Cleaning...

Been too busy listening to a certain band this week (promised not to mention their name for some time), meaning that I've ignored everything else sent my way. So I'm going to spend the next hour (maybe more, maybe less) cleaning out the mailbox. The good stuff (if any) will end up here.

+ Young Galaxy - Peripheral Visionaries
+ Modern Skirts - Bumper Car
+ Simian Ghost - Transparent Is OK
+ High Highs - Open Season

Over and out...

From the mailbox (revisited)...

Oh no you say; yet another of those dreaded posts! Well, I’m afraid so. I know they are sorry excuses for posts and are no good for one's blogger renommee (if one has any, of course). But I can think of (at least) three waterproof explanations for, why I shouldn’t feel ashamed of reusing the same formula as used Wednesday. First of all; nothing of any interest is happening these days. If something is in fact happening, I have failed to notice. But then again. Ask my wife and she’ll be more than happy to explain how capable I am of being physically present, but spiritually absent. Second; it’s quite stressful having a four digit number of mails in the inbox, and posts like these are often the direct result of 50 or more mails having been read, deleted or “taken action upon”. Finally today’s and Wednesday’s posts have introduced me to 20 unfamiliar, but rather interesting, artists, thus extending the palette of bands to follow in the future. But no more ramblings for now! Instead go ahead and enjoy today’s catch!
+ Her Magic Wand - Mistakes
+ Bear Pilot – Tears
+ Music Go Music – Warm in the Shadows
+ The Fresh & Onlys – Invisible Forces
+ The Splinters – Mysterious
+ Smile Smile – Beg You To Stay
+ Boy Genius – Blame Love
+ MillionYoung – Cynthia (Letting Up Despite Great Faults Remix)
+ The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Sun Ain't Shining No More (33HzRemix)
+ Air Conditioning School – Wake Me Up

From the mailbox...

Not going to waste much time on typing words today. Instead it's my intention to share the best stuff found in the mailbox (and some of it is indeed really great), so be prepared for music galore! However I cannot help adding that (as always) I'm amazed by the number of truly horrible songs and acts being promoted, making it quite a rollercoaster ride checking mails. Luckily (though quite unusual) today’s ride has had significantly more highs than lows.

+ The Soft Province - One Was A Lie
+ Phantogram - When I'm Small
+ The Secret History - Johnny Anorak
+ Gobotron - Never Turn Around
+ The Heligoats - Fish Sticks & Heat Vents
+ Satellite Crush - Paris to London
+ Prizzy Prizzy Please - Large Hadron Collider
+ Fredrik - Locked in the Basement
+ Hands - Hold
+ FM Belfast - Par Avion

That'll be all for today, but there are still 1,631 mails left in the inbox...

Mixed bag...

Why is it that I always find it so incredibly difficult to get anything going on Mondays? Be it work, be it blogging or be it even life in general. Probably caused by the waking up early, getting kids to school plus kindergarten, rushing to get to work on time and the general lack of excitement about work; somewhat amazing how it only takes two days to get used to not going to work, but at least three or four to get used to be back “in action” again. And by then it’s almost weekend. A vicious cycle if there ever was one!

So time to do something about the bad habit of taking Mondays off from blogging, so here we go with something (as always) old, something (very little) new, something (definitely) borrowed, something (doubt it) blue.

Danish industrial/goth inspired rock band Demons Are Real has a new band name and is now called We Are Real. The change of name was included in the unwelcomed announcement that the band has decided to part ways and leaving singer/songwriter Kenni Møller as the only continuing band member under the new alias. The split happened primarily due to musical differences, as Mr. Møller wants to focus on a more “softy melodic sound”. Since the split up seems inevitable, one can at least hope that it will lead to a return to the sound of the brilliant 2006 EP Hum Speed On/Off.
+ Burning Oil

German label Tapete Records shares the track Nothing But Clues from the brand new album Take It by Danes The Elephants. Lovely indie pop to cheer you up, if your Monday resembles mine!
+ Nothing But Clues

Finding myself humming along to this nice pop piece by Sweden's Friska Viljor. A tribute to a street (and the people living there) in Hamburg named Wohlwill Strasse. Check out the really lovely horns! On the track of course and not on the street! Whatever that would have meant anyway?
+ Wohlwill Strasse

Next Danish band in line to part ways is Decorate Decorate. Never fun to learn about those breaking ups, but my relationship with the band was somewhat strained, as I had been impatiently waiting (the past three years) for them to just once again reach the level of the grand and ever so promising Surname of Copenhagen.

