Die Welt schwitzt und wir liefern die Musik dazu. Viele großartige Songs zum Tanzen, aber auch zum Entspannen. Diesen Monat mit Herpes aus Berlin, die bei Tapete Records unter Vertrag sind und sehr ehrliche Musik machen, die zu ihren vermeintlich deutschen Wurzeln steht. Knackig, direkt, keine Experimente.

ARGENTINA – Zonaindie
The Kyoto Connection – H.E.A.T.
Download audio file (TheKyotoConnection-H.E.A.T.(Argentina).mp3)
The eighties are back! At least, that’s what we felt after listening to No Headphones Required, the cc-licensed brand new album by The Kyoto Connection. This amazing band delivers sweet electronic music mixed with Japanese juice and Flashdance-like synth sounds. If you like it, you can download the whole record from their website.

AUSTRALIA – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Kimbra – Settle Down
Download audio file (Settle-Down.mp3)
I’ve been following Kiwi-now-Melbournite Kimbra’s work for a year now, most of it in the form of either guest performing with other bands or solo with a guitar work. Only recently I’ve heard her new stuff, produced by Franc Teta. The song Settle Down opens with cut up beat boxing vocals – a bit too close to Bertie’s style of production for my liking – but is rescued and lifted by the chorus and soared into lush harmonies, that are all part of Kimbra’s own signature sound.

BRAZIL – Meio Desligado
Dead Lover’s Twisted Heart – Where I Am
Download audio file (Dead_Lovers_Twisted_Heart_-_Where_I_Am_-_Brazil.mp3)
Where I Am is part of the first full length album of the Brazilian band Dead Lover’s Twisted Heart, released a few weeks ago. Far away from the indie-folk influences that are highlighted in the band’s history, it’s a great pop song which could easily be in any album from She & Him or The Ting Tings.

CANADA – I(Heart)Music
Forest City Lovers – Pocketful Of Rocks
Download audio file (ForestCityLovers-PocketfulOfRocks.mp3)
Over the last few years, Forest City Lovers has morphed from simply being a vehicle for Kat Burns’ acoustic folk into a full band with a knack for writing catchy folk-pop. On their new album, Carriage, Burns is joined by members of The D’Urbervilles, Ohbijou and Born Ruffians, among others. As this track (on which Burns is joined by Ruffians front man Luke Lalonde) demonstrates, the results are simply magical.

CHILE – Super 45
Maifersoni – La Turbulencia Quiere Hacernos Levantar Hoy
Download audio file (Maifersoni_-_La_Turbulencia_Quiere_Hacernos_Levantar_Hoy_-_Chile.mp3)
Maifersoni is the musical adventure of young Enrique Elgueta, in which he decides to blend psychedelia and noise in a lo-fi-ish perspective, with a strong pop accent. Taller Deslizante (Gliding Loom) is his first work, released this month on Chilean net label Michita Rex. It captures Panda Bear’s contemplative spirit, Sonic Youth’s fondness for experimentation and Vashti Bunyan’s warmth, creating a resounding weave that – with the likes of El Sueno De La Casa Propia and De Janeiros (both highlighted on earlier editions of MAP) – is giving Chilean pop a new perspective.

CHINA – Wooozy
Lilysay – Last Party
Download audio file (Lilysay%20-%20Last%20Party%20(China).mp3)
The band Lilisay is a Beijing-based trip-hop band, founded by Lilisay and Shang Shao in March, 2010. At first the band started as a shoegaze duo, but as time went on they have evolved into a trip-hop band. After the first gig at D22, Lilisay met Li Wei. Sharing the same taste in music, they decided to collaborate. After several rehearsals and performances, they settled on Trip Hop/Electronica. Last Party is one of their early songs, which reminds a lot of the 80s shoegaze stuff.

DENMARK – All Scandinavian
Waking Life – Chirango
Download audio file (Waking_Life_-_Chirango_-_Denmark.mp3)
With The Flaming Lips and The Shins among their influences, Copenhagen based six-piece Waking Life work in uplifting, danceable ways. Here’s first single, Chirango – from their forthcoming debut album Fiction – an upbeat indierock song with ukulele, bells, trombone and whatnot that would make you all smiles if it hadn’t been for the rather serious lyrics.

ENGLAND – The Daily Growl
Wet Paint – Dead Night
Download audio file (WetPaint-DeadNight-England.mp3)
Here’s a wee MAP exclusive. Ace east London scuzzy rock types Wet Paint are back with another album of great tunes and noisy guitars. No word yet of when the album’s going to be released, but here is a track from it. A sneak preview of what’s going to be a fantastic record.

ESTONIA – Popop
Opium Flirt – Parade In Chimes
Download audio file (Opium_Flirt_-_Parade_in_Chimes_-_Estonia.mp3)
Opium Flirt have been playing live, writing and recording music since 2004. Projects have included music for multimedia installations, films and choreographic performances.
Parade In Chimes is taken from the new album DejaVoodoo.

FINLAND – Glue
Delay Trees – Cassette 2012
Download audio file (delay_trees_cassette_2012_finland.mp3)
Just a little bit over a year ago, MAP featured a song by a Helsinki indie band that shocked the scene with a superb self-released EP. Now signed with an important label, Delay Trees offer the first single off their debut full length, out in September. The dreamy intensity of Cassette 2012 anticipates a new round of tender pop songs that will melt your ears.

FRANCE – ZikNation
I Love My Neighbours – Swedish Babe
Download audio file (bo9lty.mp3)
Everyone has neighbors. You can hate them or love them… but one thing is for sure: it’s impossible not to love these crazy Neighbours. Presented as a big step between Block Party and Nirvana, I Love My Neighbours is a very good acidulated pop/rock band. Instigated by an omnipresent battery and swaying bass riffs, the three boys swing between pop songs and true aggressiveness. A schizophrenia materialized by the guitar riffs and the melodic and tortured voice of the singer. A noted French magazine called Les Inrocks wrote about them : ” These Parisians enter by the large door of the new english scene, dance and pop, with a full bag with catapults provided by Nirvana “. Prepare yourself to apply the theory of the “Bang Bang”, because there’s gonna be rock n’roll…

GERMANY – Blogpartei
Herpes – Keine Experimente
Download audio file (Herpes-KeineExperimenteGermany.mp3)
Herpes may be the most ‘German’ band ever, posted on the MAP. Their straight-forward electropunk with pseudo-political lyrics draw the line from infamous Superpunk to the stepsons of Kraftwerk, like Trio or DAF. Hence, their label has to be Tapete Records, and yeah, of course they live in Berlin. Keine Experimente is the single from their recently released album Das Kommt Vom Kussen.

GREECE – Mouxlaloulouda
Mikael Delta – She’s A Boy
Download audio file (Mikael_Delta_-_Shes_A_Boy_-_Greece.mp3)
Mikael Delta began his career as a member of the band Stereo Nova. He is one of the most prolific and influential musicians in Greece in the past decade. His latest album, Tech Me Away is made of thrillingly danceable sounds and references to techno music scene, disco and electronica.This is music that hits the head, heart and hips all at once. You can dance to almost anything here. She’s A Boy demonstrates Delta’s talent for building simple, clattering dance beats and riffs into audio addictions. But what takes you by surprise is Etten’s marvellous voice, which pops up like a primary color and paints absolutely stellar pictures.

ICELAND – I Love Icelandic Music
Cosmic Call – Owls
Download audio file (Cosmic_Call_-_Owls_-_Iceland.mp3)
Cosmic Call is a five-piece indie rock band from Akranes, a small town on the West Coast of Iceland. Band members are singer/guitarist Sigurmon, Fjolnir on guitar, synthesizer & backing vocals, Begga on bass and backing vocals, drummer Petur & Asa on violin & synthesizer. They are inspired by Arcade Fire, The Cure, The Pixies, Joy Division & Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They recorded one EP so far, which was released on July 24, 2009. The song Owls is a track of this limited, hand sewed edition of 1000 copies made by the band & family members.

INDONESIA – Deathrockstar
Sir Dandy – Jakarta Motor City
Download audio file (Sir_Dandy-JakartaMotorcity-Indonesia.mp3)
Sir Dandy or Dandy Ramdhani or Acong, is the vocalist of one of the most obscure garage band in Indonesia Teenage Death Star, known for their quirky style on stage. This is his latest project, recording ballads using only his guitar and sunglasses on his garage-band software. This song tells us the story about the motorcycle flood in Jakarta.

IRELAND – Nialler9
Bingo – Cold Without You
Download audio file (Bingo_-_Cold_Without_You_Ireland.mp3)
Bingo is a 21 year-old producer from Dublin who makes luscious tracks with nods to dubstep, garage and UK funky. His music recalls the likes of Mount Kimbie, James Blake and Burial. If you find yourself in Dublin on a Saturday night, be sure to check the listings to see if Float, Bingo’s new club night is taking place in either Twisted Pepper or Tripod. You’ll find the likes of the vocal-twisting Cold Without You coming out of the speakers.

ISRAEL – Metal Israel
Ghost Bike – Ghost Writer
Download audio file (Ghost_Bike_-_Ghostwriter_-_Israel.mp3)
Jerusalem, Israel’s Ghost Bike will take you on an ambient trip-hop via the vehicle of dub-influenced electronica, spinning your mind in sonic circles with aural tales of dark, intense emotion. Diverse musical elements like Middle Eastern chants and beats mix with spooky haunted house effects and everything in between to create this sonic tapestry. Some Hollywood producer in need of a soundtrack should pick this stuff up.

ITALY – Polaroid
Movie Star Junkies – The Wallnut Tree
Download audio file (Movie_Star_Junkies_-_The_Walnut_Tree.mp3)
It’s summer, a damned hot summer. I wanted to sail away on an ocean wave but it’s all covered in spilt oil. I don’t care. My beloved surfboard won’t let me down. I put the new Movie Star Junkies record on (wild guys, you should see them live) and drink last drop of rum. A toast to the Birthday Party and the Gun Club. Everything is perfect now. C’mon, let’s put out to sea. Goodbye.

JAPAN – JPOP Lover
Sputniko! – Google Song
Download audio file (sputniko%20-%20google%20song%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
Sputniko! (Hiromi Ozaki) is an experimental electro pop female musician based in London. Since 2007 Sputniko! has shown music, performances and films exploring intersections between technology and popular culture. In 2009 she published the DVD Parakonpe 3000, a collection of eccentric music videos talking about the quirky ways in which we engage with technology, such as google searching your crush’s name or desiring to become a cyborg to eliminate periods.

MEXICO – Red Bull PanameriKa
Orlando – Solo Dios Sabe
Download audio file (orlando_-_solo_dios_sabe.mp3)
Orlando is a singer from Tijuana, Mexico with an organic approach to his compositions. He creates memorable pop choruses that rely on acoustic progressions and just released his first formal LP titled Capullo. This is the first single from the record, under production and arrangements from his collaborator El Poeta and additional mixing by the much respected composer Murcof (also from Tijuana). Solo Dios Sabe is a song that ideally represents Orlando’s soft acoustic sound and its blend with slight electronic details.

NETHERLANDS – Unfold Amsterdam
Bird On The Wire – Strange Days
Download audio file (birdonthewire-strangedays.mp3)
Although formed in the harsh winter of 2010, when their first burst of song material emerged, Amsterdam trio Bird on the Wire write laid-back indie pop that’s perfect for a sweltering summer. Simple, sweet and ever so slightly melancholic, the soft, lulling vocal harmonies of Rosa, Thijs and Nina remind of Camera Obscura, balancing the folk sounds of the ’60s with contemporary lo-fi pop.

NEW ZEALAND – Counting The Beat
The Body Lyre – Pig
Download audio file (The%20Body%20Lyre%20-%20Pig%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
The Body Lyre is a multi-instrumental duo putting together an album, Escape Songs, song by song over the 12 months of 2010. Each month a new track is completed and put on-line for download at http://thebodylyre.bandcamp.com/ At the end of the year the album will be released on vinyl. The music is guitar based and reverb heavy, with a touch of surf, a pinch of country and a sprinkling of Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra.

NORWAY – Eardrums
KooKooo Kitchen – Sweet Caress
Download audio file (KooKoooKitchen_SweetCaress_MAPNorway.mp3)
KooKooo Kitchen is one of Oslo’s more interesting new bands. In front are Eva and Marianne, constantly fighting for attention with their vocals and guitars, sometimes nice and harmonic, the next second as rough and edgy as it can get. The girls are backed by Henning and Brox on bass and drums. The combination of their sharp, ringing guitar sound, the heavy use of toms and the in-your-face attitude of the vocals reminds me of the early days of Siouxsie and The Banshees. KooKooo Kitchen has a lot of the energy of The Banshees, but the music is filled with lovely pop-harmonies. As they say themselves “Dirt under their nails, and nail polish to cover the mess.” A video is currently in the making for their song Bedsheet. Keep an eye on their myspace page for details.

PERU – SoTB
Kinder – Encuentro Inesperado
Download audio file (Kinder_-_Encuentro_Inesperado_-_Peru.mp3)
Kinder is based on experimentation to create its sound, it has only an EP titled Mini-EP, on which each song is the result of the combination of different rhythms, electronic sequences and some playful samples. These features give Kinder, in several of its songs, a curious relationship to a childlike theme; this line achieves its balance when its sound gets into the instrumental environments. It’s probably this style that predominates in its first LP, ready for release sometime this year.

