Ghost...

Danish duo Bodebrixen has been signed by Playground Music and earlier this week the lads published first single Ghost from their forthcoming album Out of Options. The track has an appealing summer-pop-feel-good sound to it, but the lyrics (“you’re a living ghost…hiding in your basement”) are surprisingly darker when compared to the almost uplifting sound. Promises well for the album!

Ghost by Bodebrixen

A secret beer...

This one sounds familiar. Wife’s out, the kids are sleeping, the mailbox is bursting (or just about to) and I’ve found a beer in the fridge. And no; the post title certainly isn’t meant to be a joke, as all information on the beer label (enlarge the photo and perhaps you'll be able to see that yourself) has been printed using the Braille system. The beer has therefore been given the name "blindeøl", so calling it a “secret beer” can't be completely wrong? But as funny and interesting this might be, I'm afraid that it also means that my only option is to learn the system, if I want to know exactly what it is I’m drinking. Lazy as I am, I’m probably not going to bother, so I'll just drink and (hopefully) enjoy it. Definitely worth mentioning is that for every sold beer the brewery will donate 2 DKK to Dansk Blindesamfund....

SuperTroels, who hasn’t been using that alias for quite some time and instead preferred his real name Troels Abrahamsen, offers “a near final version” of new track Swaat as a free download. The final version will be included on his forthcoming album BLCK.
+ Swaat

Speaking of Troels, I was wondering if there was any news on VETO? Last year’s album Crushing Digits was monster, so any sign of a follow-up being in the making would be classified as "great news". But there was no information to be found or at least I couldn't find it. Instead this oldie, which always is worth sharing…
+ You Are A Knife

Did you download your copy of the Bodebrixen album? If you need to be convinced why you should even bother, I strongly recommend you check out this lovely pop gem. Unless of course you're not at all prepared to be charmed off your feet!
+ Shone

Here's a real nice one from the inbox. It has already been featured by a number of blogs, so I'm taking the easy path here and letting the music speak for itself!
+ Loch Lomond - Wax and Wire

I don’t know how many times I’ve written this before, but I’ll never be a fan of remixes. More often than not the only thing a remix does is ruining the original track and I’ve never fully understood the purpose of this! The few remixes adding something to the original or at least being “listenable alternatives” are few and far between, but whenever I stumble upon one of those, I guess it’s somehow my “duty” to post it. And this recent remix of the Phoenix track Fences by Son Green definitely falls under the “listenable” category!
+ Fences (Son Green Remix)

Various...

I've promised myself that I will not start whining or complaining about small insignificant things in today's post. Though I do suspect that blogging will be less interesting that way, as words just seem to come more easily to you, when you're pissed off. Luckily my computer is a reliable ally and does it's best to prevent me from keeping my promise, as it is unusual slow today. I mean it normally operates at a pace which wouldn't even impress a snail, but somehow it has found a way to be even slower today. This actually impresses me quite a lot, as something this slow would normally accept its destiny and simply roll over and die! But from time to time it does show signs of life and allow me to type a few words, so maybe (or maybe not) I'll be able to add to this...

J.A. just mailed a reminder that the new Bodebrixen album is free to download from the band's webpage. Thank you and shame on me for forgetting! The bitrate is a measly 128, but should be plenty to convince you whether or not the album is worth buying! So far it has been downloading for half an hour, so things really are slow around here today!
+ Keychain

And whenever things get back to normal, I'm definitely going to download the rest of the Hold It Close album by Canadian electro pop artist Digits. Just to find out if the rest can possibly be as fine as these two promo tracks!
+ Monster
+ Nonstop

Russian beer and some music...

Thought it smarter to start a new post rather than continuing today's previous post. Not sure what tonight will bring, but the kids are sleeping, the wife's out and I've just opened this Russian beer (you tell me what it's called), so a good bet should be that I will spend the evening at the computer checking mails, reading blogs, listening to some music etc.

