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
Download audio file (Admiral_Fallow_-_Squealing_Pigs_-_Scotland.mp3)
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
Download audio file (sidd-his-self-esteem-occupation-singapore.mp3)
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
Download audio file (Will_Mono_en_Jan_Joknie_-_Seks_Vir_Plesier_-_South_Africa.mp3)
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
Download audio file (3rd_Line_Butterfly_-_Nine_Days_-_South_Korea.mp3)
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
Download audio file (Whatever%20theres%20to%20know.mp3)
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
Download audio file (01%20Vibrationz.mp3)
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
Download audio file (LosParanoias-Nosueltesalmurcielago(Venezuela).mp3)
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
Download audio file (NapoliIsNotNepal-PeopleCallItMantra%28Germany%29.mp3)
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
Download audio file (Noush%20Like%20Sploosh%20-%203%20Act%20Circus%20(India).mp3)
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
Download audio file (Autumn_Owls_-_Raindrops_in_the_River_Ireland.mp3)
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
Download audio file (furland_-_quiero_ser_un_color.mp3)
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
Download audio file (Jasmin_Jones_-_Lost_In_Rainbows_-_Portugal.mp3)
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.

Nachtrag: Wie er mir in den Kommentaren verraten hat, hat Flo von fallen/legen auch gerade ein Mixtape mit Münchener Bands zusammengestellt – und siehe da, keinerlei Überschneidung! Wunderbare Sache das!

Beginnen wir mit doch gleich mit dem Sound, der weltweit am meisten Schallwellen verursacht haben dürfte: Munich Bass. Der einzige Vertreter ist Schlachthofbronx aus dem gleichnamigen Viertel. Ebenso global wie die Viehwirtschaft mit ihrem Futtermittel-Fortpflanzungsflüssigkeiten-Fleischhälften-Ringtausch ist auch der Sound der Drei (von denen man allerdings oft nur Zwei auf Bildern sieht…). Eine irrsinnig tanzbare Melange aus Versatzstücken von Musikrichtungen aus aller Herren Länder, die nicht nur global-eklektisch ist, sondern auch als World Bass weltweit verstreute Geschwister im Geiste besitzt. Die Galionsfigur Diplo und insbesondere sein Projekt Major Lazer sind 2009 in den Musikblogs der Welt angekommen, Schlachthofbronx besitzt zumindest in der Szene einen herausragenden Ruf. Wer ihrem Facebookprofil folgt, macht innerhalb weniger Wochen eine Weltreise mit: Südafrika, Skandinavien und so weiter. Zum eiskalten Einstieg in die Szene könnte man sich die Big Up 2009!-Liste von Man Recordings zu Gemüte führen, in der sieben Acts ihre Favorite Tracks des Jahres vorstellen, darunter auch die Schlachthofbronx. Wer genaueres zu Schlachthofbronx wissen will, könnte sich dagegen Wer ist denn … Schlachthofbronx? durchlesen.

Wenn wir beim Partyfaktor in einer ähnlichen Liga bleiben wollen, müssen wir uns Frittenbude ansehen: Ursprünglich aus der Nähe von Landshut sind sie inzwischen in München ansässig, durch ihr Label Audiolith jedoch oft nach Hamburg verortet. Was nicht von ungefähr kommt, denn die Leute aus Hamburg pflegen einen ganz bestimmten Musikstil zu fördern, der von Bratze oder Frank Möller a.k.a Knarf Rellöm bekannt sein könnte: Wuchtiger, tanzbarer Electroclash, zum Teil mit deutschen Texten. Frittenbude passt von diesen Faktoren her genau, auch wenn ihre grundsätzliche Attitüde durch eine klare politische Komponente erweitert wird. Dazu kann man stehen, wie man will, eigentlich spielt das bei der grundsätzlichen Stimmung in den Tracks auch gar nicht die große Rolle, auch wenn es in den Texten und besonders live zum Ausdruck kommt. Wer mehr wissen und hören will, der kann sich beispielsweise den 50 Tracks starken Audiolith-Portfolio-Sampler runterladen, das Porträt bei on3 lesen oder das Bandblog besuchen.

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Frittenbude – Pandabär

Beobachtet man Münchens Musikszene bereits etwas länger, wird man nicht an Amadeus vorbeikommen. Mit vollem Namen Gregor Böhm, ist er sowas wie die hellgraue Eminenz der Indieszene: Five!Fast!!Hits!!! – für mich eher von Amadeus denn von Raffi geprägt, letzterer schlägt sich inzwischen übrigens in London durch, waren das Aushängeschild für Münchener Bands, die im Fahrwasser von Libertines und Co. fuhren. Diverse Vorbandauftritte solo oder mit den Broken Hearts zeigten das musikalische Potential und die Vielseitigkeit des inzwischen 26-Jährigen. Doch mit Elektrik Kezy Mezy macht er wohl die Musik, die am Besten zu ihm passt: Bluesrock. Und zwar von der rauen, wunderbaren Sorte.

