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!

Shorties...

New track by Sweden’s Bakers At Dawn has been posted at Myspace.
+ With these options nothing can really fail

From a Myspace bulletin: For a very short time Ether Aura are selling 3 CD’s for only $10. For this ridiculous sum you’ll get two excellent albums (Crash + Before We Could Sing) as well as the Semblance EP. Don’t know for how long this offer is valid, so act now!
+ Twist

J.A. has uploaded a string of photos from his visit to the Rip It Up festival to his Myspace account. Boy do I regret that I didn’t go!

Somehow I “re-discovered” Swedish one-man project Twinkling Streams today. These two tracks just jangle along so perfectly that they make me want to grab a beer, put on my sunglasses and dance right into the sunshine.
+ Relations Failure
+ Things We Never Had

On a Green Concorde...

It’s been a while since we last heard anything from the four lads in Danish alternative rock band Green Concorde and I’m probably not alone in my wait for a follow up to the (early) 2007 debut Ten Cities. Still there is no news on how the work is progressing or whether it’s actually moving forward at all, but the first song recorded for the album Flowers of Romance (originally posted for streaming in January) is now available to download for free at Myspace. In my opinion it’s among their finest efforts so far, so I strongly recommend that you grab it right away. And while you’re already busy “right-clicking”, why not check out the recently published live version of Catch and Turn (the stand out track on the debut album) recorded for Danish P3.....a few more freebies have been added.
+ Flowers of Romance
+ Catch and Turn (P3 Live)
+ Catch and Turn (album version)
+ The Anthem To Which We Fall
+ This Time (tWAMi Remix)

Update (from a Myspace blog post): "We are recording new songs in Safelandings Studios in Århus with Ole Gundahl. Everything is going as planned and we are pleased to pieces. Today Rune Wehner from Spleen United is visiting us with his Korg, contributing with some dark synth ..ed bits. Then only the recording of Mortens vocal remain.

The tracks will, together with Flowers Of Romance, be featured on a forthcoming release, which we speak of as "Down The Corridor, To The Exit, Through The Gates, Out Into Safety".

The track list looks a little something like this:

Silence and Glass
Silvercoated Buildings
Arrows on Fire
Miami
Flowers of Romance
Planet WWX
Death
[Untitled]

Listening to these songs it's evident that a lot has happened since the recordings of Ten Cities back in 2006. It's still Green Concorde. But it's different."

Small Town Bells in the Death Valley...

The fabulous and ever so productive Danish one-man project Death Valley Sleepers has published yet another track. The newbie is called Small Town Bells and as great as it is, it doesn’t really bring much new to the table, as the music continues to sound like The Jesus and Mary Chain joining The Raveonettes in a time machine on a nostalgic trip back to the 60’s to team up with The Velvet Underground. But the real news of the day is that Death Valley Sleepers have finally announced the date of their first gig, which will take place at Rust in Copenhagen on August 28. Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it to their first live performance, but hopefully this means that more concerts will be soon be announced!! I’ve done a bit of counting (I’m normally very good at this) and have reach the conclusion that the band has published at least 12 different tracks or pretty much an album worth of music. For your convenience I’ve posted 10 of the tracks below (all of them are free to download at either Last.fm or Myspace) and hopefully I’ll add the two missing ones tonight (no promises though)..
+ Small Town Bells
+ Heartbreaking Sound of Joy
+ Hey Messy Queen
+ My Blue Underground
+ The Golden Mud
+ In The Valley
+ She's In Control
+ White Noise
+ Sweet End
+ Black Pearl
+ Left Me High
+ Girl Got Lost

Falafel...

Had a falafel for lunch today. Really should feel a slight bit of guilt, as this is not the proper diet with the 100 Push-Up challenge in mind! I do promise that I’ll continue my quest tonight!

A new track by Calexico is free to grab at Myspace and though I’m no fan and therefore lack any insight, I do find it very appealing and believe it must be one of their best songs. New album to be called Carried To Dust and will be released September 9 on Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records.
+ Two Silver Trees

On a Myspace crusade yesterday I found this quite beautiful cover version of Love Will Tear Us Apart recorded by Italians Albanopower.
+ Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)

Series Two Records has agreed to release the debut album by Swedish electro pop duo Television keeps us apart later this year. I feel the "need" to mention that the duo hails from Stockholm, as I should have mentioned yesterday that indie pop duo New Found Land is from Gothenburg. Check this post to understand why this is of “importance”.
+ Television keeps us apart – Never be alone

Shorties (longer version)...

