Tag Archive for 'Os Mutantes'

OURSTAGE MODEL U.N. – CANADA

Published by Sam C. on September 12, 2009 in Artist News. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Said The Whale

Said The Whale

Oh, Canada! Neighbor to the North, how we love you for all the wonderful things you’ve given the world. The country that brought you hockey, Degrassi and poutine also has many fantastic musical offerings. Looking at this year’s Polaris Music Prize nominees, the sheer amount of quality albums Canadian artists are producing is quite impressive.  Releases from K’NAAN, Fucked Up and Metric are sure to be hot contenders for the award, which will be announced on September 21st.

Kicking off September 30th is Pop Montréal, a city-wide music festival in, you guest it, Montréal. With this year’s line up featuring Fever Ray, Butthole Surfers, Faust and Os Mutantes, there’s more than enough audible variety to keep your eardrums content. While you’re waiting for Pop Fest and biting your nails in anticipation at the announcement of this year’s Polaris Prize, there’s an abundance of emerging Canuck artists on OurStage just waiting to be discovered! Here’s a sampling of some of the best:

These Electric Lives

These Electric Lives

Electro-rock outfit These Electric Lives have earned a lot of recognition opening for the likes of Asobi Seksu and The Mystery Jets. The band’s track “Called it Off” will leave fans of Austrlia’s Van She crying for more. After a successful EP and Remix album, the band is busy gearing up for their first full-length release.

Runs With Kittens is a staple of the Toronto music scene. This quartet, armed with microkorg and a glockenspiel, has a hard time sticking to one specific genre. Their comedic antics show full force in their chaotic track “Ricky Martin Shake Your Boobies In My Face”.

From Vancouver come folky rockers Said The Whale. One of the band’s more upbeat tracks “Live Off Lamb” is reminiscent of earlier records by The New Pornographers and Dr. Dog. Said the Whale is gearing up to release their new album Islands Disappear on October 13th.

Pat The White

Pat The White

Pat the White is a blues rock group that would seem more at home in the deep south than their native Quebec. Nonetheless, the band, lead by prolific guitarist Patrick Leblanc, has received critical acclaim at home and abroad for their album Reviver. The band might be one of the few with enough chops to make a solid cover of the Allman Brother’s classic “Whipping Post.” If you don’t have 14 minutes to spare you should check out their track “A Good Fool is Hard to Find” instead”.

Jamesking combines 90s style R&B and modern funk to forge their own unique brand of pop. Gyles, the band’s leading lady, has a strong soulful voice that could easily bring down any house.

OURSTAGE MODEL U.N.- BRAZIL

Published by Sam C. on August 16, 2009 in Playlists. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Mateus Starling

Mateus Starling

Bem-vindos to this week’s Brazilian edition of OurStage Model U.N.! The music of Brazil is known to be representative of its people, a diverse range of influences from all over the world. For the country that gave us such great gifts like Carmen Miranda, the Samba and the Bossa Nova, it’s a bit of a downer that more recent developments in Brazilian music aren’t well known in the states. Fortunately, American music bloggers gushing over 60’s psychedelic garage rockers Os Mutantes and new ravers CSS, have helped spark an interest in Brazilian music of old and new. To quench your curiosity,  take a break from making your Carnival costume and give these Brazilian artists on OurStage a shot:

HITCHCOCKS are a psychobilly/surf band from São Paulo. Known for making edgy surf instrumentals, their music would feel right at home in the soundtrack of a 60’s science fiction B-movie.

Autoramas are quite popular in Brazil’s alternative rock scene. After all— not just any band gets to open for the likes of Mudhoney, the Pixies and Guitar Wolf. With new wave influences such as Devo and The B-52’s, the band has the potential to win over many new fans in the states.

Brazilian born guitarist Mateus Starling is bursting at the seams with talent. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mateus paid the bills by writing TV jingles and working as a session musician. Earlier this year, Starling released Kairos, his debut solo album with a live jazz instrumental focus. Listen to the track “Guerreiro” and you’ll understand why critics in Brazil are calling him the “future of the Brazilian guitar.”

Database

Database

Database is one of the biggest names in Brazilian electronic music. The two Producer/DJs that form Database, Lucio Morais and Yuri Chix, were childhood friends that went to film school together and gained popularity throwing down dance parties for their fellow classmates. After releasing two successful compilation CDs, contributing a remix to Fat Boy Slim’s Southern Fried Records, and playing numerous festivals in Brazil, Database is ready for a full forced breakthrough in the US. Most recently the duo worked with Brooklyn electro-pop outfit French Horn Rebellion, co-writing a single for the group’s Friends and Beaches EP. You can catch Database live as they open for French Horn Rebellion’s current US tour.

Another big buzz act from Brazil is the alternative rock group The River Raid. These moody rockers cite their biggest influences as The Stooges, Violent Femmes, Radiohead and Sonic Youth. Check out the sweet Moog sounds on their track “Electric Cool”.

Rio guitarist Alisson Souza’s “Esses Dias,” is an instrumental track blending blues and Latin jazz. Souza has a unique approach to combining several layers of break beats, flamenco-styled guitar solos and heavy blues guitar breakdowns over a somber organ. It’s definitely one of those great recordings you hear something new on with each repeated listen.