Held up by a banana...

Being the provincial nerd I am, I obviously know close to nothing about Copenhagen nightlife. Nonetheless I’ve always believed that it was all covered. This meaning that whatever music you were into, you could always find some bar or night club playing your favorite records. So when I learned about the Banana Hold-Up club night and their ambition of playing “a beautiful mix of indiepop, twee, c86, britpop, yé yé, sixties pop and northern soul”, I didn’t think it would bring anything new to the table. But apparently I was dead wrong, and judging from the number of people showing up Saturday evening at Jolene Bar, one could easily be convinced that Copenhagen has been in dire need of a club like this. From around midnight (I believe) and until we left at 1.30, people were queuing outside, which has to be the best stamp of approval anyone can think of? Knowing my taste in music, it can hardly surprise anyone that I enjoyed the evening immensely and when Slight Return was followed by Happy Hour, She Bangs The Drums and moments later Ready Or Not, I learned that drinking beer, while smiling from ear to ear, is virtually impossible! Add to this that I finally got to say hello to Tobias (Death Valley Sleepers), Caspar (Champagne Riot) and Danielle (one of the organizers), as well as being updated on Northern Portrait by Stefan, and the evening was pretty darn close to perfect. I’ve “borrowed” a picture taken by Danielle for the post (more pics), and if you look closely, you'll see yours truly on the right in the back with his back (lots of backs) turned to the camera, deeply engaged in a philosophical discussion with Mr. Champagne Riot. Or maybe we were just exchanging drunken thoughts? I honestly cannot remember! So you pick whatever scenario you think is the most likely.
+ Champagne Riot – The Champagne Anthem
+ Death Valley Sleepers – Seaside
+ Northern Portrait - Crazy

A mouthful of shorties...

New download single Mouthful of Wasps by Kashmir is out today and is available (apparently for Danish residents only) for purchase from the official webpage. My initial thoughts; this is a pretty decent, surprisingly upbeat and almost indie pop inspired first single. So Kasper’s voice aside, this is hardly your typical Kashmir song. Not necessarily a bad thing. Not necessarily a good thing either! Hopefully we'll be much wiser February 1, when the new album is released. UPDATE: Stream the track (thank you! Jonas).

The Shelflife blog has posted a second of the three new Champagne Riot tracks for download.

Remember this post? Feeling so guilty for not having written anything proper about the A Purpose To My Sins album by Danish Daycare. If I never get around to posting anything take my word for it. The album is brilliant!
+ A Purpose To My Sins

I'm really terrible at checking emails. Just found a two week old one informing that Casiokids were playing in Denmark Monday evening. Check this blog and be updated...guess not! Here's the band's cover of Det Snurrar I Min Skalle.
+ Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (Familjen cover)

Almost forgot to mention...The Banana Hold-Up...tomorrow night at 10pm...Jolene Bar...Copenhagen...See you there!

Shorties...

Working my way through mails, updates etc.

Northern Portrait (sort of) verifies that they have finished the recordings of the debut album Criminal Art Lovers.
+ I Give You Two Seconds To Entertain Me

Quite frustrating to learn that the Ruined by Martin concert at Rust (Copenhagen) November 14 has been cancelled. Especially annoying since the problem "finding a babysitter" had been solved. Instead I'll attend the first (of hopefully many) The Banana Hold-Up club nights.
+ Defy The Odds

Glorious acts like Play People, Celestial and The Legends are among the artists included on the forthcoming Rough Trade Indiepop 09 compilation. Check the tracklist and start drooling!
+ Play People - Goes Out

Two brand new tracks by excellent Danish band Lastbandalive are streaming at Myspace.

Slumberland Records has just put out a smorgasbord of 7” singles; each accompanied by a free download promo track. Currently trying to figure out which track I like the most!

Swedish synth pop duo This Vision has just released their self-titled debut album on their own label Devotion Records. I'll write more once I've listened to the entire album, though I do recommend that you give the four streamable tracks a listen. Unless of course you don't like catchy pop music!

Former Decorate Decorate band member Mikkel Holtoug shares his remix of the Turboweekend track Trouble Is.
+ Trouble Is (Holtoug ReMix)

Should I...?

Here I am, once again trying to figure out whether or not I should bother listen to an album getting a lot of (and maybe even a little too much) attention. The just released The Resistance album by Muse is “everywhere” and at one point it felt like every second Facebook update or tweet was a comment on the album, which has made me think that I have to be the only person left on the planet, who has yet to give it a try. So I’ll probably give it a listen tonight, just to get an idea of what the whole hoopla is about. Meanwhile I’m going to read, what the Frekvens staff thinks of it.

Chris has posted it. And so has Peter. Now it’s my turn to post the amazingly catchy track A Purpose To My Sins by Swedish one-man band Danish Daycare; the solo project of Emerald Park keyboardist Daniel Jönsson. My first impression when I heard the song was that it sounded like The Cure (think In Between Days) with New Order vocals, and lo and behold, who do you guess are topping the list of influences? Taken from the album A Story of Hurt, which will be out October 9 on afmusic. What really sucks about this is that I now recall receiving a message ages ago from Danish Daycare suggesting I should check out the music, but being woefully ignorant, I opted not to (bummer!)!
+ A Purpose To My Sins

The very first of The Banana Hold-Up club nights will take place on November 14 at Jolene Bar in Copenhagen. Expect indie pop music galore.

I’ve written this so many times that it’s almost tedious. I simply don’t know how to write reviews, and as much I love getting copies of albums for reviewing, I’m not capable of producing anything worth reading or quoting. When I actually try, my so-called review basically sums up to whether or not I like what I’m hearing, and that can hardly be called a review. So regarding the Cody debut album Songs I’ll stick to what I normally do in these kind of situations; recommend that you download the sample track below and if you like it, give the rest of the album a listen, as (in this case) it’s absolutely wonderful.
+ Another Year

Hope to add more later today/tonight...

Shorties...

It’s been a rather busy day at work, as I’ve spent a fairly large chunk of it in various meetings. Luckily none of them were a waste of time, which unfortunately isn’t always the case. One negative consequence though; I’ve had very little time to check out any new stuff, so today I’ll have to scan the “back catalogue” and stick to that good-ole “shorties” formula.

Oh No Ono are giving away two recently published remixes. You do however have to register first to get access to the downloads. Don’t I just hate that!

Trying to keep the remix thread alive for a few more seconds. Remixes of two Entakt tracks are free to download (no registration needed) right here.

“The Banana Hold-Up is a newly founded club night at Jolene Bar, desperately trying to resuscitate the indiepop scene in Copenhagen”. Yay! Fucking YAY!

Swedish indie collective Napoleon will release their new single Cleopatra on Ruffa Lane Records on October 5. To me it somehow seems like an odd decision to release a single oozing this much of summer deep into autumn.
+ Cleopatra

Why Write? is a new project fronted by Danish singer/songwriter Jacob Faurholt. The self-titled debut EP will be out on Canadian label What a Mess ! Records in November.
+ Jesus on a Stamp

Danish alternative rockers Green Concorde have decided to call it quits. Not exactly a surprise, but still very sad, as I can't help feeling that they never really reached their full potential.
+ This Time (remix by tWAMi)
+ The Anthem To Which We Fall
+ Catch and Turn
+ Flowers of Romance