Friday music...

Time is still sparse and one hour from now you’ll see me running out of the door, as I’ll have to be somewhere else...far, far away from any computers. But since it means that I’m going to be eating an excellent lunch, that's just fine by me. This also means that today the music will have to do its own talking, as I’m just going to post a bunch of the many fine tunes recently found in the mailbox and various other places. And trust me when I say that it’s a fine bunch varying from dance over instrumental via indie rock to world. I’m “experimenting” with box.net as an alternative file host, so bare with me, if things aren’t working properly and I’ll do my best sorting things out, whenever I get back online.
+ Great Northern - Houses
+ Rikers - 10000 Miles
+ Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still
+ Ozric Tentacles - Mooncalf
+ Evan Voytas - Getting Higher
+ Hermas Zopoula - Courons Courez
+ One eskimO - Givin' up (Don Diablo Remix)
+ New Ruins - Symptoms

From the mailbox...

Once again I'm working/listening my way through a number of promo mails. Too tired to write any comments, so tonight the music will have to speak for itself...but lots of stuff is still ending up in the recycle bin!

+ Proud Simon - Tar Washed Ashore
+ Mercury Rev - Senses On Fire (Fujiya & Miyagi Remix)
+ The Notwist - Boneless
+ Kyle Andrews - Sushi
+ Marc Farre - Harry... (removed by request)

A...

...Friday-evening-emptying-the-mail-box-kind-of-post...The mails keep piling up and I need to something about it.

+ Apollo Sunshine - Singing To The Earth (To Thank Her For You)
Cheesy titled, but utterly beautiful acoustic driven song.

+ Beta Satan - Pray The Gay Game
Not exactly my cup of tea, but I'm (almost) always prepared to help promoting Danish bands!

+ Kinetic Stereokids - Have A Nice Day
Beck meets Elliott Smith to play alt-country would probably be an OK description?

+ Dead Confederate - The Rat
6 years ago I always used to listen to stuff exactly like this. Good or bad?

+ Goodtimes Goodtimes - For All My Kingdom
Cheerful song that immediately made me think of Elvis Costello.

+ The Pale Corners - Steve Buscemi
Lovely debut track by brand new Swedish indie pop quartet. Everyone knows Steve Buscemi - don't they?

+ Norma - Waste
Novoton is giving away an MP3 of the dark, haunting and absolutely brilliant new single Waste by Swedish trio Norma.

Remain amazed how much bad stuff that's released and even more amazed how much time and effort people put into promoting it! Where does all the money come from?

Time to do some listening...

Or call it "emptying the mailbox" if you like. Reading/working/deleting my way through numerous promo messages seems to be a permanent occupation and the mountain I'm currently facing is build by 1,681 mails of which 383 are unread. In all naivety my hopes are that among this insane number of mails are something worth wasting a few of our precious minutes on. So time to put on the working gloves, a.k.a. my headphones and start listening!

Will comment every song I listen to and post the best (better) ones.

Broken Machine (from the EP of the same name) by The New Up is a surprisingly decent psychedelic pop/rock track. This does remind me of a bit of Concrete Blonde and Garbage (before they became useless). Not a bad start.
+ Broken Machine
+ Top of the Stairs (equally fine track of the EP)

Acoustic track 5:19 by Matt Wertz could probably be mistaken for a Yoav track, but not anywhere near as interesting. It is quite likeable, but you'll have forgotten all about it in less than 5:19 (sorry!).

