ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Carmel – Tu Momento

A musical project led by Alan Soifer and Pablo Antonietti aka Panto, young folks in their own right (they both just blew out 21 candles). El Buen Retiro (on Estamos Felices, one of our favorite independent labels) is Carmel’s first album, in which they manage to combine experimentation with electronica and melodies. Tu Momento is the first single from the record, available on iTunes.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Jesse Davidson – Winter

Jesse Davidson is a 16-year-old songwriter from Adelaide. The track we’ve chosen may be called Winter, but we think it sounds more like Grizzly Bear recording a leisurely acoustic session somewhere off the Caribbean coast. Alongside muted drums and blissful guitar embellishments that resurface every so often, there’s something really pure about Jesse’s music. He manages to capture the beauty of isolation in a way that never seems forced. Honest, effortless indie-folk.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Kidcat Lo-Fi – Life Sucks

A singer-songwriter with a feminist tendency, Kidcat Lo-Fi’s songs range from love to hate and from protest to irony. Her self-titled debut album, out in April, is consciously kept raw and will feature songs called I Will Not Marry Or Reproduce and I Want To Be A Cat. Don’t we all?

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Karina Zeviani – Update

Everyone should learn Portuguese to get the true feeling of Update, a ballad about the end of a relationship. Karina Zeviani, the former singer of Nouvelle Vague and Thievery Corporation, released her first solo album last year.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Eagle Lake Owls – Little Brittle Bones

You can hear the world thawing from winter’s cold grip on Little Brittle Bones, from Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Eagle Lake Owls. The slow and steady vibration of spring echoes through the song’s opening moments, before it shakes the last shards of ice off and swells into life. Songs like this are what keep you going through the isolation of a prairie winter.

CHILE: Super 45
WatchOut! – Guayabita

Although in the beginning WatchOut! stood out with a sound strongly influenced by Los Saicos’ primitive punk and North American psychedelic garage, they’ve now turned to Latin America. In Guayabita, the first preview of their forthcoming album Tribu, to be released by local label BYM Records, the spirit of tropicalia, fusion music and Chilean psychedelia come alive to shape the new sound of WatchOut!

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Dorado – Out Of Her Depth

David Triana aka Dorado is an electronic music producer and DJ from Bogota. His style is a coalescence of UK bass, techno and house music, although in his early life he was greatly influenced by hardcore punk. Triana is currently working with Downpitch Recordings, a new label from his home city. Out Of Her Depth is taken from Tribute EP, his first release.

CUBA: suenacubano.com
Karamba – Vivir La Vida

We are happy to begin our participation in MAP with a different approach to what is generally known of Cuban music. Vivir La Vida is an ode to self-esteem. It’s a song that invites reflection on our path to being and behaving in these troubled times. With his own particular stamp, Karamba uses cumbia, hip hop and rock ‘n’ roll, combining the freshness of his lyrics and refrains to recreate the impeccable taste that permeates Cuban music.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Bite The Bullet – I Feel Love

The first five songs by Bite The Bullet are released in Germany this month, one being this MAP exclusive download. Comprising one half of one of my favorite Danish bands, the sadly defunct Highway Child, BTB rock in the same retro vein as HC (the abbreviations end here) and still seem a live force to reckoned with as this video shows. A full vinyl release is coming up this fall and I for one can’t wait.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Ocean Lips – Submarine

Ocean Lips take inspiration from Brit-rock, modern art and, of course, the ocean. Their first single Submarine evokes breezy feelings with the wavy sound of their guitars, taking us for a ride to the bottom of the sea.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Munn – En La Obscuridad

Munn is one of the country’s best new bands. Their first EP Espirales mixes an electronic rhythm section with different types of samples, analog and digital synthesizers, acoustic instruments, bass, electric guitar and layers of voices, generating atmospheres of trip hop and downtempo. En La Obscuridad is Munn’s second single and its video was directed by Lucia Romero.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
YYZ – Into The Night

Into The Night is a sublime blast of ravey pop from the synth prodder, DJ-cum-FX-whiz and perky chanteuse known as YYZ. Formerly members of Ting Tings surrogates Ghostcat, and with a CV that includes remixing a single by Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud, YYZ are now purveying an even more commercial brand of mainstream nu disco and fizzily addictive technopop aimed at the shopping mall massive, not the Hoxton passive.

ESTONIA: Rada7.ee
Highmachine – Sobergeist

Highmachine have been playing honest, fun rock music since 2008. Formed from alumni of several Estonian rock and metal bands, they have returned to the bluesy riff rock that drove all of them to music in the first place. Highmachine are performing at the Tallinn Music Week festival in April, at a Rada7.ee showcase. By the way, the video for Sobergeist did pretty well on Estonia’s video chart.

FINLAND: Glue
Streak And The Raven – Speed Of Light

Electropop group Streak And The Raven create an intense atmosphere with minimalistic synth-driven sounds, drawing comparisons to Chromatics and hedonistic early-80s bands. Speed Of Light is included in their recently released debut Love & War, an album that makes a nighttime journey in the spirit of past war and lost love.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Mermonte – Monte

Mermonte was formed in Rennes in 2010. This group of 10 wonderful musicians all have a past in various bands, combining different elements such as jazz, math-rock, pop and post-rock. Band leader Ghislain Fracapane recorded the album Mermonte in 2011, before releasing it in May 2012. Monte is a catchy pop song with glockenspiel and soft French vocals that you will love immediately and put on repeat for weeks.

GERMANY: Coltran
Tellavision – Holidays On Earthquakes

There are a lot of stunningly good solo artists in Germany who base their music on looping, DIY and edged rhythms. Tellavision, who just recorded a split-vinyl called Cake with Touchy Mob, stands out from the crowd. Fee Kürten, the woman behind Tellavision, has a knack for drifting melodies and haunting singing. Holidays On Earthquakes perfectly captures these features.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Melentini – Gone Are The Days

After creating a series of music pieces, appearing in theatrical plays and collaborating with prominent artists, Melentini has finally completed Explosions Around, The Desert Inside, an enrapturing debut album. It is racked with mostly bare arrangements and a stark, heartfelt vocal delivery that provides the stunning balm to bind this unsettling beauty together. Stricken with fragility, it combines affecting poetic lyrics and piercing sorrow with something ethereal that drags you into an achingly alluring world. It’s a record you’ll return to again and again.

INDIA: NH7
The Lightyears Explode – Garam Dharam

The Lightyears Explode are a three-piece punk/garage rock band from Mumbai and a good example of the current crop of independent music coming out of India. Garam Dharam is from the band’s debut release and the first word that comes to mind after listening to this song is ‘heavy’. If you dig this tune, stay tuned for their debut album which is due out in the next few months.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Good Boy Badminton – Time Off

Good Boy Badminton are an emo/indie-rock band that routinely rocks their home city and casually tours around the country. They have a good number of followers everywhere. Time Off has been well received by emo fans around the world, with the song remaining on the PureVolume chart for weeks. They are currently planning for an Asian tour.

IRELAND: Harmless Noise
Replete – Easy Love

Lesser-known amongst the glut of electronic producers who are proving so popular in Ireland lately, Replete is Cork’s Peter Lawlor. Easy Love, his latest track which premiered on Earmilk, is not quite house music but comes close. An indiscernible vocal leads over a brooding beat but this slight disorientation is allayed with the sweetest of synths. Not hard to love at all.

ITALY: Polaroid
ThreeLakes – The Accordion Player

Luca Righi is a young and talented songwriter from Mantua, in the north of Italy, but when you listen to his music you’d think he comes from the heart of the United States. His songs clearly have deep roots in Americana and folk, but then you hear his voice and it’s so torn he is probably singing with tears in his eyes. And what you hear is amazing.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Buddy Girl And Mechanic – Fenix

Fenix is in no rush to get to any particular destination, but rather sounds intent on unnerving listeners during its almost four-minute running time. The track comes courtesy of Tokyo outfit Buddy Girl And Mechanic, who specialize in making seductive Krautrock-tinged songs hiding stranger details. On Fenix, check the way the vocals skip jump all over the place, and how those rinky-dink synths sound. Close listening encouraged.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Capitol K – Yo Tarzan Tu Jane

Kristian Craig Robinson, as Capitol K, has traversed a spectrum of electronic aesthetics throughout 13 years and five albums with releases on Planet Mu, XL and Faith And Industry. A legend of contemporary electronica in the purest sense, Capitol K’s genre mashing, globetrotting musical explorations have seen him receive a steady stream of critical praise. Yo Tarzan Tu Jane is taken from his latest album Andean Dub, inspired by a South American road trip.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Yellow Yesterday – León

The name Yellow Yesterday might refer potential listeners to a nostalgic band that recreates Beatlesque anthems for lazy afternoons. And that was indeed the sound of this Mexico City group, led by the charming Andrés Ibarra (aka Chelito), on their early singles and EPs. For their proper debut, though, Yellow Yesterday seem to have ignited their retro-boosters to deliver this spacey-krauty epic that roars in slow motion like a lazy lion.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
Lemontrip – Wander

With Wander, Tilburg-based producer Lemontrip allows the listener to catch a glimpse of his submerged world. Being sparse with the distribution of melodic and rhythmic information, he makes sure to leave a lot to the imagination of his audience. In this sense, Wander seems to be the embodiment of the overarching theme of exploration, embedded in his debut album Nowhere. Released in November 2012 through his own Fog Mountain Records label, Nowhere consists of six stunning tracks, each displaying Lemontrip’s craftsmanship for making slow-paced, melancholic electronic music. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to catch on.