PORTUGAL – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Madame Godard – Atlas 1977
Download audio file (Madame_Godard_-_Atlas_1977_-_Portugal.mp3)
The quintet Madame Godard have (on MySpace) one of the best covers of Clash’s Spanish Bombs that you will ever hear. They produce a sound that is a mix of world music, folk and pop but always humorous. After almost ten years of hiatus, they have released their first LP, Galapagos, this year, which has been acclaimed by the Portuguese critics and audience.

ROMANIA – Babylon Noise
Identitate – Alone
Download audio file (identitate_-_aloneromania.mp3)
Alone. Sleepless nights and lonely early mornings when the lights go down and the dawn breaks. The music is rising in loops, choruses that add up to this beautiful and minimal psychedelia. Identitate is a Romanian artist currently splitting his life between London and Timisoara. His third album called Who I Am and What I Want features songs originally meant to be soundtracks for short films and it can be downloaded from here

SCOTLAND – The Pop Cop
LightGuides – The Lion And The Pocketwatch
Download audio file (LightGuides-The-Lion-And-The-Pocketwatch-Scotland.mp3)
It’s the middle of festival season and nothing goes down better than a meaty power-rock anthem, which makes LightGuides the perfect alfresco band for the summer. The Lion And The Pocketwatch has a monster chorus that Biffy Clyro would raise devil horns to, while singer Mark Cowan’s vocals aren’t too dissimilar to Nate Ruess of Fun/The Format fame.

SINGAPORE – I’m Waking Up To…
Cheating Sons – The Last Queen
Download audio file (cheating-sons-the-last-queen-singapore.mp3)
Look at some Singaporean cliches and you’ll be faced with an urban cityscape with sterile modern amenities. But scratch the surface and you’ll remember that we were once a humble fishing village that actually remembered how to relax. Cheating Sons sounds like a band that is in the process of retracing those roots, turning over every leaf and scribbling notes in the margins of journals. To say they’re updating a nostalgic country-rock sound would be downplaying the creativity behind the band’s songwriting. While they’re still recording their debut album, they were nice enough to share this demo with us because everyone back home is so excited about the music these boys are making.

SOUTH AFRICA – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Jack Parow – Onder Draai Die Duiwel Joints
Download audio file (Jack_Parow_-_Onder_Draai_Die_Duiwel_Joints_-_South_Africa.mp3)
Move over Eminem. Jack Parow has arrived. He’s white. He raps. Oh and yes, he’s Afrikaans. Jack Parow truly is original; he is in fact the “original donker dodgy Afrikaans rapper”. His lyrics are brash, brazen and funny and his song Onder Draai Die Duiwel Joints showcases his unique style. He has caused quite a stir in the music scene, locally and internationally alike. He’s set to take over the world. Watch out!

SOUTH KOREA – Indieful ROK
Glittering Blackness, Fall – 3
Download audio file (Glittering_Blackness_Fall_-_3_-_South_Korea.mp3)
After playing together for a few years, post-rock act Glittering Blackness, Fall took it in their own hands to release an untitled EP – their first – at the beginning of this year. The septet counts a media graphics responsible to its members, ensuring interesting imagery to go with their captivating music. The song simply going by 3 builds up beautifully during the first half before a strong finale where the listener will wish for it never to come to an end. The whole EP is available for download from last.fm.

SWEDEN – Swedesplease
The Telepathics – 23:59
Download audio file (23-59.mp3)
This little nugget of Italian/Swedish electro disco from The Telepathics is a certain cure for the end of summer blues. This duo is comprised of Cristiano and Isabella. The song is not quite as sunny as their sun drenched faces shown above, yet still it brightened my day considerably.

SWITZERLAND – 78s
Alvin Zealot – Bricks Over Bricks
Download audio file (Alvin-Zealot-Bricks-Over-Bricks-Switzerland.mp3)
If it comes to name a current common denominator in the Swiss rock music scene there is no getting around Alvin Zealot – four young guys from Lucerne who made a highly addictive and unpretentious rock’n'roll-record. Tears Of St. Lawrence sounds bold and experienced at the same time. Quite an effort for a debut by four teens.

VENEZUELA – Barquisimento
Tomates Fritos – Perdoname
Download audio file (TomatesFritos.Perdoname.Venezuela.mp3)
Tomates Fritos was born in Puerto La Cruz, east of Venezuela and since the beginning, in 1997, the group has edited 4 LPs and have been part of important music festivals like Festival Nuevas Bandas (1998) and Cool Summer Music Festival (2002). Their music comes from mixing Spanish pop-rock with classic rock from the 60s and 70s, developing a unique sound, flooded with energy that has captivated tons of fans. This song, Perdoname, has been played very often in radio stations all over the country and belongs to their latest CD, Hombre Bala.

Man kommt aus Freising, ist ein Verein ohne Gewinnstreben und veranstaltet das Prima Leben und Stereo. Dann ist es praktisch, wenn man ein paar mächtige Fürsprecher hat, die sich nach Süddeutschland auch für weniger Geld als normal bequemen. Wie wärs mit Frank Spilker? Letztes Jahr mit seiner Solocombo unterwegs, dieses Jahr mit den Sternen da. Oder Sir Simon Battle, der bereits einmal mit Tomte vor Ort war. Oder Fehlfarben? Jens Friebe? Sympathisches Festival zieht sympathische Bands an.

Ähnlich wie das Theatron setzt das PLUS jedes Jahr aufs Neue auf gemischte Genres, denn im kleinen Kreis lässt man sich doch eher auf Neues ein. Und so könnte Bratze, sodenn man sie noch nicht kennen sollte, neue Fans gewinnen – und das werden sie mit ihrer energetischen Auftritten auch sicherlich. Denn “Dein ewiges Gejammer geht auch bei 60° nicht raus”.

Bei Pillow Fight Club werden wir wohl alle uns anstrengen müssen, nur auf die wunderbare Musik zu achten – und nicht auf die Frontfrau. Denn die Musik ist es mit ihrem Facettenreichtum wert!

Sodenn, lassen wir uns überraschen von den weiteren Gästen wie Rainmann und Snaretom, den eifrig München bespielenden Mexican Elvis oder von den HipHoppern Blumentopf und Texta.

Das gemütlichste Campingfestival, das ich kenne, wartet. Wer Eindrücke von den letzten Jahren braucht, der kann sich hier alle Vorabberichte, Konzertkritiken und Bilder anschauen.

Zwar hatten wir diesen Monat wirklich ein wenig die Seuche, sodass von eigentlich 35 Blogs nur 28 mit dabei sind. Doch lohnt sich selbstverständlich das Anhören immer! Ich habe mich für SICKCITY aus München entschieden, deren Song “Julia” für mich ein evergreen ist, bei dem ich mich immer wieder freue, wenn er in der Playlist auftaucht.

Meine Empfehlungen für den Juni:
Chiles ESDLCP mit “Voluntad de oro”: Komplett rückwärts gespielte Songs, die nach was klingen sind nun doch nicht so häufig.
Italiens Les Mange mit “Weak Weak”: Handgezupfter Folk für die ruhigen Stunden mit Witz.
Kanadas Ghostkeeper mit “Don’t come knocking”: Sehr rohe Indiesongs, deren Charme das Unfertige ist.
Portugals Pop Dell’ Arte mit “Ritual Transdisco”: Portugiesischer Kraftwerkverschnitt
Schweiz’ Solange La Frange mit “Wakawak”: Der Name ist Programm, energetischer Indietronic

Argentina – Zonaindie
Springlizard – Docks Of The Okinoh
Download audio file (Springlizard-DocksOfTheOkinoh(Argentina).mp3)
Two guys with acoustic guitars, ancestral melodies and lyrics, and Dreams Of The Wolf, a record with a limited edition of just 297 hand-made copies (you can get a digital version for free, just check their MySpace). Oh, and to Blogpartei readers: Springlizard will be touring Germany next August, so you better check them out!

Australia – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
World’s End Press – Golden Child
Download audio file (Golden-Child-Album-Version-160kbps.mp3)
Not the easiest band name to roll off the tongue, but World’s End Press have done very well with their disco jams meets the Stone Roses sound. The live show is a full-on party set, selling out parties in their hometown, Melbourne. Also check out their previous track, Only The Brave, on their myspace. Their debut album is being produced by fellow Melbournian electronic whiz Qua.

Brazil – Meio Desligado
Superguidis – Nao Fosse O Bom Humor
Download audio file (Superguidis_-_Nao_Fosse_O_Bom_Humor_-_Brazil.mp3)
Nao Fosse O Bom Humor is the main song of the 3rd album of southern Brazilian band Superguidis, released a few months ago. Its heavy riff and melodic lines remembers some of the best times of Foo Fighters, impression that, live, gets even stronger.

Canada – I(Heart)Music
Ghostkeeper – Don’t Come Knocking
Download audio file (Ghostkeeper-DontComeKnocking.mp3)
If The Libertines had grown up somewhere in the Canadian Prairies, Ghostkeeper is probably how they would’ve sounded. The band’s self-titled debut is one of the most creative and exciting things to come out so far this year, and this song has ample evidence of why that is.

Chile – Super 45
El Sueno De La Casa Propia – Voluntad De Oro
Download audio file (El_Sueno_De_La_Casa_Propia_-_Voluntad_De_Oro_-_Chile.mp3)
Sample-based artist El Sueno De La Casa Propia (ESDLCP) started his music career molding his own electronic version from Chilean folk music. But in his new album – Historial De Caidas, available July 15th by Chilean net label Pueblo Nuevo – Jose Manuel Cerda (ESDLCP’s real name) takes a giant leap by adding elements from r&b and rock music that converge on a dynamic pop album. An essential and long awaited album, introducing a stronger organic sound; a clear improvement from previous works.

Denmark – All Scandinavian
Kellermensch – Black Dress (Live)
Download audio file (Kellermensch_-_Black_Dress_Live_-_Denmark.mp3)
Kellermensch (who incidentally were also this blog’s very first MAP contribution) released their awesome debut album last year, which – apart from much praise – earned them invitations to do both an XFM and a BBC Radio 1 Live Session. End July, a revamped version of the debut including four brand new songs will be released in the UK. First – and great – single, Army Ants, is out now, but here’s a live version of Black Dress, recorded November 21, 2009, to give you a sweet taste of the band’s supreme performances.

Estonia – Popop
Junk Riot – Black Widow
Download audio file (Junk_Riot_-_Black_Widow_-_Estonia.mp3)
Junk Riot is a four-piece garage/indie/experimental band from Tallinn, Estonia. Their sound is built on high-pitched vocals and heavy usage of pitch-shifting/delay effects on guitar. Formed in late 2006, it took about a year to gain reputation as an exciting live band, a fresh breath of air in smoky clubs. By now, Junk Riot is among one of the first Russian-speaking Estonian bands to be fully accepted by the Estonian indie scene.

Finland – Glue
Kim Curly Band – Passerby
Download audio file (kim_curly_band_passerby_finland.mp3)
With the alias of Kim Curly, singer Kimmo Numminen delivers a sharp songwriting that combines intimate moments with full band Americana. Passerby, included in the Kim Curly Band debut album, is an uplifting rocker that reminds us of the most traditional Ryan Adams.

Germany – Blogpartei
Sickcity – Julia
Download audio file (Sickcity-JuliaGermany.mp3)
To name a constant insider’s tip, SICKCITY is a good choice. This four-piece from Munich does manifold music, from danceable indietronics to waltzrock. Although Julia has some time under its belt, it’s still one of my favourite songs. A tripping waltz accompanied by the intense voice of Daniel Shah, reminding of Marilyn Manson.

Greece – Mouxlaloulouda
My Wet Calvin – Laps
Download audio file (My_Wet_Calvin_-_Laps_-_Greece.mp3)
My Wet Calvin is an experimental act with a DIY aesthetic that offers unconventional live performances and delivers a blend of shoegaze, pop, noise and intense drumming with shimmering guitars, synths, electronics and fragile vocals. All Great Events convincingly balances the scales of different sounds and textures, without sacrificing anything in terms of musical ideas or melody. Each song sounds like a distinct ray of light and although it’s packed into something both surprisingly subversive and cohesive, it’s the strength of each of them that makes the whole album stand out. Laps is a thrilling evidence of compelling thoughtful craftsmanship. Just close your eyes and enjoy it. It’s even more satisfying.

Iceland – I Love Icelandic Music
Feldberg – Dreamin
Download audio file (Feldberg_-_Dreamin_-_Iceland.mp3)
Feldberg was formed in January 2009 by Einar Tonsberg, better known as Eberg, and Rosa Birgitta Isfeld, the singer of the band Sometime. The duo decided to meet every Tuesday night for a couple of months and write some songs together. One of their songs, Don’t Be A Stranger, was used in an ad and later on released as a single. Debut album Don’t Be A Stranger was released by Icelandic label Cod Music last year. The song Dreamin was Song Of The Year at the Icelandic Music Awards 2009.

Indonesia – Deathrockstar
Mocca – Lucky Me
Download audio file (mocca_-_lucky_me.mp3)
One may say that this band is the biggest name in the Indonesian Indie-pop scene.
And probably the sweetest voice you could ever hear.

Ireland – Nialler9
Sunken Foal – Sailing Architrades
Download audio file (Sunken_Foal_-_Sailing_Architraves_IRELAND.mp3)
Signed to influential electronic label Planet Mu, Dunk aka Sunken Foal’s music is a compound of stringed instruments, analogue synthesizers and ambience, matched with a healthy dose of innovative beats. This once off tune hasn’t found a home on a release yet, but if you like what you hear, check out his 2008 debut, Fallen Arches.

