The Fanpage of the Icelandic band Hellvar by Wim Van Hooste

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Hellvar's "Nowhere" @ Music Alliance Pact # 2 (November 2008)

I've chosen Hellvar's song "Nowhere" to be the song of the month @ MAP Project, a collaboration of 14 blogs about music from 14 different countries (2 countries joined this month: Norway & Canada).

Today it's 15. of the month, 15. November, so here's the second edition of the Music Alliance Pact. The project is going more global. Two more countries (Canada & Norway) joined, so 2 more songs. Enjoy the 14 songs!

AMERICA
I Guess I'm Floating http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com
City Center – "Summer School"
www.myspace.com/citycenternyc
Brooklyn’s City Center is the solo work of Fred Thomas from Saturday Looks Good To Me, focusing on ornamental, experimental pop songs created from found sounds, manipulated samples and Thomas's own guitar and vocals. While there’s no official debut yet, he has released a handful of 7”s and there are over 30 free MP3s up for grabs at his blog (http://citycenternyc.blogspot.com/). Look for a debut sometime in 2009.
With heavy influences from alt. rockers like Radiohead and Jaime Sin Tierra, this song is from Sync Filmico's second album, El Mar. It was released this year on CD and as free MP3 download from their website (www.el-mar.com.ar/elMar). Their first record was published under a Creative Commons license and can also be downloaded for free.
www.fileden.com/files/2008/10/16/2145849/Sync%20Filmico%20-%20El%20polvo%20de%20tus%20sentimientos.mp3

AUSTRALIA
Who The Bloody Hell Are They? http://whothehell.net
The Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition"
www.myspace.com/thetempertrap
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the new material from Melbourne’s The Temper Trap and no wonder, because the first taste of their 2009-due album, Sweet Disposition, is a delay-driven melody fest. Recalling the sounds of ’80s U2, Sweet Disposition was recorded in the UK with famed producer Jim Abbiss, who has worked with some little-known acts like Arctic Monkeys, DJ Shadow, Björk and Massive Attack.

CANADA
I(Heart)Music www.iheartmusic.net/serendipity
Ketch Harbour Wolves – "So Long To The Ground" www.myspace.com/ketchharbourwolves
Even by the standards of Canadian indie rock, Ketch Harbour Wolves are pretty under the radar. Dead Calm Horizon is one of the best albums of the year - and free for download on the band’s site (www.ketchharbourwolves.com) no less. Imagine that The National were transported to the Canadian wilderness and started writing songs about rural living and you’d have a good idea of where Ketch Harbour Wolves are coming from. The results are, simply put, hauntingly gorgeous.

DENMARK
Pastries, Peppers And Canals http://danishmusic.blogspot.com
Heidi Mortenson – "It’s True"
www.myspace.com/heidimortenson
Highly regarded as the queen of experimental, unpredictable music, Heidi’s website says that she “makes colorful and textured songs with a nerdy and dazed approach; her sound grows from playful experiments and inventive production. Add emotional drive, a mentalist flavor and soul of old cartoon" - and who are we to argue?
ENGLAND
Mumford & Sons – "Roll Away Your Stone"
www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons
Here’s some new folky goodness for you. Not folky as in the beardy sense, mainly because the kids in Mumford & Sons are probably too young to grow beards. Led by Marcus Mumford, this west London band peddle a sparkly, breezy, bluegrass-infused folk-pop, and given that they’ve been together for less than a year, they've arrived remarkably fully-formed.

ICELAND
I Love Icelandic Music http://icelandicmusic.blogspot.com
Hellvar – "Nowhere"
Hellvar started in 2004 when the founding members Heiða Eiríksdóttir and Elvar Geir Sævarsson (Heida + Elvar = Hellvar) moved to Berlin to study philosophy. Heiða had been the singer in the band Unun (aka “Heiða í Unun”)(http://this.is/unun), which released 2 albums (“Super Shiny Dreams” (Iceland version was called “æ”) and “Ótta” (Almost morning)(1999). Heiða made 2 solo albums “Svarið” (The answer) (2000), a Charles Bukowski tribute (2003). Also one album as Heiða & Heiðingjarnir called “tiufingurupptilguds” (2003) with band members a.o. Sverrir Ásmundsson and Elvar Geir Sævarsson. Material written for their rock band was rearranged for a drum machine. Back in Iceland the band became a trio with Flosi Þorgeirsson as bass player, who played in the famous Icelandic band HAM. Early 2007 Hellvar became a quartet: Flosi left the band, but child prodigy Alexandra came on guitar and bass virtuoso Sverrir Ásmundsson was added in the line-up. Together the two boys and two girls stir up a coctail from electronica to new-wave with a twist of lime. Debut album “Bat out of Hellvar” was released in the end of 2007 and was the first release on the new Icelandic record label Kimi Records (www.kimirecords.net). The band toured in the USA, Germany and China. www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/18/2054527/Hellvar%20-%20Nowhere%20%28Iceland%29.mp3
“Nowhere” Live @ Iceland Airwaves ’08 Festival @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqQ_FdAPfZU&hl&fmt=18


