It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

My favourites this month are Scotland, Brazil and the Netherlands, but also Argentina, Australia, Chile, Ireland, Italy, Mexico and New Zealand are worth a good listen. And Norway too, of course!

Enjoy MAP!

To download all 35 songs in one file click here

This month's Norwegian artist: Drivan

NORWAY: Eardrums
Drivan – Hart i Ögat
This month’s Norwegian MAP artist may as well be called a Nordic band because half of them are Swedes and the other two are from Finland and Norway. The Norwegian member is Kim Hiorthöy, well known as an electronic musician, graphic designer, illustrator, filmmaker and writer. Unlike his other recordings, Drivan’s debut Disko is mostly acoustic and has a very organic sound. It’s very much a pop record, but a weird and wonderful one, full of field recordings, strange lo-fi sounds and partial conversations. The vocals are sung in Swedish by Lisa Östberg, Louise Peterhoff and Kristiina Viiala, who also have taken part in composing the songs together with Hiorthoy. Disko is released on Smalltown Supersound.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Mompox – Feel Alright
This is one of our favorite tracks from Mompox’s debut album, Mompox & The Big Umbrella. The recording process took almost two years and if you listen to the album it’s easy to understand why – it contains 16 songs with more than 30 musicians playing all kinds of instruments. The sound is a mixture of American pop from the 50s, with a bit of psychedelic rock and experimental sounds. It’s a very eclectic record, so start with Feel Alright and then visit their MySpace for more songs if you like them.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Fishing – OOOO
For a pair of low-key beat-makers from Sydney, Fishing have seen an impressive ascent from small Tumblrs through to Pitchfork’s Playlist with barely an official release behind them. Without wanting to reduce them to a fad, Fishing capitalise on the chillwave trend and infuse their summery vibe with an heavy dose of limping glitch-hop. Heard it before? You may have heard something similar, but Fishing really do have the skills that leave the other bros with their blunts and laptops in the dust.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Neon Night Riders – South Travelling
Echoes from bands such as M83, Arab Strap and The Jesus And Mary Chain can be felt in South Travelling by duo Neon Night Riders. The song infuses the synthpop, Britpop and shoegaze influences that are the hallmark of their work. Their first full-length, The Neon Album, is available to download at the band’s Last.fm page.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
The Love Machine – Be A Path
Once upon a time (that is, their first two EPs), The Love Machine were a fairly generic emo-pop band, albeit one that knew how to bring it live. With the release of their first full-length, Sweater Weather, however, TLM have transformed. They’re still a great live band but, for the first time, they’re equally great on record. This song captures that growth as well as anything. It’s dark, heavy and, best of all, impossible to forget.

CHILE: Super 45
Denver – Lo Que Quieras
With straightforward pop their main goal, the songs of Denver – comprising Mariana Montenegro and Milton Mahan – evoke the sound of bands such as Abba, Electric Light Orchestra and those from the golden years of Motown Records. Their new single, Lo Que Quieras (“What You Want”), is one of the finest songs of the year. It is full of youthful promises and an epic mixture of string arrangements and sweet choirs.

CHINA: Wooozy
The Fallacy – As I Leave
Up-and-coming post-punk rockers The Fallacy have a unique blend of grungy badassness, noise and harmony that puts them right at the crest of China’s post-punk wave, in which PK-14 and Re-tros have already gained a serious fanbase, both local and worldwide. Formed just two years ago in Xinjiang, Henan Province, their songs have a distinctly quelled energy brewing under a thin quilt of funk, punk, nefarious riffs and crooning vocals that are sure to secure many fans from all sorts of musical preferences.

COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
Profetas – Baila
Profetas is duo Antombo and Pablo, and new single Baila is a good representation of their fusion sound, which takes in some elements of indie-pop.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Plok – Kleenex Exposition
Following three EPs, Danish math-rock (or, as they call it, mathbeat synthpunk) quartet Plok finally have a full-length debut out titled Sing Us Yr Guillotine Gospel. Through 12 mind-bending trips to places at least one step beyond, they stick it to the Man and the numbed masses. Exclusively for the Music Alliance Pact here’s the awesome Kleenex Exposition.

ESTONIA: Popop
Iiris – Astronaut
Iiris is a young singer-songwriter with ambitious dreams. At the moment she is crafting her debut album with mad scientist, producer and co-writer Sethh. Aspiring to create something special, they have ventured into a secret dimension where pop, rock, innovation, synthesizers, classical piano, electronic soundscapes, catchy melodies, random madness, senseless beauty, zombies, cats and unicorns all become one.

FINLAND: Glue
Hi-Horse – 7th Street Ninjas
The sound of Hi-Horse is mostly based on the modern blues guitar of Jani Kamppi, but the band opens up its sound to the most surprising, and danceable, arrangements and textures. Their soon-to-be-released album, Concrete Clouds, is full of imaginative guitar-based pop tunes.

FRANCE: ZikNation
Smooth – Music
When listening to Smooth’s music you get the strange impression of finding an old friend, a road companion, because their music draws on our own imagination where it moulds itself, each day, each rainy season, with pleasure or ecstasy. The trio borrows and mixes sounds and rhythms from their forefathers, displayed and put back together with inventiveness, jubilation and sensuality.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Tuo – Walk With Me
It’s quite uncommon to see two 16-year-old girls making folk music as relaxed as Tuo do. Tasmin and Oda create soundscapes with soft voices and two acoustic guitars which make you feel like walking barefoot on mossy ground. Walk With Me is a MAP exclusive from their debut album Walk On Silence, recently released on aspiring FlowerStreet Records.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Chris Nemmo – Half Human (feat. Etten)
After experimenting with different electronic dance genres and releasing material in several record labels worldwide, Chris Nemmo has just brought out his sophomore album, The Nautilus Project. It consists of several different aspects of the scene, employing dirty funky basslines, vintage melodies and atmospheric vocals in an effort to simulate a warm analog perception of the disco groove and aesthetics. This is Etten’s second collaboration with Chris and she again provides a unique touch. Much of Half Human’s seductive allure is owed to her lyrics and passionate vocal performance, which is as technically stunning as it is expressive.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Barujarn – Skuggasorf
The band Barujarn, Icelandic for “corrugated iron”, started in the fall of 2008. They play gloomy surf garage rock flavoured with metal or disco. The band members are Oddur on bass, Sindri on guitar, Leifur on drums, and Hekla on theremin. Barujarn has recorded an EP that features the song Skuggasorf and will record a full album soon.

