Destaque da nova geração carioca, Baleia lança segundo disco em BH

Show marca estreia de nova turnê da banda e será realizado n'A Autêntica no dia 8 de abril, sexta. Abertura será da banda instrumental Pequeno Céu

Considerada uma das principais bandas da cena carioca atualmente (e uma das favoritas aqui do blog), a Baleia retorna a BH para lançar seu disco Atlas na programação do Música Quente, projeto focado em shows inéditos em BH que faço pela Quente. Este será o lançamento oficial do disco, o primeiro show do sexteto carioca após o lançamento digital do álbum. Produzido pela banda em parceria com Bruno Giorgi (filho de Lenine), Atlas apresenta um pop idiossincrático que é tanto uma quebra como uma evolução do trabalho anterior, o elogiado Quebra Azul, de 2013. Assim como no disco de estreia, Atlas também tem 8 canções que traduzem, cada uma à sua maneira, o universo pop e um tanto experimental que a banda habita. Segundo o próprio grupo, o novo álbum conversa com o lado mais enérgico e intenso do primeiro disco, já que apresenta uma sonoridade mais robusta e percussiva – muitas vezes usando o rock como diretriz na hora de colocar as ideias em prática.



O show de abertura será da banda instrumental Pequeno Céu. Iniciada em 2009 como uma one-man band, o projeto se expandiu e tomou forma como banda em 2011. No fim de 2014 lançaram o primeiro álbum, Sargaço, e atualmente estão em fase de pré-produção do segundo disco. Musicalmente, é uma mistura entre a música popular brasileira e o math-rock. Uma obra livre que ganha corpo através da transfiguração do post-rock com afrobeat, jazz e de referências ao samba e ao universo da MPB.


Antes e depois dos shows eu e o Nest (meu sócio na Quente e um dos principais DJs de BH) cuidamos do som.

 Mais informações no evento no Facebook. Também rola de comprar o ingresso abaixo.

Rio 2016: Baleia

Na primeira vez que ouvi Baleia me veio à mente o termo "pop rock barroco". Uma música rebuscada porém acessível, que chama atenção logo de cara mas carrega certo mistério a ser descoberto. As descrições afoitas podem classificá-los como filhos do Los Hermanos, mas os barbudos cariocas se encaixariam melhor se os pensarmos como aqueles companheiros de escola mais velhos com os quais convivemos mas pertecem, cada a um, a turmas distintas.

Vê-los ao vivo é como acompanhar a transformação de um mogwai: assim como as criaturas que se transformavam em gremlins se alimentadas após a meia-noite ou molhadas, no palco a fofura e a suavidade da Baleia se dissipam em meio ao peso e à presença encorpada da banda. Não por acaso, após o lançamento do álbum de estreia em 2013 (Quebra Azul), o segundo lançamento da banda foi o EP Ao Vivo na Maravilha8 (de 2015) que registra parte dessa potência do show. Naquela técnica preguiçosa, porém eficaz, de se buscar referências, seria algo como um encontro entre Blonde Redhead, Los Hermanos e Dirty Projectors.



A banda se destacou na internet em 2011 com um cover de Justin Timberlake e, depois, por ter entre seus integrantes Maria Luiza Jobim. Se, na época, corria o risco de ser marcada como "a banda da filha do Tom Jobim", após a saída de Maria Luiza o aspecto coletivo se difundiu como uma das marcas da banda: as composições são assinadas coletivamente, os integrantes se revezam nas entrevistas e, a julgar pelas falas e pela diversidade sonora esultante, parece ser algo sincero e orgânico. Os arranjos, parte de destaque na Baleia, se beneficiam dessa coletividade e da musicalidade dos integrantes - metade deles toca mais de um instrumento na banda (o vocalista/violonista GabrielVaz, por exemplo, era o baterista da banda no vídeo com o cover do Timberlake).

