Shorties...

Entakt has announced tour dates in support of the new album. I plan to turn up at Forbrændingen November 7. See you there? Supporting act will be Wolf Lies Down (never heard of them).

The fine Zen Sucker album by Danes Larsen & Furious Jane was released in the US two days ago (October 7). Read my thoughts on the album.
+ A Deathbed Conversation

One Weekly Gun continues to publish new songs (30 new babies so far this year). The most recent one deals with the state of the American economy.
+ Take Me To The Meeting On Time

It's taken at least 5 listens for me to realize that there are in fact a few really fine tracks on the new moi Caprice album. Hopefully this means that the album is a grower.

Scanned through a few promo mails earlier today and noticed the use of the word “infectious” in one of them. And since it’s one of my favorite words, I thought why not give the song a listen. Same Damn Song is by LA duo More Amor and it's, if not infectious then at least, a pretty catchy electronic pop thing.
+ Same Damn Song

Drowning...

The fact that I prefer the physical CD’s to digital downloads has been discussed multiple times before in this blog, so no point in bring that one back to life. But I’ve got to admit that the digital downloads have at least these two advantages. Storing all you CD’s can be quite a challenge and to me it represents an ever-growing problem. Furthermore the digital downloads don’t pile up on your desk reminding you about all the music you really ought to listen to. What’s stored on your computer is somehow easier to ignore. So what's brewing?

Yesterday I wanted to buy the new moi Caprice CD We Had Faces Then, but it hadn’t arrived at the CD store, so I went home empty handed (completely untrue – I just bought a couple of other CD’s instead). Instead a digital version of the album, somehow fell into my lap today, so I did get a chance to listen to it today after all. But I am going to buy the physical thing anyway, even though it will only add to the aforementioned problems/challenges – junkies are addicted you know! And despite that I think the album is a disappointment. At least through the first 3 listens it is. This is unmistakably moi Caprice with the lovely vocals and the dreamy sound, but the songwriting is simply not of the same quality as on previous albums. Stream 9 out of 11 tracks at Myspace and tell me I’m wrong?

The sophomore album Crystal Heights by Celestial is probably the next album I’ll give a thorough listen. One listen is simply not enough to make a proper judgment, though the first impression was pretty good.
+ Crystal Heights

The Celestial album was mailed to me by frontman Andreas, and he included the 3” single by My Lily of the Valley released on Cloudberry Records. Much appreciated, but at the same time it helped the pile of CD’s grow just a tiny bit higher.
+ Precious Moments

I picked up the Grateful album by Carpark North yesterday, though I’m not quite sure why I did that exactly, as I’m caring less and less about the band for every release. I’m probably stuck with some kind of nostalgic/ancient memory of the Carstereo demo (released in 2000), which I still believe is the best selling demo ever in Denmark.

I also bought two demo CD’s by “local hero” The Village Idiot. Both demos were picked as Gaffa’s “demo of the month” (getting 6 out of 6 stars) and I’m convinced they are absolutely fantastic. Just need to listen to them first. On a side note I found it highly encouraging that it was possible to buy those demos at a “real” CD store.

My biggest and darkest guilty conscience these days is the missing write-up on the debut album by Choir of Young Believers. It’s bloody, fantastic, marvelous and please, please buy a copy. Not sure if I’ll be forgiven or get any relief that way, but it’s sure worth the gamble!
+ Next Summer

Shorties...

Fucking yeah! The number of daily visitors has finally started to grow and the average of October so far is 426 compared to 409 in September. But the glorious days of November last year (591/day) don’t seem likely to return any time soon.

Not always easy being a small band I guess. As much as I’m trying to hype Entakt, the band isn’t exactly getting much support from the media. None of the mainstream newspapers have (so far) bothered reviewing the new album, and Gaffa is the only music site to post a review.

New demo track Untouchable by Ruined by Martin can now be streamed at Myspace. The band has been awfully quiet for a long time, so any sign of life is welcome.

Seems like Tap Tap is halfway through the recordings of a follow-up to the excellent Lanzafame.
+ 10,000 Thoughts

New album At Home With The Foo Fighters by The Foster Kids is out on Letterbox Records today.
+ Before You Change My Mind

