#190 pulp – glory people

it’s been a while since i’ve revisted my pulp collection, and this time, i gave my this is glastonbury album a spin while i drifted into a nap of sorts, awoken at my favorite parts like the irresistibly sexy “party hard”. i was actually going to post something about the album closer, the draining but rewarding “seductive barry” when i decided to read up a little more on that 1998 gig. that was where i realised that not only wasn’t “seductive barry” the last song of the concert, there was in fact a japanese version of the album that had the real last song at the end of the encore. “glory people”, as you would have guessed, is a medley of “glory days” and “common people”, the latter being the crowning glory of the band’s prior glasto triumph in ‘95. i can’t help but feel that pulp had taken the easy way out, pandering to the masses by ending with a hit from three years before. yet, i also can’t resist celebrating the ironic beauty it all, to have a stubbornly nostalgic song cut short by a bout of nostalgia itself: if “glory days” romanticized an irretrievable past, “common people” romanticized an unavoidable present, which really must be the most glorious way to end any concert.

mp3: pulp – glory people (live at glastonbury 1998)

#189 jens lekman’s farewell song

this week, just when i was listening to night falls over kortedala on the bus, i realized the jens lekman button on my bag had dropped off. my buttons do have a habit of slipping away from me, though i usually can hear them when they fall. this time, though, listening to jens ironically distracted me sufficiently from its escape. so here it is, a farewell to the button i loved so much, most appropriately sung by the man himself.

well i don’t know where my friend is, can you tell me rocky dennis?

mp3: Jens Lekman’s Farewell Song

#188 japandroids – young hearts spark fire

the year started with the most promising of the recent lot of noisepopsters, the pains of being pure at heart, putting out their first album. closer to the mid year, we have japandroids reminding us that good ol’ noise is here to stay for a while with a first release of their own. if the former debutantes heralded a what may be termed a post-c86 movement, the latter is most aptly post-nothing, with its bubbling stew of garage punk too restless to stand posing and having too much fun to worry about anything else. in “young hearts spark fire”, that wild abandon is captured in its rawest intensity, balanced precariously with an unparalleled emotional sincerity as the words are yelled with conviction: we used to dream/ now we worry about dying/ i don’t wanna worry about dying/ i just wanna worry about sunshine girls. if all the world’s a stage, japandroids are budding actors most impressively wary of the transience of their impending fame. it’s a knowledge that translates most spectacularly in performance: they play their hearts out as if every song was their last ever, determined at all costs to burn out rather than fade away.

mp3: japandroids – young hearts spark fire

post-nothing is currently available in vinyl and digital formats from sonic unyon. the album will see a bigger worldwide release in august on polyvinyl.

#187 jackson 5 – i want you back

dear michael, when you were big in the eighties, i was too young to be a fan of your music, but i do remember how “billie jean” was often played in the background. it was probably on tv. i found your music much cooler than annie lennox, who i thought was downright creepy (”sweet dreams”, too, was often played at home). in the 90s, it was no longer that fashionable to be your fan. i never attended your dangerous concert when you came over to singapore, although i must say i did like bits of history when that came out. believe it or not, you introduced me to the beatles’ “come together”. this side of the millennium, you were mostly a laughing stock and the subject of countless pedophilia jokes, and suffice to say, i never admitted to liking your stuff, even as i discovered the pop genius in you in your great albums like off the wall and thriller. we were never close, and i can never say that i’d want you back, but your first single with the jackson 5 tugged at my heart as i listened to it this morning, and that’s how i’ll choose to remember you.

mp3: jackson 5 – i want you back

#186 jeff buckley – we all fall in love sometimes

i don’t think i’ve posted on anything by jeff buckley before, partly because i never really know where to start. now i find myself a reason: one of his previously unreleased tracks, a cover of elton john and bernie taupin’s “we all fall in love sometimes”, now sees the light of day as the centerpiece of the soundtrack for the upcoming film my sister’s keeper. everything about the song is unmistakably jeff, infused with his character and soul the same way all his other covers have been similarly charmed. his treatment is characteristically gentle but never drifting aimlessly, with every caress of the strings building to a point of cathartic release and every line delivered working towards a complete ownership of the words of another. if you weren’t too sure about it before, by the end of the song, even for that passing moment, you’d be wholly convinced that it’s all worth it, we all fall in love sometimes.