A experimental "Volta", lançada no segundo semestre de 2015, sugere os caminhos do novo disco (já descrito pela banda como "mais 'Breu' e menos 'Casa'"). Ou seja, mais enérgico e intenso, menos pop. Gravado durante um retiro na Serra das Araras, no Rio de Janeiro, e produzido novamente por Bruno Giorgi em parceria com a banda, o disco será lançado ainda no primeiro semestre de 2016 e até o momento tem dois singles lançados (os vídeos que acompanham este texto, das faixas "Volta" e "Estrangeiro").

Bonifrate na Music Alliance Pact de novembro

O Meio Desligado é o representante exclusivo do Brasil no Music Alliance Pact, projeto global que envolve cerca de 30 blogs especializados em música, de diferentes países, que mensalmente realiza uma coletânea com bandas independentes/alternativas. Todo dia 15 é publicada a coletânea com uma música escolhida pelo representante de seu respectivo país de origem.

Faça o download da coletânea completa ou escute cada uma das músicas clicando em cima do nome da faixa.
ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
El Violinista Del Amor & Los Pibes Que Miraban - Inofensivos
El Ruido y La Culpa: Una Opereta Lastimera is the band's fourth album in more than six years on the road. It's a crazy journey through an eclectic salad of genres, something we're quite used to with them. Their music overcomes drama, bad mood and guilt with humor, irony and abandon.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Spookyland - Bulimic
Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve. This track stabs it profusely, draws a stake through the middle and stands over watching as your arteries bleed out in 4/4 time. Sorry for the emotional terrorism, but hear this track from Sydney outfit Spookyland and you'll probably agree it warrants the description. Marcus Gordon's prose is stark, its delivery brutal at times - but you get the feeling there's something important to be said beyond the rhetoric. It's a stoic, turbulent six-minute epic - and the ending is worth the wait.

BRASIL: Meio Desligado
Bonifrate - Museu De Arte Moderna
"Museu De Arte Moderna" is the title song from Bonifrate's new album. It has the psychedelic vibe of the whole record, plus some Beck influence that makes it more contemporary. His album is one of the jewels of the contemporary Brazilian indie scene.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Pony Girl - Candy
Ottawa's Pony Girl creatively blends acoustic elements such as guitars and wind instruments with electronic samples for the delicate harmonies of their single Candy. Who knew two singers in unison could be so beautiful?

CHILE: Super 45
Niños Del Cerro - Nonato Coo
Niños Del Cerro had already displayed their fresh sound with La Pajarería, a single that didn't go unnoticed among the ears of the independent music press. Now they're back with their first album, Nonato Coo, which continues its path of Latin rhythms and ethereal textures and confirms the return of pop guitars in the sound of Santiago.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Montaña - En Bicicleta
Bogotá quartet Montaña has been experimenting in the fields of instrumental post/math-rock for more than three years. Pending the release of their first album we can enjoy En Bicicleta, a track that is gaining a lot of attention in the independent scenes of the Colombian capital.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
HÔN - Vulture
He's the frontman of lauded nordicana outfit The Rumour Said Fire, but two weeks ago Jesper Lidang debuted as HÔN with the album White Lion. On it he mixes indie, R&B, dance and the 1980s to a compelling alternative pop cocktail. Here's Vulture as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Los Detectives Helados - En El Camino
Los Detectives Helados formed in the small town of Piñas in 2012. The band, whose name was inspired by a poem by renowned Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, have just released their debut album which mixes indie-rock, pop, experimental sounds and blues. Here is first single En El Camino featuring Ricardo Pita.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Joseph Panama - Side 2
This 22-minute ambient track might be one of the more unusual and slow-gestating songs ever to have been included in the MAP project, but it's also a great example of Ireland's modern-day musical diversity: deceptively intense as it flits on, yet still walking a fine line between background music and inventive modern electronica. One for a long, thoughtful walk, it's a far cry from its creator's rocky day-to-day project Overhead, The Albatross.