INDIA: Indiecision
Rosemary – Golden Trees
Rosemary is a three-piece post-grunge band from Mumbai. This young act has been making waves in the Indian indie scene over the past couple of years on the back of some major competition victories and regular gigging. Golden Trees is the product of post-Nirvana youthful exuberance. Distortion heavy and moshpit ready, this four-and-a-half minute track is an ode to Seattle ’90s. Listen loud.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Komunal – Pasukan Perang Dari Rawa
Pasukan Perang Dari Rawa means “combat troops from the swamp”. With heavy distortion, pre-historic barbaric drums stomping, deadly bass, deep vocals and a good attitude they’re currently my favorite stoner band.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Groom – A Music Lesson
Groom’s finest hour (well 50 minutes) arrived this month in the form of their third album Marriage. It’s a slightly sardonic examination of relationships and life set to an earnest indie-pop backing. It’s lovely stuff and only five euros from their Bandcamp site where you can also stream it. Go pop!

ISRAEL: Metal Israel
GodWrath – Heart vs. Mind
Vocalists using scream techniques are a dime a dozen but Godwrath boasts a female screamer with more cojones than most of the guys out there, topping their aggressive metal groove with a hardcore edge.

ITALY: Polaroid
A Classic Education – Gone To Sea
A Classic Education recently described their sound as “night music for lazy afternoons”, but I think there’s more to it than that. Dreamy and strong at the same time, vibrant and uplifting, Gone To Sea is a lush pop gem, a perfect example of their amazing songwriting skills. It’s taken from their new Hey There Stranger EP, out this month on US label Lefse Records (Neon Indian, Dominant Legs).

JAPAN: JPOP Lover
World’s End Girlfriend – Les Enfants du Paradis
World’s End Girlfriend is the orchestral post-rock and experimental electronica project of Katsuhiko Maeda. He has just launched his own label, Virgin Babylon Records, and released an irregular pop album, Seven Idiots, on September 14.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
Chikita Violenta – Roni
This is the story of a Mexican band flirting with a Canadian sound. On their second album The Stars And Suns Sessions (2007), the four-piece settled for some months in a studio on the countryside outside Toronto to make a record guided by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene). For their third album TRE3S (2010), Chikita Violenta went back to Ontario to explore deeper into that particular sound reigning on the Arts & Crafts label: a maple leaf wall of sound vined with many layers of guitars, bittersweet-abstract choirs and a happy-go-lucky vibe.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold Amsterdam
Apneu – Daydream
Apneu are lo-fi in their garage-pop approach, but high fidelity isn’t essential when you can round off songs so succinctly. At times they employ the basic chord structures and slacker pace of Pavement, focussing on the purity of the melody. At others, they lose themselves in the groove, knocking out energetic garage-rock jams. A hugely entertaining live band in the Amsterdam scene, they’re now learning to commit their raw pop harmonies and sense of fun to tape.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
Sharpie Crows – Fifteen Golden Balls Pt.2
Thumping drums provide the foundation for this fantastic song that starts with the drums, vocals and keyboard before going instrumental, adding post-punk guitar chords and then, remarkably, at around the two-thirds mark, brass (or at least brass samples). The song is so well constructed I keep coming back to it to just listen to how they put it together. Sharpie Crows, from Wellington but currently living in Australia, have two EPs available on their Bandcamp.

