"Save your body. Save your mind. Save your love for me."

Το ενδεκασέλιδο (με δύο επιπλέον ακουστικές ηχογραφήσεις) μουσικό λεύκωμα των Suckers, με τίτλο 'Wild smile' (προηγήθηκε μία αναπάντεχα ευχάριστη γνωριμία με το περυσινό "It gets your body movin'" και το ομώνυμο EP) είναι σχεδιασμένο ώστε σε κάθε ανάγνωσή του να στοιχειώνει το μυαλό σαν ψίθυρος. Μία αρμονικά μαγευτική συνένωση ρυθμών, αφηγηματικών σημειώσεων, ελεγχόμενου χάους και πειραματικών μελωδιών με παιχνιδιάρικα χορωδιακά φωνητικά, κραυγές και σφυρίγματα (τα οποία συμβάλλουν σημαντικά στη διαμόρφωση προσωπικού ύφους) να μπλέκονται με ήχους από παραμορφωμένες κιθάρες, drums και τρομπέτες ενισχύοντας το αίσθημα οικειότητας και προκαλώντας ευφορία.












Toy story 3

Οι χαρακτήρες που αγαπήσαμε έρχονται αντιμέτωποι με αλλαγές, συγκρούσεις και διλήμματα και μπλέκονται σε νέες περιπέτειες. Το 'Toy story 3' είναι εκθαμβωτικά συναρπαστικό και ξεκαρδιστικά ευφυές χάρη στο αριστοτεχνικό, γεμάτο δράση και συγκίνηση σενάριο. **** (τουλάχιστον)



"Tell me how you lose this feeling..."

Η εξάχρονη δισκογραφική απουσία των Autolux δεν ήταν αρκετή για να κλυδωνίσει τη σχέση μας που στιγματίστηκε με το θαυμάσιο 'Future Perfect'. Μια κυκλοφορία με ανατρεπτική διάθεση και βλέμμα στον ήχο του παρελθόντος που ξεπερασε όμως τις προσδοκίες μας χάρη στις αξέχαστα θορυβώδεις, μελωδικές εμπνεύσεις των τραγουδιών, στη μηχανική ακρίβεια και στην τεχνική αρτιότητα με την οποία χτυπούσε τα drums η Carla Azar, στη δυναμική του μπάσου & στις ονειρικές διαστάσεις των φωνητικών του Eugene Goreshter (με τη συμβολή των υπολοίπων δύο μελών του συγκροτήματος) και στις κιθαριστικές παραμορφώσεις και κλιμακώσεις του Greg Edwards που φωταγωγούσαν και αναδείκνυαν τις συνθέσεις. Μετά από δεκάδες ζωντανές εμφανίσεις, οι οποίες ενίσχυσαν τη φήμη τους, προβλήματα με την εύρεση στέγης προώθησης και διανομής και αρκετές αναβολές, παρ' όλο που το υλικό ήταν διαθέσιμο εδώ και τουλάχιστον δύο χρόνια πλησιάζει η στιγμή (αναμένεται στις 3 Αυγούστου) που θα ακούσουμε (επιτέλους) το 'Transit Transit'. Τα "Supetoys" και "Audience No. 2" συνιστούν τα πρώτα δύο, εξ' ίσου υπέροχα δείγματα!


Autolux - Audience No. 2

Autolux - Blanket (from 'Future Perfect')


Autolux - Future Perfect (from 'Demonstration EP')





'Innundir skinni'

Το "Innundir skinni" είναι το πρώτο single από το νέο, ομώνυμο δίσκο της Ólöf Arnalds που αναμένεται αρχές Σεπτεμβρίου. Βασίζεται σε μια απλή, επαναλαμβανόμενη μελωδία στην ακουστική κιθάρα και αποπνέει έντονη φθινοπωρινή μελαγχολία και νοσταλγία. Ο εξαίσιος τρόπος με τον οποίο σιγοτραγουδά η Ólöf σε συγκινεί και σε κάνει να αισθάνεσαι την κάθε λέξη, ακόμα και αν δε γνωρίζεις ισλανδικά. Βέβαια, αυτή τη φορά συμπεριλαμβάνει και τρία τραγούδια με στίχους στα αγγλικά. Ένα από αυτά είναι το ακαταμάχητα εξαίσιο "Surrender", το οποίο κοσμεί με τη συμμετοχή της η σπουδαία Björk και με τις αδιαμφισβήτητες ερμηνευτικές της ικανότητες ενισχύει τη συναισθηματική φόρτιση που προκαλεί η ακρόασή του.





