Delve er tittelen på debutalbumet til det norske bandet Delvoid. Musikken er vanskelig å kategorisere; Delvoid har skapt sitt eget univers av lyder og stemninger. Bandet varierer  mellom en rolig og ettertenksom ambient-stemning som kan minne om Sigur Rós, men med en dyster undertone som varsler om noe mer; Delvoid trekker nemlig også i en tyngre, Tool-aktig retning. På toppen av dette er de også progressive, med uvanlige taktarter og kreativ låtstruktur. Heldigvis preges Delve av et organisk og dynamisk lydbilde, og de forskjellige elementene trekker bandet i én tydelig retning. Albumet er åpent, og maler et landskap og en følelse som vedvarer fra begynnelse til slutt. Sangene glir inn i hverandre, temaer går igjen, og med albumet i fokus har debutantene levert et solid produkt.

Delvoid frontes av den karismatiske vokalisten Alexander Jones-Tyridal. Han backes opp av tre dyktige musikere. Malende gitar, mektige trommer og minimalistisk bass skaper en fin balanse og et lydbilde det er lett å like. Vibrafon og chapman stick blir også tatt i bruk. Dette er alt. Delve inneholder ikke spor av synther eller elektroniske effekter, noe som påvirker albumet på både godt og vondt. Delvoid har valgt å la lytteren dvele ved rolige partier lenge, og selv om dette styrker følelsen av å dykke ned i det musikalske landskapet som Delve er, kan det bli en tålmodighetstest. Kombinasjonen av få instrumenter og partier som er i overkant langdryge gjør albumet mindre tilgjengelig. På den annen side skal gitarist Erik Halbakken ha ros for sin kreative tilnærming til gitaren, noe som gjør savnet etter andre instrumenter betydelig mindre. Albumskomposisjonen er også svært god, slik at det er vanskelig å legge fra seg. Ingen spor er dårlige, og alle viderefører og styrker albumet som helhet.

De viktigste og beste sangene på albumet er “Cognitive” og “Pretty Assumption”, som henholdsvis åpner og avslutter albumet, samt tittelsporet “Delve”, som bringer inn en sårt trengt nostalgisk varme på riktig tidspunkt. Disse låtene har det til felles at de er lett gjenkjennelige og originale – men de er også lange. Dette er ikke mainstream. Delvoid har forsøkt å demme opp for dette med den kortere låta “Keystone”. Den fungerer imidlertid mye bedre som en oppfølger til “Lost You In Deep Snow”, som hovedsakelig er en novelle (!) akkompagnert av stemningsskapende musikk, enn som en selvstendig singel.

Delve kan definitivt anbefales til alle som tror på albumet som kunstform. Måten Delvoid kombinerer det såre med det kunstneriske er briljant. Dynamikken, kreativiteten og den klare helhetstankegangen gjør at musikken er spennende å dykke ned i; bandet har åpenbart anstrengt seg for å komponere et album med en tydelig rød tråd. Med kompromissløs tro på det de ønsker å gjøre, har Delvoid skapt et spennende debutalbum som varsler om noe mer. Dette bandet kan nå langt.

(Den fysiske versjonen av albumet kan kjøpes på Big Dipper Records eller ved henvendelse til delvoidofficial@gmail.com.)

MAP, eller Music Alliance Pact, er et samarbeid mellom musikkblogger fra hvert sitt land rundt omkring i hele verden. Det fungerer sånn at alle hver måned velger ut et band og en låt fra sitt eget land, og alt sammen samles opp og postes hos alle.

Vårt bidrag denne måneden er Billie Van med låta “On My Knees”.

Klikk her for å laste ned alle 34 sangene i en fil

NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance
Billie Van – On My Knees

Billie Van’s music makes me reminisce back to the 50s and the 60s, when country music was good and Nancy Sinatra was the one; when rock ‘n’ roll meant four chords and terrific songs; when guitar solos were mandatory and slapback echo came from the amps. Her music is all of this – great pop songs, tearful country ballads and hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s also new and done in a refreshing way.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Nubes En Mi Casa – Aceleremos

Nubes En Mi Casa is an indie-pop band led by singer Josefina Mac Loughlin. Aceleremos is a preview from their upcoming second studio album, Me Suelto y Vuelvo. The song sounds like an instant hit and we’re sure it will become one of our favorite tracks of 2012, so we can’t wait to hear the rest of it.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Sures – The Sun

The Sun is a short burst of sunshine from Sydney duo Sures. It sounds like a Beach Boys outtake, which might sound boring given the number of bands out there paying homage to Wilson and Co. Fortunately, The Sun is just two minutes of harmonising over a dull melody – it’s a catchy tune that will have those of us in the southern hemisphere pressing repeat throughout summer.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Diver – Illusions

Quiet is the new loud. Diver, a folky trio from various places in Austria and Germany and now based in Vienna, play beautifully melancholic songs with three acoustic guitars and lyrics that go “everyday reality is an illusion of possibilities”. Illusions is the opener of their first full-length album Kites, which will be out later this month. In the meantime you can listen to their self-titled debut EP on Bandcamp.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Bixiga 70 – Balboa Da Silva

Bixiga 70 is what happens when you combine African beats, jazz and Brazilian swing in a city as hectic as São Paulo, where they’re from. Their first CD was released last year and is available to download at the band’s website.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Honheehonhee – We Only Go

There’s more than a hint of early Arcade Fire to We Only Go but, as someone who misses early Arcade Fire, I don’t see why that’s a strike against Honheehonhee. Besides, this song (not to mention the rest of their debut, Shouts) is exuberant, unhinged fun, and the world can always use more music like that.