Let Them Dance by Rainbow Arabia is (probably meant to be) a Middle East inspired dance track and really, really awful. Deleted - next please!

Night Shot by Ruby Isle is almost as bad as the one above. Oh please let the next one by a tiny bit better! Almost anything will do!

Aah yeah! New single Broken Record Day by Scottish indie rock act AirSpiel was exactly what I needed. Catchy and uptempo with driving guitars!
+ Broken Record Day

Understanding Orange by BM Linx seems to be an older track, but came to my attention as part of the mail promoting their Sept. 9th live gig at The Mercury Lounge. There is something irresistible about this electronic rock track, which clearly was made for the dance floor.
+ Understanding Orange

Didn't really expect to like anything by a band or an artist named Tha Pumpsta and the track Octopus Armed is just a bad as I thought (rather feared) it would be.

Lean back and close your eyes and there's a fine chance that Weighty Ghost by Wintersleep will put a smile on your face. At least this dreamy pop and somewhat folk inspired track did that to me!
+ Weighty Ghost

The final status - still 1,612 mails in the inbox of which 351 remain unread. Plenty of work left I guess?

Monday...

It’s just a typical Monday today. I’m tired and cannot get the brain going. Not because of hangovers or anything related to drinking or partying. Just stayed up late and had problems falling asleep last night.

The lack of speakers on my work computer certainly influenced last week’s Last.fm figures. A total of 89 plays must be the lowest number since my holiday in September.

This September R.E.M. will be playing at Parken in Copenhagen. Not that I really care, but expect the tickets to be sold out in 15 minutes.

You really should download This Moment by Under Electric Light over at Coast is Clear.

Jonas lists the artists (from A to Z) that every child should be brought up listening to.

Mitt Romney is the topic of this week's track from One Weekly Gun.
+ Mitt Romney

From around the web...

It's Friday and it's time for another Flashback Friday post!

And time for another Støj På Frekvensen post.

Obscured Sound has a great post on new Danish band Private.

Largehearted Boy has started to collect 2007 Year-End lists.

And Brooklynvegan has (an early) Holiday MP3 Mix.

Mikrofisch are giving away their new album Masters of the Universe for free.
+ The Kids Are All Shite

Another tired Monday...

I've been listening a lot to the track Sequential by Onetwo posted by A Plague Of Angels. Onetwo is a collaboration between Claudia Brücken (ex-Propaganda) and Paul Humphreys (ex-OMD) and the track has brought back some very sweet memories from the summer of 85, where I listened a lot to A Secret Wish and Crush.

What's the weather like today? This track by Ray says it all!
+ November's Rain

Swedish label Songs I Wish I Had Written is no longer a record label, but a music label:
" We are officially a music label. Records belong to the past and we'll work in a direction that will mean that we eventually stop producing CDs. The world is not ready for the change yet, but we'll take the lead to the exciting musical future ahead. Soon it's the music that will truly rule the world. The love of music."

Is it ok for a band to call itself Creep and then record a track called Radiohead? Cannot find any info on the band, but it doesn't really matter, as the song is absolutely awful!
+ Radiohead

Emptying the Mailbox...

Yep - once again my mailbox is flooded and tonight it's my intention to do something about it. So for the next two hours I'll be reading mails and messages, and hopefully be listening to some great music as well!

J.A. recommends US shoegaze trio Shields (obviously this band must be named after Kevin Shields). How he does it, I don't know, but J.A. certainly is an expert in finding new and interesting bands!
+ Love Like You

Speaking of shoegaze...The Panda Riot debut album She Dares All Things has finally been released. You can order it from the band's webpage.
+ She Dares All Things

I think Fanatic Promotion sends out the best promo mails. Unfortunately more than often the music is garbage, but the mails are well structured and contain useful information and (this is the best part) links for 1 or 2 mp3's.