ITALY: Polaroid
Dumbo Gets Mad - Misanthropulsar
Psychedelic duo Dumbo Gets Mad's new album is called Thank You Neil, named after the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In fact, the whole album is inspired by the TV show Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and the sound draws from classic Seventies soundtrack composers such as Piero Umiliani and Bruno Nicolai, but also from the American experimental soul of Shuggie Otis and the contemporary works of Connan Mockasin. The vibe is super relaxed overall, but Dumbo Gets Mad know full well how to make you dance as well.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Shigge - Tiny Block
Over the past two years, the city of Fukuoka on the western side of Japan has been home to Yesterday Once More, an electronic label promoting some of the most thrilling young talent domestically and abroad. Label head Shigge has made some of the finest cuts from the collective, and the title track from his latest EP highlights the dancefloor energy the burgeoning imprint is capable of.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Brodu - Ic-Cimiterju
Brodu, formed in 2011, sing in Maltese and play rock music with influences from various genres. The band was set up to record an album of songs written by Mark Abela and the late Darren Gatt. Brodu's debut album Ħabullabullojb, released in 2014, is a diverse collection of tracks featuring many guest artists from Malta.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
G-Flux - Cocaína (feat. Afrodita & Borchi)
G-Flux is the alias of Gustavo Naranjo, a Mexican producer and DJ settled in Washington D.C. Even though he's far away from his homeland, G-Flux remains ever present and relevant in Mexico City through his music and collaborations. As one of the strongest advocates of cumbia, G-Flux is never afraid to explore all of this genre's diversifications, like pitched down cumbias. Cocaína, featuring delicious vocals from Afrodita and Borchi, is a hip-swaying track for anyone who's ready to be part of a simmering dancefloor.

PERU: SoTB
Ale Hop - Hey Girl
Ale Hop is an experimental Peruvian musician with a base in Berlin, and also the songwriter and producer of the band Las Amigas De Nadie. She just released Pangea, an experimental music-video album full of roaring guitars and expansive electronic sound layers which create a very characteristic kind of music. Pangea comes with a music film featuring 10 audiovisual pieces made by several directors and is one of the most ambitious works to emerge from Peru this year.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
The Weatherman - Ice II
The Portuguese contribution to MAP has been long enough to almost follow the complete the career of The Weatherman, the alter-ego of Oporto multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alexandre Monteiro. Ice II is the first known song from The Weatherman's fourth album. It's a sweet, sticky pop single that will have you whistling all day. You can watch its video here.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Armstrong - Thursday Night Club
It's hard not to succumb to the youthful enthusiasm of alt-rock quartet Armstrong. Singer Nicole Mason has energy to burn and oozes star potential with an appealing mixture of confidence and glam. As a reference point, you wouldn't be a million miles off with early Paramore. Here is an exclusive free download of the exuberant Thursday Night Club (with an ace video to boot), which can also be found on Armstrong's self-titled debut EP, released in September and available to buy on iTunes.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Gus Benevolent - I Was Right
Operating under the name Hyun Lee Yang when he was last featured as a MAP artist (in June 2014), Gus Benevolent has released two albums in 2015. His most recent effort, Alexandria, came out in late October and offers almost a full hour of emotional vocals and classic guitar, including a couple of acoustic versions of songs crafted and first released during his days in emo band 99anger. I Was Right features a well-balanced combination of easily relatable lyrics and beautiful guitar play.

