Death by Kite is a really awesome name for a band, so I just had to tell you about them. This trio hails from Germany’s neighbor to the North, Denmark, and plays as style of music they call noise pop. Falling under the more general term indie rock (or maybe post-rock?), Death by Kite sounds very similar to American bands like Interpol with a kind of mellow calmness and subtly reverberating guitars. I’m really liking it so far, and I have to say my favorite song is “Himmelfahrtskommando”. You can hear this one, along with 3 other complete songs, on Death by Kite’s MySpace page.

The band released their debut album today, also called Death by Kite. The album’s 11 tracks will really appeal to the hipster hidden inside you. You can find it online at CD Baby as well as in Danish music shops like TargetShop.dk.

Death by Kite tracklist
01. Sweet M
02. Bhf. Asta
03. Himmelfahrtskommando
04. Pills
05. It’s Not A Song
06. Hiroshima
07. Scared of Heights
08. Wedding
09. Dare I Eat a Peach?
10. Love Is Never Having To Tell a Lie
11. Bulletin/out

This Friday on August 3rd, Phillip Boa and the Voodoo Club will release their new album Faking To Blend In on Motor Music. This record is a continuation of the band’s indie rock style which has caught a lot of attention across Europe in recent years. Their first single “On Tuesdays I’m Not As Young” is also going to be released on the 3rd, and features a few non-album tracks. You can hear this song and 3 others on the band’s Myspace page.

The album will be offered both in a regular and a limited version. The limited edition will feature alternative artwork (pictured above) and the video for “On Tuesdays I’m Not As Young” in addition to the regular 13 album tracks.

Faking To Blend In
01. On Tuesdays I’m Not As Young
02. Girl Is A Runner
03. Faking To Blend In
04. Drinking And Belonging To The Sea
05. Emma
06. You Are A Parasite But I Love You
07. Queen Day
08. You Hurt Me
09. Sleep A Lifetime
10. Collective Dandyism
11. In Today’s Parties
12. How Much Can You Swallow
13. The Night Before The Last Was Saturday Night

On Tuesdays I’m Not As Young (maxi single)
01. On Tuesdays I’m Not As Young
02. And When Heaven Will Fall
03. The Nun’s Eccentrics
04. Play Cold
05. Lilly And The Century After

Wir Sind Helden just released their latest single yesterday. “Soundso” (read “so und so”) is the title track off their latest album and follows the confused-sounding “Endlich ein Grund zur Panik” single. Honestly, I don’t know if I like their particular variety of indie rock, but at least it’s a bit catchy. What I do know is that Wir Sind Helden has been catching on quite well with fans far beyond Germany. Their international success was really made clear when they received the European Border Breakers Award at the MIDEM show in 2005, signifying that their debut album Die Reklamation was the best selling album from a newcomer in other European countries. This won’t be the last you hear from the Helden.

Soundso single tracklist
01. Soundso
02. T’es comme ca
03. Endlich ein Grund zur Panik (FM4 Session Akustik Live)
04. Die Konkurrenz (FM4 Session Akustik Live)
05. Lass uns verschwinden (FM4 Session Akustik Live)
06. Soundso (Video & Making Of) (Data Track)

Check out some of the songs from the Soundso album on Wir Sind Helden’s Myspace page.

Indie rock band Tocotronic will be releasing a new album by the name of Kapitulation on July 6th. For well over a decade, Tocotronic has used simple German lyrics and offered their own personal style (both in music and appearance) that has been duplicated across Germany in recent years. The band’s success has reached a point at which they need to make a step up. Kapitulation marks the end of the band’s long-lasting relationship with their label L’age D’or. Instead, the album will be released by Vertigo, a sublabel of Universal Records. I have a feeling that this will easily be their most popular album yet. Check Tocotronic’s Myspace page for 2 samples from the new album.

Kapitulation tracklist
01. Mein Ruin
02. Kapitulation
03. Aus Meiner Festung
04. Verschwör dich gegen dich
05. Wir sind viele
06. Harmonie ist eine Strategie
07. Imitationen
08. Wehrlos
09. Dein geheimer Name
10. Sag alles Ab
11. Luft
12. Explosion

Polarkreis 18 is a new band from Dresden. Their self-titled debut album was released a few months ago on February 16th and consists of 11 calm and atmospheric, yet invigorating indie electronic tracks. The closest thing to the sound of this album that I can think of is the Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós. Polarkries 18 is the perfect album to listen to while sitting back and relaxing, maybe during some cold weather given the album’s wintery theme.

Check out some of the (full-length) songs they have available on their website’s music page or the band’s Myspace page.

Polarkreis 18 tracklist
1. Intro
2. Dreamdancer
3. Chiropody
4. Somedays Sundays
5. Crystal Lake
6. Comes Around
7. Stellaris
8. Look
9. After All, He Was Sad
10. Ursa Major
11. Under This Big Moon