mp3: jeff buckley – we all fall in love sometimes

the my sister’s keeper soundtrack is available now on itunes.

blur – it really really really could happen

this is the next century, sings damon albarn in “the universal”, the surreal blur classic that ponders a pseudo-utopian future. aptly, the song closes the band’s gig last saturday at the east anglican railway museum, which was their first gig together in nine years and well into the 21st century damon was imagining. what was unimaginable for many, however, was the possibility of a reunion such as this, at the very location the britpop band made their first appearance. onstage, the restored quartet is still the blur we’ve all come to love, damon still a bagful of antics and decked in his favored fred perry polo, alex still stoned and goofy, and dave still pounding away at the back with no complaints at all. and of course graham’s return is very much welcome and arguably the highlight of the show, the exuberance of his guitar playing sorely missed over the past years. this time, he’s added a wide smile to his repertoire, and a crazier interpretation of old favorites like “charmless man”. it’s the perfect start to their reunion, which includes venues like hyde park and glastonbury in the coming weeks – yes, it really really really could happen.

mp3: blur – the universal (live at the budokan, 1995)

music alliance pact (june 2009 issue)

i can’t believe it’s been a month already. where has all the time gone? great thing for us is that good music around the world never stops, as we can see with this month’s issue of the music alliance pact, a coming together of music bloggers from all over the world to bring you the best of their respective local sounds. for this issue, our local correspondent brian koh chooses concave scream, one of the veterans of the singaporean scene who have been pioneers not only in music, but also design. do check out what they’ve been up to lately at their website.

AMERICA: I Guess I’m Floating
4 Janelle Monae – Sincerely, Jane
The name Janelle Monae might ring a bell – she has guested on several OutKast songs and recently signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy label. After seeing her energetic performance at Bonnaroo a few days ago I can say that she’ll be one to keep a close eye on. Even if Sincerely, Jane doesn’t do much for you, check out some live clips on YouTube to get the whole picture.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
4 Le Microkosmos – Es Un Hermoso Verano Lunar
Guillermo Beresñak and Pablo Retamero got together in January 2008 in Buenos Aires. From this union came Le Microkosmos, an electronic ensemble in constant search for new musical experiences with synths, programming, instruments, vocals and orchestral sampling. This quest led them to create their own cosmos from each sound, such as this acoustic-electronic ballad taken from their brand new album, Y Vas Donde Sonrisas Te Dan Esos Encapuchados De Un Mundo Nuevo.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
4 Dappled Cities – The Price
One of Australia’s, if not the world’s, most exciting indie-rock bands, Dappled Cities are back with their third album, Zounds. It was written and recorded after an extensive period of touring their previous offering Granddance, a classic album in the minds of many critics. The Price is a fantastic taster for old and new fans alike, worthy of immediate playlisting.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
4 Júlia Says – Cá
Júlia Says have just released their second independent EP, Menos é Mais (”Less Is More”), in which the duo go deep inside electronica with some strong influences of dance-rock. The name of the band was taken from a children’s story and it’s a thing that helps us to connect to the fragile melancholy and beauty of Cá.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
4 Wildlife – Sea Dreamer
How awesome is this song? So much so that when I saw them perform it during a soundcheck at a show in Ottawa recently, everyone in the room just watched in stunned silence and then exploded in wild cheers when it was done. To put that in context, that kind of thing never happens. But Sea Dreamer, in all its pounding, pulsing, marching-gleefully-into-the-apocalypse glory, is amazing enough to be the exception.