Wer mehr über Amadeus lesen will, könnte den Konzertbericht im Vorfeld zu Olli Schmidt lesen, die Porträts bei on3 oder Prinz oder aber sein eigenes Label FlowerStreet Records besuchen.

Denn dort sind inzwischen auch drei weitere Bands unter Vertrag, die Beachtung verdienen: Pardon Ms. Arden, Lucky Fish und besonders Tuó. Während ersterer Dreier bereits seit einigen Jahren in der Stadt mit elaboriertem Indie unterwegs sind – beispielsweise im Babalu, wie ihr hier nachlesen könnt – sind die vier Jungs von Lucky Fish eher Vertreter eines klassischen “The-Sounds”, also eines leichten Britpops, wie er vor drei bis vier Jahren extrem populär war. Für mich am interessantesten ist jedoch die mit Abstand jüngste Band, Tuó. Gerade mal 16 Lenze zählen die zwei Mädels, deren zweistimmiger Gesang so ergreifend schön ist, dass man ihn leicht den USA und ihrem Antifolk-Revival zuschreiben möchte. Akustikgitarre, Trommel, mehr braucht es nicht zusätzlich, um ein Publikum mit für München sehr ungewohnten Klängen zu verzaubern, wie demletzt im Atomic Café. Das Album “Walk on Silence” fängt diese Stimmung übrigens ebenfalls perfekt ein.

Ein bairischer Künstler, dem ich internationales Format sofort bescheinige, ist Johannes Dobroschke alias Dobré. Nicht nur, dass er eine fantastische Stimme hat, die nicht von ungefähr an Sufjan Stevens oder Britt Daniel von Spoon erinnert, er weiß sie auch mit wunderbaren Songs in das rechte Licht zu rücken. Zumeist ist er mit seinen Bandkollegen als Dobré und Sepp Kennedy unterwegs, doch ehrlich gesagt, gefallen mir seine Solosachen noch deutlich besser. Alle Songs des sehr sympathischen Fürstenfeldbruckers und seiner Band könnt ihr übrigens im bandeigenen Musikzimmer anhören und runterladen. Ein etwas umfangreicheres Feature hab’ ich ihm im Zuge seiner Weihnachtsgala im Cord auch schon gewidmet.

Download audio file (Dobre-TheMelodyIsAStranger-Germany.mp3)
Dobré – The Melody Is A Stranger

Eine ganz andere Klientel bedienen Candelilla, denen ich im November bereits ein umfangreiches Wer ist denn … samt Albumreview zugedacht habe: Rrrriot-Girl-Trash-Pop, Grunge-Punk, you name it. Ambitioniert, durchdacht, expertimentell haben die vier Münchener Damen sich nun endlich zu einem Album zusammengerauft, das ihren Sound auf den Punkt bringt. Eine Band fernab von jedem Mädchengetue, die mit Herzblut selbst produziert, CD-Hüllen gestaltet, mit Aktaufnahmen versieht, siebdruckt und verschickt.

Herrje, es gibt noch so viele weitere Bands, die seitenweise Artikel wert sind, ein paar sollen hier stellvertretend noch kurz angerissen werden: Sickcity dürfte im Moment wohl noch am meisten Potential haben, den Sprung über den Weißwurschtäquator zu schaffen. Post-Nuclear-Highfive-Disco-Schranz nennen sie es selbst, um Schubladen zu vermeiden. Und in der Tat fällt es schwer, einen Einheitssound auszumachen, zum Teil singt “Conan Kowalski” wie Marilyn Manson, um kurz darauf im höchsten Falsett die Gläser zerspringen zu lassen. Indierock mit Emoseele könnte man da sagen. Doch dann hört man “Julia” und ist mitten in einem Walzer – einem Rhythmus, den man übrigens viel zu selten heutzutage hört. Und beim nächsten Lied ist man bei Rocktronik gelandet. Und so weiter. Also auf alle Fälle mal reinhören! Oder meine Bilder vom PLUS anschauen. Oder das Interview in der SZ lesen.

Download audio file (julia.mp3)
Sickcity – Julia

Kafkas Orient Bazaar haben nicht nur einen strangen Namen, sondern auch das Talent, aus der Sprachmelange Deutsch, Englisch und Türkisch eingängige bis verschrobene Indietracks zu kreieren. Vier Jungs mit einem eigenen Kopf. Und einer ziemlich kaputten Bandseite. Und nicht genug, alle Songs könnt ihr bei ihrem last.fm-Profil runterladen, was ich hier bereits schon mal euch nahegelegt hatte.