Cícero na coletanea Music Alliance Pact de junho

O Meio Desligado é o representante brasileiro no Music Alliance Pact, projeto global que envolve 20 blogs especializados em música, de diferentes países, que mensalmente realiza uma coletânea com bandas independentes/alternativas. Todo dia 15 é publicada a coletânea com uma música escolhida pelo representante de seu respectivo país de origem (publicada com atraso por aqui). Você pode fazer download da coletânea completa ou escutar as faixas individualmente, clicando no nome de cada uma delas.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Ciudadano Toto - Esta Canción
Last month Argentina's independent music scene mourned the sudden death of Adrián Nievas, aka Ciudadano Toto, lead singer of electro-pop group Adicta. An all-time favorite of Zonaindie, Adicta was perhaps one of the most underrated bands of the last decade, so if you never listened to them you deserve to (all their albums are one click away). This month's MAP song is a home-recorded cover version of Cuban legend Silvio Rodríguez that he used to open his recent solo concerts. Sophomore album Flores, Brillos y Arcoiris was released just a couple of months ago). RIP.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Bicentennial - Sleeper Train
Hailing from Marrickville, a suburb in Sydney's warehouse district, Bicentennial (Jess Cooper) writes and produces dark but delicate soundscapes layered underneath reverberated chant-like vocals. She cites backpacking around the globe as a major inspiration to her music, which is easy to see in this track's title with any remaining inspiration coming from her white pet parrot Jai-Chai, whom she claims is never far from her shoulder.

BRASIL: Meio Desligado
Cícero - Isabel (Carta De Um Pai Aflito)
This song is from Cícero's third album, A Praia, released a few months ago. Its lyrics are about a father regretting the loss of his daughter, who left home to experience life. The album has elements of traditional indie-rock and Brazilian popular music, usually referred to as MPB.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Mallory Scott - Levitate
Mallory Scott's electro-pop creeps into the deep crevices of the night, but in his latest track Levitate the beats also seep deep into your soul and the melodies into your consciousness.

CHILE: Super 45 Nva Picton - Estar
Nva Picton is a duo formed by Miguel Gálvez and Andrés San Martín. It's also one of the most interesting projects that the Chilean musical scene has bred. Without framing it in a specific genre, they put together experimental RnB, avant-garde electronica and club music in a package that keeps its coherence, regardless of their ambitions. Their single Estar is taken from their first work, EP.01 (Sudamerican Records, 2015).

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
La Sabrosura Dura - La Mona
Bogota's La Sabrosura Dura is a hard project to explain. Some call them salsa punk. The septet feel the rhythm in their veins, but they don't require the audience to be skilled in the arts of salsa or tropical rhythms. Indeed, they prefer that the public enjoy it as they please, whether they know the dance or not. They were a sensation at this year's SXSW and are currently working on their new album. This song, La Mona, is named after one of the many affectionate names given to beer in Colombia.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
The New Investors - Atún
Born out of a love for 1960s surf and psychedelic pop, The New Investors have released eight digital singles so far (all on SoundCloud), but it is with their latest, Atún (video), they get it absolutely right. If this is the level we can expect of their debut album, due out in August 2015, it will be quite excellent.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Gallo Lester ft. La Montra & Yuriseibi - La Comparsa
El Gallo Lester started as a YouTube sensation with some weird mashups between current sociopolitical events and his own breed of "mambo metal" music, and it's quickly becoming an icon of shamelessness, social critique and rebellion. La Comparsa shares the spotlight with two more made-up characters: La Montra, a character made to resemble Rita Indiana's unique style, and Yuriseibi, a girl who's always dreamed of being produced by Lester. Be sure to check out his his YouTube channel's videos and parodies.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Van Fan Culo - Comí (feat. Jennifer Byron)
Efraaín Granizo is the mind behind Van Fan Culo, an electronic music project that blends different kinds of beats and genres like hard dance, industrial, house, glitch or bombatom. From his first album Ser Rojo Sería, distributed by the Mexican label Casete, we present single Comí featuring Jennifer Byron on vocals.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Sapphira Singgih - Lost Soul
Sapphira Singgih is a singer-songwriter who has been making her own songs in a lonely room for years. After singing with some of notable groups, mostly psychedelic rock'n'roll, she's ready to come out on her own.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
RiZA feat. Niwel Tsumbu - Kabembe
As an Irish-based guitarist with Congolese roots, Niwel Tsumbu is a superbly original artist drawing on a stunning array of influences. Kabembe blends central African rhythms and lingala language lyrics with an emotive tale of the day Tsumbu found out his daughter is not his biological relation. RiZA, Tsumbu's newest outlet, feature the best Irish-African music has to offer and already look set to make waves.