PERU: SoTB
La IrA De Dios – Yo Solo

La IrA De Dios was formed in 2001, but it was in 2005 that they began to draw international attention after being signed to German label Nasoni Records, who reissued the band’s first album, leading to their first European tour. Last year they released their fifth album, Peru No Existe, a great example of psychedelia and powerful rock.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
Sorry Boys – The Sun

You could say that where Bon Iver’s last album ends, the new song from Sorry Boys starts, though The Sun in its entirety is something different than Beth/Rest. Their avant-pop single is popular from the spring schedule advertisement of one of the biggest TV stations in Poland. Is it Kate Bush behind the microphone?

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Kubik – Basso Profondo

Kubik’s new EP, Music For Trevor Reznik, was inspired by the character interpreted by Christian Bale in the 2004 movie The Machinist. Kubik mingles contemporary with traditional, and Basso Profondo is a perfect example of that as electronic sounds combine with the didgeridoo and basso profondo singing, best known in traditional Russian orthodox music.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Orquesta El Macabeo – Lluvia Con Sol

Time to hit the dance floor! The self-proclaimed rockeros con guille de salseros (“rockers posing as a salsa band”) of Orquesta El Macabeo have just released the first single from their upcoming third album. Lluvia Con Sol showcases the mean and dirty brass section and populist lyrics that have become staples of the band’s sound. If you still haven’t heard of these guys – local punk and hardcore players now spearheading Puerto Rico’s ‘old school’ salsa revival – now’s a great time to start.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
The Noise – Ringo Starr

The Noise is an indie-rock band formed in the summer of 2011 in Sibiu. The four-piece has shared a stage with some of Romania’s better-known alternative bands and is scheduled to do quite a bit more of that in the coming year. The group’s sound is the result of a diverse set of influences ranging from 60s beat music to modern-day noisemakers. New single Ringo Starr is meant to serve as a taster of things to come.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
OL – Tak Budet Vsegda

As a part of the first compilation by the newly-created Beryoza community, OL transforms a Soviet musical hit by Alla Pugacheva, stretching a catchy refrain into a club anthem.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Vigo Thieves – Heartbeats

Vigo Thieves are the quintessential festival band. Think anthems. Massive, swaggering raise-the-roof anthems. Heartbeats is the pick of the bunch and was the official song adopted by T in the Park for their website last year. The group have a couple of EPs under their belt, although curiously they remain unsigned. For a band with this much commercial appeal, you’d imagine that won’t be the case for very much longer.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Modsdive – North

Psychedelic post-rock band Modsdive gathers some of the best indie musicians in Korea, crafting amazing instrumental tunes on the foundation laid by MAP alumni Auhm. Formed a year ago, the band is scheduled to release their first full-length album this month. As a taste of what’s to come, here is the dynamic and captivating North.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Pol Wagner – Grieving

Pol Wagner is a songwriter from Girona and currently living the nights of Barcelona. He says he’s in love with American folk and booze, and you can tell by his dark but tender songs, written in his room and clearly influenced by Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith and Tom Waits.

SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
Nord & Syd – Inte Idag

Sweden’s latest supergroup, Nord & Syd – which consists of members from Vapnet, Laakso, Holy Madre, Ironville and Penny Century – released their debut full-length Som En Människa on March 13 via Hybris. The album is said to revolve around death, love and alienation – in other words your typical melodic, solidly produced and, of course, completely outstanding Swedish indie-pop.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
My Name Is George – Crazy Star

My Name Is George, from Winterthur, have released their fifth studio record in which they again celebrate the pompous and melodic side of rock ‘n’ roll. Welcome in the neon-coloured world of My Name Is George. It’s disco pop as disco pop can be.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Sapan – It’s Alright

Sapan, one of Turkey’s most promising bands, has been around for three years. With their second EP Tundra they began writing songs in English, which should improve their future prospects. Opening track It’s Alright is a very hopeful and soothing indie-rock tune.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
Miracles Of Modern Science – Dear Pressure

This five-piece from New York takes classical instruments and pushes them to new levels by crafting half pop/half indie sounding tunes. Featuring a violin, mandolin, cello, drums and stand-up bass, Miracles Of Modern Science sound familiar, but at the same time highlight talents becoming rarer and rarer to find in modern music.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Satelite – Poco A Poco

Satelite is a pop/rock band that formed in Puerto Ordaz in 1997. They were first played on radio stations with home recordings and managed to share the stage with renowned bands such as Los Amigos Invisibles, Los Pericos and Desorden Público. They define their music as rock made using traditional instruments with electronic sounds and ambience inspired by outer space.

To download all 39 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
The Omelettes – Perfect Wave
The Omelettes’ sophomore album seeks to part from the 60s British sound of their first work and the result is something much more psychedelic and introspective. Perfect Wave is one of our favorite tracks from the new record, The Drawing & The Traveller. You can also watch a video of their song Mondays here.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Them Swoops – Too Fast For Love
Never trust a happy song, right? While Tame Impala are still trumping the globe with Lonerism and Gotye’s break-up song is STILL unfortunately stalking us everywhere, we do make mood-lifting songs here in Australia. Indie-pop ain’t a dirty word, especially when bands like Them Swoops make tracks like this. Too Fast For Love will probably sound like the first time you heard The Shins. Felt good, hey? We’re not such a sombre bunch after all.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Sex Jams – Shark Vs Apple
The alternate girl/boy singing on Shark Vs Apple and its saucy, playful lyrics make it an instant favourite. Basically, the first single from the new Sex Jams album Trouble, Honey is what Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta would have sounded like had Grease been a noise-rock musical. Half of Sex Jams also play in May 2012’s MAP band and this year’s Eurosonic favourites Mile Me Deaf.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Sambanzo – Xangô
Sambanzo is one of the projects of saxophonist Thiago França, also a member of Metá Metá and collaborator of artists such as Gui Amabis and Romulo Froes. Xangô is taken from the album Etiópia, which features some experimental music with strong influences of jazz, Candomblé, Afrobeat and rock.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Barbarosa – Sinking West
The title track of Barbarosa’s debut EP calls up images of the Wild West – rugged, romantic, ruthless and without rules. Sinking West’s menacing undertone is brightened by modern pop sensibilities, and the playing is fast and fierce. The full EP is available now on the band’s website.

CHILE: Super 45
Perrosky – A Mil Millas
Perrosky, a duet formed by brothers Álvaro and Alejandro Gómez, offer a local interpretation of the music styles that gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll in the USA. Their fifth album Vivos is swarmed by distorted guitars, vocal effects and, of course, a great set of songs. Our highlight is the touching blues ballad A Mil Millas (“A Thousand Miles Away”), which depicts a man searching for himself but whose possibilities seem blocked to him.

CHINA: Wooozy
Tengger Cavalry – War Horse
Deeply influenced by the nomadic culture of north Asia, Tengger Cavalry’s music evokes ancient times when wandering warriors, steeds and wolves danced across the great grasslands. The melody of horse-head fiddle, the rhythm of heavy drum, the echo of Mongolian throat singing and the distortion of guitar all create an expressive scene of pagan culture.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
La Pulpafonic – Camelia
Jam for the ears, that’s how we can describe the sound of La Pulpafonic. A project born in Bogotá, it aims to present Colombian folklore within a new context and a new flavor: the taste of the fruit pulp. Electronic sounds literally extracted from fruits, mixed with an eclectic explosion of dance rhythms from this century. From their first work released in 2012, we squeeze out the song Camelia.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Freja Loeb – W.O.M.D.
Earlier this month Freja Loeb followed up her 2011 debut album Odyssey with the release of a new EP titled W.O.M.D. Where the album stood on the shoulders of the 1980s pop scene, the EP finds its sources of inspiration in the same decade’s rock scenes. Here’s the title track as a MAP exclusive.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Las Acevedo – Cena En La Terraza
Love is still in the air, after a Valentine’s Day full of fresh romantic tunes brought by several Ibero-American bands. Las Acevedo, the hippie twin sisters of folk, present this breezy love song about dining in terraces, chasing fireflies and packing away your significant other inside a trunk with flowers in their hair.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Marley Muerto – Dorado Salmon Violeta (featuring Frances Possieri)
Marley Muerto is led by Daniel Pasquel, a musician and producer who was born on the same day that Bob Marley died. This project sees him play with a range of electronic sounds and collaborate with some important local artists. Pararmar is his debut album released while his band, Can Can, takes a break.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
GNOD – Visions Of Load
Taken from GNOD’s forthcoming album Chaudelande (released on February 25 by Rocket Recordings), Visions Of Load captures neatly – that is to say, powerfully and sprawlingly – the krautrockin’, shoegazin’, prog-metallic sludginess of this Salford band at their most freakily magnificent. “It recalls Can’s ga-ga go-go music while the singer yelps like Alan Vega doused in even more echo,” said our New Band of the Day writer, who nevertheless promised that, notwithstanding the far-out sonics and instrumental melee, you could still dance to it. He just didn’t specify what type of shoes you might need.

ESTONIA: Rada7
Candy Empire – Lucky
Candy Empire is a new band founded late 2011 by restless multi-instrumentalist Ervin Trofimov of acclaimed experimental rock band Opium Flirt. Trofimov has previously recorded in various genres such as instrumental prog-rock, acoustic folk and electronic pop, but Candy Empire’s sound can be described as a futuristic version of Blondie with Neil Young on guitar. They have unveiled their new single Lucky with a colorful animated video.