Israel – Metal Israel
Spawn Of Evil – Screamager (Therapy Cover)
Download audio file (Spawn_Of_Evil_-_Screamager_-_Israel.mp3)
Spawn of Evil is a rambunctious death/thrash Zionist metal band with straight up metal influences mixed with Middle Eastern groove and a sense of humor. This is a cover of Therapy?’s hit Screamager, approved by Therapy? themselves.

Italy – Polaroid
Les Mange-Tout – Weak Week
Download audio file (Les_Mange-Tout_-_Weak_Week.mp3)
If you are invited for tea, just bring this album by Les Mange-Tout with you. One girl from Genova, one from Le Havre: they sure know how to rock the hell out of a tea party. Folk twee pop with a magnificent attitude for weaved melodies, lovely choruses and nursery rhymes. Just add some glockenspiel and melodica, a double bass and a driver lent from the band The Calorifer Is Very Hot, too many super cute vintage dresses and you’re done!

Japan – JPOP Lover
Kafuka – Tracer
Download audio file (kafuka%20-%20tracer%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
Check the unreleased track from the underground Electronica, Hyogo, Japan. Kafuka – just like 20th century’s famous bohemian novelist – is an indie bedroom musician with ambient taste, playing lo-fi Guitar. Deeply weird, but satisfying post-rock with synthwave jams.

Mexico – Red Bull PanameriKa
Torreblanca – Parece Navidad
Download audio file (torreblanca_-_parece_navidad.mp3)
Juan Manuel Torreblanca is a multi-instrumentalist (and illustrator) from Mexico City. His talents on the piano and accordion have been recruited by quite a few in the Mexican scene. His own compositions however are the real deal, as he fronts a full ensemble. Torreblanca counts on a quintet armed with a strong rhythm section and wind instruments. He and his fellow musicians recently released a debut titled Defensa, an astonishing first EP with just four songs composed by great arrangements and confrontative, existentialist lyrics. Parece Navidad is the second and the most complex cut from this promising EP, after the homonymous first single.

New Zealand – Counting The Beat
Thieves – Seizure
Download audio file (Thieves%20-%20Seizure%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
The first wave of iconic NZ label Flying Nun was the jangly indie pop that became known around the world: bands like The Clean and The Chills. The second wave came in the 90s – the music was noisier and darker – and it was some of my favourite music of all time. It’s this second wave of Flying Nun that Thieves invoke on their excellent self titled EP. Thieves brooding alternative guitar rock is showcased on the EP’s centrepiece, Seizure. They have two EPs available to download from http://thievesss.bandcamp.com

Norway – Eardrums
Suspicious For The Winter – Empty Streets
Download audio file (SuspiciousfortheWinter-EmptyStreets_MAPNorway.mp3)
Suspicious For The Winter is a project formed from two of Oslo’s freshest indie bands, Casa Murilo and Like Spinning. The two bands joined as Suspicious For The Winter on EardrumsPop’s free compilation, Between Two Waves, where all songs are made as collaborations between bands. You can download the full 40 songs compilation on eardrumspop.com or listen on http://soundcloud.com/eardrumspop. Check out the two bands’ music on http://www.myspace.com/casamurilo and http://www.myspace.com/like_spinning

Peru – SoTB
Electro-Z – En Ficcion
Download audio file (Electro-Z_-_En_Ficcion_-_Peru.mp3)
Electro-Z was one of those strange flashes that sometimes happen in music. His self-titled album turned 10 years, and is remembered as the glow of innovation that ended with the war of styles in the Peruvian music scene of the last decade. Electro-Z made his sound from the link created between the distortion of rock and the coolness of pop, and found his key in the unification of these genres. En Ficcion is a good example of all these. Although the style seemed unclassifiable at that time, it would be later known as indie.

Portugal – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Pop Dell Arte – Ritual Transdisco
Download audio file (Pop_Dell_Arte_-_Ritual_Transdisco_-_Portugal.mp3)
We are proud to bring here one of the most important Portuguese alternative bands, celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Led by Joao Peste, they have been exploring and composing lyrics and sounds that you never heard anywhere. Ritual Transdisco is their first single from the just released new album, Contra Mundum.

Romania – Babylon Noise
Butterflies In My Stomach – Another You
Download audio file (butterflies-in-my-stomach-another-you-romania.mp3)
Butterflies In My Stomach started as a project in the spring of 2005. They are one of the few bands in the acid jazz/nu-jazz/trip-hop area in Romania. The name comes from the wonderful sensation that takes you by surprise and leaves its traces for a long time.

Scotland – The Pop Cop
Kid Canaveral – Good Morning
Download audio file (Kid_Canaveral_-_Good_Morning_-_Scotland.mp3)
Kid Canaveral offer a free return ticket to the mainstream indie-pop sound of the 90s, favouring the irrepressible joy of melody ahead of racking up cool points. The frantic chug of Good Morning takes in some typically Scottish themes – drinking and going out – to give a welcome indication of what to expect from KC’s forthcoming debut album Shouting At Wildlife, which is released on July 5.

Singapore – I’m Waking Up To…
Elsa X – Baby Steps
Download audio file (Elsa_X_-_Baby_Steps_-_Singapore.mp3)
On paper, Elsa X is a one-person experimental outfit that combines elements of post rock and electronica, under a pseudonym for a girl who suffers from mental disorders. Actually, it’s a project meant to raise awareness on mental illness. The music however was released as a 2 sides EP written by one principal songwriter, Wang Wei Yang, who has deftly combined various emotional undertones based on research by his project mates. The air of bipolar emotions constantly flits through the soundscapes, hopeful and hopeless all at the same time. Elsa X is not real, and the music may not have been conceived from an artist’s vision, but in this schizophrenic world, who can truly say what is what?

South Korea – Indieful ROK
Jambinai – Miro
Download audio file (Jambinai_-_Miro_-_South_Korea.mp3)
All trained in traditional Korean music, the three members of Jambinai play piri, geomungo and haegeum, respectively. Currently performing musical experiments in the realm of post-rock, they are working their instruments to create a fresh and natural sound and hope to make their first official release later this summer. Starting out slowly before proceeding into a fascinating display of prowess, Miro is a sonic delicacy not to be missed.

Sweden – Swedesplease
De Montevert – High On You
Download audio file (De_Montevert_-_High_On_You_-_Sweden.mp3)
De Montevert’s style is all over the place from indie pop to indie folk to experimental electronica and everything in between. I chose the song High On You because it has the most accessible sound and that indescribable indie pop naivety and purity.
I could honestly go on and on. But I’ll just ask to do yourself a favor and check out her MySpace page, listen to DKT, All Happy Endings, Both Human and/or Galpal.

Switzerland – 78s
Solange la Frange – Wakawak
Download audio file (Wakawak.mp3)
To capture the special energy of a live-show on a record is a complicated undertaking. For the Swiss trio Solange La Frange, it was a piece of cake. The band got famous for their dynamic and powerful live performances and managed to put that atmosphere on a proper record. The special blend of electro and rock would make CSS and Karen O envious, if they knew about Solange La Frange from Vevey, Switzerland.

United States – I Guess I’m Floating
Oberhofer – I Could Go
Download audio file (03%20I%20Could%20Go.mp3)
Oberhofer started as the solo, lo-fi bedroom project of Brad Oberhofer in Tacoma, Washington, only to develop into a full band once he moved to eastward to Brooklyn, New York. I Could Go is a great song with catchy percussion, climatic melodies, and wonderful whistling.

Leicht verspätet, aber den Aufwand, den ein Umzug bereitet, unterschätzt man doch immer wieder. Und die Verzögerung durch die magentafarbenen Techniker sowieso – kein Internet vor Juni.

Daher fass ich mich kurz: Der Monat Mai wird überschattet von unserem Freund “don’t be evil”, denn blogspot a.k.a google hat den Mann hinter dem Music Alliance Pact, Jason a.k.a The Pop Cop abgeschaltet. Das Blog ist schlicht nicht mehr aufrufbar, alle Artikel im digitalen Nirvana. Mehr dazu hier.

ARGENTINA – Zonaindie
Verdeoscuro – Allright
Download audio file (Verdeoscuro-AllRight(Argentina).mp3)
This is the musical project of singer-songwriter-producer Diego Acosta. We’ve been following his evolution since the very beginning of our blog, so we’re very fond of the folk-rock vibe, languid guitars and moaning vocals of Verdeoscuro’s songs. This is his newest release after the departure of long-time partner Victoria Boano and it was released by a new netlabel called Fuego Amigo Discos.

AUSTRALIA – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Cloud Control – There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight
Download audio file (02-Theres-Nothing-In-The-Water-We-Cant-Fight.mp3)
Sydney’s Cloud Control made a mark in blogging circles with their previous single, the unforgettable Gold Canary. This time I would like to highlight the track There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight, taken from their debut album Bliss Release. From a collection of indie gems, this track is the outstanding crown jewel that caught my attention with its amazing melodies, counter-melodies and lyrics. Bliss Release is truly an album for the 2010 indie-rock fan and I’m glad I got to hear this one early.

BRAZIL – Meio Desligado
Renegado – Meu Canto
Download audio file (Renegado_-_Meu_canto_-_Brazil.mp3)
Straight from the slums, Renegado presents a concise social screed (the fruits of his work as leader of an NGO focused on social development and appreciation of black culture) by mixing hip hop with Brazilian rhythms. The samba-influenced Meu Canto is an example of that, featuring vocals from Aline Calixto and lyrics that discuss the hardships of poverty and the pleasure of enjoying life. Renegado is preparing for upcoming shows in the United States, Europe and Africa. His debut album, Do Oiapoque a Nova York, is available for streaming via his website.

CANADA – I(Heart)Music
Hannah Georgas – Bang Bang You’re Dead
Download audio file (HannahGeorgas-BangBangYoureDead.mp3)
Hannah Georgas’ full-length debut, This Is Good, is chock-full of exceptionally good, radio-ready pop-rock. Few of the songs on it are as fun as the slyly naughty Bang Bang You’re Dead, complete with its children’s choir and chorus of “You’re talking shhhh… ’bout me / I’m talking shhhh… ’bout you”. If (or, more likely, when) Georgas breaks through in a big way, it’ll be songs like this one that will help her do it.

CHILE – Super 45
Gepe – Por La Ventana
Download audio file (Gepe_-_Por_La_Ventana_-_Chile.mp3)
The long-awaited third record by Gepe will be released this month and is preceded by a suprising first single. Por La Ventana (“Through The Window”) must be his poppiest song yet, but it comes from his personal understanding of what pop music is: the mixture of contradictory traditions converging to produce an easy-to-grasp sound. It may be a little upsetting for his hardcore fans but this isn’t the first time Gepe has bent his own rules, and it certainly won’t be the last.

CHINA – Wooozy
X Is Y – Curse
Download audio file (xisy-curse.mp3)
X Is Y is a digital rock band from Shanghai with three French guys – G, Fabien and LON. Their first album was recorded in 2009 and you can download it by clicking here.

COLOMBIA – Colombia Urbana
Transporte – Lonely
Download audio file (Transoporte-Lonely.mp3)
Transporte are not afraid to experiment. Formed by Diana Navarro (vocals) and Juan Felipe Bastidas (drums, guitars, sequences), the duo mix live sounds with digital synths to create their electronic pop.

DENMARK – All Scandinavian
The Wong Boys – Git Ur Wong On
Download audio file (The_Wong_Boys_-_Git_Ur_Wong_On_-_Denmark.mp3)
At the start of the year, Frank Ziyanak (The Wong Boys, Death To Frank Ziyanak and much more) launched a new website making a solid portion of his impressive musical output – remixes, full albums, demos and rarities – available for download on a “pay your respect” basis. Among the rarities is this remake of The Wong Boys’ club-banging smash-hit Git Ur Fuk On, aimed at the Asian market as Git Ur Wong On.

ENGLAND – The Daily Growl
Archie Bronson Outfit – Shark’s Tooth
Download audio file (ArchieBronsonOutfit-SharksTooth-England.mp3)
One of my favourite albums of the year so far is Archie Bronson Outfit’s Coconut. It’s a beast of an album, full of dirty, greasy, noisy rock thrills. And by that I don’t mean lo-fi – with DFA man Tim Goldsworthy in the chair, it’s pretty high-spec stuff with amped-up guitars, propulsive rhythms and carefully controlled noise explosions. If it sounds rough, it’s meant to be that way. It’s less about the tunes (though they are there), more the dark energy seething underneath the wall of sound. This is an album that you know wants to rock you, but you’re always afraid that it’s going to sneak up on your gyrating body and kick your head in. Exciting.

ESTONIA – Popop
Picnic – Too Fast
Download audio file (Picnic_-_Too_Fast_-_Estonia.mp3)
Picnic was formed in 2006 and features Rivo Jarvsoo (guitars, electronics), Andres Soosaar (guitars, other instruments) and Marju Taukar (vocals, keyboard, accordion). Flowing guitars mingle with electronic beats and treats, and the influence of ’90s British shoegaze is not difficult to notice – Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse are all there. The band released their debut album Winter Honey on local label Seksound in February.

FINLAND – Glue
Captain Cougar – Engagement Song
Download audio file (Captain_Cougar_Engagement_Song_Finland.mp3)
For their second album, Captain Cougar came up with a history-related concept album telling the story of two people growing up on the heels of the Finnish independence and civil war in the early 20th century and emigrating for the never-to-be-found hope and glory of the American land. The cinematic music enhances the melancholy of the story with dense atmospherics and layers of instruments underneath the beautiful voice of Eva Louhivuouri, who acts as the narrator thanks to a collection of soft pop melodies. Early in the story, Engagement Song gives a break to the hard-working people in the rural community.