PERU: SoTB
Pastizal – Apoxon You
Pastizal are an innovative band that almost came out of nowhere. Based in Lima, their music comfortably delves into psychedelia, shoegaze and experimental beats, but essentially rock is at its core. Apoxon You was first included in a free compilation released by Peruvian label Dorog Records.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Triplet – Like It’s Going Out Of Fashion
The band Triplet have been around for eight years and have played all over Europe, but they only released their debut album, A Fight For Your Heart, in 2007. Their new EP, Noise, Noise, Noise, is being distributed freely here. Even though they are called Triplet they have four members – vocalist Jasmin Jones was our guest in February’s MAP with her solo record.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Alternativ Quartet – Insemnari La Intamplare
This month, for the first time, we have a band singing in Romanian. Alternativ Quartet are rather new on the Romanian scene: four young men from a small town – now living, studying and making music in Cluj. They are about to release their debut album, Linistea Astupa Goluri, which is a combination of experimental, post-rock, prog and other styles perfectly mixed. They sing about dreams and monsters, revelations and silence.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Endor – Chapel Doors
Modern technology has made it easier than ever before to make and distribute music. This is most definitely a bad thing. The deserving are being drowned out by a tidal wave of bands and bedroom musicians, and the din of mediocrity is deafening. One of this year’s finest albums came out in July and I never even saw it coming. At times it sounds like the missing link between Pavement and REM. It is engrossing, unpretentious and displays a real understanding of how to write a song that people will actually want to hear more than once. The band is Endor, the album is called Endor, and you can buy it here.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Lunarin – Zero Point Red
Lunarin sound bigger than what you would expect for a three-piece band. They’ve played music for almost 15 years together, although they’ve only ventured down the path of a grungier, more progressive metal sound in the last five or so years. The culmination of all this is the brazenly self-recorded and produced Duae, which sees them embracing the path they’ve carved for themselves, with their influences of Tool, A Perfect Circle and Tori Amos firmly etched on their sleeves, like tattoos burned into skin. Lunarin take a familiar sound from the late 90s and with blistering conviction, spit a Molotov of poetic metaphors and bone-crushing riffs, all laced with Linda’s “love ‘em or leave ‘em” vocals to slow crush your skull with.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Dance, You’re On Fire – Little War
Dance, You’re On Fire make music “for the love of music as a form of art”. Their sound is a smooth slice of indie progressive rock mixed in with a slight alternative edge. Their single, Little War, off their new album, shows their ability to write rock songs with catchy hooks and also showcases a new, more polished sound that they have cultivated since the release of their EP. Dance, You’re On Fire have all that is needed to succeed – with a catchy name and an even catchier sound, they are certainly a band to keep an eye on.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
The Quip – Custard Pie
The five members of The Quip may all be a little heavy on the drinking, but that hasn’t kept them from making some really good music. Their self-released debut EP Almost The Same offers plenty of variety with a psychedelic-grunge-experimental sound base. It came out this summer and was mixed and mastered by Apollo 18 bassist Jelly Boy. With the sound of a djembe setting a haunting mood, Custard Pie is an addictive, largely slow-paced tune with a finale that sees all of the band’s rock energy unleashed.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Ed Greene – Love (She Tells Me There’s A God Above)
I’m a big fan of the band Ed Greene. In fact, if you were to twist my arm I might say they’re the best unsigned band in Sweden. At one time Ed Greene used to be a solo outfit but of late the band has been filled in and fleshed out. They readily admit a history of missteps and false starts but now they’re back with an album of 11 new songs. Love (She Tells Me There’s A God Above) may be one of the catchiest but there are presumably more where this came from.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Choo Choo – It’s A Good Thing
Choo Choo is steam-powered indie-pop from Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The band has just released new track It’s A Good Thing from their forthcoming as-yet untitled record which will be released in January. They recorded it in the Svenska Grammofon Studion together with producer Kalle Gustafsson (Jose Gonzalez, Junip, Shout Out Louds, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, El Perro Del Mar, Mando Diao, Jens Lekman and many more). Definitely a big promise for 2011.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Marnie Stern – Transparency Is The New Mystery
Marnie Stern hails from New York City and is a thirty-something female rocker with guitar chops and stellar songwriting skills. After the success of her 2008 release This Is It, I wondered how Stern would build upon it, but her upcoming self-titled LP looks to be just as solid. New single Transparency Is The New Mystery is an awesome jam, from heart-pounding drums and shrilling vocals to the shreddable guitar – Stern’s doing edgy rock and roll right.

VENEZUELA: Barquisimento
Kuartzo – No Estas Aqui
Kuartzo is a band from Barquisimeto that started in 1998 playing mostly covers. In 2000, they ventured into writing their own material and recorded Cabalgando Mariposas, their first CD. They put their previous music experiences in the mix, developing the band’s original sound of refreshing rock ballads. They are now working on their third album, Victima de la Moda (“Fashion Victim”), from which this song, No Estas Aqui, is taken.

We’re a few days late with this month’s Music Alliance Pact, but it should be well worth the wait. Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 33 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

This month, our Norwegian MAP-band is a band I’m especially excited about, KooKooo Kitchen from Oslo. I hope you enjoy their music and the rest of the 33 MAP songs from all over the world. Please comment and tell me which ones you liked best!

Enjoy MAP!

KooKooo Kitchen (photo by Asle Olsen)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ESTONIA: Popop
Opium Flirt – Parade In Chimes
Opium Flirt have been playing live, writing and recording music since 2004. Projects have included music for multimedia installations, films and choreographic performances.
Parade In Chimes is taken from the new album DejaVoodoo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To download all 33 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country.
All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

This month, several of the MAP blogs seem to have taken their summer vacation, so we’re only 28 in the June edition. Lots of good music anyway! Enjoy MAP! To download all 28 songs in one file click here

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

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.

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.

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

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.

To download all 28 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

This month, there is no Norwegian entry. We’ll be back on the next Music Alliance Pact.

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

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

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

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

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

CHINA: Wooozy
X Is Y – Curse
X Is Y is a digital rock band from Shanghai with three French guys – G, Fabien and LON. Their first album was recorded in 2009 and you can download it by clicking here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To download all 34 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

Before I start presenting the bands, I have to recommend another project where you can get good music from all over the world and support a good cause at the same time. PEACE is a project made by Amnesty and Buffet Libre, and it features 180 songs by bands from all over the world (56 countries are involved). You can get the album from here http://www.buffetlibredjs.net/peace.html and the price is a donation to Amnesty from 5 Euro and up. The quality is great, and you will find new music from lots of well known bands and lots of music you haven’t heard before. Recommended!

Enjoy MAP!

To download all 35 songs in one file click here

NORWAY: Eardrums
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson – To Sit Down Or To Follow, So I Follow
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.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Ivana Berenstein – Ahora
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

PERU: SoTB
Theremyn_4 – Milnueve84
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.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Youthless – Golden Age
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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.

To download all 35 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 36 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

Enjoy MAP!
To download all 36 songs in one zip-file click here

NORWAY: Eardrums
Solvor Vermeer – Final Hour
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.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Modular – Femme Fatale
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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)
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
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
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.

PERU: SoTB
Pipe Villaran – Sinnerman
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

To download all 36 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of February, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands! Today, MAP is presented with an interview in the UK newspaper the Guardian. It should be online on their website today.