FINLAND: Glue
Hexvessel – Woods To Conjure
Inspired by the mysticism of Finnish nature, Hexvessel mixes an acoustic folk vibe with psychedelic and electric doom sounds, creating dense, spaced-out atmospherics. Woods To Conjure is included in the band’s second album No Holier Temple. Hexvessel will be heading to the SXSW festival in Texas in March.

GERMANY: Coltran
Pollyester – Concierge D’Amour
The most advanced band in Munich’s music scene is Pollyester. Although Polly Lapkovskaja and Manuel da Coll play in several other groups, the duo found a unique and remarkable style on their latest record Earthly Powers. Relying heavily on a groovy rhythm section with drums and bass, the rediscovered synths and Polly’s vocals add up to something between disco and New Wave, and has been met with critical acclaim.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Morgan Kane – Nine
Nine is a song about a guy trying to get to a girl to tell her that she was right and strong, when he was wrong. Morgan Kane’s songwriting is influenced by Serge Gainsbourg.

INDIA: NH7
Apu And The Dentist – No Messages For Rumi
Apu And The Dentist is the experimental rock project of Mumbai-based duo Saurabh Roy and Achint Thakkar. With this track, which also features local musicians Suraj Manik, Jeremy D’Souza and Krishna Jhaveri, they have created a psychedelic rock soundscape. A debut EP is slated for release in 2013.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Backwood Sun – Seven Shadows
Backwood Sun is one of the most promising indie acts in Jakarta. The band are often described as an Indonesian version of Fleet Foxes, but even if they are heavily influenced by them, it doesn’t stop Backwood Sun making humble, honest music.

IRELAND: Harmless Noise
Girl Band – Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage
Few could predict a post-punk version of a techno track that took its vocal sample from a hip hop song. This cover version, however, was recorded for the third and final Quompilation album of Irish bands’ favourite songs. Blawan’s original Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage is a psychotic, six-minute stamp through disturbia and the four males of Dublin’s Girl Band managed to eke out almost two extra minutes, using that time and their canny production values to flesh out and reanimate bare bones, breathing life through a spirited reiteration of the vocal hook.

ITALY: Polaroid
Brothers In Law – (Shadow II) Leave Me
Brothers In Law is a young three-piece band from Pesaro, on the always surprising Italian east coast. The dirt of the sea has sneaked dirty sounds into their songs. File under: dream-pop bandits, C86 catchers, Captured Tracks lovers. Brothers In Law just released their debut album Hard Times For Dreamers and they have been invited to play at next month’s SXSW. A dream coming true.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Hotel Mexico – A.I. In Dreams
Hotel Mexico, hailing from the historic city of Kyoto, have been one of the most chirped about bands in the Japanese indie scene for several years now. Many cite them as the first chillwave group in Japan, but that label does them a disservice. A.I. In Dreams, taken from new album Her Decorated Post Love, is laid-back but never lazy, the guitars creating a lush sound while voices dart by in the back. It is a song rich in detail, something this outfit excels at.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
The Suburbanite – Blow My Mind
The Suburbanite is the project of Maltese-Canadian Robert Pisani, backed by a floating collective involving a number of other local band members who have helped shape their sound. A Field Guide To The Suburbanite is a seven-song collection which embraces the spirit and naivety of the past; a frolic on the beach, the first love, Saturday nights indoors… all with hummable melodies. Listening to that debut EP is like taking a walk through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, without the Oompa-Loompas chanting those annoying moralising ditties.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
60 Tigres – Picoso
One of the country’s best live acts, 60 Tigres started as a six-piece in 2005 in the northern city of Monterrey and has had many member variations since then. They mix Latin grooves with great melody lines, sparkling keyboards and the heritage of early-90s strident indie guitars. Take a chance with their anthemic, danceable new single Picoso.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
APRIL – The Rise And Fall Of A Beautiful Bird
Last year I had the privilege to witness APRIL’s first ever gig. Amidst the seedy rock ‘n’ roll crowd this enigmatic duo generated plenty of attention – both frontwoman and man rockin’ high heels while channelling Bowie-esque vibes like it was nobody’s business. On stage it soon became clear that their originality did not stop at their taste in fashion, combining drum computers with reverberant guitar melodies, groovy basslines and intricate, contrasting vocals. With their new single, due to be released on February 23 via Subroutine Records, APRIL has replaced their drum machine for a real drummer and their melodramatic side for a sound that embodies the same confidence they project in a live setting.

PERU: SoTB
Rafo Ráez – Los Regalos Del Viento
Rafo Ráez has been creating songs since high school, with his catchy compositions making him one of the most beloved musicians in Peru. With eight albums under his belt, Rafo’s music has gone through rock, trova, punk and Peruvian folklore. And with a penchant for poetry, they have also been part of theater plays.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
Południce vs. Liquid Molly – Dolina, Dolinuszka
Południce are a female vocal group who sing traditional, folklore, Polish and Ukrainian (sometimes Belarusian) songs. On their album Południce / Elektronice, they couple these with modern electronic productions from guest musicians – Dolina, Dolinuszka features heavy bass beats from Liquid Molly. If you think about it logically it should result in disaster, but it is in fact majestic.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Little Friend – Sunken Low
John Almeida is not a freshman as a musician or a composer. Before this first solo single, he played with some major Portuguese indie artists (The Weatherman, We Trust) who, as a sign of friendship, have returned their gratitude by appearing on his first solo record. The video for Sunken Low was directed by Lewis Arnold and has Jo Hartley (This Is England, Dead Man’s Shoes, The Young Victoria) as the protagonist.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Los Pepiniyoz – Entre Las Paredes
Los Pepiniyoz have been making their brand of high-energy, melodic punk for more than a decade now – writing songs that reach for the heart without losing any attitude. Throughout the years the band has served as a sort of workshop for a lot of local rockers and now, after a long hiatus, have returned to the boricua scene with a new line-up and a solid three-song EP. Entre Las Paredes is the catchiest tune of the bunch and will probably make you lust for new material from Los Pepiniyoz.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Subumbra – Good People Are Rainbows
Subumbra started like an art audio-video project, a punk band made up of three brothers who recorded their lo-fi songs in a poor home studio. Recently, the project took a new direction as they began to use more electronic instruments and sampling. Subumbra is about taking the core of punk music and merging it with contemporary influences such as chillstep, dubstep and hip hop.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
Dasha Shults – Kite
Dasha Shults, a 16-year-old wonder from Saint-Petersburg, has taken her first steps from covering her favorites by Ellie Goulding and Laura Marling to making her own simple, beautiful songs. She sings about kites, nightmares and, of course, love.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Kevin Harper – Kingdom Of Wires
Influenced by warm, fuzzy guitar bands of the American West Coast, Kevin Harper first appeared in the Music Alliance Pact in March 2011 under the guise of Little Eskimos, a solo project that evolved into a group. He’s back on his own again, not that you could tell from this talented multi-instrumentalist’s canny knack of sounding like a full band is at work. Mr Harper is probably one of the most accomplished pop songwriters in Scotland, yet he’s still little-known in his native land. If there’s any justice, his forthcoming debut solo album Kingdom Of Wires should change all that.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
From The Airport – Colors
Electro rock duo From The Airport formed in 2012 and they’re not afraid to throw other genres in the mix. Second single Everyone’s Alright was released last month but here we get to hear them as they first came out with electro-pop debut single Colors, which brought the two producers plenty of positive attention when it was unleashed in October.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Megaafonía – Señor Gutiérrez
Formed in 2005, Megaafonía have been active until this month, when they decided to split due to creative differences, although they will remain friends. They released two albums, Despechado and Tutto, and we will certainly miss their fresh pop (influenced by the likes of ELO, Xavier Cugat and Bom Bom Chip) and their irreverent and highly ironic lyrics.

SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
Dödens Dal – Bakom Stjärnor, Bakom Tiden
Dödens Dal is a duo with a fingertip feel and fondness for gloomy, instrumental and really rather mind-boggling electronica. They first came to our attention last year with their brilliantly dark debut single Det Står Skrivet, and now they’re back with the pitch-black follow-up Bakom Stjärnor, Bakom Tiden. Both tracks come from the album Gå Ensam Förbi Horisonten, released this month via Flora & Fauna.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Last Leaf Down – Fake Lights In The Sky
Last Leaf Down is a shoegaze outfit from Solothurn. Heavenly, ethereal sounds and distinct, dreamy vocals make them deserving of your attention. Here’s their new track Fake Lights In The Sky.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Baykuş – Gel Yeter
Baykuş (once known as Kaotik) comes from the grey city of Ankara where our grunge acts always sprout fertile. Anatolian tunes bound up with post-grunge styling are common but Baykuş succeed in making their sound more solid and more garage-like. Gel Yeter is catchy enough to start a pogo party on its own.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
The Long Wives – The Hollow Fin
The Long Wives’ standout track The Hollow Fin is deceivingly gentle. The softly-plucked guitar and the eased restraint of the vocals invite the listener to get close to the speaker and its warm, wispy, radiant sounds. But there’s more to this track than meets the ear. Like most great pieces of art that explore the juxtaposition between surface appearances and the evils that can lurk below, the power comes from an unidentifiable element onto which the listener just can’t seem to put their finger.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Los Paranoias – No Hace Falta
After almost two years of absence, Los Paranoias return to the scene with No Hace Falta, a single released last month and the first cut of their next studio album Que Se Activen Las Alarmas, scheduled to come out in the coming months.