CHILE: Super 45
Los Embajadores – Peso

From all the tips made in the Chilean music scene for this year, Los Embajadores is one of the most interesting. Romantic goth-pop songs reminiscent of Cocteau Twins as well as the darkest hours of Miguel Bosé. Faisanes is the name of their soon-to-come new album, and Peso (“Weight”) is its first single.

CHINA: Wooozy
Elenore – Psycho Man

Beijing-based Elenore formed in late 2009 and have developed a sound influenced by bands such as Oasis, Kasabian and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The single Psycho Man fuses 60s swing drum loops, fuzzy guitar riffs and a Middle Eastern instrumental chorus which became a hit on China’s popular site Douban. In February, Elenore will release their first EP both on CD and the band’s own digital distribution site.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Nelson Can – Apple Pie

Danish girl-trio Nelson Can release their eponymous debut EP this month as part of a triple EP release with The Freudian Slip and Echo Me. Punk aesthetics spoon with pop flair and hipster cool on their first single Apple Pie, which reaffirms that apples are indeed a good thing. Like the girls on Facebook and check out the video for Apple Pie on YouTube.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
Money – Who’s Going To Love You Now

A four-piece based in Manchester, Money are part of that city’s tradition of earnest young men, “the weight on their shoulder”, as Ian Curtis once sang. They quote Austrian poet Rilke, while their Facebook features a “eulogy for the death of everything”. A recent Guardian New Band of the Day article contended that they “have a similar air of mystery and cerebral intensity to Wu Lyf, with a vocalist who can do enigmatically gruff as well as fervid and angelic”, positing them as the Mancunian Manic Street Preachers, with a shared sense of the sacred and intense.

ESTONIA: Popop
Zebra Island – Falling Through

Mysterious Zebra Island rocketed into blogs and social networks at the very end of 2011 and everyone in Estonia seems to love them, although no-one knows much about the band. Zebra Island is led by Rasmus Lill from Kosmofon (featured in the March 2011 edition of MAP) and beautiful vocals are provided by Helina Risti. Falling Through, their first and only song so far, is a lovely, pulsating electro-pop masterpiece that keeps you wanting for much more Zebra Island.

FINLAND: Glue
Greymouth – The Boy

Singer and songwriter Elisa Husu founded Greymouth in the summer of 2011 to recreate her folky songs with a full band. The Boy is the first taster of this project and highlights Elisa’s beautiful voice on top of epic acoustic sounds with a marked Fleet Foxes influence.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Concrete Knives – Brand New Start

A perfect title for the first song of the year, Brand New Start is a highly enjoyable pop song, so good it’s featured in a commercial, and so fresh with its choir and upbeat sound, I would name it song of the year. Very good proof that the French indie scene is better than ever.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Apparat – Ash/Black Veil

This month we’ve got one of the most discussed German artists of last year. Apparat’s 2011 album The Devil’s Walk took the concept of Sascha Ring, the man behind the moniker, further. The soundscapes created feels like a cairn, carefully layered and poised, yet built to last; but Ring has decided to use his falsetto, which has caused controversy with reviewers. Decide for yourself if this concept works well on Ash/Black Veil. I think it does!

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Hristos Lainas – H Thlipsi To Brady

Hristos Lainas’ first solo album, I Agapi Tha Lampsi (“Love Will Shine”) is stuffed to the brim with alluring pop melodies, drenched in skittering 12-bit samplers, filtered vocals, warm and luscious analog synths and infused with a pleasant aura of drowsiness. Lainas assembles an array of sounds and textures, adds sporadic splashes of static atmosphere and in the process creates a magnificent listening environment of rose-tinted optimism and disenchantment. H Thlipsi To Brady (“Sadness In The Night”) submerges a sense of intense feeling within its 80s fantasy electronic ether and instantly takes hold of your ears.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Toggi – Let Them Bleed

This catchy little song, taken from the Iceland king of pop’s second album Wonderful Secrets, should be the anthem for any self-respecting Occupy movement. Feeling a need to protest? Then let Toggi’s tune occupy your mind and fire you up.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Belkastrelka – Pujian Ekspatriat

Belkastrelka are an eccentric electronic duo who sample sounds from various sources – windows, the library, television, nature and everything else. Combined with the tiny but wild vocals of Asa Rahmana, they create feral dance music.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Collie Collins & Monto – How Does?!?

