MAPCAST

MAP February 2014

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As much mixed press has been riled around Sochi 2014, it’s still clear that these kind of seemingly trivial global get-togethers do have some significance in bringing people together to fight over some small coin.The Music Alliance Pact kind of works in the same way, except we’re all much less competitive – instead working damn harmoniously to bring you the best new stuff from each part of our world. Along with us, there are over 26 blogs who take part in MAP each month. All the tunes you’ll hear below are as diverse as they get.

This month, our submission on behalf of Aus is a track by Promise Land, the new project of visual artist Johann Rashid (Home Travel, Eastlink) and producer Paul Harmon. Don’t forget to listen to Robbie’s accompanying podcast for this month’s Mapcast! This month, Mapcast features an extra tune from Russia to celebrate topical Sochi, the qualifying Jamaican bobsled team (the Cool Runnings dream!) AND of course, the Russian Police Band delivering a rather illustrious version of Get Lucky’.

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Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 26-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Jimena Lopez Chaplin – Hombre Estrella

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Jimena Lopez Chaplin is one of the finest emerging voices from the local scene in Buenos Aires. She has been a part of different musical projects, including the Varias Artistas collective formed by Lucas Marti. However, in order to fully appreciate her songwriting and musical talents, you should listen to her two solo albums, Ojos De Plástico (2009) and El Espíritu De La Golosina (2013). Hombre Estrella is a magnificent rendition of David Bowie’s Starman, with Spanish lyrics and arrangements by Jimena.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Promise Land – Recall

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Promise Land is the new project of visual artist Johann Rashid (also a member of Melbourne post-punks Eastlink) and producer Paul Harmon. Their first single Recall has just been released on Hole In The Sky, the imprint run by Modular band Canyons. The track aims to inject a bit of the occult into contemporary urban life, with deep noir production from Harmon featuring eerie vocal samples and an agitated no-wave tick. Meanwhile, Rashid delivers a slick, strained flow that’s almost closer to chanting than song.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Look Vibrant – Sweater In The Lake

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The battlefield is set: an infantry of soldiers carrying swords made of static, a volley of cotton candy-covered cannonballs and the melodic noise of instruments imploding. This is the sound of Montreal’s Look Vibrant in their element. Surrender now and face aural annihilation.

CHILE: Super 45
Jumper Joy – Calma Que No

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Jumper Joy is the moniker for musician and composer Diego Palma who, since 2013 and after being a member of El Último Dinosaurio, decided to go solo on this playful power-pop project, splattered with references to psychedelia and shoegaze. Calma Que No is taken from his second EP released in January.

Listen to the full MAP list below.

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MAP December 2013

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Joining the MAP pack this month from Aus are House of Laurence with their track ‘Just Don’t Move Me’. Plenty of new music action from our blog friends around the globe below, keep scrolling. Our latest MAPCAST podcast is now streaming over at FBi Radio online too.This month’s podcast is coming soon. If your patience is waning already – stream and download last month’s compilation over at our Soundcloud.

 

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Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 27-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie

Cam Beszkin – Cucharita De Manual

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We came across Cam Beszkin’s music when she was a member of Las Bailarinas Anarquistas, Mariana Bianchini’s solo band. This song is from Cam’s sophomore album Este Amor Ya No Es Para Tanto, in which her potent vocals adds up to a solid guitar and drum rock duet.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?

House Of Laurence – Just Don’t Move Me

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Let’s be real – if the industry was a caste system, psychedelic/prog music would sit on the lower rung. Thankfully, we don’t fear throwback in this country. We embrace it with open arms and wild, flailing John the Baptist hair. Just Don’t Move Me is the brand new track from Melbourne band House Of Laurence. If the image of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker in a white pressed suit, struttin’ (barefoot) down the Fremantle boardwalk makes your insides feel like goo then this is dedicated to you.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig

Hella Comet – Tinker Boat

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The post-punk sound of four-piece Hella Comet calls for Sonic Youth comparisons, although their freshly-released second album Wild Honey, from which Tinker Boat is taken, is not afraid of pop either. Hella Comet were selected as one of 18 bands to represent this year’s focus country Austria at Europe’s most important music festival/conference Eurosonic.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado

Castello Branco – Necessidade

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Necessidade is taken from Castello Branco’s first album Serviço. It’s typical of the easygoing feeling he generates to make songs that speak directly to our souls.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts

Rebekah Higgs – Loneliness

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Rebekah Higgs’ new release Sha La La is shot through with the spirit of 60s girl groups minus the innocence and politeness of those times. Higgs gets down and dirty climbing Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. She throws classic doo-wop pop down an echo chamber and what comes out the other end is a gauzy, hazy doo-wop/drone-rock hybrid that’s utterly compelling. Loneliness has never sounded better.

 

(click after the jump for the full list of tracks…)

 

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MAP November 2013

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While we only post stuff from this small corner of the world, For those new to MAP (Music Alliance Pact), it’s that time once a month where our hormones go rioting for month new music from around the globe. Us and a whole selection of fun blog-ly types get to assert our supposed internet authority by picking the best tracks each month. It’s a compact version of Eurovision without the spandex, violence and soviet subtitles.