Devotion is out now on PMR.

Quarter Turns Over a Living Line is out now on Blackest Ever Black.

Nocturne is out now on Captured Tracks and Bella Union.

Tempest is out now on Columbia.

America is out now on Domino.

I Know What Love Isn’t is out now on Secretly Canadian.

To download all 39 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Olga – Dolor De Nuevo
Before you ask, Olga is not a solo artist but a band led by Roger Delahaye with Florencia Zavadivker and Luciano Lasca. Together they deliver electronic pop songs that near perfection, so it was hard to pick just one for MAP. Olor De Nuevo is our favorite from their new album, Gracias Tonales, which you can stream and buy from Bandcamp.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Sunk Junk – Jr
If Sunk Junk represent the calibre of young bands coming out of Oz, no-one can justify not being able to find decent new music ever again. Sunk Junk have only released one home recorded EP, but it’s definitely the most impressive thing we’ve heard all month. The elaborate percussion in Jr only feeds this assertion – weaving its labyrinthine way around intricate guitar lines and a hypnotic croon that could be easily mistaken for Jeff Buckley’s ghost. A sprawling track which teeters on the stark side of melody and mania, Jr is definitely a marker of good things to come from this band.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Clara Luzia – Morning Light
Morning Light contains some of my favourite lyrics: “We held hands and cried until the morning light”. Isn’t the idea of sharing one’s sadness with someone else just such a beautiful thought? After four successful records in Austria, singer-songwriter Clara Luzia recently released her international debut album The Range, a compilation of songs from her previous albums.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Metá Metá – Man Feriman
Ethno math-rock could be a way to try to explain the sound of Man Feriman, a song from the album MetaL MetaL from Paulistan project Metá Metá. Sung in Yoruba (a West African language), it has elements of African liturgical music, free jazz and alternative rock, with a three-verse lyric that is repeated over the song to create an experimental, dark mantra.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Elephant Stone – Heavy Moon
Montreal “Hindi rockers” Elephant Stone defy easy categorization. Echoes of The Stone Roses, The Kinks, Sloan and Big Star abound, but in the end the band crafts their own unique sound. Their sophomore self-titled LP is due early in 2013, but Elephant Stone have been teasing Canadian fans for the past few weeks with Heavy Moon.

CHILE: Super 45
Protistas – Granada
In just a few years, Protistas has become one of the most active bands in the Chilean indie rock scene. They frequently perform in Santiago, with appearances on blogs’ multimedia shows and local festivals (Primavera Fauna, Pulsar), along with tours across Chile and Argentina. They have released two albums and an EP since 2009. Their melodies combine the poignancy of Sebadoh with the urgent impact of Guided By Voices, in a style they’ve named “wild pop” – bittersweet songs with an explosive, intense guitar sound.

CHINA: Wooozy
Rainbow Danger Club – The Gathering Of Fools
As one of Shanghai’s most talented new bands, Rainbow Danger Club has been wowing music fans since 2010. Their theatrical live shows, fantastical lyrics and lush arrangements have drawn comparisons to Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Hector Berlioz. Last month they released their new 12-track Into The Cellar EP.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Lucrecia Dalt – Conversa
Lucrecia Dalt’s musical journey has taken her from the city of Pereira to Barcelona, Spain, where she currently lives. With guitar and drum machine she makes introspective music with many layers that stirs the imagination of the listener. She has traveled the road of independence and now with Conversa, from her 2012 album Commotus, she grabs our attention again.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
The Woken Trees – Orders
I know December is supposed to be all about lights and happy times, but here’s a MAP exclusive track and a band that is almost exactly the opposite. There are six of them, they call themselves The Woken Trees and they’ve recorded an awesomely bleak and hard-hitting post-punk debut album which is sure to make waves everywhere when released on January 28.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Juango Dávalos – 6PM
Juango Dávalos borrows his musical inspiration from the 80s, but the songs he composes are surprisingly fresh and modern. 6PM is part of his most recent album, Réplica, which is also available as a free download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Swing Original Monks – Tucán
Swing Original Monks broke into the musical scene in early 2010. The band offers a proposal that is both visual and aural, feminine and masculine, provocative and subtle. The inventiveness of these musicians extracts the essence of popular music with the picturesque landscapes and absurdities of our society. Swing Original Monks is not a fusion band, it’s an infusion band.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
Swiss Lips – Carolyn
Swiss Lips are a five-piece from Manchester who are more Delphic than Courteeners. Carolyn is part of the city’s electronic history rather than its less illustrious trad-rock one. They use the fizzy electro-pop medium to express feelings of longing for better days. “Most of the songs we’ve written seem to be about looking back on being a teenager and that wide-eyed optimism about the world,” they say, which might explain the giddy chorus to Carolyn – “Hey, hey, Carolyn, get into my car/Keep your feet up on the dashboard” – and its memory of illicit abandon.

FINLAND: Glue
Murmansk – Mercury
Helsinki band Murmansk play loud noise-rock built from powerful guitars and upfront bass and drum beats. Their songs are notable for their propensity for melody and the energetic performance of vocalist Laura Soininen. Mercury is part of the band’s recently released third full-length album Rüütli.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Lescop – La Forêt
Mathieu Lescop, singer for the rock band Asyl, recently started a solo project and released an eponymous album in October under the name Lescop. Heavily influenced by the French (Étienne Daho, Daniel Darc) and British (Joy Division, New Order) coldwave and new-wave, he achieved much success in France with his single La Forêt, and consequently is the most talked-about artist in the country.

GERMANY: Coltran
Binoculers – Monsters
Binoculers is an artist you might easily overlook, given the reserved attitude of Nadja Ruedebusch. But you would miss some of the most thoughtful folk music Germany can currently offer. This is the kind of thing you might like to hear on a foggy winter’s day or a sparkling spring afternoon when you lay down in the grass for the first time that year. Binoculers’ third album, There Is Not Enough Space In The Dark, has just been released.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Manolis Aggelakis – Apoleipein o Theos Antonion
Manolis Aggelakis’ fourth album, O Anthropos Vomva (“The Bomb Man”), is yet another sensational landmark on his long, well-traveled path. Guitars, tightly tied drums, dirty electronic sounds and noises gently form otherworldly landscapes. Along with his distinctive voice and disarming performance, the lyrical themes portray an authentic troubadour recording signs of difficult times with a gloomy nostalgia for bygone eras. Apoleipein o Theos Antonion (“The God Abandons Antony”) is a poem by Constantine P. Cavafy.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Pojke – Black Eye
Sindri Már Sigfússon, singer and songwriter for bands such as Seabear and Sin Fang, has recently been exploring his electronic side through a side-project titled Pojke. So far he has released two songs as Pojke on his SoundCloud page which can be downloaded and remixed freely.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Funny Little Dream – Be With You
This is the latest single from Funny Little Dream, aka Ganesh and Peppy, whose cute indie-pop songs have received a great response from fans around the world.

IRELAND: Harmless Noise
Windings – This Is A Conversation
A five-piece band from Limerick, Windings released This Is A Conversation as a single in September. Introduced with a clean guitar and racy keys, the light pop intentions go slightly awry when Steve Ryan starts belting out the vocals, repeating nine lines of lyrics in chorus-like bursts. There comes a mighty bass riff that lays down the heavy element, and a few light taps of cymbal domes mark time for the band to gather up and go all-out towards a hugely satisfying rock crescendo.

ITALY: Polaroid
Life & Limb – Before The Flame And The Flood
Andrea Mangia comes from Lecce; Mike McGuire comes from New York. They have both released solo albums on the prestigious German label Morr Music, which is how they met in 2006 and started collaborating. They are now releasing their self-titled third album, and it is gorgeous as always: uplifting electronic sounds full of lush synths, fat downtempo beats and ultrasweet melodies. If you like M83 or The Postal Service, you’ll be carried away by Life & Limb.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
HNC – I Will Make You Sad
HNC (short for Hazel Nuts Chocolate) has been in the Japanese music scene for more than a decade, originally operating as a hyperactive pop maker. Now, though, she is making music grounded in reality, shaped by actually living through the ups and downs of time. I Will Make You Sad is a sparse meditation on inevitable disappointment, HNC and her music sounding melancholy but all the while aware that she is the one who is going to let someone down.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Claire Tonna – Age Of No Age
Singer-songwriter Claire Tonna is known for her profound, exceptional voice and awe-inspiring performances. Tonna’s innovative acoustic debut studio album The Port, which contains collaborations with acclaimed writer Maria Mar, gets its first international release in New Zealand this month.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Verano Peligroso – Culpable
Verano Peligroso (translated as “Dangerous Summer”) is the boy-girl pet project of an omnivorous studio-rat and a gorgeous radio presenter for a Mexico City indie-rock station. They just released their debut EP on which Culpable stands as a naive call-and-response song that, in contrast to its twee-pop sound, tells a story about a crime of passion. This pair really spend their time in a peculiar way!

