Murilo Portescheller does not only have a fabulously beguiling name, but he’s a native of Brazil who is studying here in Manchester for a few months.

Having left the endless beaches of his homeland and swapped them for the endless  drizzle of Manchester, no wonder he is eager to reminisce about his country’s music scene…

In the past few years, Brazil’s got some emerging bands that may have changed the image of the country’s alternative music scene. Indie Rock and Experimental bands got back on track.

Jennifer Lo-fi is the most exciting new band that came out from São Paulo in many years from now. With influences from experimental, post-rock bands like This Town Needs Guns, Sigur Rós, Circa Survive and The Mars Volta, they created something that Brazil was not used to listen to.

Their gigs are definitely intense, energic, well played and veeery noisy, such as their two EP’s, Summer Session (2010) and Nóia (2011). Technically talking, they are one of the best bands in Brazil.

Another experimental band is making some noise in the Brazilian alternative music scene: Dorgas. This fresh new band – they’ve got only a single, Loxhanxha (2011), and an EP, Verdeja Music (2010), released – from Rio de Janeiro makes an experimental-druggy sound, with broken guitar riffs and drums, synth backgrounds and reverbed vocals. A band to watch out for!

The ‘biggest Brazilian new band’ is called Holger (which is already known in ANBAD – they appeared in The View From Brazil Pt. 1). They’ve grown a lot since their first EP, The Green Valley, was released. The press and the public literally embraced the band when they released the debut album Sunga, late in 2010.

It sounds like a mix of the early riff-indie rock from USA (like Pavement and stuff) and the african music beats – I could easily compare it to the self-titled Vampire Weekend’s debut album.

The funky band Garotas Suecas, from São Paulo, is a clear revival from the funk scene of Brazil in the 70’s and 80’s. They toured in NY last year and released the full-length album Escaldante Banda, which had got such great reviews from the local and worldwide music press.

Rock’n’roll Black Drawing Chalks deserves some attention too. The band with heavy melodies and great riffs from Goiânia are well known in Brazil.

They already reached a good place in the alternative music scene with two LP’s released, Big Deal (2007) and Life Is A Big Holiday For Us (2009), and their single My Favorite Way was chosen by the Rolling Stone Brasil magazine as the best song of 2009.

It’s worth to keep the eyes on new artists from Brazil. Some really good stuff are coming out and not arriving in Europe. I’d say the next things to come are The Tape Disaster (a very talented instrumental band from Porto Alegre), Apanhador Só and Inverness.

PS:if you want to translate some Portuguese names of the bands:

Garotas Suecas = Swedish Girls
Apanhador Só = Lonely Catcher
Dorgas = Durgs, a joke with the word ‘drugs’…

If you mention the town of Milton Keynes to anyone in the UK, they will immediately replace their previous expression with one of furrowed concern, and mutter the word, “roundabouts.”

Milton Keynes is punctuated with more roundabouts than even begins to make sense. It’s a true shame that the town is mainly known for this, and as Vickee Tweed is at pains to stress – there’s a lot of new music screeching around those circles too…

With the recent double whammy of Foo Fighter’s gigs which saw a packed out Bowl, I dare anyone to say that Milton Keynes is little more than a land of concrete cows, roundabouts and a namely confused football team. From the air a place that resembles little more than your granny’s crossword with all it’s endless grid squares has some unearthed musical treats.

Ok so I guess we have the tour managers, promoters and general ‘powers that be’ to thank for that weekend’s fine feast of rock and Indie delights. However small and stuffy Milton Keynes is, over the past few years we’ve had some highly talented bands and individuals sprout through the concrete and add a little life into the mix.

Anyone remember Capdown? The progressive Ska band who made it onto the Lock Up stage at Reading and Leeds year after year, having a key supporter in the shape of Radio 1’s Mike Davis. Well they are indeed Milton Keynes born and bred.

