The Coolest Indie Album of the World (Cup)
As we’ve mentioned before, there’s no end to the deluge of football-themed music this year. But one compilation album recently caught my ear – a 32-track tribute to all 32 countries in the World Cup. The Irish label Indiecater rallied some of their “favourite bands” (mostly Irish) for Fast Forward: An Indie Music Companion To South Africa 2010.
They could be accused of jumping on the World Cup bandwagon, but really it’s just a fun way to discover some pretty cool artists. You can stream all 32 tracks on the album’s site:
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. Nothing formulaic here – each track is an imaginative production, and each band lends its own quirky charm. But since they’ve bracketed the songs World Cup-style, I decided to pick a “finalist” from each group.
Group A Winner: France
“Irlande” by The Very Most
A catchy tune from a lyrically clever US group that admits they may never actually visit France…but they still love the French aesthetic and the healthcare system.
Group B Winner: South Korea
“Jongmyo Shrine” by Pearse McGloughlin
A fittingly Eastern-influenced track with beautiful pentatonic melodies.
Group C Winner: England
“St George’s Day” by Detox Cute
If the music isn’t English enough for you, the quotes from Henry V should work.
Group D Winner: Germany
“Meet Me At The Red Light” by Betty and the Cavalero
Probably the most lighthearted song about the Red Light District you’ll ever hear.
Group E Winner: Holland
“Wooded Land” by Burning Codes
Whispery harmonies might not be the best way to pump the team up, but it’s a beautiful track nonetheless.
Group F Winner: New Zealand
“Aotearoa” by Adam and Darcie
A refreshing bassy track with a great buildup intro.
Group G Winner: Portugal
“Dry Dry Land” by Tap Tap
This songwriter really knows how to change key a ridiculous amount of times and still make it sound easy.
Group H Winner: Chile
“Chile La Roja” by Manwomanchild
An epic yet fun retro groove – most likely track on the album to be heard in a football movie.
Did I get my “finalist” picks right? Comment away. Hope the album brings you some joy during the potentially heartbreaking World Cup eliminations coming up. Again, you can hear all these songs at indiecater.com.
Charlie McCarron
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