The jury is still out on this track by Alabama rock 5-piece Wild Sweet Orange, taken from the band's forthcoming self-released EP Nervous Blood. Parts of the song work really well, but at times it sound as if they had too many ideas they wanted to include in the track.
+ Wrestle With God

Mailbox overload...

My mailbox is jammed, cluttered, seeing red, breathing for air and giving its owner all kinds of stress like symptoms. So yesterday I decided to do something about it, and read my way through (at least) a trillion mails and downloaded (roughly estimated) a billion songs, but despite all my heroics I still have 496 mails left in my inbox begging for my attention. As you might have guessed by now, I've done a bit/whole lot of cleaning, deleting and selecting, so below I posted the 10 best songs of the many, many I listened to/scanned my way through yesterday. If you don't like these tracks, you certainly don't want to listen to the ones I deleted! Happy listening!!!

+ The Silver Seas - The Country Life
"For fans of Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Guster..." (promo mail)

+ Innerpartysystem - Don't Stop
"The keen observer will allow themselves to be dawn in by the anxious beats, pensive blips and ominous thrashing tones..." (source)

+ Peace In Our Time - Some nice and decent thoughts
Swedish one-man project introducing himself to me this way; "I'm a Swedish artist who records some kind of lofi-indiepop in my bedroom." Lovely lofi-indiepop I might add...

+ The Voltarenes - Altona City
"Altona City" is a fine blend of Another Sunny Day's "Anorak City" and Guns'n'Roses' "Paradise City", as well as an ode to a district of Hamburg." (promo mail)

+ Cassettes Won't Listen - Lunch For Breakfast
Found in a mail with the information that "Cassettes Won't Listen announces CMJ closing night performance..."

+ Canadians - Summer Teenage Girl
According to the promo mail this is "a band playing indie pop anthems that are catchy, unforgettable and timeless." Sounds more like one of those bubblegum teenage American pop/rock bands to me, but since I (secretly of course) like some of those bands I really don't care about that description.

+ SNMNMNM - Addy Will Know
According to the promo mail "...a band who has always tried to create smart pop music that rocks". Sounds like Stacy's Mom.

+ Robbers On High Street - Crown Victoria
Pretty cool sounding 60's inspired US rock band.

+ Division Day - More Than This
Another week and another nice sounding cover version of a timeless classic by Division Day!

+ The Papertiger Sound - Norfolk
Another wonderful freebie found at the band's Myspace profile.

The end of an era...

On Thursday I'm going to London for a few days and for some time now I've been dreaming of (once again) doing a bit of CD shopping in Berwick Street. Nothing wrong with that dream, but Chris did his best to crush it a few days ago when he sent me this link along with this one. I probably should have seen it coming when Chromewaves voiced his concerns about the number of CD stores closing down in Toronto. Or perhaps the day I spent on the shopping street in Flensburg this summer with my wife should have rung a bell, as not a single CD store was in sight. I know that my local CD store has been grasping for air for years now, but at least they have managed to keep the boat afloat, by turning a large part of the store into a (damn fine) café.
Cannot say that I'm surprised that the stores in smaller cities (like ours) are struggling to stay alive, but it certainly is quite frustrating to learn that they are becoming endangered species in the metropols as well. What really strikes, and worries me at the same time, is the quote that no one under the age of 35 is buying CD's (which the owner of my hometown CD store verified, when I told him about the article). I've always looked upon music as something tangible; meaning that when I bought music I received a physical good that I could carry home, store on my shelf (and then re-find 5 years later) etc. But with the current trend in mind, it seems like I have to get used to people considering music as something intangible, which is being stored on computers, iPods etc. and thrown away, when they no longer find it interesting!

Like every other music fanatic, I’ve always enjoyed going through people’s Music collection when visiting new friends for the first (second, third etc.) time, but as I see it, I'm facing quite an obstacle now. Somehow it just doesn’t sound right asking them to turn on their computer or asking if it's possible to borrow their iPod for a minute. And since I will now be unable to gather any information on the music taste of my host/new friend(s), I could end up discussing music with some Robbie or Justin fan(s), which certainly is quite a frightening thought!