CHILE: Super 45
4 Valentina Fel – Circo Podrido
Full of aggressive beats, explosive sampling and social protest lyrics, Valentina Fel is the most logical evolution of a riot girl – punk almost in the realm of grime, do-it-yourself attitude with dancehall as a commodity and flamenco-injected defiance. Her long-awaited upcoming debut -to be release in the next few months – promises to be a massive earthquake in the dancefloor that nobody could anticipate.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
4 Vomit Supreme – Versus Love
A new project by Mattis Jakobsen and Malte Hill of Straight To Your Face, Rock Hard Power Spray guitarist Frederik Valentin and recently joined by bassist Karsten D. Johansen (Strawberry Slaughterhouse), Vomit Supreme have long been an All Scandinavian favorite. Punk aggression spoon with pop hooks and with the mighty Versus Love spearheading their campaign, world domination should be nigh.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
4 Fanfarlo – I’m A Pilot
I’m A Pilot, the opening track on Fanfarlo’s debut album Reservoir, sets the scene for what’s to follow. It’s a rich, heady brew of heavily orchestrated indie-pop which at times even feels like it’s pulling its punches. It’s the sound of a young band comfortable in their own grandiosity and as Reservoir carefully unfolds, it’s impossible not to be swept along. From now until July 4 you can download the album from the Fanfarlo website for just $1, so you’ve no excuse for not owning it.

FINLAND: Glue
4 TV OFF – Car Is On Fire
What a summer hit song! Cool and sexy! Singer Sara delivers delicious pop melodies over Markku’s electro bits and sounds. This duo from Helsinki are putting the final touches to their debut album, but they have already gained attention around the world, playing in London and Tokyo. Soon TV OFF will take over the world.

FRANCE: ZikNation
4 Phoenix – 1901
For too long Phoenix have been overshadowed by Daft Punk and Air, but no more. Even though Phoenix are four albums into an increasingly fruitful career, 1901 is possibly the most immediate and loveable thing they’ve ever created. An anthem for indie kids, a dancefloor filler for disco dwellers. It’s for everyone really.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
4 High Voltage Humans – Laser Symphony (Catastrophy)
High Voltage Humans are a Munich-based electronic duo. The featured song is heavily energetic and balances guitar riffs with synth melodies sounding a bit like 80s space electro. It’s a concrete four-to-the-floor flour-dust explosion.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
4 For A Minor Reflection – Óhljóð
For A Minor Reflection are a quartet from Reykjavík who play energetic, melodious, instrumental post-rock. They have earned comparisons to Explosions In The Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Óhljóð, which means “discordant noise”, is taken from their 2007 debut album Reistu Þig Við, Sólin Er Komin Á Loft… (”Rise and shine, the sun’s up…”) on Blippr.com. Guitarist Kjartan Holm’s older brother Georg plays bass in Sigur Rós, whom they supported on tour last year.

IRELAND: Nialler9
4 Sleep Thieves – Osumi
Taken from It Was Only A Satellite, the debut EP from this Dublin three-piece, Osumi showcases the bleep-assisted electronic edge of their sound before diverting into heady post-rock guitar progressions, while singer Sorcha repeats a mantra atop like a prototype Natasha Khan. Their yearning indie-electronic-pop sound is reminiscent of Lali Puna, Broadcast and The Notwist.

ITALY: Polaroid
4 My Awesome Mixtape – Me & The Washing Machine
I would have never expected to listen to an Italian band mix diverse sounds such as Anticon and The Postal Service, but when I heard My Awesome Mixtape I just had to change my mind. Infectious melodies and tight grooves, these young kids just seem to be unstoppable.

MEXICO: Club Fonograma
4 Los Amparito – Por Medio De La Lectura
Los Amparito is the mind-blowing, eccentric and absolutely sublime project of Carlos Pensina. He is relatively well known in Mexico’s indie scene for his more electronic act Pepepe, but Los Amparito have enormous potential to break into international boundaries. This sound is like a distorted Mexican mirror of traditional music mashed with its own repetition, flourishing vocals and colorful sequences resulting in something between Animal Collective, Amparo Ochoa and El Guincho.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
4 Lisa Crawley – Brother
Lisa Crawley is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who stands out from the crowd because of her voice and the playful arrangements of her folk-pop songs. Brother, from her second independently released EP Hello, Goodbye And Everything Inbetween, would be great on the basis of its plinky-plonk piano alone, but it’s the trombone that lifts it to another level.

NORWAY: Eardrums
4 Firetop Mountain – How Can You Dance At A Time Like This?
Firetop Mountain are four boys and a girl from the Oslo area, who play indie-rock with a strong melodic focus. Just last week they released their debut album Indians Aren’t Afraid Of Heights on their own label. Their music is sometimes powerful and energetic – songs you want to jump around to – and other times more laid-back and sensitive. Good songwriting all the way.