GERMANY – Blogpartei
L’egojazz – Ovatime
Download audio file (Legojazz-OvatimeGermany.mp3)
Jazz and sampling are the foundations L’egojazz is built on. These guys from the Bavarian Chiemgau draw their inspiration from many different genres such as electro, indie and drum and bass, and merge them to form an eclectic, improvisational sound. Ovatime is a piece of impulsive music with a funky touch that goes directly into your dancing shoes. The song is a Music Alliance Pact exclusive which shows their electronic side best.

GREECE – Mouxlaloulouda
Sleepin Pillow – Silicone
Download audio file (Sleepin_Pillow_-_Silicone_-_Greece.mp3)
Sleepin Pillow’s philosophy is based on bringing together experimental, psychedelic rock along with Greek and Eastern traditional music. They create eerie yet familiar soundscapes while achieving a distinctive sound of their own to form an enveloping whole, with each overlapping texture or shifting tempo plunging the listener further into the darkness. Their album Superman’s Blues is rewarding, thoughtful and challenging. It is an ambitious work of power, emotional depth and feeling, with vocals submerged under a claustrophobic blanket of guitars battling with drums.

ICELAND – I Love Icelandic Music
Who Knew – Sharpen The Knife
Download audio file (Who_Knew_-_Sharpen_the_knife_-_Iceland.mp3)
Who Knew is a six-piece indie power-pop band that produces catchy melodies and groovy beats. The band was formed by lead singer Armann Ingvi Armannson and backing vocalist and guitar player Baldur Helgi Snorrason in 2006. Sharpen The Knife is taken from debut album Bits And Pieces Of A Major Spectacle, which will be released in Europe on the German 101berlin label on May 21.

INDONESIA – Deathrockstar
White Shoes & The Couples Company – Kampus Kemarau
Download audio file (WSATCC_%20Kampus_Kemarau_DEATHROCKSTAR.mp3)
White Shoes & The Couples Company’s music make Indonesians feel proud. Heavily influenced by old Indonesian movies and ’60s ballads, they spread the warm feeling of their vibrant, vintage pop tunes all around the world, even if most of the lyrics are in Bahasa Indonesia.

IRELAND – Nialler9
Kill Krinkle Club – Airport
Download audio file (Kill_Krinkle_Club_-_Airport_IRELAND.mp3)
Justin Cummins and Elena Bergman are an Irish-Swedish duo who released a promising EP back in 2008. They’ve recently been recording material for their debut album in September (each track will be accompanied by a video) and Airport is one of the first missives available from it, showcasing Kill Krinkle Club’s unique electronic/synth-pop sound.

ISRAEL – Metal Israel
Desert – Letter Of Marque
Download audio file (Desert_-_Letter_Of_Marque_-_Israel.mp3)
The evocative mastery of classic dark power metal act Desert exports a majestically melodic, edgy onslaught laced with influences from Judas Priest to Deep Purple. They’ve shared the stage with Sabaton and Draconian and show formidable talent and promise.

ITALY – Polaroid
Vermillion Sands – Miss My Gun
Download audio file (Vermillion_Sands_-_Miss_My_Gun.mp3)
A single out on Fat Possum, an EP on Sacred Bones and now the debut album on Alien Snatch Records – Vermillion Sands may be from Italy but they really talk the international language of rock ‘n’ roll. Their songs are raw and catchy as hell. You could say they play garage pop with a folk vibe, but you just have to let yourself go and wildly dance. Anna Barattin’s twangy voice will hypnotize you.

JAPAN – JPOP Lover
Tim & Puma Mimi – Aquarium
Download audio file (tim%20and%20puma%20mimi%20-%20aquarium%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
Tim & Puma Mimi is indie electro-pop group that consists of Tim (aka Christian Fischer) from Switzerland and Mimi (aka Michiko Hanawa) from Tokyo. They met in the Netherlands at a party in 2003. They are far away from each other but are connected via the internet, using Skype to record their tracks to deliver sweet and frisky tunes.

MEXICO – Red Bull PanameriKa
Carla Morrison – Buena Malicia
Download audio file (carla_morrison_-_buena_malicia.mp3)
Carla Morrison is a beautiful voice in Mexico’s new music scene. Emerging from Baja California in 2009, Carla has touched audiences with just a piano, a guitar and her voice, which seems to melt down every soul that dares to listen to it live. Sweet and haunting, her sound is engaging but, more than anything, it’s moving. Buena Malicia is taken from her first EP titled Aprendiendo a Aprender. Carla is recording a follow-up with fellow singer (and fan) Natalia Lafourcade, which will go by the name Mientras Tu Dormias.

NETHERLANDS – Amsterdam Event Guide
Zea – Song For Electricity
Download audio file (Zea_-_Song_for_Electricity_-_Netherlands.mp3)
Zea’s music draws influence from all over the world, and this entry especially is a mish-mash number inspired by an Ethiopian track taken from a recent tour through the country. Tribal beats with fast-paced indie-pop guitars merge with high-pitched electronics to create a messy, “wonderfully bonkers” pop number. File Zea in your collection with other eclectic, world-pop big-wigs MIA, Vampire Weekend and Animal Collective.

NEW ZEALAND – Counting The Beat
Bandicoot – Silence Is Golden
Download audio file (Bandicoot%20-%20Silence%20is%20Golden%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
Take teenage angst and energy, pounding drums, speedy riffs, frenetic lead guitar, a hyper vocalist who spits her lyrics rather than sings, songs that duck and dive rather than take a linear path from go to whoa, turn up the treble and approach the whole thing with the aim of having fun. That’s Bandicoot. Silence Is Golden is from their second EP Jurassic Warfare and it ticks all those boxes. Jurassic Warfare, along with free 2009 EP Happy Talking are available from Muzai Records.

PERU – SoTB
Caudillismo y Pedigree – Mi Perro Poodle Tiene Pulgas Negras
Download audio file (Caudillismo_y_Pedigree_-_Mi_Perro_Poodle_Tiene_Pulgas_Negras_-_Peru.mp3)
Mi Perro Poodle Tiene Pulgas Negras exudes creativity both in its hypnotizing, pleasant melody and its lyrics. The minimalism mixes with nostalgia to tell a strange story – the pains and habits of a dog called Poodle. The lyrics seem to make no sense, but in fact the use of metaphors explain and criticize the current society and some dark extracts of Peruvian life.

PORTUGAL – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Soulbizness – Victimless Crime
Download audio file (Soulbizness_-_Victimless_Crime_-_Portugal.mp3)
Rodrigo Gomes and Filipe Campos are Soulbizness, a duo deeply influenced by funk, soul and electronic dance music. They won the first music contest in which they participated, in 2007. In 2008, they released their first EP, Collectables, and soon had a single on a major TV series. 2nd Shake is their second EP, released this last April, and Victimless Crime is one of its four tracks.

ROMANIA – Babylon Noise
Discoballs – Watch Out!
Download audio file (discoballs-watch-out-romania2.mp3)
“From now on, no one is safe, nothing is for sure,” announced Discoballs – a 100% live electronic group from Bucharest – at the beginning of 2008. They were very well received by the public because such a project was missing from the music scene and because they are really good at what they’re doing – playing constantly with sound and managing to make incredible music every time they’re on stage. Here’s one of the few tracks they’ve recorded.

SCOTLAND – The Pop Cop
Sorren Maclean – You Shook
Download audio file (Sorren_Maclean_-_You_Shook_-_Scotland.mp3)
Sorren Maclean is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who I recently came across while doing research for a feature on musicians from Scottish islands. Although Sorren lives in Glasgow, he grew up in Mull and still maintains strong ties with the island. His debut album won’t be out until later in the year but we’ve got an exclusive sneak preview from it. You Shook is typical of Sorren’s sound, driven by melody and harmonies and very easy on the ear.

SINGAPORE – I’m Waking Up To…
Great Empty – Intro (Pattern & The Essence)
Download audio file (great-empty-intro-pattern-the-essence-singapore.mp3)
Great Empty are an experimental, instrumental band. One of the most beautiful aspects of their music is the raw simplicity that lies at the heart of all their tunes. There is no need for grand opuses, or pitch-perfect production quality. I think flaw is their gift to the realm of music, to ache and bleed out the last vestiges of honest emotion beyond the limits of control. It is heartfelt music, something that’s worth remembering and listening to.

SOUTH AFRICA – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Megan C – I Got It
Download audio file (Megan_C_-_I_Got_It_-_South_Africa.mp3)
Megan C is a triple threat – a model, classically-trained vocalist and gifted actress. She teamed up with producer extraordinaire Ameen Harron for the song I Got It. It is a blend of slick, uptempo beats combined with MIA-esque rap, hip hop flavour and just a touch of electro to make a surefire dancefloor hit. Megan C is a force to reckoned with, keep an eye out for more from her.

SOUTH KOREA – Indieful ROK
Vidulgi OoyoO – Goodnight Shining
Download audio file (Vidulgi_OoyoO_-_Goodnight_Shining_-_South_Korea.mp3)
Vidulgi OoyoO (literally “Pigeon Milk”) is one of Korea’s finest shoegaze bands. They recently put out a split album with Chicago’s bliss.city.east and it is scheduled for release in Europe and the US later this month. They wanted to apply their own textures to electronica, post-rock, psychedelic blues and more, and the result sounds better than ever. Goodnight Shining is an outstanding instrumental piece that’ll make you want to stay in Vidulgi OoyoO’s world of droning goodness for as long as possible.

SPAIN – Oscuro Magazine
Barbo – Exilio En Yokohama
Download audio file (Exilio%20en%20Yokohama.mp3)
Barcelona indie band Barbo created Matagigantes, an alternative rock album full of three-minute pop songs. Exilio En Yokohama speaks of the search for a personal retreat when you see everything around sink. Musically, they try to recover the fighting spirit of early U2, especially with the drum beat and guitar delays.

SWEDEN – Swedesplease
Big Fox – Saturday
Download audio file (Saturday1.mp3)
Big Fox (aka Charlotta Perers) accomplishes her sound mostly by herself playing all the instruments, and doing the production/arranging of the songs. You would think that Saturday would be an uptempo pop song about partying, but instead is a slightly melancholy (yet positive) song about being home alone on a Saturday night. Charlotta admits to being influenced by Feist, Regina Spektor, Frida Hyvonen, Jenny Wilson and Ane Brun but her sound stands out on its own at the same time.

SWITZERLAND – 78s
Bonaparte – L’etat C’est Moi
Download audio file (05-LETAT-CEST-MOI.mp3)
Bonaparte is a multicultural music project based in Berlin. However, the band leader, Tobias Jundt aka Signorino TJ, is a Swiss musician and producer who has gathered members from Germany, France, USA, New Zealand, Mexico, Panama, Austria and Brazil. Together they’re putting on an unforgettable show. At the beginning of their energetic and witty live shows everyone is dressed like circus animals. At the end, almost everyone is naked. Bonaparte’s music is contagious as hell and will get you in the end. Their second long-player, My Horse Likes You, comes out on June 4.

UNITED STATES – I Guess I’m Floating
Sleigh Bells – Tell ‘Em
Download audio file (USA%20-%20Sleigh%20Bells%20-%20Tell%20Em.mp3)
All it took was a killer P-Funk sample to make Sleigh Bells the hottest new band of 2010. Their debut album, Treats, is hitting shelves in early June on M.I.A.’s N.E.E.T. label and Tell ‘Em is the first official track we’ve tasted. It’s like crack-sprinkled Andes thin mints. Absolutely delicious, intimidatingly addictive.

VENEZUELA – Barquisimento
Famasloop – Vaca Lechera
Download audio file (Famasloop.Vacalechera.Venezuela.mp3)
Famasloop is a young band with a new approach to music, combining fresh, innovative rhythms with a marketing campaign full of multimedia elements that match their energy. They go from pop to rock and indie, and claim to make music not from genres but from the heart. Vaca Lechera is taken from Casa 4, a release that includes 10 new songs, 12 remixes and four videos.

Stürzen wir uns in medias res. Herzlich willkommen an 78s, die neuen Teilnehmer der Truppe, die endlich auch dabei sind! Like A Stuntman kennen sicherlich nur die wenigsten; auch mir waren die vier Hamburger Jungs bis vor kurzen nicht bekannt, doch dann hab’ ich sie in den Restgeräusch-Sessions von der Roten Raupe gesehen und war sehr angetan. Kurzerhand angefragt und zack – sind sie im Music Alliance Pact vertreten. Wer zusammengefasst haben will, worum es dabei eigentlich geht: Dieses pdf erklärt alles.

Ich möchte nochmals kurz auf den Artikel vom Guardian vom letzten Monat hinweisen, für den auch ich kurz interviewt wurde.

Meine Empfehlungen für den Monat April:
Dänemarks Let Me Play Your Guitar mit „Beauty“ – Verspielter, tingeliger Folkpop mit sehr eingängiger Melodie
Englands David Thomas Broughton mit „Walking Over You“ – Großartiger, wirklich großartiger Song! Akustikgitarre, tolle Stimme, gespitzte Lippen, fertig
Niederlandes Tree House mit „Water And Pyramid“ – Höchst experimentelle indietronisch angehauchte Musik, eher ein Klangteppich, denn ein Song
Perus Theremyn_4 „Milnueve84“ – Klingt, als hätte jemand Genesis durch den Synthie gejagt. Nicht verkehrt
Portugals Youthless mit „Golden Age“ – Electrogaragerock trifft wohl ganz gut. Noch etwas drucklos stellenweise, aber mit viel Potential
Schweiz’ My Heart Belongs To Cecilia Winter mit „Eighteen“ – Verträumter Indiefolk mit R’n’R in der Seele. Guter Einstand!