The good part is that people still have great interest in music. If nothing else the booming concert industry certainly is the proof of that. But the CD stores are dying and soon the 2nd hand shops will be gone as well, meaning no more dusty shops like the ones in High Fidelity. A sad end to all the hours music geeks like me have spent searching for limited editions, rare releases, out-of-print albums etc. And what exactly are we supposed to do now? Did any of you young people think of that you selfish bastards?

But on Thursday afternoon I will, as a salute to a dying era, take a walk down Berwick Street pretending I'm on the cover of an Oasis album. And then someone please wake me up and put an end to this dream turned nightmare!

+ Tower of Foil - End of the Story
+ The Poems - The Ballad of a Bitter End

Falk recommends...

This is a list of songs and artists recently recommended to me by Falk over at Last.fm. Obviously some are better/more interesting than others, but all of them are worth a listen. As always his recommendations are much appreciated!

* Cheshire Cats
+ Welcome To Our Town
+ Souls
Swedish new wave/gothic inspired band. Been featured before in the blog.

* Arctic
+ Launching Pad
+ Some One Turning
Nice (partly) acoustic songs by Canadian singer/songwriter.

* All:My:Faults
+ Mirrors
+ Forget Me...
Recommended to me numerous times, this German darkwave/industrial band must be among Falk's favorite artists?

* Children of the CPU
+ Slay Your Dragons
+ I Spy
Canadian electro-pop duo. The entire Back To BASIC album (which actually is surprisingly good) is available as a free download.

A tired Saturday evening post...

Gaffa has listened to 9 tracks from the forthcoming Kent album and calls them "light and danceable meatballs". In case you find this description confusing you'll realize that it's positively meant, when you read the article!

Recommended reading is this week's edition of Flashback Friday over at Music Of The Moment. Especially if you're old enough to remember when West End Girls was released!

The William Blakes has made a brand new track downloadable over at Myspace and begun posting stuff in the blog there as well. The new track, The Reality, sounds just fab!
+ The Reality

Busy Tuesday...

I have a rather busy Tuesday ahead of me with plenty of work, meetings etc. So this is (once again) one of those "perhaps more will be added later today posts"!

5 new blogs have been added to the blogroll:

• Just Gimme Indie Rock
• lost in your inbox
• Puddlegum
  
• Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good
• Song, by Toad

Make sure to check them out!

Two songs from the mailbox:

I received a mail promoting Philly chamber pop band illuminea a few weeks back, but I didn't really like the included track Homewrecker the first time around. This morning I received a second mail (call it a "follow-up"), so I thought "what the heck" let's give it a second listen. Turned out to be a wise decision as it is charming little pop gem. It's taken from the album Out Of Our Months which is released today on High Two.
+ Homewrecker

In the same mail I found the track Planet New York which can be found on the Australian singer Sarah Blasko's second album What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have (to be released September 11 on Low Altitude Records). This is a surprisingly catchy pop tune that definitely is worth wasting more than a few minutes on.
+ Planet New Year

Mixed Monday...

SuperTroels has made a great remix of the Marvel Hill track In The Mess Together. The song is from the band's forthcoming album Heartless Is More (out September 10).
+ In This Mess Together (SuperTroels Remix)

Anyone remember The Lukewarm I mentioned a few times last year? The project is currently on hold, which probably is quite logic as the band's only member - Michael - is the drummer in the aforementioned Marvel Hill.
+ BlackRoom

Mushi has begun the recording of new songs. Unfairytales is still one of my favorite albums of 2007, so I'm already looking forward to his next release (though I doubt we'll hear anything soon)!
+ Pieces of Nothing

The entire 2006 self-titled debut album by Under The Influence of Giants is available as a free download at Last.fm.
+ Mama's Room
+ Stay Illogical

A black cat crossed the street...