"Underneath this fleshy robe lies a beast with no control"

Τα αποθέματα δημιουργικού πνεύματος των Menomena μοιάζουν αστείρευτα. Μετά τα έξοχα 'I am the fun blame monster!' και 'Friend and foe' που αφθονούσαν στο σύνολό τους σε ιδέες και εμπνευσμένες στιγμές καταλαμβάνοντας για εβδομάδες τα στερεοφωνικά μας κυκλοφορούν στις 26 Ιουλίου το 'Mines' (σπεύστε να το προπαραγείλλετε από εδώ). Το νέο τους μουσικό ναρκοπέδιο επιφυλάσσει και πάλι εκπλήξεις χάρη στις ενορχηστρώσεις που καταφέρνουν να είναι απλές και παράλληλα περίπλοκες και στις συνθέσεις που δομούν το χάος με μέτρο και ακρίβεια συνδέοντας ήχους και ρυθμούς με τρόπους που είναι αδύνατον να μη λατρέψεις. 11 τραγούδια βασισμένα σε θαυμάσιες μελωδίες στο πιάνο, εντυπωσιακές εκπυρσοκροτήσεις των drums και φωτεινές αναλαμπές σαξόφωνου, με κουδουνάκια, loops και παύσεις, με μπάσο και κιθάρες να κλιμάκωνουν την ένταση και τα εκφραστικά φωνητικά των Danny Seim, Justin Harris και Brent Knopf να εναλλάσσονται θριαμβευτικά.

Menomena - TAOS (from 'Mines')

Menomena - Five little rooms (from 'Mines')

Menomena - Evil bee (from 'Friend and foe')

Menomena - The late great libido (from 'I am the fun blame monster!')



"I couldn't save you"

Μία μελωδία στο πιάνο και η απάραμιλλης σαγήνης φωνή της Sharon Van Etten που ψιθυρίζει ρομαντικά λόγια απόγνωσης αρκούν για να σε συγκλονίσει με την ομορφιά του το "I couldn't save you", το οποίο συνοδεύει τις κινηματογραφικές εικόνες της πρώτης μεγάλου μήκους ταινίας του Rick Alverson με τίτλο 'The Builder'.



"Say no to love"

“'Say No to Love' is about rejecting hyper-serious adolescent romance that imprisons you and inhibits your ability to become the person you want to be and do the things you want to do. It's about a girl telling an emo boy to go grow a pair. It has three chords, a fuzz pedal, and lots of feelings!"


"'Lost Saint' is about growing up, going to Catholic School and insubordination."




Music Alliance Pact - June 2010

Ακόμα μία συλλογή με τραγούδια πολύχρωμων ηχητικών αποχρώσεων από τη μουσική σκηνή 28 διαφορετικών χωρών. Καλή ακρόαση!

Σημείωση: Οι επιλογές που ξεχώρισα έχουν πράσινο χρώμα, χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνει ότι οι υπόλοιπες δεν μπορούν να κερδίσουν μία θέση στην καρδιά σας.

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


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


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


BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Superguidis - Nao Fosse O Bom Humor
Nao Fosse O Bom Humor is the main song of the 3rd album of southern Brazilian band Superguidis, released a few months ago. Its heavy riff and melodic lines remembers some of the best times of Foo Fighters, impression that, live, gets even stronger.


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


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


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


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


FINLAND: Glue
Kim Curly Band - Passerby
With the alias of Kim Curly, singer Kimmo Numminen delivers a sharp songwriting that combines intimate moments with full band Americana. Passerby, included in the Kim Curly Band debut album, is an uplifting rocker that reminds us of the most traditional Ryan Adams.