A collaboration indicative of Ireland’s growing insurgency against genre borders, Keep Her Lit is an EP which was released last year from Dublin rapper Collie Collins. Teaming up with producer Monto for four tracks of electronic-infused rap, the result is something wholly Irish yet globally progressive. It’s a free download too.

ITALY: Polaroid
Esperanza – Aliante Giallo

Three skilled musicians and DJs put together a project devoted to an idea of music with no barriers. The sound ranges from chillwave to house, from trip-hop to psychedelia, and becomes a wide landscape. Featuring a collaboration with Banjo Or Freakout and released on the prestigious German label Gomma, this album works magic when the bpms slow down and the electronics becomes warmer and warmer.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Praha Depart – Portrait Man

Praha Depart demand attention, the Tokyo band mixing constantly morphing guitar with drum smashes to create mesmerizing tracks that reveal new sonic details with each new listen. All of those elements appear on Portrait Man, but the highlight of the song is lead singer Mai and her jittery voice. Over the course of Portrait Man, her vocals bring to mind Lydia Lunch before zigging towards a style reminiscent of Sue Tompkins of Life Without Buildings.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Dolls For Idols – Run

Dolls For Idols are an electronic band underpinned by indie and pop sensibilities. Their music embraces 80s-inspired synthesised sounds and the 90s rave generation, all served up with an attitude that is very much rooted in the here and now.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Los Mundos – Ni Un Segundo Más Sin Música

Los Mundos is a long-distance collaboration that perfectly speaks about musical memory and desertic solitude. The title of this lush pop-shoegaze song means “Not a second more without music”. Indeed, it’s the urgent need of a music lover: to spend all their time in a record store (how nostalgic), living their days wearing headphones with an obsession for everything that spins – very accurate for a band whose name in Spanish translates as “The Worlds”.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
Hospital Bombers – Traditional Maori Fight Song #9

This self-proclaimed stadium-folk outfit have been in hiding for too long, sitting on a wealth of new material that they’ve struggled to shape into that ‘difficult second album’. Thankfully, this month they’ll finally release the sequel to 2008′s Footnotes – the grandly titled At Budokan. Their lovingly lo-fi folk-pop is always rougher and rawer in the live setting, but this new collection again shows them up to be masters of careful songcraft, albeit unashamedly quirky songcraft that’s emblazoned with handclaps and violins.

PERU: SoTB
Chico Unicornio – Triángulo

Once again, it is the independent scene that gives us another interesting musical proposal. Chico Unicornio is a one-man project that combines acoustic folk sounds with a nice Andean instrument called a charango. The music that this young man makes is new to our local sound, giving it a freshness and novelty.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
We Trust – Time (Better Not Stop)

We Trust is André Tentugal’s one-man band. In 2011, Time (Better Not Stop) was one of the most-played tracks by a new independent artist on Portuguese radio. We are proud to have it here, exclusively, for download for MAP readers. You can also find it on We Trust’s debut album, These New Countries, which was released in November.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Coughy – Precambrian

Coughy are an experimental duo residing in Bucharest, featuring former and current band members of The Amsterdams. Therefore it is regarded as a creative playground where everything is accepted as a form of expression without the self-censorship required when playing in a regular and quite popular indie-rock band.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
M A Y Г L E Y – Farfour

M A Y Г L E Y are getting ready to strike Russia’s cruel winter with an ancient God’s spell, drowned in a wall of sound. Religion, symbolism, adrenaline, isolated genres and the naked language of post-Stalin 60s influence this psychedelic shoegaze project, who have made a great record.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Make Sparks – Your Heart’s On Fire

Scotland’s rock scene is firmly in the spotlight thanks to the wildly successful exploits of Biffy Clyro and young pretenders Twin Atlantic. For those looking for the next band to follow in their footsteps, two contenders stand out: Make Sparks and LightGuides (featured in the July 2010 edition of MAP). Catchy choruses are fitted as standard on Make Sparks, who are making all the right noises with their relentless touring and recording ethic, slick promo videos and a vivacious pop sensibility.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Riot !n Magenta – CTRL

Do androids dream of electric sheep? One thinks of such things when the contrast between the organic and inorganic meld together into a primordial blur of passion. Riot !n Magenta gently slip into the stream of your thoughts with Hayashida Ken’s dark, pulsing rhythms and Eugenia Yip’s wispful and forlorn vocal delivery. There’s tension in every stem as the words haze through: “I try to take it slow, you go faster…You need control…”. Definitely hoping to hear more from this special duo.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Jeremy Loops – The Gypsy Opera

Jeremy Loops is not a traditional band. He creates music on the spot with his gamut of loop pedals and impromptu collaborations. With The Gypsy Opera, he brings together his delicate mix of folk, hip-hop, bluegrass funk and blues all by using his guitar, ukelele, harmonica and beatboxing skills. It is something rather magical to behold.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Galaxy Express – As Time Passes, Always Been Good