How was the Grand Avenue concert Friday evening? Oh well - thanks for asking. You see - the thing is that Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park with rides and stuff. And since boys will forever be boys we simply couldn't resist trying this, this, this, this (for the second time) and finally this (which just seemed to be going on and on and...). So when we finally had had enough of twist and turns and started heading for the open air stage, Grand Avenue had already been playing for 45 minutes. But despite hearing less than 30 minutes of the concert it only added to the impression I got two years ago (the first time I saw them live) that the band sounds much better live than on record.

Do you like Jeff Buckley? If you do I strongly recommend that you listen to the gorgeous Black Cat by Danish youngsters The Imaginary Orchestra of Mr. Kite (I think the average age of the band members must be close to 19). These guys must have been listening a lot to Grace when growing up?
+ Black Cat

J.A. recommends Nothingness by Swedish indie pop (and somewhat shoegaze inspired) band Signed Papercuts. This is the title track of the 3 track EP to be released on Cloudberry Records on Wednesday. The band hails from the indie pop capital of Sweden (or perhaps even the world) - Gothenburg - and as always this is nothing but excellent! Swedesplease has more.
+ Nothingness

Tickets are still available for the Kent concert.

Friday blurbs (one more time)...

To be honest I was quite affected yesterday by Michael Rasmussen being fired by Rabobank and then pulled from Tour De France. Certainly Michael Rasmussen didn't do things by the book, but I still thought or hoped that you had to be proven guilty, before anything like this could happen. Lots of the things he has said and done do indeed indicate that something could be wrong, but not necessarily that something IS wrong. Please, please. Someone show me some kind of evidence!

Big thanks to Jonas for the info last night that the sales of tickets for the Kent concert on December 8 in Copenhagen had begun. So now I'm the lucky owner of two tickets and looking forward to another encounter with the best band in the world. Peter has asked me for a few tickets as well, so I'm also looking forward to seeing him in Copenhagen :)

I'm going to see Grand Avenue in Tivoli Gardens tonight. I'm the dude in the back with the beer!
+ What's On Your Mind (found this one over at Soundvenue - hope they don't mind me posting it!)

Tower of Foil will release a new 3 track EP Faster Than Your Eye on Friday, August 10. I've been given permission to post the title track a few days prior to the release, so check back on August 6. And you really should, because it's an absolute beauty!
+ Highland Lullabies (title track of the band's 2006 EP)

Like a few other bloggers Peter is hyping Mono in VCF. No wonder - this is great stuff!
+ Spider Rotation

The other day the incomparable blog Indie MP3 recommended Swedish one-man-project Nixon. Wonderful indie pop with an electronic twist that reminds me a bit of Le Chevre (songs). And Indie MP3 has more interesting news today.
+ Her Dreams

UK Nick Drake influenced indie/folk/acoustic trio The Greens has recorded a new tune called Q & A. Quiet and beautiful.
+ Q & A

J.A. recommends the solo track So Wrong So Right by Budapest front man John Garrison. Apparently the band split in 2006, which I probably should have known, but embarrassingly have to admit that I didn't! A few of the band's older tracks are available as free downloads from the band's Myspace profile and especially the wonderful Is This The Best It Gets is an all time favorite (to be more specific I think it's one of the best songs ever written!). And Censored Memories (off to Myspace you go, if you want that one) isn't bad at all either!
+ So Wrong So Right
+ Is This The Best It Gets

Several blogs are recommending/hyping 2080 by US band Yeasayer. And it sure is a fantastic track by a band that has been compared to Midlake and lists Peter Gabriel and Fleetwood Mac among the influences. Released on new label Now We Are Free.
+ 2080

Peter Schallgrenzen recommended The Beauty of o.k. the other day in his blog and today I'm going to do the same. So if you're interested in listening to some really cool stuff (and of course you are) I suggest that you check out this excellent indie rock quartet from Hamburg. This is dark, grand and epic in an Interpol / Radiohead / Kashmir kind of way (with some Kent added to the mix as well).
+ A New Apart
+ Cluster