MAP is also available in podcast form curated each month by our very own Robbie Ingrisano. Listen to the latest edition of MAPCAST over at our Soundcloud account here.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 27-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Onda Vaga – Tataralí

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Since their inception in 2008, Onda Vaga have avoided the steps that independent artists usually take in order to be a part of the music industry. It was a wise call. Thanks to word of mouth from a public that follows them whenever they perform, this folk-rock band have become a huge success, both locally and internationally (they made quite an impression at last year’s Fuji Rock Festival in Japan). Tataralí is the first single from their recently released third album, Magma Elemental.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
La Mancha Negra – Belango Twist

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It’s easy to imagine that Belango Twist might have been found inside a dusty shoebox containing a mix of rhythm and blues cassettes somewhere in the Deep South. Surprisingly that’s far from the case. Sydney swamp-rockers La Mancha Negra (which loosely translates from Spanish to “The Black Stain”) recently delivered their second album. Packed with blues ooze and reverberated hollers, Belango Twist is a tune that’s ideal for cruising… and smashing out a few letterboxes on the way.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Robotra – Morninglight 2

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Don’t let the noisy, distorted lo-fi shell of Robotra songs trick you. This three-piece band from Graz and their pop melodies will catch your attention and make you want to sing along immediately. Morninglight 2 is taken from their full-length debut Tinker, which was mixed and mastered by Wolfgang Möstl (Mile Me Deaf, Sex Jams, Killed By 9V Batteries).

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Marcelo Jeneci – De Graça

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In Marcelo Jeneci’s new psychedelic/pop-influenced album, the single De Graça is one of the weirdest and greatest songs. Strong influences of the earliest works of Caetano Veloso and Arnaldo Antunes (with whom Jeneci still plays keyboard) can be easily heard, as well as Jeneci’s talent for making catchy melodies that create the kind of feeling when everything is just fine and you don’t worry about anything.

Click after the jump to for a full list of tracks…

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MAP October 2013

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MAP (Music Alliance Pact) – the global new music initiative we’re lucky to be a part of is back for October! It’s easy to get caught up in our little ‘scene’ happening here, but it’s really exciting to hear all the other wonderful music pursuits happening around the world.

While you’re there, make sure you check out MAPCAST,  a free podcast of Robbie’s favourite picks from this month’s list! Robbie’s whipped up this month’s podcast at a ridiculous pace – listen/download/update your playlist pronto HERE.

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Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 29-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Juani – Déjame Entrar

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Juani’s involvement with music began during his teenage years and it hasn’t stopped since. Songwriter, singer, musician, producer, cultural manager… you name it. In between his multiple projects (one of them being involved with Rosario’s biggest independent label Planeta X), Juani managed to pull out a new solo album called La Paz Ciencia (a pun between the words “peace” and “science”), with songs that range from Argentine folk to pop and acoustic rock. Déjame Entrar is our favorite track but you can download the whole thing from the website.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
White Caves – I’ve Lost

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White Caves is the new venture from Melbourne songwriter Darren Cordeux. The former Kisschasy frontman has completely left behind the acoustic teen psyche of 2006 for a much looser sound. I’ve Lost carves a completely uplifting vibe out of sombre song content. Thanks to some clear-cut production, soaring vocals and a vibe that sounds like MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden fronting a slacker-pop band, White Caves is lending a new dimension of fun to typical ‘pop-jams’ right here.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Amere Meander – Something I Am Not

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Three kindergarten friends form a band and make pop music. Viennese Amere Meander appeared out of nowhere with songs that are sometimes dreamy and sweet, sometimes mysterious and noisy, drawing inspiration from anything from shoegaze to Fleetwood Mac. Always catchy but never unpredictable, Something I Am Not is taken from their debut album To Lead Astray.

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MAPCAST September

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Our new September MAPCAST podcast is out! The podcast features the best new tracks from around the world picked by Robbie x the Music Alliance Pact bloggers.

Download the podcast for free HERE.

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MAPCAST SEPTEMBER – TRACKLISTING

His Clancyness – ‘Zenith Diamond’ (Italy)

A Fase Rosa – ‘Casa’ (Brazil)

Mood-Fu – ‘Perros De Fu’ (Mexico)

Manor – ‘Architecture’ (Australia)

Poetrip – ‘Aşa Ceva’ (Romania)

Iván Fajardo – ‘Me Voy Dejando’ (Peru)

Worldwide Collaboration Company – Crying Launer Remix (China)

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Don’t forget to listen to all 29 tracks from our original MAP September post + visit us on Soundcloud over yonder.

 

 

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WTH Mapcast // Podcast

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Podcasts are neat little things.

If you’ve been following the last 50 something editions of our global new music round up, Music Alliance Pact (MAP), you’ll understand that trying to digest Puerto Rican hip hop and Icelandic metal-core in one hit is the audio equivalent of drinking a whole gravy boat.

We’ve recruited new guy Robbie Ingrisano to host the WTH Mapcast, a 30min takeaway show of our favourite Music Alliance Pact tracks for the month.

For those 5 years late to the party – the Music Alliance Pact is a global round up of new music from 40 music blogs around the world each month. It’s been running since dear old 2008, when our pals at Scottish blog The Pop Cop invited us in to join. The idea was that each blogger would hand pick a song from the country he/she represented, and the complete collection of free mp3s would then be posted on all the blogs in the pact on the same day. The first ever MAP post took off in October 15th 2008 and five years later, the ‘pact’ has grown to span 40 countries and across blogs such as We Listen For You, The Guardian, Drowned In Sound and more.

There are a huge handful of MAP representatives in the past, posted while most were barely known inside of their own country. Notable MAP alumni include The xx, Ólafur Arnalds, Sleigh Bells, Toro Y Moi and our own Chet Faker, who we sent to glory via MAP back in 2011.

Back to the new guy – Robbie has a background in community radio & network television, did his thesis on Italian TV in the 60’s, jettisons to Europe every summer to eat good stuff and speaks Spanish or something. He’s a worldly kinda guy, so trust his taste in tunes. Mapcast will drops monthly to coincide with the MAP post of the month. The podcast will available as a free download from our new Soundcloud account.

Salud.
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MAPCAST // JULY

MAPCAST // JUNE

 

View previous Music Alliance Pact posts here.

 

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