Galaxy Express is one of the best rock bands in Korea and have been for quite some time. During their Wild 30 project in 2010, a 30-day quest during which they recorded a piece of music for their Wild Days album every day, they showed that they put on the best of performances, even just going to karaoke. In late 2011, Galaxy Express released split EP Naughty Boy with Korean punk pioneers Crying Nut, which contained a re-recording of the somewhat atypical but gorgeous and engaging As Time Passes, Always Been Good from those wild days. Look out for more from Galaxy Express in 2012 as they’re heading for a US tour in March and playing SXSW for the second time.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Dolores – Volcán

Dolores are four, they’re from Madrid and they are certainly one of the best hopes for noise-rock made in Spain. Post-punk and shoegaze are two of the genres Dolores mix for achieving their sound (which is also spiced up with a touch of good ol’ pop and loads of energy). A good bit of that power can be heard on Volcán (“Volcano”), whose stunning rhythm will invite you to dance the hell out of yourself. And you won’t be able to refuse.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Blanket – Hailey Fought The Law

Want to watch a video starring the runner-up of the figure roller-skating world championships dressed as a rabbit? Here you go. Given that Blanket’s accompanying song is a fragile and psychedelic piece of awesomeness, we obviously have a win-win situation.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Haossaa – Holgar Godoni

Last year, Ozan Aktuna, Enis Özbek and Tolga Güldallı, three-pieced avant garde noise band Haossaa, became legends in the indie scene of Istanbul, mostly for their extraordinary live performances. And when their debut LP came out last September, their reputation finally got crowned.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Fantasy Island – Avenue

One of 2012′s more promising American groups is Fantasy Island, a Los Angeles duo responsible for a pair of intriguing, soulful jams since their formation in late 2011. They’ve got a new single out on UK label Stroll On Records and a debut album on the horizon. With a song like Avenue (and the equally fantastic Breaking A Heart) it’s hard to keep wild expectations in check… guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the year cooks up.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Okills – Nube

Okills is a band that started in mid-2010 and fuses alternative indie-rock with other genres, resulting in some fun music. In September 2011, they released their Iniciando Transmisión EP for free via the web in a pack that includes six songs, illustrations and photos of the band.

André

1. Team Me – To The Treetops
2. mylittlepony – Making Marks
3. Beirut – The Rip Tide
4. Einar Stray – Chiaroscuro
5. Lama – Endless Repeats
6. Professor Pez – The Pez Mode
7. Jonas Alaska – Jonas Alaska
8. Treefight For Sunlight - Treefight For Sunlight
9. Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
10. Magnus Moriarty – Kodachromerockopera

Ardis

1. Rubik – Solar
2. Team Me – To The Treetops
3. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
4. The Lionheart Brothers – Matters Of Love And Nature
5. Synne Sanden – When nobody’s around
6. Jonas Alaska – Jonas Alaska
7. Beirut – The Rip Tide
8. Einar Stray – Chiaroscuro
9. Your Headlights Are On – Your Headlights Are On
10. Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence

Eskil

1. Panda Bear – Tomboy
2. James Blake – James Blake
3. The Strokes – Angles
4. Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
5. Wilco – The Whole Love
6. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
7. Björk – Biophilia
8. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
9. The Streets – Computers And Blues
10. Little Dragon – Ritual Union

Ole Torstein

1. Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
2. Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital
3. Splashgirl – Pressure
4. Jens Carelius – The Architect
5. Team Me – To The Treetops
6. EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
7. Rumble In Rhodos – Signs of Fervent Devotion
8. Moonface – Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped
9. Smiths Westerns – Dye It Blonde
10. Jonas Alaska – Jonas Alaska

Peter

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
2. Ane Brun – It All Starts With One
3. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise
4. Feist – Metals
5. 120 Days – 120 Days II
6. James Blake – James Blake
7. Casiokids -Aabenbaringen over aaskammen
8. My Morning Jacket – Circuital
9. Jonas Alaska – Jonas Alaska
10. Team Me – To the Treetops

Thea

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
2. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
3. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
4. Blouse – Blouse
5. Destroyer – Kaputt
6. Agnes Obel – Philharmonics
7. Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
8. Siri Nilsen – Alle snakker sant
9. Nils Petter Molvær – Baboon Moon
10. Washed Out – Within and Without

Det er lavmælt elektronika fra Benjamin Finger, en låt du finner på hans album For You, Sleepsleeper, eller skamløs elektronika fra den veldig underkjente, men fortsatt fantastiske Torkelsen. Du finner også hjerteskjærende indiepop slik bare svensker gjør det, med Dreamboy sin ”Christmas Kisses”, og ikke minst Sufjan Stevens, mannen som virkelig har omfavnet jula og julemusikken. Denne gangen er det “Sister Winter”, en sår ballade om vinterdepresjon og ensomhet. Vi hadde også plass til Norges nye store julesupergruppe, og da snakker jeg såklart om Sunturns, og låta “Summer For Christmas”. Til slutt fant jeg en lavmælt, men perfekt avslutning i Ergo sin tolkning av “O Helga Natt”.

I tillegg må jeg si takk til Kristine Zipfel, som har laget et fantastisk cover!

God jul!

Last ned!