My favourites this time includes Norway (of course), Argentina, Australia (wonderful song!), Canada, Chile, England, France (amazing song!), Germany, Greece, Ireland (very good), Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, United States.

Enjoy MAP!

NORWAY: Eardrums
Team Me – Weathervanes And Chemicals
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.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Eloisa Lopez – Espiral
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

PERU: SoTB
Rafo De La Cuba – Freak Profesional
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
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
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
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?

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Stellarium – Chocolate & Strawberry
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

To download all 35 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between 34 blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands! This is the January edition, and the Norwegian band this month is Sacred Harp.

Enjoy MAP!

NORWAY: Eardrums
Sacred Harp – Next Time Too

Sacred Harp are a trio from Oslo who recently released their beautiful self-titled debut EP on the small Norwegian label The Perfect Hoax. Their music is quite difficult to describe because it’s so in the middle of everything. It’s dark, but there’s also a lot of light and colour in there. It’s experimental, but it’s also full of pop structures and lovely melodies. It’s sacral and calm, other times almost brutal. It’s music you just have to listen to. The members are from Norway, Finland and Holland, so they really fit the spirit of the Music Alliance Pact.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Catalina Vin – Caleidoscope
Catalina Vin is an Argentine-American singer and songwriter who started learning music at the age of seven. Genuine is her first album, in which her roots are reflected through eight indie-pop songs sung in both English and Spanish, with soft string and piano arrangements. Caleidoscope is one of our favourite tracks.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Seekae – Void
Ever since FBi Radio started broadcasting regularly some five years ago, Sydney’s independent music scene has flourished from the much-needed lifeblood and community support that the station provides. A lot of young musicians now have an alternative to Triple J to supplement their listening habits and this has encouraged the more experimental writers to pursue their own distinct sounds, knowing they will be played and heard. Seekae is the clear breakout band out of Sydney’s resurging experimental electronic music. With their abstract vocals and dreamy atmosphere they have earned their place as leaders of the city’s 2010 sound.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Curumin – Vem Menina
Curumin is one of the biggest names of the contemporary independent music scene in Brazil. A drummer and singer, besides his solo work, he plays with artists such as Otto, Céu and Guizado. Vem Menina is a samba from his debut album, Achados e Perdidos, released in 2003. His latest album, Japan Pop Show, was released last year and shows his talent to compose funk, samba, rock and electronic songs.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Leif Vollebekk – Quebec
Some people hear Patrick Watson in Leif Vollebekk’s vocals. Others have compared his music to that of Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy. I’m not sure about the comparisons, but I know this: Vollebekk is an incredibly gifted performer and artist, and when his debut album, Inland, gets re-released in a few weeks on hot new Toronto label Nevado Records, all of Canada is going to find out just how talented he is.

CHILE: Super 45
De Janeiros – Montreal
Milton Mahan and Pablo Munoz are De Janeiros, one of the most interesting projects in the Chilean experimental scene. In the trend of bands such as Health or Fuck Buttons – that kind of plastic and colorful noise – their sound goes beyond by adding a more playful and “tropical” feeling to it. Chilean net-label Michita Rex have made their sophomore album Plateado available to downloaded for free here.

CHINA: Wooozy
PK14 – Cuo Guo Le
PK14 is the best post-punk band in China. Formed in 1997, they have released five albums. Currently, they are preparing a new album to be release this year and they will attend SXSW in March.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Cours Lapin – Cache Cache
Cours Lapin is what happens when four movie score composers (Louise Alenius, Asger Baden, Peder and Jonas Struck) get together to do pop. Their name is French (translated as “bunny run”), their lyrics are in French (of course) and the French chanson is at the root of their mellow, melancholic pop that makes me think of black and white movies (and yes, they’re French).

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
Thomas Western – Your Front Door
Last month I picked an Italian musician based in England for MAP – this time it’s the turn of an Englishman currently living in Scotland. Thomas Western’s bluesy/folky approach to songwriting is reminiscent of Elliott Smith or Bob Dylan, while his exquisite vocal range is pitched halfway between Tim and Jeff Buckley. Western moved from Derbyshire to Edinburgh last year to complete his university studies and Your Front Door is his masterpiece.

ESTONIA: Popop
UNCANDY – Lovecool
UNCANDY (and yes, it’s important to write it in capital letters) is multi-talented Maria Juur from Tallinn. Her home recordings have already created quite a buzz in the Estonian indie scene and rumour has it we won’t have to wait long for a debut album. She also records under the name Maria Minerva. Lovecool is featured on new Estonian indie compilation album, Kohalik Ja Kohatu 3.

FINLAND: Glue
Vishnudata – Silver Falls feat. Suho Superstar (radio edit)
Established in 2003, Vishnudata is a project by electronic dance music guru Ville Lankinen which explores the artist’s techno and house influences. Silver Falls is the closing track of his self-titled sophomore album and progressively it introduces the listener into a shiny ethereal atmosphere and psychedelic soundscape. This radio edit version, which features Suho Superstar on vocals, is included in a recently released EP along with three more remixes.