Download audio file (Yazar.mp3)
Kafkas Orient Bazaar – Yazar

Frickel-Funk für Indiekids machen L’egojazz, drei Jungs, die auch mal das meistzitierte Stück Musik der Welt nutzen – das Amen Break – um einen hektischen Beastie Boys-Verschnitt hinzubrettern. Funk ist definitiv immer präsent, jedoch nicht nur in Kombination mit schnellen Punkrapsongs, sondern auch gediegen in Anlehnung an vergangene Red Hot Chili Peppers Momente. Übrigens ebenso wie Candelilla bei Red Can Records unter Vertrag.

Nachtrag: Die neue Version von “Step Into It” sowie der neue und exklusive Song “Ovatime” sind deutlich elektronischer angehaucht als früher. Die Band macht also eine Entwicklung durch – und keine zum Negativen!

Download audio file (Legojazz-Step-into-it-MP3.mp3)
L’egojazz – Step Into It

Download audio file (Legojazz-Ovatime-blogpartei-exclusive.mp3)
L’egojazz – Ovatime

Eine völlig unter dem Radar durchfliegende Band – ebenso ihre maßlos unterschätzte Mutterband Kamerakino – ist Parasyte Woman. Hip Hop / Chinesischer Pop / Easy Listening ist die Selbstbezeichnung, trifft’s zwar musikalisch nicht im Ansatz, aber vom Wirrheitsgrad ist man ganz gut dabei. Betrunken machende Lieder, die an selige “Evig Pint”-Zeiten erinnern. Genug Ideen für zwei Bands, sind aber nur zwei Leute, Relle Büst und Tobias Lämmert.

Und natürlich sind mit diesem kleinen Einblick noch lange nicht alle interessanten Münchener Bands abgedeckt. Wer selbst noch weiter graben möchte, der sollte neben den Konzerten in Locations wie der Glockenbachwerkstatt, dem Babalu oder dem Feierwerk auf alle Fälle die Acts des Sound of Munich Now! abgrasen (Preview und Review bei on3) sowie die Liste der Stadtbands bei Sub-Bavaria beziehungsweise Indiepedia durchgehen. Man wird nicht enttäuscht sein!

Download audio file (Dobre-TheMelodyIsAStranger-Germany.mp3)
Dobré – The Melody Is A Stranger

Understatement cannot be overstated. Oder so. Auf Dobré bin ich erst im Vorfeld des on3 festivals gestoßen – und war sofort so begeistert, dass ich euch ihn ja als Pflichttermin dort angepriesen habe. Nicht zu Unrecht, wie ich meinen würde! Um so sympathischer, dass sich Johannes Dobroschke a.k.a. Dobré per Mail bei mir gemeldet hat, um mir die “Weihnachtsgala” im Cord vorzuschlagen. Zwar ist das Wort Gala für mich mit Blitzlicht und C-Promis negativ besetzt, aber das Konzept im kleinen Club hat Charme. So haben Dobré & Sepp Kennedy noch ein paar Freunde eingeladen, Jacob Brass, Manekin Peace, L’egojazz und den Bummvoll Brothers.

Download audio file (03%20Wrong%20Road.mp3)
Dobré & Sepp Kennedy – Wrong Road

Insbesondere L’egojazz wollte ich schon länger mal genauer anschauen, daher trifft sich das wirklich gut. Und ich bin wirklich auf die Stimmung gespannt… Also, wer ebenso Lust auf einen gediegenen Clubabendd wie ich hat, kann am Dienstag seinen guten Zwirn aus dem Schrank holen, die Motten und den Staub abschütteln und ins Cord kommen. Ab 20:00 Uhr geht’s für läppische 8€ los.

Download audio file (01%20MNY.mp3)
Dobré & Sepp Kennedy – MNY

Übrigens auch der aktuelle Beitrag für den Music Alliance Pact Dezember… Und noch übriger: Alle (!) Songs von Dobré & Sepp Kennedy gibt es im bandeigenen Musikzimmer zum Download, ihr müsst nur bei den links zu den Songs die ? am Ende entfernen. Und keine Angst, das ist mit Joe abgeklärt!

Doch nun zum Wichtigsten – zur Musik. Offenbar fällt es vielen Musikkritikern nicht ganz leicht, Candelillas Musik einzuordnen; dies kann man an den mannigfaltigen Bezeichnungen ablesen, die der Musik des Münchener Vierers gegeben werden: Von “Trash-Pop”, “Grunge-Punk”, “Motz-Kunst-Rock” über “Indie-Rock” bis zu “Riot-Grrrl-Punk” ist da die Rede. Sicher ist, dass die Vier gerne verschiedene Musikstile inkorporieren. Zwei Referenzbands stehen jedoch immer im Raum, wenn es um Candelillas Stil geht: Dresden Dolls und Sonic Youth. Wenden wir uns also zunächst der technischeren Seite der Musik zu, um danach die transportierten Stimmungen zu thematisieren.

