I feel particularly fortunate this month to have been given permission to put forward one of my favorite hometown acts, SPIES, as the Irish represenatative for MAP. I’m obviously not the only one waxing lyrical about these Manchunian-inspired Dubs, either, with our resident Italian blogger Robbie immediately picking up on ‘Moosehead’ and featuring it on his monthly MAPCast, here. If you’re particularly taken with SPIES, I have a feature on Trout Records, their in-house record company, in this month’s second print edition of The Thin Air, too. Because, well, avail your ears…
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 22-track compilation through Dropbox here.
IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
SPIES – Moosehead
Hyped up by authorities as hefty as The Guardian and NME, Dublin’s SPIES are widely seen as the city’s next big thing. Moosehead is the latest of their slow to emerge singles, released on the band’s own Trout Records label. Leaning on the same glorious desolation that fronted Factory Records’ world-renowned soundscapes, it’s a jittery, dingy piece of indie-rock that brings atmospheric depression up to date. Think social awkwardness meets Interpol, and put a hefty bookmark on this space.
ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Tomás Ferrero – Cuando Te Hablo
In March 2013, a mixed group of musicians gathered together in Cordoba and Buenos Aires to play some songs and sound pieces composed with lyrics taken from the work of a federal collective of artists called Esta Vida No Otra. Some of them recorded the results several months later, and those tracks were then released as a compilation titled 15 Artistas Cantan Esta Vida No Otra. The song we have selected from this album, also available for free at Bandcamp, is Cuando Te Hablo by Tomás Ferrero from the band Rayos Láser.
AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Open Swimmer – Sugar Bowl
Open Swimmer’s version of pop is jarring, even discordant at first, but it’s this blatantly simple approach that has us hooked. (Dirty Projectors fans, pay attention now.) Sugar Bowl is a brilliant introduction to the band; playful yodelling is cut and pasted along a steady 4/4 drum beat, while witty banter takes the fore. Songwriter Ben TD was based in Glasgow for seven years, touring extensively and landing multiple sessions on BBC Radio One and a stint at T in the Park before settling in Melbourne. The band comprises some of Melbourne’s most admired independent music alumni (The Harpoons, Seagull). Expect to hear a lot more from this group.
BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Alessandra Leão – Mofo
Alessandra Leão shows off her experimental side with Mofo, taken from her new EP, Pedra De Sal. Avoiding the world music sound from other works, this song has dark music and some weird programming that fits the angst of the lyrics.
CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Beach Season – Midnights
There’s not actually much out there on Beach Season besides the fact the project is from Calgary. The smooth vocals of Midnights complements the hip-hop influenced rhythms. This is a duo that won’t be much of a mystery for long.