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)

Shorties...

Not much time today, so this will be a short one.

Have just bought the WHT solo album from VETO front man Troels Abrahamsen. Will get back with a few thoughts, whenever I’ve found the time to give it some decent listens.
+ End Scene

Italian DIY label We Were Never Being Boring Collective kicks off by releasing a 3” CD single containing 4 different cover versions of the Wavves track So Bored by four different artists. And the song does get treated in 4 quite varied, but highly entertaining, ways, as the versions range from the acoustic gorgeousness created by Le Man Avec Les Lunettes, via the inferno produced by Death In Donut Plains, over the atmospheric beauty by His Clancyness to the almost unrecognizable 47 seconds long electronic craziness of Dj Minaccia. The CD is a 30 copies limited edition, so hurry up if you want a copy. Or do as I did yesterday; download it for free from the label’s webpage.
+ Le Man Avec Les Lunettes – So Bored (Wavves cover)

Two days ago I mentioned that Sleep Party People had been signed by Speed of Sound, and I have since recieved permission to post a track from the album. According to the Myspace page the album is finished and will be called I’m The Little Bunnyman. No official release date has yet been announced (if so, I cannot find any), so for now enjoy I’m Not A Human At All as an appetizer, which hopefully will make you drool for more?
+ I’m Not Human At All

Kender du det...?

Danish label Exlibris is about to release the double album Kender du det? Fortid-nutid-altid!, where the contents of the first disc will be 10 Danish classic pop/rock songs covered by 10 different artists. The second disc will then feature 10 remixes of those cover versions, but unfortunately a third one containing the original versions won’t be included. MyMusic.dk is currently giving away three of the remixes for free, but since I suspect that none of you English speaking readers have a clue how to register (and you still have to be a registered member to get the permission to download), I’ll take the risk and share one of the mixes with you. Blog favorites Entakt has recorded a brilliant and rather different version of Du Er Alt Det Jeg Ka’ Li’ (originally released by Shit & Chanel in 1978), and SuperTroels has done an absolutely amazing job and created a superb remix of the new version!
+ Du Er Alt Det Jeg Ka’ Li’ (supertroels RMX)

Out of office...

The holiday season is coming up, so for the next couple of weeks there will be no updates. It would of course be tempting to use blogger’s scheduling facility to secure a flow of daily posts, but somehow I don’t see that as “true blogger spirit”. So mid-August I’ll be back again and I’m already beginning to fear the number of mails and blog updates I’ll have to read my way through upon my return. But that’s a problem of the future and instead I’ll much rather find joy in the fact that the weather forecast looks absolutely fantastic, unlike last year, where we were inches from drowning. And while I'm away I suggest that you:

Join the Northern Portrait Facebook group! I'm seriously afraid that the Napoleon Sweetheart EP will be released while I'm on holiday.
+ Crazy

Download the 6 tracks by Velour that (for the moment) are freebies at the band's Myspace profile. The album Undress Your Alibis was my soundtrack of last summer.
+ Janey Black (Tiger Baby Remix)

Watch last night's episode of Kaer paa tur. It's in Danish, but if you wind forward to the 5:17 mark you'll get an introduction to my local CD pusher. You could of course watch the rest of the episode and get a bit more familiar with my hometown.

Download the 8 Speaker Bite Me remixes, including this fine one by SuperTroels. Try to spot the Pink Floyd and Kate Bush references!
+ Teach Me Tiger (SuperTroels remix)

Check out the Green Concorde post from yesterday. It's been updated!

Friday blurbs...

Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about switching language and start writing my posts in Danish instead. Let’s be honest for second. My English isn’t really any good and these posts are taking me forever to write. Writing in Danish would save me a lot of time and I’m pretty certain that the posts will be funnier and a tiny bit more interesting to read if written in my native language. But the obvious reason why I’m rooting against this switch is that I, pretty much like every other naïve blogger, hope that someday the entire world will be knocking on my bloggerdoor. Then it would be plain stupid that the world couldn't understand what I was writing - wouldn't it. And furthermore I'd probably risk loosing the two non-Danish speaking readers I have, if I made such a change? So for now the blog will continue being written in English and the dictionary will remain my loyal and trusted companion.

I wrote it earlier this week and I’m happy to repeat it. The more I listen to Our Love To Admire the more I like it.

Handily Supertroels has posted a compilation of all his freebies.

Some might ask what's there to be excited about, but I'm really, really looking forward to see Spion and The Holiday Show in concert tonight. Family obligations make it pretty difficult to fill my calendar with concert dates, so for obvious reasons I have to treasure the ones where I get the opportunity to go.
+ Spion - Dine Øjne
+ The Holiday Show - Put Me On A TV-show

This has already received plenty of blogger love, but I think that the great initiative deserves my recognition as well. The independent label Autumn Tone (run by Justin of An Aquarium Drunkard) has reissued the debut album Shadows Rise by post-folk duo Travel By Sea, as an “appetizer” for the band’s second release – due later this summer/fall. And a beautiful album it is. So quiet and mellow that you almost get the impression that it was created especially for the rainy days spent on the couch with a smoking cup of coffee in your hand. Despite truly deserving it, the album probably won’t appeal to the masses (these kinds of bands just never seem to do), so I very much doubt that it will propel the band (or the label for that matter) to stardom. But I assume at lot less will do just fine? However should I be wrong; then it's possible to buy the album here. Finally - am I really the only one who easily could imagine Lindsey Buckingham performing Brightside?
+ Brightside
+ Complete Shakeup

Chris posted it yesterday and I'll post it today. The new (AND free) track by Iron and Wine is excellent. His new album will be released September 25.
+ Boy With a Coin

Goodies...