I mentioned UltraChorus earlier today and a few hours later the band mailed a download link for the Ultra-Def album. Other bands please read and learn!
+ Scarlet Eyes

Blaa Vinyl has a nice post up on Bodebrixen including an interview with Andreas Brixen of the band.

It's time to check a few mails. There are more than +500 unread ones in the inbox. Actually the number is closer to 600!

I somehow doubt that major supermarket chains are willing to stock the debut album Blew It Again by Electric Tickle Machine. It's a nice album cover, though perhaps a tad bit...well you know! The music is some kind of psychedelic garage rock of decent quality, which is quite surprising taking the album wrapping into consideration.
+ Blew It Again

Just stumbled upon a US five-piece with the gorgeous name The Most Powerful Telescope In The Universe, who has just put out their debut full length album named The Moonlight's Fair Tonight. The 11-track album is a free download via Datawaslost (which is not a label, but more like a "close-knit group of musicians ... making records") and this is something I absolutely have to explore further really soon. Appealingly sounding like some mysterious blend of everything from Pink Floyd to shoegaze.
+ The Last of the Incas

I won't mention any names, but some of the stuff found in promo mails is really bad. Seriously bad. Really, seriously bad in an utter crap kind of way....Who's actually paying for this?

Hey cool! Just found the self-titled debut album by nice electro pop duo (?) Letting Up Despite Great Falls in the mailbox. This is good stuff and certainly should be mentioned in the same breath, as the many garbage bands I just complained about. But don't tell anyone that the mail was sent September 2 and I didn't read it until now! In due time, as the album will be out on Tuesday...
+ In Steps

Proud Simon will release a 5-track EP named Anchors Aweigh on November 10. I'm new to this americana inspired duo, but the promo track really makes me want to hear more! Awesomely it seems like the EP is free to download at Bandcamp?
+ Rock Unturned

Indeed it helped complaining! Everything I've checked out since has been pretty good...

Rounding out today's post is brilliant new track Don't Let The Nightlight Dance by Track a Tiger. Taken from new album I Felt The Bullet Hit My Heart.
+ Don't Let The Nightlight Dance

Assembly line...

Spleen United has re-launched their webpage. I cannot really figure out if there's supposed to be a deeper meaning to it, except showing a few short and rather fuzzy video clips and providing us with some external links. Reload the page (press VIII) and a new clip will pop up (I believe there’s a total of 5 different ones). I know complaining has sort of become my trademark, but I’d much rather have a less fancy and more informative site instead (obviously) including a few free downloads (remixes, covers or something like that)! The band will soon be playing a few dates in the US (check their Myspace for exact dates), and just like the previous time the band spent some time “over there”, I strongly recommend that you go see them.
+ Running Up That Hill (Kath Bush cover with The William Blakes)

I've heard some rather trustworthy rumors that Northern Portrait has finished the recordings of their debut album Criminal Art Lovers. But still, these are just rumors; nothing more!
+ Crazy

Obscure Sound has posted a lengthy review, probably containing more words than I’d write in a month, of the soon to be released UltraChorus debut album Ultra-Def. First promo track of the album Words Kept Talking was an instant favorite way back in March, so nice to learn that the rest should be equally great. If Mike’s review is to be trusted of course!
+ Words Kept Talking

BandBase.dk track of the day is Robin Parts by As In RebekkaMaria. The song is based upon Symphony No. 2 by Danish composer Carl Nielsen and is this month's featured remix at mixtoverdener.dk.
+ Robin Parts

Chris is doing a great job getting his blog Music Of The Moment back up and running. Today's post on Scottish trio AirSpiel is well worth reading.

The new album Whatsinsideswhatsoutside by Bodebrixen will be released on Monday. According to this newspaper article, the album will be free to download from the band's webpage in an attempt to attract more listeners.

...paused...

Shorties...

Despite my initial disappointment with the new Kent single, I’m still planning to buy tickets for the band’s concert on March 13 next year at Copenhagen’s new venue Tap1. Tickets go on sale on Monday.