Klikk her for å laste ned (63,5 MB)

Tracklist:

1. Dreamboy – Christmas kisses
2. Torkelsen – Have yourself a merry little christmas (Judy Garland)
3. Anne Lene Hägglund – Music For Calendars
4. I Was A King – The Night Before
5. Sleep Party People – Silent Night
6. Sunturns – Summer for christmas
7. Benjamin Finger - Snowflakes In Love Celebrating Christmas On Glue Backwards
8. Sufjan Stevens – Sister Winter
9. Ergo – O Helga Natt

VI har også lagt ut igjen fjorårets mikstape – med blant annet Moddi, Blitzen Trapper og Slow Club. Den finner du her.

Obs! Begge mixtapene er kun tilgjengelig i en begrenset periode!

MAP, eller Music Alliance Pact, er et samarbeid mellom musikkblogger fra hvert sitt land rundt omkring i hele verden. Det fungerer sånn at alle hver måned velger ut et band og en låt fra sitt eget land, og alt sammen samles opp og postes hos alle.

Vårt bidrag denne måneden er Sunturns med låta “Hallelujah (Christmas Is Here!)”.

Klikk her for å laste ned alle 34 sangene i en fil

NORWAY: Birds Sometimes Dance
Sunturns – Hallelujah (Christmas Is Here!)

Sunturns can perhaps be labeled an indie supergroup – or not just an indie super group, but a Christmas indie supergroup. It’s something as rare as a full-time Christmas band and is comprised of some of the best musicians from the Oslo indie scene, with members from bands such as mylittlepony, Monzano and The Little Hands of Asphalt. They sing about both the nice and the more melancholic sides of Christmas. Their debut album, cleverly titled Christmas, is out now.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
The Empire Of The Moon – Transition

The Empire Of The Moon is the new project of Juan Sábato, a former member of Brian Storming, a band that was featured in the first edition of MAP (and, by the way, the grandson of writer Ernesto Sábato). Transition is the first single from The Empire Of The Moon’s just-released debut EP, Saturday Children, for which he wrote all the music, lyrics and beautiful pop arrangements.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Tim Fitz – The Line

Tim Fitz is a 21-year-old producer/instrumentalist/singer from Sydney. He put out his first EP, Infinite Space, in March but his latest release, Beforetime, is definitely a rich picking. Some might hear genre spanning and others will hear indecisiveness, but there’s a great feel to this collection of tracks. The Line is a good example of Fitz’s kaleido-instrumentals. Just as the flouncy percussion gets into the proper swing of things, we get bombarded by drive-high fuzz around the one-minute mark. Fitz’s sound is original, but the way he has put his sounds together is still familiar enough to catch on to.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Nana Rizinni – Nice Figure, Dangerous Heart

It’s almost 2012, but listening to this song from singer/drummer Nana Rizinni can take you back to the 90s with an awesome “sounds like The Breeders feeling”. Nice Figure, Dangerous Heart is from her first album, I Said, which is available to download from her website.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Fevers – Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)

Fevers’ debut full-length (which is currently free via Bandcamp) is a wonderful blend of disco-pop and ambient Stars/Young Galaxy-style space-rock. This song, the title track from the album, falls firmly into the former category. It’s five and a half minutes of a glorious, life-affirming, wave-your-arms-in-the-air anthem, and it sets the stage for one of the best albums of the year.

CHILE: Super 45
Tio Lucho – Ilusión Rebelde

Even though Tio Lucho had an aggressive, non-conformist punk sound when they started, it has developed into a more danceable and, clearly, more passive format. Produced by Chalo González, their new album Innombrable, released through Cazador, has a strong new wave influence. Ilusión Rebelde is its first single.

CHINA: Wooozy
Mini Train Heart – Just This Feeling

Formed in 2009, Mini Train Heart is a peculiar band based in Wuhan. The band is noted for their unpredictable drumbeats and manic vocals. Also, you can’t easily tell who their influences are. We recommend you just drown in the lo-fi atmosphere and enjoy their uniquely dry humor in how they see this generation.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Anchorless – A Step Too Steep

Comprising members of bands such as Lack, The River Phoenix and The Fashion, indie-rock six-piece Anchorless are currently finishing their debut album, which I assume will be released early-ish next year. Until then dive in, dig and download A Step Too Steep from their six-song eponymous 2010 debut EP, which you can in fact download in full through this link.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
Citizens! – True Romance (Populette remix)

This is an exclusive remix of the debut single, True Romance, by a London-based five-piece who have just signed to French electronic/indie label Kitsuné. Their debut album, due early next year, has been produced by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. The video to the single was directed by LA’s High5Collective, the team behind shorts for The Weeknd and Odd Future. And they believe that “pop is not a dirty word. It’s a holy one”. For Citizens!, pop is something David Bowie did in the 70s – they conflate glam-era Bowie and Bowie in Berlin with some of the tart arrogance of Suede and louche energy of Franz.

ESTONIA: Popop
Shelton San – Well-Behaved

Noise-rock band Shelton San started rocking the small Estonian indie scene in 2002 and, almost 10 years later, they are stronger than ever, creating massive, raw, hypnotic atmospheres, always polished, but never sterile. In 2006, they received the Estonian Music Award for the best punk/metal artist. Shelton San’s second LP was released on December 12.

