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.

BREUMM and more...

The BREUMM/Decorate.Decorate. concert last night was pretty OK, and it was especially interesting watching the new (?) "version" of BREUMM. Compared to the concert last year, this was a somewhat (and surprisingly) nosier edition with Jonas refusing to let his guitar rest during the set. Here's an older clip of Jonas doing an acoustic performance of Ingen Verdens Ting, which so far is my favorite track of 2008.



Without Magnolia I would probably never have heard of Aimee Mann. First single Thirty One Today from her odd titled forthcoming album @#%&! SMILERS sounds quite lovely, but it also hints that she hasn't really moved an inch musically since that fabulous soundtrack.
+ Thirty One Today

Danish trio Marybell Katastrophy seems to be on every one's lips these days. Now they have been mentioned here as well...
+ Hidden Agenda

The single Good Day has earned US trio Jukebox the Ghost comparisons to the likes of Queen and Ben Folds. Judge that yourself, but a really fine one it is!
+ Good Day
+ Good Day (Andrew Maury Remix)

The rest of the evening I'll be listening to various promo stuff and if/whenever I come across something worth the time, I'll add it to this post...

Blandede bolcher...

Next Friday (April 11) I plan to show up at Templet in Lyngby to see BREUMM and Decorate.Decorate.. I've been told that this will be the first official gig played by BREUMM, so it's definitely going to be a night for the history books! I was somewhat disappointed about the Decorate Decorate debut album Normandie, as the single Surname of Copenhagen promised so much more. However I'm giving it a few spins right now, and hopefully it will start growing. Anyway - watch the video for Surname... below and you'll probably understand why the expectations were so high!!



I still have no speakers for the computer, so I can only suggest that you stream the new demo Seven Years by Ruined by Martin and download the new song Hey Messy Queen by Death Valley Sleepers, as I really don't know if they are any good. Though I expect them to be!

And One Weekly Gun has a new song up as well. This week's topic is plastic surgery.

Newton Faulkner covers Massive Attack. His version of Teardrop can be found on Hand Built By Robots.
+ Teardrop

RAC shares their/his remix of Radiohead's Nude.
+ Nude (RAC remix)

Decorate. Decorate.

Danish indie/electronic band Decorate.Decorate. has launched a new website and among the goodies there is a free download of the excellent Surname of Copenhagen in a new/updated version. I'm not sure, but I believe the website version must be the one that will be on the mini album that will be released later this year! Download the new as well as the old demo version and decide for yourself, which is the better one (I'm undecided, as I somehow prefer the drums on the demo)!
+ Surname of Copenhagen (mini album version? - 96 Kbps)
+ Surname of Copenhagen (demo)

This and That...

5-piece Ciao Transizta was picked as Gaffa's Demo band in December. This Danish alternative rock band is influenced by the likes of Interpol, Sonic Youth, The Arcade Fire etc. It took me a few listens getting into the music, but now I'm really enjoying these songs..
+ New York Naked
+ Take Time

At least Thomas over at DoCopenhagen agrees that saving up her wishes (for another Christmas) by Celestial is the best new Christmas track of the year.

In his comment yesterday Anders suggested (tongue in cheek I hope) that Wonderland by Heidi Klum is the best new Christmas track of 2006. She sure looks beautiful though!

The current no. 1 in the Danish indie chart - Det Elektriske Barometer - is this stunning track by Decorate. Decorate.
+ Surname of Copenhagen

Perhaps this only happens to me, but doesn't Last.fm recommend the same tracks over and over again?

I'm currently busy compiling my best of 2006 lists, but I still have plenty of catching up left to do. Yesterday I bought the albums by Hot Chip and 120 Days, and the other day I received the really fine A Little Place In The Wilderness by Memphis.

FileDen IS working, but the tags just seem to have gone completely haywire. So you'll have to fix those yourself.