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
Kleinindustrie – Repetition
Kleinindustrie emerged from out of nowhere in 2010, wowing live audiences and winning two big music competitions in Utrecht, the band’s hometown. After this sudden burst to the surface, the band shrouded itself in a veil of mystery. Although some said they emigrated to Norway to live off the prize money, 2011 turned out to be the quiet before the storm. Since February 2012, Kleinindustrie has released three EPs and toured all over the Netherlands. Repetition stems from their latest release, Hit It!, which meanders loosely between no-wave and straightforward noise-rock. With a relentless drummer, menacing singer and a bass player and guitarist in one, Kleinindustrie have created a huge sound that’s naturally fit for repetition.

PERU: SoTB
Sergio Cubas – Ruteando
Ruteando is taken from Sergio Cubas’ debut album Revolución Caliente. For this album, Sergio performs a mix of different musical styles such as dub, lounge, jazz and reggae linked to various Peruvian influences such as Afro-Peruvian music and Festejo. Revolución Caliente (listen on SoundCloud) features 11 songs that are an invitation to relax.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
Afro Kolektyw – Czasem Pada Śnieg w Styczniu (Zakazane Warzywo)
Afro Kolektyw is one of Poland’s most distinguished bands, with a music career spanning nearly 14 years, from organic hip hop, jazz and funk origins to electronic elements in more recent tunes. Although Afro Kolektyw have never been tied to only one style, their latest album, Piosenki Po Polsku, shocked listeners. With songwriting inspired by 80s Polish pop and sarcastic lyrics, this journey seems to be Afro’s most risky and ambitious one yet.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
A Jigsaw – Let It Snow!
A Jigsaw, who were on the Music Alliance Pact in March 2012 with their fantastic song The Strangest Friend, have been kind enough to let us share their exquisite cover of the classic Let It Snow!, which was on a very limited edition benefit CD for a children’s hospital in Coimbra. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to them and all of you.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Alegría Rampante – Hotel Puercoespín
When Puerto Rico’s indie darlings Superaquello disbanded in 2011, they left behind four remarkable LPs and a disappointed fanbase not ready to miss them. A year later, fans can breathe easier thanks to vocalist, composer and dramatist Eduardo Alegría, who has emerged with a new musical project – Alegría Rampante. Eduardo and his group of skilled collaborators from the local indie scene have quietly built an arsenal of melodic earworms to be released over the next few months as the digital singles collection Se Nos Fue La Mano. Hotel Puercoespín is the second song from the cycle, an upbeat baroque pop-rocker full of Eduardo’s trademark playful lyrics and sincere delivery. Alegría Rampante is Latin Alternative’s best kept secret – but not for long, so get in first.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Stonebox – Welcome To My World
Stonebox are an alternative band from Bucharest with 90s rock influences, in particular grunge. Thanks to their mesmerizing live performances and energy they have played at the major festivals in Romania and gathered an impressive number of fans.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
Astrocowboys – We Give Blood
Using a Soviet LEL DR-8 drum machine, cheap synthesizer and jangly guitar, Astrocowboys from Saint Petersburg create their familiar, yet distinctive sound. Their deep, sweet-sounding lo-fi album Olympic has an unusual combination of influences from New Order-esque synthpop to old school hip hop and early electro.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Three Blind Wolves – Parade
Three Blind Wolves may be from Glasgow, but it’s the American Deep South that resonates most emphatically in their music. They are a little bit country, a little bit hillbilly rock ‘n’ roll, yet their versatility means they’re equally at home in indie and folk circles. Their new album Sing Hallelujah For The Old Machine comes out in April, with the coil-sprung standout track Parade released as a single in October (alongside this promo video), but here it is as an exclusive free download.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Sasquatch – Mannequin
Sasquatch emerged this year with a retro synth sound reminiscent of the very best of K-pop of the 80s and the 90s, bound to charm even those with no knowledge of Korean music prior to Gangnam Style. Debut album Utopia was released last month, with lead track Mannequin and its addictive harmonies and melody lines serving as the perfect introduction to the band.

SPAIN: Musikorner
NITCH – Bon Dia, Capità
NITCH are a three-piece rock/shoegaze act based in Barcelona. They started in 2007 and so far they have played in almost every (cool) venue in town and supported important underground local bands. Now it’s their turn to be in the spotlight, and this month they played at the Primavera Club festival, Primavera Sound’s little brother.
NITCH%20-%20Bon%20Dia %20Capita%20(Spain).mp3

SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
VED – Din Egen Spegelbild
VED is a five-piece project from southern Sweden inspired by old film scores, obscure audio recordings, progressive rock and folk music. A collection of their experimental, epic creations was recently released through the ever-reliable label Adrian Recordings, and Din Egen Spegelbild (translated as “Your Own Reflection”) is the latest track to be shared from VED’s self-titled album.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Mama Rosin – Sorry Ti Monde
The Cajun/folk/garage trio released their new album Bye Bye Bayou in October, which was produced by Jon Spencer from the legendary Blues Explosion. Cyril, Robin and Xavier from Mama Rosin are consistently entertaining on stage and entirely passionate about their art. Plus they are good at a party!

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Meriva – Hepberaberyalnız
Meriva formed with five close friends in 2007. They get their musical inspiration from people’s struggle to win back their self-esteem and therefore reflect urban life complications in their alternative rock sound, which is often danceable and catchy. Meriva hope to progress their career with the release of their debut album in 2013.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
Teen Mom – I Wanna Go Out
Washington DC trio Teen Mom are the type of band that act as a reminder that simple music can pack a punch. Staying away from flash or gimmicks, they focus on a splashy guitar, rattling bass and fast-paced drums to craft Mean Tom, one of the most infectious EPs of 2012.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Planeador – Al Diablo
Planeador returns to the Music Alliance Pact, this time with a track from Barcelona 10C, certainly one of the best albums released this year in Venezuela. Its deeper lyrics and more elaborate melodies reflect the musical maturity of the band.

Adventures in Your Own Backyard is out now on Domino Records.

R.I.P is available on Honest Jon’s Records.

To download all 40 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world. This month marks the 50th edition!

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Plástico – Cinicos
For the 50th edition of MAP we have chosen a brand new band from a western suburb of Buenos Aires. Plástico’s sound is a mixture of trip-rock with some electronic and acoustic elements that caught the attention of famous producer Raphael Gordon (The Strokes). Together they recorded a couple of tracks. One is Subir Al Tren, which was used on their first video. The other is Cinicos, previously unreleased, which is a great preview of their upcoming debut album.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Courtney Barnett – History Eraser
It’s hard to pin down what exactly defines that distinct ‘Australian’ sound. For all the ringing guitar riffs and choruses sung in unison etched into our collective memory, there’s something about Australian music that still flails an antipodean flag. We isolate ourselves on the coast; we recycle stories about strangers, lovers and backyard melancholia; we make poetry championing the suburbs. Melbourne singer Courtney Barnett is certainly at home on her track History Eraser. A colloquial ode to The Triffids, ticket inspectors and nights with good company, this track is a perfect summary of the earnest freewheelin’ and rambling wit that makes music from this end of the world just so great.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Mauracher – Outer Space Dancer
Outer Space Dancer is the first single from the new, fourth Mauracher album Super Seven, out now on Fabrique Records. For this album, Tyrolean electronic musician Hubert Mauracher has teamed up with singer Sonia Sawoff (of Sawoff Shotgun). Together, they create synth-filled dream-pop with ethereal lyrics such as, “When I close my eyes, I stop thinking”.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Sexy Fi – Pequeno Dicionário Das Ruas
From our capital Brasília comes Sexy Fi, a band that knows how to make a good first impression. Their debut album was produced by John McEntire (Tortoise) and received great reviews in Brazilian alternative blogs. Pequeno Dicionário Das Ruas is the song that opens the album and sees them experiment with indie-rock, resulting in a tropical, alternative sound.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Some Minor Noise – Tape Experiments
Toronto duo Some Minor Noise’s Tape Experiment gets its name from the fact that every sound used, except the kick, snare and vocal, was recorded through a 13-year-old cassette deck, an Optimus CTR-117 (Google it), to a very worn cassette tape that’s at least 10 years old. The end result has a richness and humanity that’s very often missing from electro-pop, and a perfect example of Some Minor Noise’s refreshing take on a familiar genre.

CHILE: Super 45
Nader Cabezas – Doble En El Espejo
Synthesizer layers, guitars with heavy feedback and a lo-fi sound are the attributes of duo Nader Cabezas. On their new album, El Hijo Del Mounstruo, released through LeRockPsicophonique, their music goes deeper into this direction, resulting in dense and obscure rock but without losing focus on what matters – the songs. Doble En El Espejo is taken from this album.