As it was played on the radio this morning, I wanted to post the video for Zookeeper’s Boy by Mew, but all I got was the “embedding disabled by request” message! I’m tempted to post multiple question marks here, because what exactly is the motivation behind this decision? I’m truly sorry that I wanted to promote one of your songs. Sorry, sorry, sorry and I promise that I’ll never do it again! My big problem is that I absolutely adore Mew, so hopefully it’s just some label jerk showing his complete lack of judgment.

The lovely Someone You Replaced by Kind of girl was played on the radio as well. The debut album Lonely in a modern way will (finally) be digitally released August 11. What a long, long journey this has been.

Also on the radio this morning was the annoying Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders (video) and I seriously believe it must be one of the worst songs ever written.

Swedish male/female duo New Found Land has just finished recording their first release (?) and the track Leave It All Behind once again leaves me in complete awe how the stream of charming and catchy pop tunes by Swedish bands never seems to dry out.

Hits In The Car favorites Ether Aura are giving away an unreleased version of the album track Our Favorite Song. These guys deserve a major breakthrough, so they can go on a world tour, as I believe this will be my only chance to ever see them in concert.
+ Our Favorite Song

Another favorite act The Papertiger Sound will soon be releasing/publishing a new EP. It's to be called This Is How It Ends and hopefully there's no deeper meaning to the title? Every single track recorded by this amazing band is available as a free download.

I love small indie labels like Shelflife, matinée etc., but at the same time I do find it a bit frustrating when the “coming soon” signs are up for months. When will Shelflife release that Paris and I EP by Champagne Riot and it probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I cannot sleep at night, because I’m impatiently awaiting the Napoleon Sweetheart EP by Northern Portrait (hopefully out on matinée very, very soon)?
+ Champagne Riot – Heroes Of Our Time

Yays and nays...

Yay – ENTAKT believe they have finished recording the last track for their sophomore album. Come October the album will hopefully be released.
+ Kunsten At Slippe Taget (oldie but goodie)

Nay – The new Last.fm layout is downright ugly and the download function isn’t working. They’ve taken a huge step in the wrong direction if you ask me.

Yay – Celestial have finished recording their sophomore album. No news on any release date.
+ Dream On (another oldie but goodie)

Nay – Chris is busy, though he did find enough time to write a post today. He doesn't seem to be a fan of the new Last.fm design either?

Yay – A Classic Education are now so popular that one of their songs has been covered. The band's own version is still the better of the two.
+ Stay, Son

Nay - I have exactly 1,156 mails in my mailbox waiting to be read, filed or deleted.

Yay - Afraid of stairs have a new track streaming at Myspace.

Nay - The Danish album chart. A joke as always, as the best selling album is by "newcomers" Creedence Clearwater Revival!

Yay - Superb Swedish indie pop band Sweet Sweet Concorde has a lovely new tune named Benji and Me streaming at Myspace.

Opening the mailbox...

The debut album Portuguese Prince by Austin indie rock band Goldcure is definitely worth checking out. I’ve been giving a few spins this morning and it probably deserves a post of its own. Will be out August 26 on Sorin Records.
+ Make It Stop

Labrador is giving away the new Pelle Carlberg single 1983 (Pelle & Sebastian). A lovely indie pop tune and the Belle & Sebastian references make perfect sense.
+ 1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)

Among things I'm trying to understand why there is such a hype surrounding From Bubblegum To Sky. Still haven’t figured it out.
+ I Always Fall Apart

I’ve just downloaded the Liz Durrett album Outside The Gates. Promo track Wild As Them got me interested.
+ Wild As Them

Fields are currently recording their sophomore album and sends this track to give us an idea of how things are progressing!
+ Worst Love

Mmm...I kissed a girl...

First song on the radio this morning was the Hanson “classic” MMMBop, but no way that I’m going to post that video. Though I do recall requesting it at some disco back in 97 and dancing to it like a maniac. Instead I have no problems posting this funny new video for the Max Vernon cover of I Kissed a Girl.



+ I Kissed a Girl

On the radio this morning...

This was the first song on the radio this morning. Even though the title isn't the most optimistic you'll ever hear, I still expect today to be a fine one, with a start like that.



+ No One's Gonna Love You

Every morning when eating breakfast the radio is on, and from time to time it does happen that some really fine stuff is aired, thus helping to make the start of the day a good one. The “On the radio this morning” posts are an attempt to make your start a good one as well!