PERU: SoTB
4 Mi Jardín Secreto – Yo No Quiero Bailar Esta Noche
Mi Jardín Secreto’s debut album, La Ciencia Y El Arte De La Falsificación, contains 11 songs that flit between new wave, alternative rock and the sound of modern bands. The theme of the lyrics is a mixture of the warmth and coldness of the city of Lima, with characters who have adventures in a place and climate familiar to us all.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
4 :papercutz – A Secret Search
What started as Bruno Miguel’s music project is now a trio with female vocalist Marcela Freitas and multi-instrumentalist Francisco Bernardo. After appearances on various international compilations :papercutz are now signed to Montreal’s Apegenine label, who released their debut album Lylac in February. In April, they were winners of the ‘off the beaten track’ category in The People’s Music Awards in London.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
4 Luna Amara – Floodmoses
Luna Amara have been around for almost 10 years, during which they’ve managed to create an image and a name for themselves in Romania. From mellow alternative to angry metal sounds, their music is powerful and never fails to deliver its message. Floodmoses is taken from their recently released third album Don’t Let Your Dreams Fall Asleep.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
4 The Seventeenth Century – Traffic
If Arcade Fire’s Wake Up moved you to your core then get ready to fall in love with Traffic. It has that soaring choral majesty, that sprawling orchestration and The Seventeenth Century clearly possess ambitions that are no less lofty. Having had a listen to the young Glasgow band’s forthcoming In The Place EP, we can say without hesitation that you’re looking at the best new band in Scotland.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
4 Concave Scream – Fiction
We visit one of Singapore’s finest indie bands of the 90s with Concave Scream. Fiction, taken from their third album Three, hints at the flavors of DJ Shadow, The Cure, U2 and Butler-era Suede. It is a fine tune that could sum up the entire record with its use of ethereal vocals, otherworldly chorus-effected guitar lines and a blistering rhythm section. These days, Concave Scream are pushing the envelope of their musical whimsicality by releasing an instrumental fifth album that can be found on their website.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
4 The Plastic Day – I Miss Me Myself
Post-punk/grunge trio The Plastic Day released their first full-length album, 30 Seconds Between The Dreamer And The Realist, only last month but already they’ve gotten unusually high coverage in Korea-related English language media online. With an intense rock sound paired with English lyrics, there’s no reason why they won’t get even further. I Miss Me Myself might be one of the softer songs on the album, but it’s one that instantly spawns an impulse to hit the repeat button.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
4 Chuck Morgan – The Best Of You
I don’t know if there’s a term for the sound of Chuck Morgan. The last post I did on this Gothenburg-based troubadour tried to peg him as “romantic indie-pop”. His new song, The Best Of You, continues that sound but adds even more electronic beeps and blips to the mix.

To download all 24 songs in one file click here.

#185 just another diamond day

i declare today diamond day. while i was away, b mailed me “i am not a robot” by marina and the diamonds, a song that sounds as organic as its words imply, with its generous layer of strings in what builds up to be a truly ebullient chorus. it reminded me of lavender diamond’s “you broke my heart”, which features an equally uplifting performance in glorious baroque splendor. that in turn reminded me of vashti bunyan’s “diamond day”, the simple opener from the belated 1970 classic just another diamond day which i’m sure played some part in influencing both musicians. have a sparkling diamond day, everyone.

mp3: marina and the diamonds – i am not a robot

mp3: lavender diamond – you broke my heart

mp3: vashti bunyan – diamond day

#184 wake the president – wake

the cult of glaswegian student-run record label electric honey was etched in music history in 1996 when it put out belle & sebastian’s debut lp tigermilk, a record that sold out almost immediately and set the stage for the band’s shy fairytale rise to fame. more than a decade later, it’s heartening to know the label’s still alive and kicking, and keeping to its tradition of releasing at least a record every year. this year, the band that graces electric honey’s record sleeves is wake the president with you can’t change that boy, a full album of infectious jangle pop weaved cleverly into the urban landscape of glasgow. stylistically influenced by the likes of orange juice and josef k, the record bubbles with enthusiasm in bringing to life not simply the various characters and tales of the city, but every thought and conversation that occurs within. amidst the jangle, though, lies the softest and tenderest of hearts with the concisely titled “wake”, the song that captures the band in a rare candid moment of unabashed heartache and longing, serving as a reminder that their hearts are worn as firmly on their sleeves as their unmistakable influences.

mp3: wake the president – wake

you can’t change that boy may be purchased from norman records. get it to hear the rest of the album!

