After The Fall – ‘Desire'(mp3)

I have to admit that I grew up listening and going to see After the Fall play at venues scattered around the western suburbs of Sydney – in fact one of the first shows I ever went to was to see them and Kisschasy (the ‘Concrete Boots’ tour for those of you playing at home). It would be an understatement to say the boys have taken awhile to release their 3rd studio album but things are definitely sounding very promising with the release of first single ‘Desire’.

It’s clear that in their 4 year break After The Fall have definitely matured from the days of singles such as ‘Mirror Mirror’ and ‘Concrete Boots’ (those were the days!) but as always the guys have come up with some quality tunes. ‘Desire’ blends the kind of stadium rock sound mastered by acts such as The Killers and in more recent times Kings of Leon.

Ben Windsor’s voice presents a very strong base for the song and is helped along by some solid chugging guitars and well used backing vocals in the chorus. All of these aspects come together to create what is all in all a very good single and a fine return for these Central Coast boys.

You can catch After The Fall at the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney this Friday (17th July) and at the Northcote Social Club next Friday (24th July).
www.myspace.com/afterthefallaustralia

AMERICA: I Guess I’m Floating
Spanish Prisoners – Kiss The Lawn Goodbye
Brooklyn’s Spanish Prisoners, fronted by Leo Maymind, create fractured power-pop in the vein of The New Porno’s Dan Bejar (Destroyer). They’re currently working on a new album but in the meantime they’ve released a free three-song EP – download it here – from which Kiss The Lawn Goodbye is taken.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Mi Pequeña Muerte – La Música Nueva
Mi Pequeña Muerte means “my little death” so you’re probably thinking this is not a particularly optimistic band. That was true for Hospital, their 2004 debut album, which was loaded with melancholic indie-rock tunes and moaning vocals. But this is 2009 and believe it or not, the band’s third album is called Un Futuro Brillante (“a brilliant future”). Maybe that was just pure irony, but in this new effort they define themselves with shiny sounds and instruments, including horns and Moog synthesizers.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Boat Beam – The Rain Pauly
So it turns out that Josephine of Sparkadia is now in this gorgeously gentle folky trio in Madrid called Boat Beam, and they seem to be kinda popular (check their MySpace). How crazy is that? I could listen to The Rain Pauly for days.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Nancy – Keep Cooler
Five-piece band Nancy have played just a few shows in Brazil and may be more well-known outside the country. They were the first Brazilian band on virtual label RCRD LBL and have been featured on BBC Radio’s Introducing programme, showing their soft indie tunes. Nancy’s members live in different cities and countries so the band’s debut album, Chora Matisse!, was composed on the internet through emails and IM.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Rah Rah– I’ve Got Faith
When I had to submit my ballot for the Polaris Music Prize (think a Canadian version of the Mercury Prize), the one album that was toughest for me to leave off was Rah Rah’s amazing Going Steady. As I’ve Got Faith shows, the band combine the best elements of Broken Social Scene (with the constant sense they’re just barely keeping everything together) and Arcade Fire (in its epicness), with the end result being a sound that’s all their own.

CHILE: Super 45
Pedropiedra – Sol Mayor
Pedro Subercaseaux has been involved with music for almost a decade. Having explored such diverse styles as cumbia, hip-hop, electronica, pop and rock, he has been part of several projects such as Hermanos Brothers, Tropiflaite, Yaia and CHC, gathering a good amount of success along the way. This year Subercaseaux has decided to release his debut solo album, under the moniker Pedropiedra, in which he demonstrates his great ability to craft catchy pop-oriented melodies.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
The Works – Live And Direct (featuring Jams F. Kennedy)
It’s time to bring some urban tunes to all ye faithful readers of the Music Alliance Pact. Enter The Works aka producers Twelve Beats and Terry Tester, whom I stumbled across quite recently and whose intriguing fusion of hip-hop and electronica I haven’t been able to shake off since. Minimalist, yet rich on details. Hardly moving, but always taking you places. Their debut release, Yokohama EP, is out now and streamed in full on their MySpace.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
Friendship – The Graveyard Shift
Tired of indie bands showing off their ‘African influences’? Well, get ready for one more, although this is done with a lot more bite, distortion and general sense of fun than most.