Argentina – Zonaindie
Ivana Berenstein – Ahora
Download audio file (IvanaBerenstein-Ahora(Argentina).mp3)
The songs of young singer-songwriter Ivana Berenstein follow certain traditions from Argentine folk music, bossa nova and bolero, but add modern textures and harmonies to it. Ahora is the first single from her debut album No Te Duermas and has Coiffeur (check out MAP December 2009) as a guest vocalist.

Australia – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Flight Facilities featuring Giselle Roselli – Crave You (Bxentric remix)
Download audio file (01-Crave-You-Bxentric-Rmx-1.mp3)
I don’t know much about Flight Facilities, and I don’t know much about 19-year-old Giselle Roselli either, except now that I’ve heard this song, I definitely want to know more. According to her MySpace, she has contributed vocals to Flight Facilities and Seekae and recorded her own material, some of which you can listen to on the site. As if that’s not cool enough, she has had a song featured on British TV series Skins. How she does it and remains unchampioned by the blogging world, I don’t know. But I hope you keep your ears out because we are going to hear more about this girl very soon no doubt.

Brazil – Meio Desligado
Maquinado – SP
Download audio file (Maquinado_-_SP_-_Brazil.mp3)
Maquinado is the side-project of Lucio Maia, guitarist of Nacao Zumbi (probably the most relevant band in Brazil in the ’90s that is still active). In this project he works with some artists from the country’s new music scene, especially the ones from Sao Paulo, the city where he lives and pays homage to in this song, SP. It is taken from his second album Mundialmente Anonimo – O Magnetico Sangramento Da Existencia, released last month, and features a heavy guitar sound that recalls the time when Lucio was a member of Soufly (the band created by heavy metal singer Max Cavalera when he left Sepultura).

Canada – I(Heart)Music
Old Crowns – Keep Calm
Download audio file (OldCrowns-KeepCalm.mp3)
Old Crowns describe their sound as “stoner country”, and on this song – like the rest of their recently released debut – it’s easy to see why. Twangy vocals and folkie strumming sit comfortably alongside squalls of feedback and fuzzy guitars, with the end result being something that sounds familiar and comfortable and fresh and exciting all at once.

Chile – Super 45
Los Mil Jinetes – Un Lugar Desconocido
Download audio file (Los%20Mil%20Jinetes_-_Un_Lugar_Desconocido_-_Chile.mp3)
Los Mil Jinetes (“A Thousand Horsemen”) is the band of Cristobal Briceno y Andres Zanetta, two guys plus some live assistance. They have released two records from which we can see a clear evolution in their talent when it comes to mixing several influences (folk, indie-rock, bolero and romantic ballads). Fortunately, they do this avoiding soulless pastiche, creating a unique style of colorful melodies and friendly lyrics. Un Lugar Desconocido is taken from their latest downloadable album, Reconoceronte.

China – Wooozy
Kamutang – Whirlpool
Download audio file (Kamutang_-_Whirlpool-ch.mp3)
At the beginning of 2007, a group of young kids came together through their passion for rock music and formed Kamutang. It is their idea and emotion. Their songs have been compiled into Lighting Of Tomorrow, released by Pilot Records.

Colombia – Colombia Urbana
Lil’ Poeta – Nina Estupida
Download audio file (Nina-Estupida-Lil-poeta.mp3)
A rude girl from the hood is probably the best way to describe Lil’ Poeta, a songwriter from Medellin. With no fear to speak the truth in her songs, Lil’ Poeta tries to offer an alternative lyrical sound in a saturated musical world.

Denmark – All Scandinavian
Let Me Play Your Guitar – Beauty
Download audio file (Let_Me_Play_Your_Guitar_-_Beauty_-_Denmark.mp3)
At the turn of the last decade, Let Me Play Your Guitar self-released their debut EP Doing Rainbows (get it on Bandcamp) with five 1960s-tinged folk-pop songs. Fronted by brothers Emil and Jeppe Davidsen, LMPYG excites with sweeping yet mellow and intimate pop arrangements from an enchanted land bordering Fleet Foxes and Simon & Garfunkel – one excellent example being the MAP exclusive Beauty.

England – The Daily Growl
David Thomas Broughton – Walking Over You
Download audio file (DTBWalkingOverYouEngland.mp3)
This month’s entry is a song that’s five years old because recorded material from David Thomas Broughton is fairly hard to come by. Not that he’s lazy, it’s just that live performance is more his thing and that’s where he’s best experienced. Those of us who live in London are lucky because we get most chances to catch his unique shows, which have to be seen to be fully appreciated. My words here are not adequate. That said, he can write great songs too, as this one ably demonstrates.

Estonia – Popop
QueeNNaive – My Soul
Download audio file (Queennaive_-_My_Soul_-_Estonia.mp3)
QueeNNaive are a lo-fi disco duo formed in 2007 by lead vocalist Sandra Z originally as an anti-pop movement. Now, ironically, with lo-fi becoming more mainstream, QueeNNaive have ended up wrapped in the world of pop music, still remaining somewhere between stand-up comedy and Italo disco. Their ear-cracking mono ’80s sound, easygoing lyrics, glam image and crazy performances have become their unique signature.

Finland – Glue
Kartsy – Round The Roundabout
Download audio file (kartsy-round_the_roundabout_finland.mp3)
For more than two decades, Kartsy Hatakka has been the leader of the experimental metal band Waltari, exploring anything from death to symphonic metal. But now it is time to fly solo and Kartsy has put together a new band to record a bunch of pop metal songs for his first solo album which will be released on May 26. Heavy guitar riffs with catchy melodies and sparkling piano in a cross between Foo Fighters and HIM.

France – ZikNation
Smooth – Friendly Yours
Download audio file (Smooth-Friendly_yours.mp3)
When listening to Smooth’s music you get the strange impression of meeting an old friend or a road companion. Their music draws on our own imagination where it moulds itself, each day, each rainy season, with pleasure or ecstasy. The trio borrow and mix sounds and rhythms from their forefathers, which they put back together with inventiveness, jubilation and sensuality. Friendly Yours starts off Smooth’s new album The Parade at a wild pace.

Germany – Blogpartei
Like A Stuntman – MC Sensation
Download audio file (LikeAStuntman-MCSensationGermany.mp3)
This four-piece from Hamburg is loaded with creativity. Like A Stuntman merges elements of playful ambient, psychedelia and sincere indie to a quite distinctive sound unmatched in Germany. Discreet but nethertheless catchy, MC Sensation is an outstanding song from their album Original Bedouin Culture.

Greece – Mouxlaloulouda
Playground Noise – The Divers
Download audio file (Playground_Noise_-_The_Divers_-_Greece.mp3)
Infusing melancholy with a tense, literate sense of foreboding, Playground Noise strikes the perfect balance between moody, underground noise and melody. Drama and dark dollops of synths, brass and strings swarm beautifully around the vocals, guitars soar into the stratosphere, and intense crescendos linger over delicate, breathy passages. They create a shadowy veil of sadness, shot through with hopeful transcendence. Playground Noise has crafted a statement of intent, one that hopefully suggests a continuingly bold future.

Iceland – I Love Icelandic Music
Eliza – Hopeless Case
Download audio file (Eliza_-_Hopeless_Case_-_Iceland.mp3)
London-based Eliza Newman Geirsdottir was the lead singer of the all-girl band Bellatrix (Kolrassa Krokridandi) and the rock band Skandinavia. She’s a trained opera singer and also plays violin, guitar, ukulele and piano. In 2007, she released her first solo album Empire Fall on Lavaland Records. Hopeless Case is from her second solo album Pie In The Sky, released on the Smekkleysa label last year.

Indonesia – Deathrockstar
Bottlesmoker – Free Hugs
Download audio file (Bottlesmoker-FreeHugs_Indonesia_Deathrockstar.mp3)
Bottlesmoker are an electronica-pop duo with a passion for glockenspiel, keyboard toys and other funny instruments to create humble compositions of simple orchestration. And even if they have not yet released any physical release, they have a fanbase that is growing steadily while the duo keep spreading free music.

Ireland – Nialler9
Yes Cadets – Rufio
Download audio file (06_Yes_Cadets_-_Rufio.mp3)
This Belfast quartet make sweet nuggets of danceable indie-pop that worms in your ears and stays there. Rufio is taken from their self-titled debut EP and has hooks galore. By the time the cascading female vocals come in, you’ll be sold.

Israel – Metal Israel
Babylon Awaits – Primal
Download audio file (4-Primal.mp3)
Industrial cyber-metal from the Holy Land introduces biotechnological talons into your nervous system with infectious beats and catchy melodies reminiscent of acts from Information Society to Nine Inch Nails and everything in between.

Italy – Polaroid
The Record’s – Rodolfo
Download audio file (The_Records_-_Rodolfo.mp3)
If you agree that a perfect mixtape for the spring should include Vampire Weekend, some Britpop anthems and The Beatles then De Fauna Et Flora, the second album by The Record’s, is going to be the bright soundtrack you’ve been looking for.

Japan – JPOP Lover
NJ – La Sakura
Download audio file (nj%20-%20la%20sakura%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
Cherry blossom season is almost over here in Japan. Its beauty is too short for us. But we have one good J-pop song about it called La Sakura by Tokyo duo NJ, who consist of female singer Jun and guitarist Nori. It has an oriental melody and sound texture with a traditional Japanese flavor.

Mexico – Red Bull PanameriKa
Liber Teran – Lola
Download audio file (liber_teran_-_lola.mp3)
Even if Mexican ska gang Los de Abajo were heralded by BBC Radio 3 as the best artist of the Americas, back in 2003, frontman Liber Teran knew it was time to start his own path. With a fistful of pesos, the self-proclaimed gypsy-cowboy recorded his first solo album, Gitano Western, in 2008, clearly following Joe Strummer, David Byrne and Manu Chao’s steps with songs that evoked a rootsy and dusty atmosphere. This year, he decided to look for the origins of his own genealogical tree, hiring the horn section of a Sinaloa schoolband trained in polka and teaching them to play Mediterranean, Turkish and Slavic rhythms. Tambora Sound System is a dark collection of nine unza-unza vignettes.

Netherlands – Amsterdam Event Guide
Tree House – Water And Pyramid
Download audio file (Tree%20House_-_Water%20and%20Pyramid_-_Netherlands.mp3)
Delightfully experimental and blissfully tuneful at the same time, this Amsterdam-based act is just one of numerous Dutch groups that have drawn inspiration from the world around them, added electronic beats and tropical rhythms, rolled them about together, included a freaky live element to the performance and truly made musical art. If Holland needs a new musical direction, let it be this. Watch out for similar music on Cottage Industry Records.

New Zealand – Counting The Beat
The Renderers – Deep Deep Sea
Download audio file (The%20Renderers%20-%20Deep%20Deep%20Sea%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
For two decades the husband and wife duo of Brian and Maryrose Crook have been creating music that brings together a country fragility like that of Bonnie Prince Billy (who they have have played backing band for) with an alternative guitar feedback maelstrom. From their latest album Monsters And Miasmas, the song Deep Deep Sea showcases both elements and is a return to the ocean theme the harbourside-residing band have visited throughout their career.

Norway – Eardrums
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson – To Sit Down Or To Follow, So I Follow
Download audio file (ypofh_to_sit_down_or_to-follow_Norway.mp3)
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson released their self-titled second album earlier this year on How Is Annie Records. It’s probably easiest to place them in the post-rock or dream-pop category – long, beautiful and atmospheric tracks with a strong focus on the melodies. On the new album, YPoFH have been working with producer Sjur Lyseid (Little Hands of Asphalt, Monzano), and if you know his own work, it’s easy to hear his influence. YPoFH is one of those rare bands who have been around for a long time but still manage to develop their sound.

Peru – SoTB
Theremyn_4 – Milnueve84
Download audio file (Theremyn_4_-_Milnueve84_-_Peru.mp3)
Theremyn_4 are considered by the public and the critics as one of the most important electronic live acts from Peru in recent times, even with their 10-year career. Based in Lima, their style combines experimental textures, urban life, science fiction and the spectacular visual effects that accompany their concerts. Last year they released their sixth album, Inflamable, which recycles beats of previous works, making something completely new. It is made for the dancefloor so grab your partner and move.

Portgual – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Youthless – Golden Age
Download audio file (Youthless_-_Golden_Age_-_Portugal.mp3)
Youthless are Sebastiano Ferranti (vocals, bass) and Alex Klimovitsky (vocals, synths and drums), an American and a Brit who made Lisbon their homes. They have played in another band but it is with Youthless and its electro-garage rock sound that they have gathered more media attention and a faithful legion of fans. Telemachy is their debut EP and can be downloaded for free here.

Romania – Babylon Noise
Mono Jacks – Maria
Download audio file (mono_jacks_-_mariaromania.mp3)
Mono Jacks are an alternative rock band based in Bucharest. The vocals and the lyrics remind me of Snow Patrol or Placebo, and the strong bass lines have something of Interpol’s angst. Their roots are clearly in the last decade of indie-rock. Their frontman is a former member of AB4, a great Romanian alternative act in the 90s.