FINLAND: Glue
Zebra And Snake – Burden

Matti and Tapio, best known as Zebra And Snake, positioned themselves as the next big thing in Finnish electro-pop in 2010 and since then, the duo has been carefully crafting their debut album while playing anywhere from Iceland to Indonesia. Burden, the first single off Healing Music (out in spring 2012), is an epic pop song with a Blood On The Dance Floor beat, analogue electronic hooks and powerful Bowie-esque vocals.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Marauders – Galley-Slave

Marauders formed in the late 80s in Strasbourg, and have been making garage rock ever since, before it was cool and re-popularized by The Black Keys. The quartet, who have released two LPs and appeared in various compilations, play short, edgy songs and are pretty awesome live. Galley-Slave is a sweet, soft-rock ballad that deserves some attention.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Kraków Loves Adana – Silver Screen

The Black Forest, a myth. Since Kraków Loves Adana come from Freiburg, we can all speculate whether the forest has its influence or not. Hence, the sound of this duo is outstanding. The voice of Deniz Cicek is remarkably dark and complex, the use of the instruments is deliberate, creating deep and slightly ominous songs. Silver Screen is a MAP exclusive from their upcoming second album, which will be released in early 2012.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
2L8 – Let It Go

A collective led by K the Clown and comprised of talented Greek musicians, 2L8 is a bold and electrifying project that has come to be categorized by their radical stylistic shifts between albums. New Battles, Without Honor And Humanity is packed with feverous instrumental intensity and florid arrangements based on bursting guitars, pounding drums, subtle and luminous climaxes, dramatic strings and brass, hypnotically simple melodies, inner monologues and trembling, frantically passionate vocals, desperate and bleak lyrics about resistance, equity, freedom, love and equality coupled with a sense of hope.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Low Roar – Friends Make Garbage, Good Friends Take It Out

Low Roar is the personal project of Ryan Karazija who, almost two years ago, moved from San Francisco to Reykjavík to follow the love of his life. His self-titled debut chronicles the challenges of starting anew in a foreign land and the struggles to acclimatize, find work and support his family in the Icelandic winter. Friends Make Garbage, Good Friends Take It Out, one of the highlights of the album, is a haunting, emotive and slightly melancholic song with a melody that will undoubtedly keep playing in your head long after the song is over.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Stars And Rabbit – Worth It

Stars And Rabbit are probably one of this country’s most promising indie acts. The duo mix some soul from Joan Baez, the cuteness of Lisa Mitchell and the playful touch of Björk to produce catchy, beautiful pop songs.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Come On Live Long – Elephants And Time

Formed last year, Come On Live Long have picked up a steady pace in no time as evident on the release of their latest EP entitled Mender. They make far-reaching alternative songs with considerable melodies, synths and a strong singular sound. Production by Nouveaunoise electronic maestro Conor Gaffney helps too. Ones to watch.

ITALY: Polaroid
Distanti – Astronomie

Distanti sing in Italian, but even if you don’t speak our old and praiseworthy language, I’m sure you’ll understand – in fact, you will totally feel the way Distanti tear up their post-punk sound. Visceral. Urgent. Clever. They just released a new EP, Mamba Nero, which you can get at To Lose La Track. And try to catch Distanti live, they’re amazing.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Love And Hates – Party Trash

Love And Hates is a collaboration between Yuppa and Moe, two of the best indie artists in Japan today, from HNC and Miila And The Geeks respectively. Love And Hates finds them teaming up to make rap music with indie-pop touches, or kindergarten hip-hop as they dubbed it. Party Trash, with its cutesy chopped-and-screwed intro and solid structure, is not a lame dorm-room joke but rather a fun, appreciative stab at the genre. UGK they are not, but they still feel like a blast.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
nosnow/noalps – Far Into The Night (Without You)

nosnow/noalps began its journey over mountainous terrain in early 2007 with their poppy indie-rock seasoned with punk, reggae and ska. Soon after, the quartet hit the live circuit with an energy and force comparable to an avalanche at a Swiss ski resort. The band’s first EP, Just Rock, came out in 2008 and they released their debut album, Romantikpolitik, this August.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
3Ball MTY – Ritmo Alterado

The city of Monterrey, in northern Mexico, is struggling in a war against drug-mafias: despite the violent context, a new musical genre is rising thanks to 3Ball MTY. Led by veteran electro-cumbia DJ Toy Selectah and a crew of skillful producers in their early 20s, the collective have created a new sound by merging polka, reggaeton and acid-tribal-techno. But the most peculiar thing about this trend is the style of dancing – like dodging bullets – while wearing ultra-long pointy boots. Curious? Just google ‘Pointy Mexican Boots’.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
Spoelstra – Pallets

An alternative to the schmaltz of typical Christmas sounds, enjoy a dose of Spoelstra. He’s a collaborator with Dutch experimental label Narrominded, which specialises in all sorts of fantastic non-profitable sounds, from full-on noise rock to electronic warbles. And Spoelstra is a perfect fit, as he’s proven capable of both. His latest album Pallets was released earlier in the year. Packaged as a cassette and a book about everything you can imagine about pallets, it showcases a full rack of effects and a wonky mind. Part chip tune, part drunken country improv, part toy noise, this uneasiness is how Santa feels come Boxing Day.

