Trimming the list...

The post yesterday on my so-called "very long list" didn’t exactly seem to impress anyone. Probably because most bloggers are a whole lot better at organizing and preparing things, than I am. But to me 12 artists on a list are a lot, as I normally have no clue what I am going to write about in today’s post(s) when I wake up in the morning. So you could say that improvisation is the keyword for this blog, which probably explains its crappy quality?

Time to trim down that list...

The list wouldn’t really be completely without some Swedish indie pop act on it – would it? Martin Sörensson, guitarist in bands like Shade Tree, Chesterton and Sidewalk People, has recorded a brand new track called All Right. On vocals he’s assisted by the lovely sounding Cecilia Lundh of whom I know exactly nothing. The track itself has all the usual indie pop trademarks from the lovely melody to the glockenspiel!
+ All Right

Mahogany shares the Ulrich Schnauss remix of their track Supervitesse. It's dreamy and beautiful, but sadly it never really kicks off to become more than just remotely interesting.
+ Supervitesse Expansemix™

One more from the department of remixes. Ghetto Ways by Scissors for Lefty has been remixed and I simply couldn't resist listening to it, when I saw that the name of is was Baron Von Luxxury's Super Thanks For Asking Remix. A potential dancefloor filler!
+ Ghetto Ways (Baron Von Luxxury's Super Thanks For Asking Remix)

Tulsa powerpop/rock trio Admiral Twin is really eager for some attention, so the band has mailed me three (!) times suggesting that I should listen to the band's music. Since the band was so insisting, I gave in and decided to check them out. The band is no newcomer and the recent album The Center of the Universe is the sixth release since the band formed in 1996. Three tracks are up for grabs from Purevolume and though they might not be groundbreaking, they are all straight-forward and really enjoyable indie rock tunes.
+ In My Veins

Wonder why...

I’ve often asked myself why I hardly ever receive any mails from local Danish labels trying to promote new Danish releases. All regulars to this blog know about my passion for Danish artists, so I’d be more than happy to post (more or less) anything, if anyone asked! A few times I’ve tried to approach the labels (or artists) myself asking for permission to post a track, but often with little luck. So obviously I’m a bit puzzled (and some might even say frustrated) when I start receiving mails (including free songs to post) from labels promoting releases by Danish artists.
Two recent examples are Lust Lust Lust by The Raveonettes (out in the US on Feb 19, next year) and Mafia by EPO-555 (released in the US in May, this year). Two really fine and highly recommendable albums and obviously I'll do the little I can to help promoting them. But without whining too much, wouldn't I have loved getting those promo mails when the albums were released in Denmark?
+ The Raveonettes - Aly, Walk With Me
+ EPO-555 - Maid in China

A very long list...

Next to my computer there is a post-it with some names on it. 12 names to be a little more exact. The list exists, because I’m getting older (no reason to ignore this fact), which means that my memory often lets me down, so whenever I come across a band I should post about in the blog, I immediately add it to the list. But the past two-three days I’ve been adding and adding without really subtracting any (except Andrew Boland yesterday), leaving me with quite a long list of names. So where do I start? Should I just post the songs and not give a bleeping f*ck about the words? Or should I make detailed posts and hope that no new names will be added the next few days/weeks? Luckily it is lunch time very soon, so hopefully I’ll return rejuvenated and ready to fire away!

Bird On The Wire...

Some of you might recall that I posted a few songs by Irish singer Andrew Boland a long time ago, but since then he's been ever so quite. So I was slowly beginning to fear that he had completely given up on recording. Luckily this all changed yesterday, when I found out that he had uploaded a new track to his Myspace profile. In fact it's not really a new track, but a cover of Leonard Cohen's Bird On The Wire, which in Mr. Boland's own words is "only up to take up space, really". Whether or not this is actually the case, I don't know, but personally I think his fine version is worth a shout-out to the world.
Last night I had the opportunity to listen to a new track he's recorded with what might turn into his new band and it does sound very The Smiths inspired and very promising. So obviously I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that they'll work something out.
Finally I've re-posted two of the "oldies", in case you missed them the first time around!
+ Bird On The Wire
+ The Submarine Song (by his former band Shadowplay)
+ Leonard Cohen's Few

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

Saturday night’s alright for blogging…

The girls are sleeping and the wife is at some girl’s party, so the computer is all mine, mine, mine….!

I did some extensive music shopping today and spent my weekly pocket money on 5 CD’s. One of them was the debut solo album Every Streetcar’s Got A Name by Michael Møller (the voice of moi Caprice). As the reviews have been very positive, my expectations were pretty high and luckily I wasn’t disappointed as the 16 songs are heartfelt and stunningly beautiful. But also a bit (actually a lot) more minimalistic than you'd expect, so it's certainly not an attempt to continue the sound of moi Caprice in his own name. I’ve asked for permission to post a track of the album, though I’m not all that optimistic that I’ll get it.