I've lots of stuff that I'd like to post, but time is as always a very limited commodity these days (look at the burden I have to carry). So here are the songs and hopefully I'll be able to add a few comments during the day...

+ Tilde vs SuperTroels - Toss Away (SuperTroels Remix)
SuperTroels was rather pissed off yesterday (to say the least), because a Danish blog (which now has been deleted) had made the entire I Know That You Know album available for free. As a blogger I can only support free downloads of a few tracks, but the artists still have to make a living, so I can never support actions like that! Should add that his album is pretty good, so I can only recommend that you buy it!

+ Pete White - The Light & Friction Makes Fire
That UK singer/songwriter Pete White is one of my favorite artists is probably one of the world's worst kept secrets. He's been in the studio and re-recorded a couple of old tracks and in his own words: "finally got a dark version of friction makes fire and quite an up beat version of the light." As always highly enjoyable.

+ Buddy Akai - I'll Know
Rodolfo is a really busy man as well these days (hopefully I'll soon be able to tell you why), so we haven't heard from him for quite some time. But yesterday he sent a message recommending this catchy and danceable one by Californian electro/indie rock act Buddy Akai.

+ Tears Run Rings - A Question and an Answer
This wonderful dream pop track is taken from the band's debut EP released earlier this week on Lavender Recordings/Disaster Club Records.

+ No Privacy - The Shadow
The animated video for this track is absolutely fantastic. Check it here. The song itself by this Danish quartet is quite OK.

+ Sir Salvatore - Public Key
Just a pretty good one from the mailbox. This band is beginning to make a splash in the blogger world.

+ The Paperhouse - Bright Life
Not really that high on this track by Aussie band The Paperhouse. But those opening jangling guitars are really, really great!

Kind of girl +++

I didn't update the blog yesterday, as I spent a large chunk of the day in Copenhagen far, far away from my computer. Among the things I did in the Danish capital was having a cup of coffee with Jesper, who is responsible for the promotion of Danish alternative/indie rock/pop band Kind of girl. Following our short encounter he wrote this, which almost made me blush. Guess you must be completely new to this blog if you have missed out on this great band, so here are a few tracks to get you started.
+ Poetry Boy
+ Slave To Your Charms

Two tracks found in my mailbox last night taken from the album Arrivals And Departures by US indie pop band The Icicles. The band has been compared to Camera Obscura and especially Whirling is absolutely sweet.
+ La Ti Da
+ Whirling

SuperTroels has remixed two tracks by Danish electro rock act Turboweekend. He's an absolute workhorse, who never ceases to amaze me. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up his debut album later today.
+ Wash Out (Original)
+ Wash Out (SuperTroels Remix)
+ Something To Say (Original)
+ Something To Say (SuperTroels Remix)

Nothing But Green Lights has once again posted an excellent track. This time it's Good Coat by UK indie pop/folk singer Rod Thomas.

Hits In The Car favorite Andrew Boland has uploaded a few new tracks to his Myspace profile. One of the tracks is called Andrew Boland's Few, which is a title very similar to his previous (and absolutely wonderful) track Leonard Cohen's Few. I really like the new one (laid back and reminds me somewhat of Richard Hawley), though it never really reaches the heights of the Cohen tribute.
+ Andrew Boland's Few

I've just received a "friend" request from the official Terry Hall myspace profile. 3 tracks are available as free downloads and one of them is this gorgeous classic by The Colourfield. I actually have the original 7" somewhere.
+ Thinking of you

Two brand new tracks by The Sky Drops are available for free from the band's webpage.
+ Sentimental
+ Million

Troels and The Family...

SuperTroels (of VETO) recommended Swedish electronic act Familjen in his blog a few weeks back and the music described by ST as "electro-kind-of-something" is really, really cool. Download the entire Hög Luft EP for free over at Last.fm.
+ Hög Luft
+ Hög Luft (Fujasaki Remix)

And remember that SuperTroels will release his (electronic inspired) solo debut album on March 26 under the alias I Know That You Know. Here are two samples "borrowed" from his weblog.
+ You Are Always
+ Cut Me Up

Sunday evening...

SuperTroels has posted a really cool remix of Teach Me Tiger by Speaker Bite Me.
+ Teach Me Tiger (SuperTroels Remix)
+ Teach Me Tiger

Check Chris' Lazy Sunday Mix. Don't miss the fantastic Smother + Evil = Hurt by The Kissaway Trail. Sounds a lot like Arcade Fire - doesn't it??
+ Smother + Evil = Hurt

Merz is back in action!!!!!

Alison recommends The kids are all shite by German band Mikrofisch. The lyrics are quite interesting or perhaps funny is a more accurate description!
+ The kids are all shite

Another busy day!!

I have another hectic one ahead of me, so I won't have much time for posting anything. But I thought I'd share these with you.

Celestial's debut album Dream On will be released on Skipping Stones Records this spring and the title track has been made available as a free download by the label as a (let's call it) "appetizer". Highly anticipated.
+ Dream On

The great Danish indie poppers Charlie Don't Surf has a new song available for download over at Myspace.
+ Still no Signs

SuperTroels has posted a remix of Green Concorde's 2:26.

Super duper.......

VETO frontman Troels Abrahamsen (aka Supertroels) will release his first solo album on March 26 next year. The album will be called I Know That You Know and two tracks are already available to download for free from his webpage. A bit more electronic than VETO, but still pretty good! Found via the excellent It's A Trap.
+ You Need Paths, To Draw Map
+ You Are Always