Download audio file (Candelilla-13%28Germany%29.mp3)
Candelilla – #13

In der Münchener Szene wurden Candelilla in den letzten Jahren immer wieder ausgezeichnet: Beste junge Band der Stadt, beste VÖ der Stadt – doch selbst die vier Mädels finden, dass sie erst jetzt die Musik machen, für die sie diese Vorschusslorbeeren kassiert haben. Augenfällig wird die Entwicklung der Band unter anderem an diversen Umbesetzungen: So spielt Sandra Hipold das Schlagzeug mit einem anderen Anspruch als die ersetzte Dominique de Marné, die eher ein Akzentuieren des Gitarrenlärms (sanfte Drums, viel Becken) favorisierte. Hipold ist das Metronom der Band, das die anderen Instrumente vor sich hertreibt und ihren Einsatz quasi ankündigt. Sehr schön kann man das an der Single #13, aber auch #19 hören. Nichtsdestotrotz sind die zuerst geschriebenen Songs des Albums (dessen Nummern eben dieses chronologisches Schaffungsdatum indizieren) wie #1 und #4 eher dem “alten” Schema verpflichtet, aber mit deutlich stärkerer Prägnanz im Spiel als de Marné.

Dresden Dolls als Referenz sind insofern keine schlechte Wahl, da zum Einen der charakteristische, teils von der Stimmlage sehr ähnliche Gesang von Lina, Rita und Mira (#1) an Amanda Palmer erinnert. Dazu kommt zum Anderen selbstverständlich auch das Spiel von Rita, die sich inzwischen nur noch am Klavier verdingt. Dort hält sie sich in manchen Songs vornehm zurück, um dafür anderen Songs ganz klar ihren Stempel aufzudrücken; manchmal in vorderster Front als Rhythmus- und Melodiegeber (#17, #1, #18), dann wieder als Akzentuierer wie in #14.

Über die Jahre ebenfalls deutlich an Ausdruckskraft zugelegt hat der Bass von Mira Mann. Auch hier sollte #13 als eine gute Referenz dienen, #15 zeigt es aber wohl am deutlichsten – genau so mag ich das! Wer eine andere, an The Clash angelehnte Variante hören will, könnte sich #1 zuwenden, der im Hintergrund das Fundament legt, um dann in der Mitte des Songs wie eine Gitarre gespielt im Vordergrund zu wirken. Und wie ihr sicher langsam wisst, ist für mich ein gut gespielter Bass mehr wert als jedes andere Instrument in einer Band.

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Let’s Build A Dangerous Minded Society (2005)

Die zweite, gernzitierte Referenzband Sonic Youth hört man zum Einen in der generellen Experimentierfreudigkeit, was beispielsweise rauchige Sounds angeht, zum Anderen aber auch im Facettenreichtum der Gitarre: Die kurz angeschlagene, stark verzerrte Gitarre, die einem Song wie #16 in dessen zweiter Hälfte Highlights verpasst, dann aber in #17 schamlos im Postrock wildert, um in #14 oder auch #18 wunderbar sanft die Textzeilen zu untermalen. Dazu kommt noch der Mut zu Stilwechseln innerhalb eines Songs: #11 beginnt als herzhafter Indierock mit ordentlich Gitarrenriffs hochgeregelten Bassriffs, geht dann nach einem Klavierintermezzo jedoch über in Postrock – um dann den Indierock nochmals aufzunehmen und erneut im Postrock ausklingen zu lassen.

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Candelilla – Neun (2008)

Als Verdikt könnte #17 dienen – Der Song hat deutsche wie englische Lyrik mit dem Thema vom Kampf gegen gezogene Grenzen, die zwischen Wut und augenzwinkerndem Dadaismus schwankt, wie in so vielen Songs von Candelilla. Zum anderen gibt allen vier Instrumenten genau den Raum, den sie vollständig ausfüllen können, ohne andere in den Hintergrund zu drängen (was vielleicht die heimliche Stärke der Band ist): Das Klavier setzt die melodische Grundlinie fast schon wie normalerweise der Bass, das Schlagzeug treibt den Song rhythmussicher und druckvoll an, die Gitarre schrubbt rauschig verzerrt wunderbar vor sich hin, um sich stellenweise geradezu melancholisch der Antiklimax hinzugeben, der Bass setzt die tiefen Akzente.

So viel zum musikalischen Anspruch der Damen. Stilsicherheit durch Stileklektik könnte das Motto sein.