#183 mos def – auditorium (ft. slick rick)

i’m really behind in my film viewing, but last night i finally got about to watching michel gondry’s be kind rewind. although it’s gotten rather mixed reviews from critics, i absolutely loved the show, especially with its take on “sweding” in taking swipes at today’s media industry’s paranoia at copyrights and bootlegging, and of course some signature gondry scenes which were magical as always. the onscreen partnership between jack black and mos def is hilariously endearing (and sometimes annoying) in their efforts to “swede” or remake the films that black’s character jerry erased (”you’re magnetized!” being my favorite mos line, delivered in exasperated horror – check out 0:30 of the trailer). the show also got me listening to mos def’s rap catalogue, particularly his black star collaboration with talib kweli, and right now i can’t wait for his upcoming album the ecstatic to be released. just for you, though, i have a delicious preview with “auditorium”, taken off that album and produced by madlib, whose instrumental from his beat konductor funk tribute to indian music is gloriously sampled here. wicked.

stream:

(mp3 removed on label request, even though i received it as a free download from an contemporary label)

(update: looks like the label’s really going all out to block anything that’s coming out these days. read all about it here. i’m sure that’s doing your artists a whole lot of good. how ironic considering my comments on be kind rewind)

mp3: madlib – movie finale

#182 camera obscura – french navy

in my opinion, camera obscura has always been a quietly confident band. on their newly released my maudlin career, however, that confidence has grown to assume a bolder and more extroverted character with a sound that’s more expansive and a delivery firm and entirely at ease with itself. nothing exemplifies this better than album opener “french navy”, a stomper bursting with energy and finesse. last year, the band gave the singaporean audience a glimpse of that as they previewed the song during their gig here, although as i noted before, they did seem rather dwarfed by the large, imposing venue. today, listening to “french navy” as it appears on the album gives me renewed hope of the greater heights the band can reach, and as evident in the song’s flourishing strings and smashing beats, it’s something they’re totally in control over.

mp3: camera obscura – french navy

my maudlin career is out now on 4ad!

#181 wilco – i’m the man who loves you

i’ve been waking up to this every morning for the past week.

so here it is, especially for you.

mp3: wilco – i’m the man who loves you

gone deerhunting …

in a space of three short years, the staggering output of deerhunter and its affiliate acts has thoroughly infiltrated the fragmented psyche of indie music (if such a category makes any sense at all). 2007 was the year most of us got our first glimpse of the band with its post-shoegaze cryptograms album and the impressive follow-up fluorescent grey ep, which boasted a title track invoking the rotting corpse of david baker’s mercury rev. showing no sign of slowing down, 2008 saw the consolidation of the hegemonic grip of the band, which started the year with bradford cox’s solo project atlas sound, and ended it in style with the devastatingly beatitiful couplet microcastle/weird era cont.

this year, we already have two related releases to contend with, lockett pundt’s solo effort lotus plaza, and the band’s recent ep rainwater cassette exchange. the former’s the floodlight collective already has the makings of a classic as it reaches towards the outer limits of both ends of the dreampop spectrum, with album centerpiece “what grows” representing just about every possibility of such a project. rainwater cassette exchange is no less adventurous, as evident in the opening title track with its deceivingly naive holiday-themed melody blending surprisingly well with the song’s garage inclinations. it’s only may, but i can’t wait for what else the band’s got to offer for the rest of the year.

mp3: lotus plaza – what grows?

mp3: deerhunter – rainwater cassette exchange

all deerhunter, atlas sound and lotus plaza releases are available on one of our favorite record labels, kranky.

regional spotlight – sore (indonesia)

i miss the grad room, the place where i used to spend countless days and nights trying to finish up the seemingly unfinishable thesis. it was a long tedious process that would have been unbearable if not for the fantastic people who populated it. one of the things i missed too was the spontaneous but frequent music exchange sessions – that was how i got acquainted with the music of indonesian band sore, as recommended by janssen who was learning bahasa indonesia at that time.