ITALY: Polaroid
MOOD - Sick Pride Nice Vibe
I know why I love MOOD: I saw them live before even knowing what they were going to do. There were these two very young kids on a big stage, only a guitar and a drum set. And then, it happened: they blew everyone away! It was math-rock, it was post-rock, it was loops on delays and rhythms overlapped. And it was very, very, very loud. Daniele and Francesco, just 18 years old now, have released a self-titled first album and shared a stage with the likes of J Mascis, Chain And The Gang and The Death Of Anna Karina.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Einsteins - Hypnotism
It is not quite hypnotic, but rather deeply dreamy. Einsteins have been making sweet electro-pop for a while now, but Hypnotism marks the moment where the group creates a song one wants to live in, a lush collection of synthesizers wherein the softly sung vocals snake through. Less a trance and more like a sweet bedtime escape.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Dripht - Green Dub
Formed in 1998, Dripht's music is a fusion of punk-rock with a reggae feel. To date Dripht has released three EPs - Dripht, Global Warning and Pacifista - and gained a sizeable following in Malta.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Siete Catorce - Respira
Marco Polo Gutiérrez, a young producer from Mexicali, Baja California living in Mexico City, works under many different monikers, yet has obtained most of his popularity as Siete Catorce. Like many of his best songs, Respira is designed to be consumed as an immersive experience as the producer steps into frenetic grooves and anxious spaces, which conclude with a very accurate tribal-esque beat. For an artist who is constantly releasing amazing tracks, he's certainly looking forward with this one.

PERU: SoTB
Lagartijacarlo - Verano Par
Lagartijacarlo is a solo project that began in 2013. Carlo, its only member, composes and produces all his songs with an authentic lo-fi indie essence. His most recent release, Verano Par, is a six-track EP made mainly with a ukulele, a style he calls ukulele-pop.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Evols - Shelter
Evols are due to release their second album, Evols II, this autumn through Porto-based label Wasser Bassin. The quintet's new record has been in the works for the last two years and we are very excited by the first single, Shelter, which is backed with a video directed by Laetitia Morais.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
The Van T's - Growler
The Van T's, led by grunge-loving twins Chloe and Hannah Van Thompson, might just take the Scottish festival scene by storm this summer. Since forming as a harmony-driven acoustic-folk duo, The Van T's have undergone a radical evolution. They're now a much noisier proposition with lashings of reverb and a Pixies-esque appreciation of pop distortion. The awesome Growler is taken from their debut EP.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Genius - 88 Years Old
True to their name, three-piece Genius deliver a mix of earnest and humorous lines set to garage-rock and punk. Following last year's celebrated album Beaches, this month the band returned with EP Lucky Mistake. Lead track 88 Years Old is a straightforward number with uplifting lyrics.

SPAIN: Musikorner
BeatLove - White Whale
BeatLove is an experimental electronic duo formed in 2009 by Bejamín Jiménez and Myriam Fernández, two lovers of rhythm. In 2014 they brought out debut album Interference, and most recently they released Wins, which includes remixes by Fernando Lagreca and Reykjavik 606.

Music Alliance Pact de outubro com Baleia representando o Brasil

O Meio Desligado é o representante exclusivo do Brasil no Music Alliance Pact, projeto global que envolve cerca de 30 blogs especializados em música, de diferentes países, que mensalmente realiza uma coletânea com bandas independentes/alternativas. Todo dia 15 é publicada a coletânea com uma música escolhida pelo representante de seu respectivo país de origem.