Dieses aufgebaute musikalische Gerüst hat jedoch auch einen Zweck – es soll Stimmungen transportieren. Und in dieser Stimmung kommt nun der Grunge zu seinen Ehren. Denn viele Songs haben insbesondere in den Songtexten eine mehr oder minder unterschwellige Aggression. Doch während in früheren Songs das eher noch offen thematisiert, quasi der Teenage Angst gehuldigt wurde, wird dies nun in Wortspielen, metaphorischen Oxymora, zum Teil auch ironisch verpackt und muss erst entschlüsselt werden. Eine gewisse Reife gegenüber den thematisierten Problemen quasi, die man jedoch nicht mit Distanz oder Leidenschaftslosigkeit verwechseln sollte. Denn leidenschaftslos, distanziert oder simpel sind Candelilla sicher nicht.

Was für ein Aushängeschild für München.

Tracklist: 11, 13, 17, 4, 14, 1, 10, 18, 15, 19, 16, 12

Dass Candelilla die Dinge gerne insgesamt richtig anpacken, kann man an einigen Dingen sehen, die über die Songs hinausgehen. Zur Aufnahme des Debüts verabschiedeten sie sich gleich ganz in die Abgeschiedenheit einer Mühle bei Fürstenfeldbruck, für potentielle Konzertveranstalter gibt es einen genauen, technischen Bühnenplan zum Download (pdf), EP wie Album sind liebevoll von Hand gestaltet und gesiebdruckt, Pressematerial von einer handgeschriebenen Nachricht begleitet. Und nicht zuletzt hieß die EP von 2004 “Our Start To Stay”.

Mitglieder: Lina Seybold, Rita Argauer, Mira Mann, Sandra Hipold
Album: Candelilla EP (2007), …Don’t Rely On What Others Say EP (2008), reasonreasonreasonreason (2009)
Label: Red Can Records
Downloads:#13, Neun (2008), Happy Fucking Valentines Day (2005), Let’s Build A Dangerous Minded Society (2005)
Links: Myspace, Homepage

34 Länder, 34 Blogs, 34 Songs. Jeden Monat stellen 34 Blogs aus aller Herren Länder je eine Band vor, die aktuell die Szene beherrscht oder hoffentlich bald beherrschen wird. Noch kürzer auch hier zu lesen.

Meine Wahl für den November fiel auf Candelilla aus München. Expressionistische Musik zwischen Pixies und Dresden Dolls, experimentelle Arrangements treffen auf die Attitüde des Grunge. Geradlinige Drums begleiten das Piano, eine gedengelte Gitarre stellt den dunklen Bass besser ins Licht. Keine selbstverständliche Mischung. Der Song #13 ist auch die erste Single aus dem kommenden Debüt reasonreasonreasonreason, das am 26. November in der Roten Sonne vorgestellt wird.

Australien: Boy & Bear – ruhiger Indiepop mit gewissen Anleihen bei Phoenix oder Fleet Foxes
Brasilien: The Name – ein wenig durchgeknallter Postwave mit schwächerem Gesang
Canada: Magneta Lane – direkter Indierock mit prägnanter Frauenstimme und guter Bassline
Griechenland: Giannis Aggelakas – extrem zurückgenommenes Instrumental im Stile von XiuXiu oder Bell Orchestre
Island: Kimono – Experimentalrock mit sehr geiler Gitarre und Gesang. Ein wenig wie Dinosaur Jr. ohne Verzerrer
Indonesien: Santamonica – intelligent gemachter, eklektischer, aber dennoch stilsicherer Indietronic
Portugal: Casino Royal – ein Song wie aus einem 60er-Jahre Film. Bissl wie Frank Popp
Rumänien: Silent Strike – wunderbarer Ambient mit teils verspielten Elementen á la Console
Schottland: The Unwinding Hours – Zwei Ex-Aerogrammer verschreiben sich weiterhin ruhigem Indie á la eben Aerogramme oder auch Elbow
Türkei: Bon Mod – Stark in den 80ern verorteter Dance, der evtl vor 1 Jahr stärkere Beachtung gefunden hätte

Zum Download aller 34 Songs bitte hier entlang.

Argentina – Zonaindie
Entre Ríos – Frontera
Download audio file (EntreRios-Frontera(Argentina).mp3)
Finally we get the chance to showcase this great indie-pop band from Buenos Aires on MAP. Entre Ríos is a musical project led by Sebastian Carreras (vocals, keyboards, guitar) that has been around since 1998. Their first albums were recorded with Isol as the main singer, but since her departure in 2005 they’ve featured different guest vocalists live and in the studio. Frontera is a MAP-exclusive premiere from their brand new EP that will be released in a couple of weeks, with Josefina Mac Loughlin on vocals.