Four new tracks by The Electric Pop Group are now streaming at Myspace. Seems like the band’s second album Seconds will be out come November, but as usual the Matinée Recordings webpage hasn’t been updated for a while.

The soon to be released Whatsinsidewhatsoutside album by Danish indie-popsters Bodebrixen can be streamed in its entirety at Bandbase.dk.
+ Keychain

Now that the Turboweekend album Ghost of a Chance is being released abroad, the promo mails suddenly start arriving. I hate the way music is promoted in Denmark, because why didn’t I hear anything in March, when the album was released here?
+ After Hours
+ Something or Nothing

7" single How To Look Imploring by Horowitz will be out some time late November on Cloudberry Records.
+ How To Look Imploring

From the Labrador Records twitter account: "Sambassadeur just finished their upcoming single "Days". It definitely different from their previous work, but I'm sure you'll love it.". This is awesome news!

Shorties...

I’ve learned that IFPI (who else?) was responsible for the complaint I mentioned yesterday. I’ve mailed them, but I seriously doubt that I’ll ever get any explanation.

Today is Bad Lieutenant day, as the band is giving away their new single Sink or Swim for free. You do have to enter your email address, but it's well worth it. In case you've never heard of Bad Lieutenant (well of course you have) it's the new band of ex-New Order frontman Bernard Sumner.

Unfortunately the new single Heavenly by The Storm pretty much destroy all hopes that the band’s sophomore album Black Luck will be any better than the debut.

Coincidence or? I mentioned Bodebrixen exactly two weeks ago and Wednesday a promo mail arrived. Full of the usual "yada yada", but also included the essential information that the album will be out October 12. Lovely new track Suit Your Needs can be streamed at Blaa Vinyl.

Trade a cloud picture for four new songs by Björn Kleinhenz. That's a fairly generous offer, isn't it? However I'm still dreaming that he'll someday reunite with Adam Svanell and record more songs for the really intriguing Memoplay project. But I'm afraid that I'll have to accept that this duo is all but dead. The fabulous 4 track EP is still free to download from Last.fm.
+ Words are Small

Keychain...

Not feeling all that well today so should be interesting to see what today’s post turns out to be like.

Have streamed the four lastbandalive tracks over at BandBase.dk over and over since mentioning the band in yesterday’s post. Still no news on the EP though. Recall seeing lastbandalive at this year’s Start! Festival and how I thought they sounded like “the best band in the world” through the first three or four songs. Unfortunately that impression didn’t last and I don’t think I even stayed and watched the performance till the end. The band will be playing at the Start! Festival after party at PH Caféen in Copenhagen on August 29 and I would be there if I wasn’t going to Lolland for a few days with some of my most childish friends.

Another concert I won’t attend after all is the Crunchy Frog 15 year anniversary party, as I had forgotten that we are going to a birthday party. Unless magic occurs and EPO-555 decides to reform at some later stage, this sadly means no EPO-555 concert for me in this life.

Rikke (Blaa Vinyl) sent a message yesterday appraising La La Naïve and suggesting that I should check out another Danish duo, Bodebrixen, as the two acts are somewhat connected (helping each other out when playing live etc.). I’m aware that I should have checked out the music of Bodebrixen ages ago (there has been some hype), but I’m afraid I opted not to. But luckily Mr. Bode and Mr. Brixen have finally been introduced to me and 10 seconds into the first track I realized that this is something that I’m going to enjoy immensely. Naive indie pop tunes oozing of Swedish influences always seem to be a winning formula and in this case it’s no different as I’m literally blown away. A self-titled album was released last year, but is currently being rerecorded, remixed and will be rereleased (lots of re’s) in October. Sign me up for a copy!
+ Keychain

Rounding out today’s post; Jonas has compiled an extensive list of all (?) references in Entakt lyrics. You definitely need to understand Danish to fully appreciate this “master list”, but not necessarily to enjoy the band’s fine songs.
+ Kunsten af Slippe Taget
+ Orkestret Med Det Blotlagte Skelet