London calling...

@ DMCA/BLOGGER etc. - before removing the post or changing the status. PLEASE let me know exactly what I'm violating!!!!!!!!!!!!! All songs have been found in promo mails, but just to make you guys happy, I've removed all download links!!!!!!

Off to London tomorrow for what will be my eight visit to one of my favorite cities (in a span of 17 years!). Off to 48 hours of shopping (likely) and pub crawling (not very likely).

The spreading of the word on the forthcoming album by Shout Out Louds has begun, and so far I’ve received no less than 3 promo mails informing the world that Work will be out February 23 (or 24 - information varies) next year. Should you happen to be the only living soul in the universe, who has yet to listen to the first track off the album; well, look no further!
+ Walls

I've ordered 6 copies of the forthcoming album by Northern Portrait! You?

Another track spreading real fast is this new one by Danes The Kissaway Trail. SDP (as it's called) is grand, epic, beautiful, you name it and the perfect appetizer for the album Sleep Mountain, which will be out in April next year (though this article says March 1 in Denmark - lucky us if this happens to be true!).
+ SDP

Should I ever decide to make a “best of songs posted” list, Fee Da Da Dee by The Guggenheim Grotto will definitely be included. Remember falling completely in love with the song in late 2008, but somehow I forgot all about it and it probably would have stayed that way, hadn’t I found it in my search for Christmas tunes posted in the blog last year. It does feel quite odd writing this, because you don’t hear pop songs this infectious very often.
+ Fee Da Da Dee

Grumpy...

Fuck this has become predictably boring! Once again I’m a grumpy old man and feel the need of complaining about something! Perhaps my age has finally caught up with me and begun to show its ugly face? Because, believing that the world has united in a collective attempt to piss me off is simply too paranoiac, so it has to have something to do with my age! I suppose! I hope! Anyhow; this morning I learned that my file host boxstr.com had transformed itself into OpenDrive, but of course not before deleting all my previously uploaded files. I did read somewhere that true reason is that boxstr.com has been hacked, but I can find no verification of this anywhere. And no matter the reason, this meant that I had to spend quite some time re-uploading a string of songs to prevent people from bumping into far too many broken links. Well at least on the front-page. And tomorrow I wouldn't be surprised if things are back to normal, thus making today’s work a complete waste of time...fuck modern technology and bring back the glorious days of vinyl and cassettes...told you I was grumpy!

Guess it’s time to put focus back on music and leave all my whining behind!

Danish youngsters Avisitor has three new tracks streaming at Myspace. While you're there, why not give the new track Easy Come Sit by the lovely Majorian a listen? And Lastbandalive has a couple of new ones streaming as well! Too much streaming for my liking, but still great to learn that things are brewing!

Chris is excited about the news that Shout Out Louds are in the studio recording their third album! And give me one good reason why he shouldn't be?

Konrad has mailed me his never-released remix of the Track a Tiger track (try repeating that: “Track a Tiger track”) Don’t Make a Weapon. Since I really like this band and the remix certainly isn’t “killing” the song, I have no problems posting it. The original version of the song can be found on the band’s second album We Moved Like Ghosts.
+ Don't Make a Weapon (Konrad remix)

Music is oxygen...

As mentioned in his blog yesterday, Jonas and I have recently been sending messages back and forth recommending various stuff and discussing music in general. One of the major conclusions (or mutual understandings if you like) has been that music IS oxygen, which I cannot help think would be the perfect tagline/phrase to headline the blog. So unless you've noticed it already the description at the top of the blog has changed!

I originally went to the concert in Helsingborg last night, because I couldn't resist the opportunity to see indie pop band DAYS playing live and I definitely wasn't disappointed. The four boys delivered a fine performance, though it certainly was on the short side (6 songs in 20 minutes). But then again - they only needed 3 minutes on stage to prove that they must be one of the most talented bands to come along in recent years. After the concert I had the pleasure of talking briefly to Fabian and ? (unfortunately I didn't get his name) from the band and news is that a 7 track EP will be out on Shelflife very soon.

Concerning Shout Out Louds (the second band playing yesterday) I have the following three things to say:
1. If you have already bought a ticket for a show, make sure that you go, because you'll be in for a treat.
2. If you haven't bought one - buy one (see the tour dates here)!
3. If there ever was any doubt in my mind, it has been erased now. Tonight I Have To Leave It is a killer track!

Lovely Aussie indiepop band The Lucksmiths will release a "double CD 45-song compilation of their non-album recordings of the past decade" called Spring a Leak on Matinée Recordings this week. Listen to the two samples below and then order it (or the other way round if you like)!
+ Once Again
+ Rushes Of Pure Spring

It was my impression that the mature sound of Danish youngsters Tetris = Therapy caught a few people by surprise when I wrote about the duo earlier this year. Now the boys have informed me that they'll soon start recording some new tracks and as an appetizer an older track from the previous EP is (after some persuasion) available as a free download. A band worth keeping an eye on and I'll keep you posted whenever there's something new to tell.
+ ...Bright

Shout Out Louds / Days...

On September 13, Swedish bands Shout Out Louds and Days will be playing at The Tivoli (not to be confused with the amusement park of the same name) in Helsingborg. Since Helsingborg is nothing but a 20 minute ferry ride away from Helsingør, I can think of absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be going. Now I just need to find a way to get my hands on a few tickets...
+ Shout Out Louds - Tonight I Have To Leave It
+ Days - Downhill

A Swedish double...

The new album The Great Investigation by Indie pop band Ronderlin is on constant repeat on the car stereo these days. I really, really want the album to be great, because several tracks from it are just ace (in case you don't know them already, just check out the two I've posted below). But why is it that bands that clearly are at their best when writing up-tempo pop tunes, suddenly have to go all quiet, boring and emotional? Unfortunately Ronderlin belongs to this category, so a few really uninteresting filler tracks mean that I have to settle for "pretty good album" rating instead.
+ Aside
+ Wake Up

Peter is really high on the new album Our Ill Wills by Swedish alternative rock/pop band Shout Out Louds. I'm currently listening my way through the album (and will do so a few more times today), but so far it does sound really good. And boy don't they sound a lot like The Cure on the first single (posted below) and on quite a few other tracks as well? Or could this really be the new band/part-time project of Robert Smith (just kidding)?
+ Tonight I Have To Leave It