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


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


INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Mocca - Lucky Me
One may say that this band is the biggest name in the Indonesian Indie-pop scene.
And probably the sweetest voice you could ever hear.

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


ISRAEL: Metal Israel
Spawn Of Evil - Screamager (Therapy? Cover)
Spawn of Evil is a rambunctious death/thrash Zionist metal band with straight up metal influences mixed with Middle Eastern groove and a sense of humor. This is a cover of Therapy?'s hit Screamager, approved by Therapy? themselves.


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


JAPAN: JPOP Lover
Kafuka - Tracer
Check the unreleased track from the underground Electronica, Hyogo, Japan. Kafuka - just like 20th century's famous bohemian novelist - is an indie bedroom musician with ambient taste, playing lo-fi Guitar. Deeply weird, but satisfying post-rock with synthwave jams.


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


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

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

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


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


ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Butterflies In My Stomach - Another You
Butterflies In My Stomach started as a project in the spring of 2005. They are one of the few bands in the acid jazz/nu-jazz/trip-hop area in Romania. The name comes from the wonderful sensation that takes you by surprise and leaves its traces for a long time.


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


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


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


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

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


UNITED STATES: I Guess I'm Floating
Oberhofer - I Could Go
Oberhofer started as the solo, lo-fi bedroom project of Brad Oberhofer in Tacoma, Washington, only to develop into a full band once he moved to eastward to Brooklyn, New York. I Could Go is a great song with catchy percussion, climatic melodies, and wonderful whistling.






"She's a boy"


Το αγαπημένο μου τραγούδι (χάρη στην εξαίσια, όπως πάντα ερμηνεία της Etten) από το νέο δίσκο, 'Tech me away' του Mikael Delta απέκτησε ένα θαυμάσιο, ασπρόμαυρο video!



"I will haunt you in your sleep. All the ghosts that you see are a reflection of me"

Ο Matt Elliott άνοιξε την καρδιά του κερδίζοντας την απόλυτη προσοχή των παρευρισκομένων και μας χάρισε μία δίωρη περιήγηση σε θαμπούς, ρομαντικούς ήχους που οικοδομούνταν πάνω στην ακουστική του κιθάρα (ενίοτε χρησιμοποιούσε φλογέρες και μελόντικα) και αναμειγνύονταν εμπνευσμένα με ζωντανά ηχογραφημένα loops, χάνονταν στα βάθη της ισπανικής folk μουσικής και των πολιτισμικών στοιχείων της ευρωπαϊκής παράδοσης και μεταλλάσσονταν σταδιακά (σε κάποιες περιπτώσεις βυθίζονταν μέσα σε παραμορφώσεις, samples και προηχογραφήμενα drums και μπάσο) αποκτώντας νέα δυναμική. Ερμήνευε τους διάχυτα μελαγχολικούς στίχους του και τις ιστορίες που ξεπήδησαν από έντονα φορτισμένες μνήμες, συναισθηματικές καταστάσεις και γεγονότα άλλοτε ψιθυρίζοντας, άλλοτε δυναμώνοντας την ένταση της φωνής του, πάντοτε όμως με περίσσεια λυρική εκφραστικότητα.

s e t l i s t

(διέτρεξε το σύνολο της λαμπρής δισκογραφίας του)

Νέο τραγούδι
Something about ghosts

Desamparado
The Kübler-Ross model
I name this ship the tragedy, bless her & all who sail with her
The howling song
Planting seeds
The maid we messed
Νέο τραγούδι *
Bomb the stock exchange
The sinking ship song (δεν το ολοκλήρωσε)
Broken bones
Gloomy Sunday (διασκευή)
The Kursk

e n c o r e
The sinking ship song
Gone (ξέχασε τους στίχους)
The maid we messed (για δεύτερη φορά)
Gone



Matt Elliott - ...and I hope that you're dreaming of me, the way I'm forced to dream of you
Cotard's syndrome (from 'The mess we made')
The guilty party (from 'Drinking songs')

Desamparado (from 'Failing songs')

I name this ship the tragedy, bless her & all who sail with her (from 'Howling songs')

Follow their traces