Australia – Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Boy & Bear – Mexican Mavis
Download audio file (Mexican-Mavis-new.mp3)
Sydney singer-songwriter Dave Hosking has taken a slight change of direction with his new outfit Boy & Bear. Releasing his first EP Marmalade Hill late last year, Hosking has decided to abandon the songs from the album (which I was still rather fond of) and start fresh, writing towards a more mature and original sound. Producer of the first EP, Andrew Macken, has proven to be a great collaborator with his intricate and almost narrative-based approach to the arrangement and production.

Brazil – Meio Desligado
The Name – Come Out Tonite
Download audio file (the_name_-_come_out_tonite_-_brazil.mp3)
If I had to bet which Brazilian band could repeat the success of CSS on foreign lands it would be The Name. Assonance, their new well-produced EP, presents songs that could put them side by side with some of the greatest names of the post-punk revival of the 00s or the major bands of nu-rave scene. Come Out Tonite is here to prove it.

Canada – I(Heart)Music
Magneta Lane – Love And Greed
Download audio file (MagnetaLane-LoveAndGreed.mp3)
Magneta Lane were on the verge of world (well, Canadian) domination a few years ago, and then they suddenly vanished. They’re back now with a new album, Gambling With God, but you wouldn’t know it from the total lack of support the album is getting from both the band and their label. Nonetheless, it’s a pretty outstanding release, and as songs like Love And Greed show, Magneta Lane could still conquer the world… assuming, that is, they want to.

Chile – Super 45
Astro – Raifilter
Download audio file (astro_-_raifilter_-_chile.mp3)
Alongside electro-poppers Moustache, Astro (Andrés Nusser and Octavio Cavieres) is one of those noble bands cultivating the sound of acts such as MGMT or The Knife – just on the verge of the night spectrum of pop – acquiring a good combination of simplicity and a good dose of highly contagious fun for their debut album Le Disc Du Astrou. Following this trail, Raifilter is a song with a very special melody, the result of very intense arrangements as well excellent vocals courtesy of Nusser, who shapes a beach-like tune to give us a perfect excuse to have a neverending sound party.

China – Wooozy
Loudspeaker – I Will Be Back
Download audio file (Loudspeaker_-_I_Will_Be_Back-china.mp3)
Established in 1999, Loudspeaker is the hardcore pioneer in Shanghai. This song is from the I Will Be Back EP released in September. You can download the whole EP here. Loudspeaker’s new album will be ready at the beginning of 2010.

Colombia – Colombia Urbana
Hety And Zambo – Proud
Download audio file (11-Proud.mp3)
Hety And Zambo are a duo with the capacity to get you on your feet and dance. The Kings of Creole, as everyone knows them in the dancehall underground scene, came together six years ago in the island of San Andres with one objective – to create good music with their own rhythms, writings and language.

Denmark – All Scandinavian
The Kites – Play
Download audio file (the_kites_-_play_-_denmark.mp3)
I stumbled across these guys on a MySpace cruise recently and was immediately charmed by their quite British-sounding pop-rock. The Kites may not be revolutionizing music, but less has been known to do it. Not least when it’s this infectious. Get Play exclusively via MAP and then head to their MySpace page and check out the equally excellent Balloons.

England – The Daily Growl
Jeremy Warmsley – Dancing With The Enemy
Download audio file (JWo-DancingWithTheEnemyEngland.mp3)
Rather than something new this month, here’s an old favourite from one of my favourite British singer-songwriters, Jeremy Warmsley. It’s from his How We Became album of last year. If you like this, he’s got a free acoustic EP available via his MySpace and he’s also fronting a new band Acres, Acres. Watch out for them.

Estonia – Popop
Antonina – Itsuyorimo
Download audio file (antonina_-_itsuyorimo_-_estonia.mp3)
When Helene Vetik started to write music, she played on the streets to get some pocket money, started a high school punk-band that didn’t last long and sang at cheesy corporate parties. However, it was when she began to record her old songs into lo-fi electro-pop that she teamed up with Zanduro (keyboard) and Mihkel Masso (guitar) to form Antonina.

Finland – Glue
Cleaning Women – Across The Void
Download audio file (Cleaning_Women_-_Across_The_Void_(Finland).mp3)
From planet Clinus 1 robots CW01, CW03 and CW04 (subbing for CW02 who was lost in action) create industrial avant garde music using a wide array of instruments, some rock lines, a few jazzy beats and a lot of funky grooves. The trio has just released its third album, U, which includes some futuristic tracks that could form the soundtrack of a Philip K Dick novel. One of them is the instrumental Across The Void, a good example of the spooky atmospheric music these hygienic robots make.

France – ZikNation
Kitsch Device – Is This Home Now?
Download audio file (kitsch_device-is_this_home_now.mp3)
Kitsch Device is a group straight out of the Parisian scene who take us on a high. They first started playing as a hobby but they now scour concert rooms in Paris and are always a blast to watch for their style and professionalism. Is This Home Now? carries a folk-rock melody which will make you shake your head and tap the floor with your foot to the beat.

