Portugal. The Man is an American band from Wasilla, Alaska, and based in Portland, Oregon, made up of former members of the band Anatomy of a Ghost. The group was but is no longer signed to Fearless Records. They have released their third full-length album, Censored Colors, this September on their independent record label Approaching AIRballoons, which currently has a partnership with Equal Vision Records.

Download: Waiter You Vultures

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Epic45 joined together as a band in 1995 in high school but only began playing live and recording tracks to tape in 1998. From there they have gone on to record tracks for almost 20 releases (including splits with Laudanum, 100 Pets and Avaray) and done remixes for people such as Portal and Glider. With three full albums released they’re currently working towards a fourth that is expected to drop in Spring 2007.

Download: Against The Pull Of Autumn

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Mazzy Star was an American dream pop band. They formed in 1989, from the band Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith. Smith's friend Hope Sandoval became the group's vocalist when Smith left the band.
Mazzy Star is probably best known for the song "Fade into You" which brought the band some success in the mid-1990s and was the group's biggest mainstream hit, earning radio and MTV airplay. Roback and Sandoval were the creative center of the band, with Sandoval writing most of the lyrics and Roback composing most of the music.

Download: Among My Swan

Web: Website

Lush was a shoegaze band, formed in London, England in 1988 by Steve Rippon, Emma Anderson, Meriel Barham, Chris Acland and Miki Berenyi.

Download: Lovelife

The Jesus and Mary Chain are an alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1984. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. They released a constant string of albums, singles and EPs from their formation in 1984 until their breakup in 1999. In 2007 the band reunited and began work on a new album.

Download: Psychocandy

Web: Myspace Page

The Evpatoria Report was born in January 2002 and the band consists of two guitars, a bass, drums, a violin and a keyboard.
The band offers an instrumental rock combining serenity, power and intensity. In order to enrich some of its compositions, The Evpatoria Report is willing to collaborate with other musicians, as it was the case with Reverse Engineering, the Orchestra of Ribaupierre or the Union Choral society of Vevey.
The band’s activity can be summarized through the release of its first EP (2003), followed by its first album Golevka (2005) as well as through life performances, in particular with Mono (2004), Calexico (2004) and Red Sparowes (2006). The Evpatoria Report currently works on a new album and maintains a keen interest for all sort of project, notably that of a soundtrack.

Download: Golevka

The Evpatoria Report EP

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Slowdive were a shoegazing band formed in 1989, lasting until 1995. The band was formed in Reading, Berkshire, England and soon signed to Creation Records in the UK. The band consisted of Neil Halstead (vocals/guitar), Rachel Goswell (vocals/guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Christian Savill (guitar), Adrian Sell (drums, 1989), Simon Scott (drums, 1990 until early 1994) and Ian McCutcheon (drums, 1994 onwards). Goswell and Halstead had known each other since early childhood in Reading, Berkshire, when Goswell was an obsessive fan of The Smiths. When Savill and Chaplin left the band after the release of Pygmalion, the remaining members renamed the band Mojave 3.

Download: Souvlaki

Just For A Day

Pygmalion

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The Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup. While their early records moved through heavy metal into dark indie rock, their recent efforts for which they've received the most attention have been very strongly influenced by the electronica scene, along with the other groups on the record label Morr Music.

Download: Neon Golden

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Kieran Hebden (born 1980 in Putney, London, England, United Kingdom) is a post-rock and electronic musician. Hebden first came to prominence as a member of the band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Four Tet.
Hebden's music typically eschews the traditional pop song format in favor of a more abstract approach—his sound and melodies incorporate elements of hip hop, electronica, techno, jazz, and folk music with live instrumentation.
Alongside recording his own material, Hebden has also performed remixes for a number of artists including Aphex Twin, Super Furry Animals, Radiohead, Matthew Dear, Nathan Fake, Bloc Party, Andrew Bird, Kings of Convenience, Battles, Madvillain and Black Sabbath. Hebden's recent work includes a number of improvisational collaborations with veteran jazz drummer Steve Reid.

Download: Rounds

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This collaboration between instrumental post-rock band Mono and fellow Tokyo native and modern electronic composer World’s End Girlfriend is a five-part sojourn of neoclassical grace and luminescence that defies lazy categorization. As dark as the bottom of the ocean and nearly as otherworldly, “Palmless” finds Mono inhabiting a magical world previously only hinted at in their most orchestral compositions. Forgoing their tendency to erupt into hellish bursts of speaker-destroying noise, Mono instead exhibits remarkable restraint, stretching song lengths past the 15-minute mark, turning subtle crescendos into earth-shaking events. This record is a miniature panoramic view of the sea on an eerily still day, the current swaying at an impossibly lazy pace, and the sound of a thousand tiny waves crashing all at once.

Download: Palmless Prayer Mass Murder Refrain

Mono

World's End Girlfriend

Wonderland Falling Yesterday

Jeniferever is a band from Uppsala, Sweden formed in 1996. Their music could be described as ambient indie rock or post-rock; it is slow-paced, melodic, and frequently building to an orchestral-like climax. Their sound has been compared to bands such as The Appleseed Cast and Sigur Rós. They have released a four track EP titled Iris (which is over 40 minutes in length) on the Big Scary Monsters Recording Company label, and a full length record entitled Choose a Bright Morning on Drowned in Sound recordings.