IRELAND
Nialler9 www.nialler9.com
Cap Pas Cap – "We Are Men" (Thatboytim remix)
www.myspace.com/cappascap
Cap Pas Cap are heavily inspired by rock music on the fringes - no wave, punk and Krautrock. As a taster for a debut in 2009, the band will release the We Are Men 12" in December with one original track and three hi-grade remixes from Decal, Jape and this from Thatboytim. As well as playing in Cap Pas Cap, members of the band run the Skinny Wolves label which releases stuff from the likes of Indian Jewelry, Telepathe and Effie Briest.

ITALY
Did – "Ask U2"
If I could have Foals playing at my house tonight, I would surely call Did as opening band. Four young guys from Turin who play "yellow punk-funk" with pop melodies. They have a free download debut EP out now on Kirsten's Postcard label (www.kirstenspostcard.com). Dance!

NORWAY
My Little Pony – "I Don’t Know Pt.1"
“The band, not the brand” seems to be a statement that will follow Norwegian indiepop orchestra My Little Pony forever. They recently released their debut album Think Too Much to great critical acclaim and new fans include one of Norway's biggest pop stars, Marit Larsen. My Little Pony are a pure pop band, where strong melodies and interesting lyrics make the framework of their music, but they also mix in several other genres in their indiepop universe, from bluegrass and Afro-jazz to reggae and more folk-oriented elements.

PERU
SoTB http://sideoftheblog.blogspot.com
Cementerio Club – "Stereoman"
www.myspace.com/cementeriocluboficial
Cemeterio Club’s history can be summed up in numbers - a 10-year career, four studio albums, three acoustic albums, one lengua MTV. Led by Jose Arbulú, they are a clear example that good rock sung in Spanish exists. Here’s Stereoman from their latest album, released last year.

SCOTLAND
The Pop Cop http://thepopcop.blogspot.com
Beerjacket – "Drum"
Beerjacket is a young man with an acoustic guitar whose backing band comprises a tambourine and a drum machine. Stylistic comparisons to Elliott Smith or Jose Gonzalez wouldn’t be far off, while his prolific output of albums offer an endearing lo-fi sound that lets the quality of his songs and the calibre of his songwriting steal the show.
SPAIN
El Blog De La Nadadora http://lanadadora.blogspot.com
Espanto – "Profesora De Primaria"
www.myspace.com/espantosi
Espanto are a duo formed by Luis and Teresa, who come from a small city in the north of Spain. After releasing a series of extraordinary demos, their first CD, Cantando En Tu Siesta - on the Spanish label Birra y Perdiz(www.birrayperdiz.com) - compiled their best songs up till 2007. Their music is basically pop, with references that range from Television Personalities to The Magnetic Fields.
www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/18/2054527/Espanto%20-%20Profesora%20De%20Primaria%20%28Spain%29.mp3
SWEDEN
Swedesplease www.swedesplease.net
Hajen – "Sharks"
www.myspace.com/hajensmyspace
Hajen has a very limited repertoire (three MySpace demos to be exact), but she’s just the type of artist that deserves the wider recognition the web can provide. She may not be completely ready for primetime but her uniquely Swedish take on the piano pop of Tori Amos and Regina Spektor is impressive. Hajen means shark in Swedish so it seems appropriate to highlight her theme song. With its warning of "sharks in the water, sharks up on land" you can bet this is not simply a tale of danger in the ocean.
More about the MAP Project
Blogging Global Music @ www.nhpr.org/node/18985
An Interview of Virginia Prescott with Jason Cranwell of Scottish The Pop Cop on New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR).

Get all the mp3s @
www.zshare.net/download/5131760222cf9fdd
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