I say it like they’re a thing of the past, actually do kids still skank? Apparently so, as it shows with their long list of gigs scheduled this year including Reading and Leeds alongside Boy Sets Fire and Come Back Kid. Well done to them I say. Another band hailing from MK was a Kerrang favourite, Fell Silent a progressive metal band who seems to have the grubby Pitz Club (RIP) kids under their experimental spell. After a long spell of touring with friends Enter Shikari and releasing a killer album the band went their separate ways last year to pursue separate projects.

Enough with the past, lets think present and take a look at all of the talent currently oozing out of the pores of this multi-faceted town (yeah, still not a city – not that we’re bitter).

The MK music scene has evolved and shifted in recent years, like any other big town there are trends and fashions that these kids are all too eager to to follow. A band breaking that mould and just making music because they like to be rowdy are Action Beat.

The ever-growing band have become well respected in Europe, touring every summer, serving up their thrashy, bashy, mashy mashed up lyric-less delights. These guys are mental, and over the years the band have seen over 40 band members and a heck of a lot of instruments – an average show could see up to four drum kits. Definitely an experience. Catch them in the UK in August. If you like something a little prettier but still with it’s experimental inner workings, think Bon Iver on speed. check out the solo project from former Beat boy Dean Spacer, House of John Player

If you’re a fan of the softer end of the spectrum there’s a couple of top acoustic acts in Milton Keynes worth opening your ears for. Toulouse Wolfe features the musical talents and pitch perfect tones of Goldsmith student Heather Britton.

Her EP is dark in places, almost haunting giving depth and character to her emotive lyrics. It’s astounding to think that this is her first release, already mastering and fine tuning her unique sound – I think there may be some accomplished artists turning a slight shade of emerald in the wake of TW. Lastly we celebrate the talents of Nick Fisher, charming both in character and in song. His music is so pleasurable to listen to, soothes the soul and puts a swing in your step. If you’re having an angsty five minutes Nick will sort you out. Sorted!

Alex Webster is nowt but a youngster: one who’s just finished his exams and is probably spending the summer mugging grannies to get money for Miaow Miaow or whatever it is that kids in small towns do for fun these days. 

Anyway, before he went about his crime spree, he was kind enough to jot some words to shine some light on the inner workings of a small-town music scene – namely Dorking in Surrey, UK…

Dorking is a sleepy town nestled in the heart of South-East England and, while placed in the centre of sleepy country living, its proximity to London and Brighton provides the potential and setting for a surprisingly vibrant music scene.

Many familiar faces are seen nursing a pint around the pubs at each (and often every) open mic providing a supportive atmosphere for those testing the water before taking to plunge in the nearby capital.

Several young talents have emerged from them, most notably Kate Ross, a regular at The Star open mic, she produces melancholic and moving acoustic music with a sly wit.

The Lincoln Arms has one of the longest standing Dorking music nights, now becoming well established as a venue, once open to 16 plus (a blessing in a dull town on a Friday night) but now unfortunately 18 plus.

The Lincoln is organised by many people in and around Dorking but two stand out bands/artists are: Springtime Radio, who provides a exciting and emotional pop-punk/folk crossover, and straight up punk band with a historic twist – Wegrowbeards.

Another Band heard in and around Dorking is Finest Minds (previously mentioned on ANBAD) who combine a plethora of styles in their genre spanning You Are Here EP.

The proximity of Dorking to London also creates a fair selection of electronic artists considering the size and nature of the town.

Dubstep producer Brett Heaslewood a.k.a Hiloxam a young producer with the talent to ride the dubstep wave right to the top. Dark//Tides is a young producer showing great potential in his bedroom productions.

Another electronic musician found in Dorking is the DJ-turned producer Finlay Reid with only a few productions under his belt yet each is as awesome and playable as the last listen to Mellow Memories.

Tim Osboune is a journalist who likes going to gigs. A fortunate combination.

When he offered to write for ANBAD, I immediately said ‘Yes!’; when he offered to write the article on Camden’s music scene, I said, ‘Oh, go on then,’ because, even though it’s been discussed before, Tim’s view is very different… 

An (Unpretentious) View From… Camden

Camden Town in London scores highly in the hipster stakes as a small melting pot of fashion and music culture that has bred international superstars like Amy Winehouse. That said, the music scene around Camden is often criticised for its plethora of pretentious post-superstar bands trying to cash in on the ‘all-eyes-on-us’ feel of the place.