CHINA: Wooozy
Chui Wan – Berber
Chui Wan is a four-piece experimental psychedelic rock band from Beijing. Their lush arrangements of guitar, keyboard, viola, other assorted instruments and random sound samples often eschew reliable melodies and vocal harmonies in favor of occasional passages of minimal drone or maximal sonic layerings. They will have their debut release tour with Brooklyn-based band Psychic Ills in China this month.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Alfonso Espriella – Cielo Adentro
Alfonso Espriella is a tireless and dedicated musician who has been making alternative rock for more than 10 years. Joel Hamilton produced his most recent EP, Anima, from which Cielo Adentro (“Heaven Inside”) is taken. It evokes marked influences of acts such as Caifanes from Mexico or Robi Draco Rosa from Puerto Rico, with deep lyrics and an emotive sound.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
The Savage Rose – Soldier On The Run
On Love And Freedom, The Savage Rose’s 21st album since their eponymous debut in 1968, the legendary rock outfit stage love and politics on an amazing backdrop of hauntingly soulful rock – just as they did when they were a young band – taken to magical heights by frontwoman Annisette’s breathtaking vocal and a performance I could never do justice to in words. Because it’s anniversary time on MAP, here’s a mindbogglingly exclusive download of Soldier On The Run.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Janio Lora – Mi Nueva Edad
For this MAP special edition, singer-songwriter and dreamer Janio Lora has recorded a new demo. Produced by Argentinian composer Pablo Dacal, Mi Nueva Edad blends elegant tango melodies with poignant lyrics as a preview of what to expect from Janio’s upcoming album.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Da Pawn – Casi Siempre
A band’s music lasts over time when its songs become part of a generation’s culture. Da Pawn, one of the revelations of this year, reworks a popular single by the important electronic indie-pop band Can Can into a beautiful folk-rock song. This track is taken from the free download album Malas Influencias (Remixes y Reversiones), which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Can Can.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
Dan Croll – From Nowhere (Ben Gomori’s Staring You In The Eye Remix)
Dan Croll is a Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts graduate who doesn’t like The Beatles, a folkie who’s gone electronic, and a bespectacled boffin who is no softie – in fact, he could have played rugby for England until an accident waylaid his plans. Instead he’s the new golden boy of indie Afro-tinged synth’n’b. From Nowhere is his debut single, a catchy slice of electro-pop with a breezy vocal about losing control and a hook designed to lodge in your skull.

FINLAND: Glue
Statues Made Of Matchsticks – If I Didn’t Comb My Hair
Folk trio Statues Made Of Matchsticks joins the 50th MAP post celebration with an exclusive song recorded at their rehearsal room this month. If I Didn’t Comb My Hair features the band’s signature laid-back acoustic sounds and a sweet pop melody to create a perfect sunset-on-front-porch kind of song.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Colours In The Street – Paper Child
Colours In The Street’s members are still in high school but have acquired a big following with only two years behind them thanks to delightful pop songs with strong English influences and a very thorough sense of composition. Having won several contests with only the few songs from their first EP, Euphory, they decided to push further and have been recording a second EP, Paper Child, due out on December 15, from which this song is taken. Watch them playing an acoustic set in a bathroom here.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22109319/Colours%20In%20The%20Street%20-%20Paper%20Child%20%28France%29.mp3

GERMANY: Coltran
Touchy Mob – Seven Hills (Afternoon Touchymap version)
I’m very proud to present an exclusive recording by my favourite German artist Ludwig Plath aka Touchy Mob, who was first featured on MAP in February 2011. He has reworked his song Seven Hills with guitar, bass and rattle – resulting in something he calls ‘fuzzybuzzy’. I love his velvet voice and how his attention to detail and songwriting skills make my hair stand on end.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Le Page – Ileana
Le Page is a secret worth knowing about. They are clearly ready to step out from the shadows and play timeless music intended for dreamers and romantics. Their new digital single feels like the product of careful, thoughtful growth, bringing in new influences while maintaining the group’s core sound. It makes an indelible mark. Shimmering, beguiling and evocative, Ileana is a song that boldly merges the subtle and the overt. It will haunt you for many days to come.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Biggi Hilmars – War Hero
War Hero is the second single from Biggi’s upcoming solo album All We Can Be. It is a rearrangement of Ponds, one of Biggi’s most sought-after compositions, which has been featured on numerous films, TV series and commercials around the globe. Biggi wrote the lyrics and dedicated the song to his sister Agusta, who had been fighting cancer for years. She is the War Hero.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Harlan Boer – Kiri Kanan
Harlan Boer is a humble singer who writes simple yet sophisticated lyrics and infuses them in melodic, acoustic arrangements. Kiri Kanan is a glorious indie-pop tune.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Owensie – Distance Of Her Love
Distance Of Her Love is possibly the first song that could be called an Irish bossa nova tune, but that description doesn’t tell the whole story. Lilting bright guitar with a Brazilian slant and Michael Owens’ threadbare falsetto lead the way on a song about a mother’s faraway son, while the mournful brass underscores the lyrical sentiment. It’s taken from Owensie’s confident second album Citizens.

ITALY: Polaroid
Crimea X – Essential
Crimea X is the project of Jukka Reverberi, from cult indie band Giardini Di Mirò, and DJ Rocca (Maffia Soundsystem). They play cosmic disco with krautrock and Marxist influences. If space stations have radios, they’ll definitely be playing some Crimea X on repeat. In February 2013, Crimea X will release their second album, Another, produced by Bjørn Torske (Smalltown Supersound), and Essential is a MAP exclusive preview.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
For Tracy Hyde – Shady Lane Sherbert
Over the past year, Japan has been experiencing a boom in indie-pop music, with artists from every corner of the country embracing twee sounds. New Tokyo trio For Tracy Hyde are similarly enchanted, but unlike a lot of their peers they incorporate more experimental touches into their music. Shady Lane Sherbert brings in a sprinkling of chillwave, but does so in a way that keeps the song bouncy.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Beangrowers – Ranchero
For more than a decade, Beangrowers have been Malta’s indie ambassadors, having released albums and played tours on both sides of the Atlantic. The female-fronted trio can always be counted on to deliver quirky, off-the-wall but nonetheless catchy numbers. With all three members living in different countries for the past couple of years, the good news is that they have now regrouped and a new EP is in the works.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Niñovan – Pequeño Folk
Apparently the beautiful Baja California landscapes are inspiring enough to write and record simple, innocent folk songs. At least that’s what we imagine while listening to Niñovan, a boy/girl duo from the coastal city of Ensenada. Karina Niño and Efraín de la Rocha released their first album, Pequeño Folk, this year and won a place in this month’s MAP through an open announcement we recently made at Panamérika. Their song Pequeño Folk (translated as “Little Folk”) puts the emphasis on the infantile aura of this project, projected even in their own name (“niño” means “child” in Spanish), and perfectly sums up their ideas and imagination.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
Vox Von Braun – Dig A Hole
Vox Von Braun are the undisputed chroniclers of the seedier aspects of Dutch provincial life. Habitual stoners, gonzo wannabes and possibly the laziest and unluckiest of outfits, you’re more likely to see them mooching about all-night bars in Groningen than performing anywhere near you. But there’s strength in adversity: this most charming of bands harness their kitchen sink romance to one of the most beautiful, crystalline walls of sound you’ll encounter. And for such a horizontal bunch they have influential fans: the new LP was mixed by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and recorded in Brighton by Matt Thwaites from The Electric Soft Parade. MAP exclusive track Dig A Hole features Brenda of bozo poets Spilt Milk, with their second LP, Rich & On Wheels, out in December.

PERU: SoTB
Francois Peglau – Life Is Indefinable
This month the Music Alliance Pact turns 50 and, to celebrate, we bring you an unreleased song recorded by Francois Peglau especially for the landmark. Life Is Indefinable is dedicated to his newborn son and has a beautiful acoustic warmth and much tenderness. The London-based Peruvian is working on his second album. You can watch the video for his latest single Everybody Loves Me, filmed in New York, here.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
Plug&Play – Cities I’ll Never Go To
Plug&Play is changing. Having been on the Polish alternative scene for about six years, they’re moving from post-punk/dance-punk origins to more sophisticated song structures, a good example of which is Cities I’ll Never Go To. The lyrics of this track are a metaphorical journey through different cities all over the world. Since we’re on MAP check if your hometown is one of them.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Balla – A Casa (Wall Of Sound Mix)
For this very special 50th post/month, multi-instrumentalist and producer Armando Teixeira, one of the most talented Portuguese composers, offers MAP and its followers an exclusive new mix for A Casa, one of his tracks from Balla’s new album, Canções. The original version as well as the full album are available for free from his website.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Los Niños Estelares – Satya Yuga Está Por Comenzar (Sesión Archipiélago)
Clearly the product of an internet age, Los Niños Estelares unleashed their brand of heartfelt and biting satire on an unsuspecting Puerto Rican populace four years ago via YouTube. Half a million views later, the duo is back with Satya Yuga Está Por Comenzar, a direct sequel to their most popular song. Fernando Castro-Álvarez barely catches his breath as he lays out the path to righteousness through internal struggle, while Darío Constaín keeps things simple on the guitar, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. This special live take, a preview of the band’s upcoming fourth album, was recorded for Puerto Rico Indie’s Archipiélago video series and is available exclusively for download here.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
We Singing Colors – Cantec De Seara
As a special gift for the MAP anniversary, our friends from We Singing Colors have prepared a simple but intense song in their familiar acoustic/electronic style. Their intimate set-up combines vocals, guitar, handmade instruments and beautiful lyrics in Romanian.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
DZA – I Love U
After the successful launch of his Surrender EP, DZA drops a new tune, I Love U, on his SoundCloud. The famous Russian beatmaker twists the classic chiptune-style sound into the house playground. Big up, Sasha!