FRANCE: ZikNation
Ibrahim Maalouf – Souma Hia
Born in Lebanon, Ibrahim Maalouf grew up in Paris and began studying the trumped at the age of seven. Ten years later he met Maurice André, who advised him to give up his mathematics studies to dedicate himself to music. Maalouf also had the opportunity to record a song with French singer Matthieu Chedid and this collaboration can be found in the very good Diachronism album. The track Souma Hia carries a great deal of energy.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Get Well Soon – 5 Steps / 7 Swords
Get Well Soon is the solo project of Konstantin Gropper, a classically trained singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Berlin. His soulful and sophisticated songs take the same path as the likes of Sufjan Stevens or Zach Condon. 5 Steps / 7 Swords is the first single release from second album Vexations.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Exposed By Observers – In My Skin
Exposed By Observers aim to rape the listeners’ ears, yet are less faithfully wed to punk and more interested in dance-derived rhythms, deploying more tightly coiled riffs and distinctive beats than most screamo bands. Secondhand Youth EP, which was given away for free on their website, sounds like everything they’d ever heard, spewed out and rewired for a different type of moshpit etiquette, a brand new teenage riot. They frantically blend cheap samples, beatbox rhythms, clicks, bleeps, fringes, beeps and guitars with manic electro buzz and raw, squawking vocals. Unsurprisingly, there’s also a noticeable undercurrent of emo here too, but actually feels charged and compelling in the momentary tantrums of In My Skin. Listen loud!

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Bloodgroup – My Arms
Bloodgroup was formed in 2006 by Halez, Lilja, Raggi and Janus during some boring winter days on the east coast of Iceland and they make catchy electronic dance-pop. Debut album Sticky Situation was released on the band’s own label, Sild Ehf, and got excellent reviews. Its follow-up, Dry Land, was released on the Record Records label last month. My Arms is their latest single.

INDIA: Indiecision
Seven Degrees – Shadows In The Dark
Seven Degrees is a boy-girl punk duo from New Delhi. This irreverent twosome produce angular, infectious punk that’s largely bare-boned yet crashy enough to cause a decent racket. Shadows In The Dark is part of a free compilation album called Stupid Stupid Stupid available on Indiecision. The song is a spiralling, old-school punk tribute that leaves you with the distinct feeling of wanting to get up and not be lazy anymore.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Seringai – Mengadili Persepsi (Bermain Tuhan)
Seringai are one of the finest Indonesian metal bands, often described as a blend of Motorhead and Black Sabbath. Their brilliant lyrics are a social critique of religious extremism, policies, domestic violence and sometimes just about stupid people.

IRELAND: Nialler9
I Am The Cosmos – Remembering You
Remembering You is a beautiful slice of broody 80s-inspired electronica buttressed on creaking synth stabs and high-pitched melodies. Its creator, Ross Turner, is known for his work behind the drum kit with various Irish bands but stepping out on his own here as I Am The Cosmos, he shows us what he can do in sole producer mode.

ITALY: Polaroid
Port-Royal – The Photoshopped Prince
There was a blizzard here last week and I found myself listening again to this third album by Port-Royal. It was the perfect soundtrack. Shoegaze, IDM, electro and ambient influences blend together to build an epic soundscape. The Genoa-based quartet used to be on the renowned Resonant label and have worked with Ulrich Schnauss and made remixes for Ladytron and Felix Da Housecat. Now they’re back with a throbbing, intense, unpredictable, brimful of life new record.

JAPAN: JPOP Lover
Green Blossoms – Hana Akari
Green Blossoms are folky duo Aiko Koga and Anthony Guerra. Aiko sings and plays ukulele, Anthony plays the other instruments. They released their second album, Whiskey Leaves, on US-based Digitalis Recordings last summer. Hana Akari is beautiful, softly-intoned songwriting and its ghostly incantations will stick in the back of your mind.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
The Hong Kong Blood Opera – Cansei De Ser Gangsta
The Mexican alternative scene recently witnessed the rise of a synthetic yet raw punk generation raiding the underground. A frenetic quintet from desertic Hermosillo stood out – The Hong Kong Blood Opera. A bloody opera? More like straight hardcore screaming evil and rough beats. The HKBO got sweaty teenagers shaking their guts and also blew the critics away when they won a nationwide competition sponsored by a monopolic corporation a few years ago. Instead of vanishing like every band from those schemes usually does, they reappeared with a remarkable album titled Not For The Faint Of Heart. The record breaks the rock-band-contest cliché and at the same time mocks the whole mediatic circus and abusive music industry models with killer singles like Cansei De Ser Gangsta.

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam Event Guide
The Wooden Constructions – No No (Hip Hop)
Happy New Year from the Netherlands crew. We’ll kickstart 2010 with one of the most talked-about Amsterdam acts, The Wooden Constructions. Their tribal disco with punk-infused lyrics (which harness the confidence of Mark E. Smith) sit alongside their own blend of twangy guitars and driving rhythms. Their unique musical stylings and great live shows have got the city rather excited about what 2010 might offer for this band and the Amsterdam scene itself. Watch this space.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
The Mint Chicks – Crush
For three decades, Chris Knox has made some of New Zealand’s most exciting music – from the punk of The Enemy, Toy Love, virtually inventing the country’s indie music scene with four-track recordings of his band Tall Dwarfs and writing one of the nation’s most popular songs. Knox suffered a debilitating stroke last year and to aid his recovery many who have been influenced by him have contributed to an album of covers called Stroke. The roll call includes Jay Reatard, Stephen Merrit, Will Oldham, Lou Barlow and more. Crush, from The Tall Dwarfs’ 1984 EP Slug Bucket Hairy Breath Monster, is performed by The Mint Chicks, one of New Zealand’s most exciting bands.