i couldn’t believe i hadn’t heard of them earlier. as i soon found out, the six-piece band based in jakarta had already been making waves regionally: their debut album centralismo was voted by time magazine as one of the five asian albums worth buying in 2005; more recently, rolling stone indonesia voted their follow-up record, ports of lima, as the album of the year last year. my eagerness to check out their music, however, stemmed more from the curious plurality implied in their album titles and art, which seemed to hark back to a fictional colonial past through the perspective of a romanticized present.

in ports of lima, this is expressed with the deeply nostalgic sentiment of the record weaved effortlessly into a modern context and celebrated with flourishes of strings, flutes and other subtle intricacies. what strikes me repeatedly is the band’s awareness of their various musical roots, which are derived from both the charm of indonesian soundtracks of yore as well as the pop mastery reminiscent of great american albums like pet sounds. most impressively, though, the band retains its originality in creating a culturally relevant record that sounds perfectly at ease with its marriage of disparate influences.

the songs in the album reflect this confidence. album openers “bogor biru” and “senyum dari selatan” lay out sore’s favored idyllic sound surrounded by layers of harmonies that sigh collectively at full stretch. the songs that proceed from it explore a whole range of emotions and moods, from the sunshine-tinged pop of “layu” to the dreamy balladry of “merintih perih” and the surprisingly intimate “apatis ria”. by the end of repeated listens, i find myself less occupied with the band’s pastiche that so intrigued me at the start, and more immersed in the magical world they’ve crafted so beautifully in one album. it’s a work of fiction, no doubt, but one that’s rooted firmly in both the cultural and the personal, crucial elements that keep this band ticking as time stands still around them.

mp3: sore – bogor biru

mp3: sore – apatis ria

ports of lima is released on aksara records and their music is available digitally through equinox.

if you’re in singapore, do check the band out as they perform at the heeren on 30th and 31st may, 6pm. see you there!

music alliance pact (may 2009 issue)

bringing you the best music from around the globe, this issue of MAP is yet another testament of the international diversity of indie music as well as the universality of music itself in bridging national and cultural boundaries. this month, our very own local correspondent brian koh picks the explosively fresh indie rock outfit the fire fight, a band i really enjoy watching live. enjoy, and keep listening folks, all over the world.

AMERICA: I Guess I’m Floating
4 Lands & Peoples – Awake
Baltimore-based Lands & Peoples seem to have a knack for hypnotherapy. With a commanding ethereal ambience and gorgeous catatonic tensions throughout, Awake is an eye-opener from start to finish. You’ll ask, “How have I not heard of them?” and “I can’t believe they aren’t signed!” Well, believe it. There’s an album in the works coming out later this year (perhaps self-released), but for now you can listen to more gems at their MySpace page.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
4 Les Mentettes Orchestra – Hold On
Les Mentettes is a psychedelic pop band who just released a five-song EP with orchestral arrangements conducted by former Orquesta de Salón member Manuloop. It’s a free release so if you like Hold On you can legally download the other tracks as well. They are currently playing this record live with a full orchestra in several venues around Buenos Aires.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
4 Jonathan Boulet – A Community Service Announcement
I only recently discovered the very talented Jonathan Boulet’s music online, and upon hearing this song immediately purchased his album from iTunes. It is simply amazing that the 20-year-old produced and recorded everything himself in his garage. Big future for this guy.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
4 A Banda de Joseph Tourton – #3
A Banda de Joseph Tourton only have a few songs on the internet and released a digital EP last year, but they are already one of the most interesting of the new generation of alternative groups in Brazil. They create instrumental songs full of groove, emotion and originality, making the next step in mangue beat’s (a musical movement from Brazil’s northeast) history, going through post-rock, jazz and their regional culture influences.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
4 Green Go – Brains For Breakfast
For a year or two now, my friends in Toronto have been raving about Green Go to me and now that their debut album, Borders, is out, it’s easy to see why. As songs like Brains For Breakfast show, the band create infectiously catchy pop with shouted group vocals and bouncy riffs that sound like they’d make for a big, sweaty blast of fun in concert.