Faça o download da coletânea deste mês ou escute cada uma das faixas clicando nos nomes das músicas abaixo.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Ubika - Fahrenheit
Hard rock guitars, solid bass and drums plus strong female vocals are the formula behind Ubika. Fahrenheit is the first single from their latest album, Amigos Del Bosque, and it's inspired by Ray Bradbury's novel. The song has a video directed by Diego Stickar, which you can watch here.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
The Twoks - First Light
The Twoks are a Melbourne two-piece comprising Xani Kolac on violin and vocals, and Mark Leahy on drums. Initially the solo instrumental project of Kolac, who studied jazz and improvisation at Victorian College of the Arts, the duo is now renowned on the local live circuit for their unpredictable sets which feature Kolac on loop station and a smorgasbord of effects. On The Twoks' latest release, First Light EP - which boasts crisp production from Tony Buchen (The Preatures) - Kolac's improvisations have been whittled down to concise retro-pop tunes in the vein of Pat Benatar or Kate Bush.


BRASIL: Meio Desligado
Baleia - Breu
"Breu" is one of the strongest songs from Baleia's debut album, released last year. They first caught the attention of the indie press in Brazil with a jazzy cover of Justin Timberlake but in their album they show a handful of influences, resulting in experimental indie-rock that dabbles in baroque pop and folk.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Friends Forever - As Long As You Call Me
The duo of Jordan Pearson (New Zebra Kid/Halcyon) and Sam McDougall don't have many songs yet under the moniker Friends Forever, but As Long As You Call Me shows off vintage 80s synth-pop inspiration with sparking melodies.

CHILE: Super 45
Magaly Fields - Love Scene
Magaly Fields is a duo formed by Tomás Stewart (guitar) and Diego Cifuentes (drums) who rock fast and strongly. They released their debut album Chromatic Days in September through Algo Records. Their first single is Love Scene, a fictional tune about a rotten relationship that fantasies that the romance never really happened.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Hit The Hay - Long Way Home
One of my favorite Danish bands right now, Hit The Hay travel dusty American roads with bags packed with catchy Scandinavian melancholy. Here is my first meeting with them, Long Way Home, as a MAP exclusive download, but do also check out the great Never Wanted Out and Running.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Doob - Put On Your Seat Belt (Brenda M Remix)
True island vibes can be felt all over the work of Doob, a young producer from La Vega who spends his time remixing, and ranging between soul and progressive house on tracks of his own. The original Put On Your Seat Belt song can be heard here, but the one featuring on this MAP edition is a Nu-disco remix by Brenda M, a DJ and collaborator from the neighboring Santiago province.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Estereo Humanzee - Insaciable
In less than one year, Estereo Humanzee return to MAP with their new EP, 8min 20seg. This three-song EP, that came with their new live album Signaux Lumineux, is a real statement of the evolution of their electronic sound.

FRANCE: Your Own Radio
Singapour - Paris SA
Singapour is the new project from the duo Mondrian, who are composed of Roman Oswald and Lee Gordon. On their track Paris SA (Paris Société Anonyme) they present the Paris you don't really want to know: €10,000 per square meter, €3 coffee, stressful life. It's the storytelling of a complicated relationship between Parisians and their city, a kind of "I love you… me neither".

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Dead Gum - Float
Panagiotis Spoulos, as Dead Gum, mainly uses guitar and vocals through minimal effects to create instant songs, psychedelic collages and direct, stripped-down bursts. The music itself - partially improvised but fully psychographic - has anthropocentric characteristics and lo-fi character and flirts with punk, bedroom pop and analog noise. Float is the gripping opening track off his upcoming album, GAINER.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Megatruh - Annelies
Megatruh come from Malang, a small city in the eastern part of Java with plenty of music talent, and Megatruh is one of the latest breed. After a series of painful things happened to frontman Kidung, he started a project influenced by post-punk, psychedelia and noise-rock with 90s sensibilities.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Conor Walsh - The Front
West coast modern-classical pianist Conor Walsh has one foot in Ireland's contemporary scene through his toned-down samples and nuanced electronics. In the most part, though, his music exudes a mellow timelessness, taking the gorgeous throwback farmland of rural Mayo and converting it into a sound that's part film score, part desolate romance. At first listen this sounds like simple piano music; let it sit and The Front's gentle flow whisks you away.

