Discoverer 49: new indie findings

It's Sunday, so here are the weekly band proposals for your listening pleasure!

Ex Cops. We begin in Brooklyn with a duo: Brian Harding (ex Hymns) and Amalie Bruun (from Minks, band already highlighted on this Discoverer series). Born as Ex Cops in 2011 they released a homemade EP. A first single, "“You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb” b/w “The Millionaire”, followed last April, before signing with Other Music Recording Co. Transformed into a quintet they took to the studio to record "True Hallucinations", their debut album, out now. And what a debut this is. A kaleidoscopic indiepop lesson, delicate and joyful, vintage but modern, strangely moody but full of hooks. Indispensable.

I Was A King. If you also believe Teenage Fanclub is not just a wonderful band, but also a group that mankind needs, here's a name for you. A trio coming from the adorable Norway, they formed in 2006, releasing their debut album "Losing Something Good for Something Better" a year later. In 2009, thanks to the buzz, they assaulted the States with "I Was A King", followed by "Old Friends" in 2011. And then came "You Love It Here", with the help of (attention) Norman Blake and Robyn Hitchcock, released, just in Norway, in late 2012. It's a tragedy, because this is such an incredible pop masterpiece. Pop music lovers, please listen them.

Plumerai. Sure, is not the first time I got into a band thanks to a female voice. Active since 2004, this Bostonians have gone through several line-up changes, four EPs and three records including 2011's "Your Guilty Prize", after which they added the Parisian Eliza Brown on vocals. With her on board (plus a new drummer) joining foundational members Martin & James Newman, they released their latest LP, "Mondegreen", past November. Eliza's powerful, sweet, breathy and mysteriously haunting vocals (I imagine her stealing hearts while singing at some jazz club) give a very unique counterpoint to the indiepop, with a dark twist, somewhere in between shoegaze and post-punk, band sounds. Seductive music.       

Best Songs of the Year 2011: 50-26

Hope you enjoyed the previous two chapters of the first Bloodbuzzed Songs of the Year. As promised on Monday, now we arrive to the tunes ranked between positions 50 to 26, with the mandatory grooveshark playlist to listen them included. The final part, with the top 25 songs of the 2011 will arrive on Sunday. Hope you like it! 

50. Elijah- Alela Diane
49. Black Night- The Dodos
48. The Dreamer- The Tallest Man on Earth
47. Clang of the Concrete Swans- Comet Gain
46. Forget that You're Young- The Raveonettes
45. If I Had a Gun- Noel Gallagher
44. Tus Siete Diferencias- Manos de Topo
43. In the Dark Places- PJ Harvey
42. One Moment- Motorama
41. Lemonade- Braids
40. Royal Blue- Cold War Kids
39. Funeral Song- Minks
38. El Gran Apagón- Los Últimos Bañistas
37. Gun Shy- Widowspeak
36. The Fountain- Veronica Falls
35. It's Hard to Get Around the Wind- Alex Turner
34. Think You Can Wait- The National
33. Down By the Water- The Decemberists
32. Oh My Heart- R.E.M.
31. Go Betweens- Mazes
30. Take Me Somewhere- Tennis
29. Right Side of My Brain- Veronica Falls
28. Heart in Your Heartbreak- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
27. The Last Living Rose- PJ Harvey
26. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes

Best songs of the year 2011... so far

It's middle June, and a good moment for taking a look to what has the year 2011 offered so far in terms of music. Here's a playlist with the best 25 songs (in my opinion, of course) of the year. Some songs have been dropped, because the selection followed two criteria: songs released during 2011, and just 1 song per group/artist, so I could include 25 different proposals. They are not in order of preference, just trying to combine them in a good playlist. Hope you enjoy!

1. Heart in Your Heartbreak- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2. Calamity Song- The Decemberists
3. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes
4. It Happened Today- R.E.M.
5. The Words that Maketh Murder- PJ Harvey
6. Black Night- The Dodos
7. Fast Fast- Let's Buy Happiness
8. Lose It- Austra
9. I Hate You But I Love You- Russian Red
10. Alien Girl- The Very Most
11. World Around You- Rubik
12. Impressions from a City Morning- Brown Recluse
13. Take Me Somewhere- Tennis
14. Jesus Came to My Birthday Party- The Middle East
15. Will Do- TV On the Radio
16. Funeral Song- Minks
17. Forget that You're Young- The Raveonettes
18. One Moment- Motorama
19. Even Though I'm a Woman- Seeker Lover Keeper
20. For Jacob with Malaria- Boca Chica
21. Reckless Serenade- Arctic Monkeys
22. Royal Blue- Cold War Kids
23. Exile Vilify- The National
24. Lippy Kids- Elbow
25. Go Outside- Cults

A song that I would definitely include is "Margot", by the great Nat Johnson, but I couldn't find it. And some songs that would have been on the list without the "just one song per artist criteria" are "Bitter Branches", "In the Dark Places" by PJ Harvey, "Überlin", "Oh My Heart" by R.E.M., "Think You Can Wait" by The National and "Down by the Water" by The Decemberists.

Discoverer 1: new indie findings

Weekends are the perfect time to discover new music, don't you think? Starting today, each weekend a post will be devoted to suggest "new" (meaning relatively unknown groups, or at least unknown to me, that recently started their careers) indie bands that are worth a look.

Minks. Shaun Kilfoyle and Amalie Bruun come from Brooklyn, NY, and their debut album, "By the Hedge", published on January, confirms the expectations of their previous 7", like this stunning "Funeral Song". Echoes of New Wave (the Cure anyone?), boy/girl harmonies, ethereal synths and guitars, and the ability to create unforgettable melodies.


The Narcoleptic Dancers. Charming indie pop, catchy and breezy, from this Franco-Dutch duo, Anton Louis Jr. and Melody Van Kappers, with an irresistible debut EP, "Not Evident", out now. You'll find yourself smiling.


Let's Buy Happiness. The best kept secret of British indie comes from Newcastle. With a couple of EPs ("No Hot Ashes" is among the best things released on 2009) and a slowly arising career supporting Idlewild, Vivian Girls and playing Glastonbury, one cannot expect anything else but greatness. Fronted by the gorgeous voice of Sarah Hall, the hypnotic, icy, blasting, and unique sound of the band is mesmerizing.