CHILE: Super 45
4 Mutrone – Bristol
A mix of experimentation, psychedelia and improvisation are the foundation elements from which Mutrone build solid sound walls comprising samples, effects and a dynamic reminiscent of the machine-like structures of krautrock. With two albums, Oscillatore and Centinela, both released under a Creative Commons licence, the four guys in Mutrone have discovered an exciting way to bring the real sounds of the city into the machine.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
4 Sinusstøv – Who Am I?
The translation of their name is “Sinus Dust” but there’s nothing at all dusty about Claus Pedersen and Søren Friis Dam’s musical output. Who Am I? is lush, sweeping and crackling electro, showered in the melancholy Scandinavians have to live with and everybody else finds moving. Another grand testament to the incredibly healthy state of Danish electronica.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
4 Blue Roses – Doubtful Comforts
Another month and I’m sticking with all thinks folky, although we’re leaving London for Shipley in Yorkshire which is the home of Laura Groves. She has recently rebranded herself as Blue Roses and released an amazing self-titled album (on XL). Of all the young folky female artists I’ve enthused about here and on my blog, she’s possibly the best.

FINLAND: Glue
4 Delay Trees – Desert Island Song
Indie-pop quartet Delay Trees have just self-released their seven-song debut CD, Soft Construction EP. Desert Island Song is the opening track and the beginning of a dreamy trip through tender pop melodies and bits of psychedelia. It is a very promising start for these guys.

FRANCE: ZikNation
4 Walter – Le Dernier Bastion
In the beginning, they were two, playing in parks, festivals and concert halls. Six years and three musicians later, Walter keeps riding French roads offering a tasty blend of reggae, blues and folk, spreading messages of love, respect and peace. They’ll be back in studio by the end of the year to record their next album.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
4 Schlachthofbronx – Good To Go
Schlachthofbronx defined a whole new genre called Munich bass. This bastard relies heavily on Kuduro, baile funk, dub and dancehall but also likes to play with elements of Bavarian folk and synthpop. Good To Go has never been released officially but turned on the crowd at their sweaty gigs all over central Europe.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
4 Retro Stefson – Papa Paulo III (Re-edit version)
Retro Stefson was founded in late 2006 by a group of eight teenagers, school friends from Austurbæjarskóli. They write catchy, semi-pop/semi-rock crossover songs and give great live performances. Last year the band released their debut album Montaña on the Icelandic Kimi Records label. The band’s principal songwriter is Unnsteinn Manual Stefánsson. The lyrics are in English, Spanish and Icelandic.

IRELAND: Nialler9
4 Super Extra Bonus Party – Radar
The first single from Super Extra Bonus Party’s second album Night Horses sees them joined by Cadence Weapon on a stomping live band/electro-hop crossover. It’s a good indication of a band who don’t like to stick to genres for too long. Night Horses also features pop, acoustic folk, instrumental rock and electronic goodness with guest vocals from Mr. Lif, R.S.A.G., May Kay of Fight Like Apes, Ann Scott and Heathers.

ITALY: Polaroid
4 Buzz Aldrin – Small Bad Talk With Koala Friends
Obsessive rhythms, nagging guitars, alienated voices, dirty synths and strangely beautiful songs that are greater than the sum of their parts. Think of Liars, think of Wire, think of Pere Ubu, or don’t think: just dance. This young trio show a driving strength when on stage and they are improving with every gig.

MEXICO: Club Fonograma
4 Mr. Racoon – Ferry 3
Mr. Racoon is one of several projects by Roberto Polo, among them 60 Tigres and Fuck Her, Or The Terrorists Win. This is by far his most charming moment yet. His music unfolds the very best of a prolific songwriter that, as opposed to what his music may sound like, is a maximalist taking the lo-fi production and his shimmering voice to heroic amplitudes. Ferry 3 is a cut from his third album Katy, released earlier this year through the free storage music website Delhotel Records.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
4 The Sing Songs – Pamphlet Baby
The Sing Songs sing songs, saccharine sweet pop songs. What gives them their staying power are the lyrics. Where you might expect girl loves boy, boy loves girl, instead you get the story of a woman dealing with the death of her baby by walking the streets with a pram, delivering pamphlets. To date the band don’t have any releases but this song has been included on a compilation issued by Real Groove magazine to celebrate New Zealand music month.