PERU: SoTB
La Mente – La Problema
In its wonderful fusion of tropical rhythms, reggae and psychedelic electronic models, La Mente has uncovered an inexhaustible source of energy and dynamism which beckons you onto the dancefloor. La Problema is a feast of total madness and one of the strongest songs from La Mente’s new album, Para Los Muertos Y Los Vivientes.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Malcontent – Aggressive
Malcontent are a quartet from Oporto led by Sérgio Costa. When you listen to them you know their influences (The Jesus And Mary Chain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Nine Inch Nails) and they don’t deny them. They started playing in 2007 and released several promo singles. Finally, they have their first full LP out, called Love The Gun, which the band self-released.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Aievea – Joy Of Life
Vlaicu Golcea and Electric Brother are two incredibly talented multi-instrument players. They combine conventional music with electronic beats and the creative rhythms of Tavi Scurtu, the drummer who juggles with sound. To an already great recipe, we add Marta Hristea’s incredible voice for the perfect nu-jazz experience. After a six-year pause, they’ve just released their second album, Cinema, which can be fully downloaded here.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Galleries – Underground Overground
Galleries have only been in existence for a matter of months, yet the quality of the songs on their MySpace page can’t help but mark them out as a band whose reach is sure to extend much wider than the blogosphere. The Glasgow group is made up of three students and, interestingly, BBC political reporter Andrew Black on drums. The lush sounds of Underground Overground beautifully hints at their The National and Jimmy Eat World influences and is taken from Galleries’ forthcoming debut EP. It’s a MAP exclusive download so feel privileged that you’re getting to own it first.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Sherene’s Closet – Stereo Loud
Have we got a classic for you this month! Though now defunct, Sherene’s Closet is still very much celebrated in the Singaporean music scene. You might say it all started with this demo recorded during the now legendary Green Room Sessions, and I hear it’s a bit rarer than the LP version. This should be considered one of the best local songs ever recorded, owing to Gerald Stahlman’s stellar vocal delivery and the raw energy of the rest of the band.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Ashtray Electric – Lia
“A quaint mixture consisting of three parts suburb and two parts platteland” make up the phenomenon that is Ashtray Electric. They combine delicate beats, heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies that lead to a rather fresh, unconventional sound, albeit one that gets your feet tapping. Lia has been compared to Editors and Interpol but Ashtray Electric bring a fresh new sound that has them at the forefront of the indie scene, and rightly so.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Apollo 18 – Warm
Last year Apollo 18 established themselves as one of the very best rock acts of Korea. Starting with a marvellous post-rock-oriented EP, an amazing album followed in which they experimented with hardcore, shoegaze and psychedelic elements. An international version of the first EP has just been released and before the end of the month it’ll be followed by instrumental rock pieces of a more playful kind. Re-recorded to magically sound even better than before, Warm is a stunningly beautiful post-rock piece of epic proportions best played as loud as possible.

SPAIN: Oscuro Magazine
2 Minuts d’Odi – Cuidad De Dios
2 Minuts d’Odi (“2 Minutes Of Hate”) are part of the “Brave Coast Punk-Rockers” movement which extends throughout the Costa Brava. Cuidad De Dios (“City Of God”) is a song against religion which speaks of the Palestinian problem and the bad influences that hatred and violence can have on a kid growing thirst for revenge.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Jenny Björkqvist – To Heal Your Wounds
To Heal Your Wounds by Jenny Björkqvist is a song that successfully straddles the worlds of indie and folk – it would be as comfortable hanging out with Nick Drake or Jose Gonzalez as it would be spending time with Dylan or Guthrie. Friend and fellow neo-folkie Tim Schmidt contributes vocals on this track.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Vikesh Kapoor – Mack The Knife
Vikesh Kapoor is an up-and-coming acoustic artist, currently based near Boston, who writes ballads which draw their strength from storytelling-type lyricism. After making appearances in Billboard and The Boston Globe, Kapoor is releasing his Newspress Scare 7″ featuring this great rendition of the Kurt Weill-composed Mack The Knife.

VENEZUELA: Barquisimento
El Pacto – Hyperdance En La Curva De San Pablo
El Pacto are music legends in the city of Barquisimeto. Since 1992, they have been devoted to merging rock, pop, jazz, ska and folk music in a sound so original and vanguardist, they have even influenced famous national bands like Amigos Invisibles. Their shows ususally include circus-like performances with actors and acrobats. Hyperdance En La Curva De San Pablo is taken from the album of the same name.

To download all 34 songs in one file click here

It’s the 15th of the month, Music Alliance pact day! Music Alliance Pact (MAP) is a collaboration between blogs from all over the world, and every month, each of us present a new band from our country. All presentations are put together in this huge blogpost, and presented on the same day in all the MAP blogs. Massive promotion for the bands!

(The songs with a star are my personal favourites)

Enjoy MAP!

NORWAY: Eardrums
Moddi – A Sense Of Grey
Moddi is a unique artist from the northern parts of Norway who will release his debut album Floriography on February 8. His music is poetic and dreamy, but at the same time there is a roughness in his sound. I often think of the rugged northern nature when I listen to his music, which is full of beauty but also darkness and sudden changes.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Coiffeur – Humedad
Coiffeur is not the name of a band, but the alias of a young folk singer and songwriter from Morón, a city in the greater Buenos Aires area). Humedad is one of the finest songs from his third album, El Tonel De Las Danaides, which was released this year by Estamos Felices (Argentina’s coolest independent label, you should check them out).

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Toecutter – Best Party Ever (Jordan Lightyear & Jimmy2sox remix)
Best Party Ever pretty much sums up Toecutter, a man called David Harris from Milano, New South Wales who creates dancefloor-friendly progressive house music. Apparently, Toecutter has been sitting on this song since 1984 when he recorded the hook onto a cassette and then spent 25 years deliberating on its merits.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
The Property Line – The Start
The Property Line have only been around a few months but they’ve been building quite a local following with their brand of psychedelia-tinged country-rock. Their EP (which is available for free download on their site) is pretty strong, and nowhere is it stronger than on The Start, in which the band infuses a little Sufjan into their sound, with absolutely stunning results.

CHILE: Super 45
Gen – ¿Qué Le Pasó A Mi Rap
Es is the latest album by Gen (Freddy Olguin). Putting together amazing beats, social critique rhymes and sounds from another dimension, the Chilean rapper has taken the experience of listening to hip hop to a whole new level. An army of producers has helped him develop a very distinctive personality for his record, which can be compared to the sound of Flying Lotus, Subtle or even The RZA, with the result something nothing short of future-like music. It’s refreshing, experimental and highly exciting.