FINLAND: Glue
Neufvoin – Robot
Neufvoin are an up-and-coming indie band who create beautifully-arranged catchy pop melodies with guitars, synthesizer textures and a few other instruments. Apparently, they also like playing with bots and droids. Robot is taken from their debut Robokop EP, six songs produced by Rubik frontman Artturi Taira that journey many different musical landscapes.

FRANCE: ZikNation
Jessica Fichot – Un, Deux, Trois (1,2,3)
Born in America to a French father and Chinese mother, chanteuse and songwriter Jessica Fichot was raised in France in a multicultural environment. She is a lot like her hometown of Paris: French at heart, but with a soul that’s truly international. Her multi-ethnic upbringing colors the songs on her debut album.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Bonaparte – Gigolo Vagabundo
Bonaparte are a Berlin-based artist collective from all across Europe. Their sparkling weird-folk is powered by Balkan pace and electronic rhythms. Outfitted with crazy costumes, they are one of the most exciting German live acts around.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Sudden Weather Change – Prey Mode
Sudden Weather Change are a five-piece rock band from Reykjavik who have been compared to Sonic Youth and Pavement. Prey Mode is taken from their debut album, Stop! Handgrenade In The Name Of Crib-Death ‘nderstand, which came out in April on the Icelandic Kimi Records label and will be released in Europe and America in September.

IRELAND: Nialler9
The Holy Roman Army – Elegy
Ireland has already produced its fair share of amazing records so far this year and we can now add The Holy Roman Army’s album to that list. How The Light Gets In is the brother and sister duo’s debut and it’s filled with ambient and electronic flourishes with an organic heart. Perhaps it’s not a surprise they are a doctor and a psychologist respectively. Elegy is a perfect example of the band’s yearning for something emotional between the city’s streets.

ITALY: Polaroid
Iori’s Eyes – Anchor
Iori’s Eyes are a boy and a girl from Milan who play gentle pop with a dreamy touch. Their music brings together a folk mood and a post-rock background. Their songs sound as fragile and delicate as little toys, but definitely know how to be surprising and poignant. Iori’s Eyes just released their debut EP, And Everything Fits In The Yellow Whale, and I can’t wait to listen to a proper album.

JAPAN: JPOP Lover
LITE – Ghost Dance
LITE are a Tokyo-based instrumental band who play experimental rock with striking, groove-heavy basslines. Formed in 2003, their spirit is similar to Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, Battles, Toe and Envy. In May, LITE visited America for the first time, going out on tour with legendary bass guitarist Mike Watt.

MEXICO: Club Fonograma
Hello Seahorse! – Universo 2
Hello Seahorse! is the year’s most acclaimed Mexican indie band. With their third album, Bestia, the trio have made the transition into a multi-dimensional group with a masterwork under their belt. Bestia shines in between ghosts and hazy sonic beauty, in a universe of its own, and proves Hello Seahorse! have total control over their romanticized and passionate, sublime creations.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
Urbantramper – Southern Hemisphere Blues
Urbantramper are a five-piece from Wellington who are part of a loose collective known as Treeninja. The band produce introspective pop songs that reflect an endearing, naive angst about their place in the world. This is a group with a manifesto! They’re currently considering issues of music distribution, copyright and the impact of these on the nature of the relationship between musician and audience. Urbantramper have a strong back catalogue and a new album due in September.

NORWAY: Eardrums
Silverdrop – Real Life
It’s July, it’s summer and it’s time for some fresh and shiny indie-pop from Norwegian six-piece Silverdrop. These are definitely sounds for the sunny days and the band’s new recordings are even more bouncy and energetic than the songs I’ve heard from them before. Silverdrop are currently working on their debut album.