NORWAY: Eardrums
4 Maribel – Flesh & Blood
Oslo-based Maribel released their long-awaited and brilliant debut Aesthetics only a few days ago, and the Norwegian critics gave them full scores in the reviews. The band play dreamy, noise-drenched, multi-layered shoegaze with almost psychedelic elements. There are obvious references in their sound to bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Spacemen 3, Pale Saints and even The Velvet Underground, but Maribel definitely do their own thing and they do it their own way. Maribel and Aesthetics is highly recommended, and will be this Norwegian blogger’s soundtrack to the spring of 2009.

PERU: SoTB
4 Diablos Azules – Porno Music
It is time for a classic night: trumpets, breaks, ska and contagious melodies that immerse people in the most insane of their intentions. It is perhaps no surprise the band are called Diablos Azules (”Blue Devils”). Porno Music is the best legacy of their existence – an old song which is still fresh and gets revived every time someone goes to a party in Lima.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
4 The TiMaria – Pretty Girls Are Pretty High
Last year, a man was organizing a gig with a three-band bill but had just two booked. When he was creating the poster, he made up the name TiMaria and included this fictitious group as the third act of the night. (Un)fortunately, he didn’t erase the name before the posters went to press and ended up with a stock of paper to throw away. However, he persuaded his friends, André Moinho and Nuno Rancho, who live in small villages around the city of Leiria, to form a band in 15 days so that he could use the posters and save the planet. And so, with the addition of Nuno’s younger brother, Luis Jerónimo, The TiMaria (”Aunt Maria”) was born. Their debut record will be released in September or October.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
4 Semiosis – Recovery
Semiosis is the post-rock/ambient/electronic project of Seidiu Alexandru and Serban Ilicevici, two young guys from Craiova. They have just released their debut album, Pictural, and it has received a lot of positive feedback. Pictural is considered the first Romanian post-rock album and is available for free download here – it’s a must if you enjoy listening to this preview.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
4 Boycotts – Beat On The Dancefloor
Boycotts have been in existence for barely a year but it’s still no surprise they’ve got people in Scotland very excited indeed. The Glasgow-based quartet’s edgy guitar-pop pushes all the right buttons, but the ace in the pack is their enchanting frontlady, Stina Twee, all youthful exhuberance and ‘don’t screw with me’ lyrics.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
4 The Fire Fight – Fires At Night
The Fire Fight are an indie-rock band that have set the local scene on fire with their firebranded musicality and heartfelt lyrics. Fires At Night is the first track from their demo, The Green EP. Brandishing straight-up indie guitar rock that combines the intensity of Bloc Party and the poetic ebb and flow of The One AM Radio, Fires At Night draws the listener into its warmth and, like a slow burning furnace, purifies the experience. Perhaps the best thing about The Fire Fight is their lyrical optimism in a world spiraling into nihilism, as singer Josh Tan pleads that music is for “the hope that burns in your eyes”.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
4 Stretching Journey – 060
Post-punk band Stretching Journey put out a self-titled album on its own last month. The band is not afraid to blend a plethora of genres into their music and as a consequence of the lo-fi production, several of their songs ended up with a slight psychedelic edge. The album opens with 060, which has a progression and a beat influenced by Los Bunkers, whereas the style of the chorus is inspired by Korean dance-pop act Koyote.

SPAIN: La Página De La Nadadora
4 Sundae – Arte y Ensayo
The Field Mice, My Bloody Valentine, The Radio Dept. and The Cure are four good references for this band who have even been namechecked by the famous label Shelflife with their second demo. Sundae are like the best shoegaze pop inherited from Sarah Records, but this time from Seville.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
4 Robert Svensson – I Was Summer, You Were
I can’t tell you one quaint biographical detail about Robert Svensson – he’s a mystery to me. But I am now an instant fan on the strength of I Was Summer, You Were. The song exists to share these two sets of lyrics: “I was summer and you were November” and “I was architecture and you were the wrecking ball”.

To download all 25 songs in one file click here.