Scotland – The Pop Cop
Washington Irving – The Magician
Download audio file (Washington_Irving_-_The_Magician_-_Scotland.mp3)
Named after the American author who wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, the music of this Glasgow-based group isn’t as bookish as their moniker might suggest. Instead, they deliver irrepressibly wild, rambunctious folk-rock that taps into the raw energy of The Pogues, which explains why Washington Irving’s live shows never fail to win them new fans. The band have just finished recording a new EP which will be released this summer.

Singapore – I’m Waking Up To…
B-Quartet – A Dull Taste On My Tongue
Download audio file (b-quartet-a-dull-taste-on-my-tongue-singapore.mp3)
B-Quartet’s music is a graceful concoction of progressive rock and whimsical poetry. Homaging rock greats Radiohead with the odd influence or two, the sextet hold their own in a sea of soundalikes. Fresh out of the oven, A Dull Taste On My Tongue is a cascading spiral of polyrhythms laced with beautiful guitar work and Bani Haykal’s ever fleeting vocals until it comes crashing into a momentous clash of instruments before switching back effortlessly into a state of zen. With B-Quartet, there are no compartments, no defined roles of what should or shouldn’t be done in music, only what they choose to say, and what we choose to make as simple truth.

South Africa – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Wrestlerish – Bad News
Download audio file (Wrestlerish_-_Bad_News_-_South_Africa.mp3)
Wrestlerish are a four-piece that blend rock, country and folk as if these genres should have always been one. Bad News, taken from their first full-length album The Rude Mechanical, is a sincere serenade that shows off their creativity. They have the ability to capture the listener after just one listen and are a band that is going to go far. Mark my words.

South Korea – Indieful ROK
National Pigeon Unity – Whan
Download audio file (National_Pigeon_Unity_-_Whan_-_South_Korea.mp3)
National Pigeon Unity don’t just have a fantastic name, they have a fantastic sound to go with it. Mixing post-rock with emo, modern rock with hardcore, pop-punk with grunge – usually all at the same time – their first full-length album Empathy, released in March, has proven strong enough to withstand weeks of repeated listening. Whan is a wonderfully moving, primarily instrumental song on the post-rock side.

Sweden – Swedesplease
The Eyeshades – In The Basement
Download audio file (In_The_Basement.mp3)
I don’t know how I stumbled upon The Eyeshades from but I’m glad I did. The band is an odd combination of pop and rock with a little electronica added to the mix. They play a wide assortment of instruments and it’s this diversity of sound as well as the (at times) unusual compositional structure that make the band interesting.

Switzerland – 78s
My Heart Belongs To Cecilia Winter – Eighteen
Download audio file (My-Heart-Belongs-To-Cecilia-Winter-Eighteen-Switzerland.mp3)
In the past two years, this Zurich-based trio gained the reputation of an irresistible live band and stepped up from being a local phenomenon to an international insider tip. The band’s catchy yet erratic indie-folk songwriting with a rock ‘n’ roll heart, combined with their intuition for atmosphere and glamour, soon led to comparisons with Arcade Fire and earned them an ever-growing fanbase. Scott Matthew and Rufus Wainwright like them, concert-goers sway in euphoria and their debut record Our Love Will Cut Through Everything is a masterpiece.

United States – I Guess I’m Floating
Avi Buffalo – What’s In It For?
Download audio file (6048.mp3)
Having recently watched Avi Buffalo perform for the first time at SXSW, I’ve since been unable to avoid spinning their material. The young group from the coastlines of California have an eclectic sound and a self-titled debut LP coming out at the end of April. All indications point toward it being quite the treat.

Venezuela – Barquisimento
Karma Coma – Si Te Digo
Download audio file (KarmaComa-SiTeDigo(Venezuela).mp3)
Karma Coma is a musical concept that fuses electronic trends with instruments such as acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards, cello and violin. The musical genres explored by the band go from downtempo and electro, passing through breakbeat and big beat, to jungle and drum and bass. And it is all spiced with a big dose of rock ‘n’ roll, some bossa, Venezuelan folklore and Far and Middle-Eastern sounds.

Wie schnell die Zeit vergeht merkt man, wenn wieder ein Music Alliance Pact vor der Tür steht. Wieder ein Monat, in dem man keine Zeit gefunden hat, an seiner nächsten Ausgabe weiterzuarbeiten. Aber das wird.

So wie es wird, dass immer mehr Medien von uns Notiz nehmen: SPIN, genauer Spinearth.tv hostet jeden Monat den kompletten Music Alliance Pact. Der Guardian pickt sich immer mal wieder Rosinen von uns raus und hat einige von uns diesen Monat interviewt, während MTV Rumänien ihren Vertreter in den News vorgestellt hat. Página 12, eine Tageszeitung aus Argentinien hat uns auch schon entdeckt, auch on3 hat mich schon mal interviewt - leider darf ich die mp3 nicht online stellen. Macht nichts, man hört sich selbst eh nicht gerne sprechen. Wer’s zusammengefasst haben will, worum es hier geht: Dieses pdf erklärt alles.

Argentina – Zonaindie
Modular – Femme Fatale
Download audio file (Modular-FemmeFatale(Argentina).mp3)
Listening to Modular’s music is like a journey back to a time when lounge and space-age pop were present on almost every soundtrack and TV show. This track is their own rendition of the great song Femme Fatale by The Velvet Underground, taken from a recent free EP called Yoga Para Extraterrestres (which you can download from here). Don’t miss Requiem Para Robert Moog, another great track from this EP.

Australia – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Otouto – Astronauts
Download audio file (01-Astronauts.mp3)
Exciting new trio Otouto from Melbourne have released a new single called Astronauts on their own artist collective label Two Bright Lakes. You may recognise singer Hazel Brown’s voice from Whitley’s song Killer. So catchy.

Brazil – Meio Desligado
Eddie – Gafieira No Avenida
Download audio file (Eddie_-_Gafieira_no_Avenida_-_Brazil.mp3)
One of the founders of the mangue beat movement in northeast Brazil in the 90s, Eddie play a mixture of frevo (a kind of folk music usually related to carnival), rock and jazz. Gafieira No Avenida is taken from the band’s latest album, Carnaval No Inferno (“Carnival In Hell”) and highlights some of Eddie’s influences, such as Fela Kuti and Lee Perry.

Canada – I(Heart)Music
Yukon Blonde – Rather Be With You
Download audio file (YukonBlonde-RatherBeWithYou.mp3)
There are all kinds of great power-pop bands from decades past that could be referenced when talking about Yukon Blonde. But you know what? As songs like Rather Be With You show, Yukon Blonde are a lot more than their influences, and it’s not hard to imagine that it won’t be long before future bands are referencing them as an influence.

Chile – Super 45
Inverness – Nubes
Download audio file (Inverness_-_Nubes_-_Chile.mp3)
Inverness has its heart divided between Santiago and England. The band flirts a lot with shoegaze revivalism but succeeds in avoiding a lame emulation of the sound, instead delivering a rich, lyrical world full of dreamy scenes. Their second album Illuminaciones was inspired by the far-away landscapes of southern Chile and received massive critical acceptance last year. The band faces the challenge of doing it again for the release of their next album this year.

China – Wooozy
PB33 – Dance With Me
Download audio file (pb33-dance-with-me-china.mp3)
Formed in 2005, PB33 independently released their first album Disco Boys & Girls Night Out. It’s about youth, happiness, love, life, friendship and party. They are a band with a punk attitude. Are you ready for them?

Colombia – Colombia Urbana
ChocQuibTown – En Circulo (Sa Rissa)
Download audio file (chocquibtown-en-circulo-sa-rissa-colombia.mp3)
ChocQuibTown is the most successful urban fusion group in Colombia with two Latin Grammy nominations. The band try to mix hip hop music with native sounds of the Pacific coast. Their new album Oro has just been released.

Denmark – All Scandinavian
The Bronson Brothers – Ancient Land
Download audio file (The_Bronson_Brothers_-_Ancient_Land_-_Denmark.mp3)
Pop, decadence, France and the 1960s are keywords when it comes to Clyde and Ted Bronson’s musical universe. The excellent Ancient Land is taken from the duo’s freshly-released debut album The Melody Bronson, the title a nod to the 1971 concept album Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg, who is also found among The Bronson Brothers’ influences.

England – The Daily Growl
Stairs To Korea – All Of Your Friends
Download audio file (StairsToKorea-AllOfYourFriendsDreamtrakENGLAND.mp3)
The awesome one-man band and king of the offbeat tweets, Stairs To Korea is a battery of lo-fi electronic effects, good tunes, wry lyrics and ace guitar solos. And behind his bushy beard there’s a reluctant rock god edging his way out. His new single All Of Your Friends, on the excellent Brainlove Records, is another in the gradual drip-feed of fine releases which should eventually see him with one of the best singles compilations of 2012.

Estonia – Popop
Honey Power – Get Country
Download audio file (Honey_Power_-_Get_Country_-_Estonia.mp3)
This light, fresh and melodic indie tune from four-piece Honey Power carries a real country vibe and, as an early taste of the Tartu-based band’s long-anticipated second album, demonstrates good taste and an impeccable arrangement.

Finland – Glue
Flannelmouth – Sharp Paper
Download audio file (flannelmouth_sharp_paper_finland.mp3)
Sharp Paper gently opens Flannelmouth’s second album and leads the Helsinki indie band into a collection of intense and diverse pop songs, with intelligent arrangements and a good sense of melody, underlined by the dominant voice of vocalist Tuomo Kuusi. Rather than limiting themselves to the classic four or five-piece band template, Flannelmouth draw their songs with a diverse palette including subtle sounds of ukulele, pedal steel and a variety of other instruments to build an addictive romanticism.

France – ZikNation
Saycet – Easy
Download audio file (Saycet_-_Easy.mp3)
Saycet is a French electronic artist made famous by his album One Day At Home in 2006. Pierre Lefeuvre, the man behind Saycet, is a daydream music specialist. His songs carry the listener away in a cocoon universe where nothing can hurt you and every little noise is a delight.

Germany – Blogpartei
Kissogram – Rubber And Meat
Download audio file (Kissogram-RubberAndMeat(Germany).mp3)
The death of German indie labels continues. This month Berlin-based Louisville closed its doors, leaving a bunch of the most influential and significant German bands on their own. One of these is Kissogram, whose last album Rubber And Meat got a lot of positive reviews. To bid a fond farewell to Louisville, we are able to present its title track exclusively. Thanks for all the music!

Greece – Mouxlaloulouda
Electric Litany – February
Download audio file (Electric_Litany_-_February_-_Greece.mp3)
Preferring patience and restraint over explosive blasts of atmospheric wailing, Electric Litany slowly build up tunes that glimmer with hauntingly melodic ideas and climax with rhythms that capture the traditional musical heritage of Eastern European countries. Their debut album, How To Be A Child & Win The War, offers a sonically cinematic experience that will leave you feeling both elated and emotionally drained. Gorgeous sounds are pulled from within the deepest recesses of the human soul, while vocals full of intuitive swells and fades rise over piano, synths and tremolo guitars. A work of mesmerising beauty, like a tender touch on a sad day.

Iceland – I Love Icelandic Music
Sometime – Heart Of Spades
Download audio file (Sometime_-_Heart_of_Spades_-_Iceland.mp3)
Sometime, a band formed by Icelandic music veterans, puts catchy dance-infused songs on the menu. Ingredients are the strong voice of frontwoman Diva De La Rosa plus the inventive drums of TheDanni, flavoured by turntable whizzkid DJ Moonshine and manipulated by Oculus. You can taste it while listening to the single Heart Of Spades from the album Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

India – Indiecision
The Circus – FOPS
Download audio file (The%20Circus%20-%20FOPS%20(India).mp3)
The Circus are an alternative rock act from New Delhi. The band’s music is Incubus-inspired, effects-driven fuzz that makes no bones about what it is and where it finds its roots. FOPS (an abbreviation of Full On Party Scene) comes from soon-to-be-released debut album From Space. It’s wholesome, angular alternative music executed without much fuss. Turn it up, get your party started.

Indonesia – Deathrockstar
Sajama Cut – Paintings/Pantings
Download audio file (01%20Paintings%20_%20Pantings.mp3)
Sajama Cut are praised for their lyrics and unusual songs arrangements, with influences ranging from Echo & The Bunnymen, The Beach Boys, Guided By Voices, R.E.M. and tons of obscure singer-songwriters. Paintings/Pantings comes from their new album Manimals, a record which has a varied approach in songwriting, with most of the lyrics taken from Marcel Thee’s journal.

Ireland – Nialler9
The Cast Of Cheers – Derp
Download audio file (The_Cast_of_Cheers_-_Derp.mp3)
The Cast Of Cheers came from nowhere last month and quickly became Nialler9′s favourite new band. Their downloadable album (get it for free here) is a fully-formed 33-minute blast of post-punk, looping post-rock, tightly-wound songs with echoes of Battles, Foals and Death From Above 1979.

Israel – Metal Israel
Orphaned Land – Sapari
Download audio file (Orphaned_Land_-_Sapari_-_Israel.mp3)
Orphaned Land’s latest album The Never Ending Way Of ORWarriOR is a sonic tapestry that flies a completely different path than the usual Western metal fare of Europe and the States, though there are common threads. The influence of acts such as Paradise Lost, Iron Maiden and The Beatles are evident, but Orphaned Land weave elements together that run the gamut from blacker-than-black demonic intensity to let-the-sunshine-in hippie flamboyance. The band categorizes itself as Middle Eastern progressive metal with dreams of instilling peace through their music.

