Author: bolachas

Lo-fi indie rock from Brasil, in the vein of Guided by Voices or Dinosaur Jr.
Watch the official video for the track “Home”, free download after the jump!

For Top Surprise, it’s as if the world began in the 80’s. That’s when the band members were born, and when guitars reached unbearable volumes. Therefore, names like J. Mascis and Thurston Moore somehow represent the big bang that would result in the sound of the four-piece from the boring Juiz de Fora, in Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Another big influence, Guided by Voices’ lo-fi recordings were a stronger D.I.Y. message for the X and Y generations (yes, that’s where we are right now) than the messages that came before. But Top Surprise knows homemade noises, though wonderful, doesn’t float everyone’s boat; so they pack their songs with pop melodies that would certainly leave Phil Spector either proud or deaf.

Everything Must Go, Top Surprise’s debut, was produced by Le Almeida (Coloração Desbotada) and Paulo Casaes (Fujimo) during two drunken days at brothers Andre and Daniel’s apartment. Vocals were recorded in the bathroom, guitars in the living room and drums in dad’s bedroom, to the neighbors’ despair. The results sound as strong as any recent “shitgaze” record you’ve heard — but with a subtlety only someone who worked as a telephone operator could conceive. Hysterical guitars and joggly drums explode into the songwriting, with female backing vocals resembling bees inside the speaker. From the obvious admiration of American college rock to hints of post-punk, the EP ends with a folk-tinged incursion into Jeff Mangum/Elliott Smith territory. Proof that even the syncretic “generation Y” is capable of tender moments — albeit amid chaos.

free download, courtesy of Pug Records
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Watch The National play a rare b-side from their Mistaken for Strangers EP below, courtesy of Videoteca Bodyspace, before their sold out show at Porto, Portugal late last month. Now those are the National I goddamn enjoy.

Gorgeous performance from the Espers’ cellist Helena Espvall for Windows Have Eyes!

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Espers

16 Lovers Lane is a dream pop band from Verona, Italy. “Don’t Try to Push Me” is their first EP and it’s pretty good. Here’s what they say about their own band, and may you enjoy the music.

We started off as 16 Lovers Lane circa in 2008 when we were only a duo: Michele and Giorgia. At that time we had a handful of songs, mostly acoustic. . Meanwhile we made friends with Carnera FM, another band from Verona, with whom we have played and for whom Georgia sang, in the final song of their “Avrò fin troppo tempo per rimanere distante da te quando saremo morti ” album. But above all, we have met, through Carnera FM, Federico (already in the ranks of the Domus de Janas), who quickly became our bass player. Since then we have played as avidly as possible in order to focus the growing number of songs and to give them a fuller sound, which combines an increasing number of elements / tools (electric guitar effects, a moog, an electric piano, a bass, and electric batteries + sounds programmed via laptop), and our idea of music.

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free download @ Clinical Archives

STS “stealing” from the Black Keys= ballin’. Like we say here in Portugal, puta de malhão.

Debut album “The Illustrious” will be released in July 2012 with production by The Alchemist, Big Krit, Will Power and Groove Chambers.

download mp3, STS – “Only One”