Germany – Blogpartei
Candelilla – #13
Download audio file (Candelilla-13%28Germany%29.mp3)
Candelilla is a female four-piece based in Munich. Their impulsive sound fits into no existing scheme – it varies from Dresden Dolls to Sonic Youth, from punky grunge to vanguard indie. Straight drums accompany the piano, a whetted guitar accents murky basslines, all highlighted by the staccato voices. #13 is the first single from their debut reasonreasonreasonreason.

Greece – Mouxlaloulouda
Giannis Aggelakas – Volta Sto Dasos
Download audio file (giannis_aggelakas_-_volta_sto_dasos_-_greece.mp3)
Psyhi Vathia is the soundtrack for a movie directed by Pantelis Voulgaris. It takes place in 1949 and tells the story of two brothers who fight in two different camps during the Greek civil war. Giannis Aggelakas, who was singer and songwriter of the legendary rock band Trypes, composes an emotionally compelling score drawing on traditional musical heritage. Sad, evocative instrumental melodies rich with contemporary elements coalesce with ethnic nuance that depict the era and echo the film’s mood. Volta Sto Dasos (“Walk In The Woods”) is a marvelous track that reflects the two elements of the movie – pain and hope – through the lament of violin and the serenity of the guitar.

Iceland – I Love Icelandic Music
Kimono – Black
Download audio file (kimono_-_black_-_iceland.mp3)
Kimono is an experimental rock trio hailing from Reykjavik and Halifax, Canada. They have released three full-length albums, the last one in collaboration with Icelandic producer Curver (of Ghostigital). Black will be on their upcoming fourth album, Easy Music For Difficult People.

India – Indiecision
Pinknoise – Dream Dream
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Pinknoise is an experimental rock act from Kolkata that takes nu-jazz sensibilities and combines them with angular, guitar-driven rock. Dream Dream comes from a soon-to-be-released live DVD. It’s the quintessential spacious, open jam that frontlady Jayashree Singh orchestrates with this band. With mid-song tempo changes and lazy atmospherics, it’s a fun five minutes through slacker town.

Indonesia – Deathrockstar
Santamonica – Bobsessed
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Santamonica’s album Curiouser And Curiouser was praised by the media as an eclectic mixture of pop, bossa nova, electronic and classic waltz drawing influences from Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and My Bloody Valentine to classic Disney soundtracks.

Ireland – Nialler9
Band On An Island – Back Disco
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The debut release from Kildare’s Band On An Island, The Sound Sweep, revels in the details of hometown life, taking in nights by the campfire, love, drinking, getting into trouble, picking yourself up again and this cute nightclub-themed song featuring the vocals of Claire Prendergast. Combine these myriad of issues with the music – a mix of country, folk, raucous guitar music and heartfelt ballads – and you’ve got the essence of Band On An Island.

Italy – Polaroid
Annie Hall – Morning News
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It would be too easy to describe the sound of the Annie Hall as a Beatles influence revised through a folk sensibility. But this way you would overlook the simple fact that these songs are truly touching in such an immediate way. Annie Hall just released their second album and are now ready to spend the next months touring the country non-stop, as they usually do.

Japan – JPOP Lover
Sebastian X – Tour Star People
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Sebastian X are an impressive Tokyo-based outfit with indie-pop and punkish leanings. Their brilliant debut album Wonderful World was finally released last week. The band, who don’t use guitars, have catchy melodies driven by the cute pop vocal of Manatsu Nagahara.

Mexico – Red Bull PanameriKa
Pepepe (feat. Cyane) – Sleep With You
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Here is a track from Pepepe’s latest album, Roba Orgón de Plantas y Animales, released on the Poni Republic label. Pepepe is one of the monikers of Pesina Siller, a 21-year-old electronic musician and visual artist who was ranked among the top 50 in Radiohead’s Reckoner remix contest. He’s the kid behind various projects that show the multiple faces to his mystic persona, with sounds that go from dubstep to psychedelic folk. This song is full of clicks, cuts, lots of aleatory processing and a beautiful collaboration with Guadalajara’s vocalist Cyane.

New Zealand – Counting The Beat
Psychic Powers – Wellington
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Psychic Powers are an international duo – Nik Brinkman is a New Zealander and Alejandro Cohen is from Los Angeles. The two collaborate on songwriting from opposite sides of the world via the internet. This piece of very 80s sounding synth-pop is about Nik’s home town, New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington – bringing together the local and the global in a way that seems purpose made for the Music Alliance Pact. The song has been released on 7″ vinyl by US label Geographic North.

Norway – Eardrums
Kråkesølv – Privat Regn
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Kråkesølv is a quartet from Bodø, a town in the north of Norway. They sing in their dialect and their music can be put somewhere between pop, indie and post-rock. The band have received much acclaim for their lyrics and the reviews of their recently released debut, Trådnøsting, have been very positive.