But fear not, for there are still a handful of no-nonsense rock bands who are taking the heart and soul of Camden nationwide.

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time at The Wheelbarrow in Camden it’s likely that you’ll have come across the trio called Them Changes. The band hosts a regular night called Hooligan Soup at the venue once a month, inviting other bands to support them.

They describe themselves as a “psychedelic space punk power trio” with huge guitar riffs broken by great harmonies and vocal ranges. It’s a set-up that’s earned them a local reputation as ‘the next Kings of Leon’, a fair comparison when listening to their recently-released track Lie To Me.

Then there’s the extraordinary Tom Cawte and David Thornley who front the band Babeshadow.

Babeshadow have been regulars in Camden since their formation last year, a pair of modern-day renegades of sorts; an anti-modernist calypso-pop outfit that fits perfectly into the London indie scene with their Buddy Holly inspired sound… and they’re letting the music do the talking.

This means, shocking as it is given the current state of the music industry, until recently there has been very little to see or hear of the band without making the trek to London to see them perform live.

Despite having already been signed to LuvLuvLuv Records and toured with Florence and the Machine in November they appear to be rejecting much of the modern hype machine and social networking and simply concentrating on creating great tracks.

Their fresh, laid-back style of guitar plucking makes their new EP fresh enough to stand-out from the crowd. The lead track ‘Sea Serpents’ has won national airplay and, for reasons that are somewhat unclear, seems to be a hit on many shop playlists in supermarkets and beauty treatment outlets as well.

Camden locals FC-20 are another fine embodiment of the very spirit of Camden as a cultural melting pot with tracks that are heavily influenced by reggae, electro rock, ska and rap among others.

The five-piece band only formed last year but are already calving a reputation for themselves locally in the area as a Happy Mondays influenced, no nonsense band with a ton of attitude.

The boys have already supported fellow-Londoners, The Rifles, at various gigs including The Roundhouse and are regulars at The Monarch in Camden.

Their live set is an electrifying mix of punkish screaming vocals and dubstep infused indie beats. It’s an odd, but winning combination that seems to have raised a few eyebrows among the locals.

My knowledge of the Brazilian music scene is hopeless, beginning and ending with late 80’s, er, “groove metalists”, Sepultura. Aside from a solitary band – the excellent Top Surprise – Brazilian music has been absent from ANBAD. Thankfully, the kind Brazilian music fan Ana has decided to shine some much-needed light on the music I’ve missed to put a partial end to my ignorance…

Brazil is a rather big country, so it would be hard to write about all the bands and styles we have here. After some gigs and new recordings I’ve decided to talk about some bands from Campinas, Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre.

Starting with Porto Alegre, there’s a band called Charutos Cubanos. Starting in 2007 they played tributes to The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, but since 2008 they’ve started doing their own projects, launching now their second EP, Appaloosa.

The boys already have their space in the musical scene from the South of the country and now, thanks to internet, in the other states hoping to be playing soon around Sao Paulo.

In Campinas, city where I live, was hard to choose just one band to talk about. Shake Heartbreak, Libs, Ya Cult! and Scotch Tape were my options.

I’ve decided to talk about Scotch Tape, a bad formed by girls playing punk rock. Known as The Distillers tribute band, the girls started to play when the American lead singer, Alessandra, met the bass player, Dani, and decided to form a band.

Without knowing who would play what, they started to chase by musicians, finding Luiza and many other people who passed by. They were constantly looking for a new drummer, but the search seems to have settled down. Scotch Tape is often playing in Campinas and close cities, having full agenda every weekend. Their music, Right to Choose, inspired by California punk can now be found in their MySpace.

From Sao Paulo there’s a band called Holger, which has played recently in Campinas. I just knew the band by name, but a friend showed me their video and took me to the gig saying they were a great live band.

She was right, the band has a strong energy and a great way of dealing with the crowd. Creating a good atmosphere and unusual events such as girls taking out of their shirts, play fight rolling in the street and dance competitions for t-shirts and albums.