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire – Queenstown
When I launched the Music Alliance Pact with a dozen blogs in October 2008, I never imagined it would be going as strong as it is today, with 40 countries around the world now part of the project. For this, the 50th consecutive month of MAP, I’m returning to where it all started with my first ever Scottish pick, Roddy Hart, albeit in his full-band guise. The Glaswegian has vacated the singer-songwriter path and is aiming for a Springsteen meets The National vibe with Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire’s self-titled album, due out in spring 2013 and produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay). From it, savour the compelling Queenstown, a MAP exclusive download.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Diamond Thug – Lipstick Stains
A smattering of synths, piercing vocals and some cutting lyrics turn Diamond Thug’s Lipstick Stains into instantly addictive listening. The trio is made up of Danilo, Dylan and Chantel, and while the project is in its infancy, given the quality of work they are producing they’ll soon be making waves.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Hugh Keice – We Are Islands (acoustic)
Originally from Seoul, London-based singer-songwriter Hugh Keice counts both John Mayer and Jamiroquai as influences, owning to a sound that ranges from acoustic pop to neo soul. His third EP, Slow Tree, is scheduled for release in January. He has recorded an acoustic version of his new song, We Are Islands, exclusively for MAP.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Ceremoney – Morning Body
We are always pleased to hear new tracks we can dance to, and that’s exactly what Ceremoney has delivered with Morning Body. They describe their sound as post-tropipunk, probably influenced by the crossbreeding of Hispanic and British cultures you find in the Balearic Islands, where they’re from. They craft post-punk with tropical, danceable roots, which is fresh to listen to and perfect to move your body to.

SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
Last Lynx – Killing Switch
Last Lynx is a Stockholm-based band inspired by the organic 60s, howling wolves and modern electro-pop. When those worlds collide and become one, magic happens. The young quartet mixes slick guitar grooves with well thought-out electronic elements and wonderful vocals, with amazing and highly addictive results. Killing Switch is the first single off their as-yet-untitled sophomore EP, due out in early 2013 via SoFo Records.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
The Monofones – Drop Dead
The Monofones hail from Berne and play straight-edge garage rock right in your face and heart. They’ve just released their third album Super Hits. For the 50th edition of the Music Alliance Pact they have made an exclusive recording of Drop Dead, which is straightforward, raw and dirty.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Seni Görmem İmkansız – Tarçın Gezegeni
Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul, always boasts Turkey’s most interesting new acts. The two young women who make up Seni Görmem İmkansız are BFFs who down doubles of rakı, our national drink, on stage. It actually fits when you consider their band name means “impossible to see you”, a line from an unnecessarily depressing Arabesque song from the 80s that goes instinctively well with rakı. In Tarçın Gezegeni, synths and drums take us back to that decade, with the sultanic melody of a toy melodica creating a weirdly elegant and hard-drinking piece of work.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
The Pass – Real Summer
For MAP’s 50th month of posting, electro-rock outfit The Pass have allowed us to post a web exclusive track off their new album Melt. Real Summer is a tornado of sound that builds and builds with each note. Have your ears perked from the three-minute mark to close – it’s one of the best stretches of music this year.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Audrey Holder – Cuando No Sé De Ti
Audrey Holder is a young woman from Caracas whose melodious voice is part of the Cantoría José Antonio Anzoátegui, one of Venezuela’s leading choirs. She’s preparing her first album, but here we can hear an acoustic track she recorded earlier this year.

To download all 39 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Trebian – Modernidad
Trebian is a folk trio from Buenos Aires. Their songs are acoustic-driven with wood percussion and, above it all, the beautiful voice of lead singer Sofía Galarce. Modernidad is a preview from their upcoming second album, which will be released later this year.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Mansion, Alaska – Steps
If a ‘best of’ compilation was made featuring the top American indie tunes of the last four years or so, this track would probably sum them all up. Mansion, Alaska may be channelling a sound similar to Local Natives, Grizzly Bear or even Volcano Choir’s debut at times, but comparisons aside – what an impressive track from this young Melbourne band. Steps is seamless: beautiful harmonies, flowing piano arpeggios, sharp percussion and some dreamy guitar work gravitating around stratosphere level.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
B. Fleischmann – I’m Not Ready For The Grave Yet
Working in a bookshop and on various musical projects as well as composing scores for TV series, electronica veteran Bernhard Fleischmann is a busy bee. On his new album I’m Not Ready For The Grave Yet, he uses his own voice for the first time instead of inviting guest singers. Occasionally he also adds film snippets, such as in the album’s title track.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra – Afrodisíaco
Afrobeat is the sound of the moment in Brazil. Bands such as Bixiga70 and Iconili are presenting the genre to a new generation and in Rio de Janeiro the main representative of this trend is the Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra. Afrodisíaco is an example of the band’s trippy music.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
The Wilderness Of Manitoba – White Woods
Like their namesake, The Wilderness Of Manitoba is a Canadian national treasure, and one of our best kept secrets. Their lush harmonies, delicate melodies and sparkling arrangements seem to always be attuned to their environment, creating music that sounds like it’s sprung from fertile patches in the Canadian Shield, blooming against all odds. White Woods is taken from their new album, Island Of Echoes, which introduces electric guitars to give their music a whole new pulse and feel.

CHILE: Super 45
Shogún – Unciónextrema
Cristián Heyne, a producer whose output ranges from mainstream (Enrique Iglesias, La Ley) to indie (Javiera Mena, Gepe), has always kept his own musical project, Shogún, under a discrete, hermetic cover. With only a few limited edition records and a handful of shows, he has attained a faithful cult following that has endured the last 15 years. His complete recordings were recently released via iTunes, giving a new life to his previously hard-to-find and unavailable works. Unciónextrema is El Brujo’s opening track.

CHINA: Wooozy
The Gar – Love Will Lost Your Love
One of China’s most beloved cult indie bands, The Gar is without equal in both substance and acclaim. Wholly unconcerned with the trappings of stardom, they arrive, play their hearts out and exit stage left, blending seamlessly back into the crowds. On stage, however, the band transports audience members to a sonic wonderland coloured with soaring harmonies and unforgettable lyrics. The Gar just released their new EP, The City Of Burning Identities.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Ondatrópica – 3 Reyes De La Terapia
This is what we call a supergroup. The union between Colombian musician Mario Galeano, from Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will Holland, aka Quantic, resulted in Ondatrópica – a musical research project through Colombian tropical sounds. Both Galeano and Quantic, scholars of Colombian and electronic rhythms, were given the task of recreating traditional sounds with vintage equipment and old recording techniques, but searching for its contemporaneity. Proof of this is 3 Reyes de la Terapia (“3 Kings Of Therapy”), featuring Juan Carlos Puello, which was made using a marimba, accordion and beatbox.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Kjartan Bue – Rosen And Danny
Half Norwegian, half Danish and raised in Denmark, Kjartan Bue debuts his five-track alt-country EP Man Riding Backwards on November 15 (I’ve heard it and it’s great). Here’s Rosen And Danny as a MAP exclusive download, and do make sure you also check out the title track and closing ballad Old Woman here – the latter is also up for free download.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
El Gran Poder De Diosa – Moriviví
A Moriviví is a minuscule tropical plant that has an unusual reaction when touched: it folds up and “dies” then “comes back to life” after several minutes. This song by reggae/Caribbean-influenced band El Gran Poder De Diosa reflects that internal debate between life and death, good and evil, through soothing tunes and clever wordplay.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Clo Sismico – Cassette Pirata
Clo Sismico is a renowned musician, producer and MC. He is founder of two important bands in the local independent music scene, 38 Que No Juega (hip hop) and Punto De Encaje (hardcore). This year Clo Sismico released his second album, Cassette Pirata, which blends rap, funk and Latin music with explosive, direct lyrics.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music Blog
Nadine Shah – Aching Bones
Straight out of Whitburn comes this singer and pianist-guitarist of Norwegian and Pakistani parentage who actually sounds more like the love child of Nick Cave and Polly Harvey. Shah’s tales of lust and loss, revenge and regret are female takes on Trent Reznor’s industrial blues, her voice redolent of the battle-worn Marianne Faithfull circa Broken English. The title track of her EP is vengefully dark business as usual for Shah as she roars over an insistent clang that provides the rhythm for the song. Her debut album Love Your Dumb And Mad, due early next year, should be a fiery, passionate hoot.

FINLAND: Glue
Paperfangs – Everyday
Paperfangs is a dream-pop trio that draws inspiration from old movies, visual arts, geometric shapes, late-night biking trips, vintage girl groups, chamber pop and shoegaze as well as the latest indie gems. A debut album will not be ready until next year, but in the meantime we can enjoy the band’s take on one of the greatest melody makers ever as the trio covers Buddy Holly’s Everyday.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
Total Warr – xxx Hate xxx
Total Warr are not complete unknowns in the blogosphere, having been widely praised for their sweet electro-pop. Stereogum premiered xxx HATE xxx back in May and now that the Corbay EP is out, you don’t have any more excuses not to listen to it.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
VIMES – UpStairs
It’s getting cold really fast these days so let’s turn to some music which may give us comfort. Cologne newcomers VIMES is a duo with a penchant for vibrant electronic music. The voice of Azhar Syed gives the electronics of Julian Stetter a melancholic and yearning touch, thereby making VIMES recognisable. Live they are accompanied by VJ Till Beutling for a complete audiovisual experience. They are currently recording their debut album.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Circassian – Eastern Patterns
Circassian is a quartet formed in Athens in 2008. Their music demonstrates their traditions and habits, while their philosophy is based on bringing together experimental, neo-psychedelic patterns and forms of atonality along with ethnic melodies drawn from parts of Asia and Northern Africa. They create an eerie yet intimate atmosphere with a distinctive sound. Their second EP, Procrastinational, is available on Bandcamp.