CHINA: Wooozy
Today – Before Ending
Before Ending is taken from Today’s debut album which was released last year. They are searching for hope and happiness by watching everyone’s love life as a third person. You won’t feel lonely after listening to their songs. The band’s new album, Live The Life, will be out soon.

COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
Miss Muffin – Bways ‘n’ Gyals
What happens if you put together Juan Valdez and Bob Marley? Well, the answer to this experiment can be given by Isabella Escobar aka Miss Muffin, the known name for this promising talent of Colombian reggae. Originating from Antioquia, with Caribbean blood, Miss Muffin has released Hear This, an album that explores in a curious manner the various possibilities of reggae.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Eumig & Chinon – This Fang
The last Danish track of 2009 is also a MAP exclusive. Eumig & Chinon aka Christian Kastbjerg has kindly provided this kickass piece of funky housetronica titled This Fang, which will be on his debut EP coming out sometime next year. You’ve got to groove.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
Banjo Or Freakout – Upside Down
I’m bending the rules a little this month because Alessio Natalizia, who trades under the name Banjo Or Freakout, is Italian – but he’s based in London so we can claim him as our own. Just as well because his awesome soundtracks, all wrapped up in a dreamy melodious electronic haze, are worth breaking down national boundaries for.

ESTONIA: Popop
Malcolm Lincoln – Me Iz Loaded With Zoul
Malcolm Lincoln has been active only for about a month so there’s not much of a biography yet. The band is the brainchild of Robin Juhkental, who is joined by Madis Kubu aka Fretless Rämbu for live shows. Five more songs are downloadable here.

FINLAND: Glue
Rex Willer – My Girl
Rex Willer is a five-piece indie band who recorded the excellent Inner Moray Scenes EP at their home studio earlier this year. Influenced by My Morning Jacket, Steely Dan and Death Cab For Cutie, they are driven by groovy bass lines and old-school keyboard sounds, without forgetting good guitar licks. Let yourself be caught by the irresistible melody of My Girl while Rex Willer finishes some new material due out early next year.

FRANCE: ZikNation
Michael Wookey – Songs About Snow
At the age of 15, Michael Wookey was given a portable pump organ which belonged to his grandfather, who was an organist during World War II. This instrument inspired Michael to write some songs and start collecting obscure instruments. Now 26, he has released three albums and by using a portable studio, he has recorded in various sheds, basements and meat lockers. He now lives in the red light district of Paris. The French describe his music as folk baroque.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Dobré – The Melody Is A Stranger
Sometimes you realise within minutes what creative potential a musician has, and Dobré comes into that category. Usually found playing eclectic indie-folk with his mates Sepp Kennedy, he just released a ‘best of’ solo record called Tools ‘n’ Toys which you can download here. The Melody Is A Stranger is a downtempo piece of indie which strongly reminds me of early Peter Gabriel.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
2-L8 – Excuse Me, But I Just Have To Explode (Part II)
2-L8′s second release – He & She, Angry Enough To Keep Loving In The Dark Ages (download it for free here) – is a masterpiece of avant-garde music that truly haunts the mind. It’s a passionate experience, leading the listener into excruciating catharsis – you look into the eyes of two lovers and see nothing but painful regret. It’s exhilarating and rare to hear such florid arrangements based on sharp stringed instruments and theremin, trembling, frantically passionate vocals, desperate and bleak lyrics coupled with a sense of hope and all of them laced with uncompromising experimentation, true emotional resonance and weight. A total seductive triumph.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Morðingjarnir – Manvisa
Punk-rock trio Morðingjarnir (“The Murderers”) play fast and sharp three-to-four chord songs, often with some dark humour. Atli, Haukur and Helgi are influenced by Dead Kennedys and local punk heroes Fræbbblarnir. Manvisa is a song featured on their third album, Flóttinn Mikli, with guest vocals from Kata of the band Mammút.

INDIA: Indiecision
The Mavyns – Greener Than The Sea
The Mavyns (pronounced “May-wins”) are a rock act from Mumbai. Their music is a particularly refreshing take on the new British post-punk revival. Powered by piano-driven melodies and a charming disposition, the recently-formed quartet already look set for greater things. Greener Than The Sea makes no bones about its Beatles affectations culminating in a dizzying guitar romp. This live recording from an excellent recent set in the city is a definite sign of a career path that looks to be going only one way – up!

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Tika & The Dissidents – Waltz Muram
Known as the diva from the indie scene in Indonesia, Tika has a beautiful voice and smart lyrics with influences ranging from swing and lounge music mashed with eclectic orchestration. I chose her and her band this month because I also want to promote Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of the country.

IRELAND: Nialler9
O Emperor – Po
After an impressive appearance on Irish TV and some blog love from The Torture Garden, Cork band O Emperor are definitely on the ‘ones to watch’ list. Especially, though, after repeated plays of their debut single, Po, an unassuming number that reveals itself on multiple listens thanks to its snaking ephemeral guitar lick and a vocal that lodges in your brain for 24 hours at a time.

ITALY: Polaroid
The Calorifer Is Very Hot! – Evolution On Stand-By
Italy is well known for its Prime Minister’s various conflicts of interest. For this month’s MAP I decided to act in a diplomatic way and promote a band and record that I helped to release. I could tell you that I believe these guys play some of the best indie-pop in this country. I could tell you that their lo-fi punk attitude to songwriting deserves worldwide attention. I could beg you to go to see them live and promise that you will have fun. But these would be all lies. They’re here just because I put my money in their new album – buy it!

