Song of the Day: Lê Almeida - Micropontes

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week, all Song of the Day podcast songs have been selected by DJ Chilly, host of El Sonido, bringing you fresh, contemporary flavors from the diverse Latin alternative scene. Today’s song is “Micropontes” by Lê Almeida from the 2011 album Mono Maçã on Transfusão Noise Records.

Lê Almeida - Micropontes (MP3) Lê Almeida, indie-pop outfit from Rio De Janeiro, is the dominating pioneer of Brazil's lo-fi grunge rock scene. The twenty-nine year old crafted his own record label, starting Transfusão Noise Records in 2004. About the endeavor, he states that "I wanted a label with music that sounded like the stuff my friends played." Citing Dinosaur Jr, Pavement and Guided By Voices as inspiration for his tracks, Lê Almeida's smartly appropriates American indie-rockers' style of music, adding a Brazilian shade to his sound along the way. What's interesting though is the way his own country received him. In an interview he stated that, "In the beginning we were viewed almost as lunatics here because this type of project is very new ... but with the passing of the years we've gained plenty of love from outside." As is evidenced by today's Song of the Day Lê Almeida, crazy or not, knows how to piece a track together. Sounding like Blur's "Song 2," "Micropontes" possesses a wealth of catchy riffs and hooks, at times using variable distortion to gain the sonic upper-hand. With a similar vocal style to Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Almeida complements the track well by singing over it softly, almost lazily. Clocking in around two-and-a-half minutes, the jam's on the shorter side, which works well for Almedida, because it ends with a drone-like double-take before becoming too repetitive.

Check out this live footage of Lê Almeida playing "Micropontes," and update yourself on his whereabouts by following him on Facebook .