NEW ZEALAND: Einstein Music Journal
The Eversons – I’m A Conservative

Fronted by Mark Turner (ex-Little Pictures) and with Chris Young (Insurgents, No Aloha), Tim Shann and Blair Everson, The Eversons have a crisp, clear garage-rock vibe that strongly recalls Art Brut and American college rock with its undeniable catchiness and the immediate satisfaction this brings. With classic guitar riffs and day-in-the-life-style lyrics, their debut five-song EP is instantly likeable. This is one of those bands that doesn’t muck around, delivering a top-class release very early in their career, which makes us excited about future things to come from them.

PERU: SoTB
Gris Volta – You Go Behind The Truth

Formed at the beginning of 2008, Gris Volta have too many influences to place the band into one genre – you can find anything from indie-rock to jazz themes and experimental music in their songs. Their debut record Monochrome is without doubt one of the best Peruvian albums released this year.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Julie & The Carjackers – Mr Williams

One year ago, Julie & The Carjackers released their debut EP. Now the first album by João Correia (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Bruno Pernadas (guitar), with the help of some friends (none of them called Julie), is available. Parasol has been warmly welcomed by Portuguese press and blogs as a surprising and refreshing debut in the local indie scene.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Absurdcus – Puppy Slippers

Absurdcus is the solo project of Transylvanian bass player/multi-instrumentalist Laszlo Demeter. His music has been a continuous work in progress since 2003, when he first started recording bits and pieces under this pseudonym. His music stylistically ranges from alternative rock and funk to electronica and even metal. You can download his debut album here.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
Arktor – Pier ft. Didjelirium

Just like the original story by Philip K. Dick, Arktor’s album Retreat Syndrome recreates the atmosphere of madness and insanity, combining truth and despair with the skills of his mate, jazz pianist Ilz. Pier is recorded with a special guest, Shanghai rapper Didjelirium.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Café Disco – Terra Nova

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Terra Nova by Glasgow-based newcomers Café Disco. It was on a shaky YouTube clip filmed in June 2011 during one of the band’s earliest gigs. “Contains the peachiest guitar riff I’ve heard in ages” is how I described the song on my blog back then – and that verdict hasn’t changed with this studio recording, which was funded by The Pop Cop for the sole purpose of giving it away through the Music Alliance Pact, together with this rather fun promo video.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Sonicbrat – Bed Of Forty Winks

Sonicbrat is the enduring moniker of sound artist Darren Ng, whose work is characterised by an intricate tapestry of field recordings and found sounds, strung together by subtly processed acoustic instrumentation with a classical bent. Gentle, stirring and complex, Ng’s music is the sort that invites itself into and comfortably inhabits one’s imagination. His latest release, Hana, is his musing on the life of a flowering plant and is available as a free download on the Totokoko label.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
The Frown – The National (Yesterday’s Pupil remix)

The Frown makes a curious mixture of folk and electronica. With their song The National, Yesterday’s Pupil’s remix adds a special touch to it, with a heady mix of soaring strings and orchestration, low tempo colliding beats, dark and menacing basslines and the fragile yet commanding vocals of Eve Rakow. Ethereal and enigmatic, it’s one of the year’s most exciting songs.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Kim Mok In – Scene

Kim Mok In started out as the guitarist of playful lo-fi folk quartet Cabinet Singalongs over a decade ago. This month he released his first solo album, Song Of Musician’s-self, with an updated sound and better production that still shouldn’t leave any old fan disappointed. Scene is a song about the Korean music scene which finds Kim Mok In’s voice and guitar accompanied by a sturdy piano.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Doble Pletina – Cruzo Los Dedos

Doble Pletina, a five-piece from Barcelona, were born from the ashes of Abrevadero (a one-of-a-kind cover band that would play songs of almost any genre). Thanks to their simple yet carefully crafted melodies and everyday life-inspired emotional lyrics – as in their latest single Cruzo Los Dedos – they have broken into the city’s local independent scene. They are, basically, what we would expect from a good indie-pop band.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Let’s Say We Did – Galaxies

If your idea of Swedish music is something exotic like Lykki Li, First Aid Kit, Little Dragon and/or Jens Lekman, the music of Let’s Say We Did might surprise you. On the whole, the new record hews closer to Big Star meets Wilco dad-rock than the drum and bass electronica music coming out of Sweden of late. Sebastian Fors is one of the main men behind the band. He has been contributing to the Swedish music scene for a few years in multiple projects. Let’s Say We Did’s new self-titled album, though, is some of the best stuff I’ve heard from him.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Alejandro Jiménez – Die Fragestellung In Frage Stellen

