Stuff...

Still just an incredible lazy sod...not feeling like writing at all, but sure need to get this blog back up and running...somehow...

Azure Blue has recorded this instrumental cover of Sweet Child O' Mine. Said to be "just a demonstration of a slightly new sound". In a way I hope so as, to be honest, the cover is pretty tedious. But I'm certainly looking forward to the new songs...
Azure Blue - Sweet Child Instrumental demo

Danish duo Dampfbahn has posted a brand new track named Love Like A Flower. They have always written some nice catchy pop songs and this one is no exception; though has some (intended?) novelty to it...
Love is like a Flower by DAMPFBAHN!

Has anyone given the new Richard Hawley album Standing at the Sky's Edge a listen? Not exactly the type of album I (or probably anyone else) expected, as it sounds like he had some serious anger to get off his chest. Whether or not it was the wrath that ignited it I obviously don't know, but musically the album heads off in a complete different direction (the first 4 tracks especially), when comparing it to previous releases, as gone are the strings and the guitars in complete control. But the songwriting is a good as ever, the production is fine, the man himself still possesses one of the best voices in music and the second half of the album is to some extent a return to the "old sound", which probably will please some...so summed up this is "just" another album to add to the list of excellent releases by Mr. Hawley!
Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge

Check out this fine cover of the beautiful Don't Stare at the Sun (from the aforementioned) Sky's Edge by Lo-Fi Record Club (who?)!
Don't Stare At The Sun (Richard Hawley Cover) by Lo-Fi Record Club

Via Peter and Peter comes news about this new track by Get Well Soon.
Get Well Soon - You Cannot Cast Out The Demons (You Might As Well Dance) by City Slang

zzz...

Yesterday went by exactly as predicted, as I spent the entire day trying to recover from the lack of sleep. Find it difficult not being somewhat bitchy about it, as I think it’s pretty close to impertinent to let people pay for the tickets and then let the main act enter the stage at 11.15 p.m. I know I’m getting older, but I cannot help considering this as a message to people like me, who have to go to work the next day or even worse have children that must be at school at 8 a.m., that we are not really welcome. Whether this was a decision made by the venue or the band I don’t know, but a rather irritating one it was. And for the first time ever, I was forced to leave a concert before it finished (at 0.30 a.m. – and my friend and I weren’t the first ones to leave), as I could hardly keep my eyes open any longer plus knowing that we had the pleasure of a 45 minute drive ahead of us. The concert you ask? Nice, very nice, but as you probably have figured out, I didn’t really enjoy it!

Had a beer and a (much longer than expected) chat with the always friendly Jonas (of Entakt) before the concert, and got the latest updates on the band. Things are brewing, but precisely when we’ll hear something new from the band is still far too early to tell.
+ Kunsten at Slippe Taget
+ Orkestret med det blotlagte skelet

You bet this will soon be all over the blogosphere in an instant (it already is), but since I (like just about every other music loving human in the universe) am looking forward to High Violet, I have no other option than to jump on the bandwagon and post the first appetizer from the album.
+ Bloodbuzz Ohio
Now that I’ve listened to it a few times, I do think it’s absolutely glorious, but don’t parts of it sound like this one?

Was it completely wrong of me expecting a band named Dazzle Ships to be at least somewhat inspired by OMD? Guess so, because they really are not!
+ Least Resistance

Speaking of old favorites OMD. I probably knew that the band was still around, but certainly not that the original line-up is back together. And I definitely did not know that they plan to release an album this year (to be named The History of Modern). A demo version of the very Enola Gay’ish Sister Mary Says is free to download (you do have to register and all that) from the official webpage. Oh, those memories!

Get Well Soon...

Seeing Get Well Soon tonight at Loppen in Copenhagen, which is something I've been looking forward to for quite some time! I’m still not completely won over by Vexations, but since both the debut album Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon and the EP Songs Against The Glaciation were nothing but fantastic, my expectations remain pretty high. Especially when having Jonas' review of the band's concert at Roskilde last year in fresh memory. Loppen is quite a nice venue, but music there never begins until 10 p.m., meaning that I’ll be home and in bed around 1 a.m. (and thus will be getting approx 5 hours of sleep). So I guess this will be one tired blogger tomorrow! Tickets are still available and cost an affordable DKK 80.
+ 5 Steps / 7 Swords
+ If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting

While I was cleaning out the mailbox...

...lots of other things happened!

I finally bought myself a ticket for the Get Well Soon concert at Loppen on March 23.
+ If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting

The new album by The National was announced. To be released May 11 and will be named High Violet. Frank says it's awesome! I’m almost prepared to wager next month’s salary that no song on the new album will be as fantastic as Fake Empire. If there is, then it will definitely be worth the price!
+ Fake Empire

Band of Horses quickly sold out their concert at Vega on April 18. And, as I expected, announced that they are about to release a new album. Infinite Arms will be out on May 17 (or 18 depending on your location), but sadly not on Sub Pop.
+ The Great Salt Lake

New song Andalucía by Doves was played on radio for the first time.

I received a promo mail with a copy of Plastic Beach. Stylo is a nice one, but the rest is definitely not my “cup of tea”.

The band formerly known as Ruined by Martin okayed a “in retrospect” post. So hopefully a post will be up next week containing every track ever recorded by the band.
+ Kaiser Star

Jeremy Sparrow mailed me a copy of his debut EP This Summer Was Just Such A Bore. I’m looking forward to giving it some thorough listens.
+ Outrunning Paper Tigers (demo version)

Received the rest of the Call Signs EP, I requested yesterday! At times the lead singer of Wires in the Walls really sounds like Angie Aparo, and that combined with some great songwriting makes this a truly fabulous EP!
+ Twin Jet Engines

Two decent cover versions of The Raveonettes' Heart of Stone landed in my inbox.
+ Dum Dum Girls - Heart of Stone
+ Amazing Baby - Heart of Stone

Shorties...