ICELAND: Rjóminn
Borko – Born To Be Free
Born To Be Free is Borko’s first single from his long-awaited sophomore album, also named Born To Be Free, released in Iceland this month through Kimi Records and on November 2 through Sound Of A Handshake for the rest of the world. Borko’s first LP, Celebrating Life, was released to rave reviews.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Rock N Roll Mafia – Never Give Up
Indonesia’s finest electro band is back with their new album Prodigal, produced by Widi Puradiredja. Their sound is so fresh, optimistic and definitely danceable.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Lar Kaye – Effector
While his main band Adebisi Shank are between things, guitarist Lar Kaye has been at his musical toy box and that bout of activity has resulted in a dizzying five-track solo EP. Effector is a hyperactive child of a song featuring pounding drum crashes, 8-bit melodies, cartoon samples, R&B female vocals and spiralling guitar notes. The sound of one man having a lot of fun and dishing it out for free. Infectious.

ITALY: Polaroid
Montgomery – Refrigerator
It was very hard to choose just one song from the split EP by Montgomery and ED (available for free download on Bandcamp). Every track captures a perfect moment of acoustic pop, both light and moving, so my advice is to check out both acts. I picked Refrigerator by Montgomery because it’s the best ‘goodnight’ song I’ve heard in a long time. Montgomery is a promising new group from Verona with members from the bands Canadians and Le Man Avec Les Lunettes.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
mus.hiba – Magical Fizzy Drink
Magical Fizzy Drink features vocals courtesy of Yufu Sekka. Thing is, Yufu Sekka is not a real person but rather a character tied to something called Vocaloid software, a singing synthesizer program. Tokyo-based artist mus.hiba uses this program in a way few in Japan have – instead of using the digital singing as a diva stand-in, Yufu Sekka gets turned into an electronic ghost haunting the background of this gorgeous, heady production.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Brikkuni – Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan
Torn between their arty pretensions and a morbid fascination with kitsch, Brikkuni (“scoundrels”) try to have a stab at both. With Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan, the band leaves no stone unturned in its determined quest to marry reluctant bedfellows. The lyrics, sung in Maltese, recount a particularly tense day in a chicken coop owned by the titular Sultan. Riffs rise and ebb and rise again, leading to an an epic conclusion underscored by horns, strings and a pulsating bass line, all strung together by an insistent keyboard motif and… a purple chicken struggling to take flight. The song is taken from Brikkuni’s sophomore album Trabokk.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Los Macuanos – Sangre, Bandera, Cruz
Like a reveille amidst times of war against drug trafficking, Tijuana’s Los Macuanos have released what may well be the curfew at the sunset of president Felipe Calderón’s administration, with his six years of futile strategies having left more than 70,000 human losses. Sangre, Bandera, Cruz (translated as “Blood, Flag, Cross”, written with witchcraft-associated symbols) is an ironic testimony that pictures the zeitgeist of Mexico during 2006-2012.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
WOLVON – Unicorny
This summer, Dutch bands WOLVON and Neon Rainbows set off on tour through the Balkans, playing in four countries of the former Yugoslavia. Whilst battling the blistering heat, bored/corrupt border police, broken vehicles, stray dogs and their own preconceptions about Southeastern Europe, it was decided they’d release a split 7″ to commemorate the experience. Unicorny is WOLVON’s side of the record, launched during the independent culture festival Incubate last month. This noisy dream-pop trio has made a name for itself while touring the Dutch underground, thanks in part to their maniacal live antics. They’re currently recording their debut full-length, which will be released through Subroutine Records in spring 2013.

PERU: SoTB
Pamela Rodríguez – Re-conozco
Pamela Rodríguez is one of the best female voices in Peru, and recently received a Latin Grammy nomination for her third album Reconocer, which is both fresh and intense with a lot of pop inclination. The truth is that when her music starts to play, something magical happens in the ears of the listener. No matter what style she chooses, the true protagonist of her songs will always be her voice – sweet, free, sincere and perfect. Re-conozco is a beautiful and exciting piano song like few others.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
KAMP! – Cairo
It’s no exaggeration to say that KAMP! is the most popular band in Poland without an album to their name (although their debut record is due in November). Their elegant pop songs and fantastic live shows, which has included SXSW in Texas, have created a great buzz around this trio. Cairo was originally released as a single on Portuguese label Discotexas.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
The Weatherman – Proper Goodbye
Alexandre Monteiro (aka The Weatherman), after his presence on MAP in January 2009, is back with a new single which opens the way for his new album, Weatherman. A more intimate and autobiographical set of pure pop songs than his previous two albums, it’s a sort of trip to outer space with plenty of time to think about life, where one can be viewed but can’t view the observers.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Fantasmes – Redness Moon
Mario Negron and Dario Morales have been working together in psychedelic ensemble Fantasmes since 2007. For their third release, Redness Moon, Fantasmes required a space where they could compose, rehearse and record at their own pace, free from external pressures. And so a house in Santurce – San Juan’s vibrant arts mecca – became Casa Fantasmes, where the duo worked tirelessly for months. The outstanding result of these sessions is their first release for New York indie label Last Bummer Records – a trippy, sci-fi, end-of-days dystopian video for first single Redness Moon was directed by Danilo Parra and is well worth your time.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Manfellow – Why
Manfellow are an alternative rock band founded in Bucharest in 2011. They are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances and their fusion of many genres, including post-rock, progressive rock, alternative rock and electronic music. In December, they will represent Romania at The Global Battle Of Bands world final in London.

RUSSIA: Big Echo
Anton Malinen – Rain Song
After his successful debut Cape Of Good Hope, Anton Malinen from Saint Petersburg has released several songs through social networks. His impressive guitar and piano-based folk music continues to charm an online audience, but if Anton wants nothing more than some nice green tea for his songs, let it be the best supply for a few years at least!

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Kitty The Lion – Duck!
There’s cute and then there’s Kitty The Lion cute, and the promo video for Duck! really does take this Glasgow band to unsurpassable levels of adorability. Frontwoman Anna Meldrum seems to set herself a personal challenge of writing songs about subject matters that are as mundane as possible, but first impressions can be deceiving. Closer inspection of her lyrics reveals exceptionally clever wordplay and crafty double entendres. What isn’t ambiguous is Kitty The Lion’s pop heart, with a near-flawless grasp of melody flowing through their indie-folk veins.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
404 – Water
Two-piece band 404 comes from the most interesting part of Korea’s indie music scene. Not looking to put a label to their music, they say it’s simply “what a guitar/drum two-piece band would sound like in Korea in the year 2012”. They recently released their first album, aptly titled 1, featuring their take on post-punk, modern rock, noise, folk-pop and a hint of blues in a surprisingly coherent mix. Water progresses playfully in a way that makes it impossible to sit entirely still while listening.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Wilhelm & The Dancing Animals – Elephant
Wilhelm & The Dancing Animals are from Pamplona, home town of a new wave of indie bands. Their sound can be described as folk with punk/rock influences and the animal kingdom is a feature that is often repeated in their work. They’re certainly a band to follow, as we can tell from listening to their first album.

SWEDEN: Ja Ja Ja
Thus:Owls – White Night
Thus:Owls is a Swedish/Canadian five-piece led by singer and composer Erika Angell. Together they craft carefully arranged, moving and melancholic pop with cinematic elements that’s just simply beautiful. Their widely and rightfully praised sophomore album Harbours is out now via Avalanche (North America) and Hoob Records (Sweden), and will be released in the rest of Europe next year on 
Kytopia.

SWITZERLAND: 78s
Monotales – It’s Alright
Velvet Underground, country, Americana, college-indie-rock, hair metal… you name it, Monotales have got it. They’ve just released their sophomore album Hidden Thrills. Anything other than a lot of fun would have been a disappointment. And we looked anything other than disappointed after hearing it for the first time.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Surrender! – Conflicted
Surrender! is one of the newest, emerging electronic music producers in the Turkish dance scene. Conflicted is one of his older tracks, but we are already excited about the upcoming album which will definitely be worth checking out.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
The Cairo Gang – Everybody Knows
The Cairo Gang make drifting seem like the only way to go about life. Their music hovers slightly above, moving at its own pace and coming down in a soft swoop at all the right moments. Hailing from Kentucky, The Cairo Gang bring warmth and introspection to the harshest country winters.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Sincrónica – EsCupido
Sincrónica is a power trio formed in Caracas in 2001 when they participated in a college rock festival. Between 2002 and 2010 they recorded several EPs, before finally releasing their first album, Todo Lo Que No Sabes, in 2011. From this, we present the simple song EsCupido, which is also being included in the video game Rock Band.

That’s perhaps a somewhat contrived, literal, if not roundabout, way of introducing what I’ve happened to be listening to a lot to these days – the clearly Velvets-inspired Dear Eloise and their second album 美丽陌生人 (they’ve written it as Beauty in Strangers in the liner notes, although I feel – despite the unwarranted Madonna comparison – it should be more accurately Beautiful Stranger). The protagonist makes her existentially-challenged appearance in “她从来不” (She Never), defined by the shadow of her absence, a mysteriously powerful force that absorbs the sun and the wind into that nothingness as well. It’s a perfectly ethereal and partly naive storyline that endears to as much as it loses itself in the very consuming noise it invokes. – Dan.

mp3: Dear Eloise – 她从来不 (She Never)

美丽陌生人 (Beauty in Strangers) is out now on Maybe Mars and distributed through tenzenmen.

mp3: Divine Fits – Shivers

A Thing Called Divine Fits is awesome and available on Merge Records.