Alejandro Jiménez is actually more poetry slam than singer-songwriting. He also had the honour of playing in the most famous theater in Switzerland for cabaret artists. On his second record, Nabelschau, he recorded 11 songs which have one thing in common: they’re raw and personal.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Toz Ve Toz – Kara Mamba

Founded in November 2007, Toz Ve Toz make experimental songs that combine elements of jazz, surf, punk and Turkish classical music. The trio use guitar, synthesizer, drums, harmonica and bağlama – a Turkish instrument with three double strings. They have released two albums – the first featured music for a theatre play called Sahici İnsanlar Plastik Ölümler (“Real People Plastic Deaths”) in 2009; the second is a home recording called Ev/Home. Their third album will be released from their own record label soon.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Gracie – Sisters

Philadelphia’s Gracie is an intriguing project to say the least. There is bedroom pop and garage rock, but the vibes coming from Gracie match more of a bomb shelter banger sound. Haunting, effervescent, glitchy, mesmerizing echoes, and driving beats that propel your ears forward straight through tangles of sonic cobwebs. Can’t wait to snag this unique release via Small Plates soon.

Hør to nye låter fra den kommende EP-en (The Drummer is) The Centerpiece of The Exhibition.

Yoyoyo Acapulco er ikke så sukkersøte og koselig ukulelepoppete som du kanskje husker dem, nå ser det ut til at fuzzpedalen er en ganske permanent kompis til den hawaiianske firestrengeren.

EP-en blir på seks spor og blir gitt ut på CD i hundre eksemplarer. I tillegg til egne låter blir det covere av My Bloody Valentine og – get this – Katy Perry.

Her kan du hvertfall høre to av låtene fra den kommende EP-en:

Yoyoyo Acapulco – Girlfriend

Yoyoyo Acapulco – I wanna go there

Er det én festival jeg angrer på at jeg ikke dro på i år så er det Pstereo. De hadde en fantastisk lineup med blant annet The Tallest Man on Earth, Washed Out og Best Coast.  Forhåpentligvis blir ikke neste år noe dårligere. Nå har i alle fall første artistslipp kommet, og så langt lover det bra. De første artistene er Team Me, Jonas Alaska, Driver Drive Faster, Rustie og Raga Rockers.

Festivalen skriver selv:

“Britiske Rustie og Driver Drive Faster har gjort furore med nyskapende og meget spennende debutalbum innen henholdsvis dubstep og indierock, mens fra hjemlige trakter feirer Raga Rockers 30 år med en aller siste rockefest på Marinen, og årets to store pop-platedebutanter Jonas Alaska og Team Me sikrer en dose av ny, norsk musikk på sitt beste.”

For mer info, sjekk Pstereo sin hjemmeside

Ny låt fra norges koseligste krølltopp. Hør og last ned gratis.

Etter å ha spilt nærmere 200 konserter i både inn- og utland over en toårsperiode trekker Moddi seg litt tilbake for å få seg et pust i bakken og skrive nytt materiale. I mellomtiden kan du kose deg med den fine nye låta “Thimbleweed”.

For å laste ned trykker du bare “download” i playeren over.

Har du spist opp all sjokoladen i lukene allerede? Fortvil ikke. Her er en liste over kalendere du ikke kan spise opp.

Alternativ julekalender

Folkene i Riot Factory har for femte året i rad satt i gang sin digitale julekalender, hvor man hver dag får en eller flere nye julelåter fra noen av Norges beste band og musikere.

alternativjulekalender.no

by:Larm julekalender

Bransjefestivalen har i år, som i fjor, disket opp med en julekalender hvor man hver dag kan delta i en konkurranse – i dag er f.eks premien et festivalpass – i tillegg til at de annonserer et band som skal spille.

bylarm.no/nor/julekalender

Sunturns videokalender

Juleindiesupergruppa Sunturns har laget en fin liten videokalender, her er første luke. Følg med på Facebook-siden deres utover for å få med deg resten.

Vet du om flere musikk-relaterte julekalendere? Da kan du tipse oss i kommentarfeltet.

God jul! (eller god advent)

Det er visst mange flinke folk i Bremnesfamilien, og nå er det unge Kaja Bremnes sin tur ut. Til forskjell fra resten av familien velger Kaia å synge på engelsk, noe som forsåvidt fungerer greit. Med enkle og poppa elektronika-inspirerte låter tar plata deg med på et eventyr som til tider føles litt for enkelt.

Det er helt klart på tide at det kom en plate fra Kaia, for det er tross alt ikke et helt ukjent navn i den norske musikkverdenen og plata har visstnok vært ferdig en god stund, men dessverre er ikke helheten på plata helt på topp, og den kunne med hell fått godgjort seg enda litt til. Den inneholder til gjengjeld mange gode enkeltsanger som man ender opp med å nynne på i de merkeligste situasjoner. Sjangermessig føles det som om unge kaia ikke har funnet seg selv helt enda, men det er nesten der og plata gir virkelig håp om en super oppfølger – og det får meg til å glede meg litt allerede, for jeg regner med at det kommer mer fra denne dama i fremtiden og det topper nok lett denne utgivelsen!