Italy – Polaroid
Heike Has The Giggles – Robot
Download audio file (Heike_Has_The_Giggles_-_Robot.mp3)
Before you ask, the name comes from a character in an English grammar book the band used to read at high school. Heike Has The Giggles are three young kids who play sharp and dry rock ‘n’ roll in the vein of PJ Harvey and early Gossip. They just released Sh!, their forceful debut album, and you can’t listen to it without starting to dance and play air guitar.

Japan – JPOP Lover
Omodaka – Kyoteizinc (Video Mix)
Download audio file (Omodaka%20-%20kyoteizinc%20%28video%20mix%29%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
Known as an electro/techno artist, Soichi Terada teamed up with a few visual directors and has started the collaborative music project Omodaka. Omodaka’s sound is characterized by the seamless mixture of Japanese traditional Geisha songs and electro music. Omodaka will appear live at the Japan Nite showcase at this month’s SXSW and will also go on tour the US with Red Bacteria Vacuum and Okamoto’s.

Mexico – Red Bull PanameriKa
Los Macuanos – Pueblo Muerto (feat. Scout Klas)
Download audio file (los_macuanos_(ft._scout_klas)_-_pueblo_muerto.mp3)
Is there such a thing as ethno-dubstep? London’s urban soundscape has been well charted by dubstep – how about Tijuana’s? Los Macuanos are a duo formed by Moises “Moih” Horta and Moises Lopez, and this is their nu-electronic post-nortec mix of blurry Mexican folkloric crumbs with cyclic dubstep. Pueblo Muerto was recorded by Moih and gloomy artist Scout Klas (from Sweden via Vietnam) in his recent visit to the Red Bull Music Academy in London. The song portraits the hypnotic fumes spreading from ghost town Tijuana to the whole stratosphere.

Netherlands – Amsterdam Event Guide
The Stutters – Starlight Love
Download audio file (The_Stutters_-_Starlight%20_Love_-_Netherlands.mp3)
Top musicians as well as first-class artists, this three-piece group have it all going for them in 2010: new songs, more gigs, screaming fans and some very fancy dancing. After the critically-acclaimed first EP back in 2008, their 2010 release Viva La Stutters has got a lot of people excited. First listens see the trio go for a slightly heavier feel than their previous singles but they still stay true to their indie-rock sensibilities, keeping it very rock ‘n’ roll and danceable. Make sure you catch them on their European tour scheduled for early June – we’ll be at the front!

New Zealand – Counting The Beat
An Emerald City – Seizuretron
Download audio file (An%20Emerald%20City%20-%20Seizuretron%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
An Emerald City’s first album Circa Scaria is the stuff of legend, being recorded in a cave on a storm-swept coast. Even without that back story their music is memorable for combining a traditional rock line-up with lute, violin, tablas, violin and sitar. Their songs start off quiet then build in scale and grandeur to create huge Eastern-influenced instrumental soundscapes. Surprisingly, Circa Scaria reached the New Zealand top 40. After a few months in Berlin, An Emerald City have released Seizuretron as a taster for their forthcoming second album.

Norway – Eardrums
Solvor Vermeer – Final Hour
Download audio file (SolvorVermeer-Final_Hour_Norway.mp3.mp3)
Three years ago, I stumbled upon Solvor Vermeer’s music. I was amazed by the delicate and fragile beauty she managed to create with only her voice and the piano as her tools. Since then, Vermeer has developed her sound. She has a rare gift for composing and can make something really complex become catchy and accessible. On her upcoming four-track debut EP, her sound is richer and more orchestrated, with her musician friends having added strings, horns, layered vocals, glockenspiel, etc. The EP will be released this spring on her own Bloksberg Music label in partnership with UK-based Lazy Acre Records.

Peru – SoTB
Pipe Villaran – Sinnerman
Download audio file (Pipe_Villaran_-_Sinnerman_-_Peru.mp3)
When members of the band Los Fuckin Sombreros went their separate ways, Pipe Villaran began to compose new songs, preparing for what would be his new project, called Long Player. His style is still rock ‘n’ roll, to which he has devoted his whole life, influenced by classic rock and some blues touches. Sinnerman is a preview of the direction his new band will take when their debut record is launched in May.

Portugal – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Peltzer – A Story To Tell Me
Download audio file (Peltzer_-_A_Story_To_Tell_Me_-_Portugal.mp3)
Peltzer used to be Rui Gaio’s one-man band. Today, there are more members but they continue with their electronic sound and cite the new wave movement, Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips as their influences. They have released tracks digitally and on three Portuguese compilations. A Story To Tell Me, from their new Outdated EP, is an exclusive MAP download.

Romania – Babylon Noise
Hot Casandra – Chroma
Download audio file (hot-casandra-chroma-romania.mp3)
Hot Casandra is a new project behind which we can find Paul Ballo (the drummer of last month’s featured band, Kumm). It’s a personal playground, where no compromises will be made and everything will sound as wanted. The first song, Chroma, is a dark electro track with beautiful, haunting vocals.

Scotland – The Pop Cop
Admiral Fallow – Squealing Pigs
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It’s hard to say what Admiral Fallow’s greatest strength is. It could be the luscious melodies which burst out of their songs, or the thick Scottish brogue that defines Louis Abbott’s strikingly unhurried delivery, or perhaps it’s the fact they have the sort of craft and invention their peers could only dream of. MAP exclusive download Squealing Pigs whisks through the speakers with a bundle of verve and is taken from the band’s forthcoming debut album Boots Met My Face, which at times sounds a lot like Elbow.

Singapore – I’m Waking Up To…
Sidd & His Self-Esteem – Occupation
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I’ve been informed that the frontman of Sidd & His Self-Esteem is a nervous individual, so much so that it inspired the naming of the band. Well, if Sidd finds his solace in the sheer gregariousness of his other band members, then this must surely be a case of strength in numbers. All inhibitions seemingly fall away as they deliver brilliantly on this stellar Led Zeppelin-esque track, with confidence swelling in each instrument and the vocals deliberate and full of conviction. Occupation pays homage to lo-fi garage rock, with the mix perfectly balanced for your ears to take in everything.

South Africa – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Will Mono – Seks Vir Plesier
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What Will Mono does when making music is slightly different to most – he collaborates with other artists by adding their vocals to his music. In this case Will Mono worked with Jan Joknie and Seks Vir Plesier was born. It is Afrikaans electro-pop at its best. Draw conclusions where you will with regards to the content but as for the song as a whole, it’s catchy electro genius.

South Korea – Indieful ROK
3rd Line Butterfly – Nine Days
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3rd Line Butterfly has been one of the most loved Korean indie-rock bands since 2002, when their music became known through drama series Ruler Of Your Own World. Following the release of their third album in 2004, the band went on a long hiatus, returning only late last year. Earlier this month, their out-of-print albums were re-released in remastered versions, but Nine Days is a beautiful, melancholic Americana-style folk track from new EP Nine Days Or A Million.

Spain – Oscuro Magazine
The Closers – Come Down
Download audio file (Come-down.mp3)
The Closers are an industrial rock band from Zaragoza similar to Nine Inch Nails or Filter. Their first work was called The End and is a preview of four songs from their forthcoming debut album. It is a very catchy and addictive work that could make a real impact beyond our borders. Come Down has touches of Primal Scream, but the powerful guitars and killer choruses are more like the best works of Trent Reznor.

Sweden – Swedesplease
Holy Family – Whatever There’s To Know
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Holy Family is an electronica trio from Goteborg. The fuzzy beats and glowering vocals on their song Meathooks remind me of some of the heavy industrial music from the late 80s and early 90s, while the lighter, more accessible sounds on Whatever There’s To Know hint at a band that could expand their sound and possibly cross over.

United States – I Guess I’m Floating
Javelin – Vibrationz
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Javelin are an eclectic duo currently residing in Brooklyn by way of Providence, Rhode Island. Their electronic jams have been turning heads for quite some time, yet their upcoming LP, No Mas, and tour dates with Yeasayer will catapult this funky duo to the forefront of independent acclaim.

Venezuela – Barquisimento
Los Paranoias – No Sueltes Al Murcielago
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Los Paranoias have a sound that resembles the 80s post-punk and 60s Britpop scenes. No Sueltes Al Murcielago is the second single from their album Aqui Fue, which was inspired by the troubled times our country is going through. The song is a happy rock ‘n’ roll tune with a contagious rhythm – a symbol of Venezuelan optimism.

Volle Schlagzahl: Alle 35 Länder haben Zeit gefunden, für den Februar Perlen aus den heimischen Gefilden herauszusuchen. Ein wenig stolz macht auch die Tatsache, dass immer mehr Medien von uns Notiz nehmen: SPIN, genauer Spinearth.tv hostet jeden Monat den kompletten Music Alliance Pact. Der Guardian pickt sich immer mal wieder Rosinen von uns raus und hat einige von uns diesen Monat interviewt (Link folgt), während MTV Rumänien ihren Vertreter in den News vorgestellt hat. Página 12, eine Tageszeitung aus Argentinien hat uns auch schon entdeckt, auch on3 hat mich schon mal interviewt - leider darf ich die mp3 nicht online stellen. Macht nichts, man hört sich selbst eh nicht gerne sprechen. Wer’s zusammengefasst haben will, worum es hier geht: Dieses pdf erklärt alles.

Und wenn es noch weiterer Beweise bedarf, dass Ambientronics dieses Jahr das große Ding sein wird (zumindest für meinen Geschmack), der muss sich einfach nur meine Empfehlungen anhören. Exzellente Songs.

Meine Empfehlungen

Brasiliens Barulhista – Indieota: Unglaublich, erneut ein Instrumental aus Brasilien, allerdings eines der ambienteren Bauweise, mit robusten Breaks und Scratches unterlegt.
Dänemarks Before The Snow – Gabriel: Feine Gitarrenläufe à la Interpol, charismatischer Gesang à la Stereophonics, ein blitzsauberer Song
Frankreichs Satine – Iron Güm: Poptronic, Elektrorock, leicht düster angehaucht, verspielt und sphärisch.
Griechenlands Etten – Clockwork Skies: Ein ganz feiner Synthietronic mit akustischer Gitarre und Sampling, hart an der Grenze zum Kitsch, aber stets souverän mit seinem zerbrechlichen Gesang
Japans LITE – The Sun Sank: Mathrock kam ja leider nie so wirklich groß raus, dabei sind Battles und Foals mit die besten Bands der letzten 10 Jahre. LITE versucht sich an ähnlichem, erreicht nicht ganz die hohe Qualität, ist aber dennoch meilenweit vor dem üblichen Tronic-Gehoppel.
USAs Toro Y Moi – Thanks Vision: Chillwave à la Washed Out oder jj, nicht die beste Stimme, aber so 2010, dass es fast schon weh tut. Gut!

Argentina – Zonaindie
Eloisa Lopez – Espiral
Download audio file (EloisaLopez-Espiral(Argentina).mp3)
This is one of Zonaindie’s favorite tracks from 2009. It was taken from Eloisa’s third album, Por Un Paisaje. Maybe we like her so much because she manages to elegantly combine acoustic textures with native South American percussions and digital sounds. Espiral is a great example of this, and yet an unbelievably catchy tune that has Leo García as a guest vocalist. What else could you ask for?

Australia – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Kite Club – Royal Gums
Download audio file (02-Royal-Gums-1.mp3)
Royal Gums is one of those tracks that grabs you straight away and drags you along for three minutes thanks to its chanting hooks and penchant for large-scale production. It opens with a beat lifted from Psychocandy and an explosion of layered vocals but then settles into a calming, meditative refrain, just letting the melody and harmonies carry the song. Kite Club (aka Nicholas Futcher) marries the laptop trickery to the tune without letting it control the song nor detract from its melodic core.

Brazil – Meio Desligado
Barulhista – Indieota
Download audio file (Barulhista_-_Indieota_-_Brazil.mp3)
When it comes to avant-garde music in Brazil, Barulhista (which means something like “noise follower”) is certainly an artist to keep an eye on. His electro-acoustic sounds encompass experimental electronica and more concrete music both in his solo songs and in the soundtracks he composes. Indiota (a mix of “indie” and “idiot” in Portuguese) is as close to pop as he has ever been.

Canada – I(Heart)Music
Novels – No Hard Feelings
Download audio file (Novels-NoHardFeelings.mp3)
A supergroup of sorts featuring members of Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club and Will Currie & The Country French among others, Novels quietly released their self-titled debut EP into the world around Christmas. As No Hard Feelings (not to mention the other four tracks) demonstrates, it totally lives up to its pedigree. The album is full of catchy, 70s-inspired pop and it makes the EP well worth a (free!) download.

Chile – Super 45
Moreno – Pica
Download audio file (Moreno_-_Pica_-_Chile.mp3)
Moreno is the new darling of Chilean indie-rock. With a powerful and psychedelic sound, Giancarlo Landini’s project – he plays every instrument on record and has a backing band for live shows – is inspired by lo-fi legends such as Lou Barlow (Sebadoh), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) and Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), with a classic flavor.

China – Wooozy
Mosaic – Sunshine Train
Download audio file (mosaice-sunshinetrain-china.mp3)
Mosaic are one of the new generation of bands from Chengdu. They were called GT6 before they changed their name in 2008. At the end of last year they successfully completed a tour of China through 10 cities. Although they haven’t released a full-length album, they are definitely worth a listen.