PERU: SoTB
Francois Peglau – Spring Lovers Song (Si Tú Quieres)
Francois Peglau’s songs do not need much explanation, they just happen. They are simple and beautiful – they could be borne from a whistle on a bus or a nice sunny day with friends. Francois moved to London two years ago and Spring Lovers Song (Si Tú Quieres) is his most recent song.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Andrew Thorn – ME Jane
Andrew Thorn is João Pedro Coimbra, a Portuguese composer/musician/producer and founder of the extremely successful duo Mesa. Andrew Thorn is João’s way of exploring his creativity beyond Mesa’s sound. The debut EP, Brutes On The Quiet, was released independently (Mesa is signed to Sony/BMG) on July 13 and ME Jane is the first authorized download by the artist and a MAP exclusive.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Melting Carousel – Several Other Universes
Melting Carousel are an indie-pop band from Timisoara with an eclectic approach, ranging from alternative pop to jazz.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Maple Leaves – Easy Speak
Even though Glasgow’s pedigree of producing twee, folky-pop bands (Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura) is strong, few have been as relentlessly joyous as Maple Leaves. With their dreamy girl-boy vocals and penchant for colouring their songs with flute, piano and acoustic guitar, Maple Leaves are guaranteed to put the spring into anyone’s summer.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…
Force Vomit – Liberator
Surfing and punk-rock in the city state of Singapore don’t necessarily go hand in hand due to the lack of any noteworthy waves (both literally and metaphorically). Enter Force Vomit, the antithesis of Singapore’s two shortcomings with their brazen brand of surf-punk that takes the piss out of Singapore’s sanitized idiosyncrasies and semblance of normal life. Sounding like a Dick Dale number cut by switchblades, Liberator should easily find a place in a Tarantino film.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Dringe Augh – Tutelar
Singer-songwriter Dringe Augh offers lovely songs full of lively guitar play. Over the years he has recorded several demos and his first official EP, Individually Wrapped, was released in June. On the new version of Tutelar, Dringe is accompanied by delightful female vocals from Eunjie Song of modern folk duo Sogyumo Acacia Band.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
MAKTHAVERSKAN – German Boy
I was stumbling around the net (MySpace in particular) and came across this band called MAKTHAVERSKAN. I have since learned they are signed to Luxury. Consider this your introduction to the new ‘it’ band from Gothenburg. They are agit-pop combined with post-punk and a little bit of Joan Jett tunefulness.

VENEZUELA: Barquisimeto Musical
Gonzalo Teppa – De Conde A Principal
Gonzalo Teppa is a musician, composer and a breathtaking double-bass player. Born in Barquisimeto, he has wowed audiences in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, USA, Colombia and Bolivia. Downbeat Magazine has selected him as solo artist of the year twice. De Conde A Principal is a version of an original work from Venezuelan composer Aldemaro Romero. It belongs to his latest work, ConTrabajos De Aldemaro.

To download all 26 songs in one file click here

Last Dinosaurs – ‘Honolulu’ (mp3)

I first came across Brisbane four-piece Last Dinosaurs when my housemate excitedly burst through my bedroom door with their single ‘Honolulu’ blasting from the tiny speakers of his Macbook Pro – I’m very glad he did.

Last Dinosaurs successfully bring together a blend of pop and indie that is filled with the kind of catchy riffs, slurred vocals and group chants that make you want to get up and dance and ultimately leaves you with the perfect soundtrack for a sunny Sunday afternoon spent hanging out in your backyard accompanied by your mates and one to many cases of Draughts.

It’s not just my housemate and I who think that Last Dinosaurs might be onto something, they’ve recently picked up support slots for acts such as Pony Up, Yves Klein Blue and Washington and have also been enjoying some radio play from the lovely folks over at Triple J.

www.myspace.com/wearelastdinosaurs

DZ – ‘Blue Blood’

In between touring,  getting their gear stolen and causing indie music reviewers all along the east coast to cream their black skinnies, DZ have gathered a super-profesh team around them and recorded their debut EP. Lead single ‘Blue Blood’ is pretty simple – shouting and metronomic riffing over slightly sloppy drumming, but it just works.

I kind of hope this dance-grunge movement dies in its own vomit at a house party somewhere soon, but only because very few bands do it as well as these guys. Party on, Wayne.

www.myspace.com/dzparty