo album, Conversas Com Toshiro, which is influenced by Japanese culture. Katsumi is a good opening gate to his work.

  CANADA: Ride The Tempo Harrison - Sorry Toronto producer Harrison beeps and blips his way into a sweet apology with his latest track, Sorry.

  CHILE: Super 45 Breaking Forms - Folie A Deux Breaking Forms is a duo formed by Nicole L'Huillier and Juan Necochea. Although they currently live in the United States, their journey began in Chile under the wings of two emblematic bands, Cóndor Jet and Picnic Kibun. While in the first one, L'Huillier developed a penchant for psychedelia and post-rock; in Picnic Kibun, Necochea explored the multiple facets of dance music. Breaking Forms is, in its own way, the meeting point for both genres. Proof of this is their first single Folie A Deux, a power-pop song spiced up by electronic sequences and noisy synths.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo Electric Sasquatch - Hunting Season The legend of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, acts as inspiration for this stoner rock band from Cali. They feed on forest myths, adding elements of theater and visuals to their presentations. From their brilliant self-titled album, whose CD version comes in a beautiful wooden box, we present Hunting Season, in which the Sasquatchs show us a more violent and dehumanized side.

  DENMARK: All Scandinavian Slaughter Beach - ClearInsight Slaughter Beach are very much a Scandinavian proposition. Hailing from Denmark, they played their debut concert in Gothenburg, Sweden and are signed to Norwegian label Brilliance. MAP exclusive download ClearInsight is taken from their debut EP, Love/Venice, released this month.

  ECUADOR: Plan Arteria Radio Invasor - Magnolia Radio Invasor is an electronic project blending digital sounds with organic elements of rock, funk, dub and hip hop. From their first EP, released this September, we present Magnolia. It's an epic, experimental track that offers a taste of Radio Invasor's potential.

  INDONESIA: Deathrockstar Littlelute - Berlibur Ke Poznan Littlelute is an indie-pop outfit from Bandung. Their ukulele player recently visited Poznan and the beauty of the Polish city inspired him to write this cute pop composition (see video).

  IRELAND: Hendicott Writing Owensie - Dramamine After more than three years tucked away from the eyes of the Irish music scene, dream-pop artist Owensie returns with Dramamine, a trippy ode to a motion sickness drug. The track features Conor O'Brien of Villagers and comes ahead of a third album of the same title that's seemed an extremely long time in the making. One for watching the world drift by outside your window.

  ITALY: Polaroid Port-Royal - Death Of A Manifesto Port-Royal is a trio from Genova that fuses elements of ambient techno, shoegaze, melodic IDM and post-rock into a dreamy, evocative sound. Active since 2001, they have toured Europe and the United States, and released several records, compilations and remixes. Where Are You Now is their fourth proper album, out on Oakland-based label n5MD. Port-Royal are expanding their palette, and the gorgeous Death Of A Manifesto is one of their more pop-oriented compositions.

  JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies Boogie Idol - Seiteki Na Mimi The recently released Schau Essen 2 compilation features many talented artists who pull from the glitzy sounds of 1980s Japan, when the economy was roaring and decadence dominated. Producer Boogie Idol offers up one of the best contributions to that set, a shimmering number full of bright synths, sticky bass lines and a slightly uncomfortable growling noise lurking beneath it all.

  MALTA: Stagedive Malta Juno And The Wolf - Dambrose Born out of the merging of different projects in late 2011, Juno And The Wolf is the culmination of the myriad of influences that inspire its four members - James Azzopardi, Kristian Schembri, Samwel Mallia and Corey Farrugia. The band have developed an experimental ethos, an aim to create a duality with emotion and sound, flowing from heavy, raw numbers to quieter, more introspective ones rather than simply settling for one set genre. Their debut home-recorded self-titled EP was released in September 2014.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika El Muertho TJ - Malandro El Muertho - a street musician playing romantic delusions with only a Yamaha keyboard, wearing black robes and Kiss wannabe make-up - has emerged from the Tijuana slums to raise a few eyebrows among critics and audiences. But, hey, the best works come from outsiders: Syd Barrett, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits... add in a little bit of Suicide industrial tremolo and you'll get the perfect treat for Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead.

PERU: SoTB Nave Ascensor - Ciudad Reacción Ciudad Reacción is the first single from Nave Ascensor's debut album, Hartistas. The Lima trio come with a strong proposal - listen as they rail against the system through rock songs loaded with critical social and visual exercises to help you free your mind.

  PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco? Benjamim - Tarrafal Benjamim is an artist formerly known as Walter Benjamin, who had a song on the Music Alliance Pact's April 2012 edition. Tarrafal is a single from his new album, Auto-Rádio, which has won over the Portuguese public and critics. In contrast to his previous guise, Benjamim opts for Portuguese lyrics instead of English. The music continues to be sophisticated pop that will get your feet tapping. Belle & Sebastian fans will love him.

  SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop JR Green - Nigerian Princess With a modern spin on traditional folk music (accordion and mandolin feature heavily) and a healthy dose of lyrical intrigue, JR Green sound like the happy marriage of Frightened Rabbit and King Creosote. Made up of young brothers Jacob and Rory Green, their debut EP, Bring The Witch Doctor, is being released by Hits The Fan Records - the same label that released Frightened Rabbit's first album. Sign up to JR Green's mailing list for updates and freebies.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK Silica Gel - Hrm Silica Gel is most definitely a band to look out for. They describe their music as neo-psychedelic, experimental, progressive, dream and shoegaze - and they manage to deliver on all counts. A great track to dream away to, Hrm starts out plainly with just a simple guitar loop and some toned-down drums, gradually adds more and more to the mix, before unleashing total bliss a few minutes in.