Colombia – Colombia Urbana
Rayo y Toby – Manitas Mágicas
Download audio file (Manitas-Magicas-Rayo-TobY.mp3)
After trying with different partners, Rayo and Toby finally realized they themselves were the perfect combination. The duo mix good urban music with a shot of melody and their approach is both fresh and unsettling.

Denmark – All Scandinavian
Before The Show – Gabriel
Download audio file (Before_The_Show_-_Gabriel_-_Denmark.mp3)
Before The Show was originally a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Laurids Smedegaard, who often worked on his own songs just hours before he went on stage with any one of the numerous other bands he’s involved in (hence the band name). Now a quintet, Before The Show are working on getting their debut released and until that happens we can all enjoy this excellent taste of what’s to come.

England – The Daily Growl
Jose Vanders – For Now
Download audio file (Jose_Vanders_-_For_Now_-_England.mp3)
Jose Vanders is a piano-playing chanteuse who is less eccentric than Regina Spektor and smarter than Kate Nash, but with even more doe-eyed, curly-haired cuteness. For Now shows off her gift for melody and picture-book lyrics, albeit on a ukulele instead of her usual piano. Jose has released three exquisite EPs in each of the past three years, aged 17, 18 and 19. Surely fame beckons at 20.

Estonia – Popop
Barthol Lo Mejor – Windshield Pfeiffer
Download audio file (Barthol_Lo_Mejor_-_Windshield_Pfeiffer_-_Estonia.mp3)
Barthol Lo Mejor makes popdada music – experiments with electro rhythms and unconventional sounds including pieces of conversations, cliches, old movies and anime cartoons. His music is considered effective for recovering from hard drug addiction. Windshield Pfeiffer is part of the K8 MOSH EP, available for free download here

Finland – Glue
Kiki Pau – An Old Song
Download audio file (Kiki_Pau_An_Old_Song_Finland.mp3)
After their well-receive debut Let’s Rock, Kiki Pau return with a fantastic sophomore album to be released in early March. A MAP exclusive, An Old Song is the opening track of White Mountain and shows a more guitar-driven band with uplifting spirits. Those following the Nordic indie scene will hear about this band quite a lot this year because the whole album is a keeper that channels the classic sound of T.Rex, The Velvet Underground and left-field US guitar gods such as Pavement and Guide By Voices without forgetting a twist of Finnish pop.

France – ZikNation
Satine – Iron Güm
Download audio file (Satine_Irongum.mp3)
Drawing inspiration from northern poptronica (Under Byen, Mùm, Efterklang) and electro rock bands (Radiohead, The Notwist), Satine gave birth to their first intimate yet powerful tracks in 2004. Live, the band unfolds a dreamlike visual universe with video projections and light shows that make every concert a unique experience. But it’s always deep, beautiful and organic.

Germany – Blogpartei
Napoli Is Not Nepal – People Call It Mantra
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Napoli Is Not Nepal is the solo project of Cologne-based Hendryk Martin. What he calls ‘electro nihilism’, I’d call outstanding ambient electro with some eclectic moments. Although People Call It Mantra was released in mid-2009 as part of the album Boredom Is Always Counterrevolutionary, it’s still quite a statement for the growing influence of music that sits between ambient and indie.

Greece – Mouxlaloulouda
Etten – Clockwork Skies
Download audio file (Etten_-_Clockwork_Skies_-_Greece.mp3)
Etten, former lead singer of the Greek band Film, weaves her tales of hope and dreams in a warm bearskin coat of pop sensibilities. Her voice offers the moods ‘light and shade’, while production touches colorfully paint enchanting pictures. Dark, but never needlessly so, I Know You’re Behind Me But I’m Not Scared is an intoxicating, addictive debut that offers a rich, distinct world of lullabies, spacey timbres and ghostly beauty. It blends brittle, 80s-influenced electro and Knife-inspired synths with buzzing basslines, guitars and samples in a sound that’s both atmospheric and richly textured.

Iceland – I Love Icelandic Music
Mammut – Svefnsykt
Download audio file (Mammut_-_Svefnsykt_-_Iceland.mp3)
Mammut were formed in 2003 by two boys and three girls, aged 14-16. David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine called them “a really good band”. They played SXSW in 2007 and toured with dEUS in Iceland and Germany. In 2008, Mammut released their second album, Karkari, through Icelandic label Record Records. Svefnsykt was its first single.

India – Indiecision
Noush Like Sploosh – 3 Act Circus
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Noush Like Sploosh is one of the most promising hopefuls of India’s growing, urban singer-songwriter scene. Armed with a dry wit and a musical sensibility falling somewhere between Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap, Noush Like Sploosh’s music is refreshing indie-pop that’s lyrical yet largely accessible. 3 Act Circus brings together myriad references, a laid-back ambient pop vibe and Ms Sploosh’s positively delectable vocals.

Indonesia – Deathrockstar
RNRM – Zsa Zsa Zsu
Download audio file (RNRM_Zsa_Zsa_Zsu_Indonesia_Deathrockstar.mp3)
RNRM are one of the finest electronic acts to have emerged from Indonesia’s underground and have earned praised in several music scenes, from punk-rock to high-class dance clubs. Their latest record, Outbox, was listed as one of the best albums of the last decade by Deathrockstar.

Ireland – Nialler9
Autumn Owls – Raindrops In The River
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Autumn Owls are a Dublin four-piece who have been honing their brand of nocturnal atmospheric rock songs since 2006. With two burgeoning and impressive EPs released and a debut album on the way, the band will travel to Austin this year to play the SXSW festival. Watch out for these guys in 2010.

Italy – Polaroid
København Store – Strangers
Download audio file (Kobenhavn_Store_-_Strangers.mp3)
The main quality of København Store’s music is its ability to build a layered and monumental sound with an incredibly strong emotional impact. There is something vast about the band, as if they could throw their songs for miles and miles. Strangers is taken from the forthcoming release, Hi. The new album will be the first chapter of a trilogy.

Japan – JPOP Lover
LITE – The Sun Sank
Download audio file (LITE%20-%20The%20Sun%20Sank%20%28JAPAN%29.mp3)
LITE are one of the most enthusiastic live bands in Tokyo. They are often compared to Battles and Mogwai, and combine math-rock power and precision with emotionally-charged compositions. They will be doing a U.S. west coast tour with Mike Watt & The Missingmen in March. The Sun Sank is taken from their latest EP, Turns Red.

Mexico – Red Bull PanameriKa
Furland – Quiero Ser Un Color
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Furland are famous for having a huge grass-ball on stage, this Mexico City quartet dream of tripping to a place where strawberry fields stretch forever. On their proper debut, La Historia de la Luz, they explore the eternal message of love through light, sound… and a banjo. Quiero Ser Un Color is the first single off a 360-degree work filled with lush orchestrations, majestic vibes and acidic lyrics stuffed with cotton candy – food for thought.

Netherlands – Amsterdam Event Guide
Moon & Sun – Ashes
Download audio file (Moon_And_Sun_-_Ashes_-_Netherlands.mp3)
To escape from the harsh winter we need some music that draws pictures of summer hazy beaches, endless days and warm nights. Enter the gorgeous Moon & Sun from Amsterdam. Their whimsical, sexy sound merges with a slightly more eerie tone of the vocal melodies and harmonies between frontlady Monica Tormell and her accompanying musicians. Playing a mix of piano, drums, guitars and steel drums, Moon & Sun have definitely got the 2010 sound down with their Caribbean sensibilities.

New Zealand – Counting The Beat
Pumice – Greenock
Download audio file (Pumice%20-%20Greenock%20%28New%20Zealand%29.mp3)
New Zealand’s best one-man band multi-instrumentalist psych-noise outfit is Pumice, the pseudonym of Stefan Neville. One of Pumice’s best albums, 2007′s Pebbles, is about to get a vinyl release on Soft Abuse Records. Wheezing organ and guitar feedback combine in album centrepiece Greenock, named after the Scottish village Neville’s ancestors originated from.

Norway – Eardrums
Team Me – Weathervanes And Chemicals
Download audio file (Team_me-Weathervanes_and_chemicals_Norway.mp3)
Team Me play warm and rich orchestrated pop music in the same vein as Sufjan Stevens, Efterklang, Hjaltalin or Sigur Rós. This used to be Marius D. Hagen’s one-man band – a recording project where he could play the songs that didn’t fit in his other bands. But Team Me has grown into a seven-strong orchestra and the fragile acoustic songs Hagen used to play have been transformed into a much larger and richer sound. Hagen is also a member of alternative rock band Jaqueline and half of semi-electronic pop duo SiN along with Tord Øverland Knudsen of English band The Wombats. SiN will release their debut album later this year and hopefully we’ll also get a release from Team Me in 2010.

Peru – SoTB
Rafo De La Cuba – Freak Profesional
Download audio file (Rafo_De_La_Cuba_-_Freak_Profesional_-_Peru.mp3)
Rafo De La Cuba has left anonymity to become an idol of Web 2.0. His home demos skip from ear to ear so it was no surprise that someone so talented could not stay hidden. Influenced by The Beatles, his songs tell simply of life – intimate stories turned into melancholic, but not sad, poetry. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to hear new material, with his debut LP due to be released soon.

Portugal – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Jasmin Jones – Lost In Rainbows
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Jasmin Jones, whose mother is Portuguese, was born in Australia and lived in different countries during her childhood. She is a surfer and nature lover. Her debut album Beyond The Clouds will be released this year, even though she didn’t find a label to represent her. Jasmin currently lives in Lisbon and besides her solo career, she is the vocalist for Triplet, a rock band.

Romania – Babylon Noise
Kumm – Pop Song
Download audio file (kumm_-_pop_songromania.mp3)
Kumm started 12 years ago as an art-rock band. Much like their influences, Sonic Youth and Spritualized, they have developed a new approach to rock by constantly experimenting with various sounds and styles. Their latest album, Far From Telescopes, is a refreshing pop experience, a new episode of their music journey – far from their roots and closer to simpler things. This is a band that has grown up by getting younger.

Scotland – The Pop Cop
Werd – Breakdown
Download audio file (Werd_-_Breakdown_-_Scotland.mp3)
Even if you’re just a casual hip hop listener, you owe it to yourself to give Werd a spin. The 22-year-old’s rhymes are as cunningly creative as they are uncompromising and he executes them with such furious, stylish precision. You can (and should) download everything the Edinburgh rapper has done for free from his Bandcamp page. In the meantime, the irresistible force of sub-two-minute track Breakdown will leave you wanting more… which is the point, yes?

Singpore – I’m Waking Up To…
Stellarium – Chocolate & Strawberry
Download audio file (stellarium-chocolate-strawberry-singapore.mp3)
Stellarium are a shoegaze band, and that’s all you need to know. Instead of updating a familiar sound, they do something even more commendable by playing shoegaze as if it never went away. The moment the fuzz bass comes in during Chocolate & Strawberry, you’re caught in the band’s intricate web of white noise, ghostly reverb and cryptic vocals. Overall, the whole thing sounds like a long shutter exposure speeding past bright lights. Bliss.

South Africa – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Dans Republic – Afrikaans
Download audio file (Foto_Na_Dans_Flash_Republic_-_Afrikaans_-_South_Africa.mp3)
Dans Republic is the coming together of two groups – Flash Republic, a band with the ability to set the dancefloors alight, and Foto Na Dans, who are breaking the boundaries of Afrikaans music with their own signature style. Their electro-tinged song Afrikaans showcases and merges the English and Afrikaans genre. It blends their unique styles seamlessly into something that is dreamy, indie, rock and electro all at once, yet never compromises each band’s sound.

South Korea – Indieful ROK
The Pony – Disturbance
Download audio file (The_Pony_-_Disturbance_-_South_Korea.mp3)
Four-member indie-rock band The Pony released their first full-length album, Pony, last year. Full of well-produced tracks, it offers plenty of variety. Disturbance is a catchy, energetic song with great hooks to keep the listener coming back for more.

Spain – Oscuro Magazine
Estereotypo – The Big Fake
Download audio file (The%20big%20fake.mp3)
Estereotypo are one of those pop-rock bands with which you can’t remain indifferent. It’s best to see them live, where their power and presence are reminiscent of bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Faint, Foals or Delorean. Based in Santander, their second album, Love Your City, is out this month and The Big Fake embodies the powerful sound of this great indie band.

Sweden – Swedesplease
Staphan O’Bell – On The Rooftop
Download audio file (rooftop.mp3)
This song is great example of romantic swirling pop à la Rufus Wainwright. It’s one of three songs that are available from Stockholm resident Staphan O’Bell’s forthcoming album. If On The Rooftop is any indication then that album will be one to keep an eye out for.

United States – I Guess I’m Floating
Toro Y Moi – Thanks Vision
Download audio file (06%20Thanks%20Vision.mp3)
Toro Y Moi is the solo work of South Carolinian Chaz Bundick. Hailing from the college town of Columbia, Bundick creates distorted lo-fi pop music that warmly floats between your ears like something beautiful you’d stumble across while sifting through static radio waves.

Venezuela – Barquisimento
Atkinson – Pais Tropical
Download audio file (Atkinson-PaisTropical(Venezuela).mp3)
Wincho Schäfer, Erik Aldrey and Rafael Cadavieco are musicians from famous Venezuelan bands Desorden Publico, Zapato 3 and Amigos Invisibles who decided to join talents in this interesting project called Atkinson. They launched their first production last March and since then they’ve been touring the country amazing new fans with smart lyrics and clean but catchy pop-rock. Pais Tropical is a musical explanation of the socio-political particularities of Venezuela.