Alpinismo – ALPNSMO (2015)

42 Records

• Indie rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Jangle pop

Comment: it is always pleasant to listen to a full-fledged indie/alternative rock instance. Alpinismo's 5-notch is one of such sort teetering somewhere between downbeat yet highly ringing jangly guitars reminding of the first years of careless Rickenbacker guitar drenched indie pop and more powerful and mercurial progressions wherein the emotions will appear with immense dash. Maybe it happened in this way because of being an Italian (Rome) quartet under an Italian imprint, 42 Records. The lyrics are performed in Italian.

Distape - The Flying Cats Season (2011)

42 Records
Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.8

/Poptronica, Experimental indie, Glo-fi, Lo-fi, Psychedelic, Singer-songwriter, New Weird Europe/

Comment: Distape is the brainchild of Michele Alessi, coming from the homeland of the Farfisa organ - Italy. However, there are represented 5 beautiful examples of the songwriting which are mainly created through catchy electric keyboards-backed hooks-loops, lo-fi beats and slightly pessimistic, symbolism-tinged lyrics. Furthermore, there can be detected for some subtle bows of electrified guitars played up with huge impetus. By the way, the issue is mastered by Barbagallo, one of the Recent Music Heroes` longtime heroes.

Mamavegas - Icon Land (2011)

Mamavegas
42Records

10/8.5

/Baroque pop, Chamber pop, Indie, Indie pop, Sunshine pop, Experimental indie, Art-pop/

Spagetti Bolonnaise Disco1 (42 Records/Bandcamp)

Behind this cheesy name can be found a delicious whole of 6 notches, of psychedelic oriented songs obviously compiled of 60`s British music influences, on the first side, running on the more pop-oriented currents (The Beatles, The Byrds), and on the other side, on fusion/jazz rock-relied blasts (the Canterbury scene), and on the third side, chillout moods. However, an Italian quintet consisting of Elia Domeneghetti, Guido Bianchini, Andrea Mancin, Paolo Michelazzi, and Oliviero Farneti who sang in English, play up their "disco" concept in an excellent mode, operating with quasi march-like rhythms, colourful brass sections, smooth jazz parts, vibraphone-played shreds, vibrating electric organ snippets or overpouringly grooving, acid-filled synths (for instance, the ending track Dedicated to Wyatt but Wyatt Wasn`t Listening). In a nutshell, it can be said, indeed, the Italians do it better (it is a cliche, of course, having some pieces of truth inside it, though).

Listen to it here

9.1