Yesterday Exitfare posted two demo tracks by Concerto for Constantine; the new band of Mark Greaney of JJ72. Really hate to say that I'm not impressed as perhaps every JJ72 song was better than any of these. It's as if he's trying to change direction and want his new music to be a bit "tougher"?

Some of you might have noticed that I’ve abandoned my no ads principles and added some Google ads at the bottom of the right column. So far I’ve earned a strikingly US$ 1.55, so no reason to change the household budget just yet! Obviously chances of someone clicking the ads would be better if I posted them at the top of the page, but after all I don’t want this to look like just another blog that only exists for the ads. But on the other hand I wouldn't mind earning a little money. What a dilemma....not really!

Far too many words already, so here's a recent recommendation by J.A.. Clive from Sweden plays straight forward, rather uncomplicated, but very catchy electronic pop music. And there's really nothing wrong with that - is there?
+ Emotions

Indie MP3 writes a few thoughts on The Matinée Hitparade. After I've listened to this one by Bubblegum Lemonade I really should order that album, which is released to celebrate that the label turns 10 years old.
+ Tyler

Yesterday Absolut Noise did something quite unusual. The excellent French blog normally dedicated to Swedish music posted a track by a Danish artist. Click right here if you want to know who that lucky artist was.

The extremely cool and very Interpol inspired track Fade Away by French alternative rock band Joy Disaster was added to my current favorites yesterday. Originally recommended by J.A. (yep - him again) and posted by Peter ages ago!
+ Fade Away

In case you're curious the other 4 CD's I bought today were:
Iron And Wine - The Shephard's Dog
+ Boy With a Coin

The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
+ Dead Sound

I Am Bones - The Greater Good
+ The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

I Got You On Tape - 2

No milk today...

No post(s) today, but check out Frekvens.dk later this afternoon for another issue of "Støj på frekvensen".

The Dead Sound of an Electric Bird...

These days I'm listening quite a lot to the new album Lust Lust Lust by The Raveonettes. In my contribution to the weekly "Frekvens lytter til…" post, I described it as the perfect mix of catchy 60'ies pop, scathing 80'ies noise and the soundtrack of a spaghetti western directed by Mr. Tarantino. It might not be as good as Pretty In Black, but it still manages to live up to my expectations.
+ Dead Sound

Found the new single Electric Bird by Sia in the mailbox this morning. Perhaps it's a little to quiet and a little too boring for my taste, but I really like that brass featured throughout the song. Taken from the album Some People Have REAL Problems that will be out in January next year.
+ Electric Bird

Did a bit of catching up this morning and checked an old recommendation sent to me by J.A. a long time ago. Actually it was so old that Chris wrote about the band in question; Public Symphony; 5 months ago. But better late than never I guess and since the band has published a new mix of the track Rise & Shine, it's probably ok mentioning them again. The music is described as a mix between Pink Floyd and Coldplay, and the band does indeed manage to sound like an unusual (but still highly enjoyable) mix of complexness and straightforwardness.
+ Rise & Shine (2007 mix)

Stereo Inn...

5-piece Stereo Inn comes from Cologne in Germany, but it only took a few listens before I had to re-check this fact, because a band sounding this gorgeous has to come from Gothenburg or somewhere else in Sweden. As you've probably already guessed by now, Stereo Inn plays irresistible, feel-good and catchy indie pop with glockenspiel, tambourine, jangling guitars etc. that should please all fans of The Housemartins and Belle & Sebastian. The 5 track 2006 untitled demo EP is free to download from the band's webpage, where you can listen to a few snippets from the forthcoming EP as well.
+ Out Of My Room, Into My Life
+ If Only
+ Moving On

Election Day...

Today is Election Day in Denmark and even though this is not a political blog, I really urge everyone to cast their vote. I honestly don't care what party you vote for, as long as you remember to vote and thus show your appreciation for our democratic rights. There are still far too many countries in the world where people are not allowed to vote or where the outcome of the election has already been "fixed". So even if you are tired of politicians and think they are all crashing bores (thank you Morrissey), things could easily be a whole lot worse! So please support our democracy and waste 5 of your precious minutes today, to go to the polling station!

Before you leave I suggest that you download this wonderful cover version of an old The Jesus and Mary Chain track by The Mary Onettes...wait...it's not a cover you say? Are you sure? Oh well! It's still very nice!
+ Explosions