Entakt - På Bagsiden Af Europa

Only 21 months have passed since Entakt released their debut album Træerne Vokser Ind I Himlen, so I was a bit surprised when I learned that the band was aiming for a sophomore release this October. Now October is here and so is the band’s new album På Bagsiden Af Europa (released today). So time to answer some of those questions, I’ve been asking myself, ever since I learned about the new release. Would it be possible for the band to match the debut, which I ranked as the second best release of 2007? Or would the band fail to resist the temptation to re-record a few tracks from the fine demo albums published in 2003 and 2005? Yes and no. The new album easily hold its own against the debut and consists of entirely new or previously unreleased material.
Musically the band has taken a few steps back in time as they sound a lot more like the genuine 2005 edition of themselves than they did on the somewhat Kent/Muse inspired debut.
I was a bit surprised how the debut turned out to be an instantly likeable affair, whereas På Bagsiden Af Europa seems to be a lot tighter and just like the early demos requires harder work getting into. But to me this often means that an album will have much better chance standing the test of time and will become more and more interesting the more I listen. And now that I’ve passed the first 20 listens that theory is more valid than ever as the album continues to unfold itself with its lovely tunes, fine production and unmatched lyrical universe. Just to rule out any misunderstandings, I still think highly of the debut, but in the rear view mirror its strength (to me) was those 4 standout tracks that I kept getting back to.
Not that the new release has any shortage of excellent songs. As a whole I actually believe PBAE outnumbers TVIIH, but the Kashmir inspired Mandagens Vægt and the pulsing Europa aside, there aren’t really any obvious “hit singles”, which could help selling the album and thus pave the way for a commercial success. Especially the album’s finer moments like Japansk Løn and the overwhelming album closer 3 Alen Fra Skafottet are far to challenging and complicated to appeal to the average radio listener.
So you might say that I’m wearing those pessimistic spectacles and projecting that the album will do very little to change the way Entakt is embraced by the general audience. And you’re probably right. If superb singles like Fyrværkeri and Kunsten At Slippe Taget couldn’t promote the debut or get any serious airplay, I’m afraid I have to hold on to that pessimistic attitude.
But that doesn’t change that right now I’m enjoying every single moment I’m spending with the album and that honorable but worn-out “album of the year” label has already begun gluing itself to this excellent sophomore effort.
+ Europa

Download Europa by Entakt for free...

For a limited period of time the first single Europa of the forthcoming Entakt album På Bagsiden Af Europa will be available as a free download. You can "buy" it for DKK 0.00 at box.dk!
UPDATE: Apparently this offer only works for Danish residents.
SECOND UPDATE: I’ve decided to share the track as long as that free to download offer is still running. From whatever point of view I can think of, it seems pointless that it’s only valid for people in Denmark, as worst case scenario must be that this will attract a couple of new listeners from abroad!
+ Europa

New track by Play People...

Last night UK Playmobil quartet Play People posted this Myspace bulletin “we want to give more than we take. we want to love. it's what you need.....but the download feature doesn't work so we can't. we'll make it up to you :)”. Guess I’m not the only one who’s frustrated with the lack of service provided by Myspace these days?
So eager as I was to get my hands on the new song, I cunningly wrote the band and offered to upload and post the track in the blog. Happily the band accepted and soon an MP3 of the track was found in my mailbox. So here it is that brand new effort by Play People and what a track it is! Though I probably shouldn’t be all that surprised, as every single song so far by this anonymous bunch has been truly marvelous. New track What Are You Going To Do? is catchy, lovely, dreamy, beautiful, infectious or why don’t you just listen to it yourself and add whatever adjectives your find appropriate! I'm just beginning to wonder more and more who’s hiding behind this alias!
+ What Are You Going To Do?

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?

Shorties...

According to an article today (it’s in Danish, but read it here if you like) several nightclubs have successfully kept troublemakers away by not playing hip-hop and rap. Now you draw your own conclusions, but shitty music attracts...

In his blog yesterday the infamous Myspace founder Tom claimed that the download links for free tracks are back again. However I have yet to find one downloadable track, but am seriously looking forward to whenever things are back working properly again.

Biker Boy doesn't seem to be able to make the download function work, so he has posted download links for October Song as well as the remix of the track done by House of Primates. The firewall at work doesn't like the links, but I hope they are working!?
+ October Song
+ October Song (Remix)

Great service! Slow Shark Records has mailed me a copy of the debut album We Are Popular by The Holiday Show…nearly 3 weeks before it’s released!

Hits In The Car favorite Pete White has added two newly recorded tracks to his Myspace player as well as a lovely new version of Hand Signals.

October 10 at 10am a new and vastly improved version (so we're told) of Gaffa.dk will be launched.

Here’s the brand new video for the beautiful Värnhem by Emerald Park.

Entakt...

Last night I went to the release party for the new Entakt album På Bagsiden Af Europa. Was there for exactly 45 minutes, where I listened to the final 25 minutes of the band's performance, had a beer, bought the album and had a brief chat with Jonas. The album is officially released on Monday.

Here's the new video for the first single of the album. Rather spooky me thinks!

BandBase...

As mentioned yesterday you no longer have to be a registered user at BandBase (formerly known as MyMusic.dk) to be able to download any songs, so I thought I should do my utmost to continue promoting this fine new initiative. Especially since Myspace sucks so bad these days and has (permanently?) closed the source to lots of free downloads. So if you're interested in Danish music or great music in general, BandBase works as a brilliant alternative. I know it's in Danish, but nonetheless it's fairly simple navigating your way through the site. Only complaint is that the tagging of the songs are pretty bad, so you might have to do a little work yourself following each download. Here's "mixtape" featuring just a few of the many, many great songs you can find there (left click to download or use the YourFileHost links).
+ Ehlers/Thejsen - Art of Loneliness (YourFileHost)
+ Entakt - Kunsten At Slippe Taget (YourFileHost)
+ Leisure Alaska - Present Yet Unseen (YourFileHost)
+ Skywriter - Craving Utopia (YourFileHost)
+ VETO - You Are A Knife (YourFileHost)
+ Windermere - Trailer Park (YourFileHost)