JAPAN: JPOP Lover
Sonic Attack Blaster – 20000Volt
Sonic Attack Blaster, an alternative band from Tokyo’s underground scene, call their music ‘samurai rock’. Their songs actually have Japanese retro melody lines that give them an early-90s feel. Interesting and really rather weird. Their new album will be released in January.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
Rana Santacruz – Cajita De Barro
Rana Santacruz’s richness lies deep in Mexican soil: a buried treasure of plundered Celtic tunes, ranchera-song lamentations and magical-realistic folktales that could have been part of a lost chapter from a rural cuento written by Juan Rulfo. Chicavasco is his debut album – a delicate collection of bohemian vignettes permeated by a true sensorial feel of rain, leather and mezcal. Watch him come up the hills and down the slopes as he slowly claims his place among one of our favourite singer-songwriters.

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam Event Guide
The Very Sexuals – Bowie Eyes
Hallo from Holland! This is our first submission and we’re happy to introduce The Very Sexuals. Starting out as a project between three or four other bands, this act have come together to produce an impressive, emotive and totally free album which has left listeners in dreamy shoegaze heaven since its release earlier this year. Be sure to download Bowie Eyes and look out for album number two in 2010.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
Signer – +Kicks And Kicks
Bevan Smith is the musician who records as Signer. Smith started out as an indie-guitar fan but gave that up for psychedelic electronica and synths. His latest album, Next We Bring You The Fire, has a more ambient sound than earlier records, toning down some of the more leftfield noise elements. +Kicks And Kicks isn’t that typical of the album – it’s poppier and more rhythmic – but gives a good introduction to Signer’s ability to create music which is accessible but slightly unsettling.

PERU: SoTB
El Hombre Misterioso – 80 Veces 80
The four members of El Hombre Misterioso are so versatile they would sound completely different if separated. They are always willing to experiment with rock and their second album, Inside The Corporation, narrates national historical stories. 80 Veces 80 remembers the worst days of Peruvian history, when the 1980s crisis was worsened by car bombs in a civil war that nearly destroyed the country.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Noiserv – Melody Pops
Noiserv is one-man band David Santos, a very talented multi-instrumentalist from Lisbon. His self-released 2008 debut LP, One Hundred Miles From Thoughtlessness, was highly acclaimed by the mainstream Portuguese press. In May, Noiserv released a single through the Scottish label Autumn Ferment Records.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Byron – King Of Clowns
Releasing their third album this year (A Kind Of Alchemy), alternative rock act Byron has already developed a unique sound, an alchemy of Jeff Buckley’s lyricism and Porcupine Tree’s neo-prog escapism. Dan’s voice goes from soft and warm to almost tormented, all the way spiced with wild-on-the-verge-of-insanity harmonies. The keyboard work shines with brilliant prog-inspired interventions, the guitar-playing is rock-solid (pun intended) and the use of flute on several tracks also works miracles, bringing a certain distinctness to the whole. Did I say Jethro Tull? Well, you get the picture.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
The Kays Lavelle – Aftermath
If any film directors are reading, do yourself a favour and download this song. With its eerily mesmeric piano refrain and increasingly intense, impassioned vocals, Aftermath is just begging to be played during an emotionally-wrought scene or at the end of the movie as the credits run. A studio version of Aftermath featuring the full band will appear on The Kays Lavelle’s debut album due out early next year.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
For This Cycle – For What It’s Worth
Sixteen-year-old Weiwen Seah has a lot to be proud of. Performing under the persona For This Cycle, he has released a five-track EP this year and is currently recording his full-length album due next year. Weiwen brings a welcome breath of pop goodness in a music scene better known for its underground subculture with shades of Jason Mraz and Dashboard Confessional. In fact, it’s easy to forget that someone so young sings with as much conviction on this month’s selection, For What It’s Worth.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Van Coke Kartel – Voor Ons Stof Word
Van Coke Kartel is an Afrikaans rock band. Francois Van Coke and Wynand Myburgh were previously in Fokofpolisiekar, who revolutionised Afrikaans rock music by challenging and shifting rigid mindsets. Van Coke Kartel proceeded to explode onto the SA music scene with sold-out shows and rave reviews. The group has been busy working on their new album, Skop, Skiet En Donner, which will be out in early 2010. Look out for it, it’s sure to blow your mind.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Oh My Melodies – I Like It All
Oh My Melodies is the US-based solo project of Jiyoung Lee, vocalist of I Love JH. She now offers home-recorded electronic pop with sweet lyrics on the recently released EP So Lazy, which can be downloaded here. I Like It All is a catchy tune with a bit of synth that makes doing the chores seem like the most delightful task.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Symfoniorkestern – Tänd Eld På Dig Själv (För Det Du Tror På)
Wow, it was a no-brainer this month. Symfoniorkestern are a uniquely Swedish group. They are like an indie-rock band but with a grab-bag of unusual orchestration, lyrics in Swedish and lovely harmonies. The new EP, Tänd Eld På Dig Själv (För Det Du Tror På), is available here for free in its awesome, spellbinding entirety. The band spent a year and a half recording it – I only wish I could somehow give this review the same amount of care.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Chll Pll – Dick Moves
Sacramento, CA’s Zach Hill has a new project, Chll Pll – a slice of the rather raucous, noisy, blunt force corner of the electro-pop world. Dick Moves is from the upcoming debut Aggressively Humble, out now on Porter Records.

VENEZUELA: Barquisimento
Fordelucs – No Queda Mas
Alternative rock band Fordelucs have been winning over fans and critics alike and building up a name for themselves in Venezuela’s music scene. Now the boys are about to start a tour that will take them beyond the borders of their country. No Queda Mas is taken from their first release, Mundo.

To download all 33 songs in one file click here