Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism

This is an amazing record, made by frustrated teens for frustrated teens ^^ (teen = anyone from 1 to 99 who's still kinda naive and scared of the world). It's a perfect record to listen to when you don't wanna get out of bed, and it certainly won't motivate you to get up but at least you'll be thinking of how good this music is.

It starts with "The New Year", one of the heaviest songs on the record, and that says much. The whole album is kinda laid back, with some spasms here and there that come purely from the heart. The tunes are catchy, the instrumentation is as poppy as it could get, but showing sometimes the influence that bands such as Radiohead and Sonic Youth had in this wave of indie pop band.

This is another of my favorite records, and I highly recommend it. Actually, this was one of the first records that really got me into indie pop, and its a must for everyone into this kinda music.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Video for "Title And Registration": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Az6bVkGQJc

Death Cab For Cutie's Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/deathcabforcutie

Download the record: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0VI1L65N

Hamacas Al Rio - Mitad De Junio

"Hamacas Al Rio" is an indie pop band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Mitad de Junio" is their second record and, as their debut, is characterized by hipnotic sounds and waves of melancholia. It's like a hybrid between Echo And The Bunnymen and Belle & Sebastian. The lead singer, Laura Ciuffo, has one of the sweetest and at the same time coldest voice of latinamerican indie scene, and the musicalization of her dreams of cool spring evenings and nights by the seaside reminds of chamber pop bands such as Stars and Badly Drawn Boy.

"Mitad De Junio" is an amazing record, with personal lyrics and just the right amount of orchestration to stay in an intimate mood. It may sound repetitive sometimes, but you call it repetitive, I call it hipnotic!

Overall Score: 7/10

Video of the song "Ya Sé, Volvés": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEGQPTRtAW4

Hamacas Al Rio's myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hamacasalrio

Download the record: haven't found it yet =(

Stars - Set Yourself On Fire

"When There's Nothing Left To Burn, You Have To Set Yourself On Fire"

Stars' "Set Yourself On Fire" is one of the best records I've heard this year, and deffinitely one of my favorite Indie Pop records ever. Wearing their hearts on their sleeves, the Stars deffinitely made a melodramatic album for those who question magic in modern romance. Starting with "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead", one could expect the record's only chance from there is to go down, but it follows the mood of their opening track with wonderful twee pop and indie electronic tracks. Right now I´m listening to their new record on myspace, "In our bedroom after the war", and let me tell you, honestly, that "Set Yourself..." is way better, more heartfelt, one of those records you like to listen you when you're feeling kinda blue or confused, just like "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind", and that makes sense, due that the video for the opening track is a homage to that movie.


Overall, I would recommend every indie pop fan to buy this record, the opening track makes it worthy and the rest of the albums doesn't dissapoint, and if you can get the original version, it is a plus due that the cover art is amazing!


Overall Score: 8/10

Video for "Your Ex Lover is Dead": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55FMOJMhV9s

Stars' Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/stars

Download the record: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NVPC7VLT