Peru – SoTB
Los Protones – Swinging Lima
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Los Protones are an instrumental band formed in Lima in 2007 who play in a style that combines psychedelia, surf and garage-rock. Their self-titled debut CD was released in February 2009 by the Peruvian label Discos Gordos. It is an album where there are no words, although they’re not necessary – the guitar solos are the universal language and the titles of songs such as El Desvío paint pictures that could easily relate to the soundtrack of our experiences.

Portugal – Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Casino Royal – Casino Royal Deluxe
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Led by Pedro Janela, Casino Royal are a quintet from Figueira da Foz, a town known for its sandy beaches and its casino built in the 19th century. Casino Royal create music that takes us back to a certain living by the post-war European jetset. Would you like your cocktail shaken or stirred?

Romania – Babylon Noise
Silent Strike – 27
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Silent Strike (Ioan Titu) is a 27-year-old electronic music composer and sound designer from Bacau. He is influenced by Aphex Twin, Future Sound Of London, Orbital and opened for Faithless and Bonobo. 27 is a little gem of electronic sounds arranged in an acoustic manner and it was released for his birthday.

Scotland – The Pop Cop
The Unwinding Hours – Knut
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The Unwinding Hours have quietly risen from the ashes of the much-loved Aerogramme and the early evidence suggests they’re going to be every bit as wondrous as their former guise. All the ingredients are there – the gorgeously gentle pacing, the elegant orchestration, Craig B’s yearning vocals. Knut, taken from their self-titled debut album due out early next year on Chemikal Underground, is a MAP exclusive sanctioned by the band and their record label.

Singapore I’m Waking Up To…
Lunarin – Ariel (File Under Easy Listening remix)
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Singapore is a small country, so we’ve formed a rather close-knit bunch of musicians and friends. One such collaboration between friends happens to be The Lard Brothers’ remix of Lunarin’s Ariel. While a relatively new group, The Lard Brothers have been busy making waves spinning as a DJ group and religiously reworking many classic songs by Singaporean bands. Their efforts don’t go unrecognised with this trip-hop laced remix of Ariel by the melodic rock band, Lunarin, perfect for the monsoon season that’s hitting our shores just about now.

South Africa – Musical Mover & Shaker!
Die Heuwels Fantasties – Our Heritage
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Die Heuwels Fantasties are an Afrikaans group, incorporating elements of many genres, from hip-hop beats, flat out dance beats, to rap and rock sounds. Die Heuwels Fantasties teamed up with The Soweto Gospel Choir, HHP and JR to produce a song for Heritage Day. The song is called Our Heritage and features Pierre Greeff of Die Heuwels Fantasties singing in English. All in all, it’s a song with the message to celebrate our heritage and our unity as South Africans – artfully combining the many different cultural spheres into a feelgood track.

South Korea – Indieful ROK
Playgirl – Happy Mania
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Female trio Playgirl emerged in September with a retro pop sound from a time when James Bond was still played by Sean Connery. Inspired by The Pipettes, equipped with identical outfits and cute dance moves, Playgirl is currently the most adorable act to come out of Korea.

Sweden – Swedesplease
Madamm – Örnen
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There’s very little info online about this mostly all-girl group from Gothenburg. I was struck by the band’s wanton energy and the loose nature of their songs. Örnen is a demo so who knows what its final shape may be, but I hope they retain the song’s raw energy.

Turkey – Reset!
Bon Mod – Chocolate Cheesecake
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Chemistry is all there is to a band. After meeting about a year ago, the duo started working together instantly as Bon Mod. They take their love of partying and a reckless attitude to make indie, electro and disco-flavored songs. They are possibly the most exciting new band for the season ahead.

United States – I Guess I’m Floating
People Eating People – All The Hospitals
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People Eating People is the solo work of Nouela Johnston, previously known for her work with Pacific Northwestern act Mon Frere. Her self-titled debut LP is a blending of Fiona Apple’s emotion with Regina Spektor’s penchant for melody. All The Hospitals is a catchy tune – we’ll see if Johnston can separate herself from the crowded female pack.

Venezuela – Barquisimeto Musical
Amigos Invisibles – Mentiras
Download audio file (AmigosInvisibles-Mentiras(Venezuela).mp3)
Amigos Invisibles (“Invisible Friends”) has been around the alternative/funk/pop local scene for many years. Their groovy rhythms and funny lyrics, filled with Venezuelan pop culture, made them legends in their country and finally got the attention of music lovers worlwide, touring Latin America, USA and Australia. They signed with David Byrne’s Luaka Pop label in 1996. To celebrate their Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album, I have selected a song from that record, Comercial, called Mentiras.