ITALY: Polaroid
Niagara - Vanillacola
Niagara are a Turin-based experimental pop duo. They say their sound incorporates elements of electronic, psychedelic, Eastern and dance music, but I think it's more surprising than this. The track Vanillacola, from their second album Don't Take It Personally (out now on the UK label Monotreme), is a wonderful example of Niagara's elusive idea of music: Boards Of Canada synths that destroy a catchy pop structure, while the vocals become more obsessive as the melody gets hypnotic.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
The Somedays - Remember Me
There is no shortage of indie-pop music in Japan. There has never been a lack of twee-leaning, ennui-dunked groups in this country. Osaka group The Somedays have found a smart way to stand out from the pack. Remember Me is anchored by all the regular trappings of the style - guitar, drums, melancholy vocals - but is given a buzzy edge thanks to the presence of synthesizers, lending a futuristic vibe to their sound.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Pájaro Sin Alas - Alfombra Mágica Mental
Rodolfo Ramos Castro aka Pájaro Sin Alas ("Bird With No Wings") not only penned one of the most heartbreaking songs of the first half of this decade, but also became a figure whose slow output is worth the wait. Alfombra Mágica Mental functions as bitter sips of shared realities that strangely link the mystery of the Arabian Nights with the barren landscapes of his home state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico.

PERU: SoTB
Las Amigas De Nadie - Should Not Let It Go
Human Dress is the new album of Las Amigas De Nadie, released two years after Sincronia, a record that created great interest in the Latin American music scene thanks to its originality. Human Dress gives us a much deeper insight into the experimental melodies that the band introduced in their previous album. Should Not Let It Go is their first single, an addictive and remarkable mix of electronic textures and distorted vocals.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Pernas De Alicate - Pássaros (Casa Para Pássaros, Parte I)
Pernas De Alicate is not really a band but a project started by drummer Carlos BB, who is also a recording studio owner, and Sara Feio, an illustrator. They invited some of their friends and acquaintances to contribute their art, music, illustrations, photography and film for Pernas De Alicate. The music was recorded over Carlos BB's drums, with every musician invited on a one-by-one basis. The video for Pássaros (Casa Para Pássaros, Parte I) was directed by Sara.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Samalot - Valle De Luz
After two intense albums as part of experimental rock group Tachdé, Fernando Samalot has created his own niche in the prolific Puerto Rican music scene with his introspective and meditative songs. With the steady hand of engineer and producer Héctor "Stontape" Hernández, Fernando has created musical landscapes filled with desire, hope and wisdom that seem to travel like wind from our lush Caribbean mountains down to the intricate river channels of the island. Samalot's most recent EP - available through Bandcamp - features two "sister" songs, Rayo De Luz and Valle De Luz. Both are definitely faces of the same coin.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
The Xcerts - Pop Song
The Xcerts have been my favourite Scottish rock band since their debut album In The Cold Wind We Smile was released in 2009, with its impassioned choruses and gripping moments of melancholy. It wasn't difficult to fall under its spell. While the follow-up record was deliberately rougher around the edges, their imminent third album, There Is Only You, out on November 3, is an exhibition of The Xcerts' songwriting strength. The melodic explosion of the aptly-named Pop Song, a MAP exclusive download, is a case in point. Check out the video for it here.

SPAIN: Musikorner
YDVST - 2044
YDVST breathes mysticism and irrealities. His first EP, DVST / CUTS was written during silent and uncertain nights. It was released by the Sweat Taste label and contains experimental essences of ambient, downtempo and vaporware. This mysterious yet captivating artist from Madrid will certainly develop his projects at his own pace.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
The Fervor - Moment Of Truth
Louisville, Kentucky's The Fervor mixes in lush orchestration with pounding vocals that conjure up thoughts of Neko Case. The music is filled with small moments of beauty that once heard as a complete piece results in a blissful listen.