# 5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. V – Copies, Plastic Animals, Carson, Monkeybird, Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs - Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/04/5-diy-bands-to-watch-vol-v-copies-plastic-animals-carson-monkeybird-sictor-valdana/ - Published: 2013-04-14T03:59:39-04:00 - Author: Max Hammer During the past few months, IRC has published dozens of posts that highlight promising DIY and small label indie bands to watch, including the [5 DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) series. For the fifth installment of this popular series, the focus turns to highlighting overseas unsigned bands like **Copies** (Brazil), **Plastic Animals** (Scotland);** Carson** (Switzerland); **Monkeybird **(Norway); and **Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs** (Spain). #### Copies – Sao Paulo, Brazil **Copies** is a DIY garage rock/punk trio from **São Paulo**, Brazil, consisting of **Christian Fontana** on drums, **Thiago Carvalho** on vocals and guitars, and** João Caetano** on bass. On February 4th, the band released their debut EP, _All The Clichés You Can Eat_, that was mixed and mastered by legendary producer **Ed Stasium** (The Ramones, Mick Jagger, Talking Heads, The Misfits). When any band has someone of Stasium’s caliber at the helm, that’s a good indication of a band’s talent and promise, and one can only imagine that they will continue to get better with such valuable, expert input that someone like Stasium offers. There are not many bands that can say they recorded their debut EP with the former producer of** The Ramones** and **Mick Jagger.** “Dial M For Motherfu*ker” – **Copies** from _All The Clichés You Can Eat_ – Feb. 4th “One Together” – **Copies** from _All The Clichés You Can Eat_ Copies’ Official Website [Copies on Facebook ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/copiesmusic) ![plasticanimalsband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/plasticanimalsband. jpg "plasticanimalsband") #### Plastic Animals – Edinburgh, Scotland **Plastic Animals** is an alternative punk band from **Scotland**. Formed in **Edinburgh** in 2006, the band began to play local gigs and soon established a name for themselves in the local scene and eventually throughout the U.K. Their sound is heavy, melodic and atmospheric. Plastic Animals has previously opened for bands like **P.S. I Love You, Milk Maid, The Scottish Enlightenment, Molly Wagger, PAWS**, and **The Douglas Firs**, and consider among their top musical Influences artists like **Grandaddy, Dinosaur Jr, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, My Bloody Valentine, Guided By Voices** and **Deerhunter**. Related Post:  5 Bands to Watch in 2011, Vol. I: Yuck, The Pass, Watch Out For Rockets, We Can't Enjoy Ourselves, Church of the Very Bright Lights “Ghosts” – **Plastic Animals** from _Automaton _EP – June 6th “Yellowcraig” – **Plastic Animals** from _Automaton _EP Plastic Animals Official Website ![carsonband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/carsonband1.jpg" carsonband") #### Carson – Luzern, Switzerland **Carson** is an alternative stoner rock trio based in **Luzern**, Switzerland, but originally hails from **Auckland**, New Zealand, where it was founded by frontman** Kieran Mortimer-Jones** in 2009. The line-up was tweaked a few times before the then four-piece band went on tour throughout the small island nation. Throughout 2010, they built a reputation as a buzz band across **New Zealand**. But it was in 2011, when Carson released a seven-track EP, that they began to receive extensive national radio exposure. Without explanation, Jones suddenly moved to **Switzerland** at the height of the band’s popularity, where he constructed a completely new trio of musicians, and kept the band name Carson, which is an unusual move since the original band was fairly popular in New Zealand, only includes the founding member and they’re based in Europe. Plus, it makes it that much harder to search for information online about the band. Nevertheless, the new Carson has found some success in Switzerland, an endeavor that was recently enhanced with the release of their self-titled album last December. The band’s influences include **Truckfighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zepplin, Kyuss**, and **Soundgarden**. “Come” – **Carson** from _Carson_ “I Guess” – **Carson** from _Carson_ **Triple-shot**: “Chlorine Boogie” – **Carson** from _Carson_ #### Monkeybird – Harstad, Norway From northern **Norway** comes the indie folk rock duo, **Monkeybird**, who are surprisingly practically unknown to even hard-core DIY indie music listeners. Formed in late 2011, the duo features **Polarfox Records**‘ founder **Dan Slettevolden**, along with his long-time creative cohort, producer and multi-instrumentalist **Paal André Brekkaas**. Their debut album, _Born to Roam_, was released on September 21, 2012 in the Europe.   We got a hold of two of the tracks from the album, which you can stream below. Monkeybird has real potential and is now a bright blip on our indie music radar. The duo list among their main musical influences as **Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Sparklehorse, The Beatles** and **Daniel Johnston**. That’s a solid and diverse compendium of artists and bands to draw inspiration from for any musician, and you can hear hints of some of those influences in “Born to Roam” and “Release.” Related Post:  5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VIII - Hospital, Get Inuit, Mary Goes Wild, The Unassisted and Rascal Experience “Born to Roam” – **Monkeybird** from _Born to Roam _– Sept. 21st “Release” – **Monkeybird** from _Born to Roam_ Monkeybird on Facebook ![sictorvaldana](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sictorvaldana. jpg "sictorvaldana") #### Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs – Barcelona, Spain **Barcelona** DIY lo-fi band **Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs** deliver their unique brand of genre mixing by blending indie rock, chill wave, folk, punk and garage on their sophomore album _II_, creating spacious, dynamic, enthralling and rhythmic music on studio recordings and during live performances. Síctor Valdaña and The Check This Outs was born in January 2010 as a one-man project that soon evolved into a trio. Only months after forming, the band was tapped to perform at the **A Viva Veu** showcase (**Primavera Sound**) and were even featured in the ** Festival Hoteler**’s promotional video. True to form, the band embraces DIY ethos, recording tracks in their basement with clunky gear, shoe-string budgets and endless hours of rehearsals. One clear indication of their independent status is the unconventional duration of their songs, ranging from 20 seconds to six minutes. The band listed their top musical influences as T**he Replacements, Jawbreaker, NOFX, The Who, Bauhaus**, and **Eels**. “I’m Drying Up” – **Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs** from _II_ “Spark” – **Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs** from _II_ [Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs on Last FM](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/S%C3%ADctor+Valda%C3%B1a+and+The+Check+This+Outs)