Stuff is piling up again!

My conscience is black. I promised to write a few words on the Sleep Party People debut album, but won’t be able to do so, before it’s released on Monday. Shame on me! Will try to make amends next week!
+ I’m Not Human At All

Scottish trio AirSpiel shares a brand new recording named Freerider. A really nice anthemic indie rock track and the first taste of things to come, as the band is preparing a single release in March.
+ Freerider

So far the new album Vexations by Get Well Soon has failed to impress me. But I'm certainly going to give it plenty of chances to win me over, before the band's concert at Loppen on March 23.
+ 5 Steps / 7 Swords

Tower of Foil shares the track Driving North from the band’s forthcoming debut album of the same name. Lovely stuff as always and great that the band will finally be releasing an album!
+ Driving North

Music bloggers everywhere have joined forces (or at least so it seems) and made up their minds that Swedish duo, with the close to ungoogleable name, jj is the next big thing. Personally I'm still trying to figure out exactly why!
+ Let Go

Chris writes about a new alliance he nicknames “A Champagne Portrait”. Think I'd prefer “A Northern Riot”, but I definitely share his excitement!

Chromewaves gives us the lowdown on the much anticipated third album from The Radio Dept.

Chief of the Tribe by Blue Swan is currently topping the “most played track” chart at BandBase.dk. The track was originally published in August 2008, so where did this sudden increase in popularity come from?
+ Chief of the Tribe

Atypical...

Something very, very unusual happened yesterday, as I honestly cannot recall the last time I went an entire day (holidays not included), without being on the Internet for just a couple of minutes. We probably have to go as far back as 1996, but as written I'm not really sure. But anyhow this is exactly what happened yesterday and I’m rather surprised how well I dealt with it. And it does look, as if the www did behave quite nicely in my absence, so no harm done really!

Working close to the city centre sure does have its advantages, as I just spent my lunch break rushing out and buying the new moi Caprice singles compilation All We Fear Is Love that was released this Monday.
+ The Art of Kissing Properly

Following shamelessly in the footsteps of Shallgrenzen and Music of the Moment and posting the new single 5 Steps / 7 Swords by Get Well Soon. New album Vexations will be out very early next year and hopefully it will equally diverse and interesting as the truly remarkable debut Rest Now, Weary Head! Jonas has just brought to my attention that the band will be playing at Loppen, Copenhagen on March 23 next year!
+ 5 Steps / 7 Swords

Brilliant Italian combo A Classic Education has a new free to download single named What My Life Could Have Been out on Holiday Records. The second track on the single is the band's wonderful cover of Toi.

Various (once again)...

Everything that needs to be said has probably been said by now. R.I.P. Michael!

Every fan of Mew (and a few non-fans as well I guess) has most likely downloaded the new track Repeaterbeater via Spinner by now. Not quite sure what to think and it’s definitely a little too short for my liking. Danish blog Regnsky captures the problem pretty well or at least have an interesting take on the new track me thinks (roughly translated from Danish); “having the best drummer in Denmark doesn’t automatically save all plain tunes”. Nonetheless I still expect the new album to be nothing short of fabulous.

Follow Kashmir at Twitter and get (fairly) regular updates on how the recordings of the new album are progressing. So far there has been no relevant news on first single, release date etc.

J.A. recommends this one by Sweden's Girl Alliance for your summer soundtrack. Lovely Swedish indie tune taken from the recently released 3" CD-R split single (with The Librarians) on Cloudberry Records. As always I highly recommend that you spend a little time poking around the Cloudberry webpage, as there are plenty of gorgeous freebies to download.
+ Frances and the Dancing Fairies

Danish music site BandBase.dk has sent a number of bloggers to this year's Roskilde Festival, thus securing us non-attendees a steady and quite entertaining news flow from the festival.

And while you're visiting BandBase.dk, why not stream the new single Sunshine by Ginger Ninja? Definitely belongs on any decent summer soundtrack.

Still rather disappointed that Jonas, despite all my well-meaning efforts, didn't include The Pains of Being Pure At Heart in his recommendation list (for the festival). He did however include Get Well Soon, though this doesn't quite compensate for his TPOBPAH blunder (tongue in cheek).
+ Get Well Soon - If This Hat Is Missing (I Have Gone Hunting)
+ The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction

NME writes that Richard Hawley announces UK tour. I'm still dreaming of a Danish date, but I'm afraid it will remain just that; a dream!

If The Year End List Is Missing...

I know some of you out there are still waiting for my "best of 2008" lists. But tell you what. You’ll have to wait forever for those, as I’ve decided not to post any. I enjoy reading other people’s lists, but honestly hate compiling my own, as they seem so definitive and can be used to prove your ignorance at some later stage. And today’s experience was the final proof that this is the only right decision. My Swiss music friend Chris has mailed me a physical copy (in case you don’t know what I'm talking about, it’s one of those circle shaped shiny things called CD that no one seems to be buying anymore) of the debut album Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon by German one-man band Get Well Soon and it's been on constant rotation today. It’s truly phenomenal and sounds like the perfect and most beautiful mix of Beirut, Radiohead, Bright Eyes, Mew and iLiKETRAiNS. And then again I'm not quite sure, if that description is accurate enough. Released in January 2008 it somehow slipped completely under my radar last year, but after today's 4 listens, I know for sure that a "best album of 2008" list wouldn’t have been the same without it. And tomorrow or some time next week another great 2008 release will probably reveal itself to me and once again confirm that today’s decision was the wisest possible!
+ If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting