Slovakia

Ján Boleslav Kladivo - Nahá (1995)

This is a very difficult album to describe for a number of reasons. 1 - I don't speak Slovak (not sure if you sussed that one by now) and 2 - it's just one of those albums that's pretty hard to sum up without going into a really long review about it, which isn't really the idea I had for this thread. Oh, and 3 - there's nothing of this guy to be seen on youtube, which makes this slightly more difficult. Nevertheless, I'll do my best!

Kladivo here easily ranks with me as one of the most fascinating singer-songwriters in all of Europe because of the eerily unique sound that he has and the cold, wintry soundscapes they make. Part of this is down to his strange, off-kilter vocal, which is odd as it's kind of throaty and deadpan at the same time. Even if the lyrics are quite literally Slovak to me, it really is something to be admired. All that wouldn't really amount to much if it weren't for the great musical backings that he supplies him here. I guess alternative folk would be the most appropriate thing to call it, mainly for how you'd think you're listening to a simple, melodic little ditty with, say, a repetitive (lone) trumpet figure to punctuate it before an electric guitar riff, so out of place yet so effective, just kinda jumps out of the mix at you.

It's an album that starts to truly unravel its appeal as a unit after two or three listens, and a thoroughly rewarding one - something that needs to be heard to be believed somewhat. It varies from some truly memorable, melodic little folk rockers with the said alternative/avante-garde twists of synth, skewiff basslines and so forth to slightly more stripped-down, pensive and quieter moments. Highly recommended, though not exactly what I'd call the most accessible thing I've ever heard.
The best bits: Mariena, Klop Na Bránu, Budem Tu

Indonesia

Sore - Centralismo (2005)

This, on the other hand, is! Goes without saying that I don't mean that in a disparaging way at all. To say that Sore (pronounced as it looks, I think - means 'late afternoon' in Indonesian) are a Jakarta-based indie band would probably give the wrong impression about them as well. While, as I say, their sound is hardly the most difficult you'll ever come across, and they therefore won't challenge you in the way that the above effort from Mr. Kladivo does, it'd be unfair to just cop a glimpse of the word indie and draw up instant comparisons with a lot of the stuff we associate the word with this side of the year 2000. While it's true to say that they share a lot in common with the more bearable side of modern indie, there's slightly more to them than meets the eye, as the below video may or may not suggest.

At least that's what I get from them. I mean, don't take my word for gospel or anything because, at the end of the day, these are just the opionated ramblings of some over-enthusiastic English gent. They're definitely a very melodic outfit, and that whole part of the equation does play a massive role in their sound, but there's a lot more light jazz thrown into the proceedings than a lot of modern indie that I've heard. At least in areas anyway - there are patches on this album which do sound a lot more conventional, and even a couple of rockers sung (convincingly as well) in English. There are quiet moments, soulful ones, hard-hitters, alternating lead vocalists - all pretty cool stuff really.

Think of a cross between the Beatles, Aztec Camera and Steely Dan, the South Pacific and modern production techniques and you're half-way there. All in all, a very good and much more light-hearted affair than the above Kladivo album.
The best bits: Aku, Keangkuhanku, Lihat