Download: Choose A Bright Morning

Chronicles Of Omega (EP)

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Don Caballero (affectionately called “Don Cab” or “The Don” by fans) formed in the summer of 1991 in Pittsburgh, United States, released five albums on Touch And Go Records between 1993 and 2000, then disbanded in November 2000. Drummer Damon Che recruited new personnel for a reconstituted Don Caballero in 2003, but this new lineup has been met with mixed reception from fans. They have since signed to Relapse Records and released a new album, titled World Class Listening Problem, on May 16, 2006.

Download: World Class Listening Problem

Web: Myspace Page

Under Byen (Danish for "Below the City") is known for producing their own unorthodox interpretation of rock. They rarely use guitars. Instead their soundscape is dominated by piano, cello, violin, electrically-distorted saw, organ, drums and percussion. A somewhat different vein of rock (or pop) spiced up with jazzy, folky and classical elements. An important part of the music are also the poetic Danish lyrics which are presented to the listener by female vocals.

Download: Samme Stof Som Stof

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Oceansize are a five-piece alternative rock group based in Manchester, England. Formed in 1998, the band have released three full length albums — Effloresce (2003), Everyone Into Position (2005) and Frames (2007) — in addition to a number of minor EPs and singles. The band can be categorized variously as progressive rock (a classification the band rejects), indie rock, heavy metal and space rock, among other genres.

Download: Frames , Everything Into Position , Effloresce

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Gravenhurst is a vehicle for the music of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Talbot, who lives in Bristol, England and is currently signed to Warp Records. Gravenhurst is dark and highly atmospheric, influenced by the melodic noise of My Bloody Valentine, the reverb-laden vocal harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel, and guitarists such as Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr and Thurston Moore. Over 9 years and five albums, Talbot’s output has been diverse, but constant in the Gravenhurst sound-world are his fragile yet powerful voice, intricate guitar work and mysterious lyrical themes.

Download: Black Holes

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Worm Is Green started as the bedroom electronica project of Arni Asgeirsson, who soon enlisted longtime friends from his hometown of Akranes, Iceland (population 5,500) to flesh out his melodic soundscapes. Solidifying into a group, Worm Is Green began recording the songs that would become Automagic, released overseas last year on Iceland’s Thule Musik (home of Mum and The Funerals) and now available in the U.S. on The Arena Rock Recording Co.

Download: Push Play

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Aereogramme were an alternative/progressive/post-rock four-piece from Glasgow. Formed in 1998, the band released three full-length albums, ‘A Story In White’, ‘Sleep and Release’ and ‘My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go’, and a couple of EPs on Chemikal Underground Records.
The band announced their split on May 11th 2007

Download: My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go

Web: Myspace Page, Website

Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental post-metal/post-rock band from Chicago. Similar to fellow Chicago residents Pelican, Russian Circles play epic, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal to soft delicate passages. They are also known for their energetic live shows, which include tours with Tool, Red Sparowes, Minus the Bear and Daughters, as well as appearances at the 2006, 2007 & 2008 SXSW festivals.

Download: Enter

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Battles is a critically acclaimed American experimental band. The band's line-up includes ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier, ex-Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams, ex-Lynx guitarist Dave Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton (son of avant-garde jazz musician Anthony Braxton), who also plays guitar and keyboard and creates live voice samples.

Download: Mirrored

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Do Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums and space style electronic effects, distorted guitars and wind instruments as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.
The band formed in 1995 as a recording project for a Canadian youth dramatic production. They rehearsed for the production in an empty elementary school room. The four simple verbs 'Do', 'Make', 'Say' and 'Think' were painted on walls of the room, and the band adopted them as their name. In 1996, the band progressed as they practiced in the rehearsal room in the basement of the University of Toronto radio station CIUT.
The song "Chinatown" from 2002's & Yet & Yet is featured in the movie Syriana starring George Clooney, as well as The Corporation.
The band has recorded a fifth full-length album, entitled You, You're a History in Rust, which was released on Constellation Records on February 12, 2007 in Europe and February 26 in the rest of the world. The band is touring North America and Europe to promote the release of the album.

Download: Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn

Web: Myspace Page, Website

Hella began in 2001 in Sacramento, California as a two member band writing technically intricate music of a highly spastic nature. They play a blend of math rock, noise rock and avant-garde. On early albums, the band forged their classic sound, playing minimally arranged, abrasive instrumentals that still retain an idiosyncratic sense of melody.

In 2005, the band expanded their live band by adding Dan Elkan on vocals, rhythm guitar, and synth and Jonathan Hischke on bass guitar. In 2006, Hella’s line-up was expanded to include Hill’s cousin, Josh Hill (guitar), Spencer’s Advantage bandmate Carson McWhirter (bass) and Aaron Ross (Vocals).

Download: The Devil Isn't Red

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Long Distance Calling is a german post rock band based in Münster, Germany. They played their first show, simultaneous the release show of their first album ‘DMNSTRTN’, in late september 2006.
Instrumental rock music, based on heavy guitar riffing and shaking hands with psychedelic and calm elements. As most bands with this description tend to explore dark and depressive moods these guys change between timid beauty and hard boiled reality in a tough play, always based on a driving rhythm section. The 4 song demo EP “Dmnstrtn” became “demo of the month” in VISIONS magazine and ROCK HARD magazine

Download: Satellite Bay

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Mew is a band from Denmark, with a musical style that is best described as a combination of indie rock and progressive rock (with shoegaze and dream pop influences).
The band consists of Jonas Bjerre (vocals), Bo Madsen (guitar), and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen (drums). When on tour, Mew is supported by Dr. Nick Watts (Headswim) on keyboard, and Bastian Juel on bass.

Download: Frengers

And The Glass Handed Kites

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