Beach House - not folktronica, but still...

I really like the web music ehm.. phenomenon(!), last.fm. Its bottom-up engineered software system seems to be in a league of its own in designing finely tailored playlists just for me. It covers every corner of my musical taste while avoiding things that I logic-defyingly don't like in the very same genres. Now, last.fm has expanded business to a mail service containing various music recommendations. That's how I discovered the American duo Beach House.

On their Myspace site they refuse to be pinned down by simplifying genre terms, especially folktronica. Not only must I admit I haven't encountered that term before but also when hearing the songs of their 2006 self-titled debut, I find it quite useful here. But alrighty then... Imagine Portishead, Grant Lee Buffalo and Mazzy Star meeting and smoking some of whatever it is that Devendra Banhart smokes. This results in a dreamy, spacy, decadent style that can be quite enchanting.

Here are a couple of tasters from their album but be prepared to hear a lot more of these two in 2008 when they release their second effort "Devotion".

Beach House - Tokyo Witch

Beach House - Apple Orchard

If you think you only have time for one song, make sure it is this one: the very cool 'Master of None':

Beach House - Master of None

NB: For our Danish readers - Beach House actually visit Denmark next Saturday, the 20th. However, they play in Fredericia... which is just about the strangest thing I've ever heard. But If you live nearby I strongly recommend you to go.

Radiohead day - in poor quality

Today it's the official Radiohead day. Of course we tried to download the album for 0£ from their site. The encoding is not my cup of tea. Only 160 kbps. Fair enough, but they could have done better. Maybe we'll have to buy the old skool album when it's out, probably in '08. Musicwise it's nice!
An interessting discussion on the subject here.

Jose Gonzalez in concert and new music videos

There are moments in my life where I really like Jose Gonzalez. Sometimes he is just way to fragile, gently and soft, but overall he really is one of my favorite swedes. Now you can catch him in a full concert, recorded in Washington, D.C. Of course it's NPR delievering this for you.
Check out Teardrop - a new Gonzalez-cover. This time Teardrop from Massive Attack.
Below I also put some links for some very interessting all new music videos for Gonzalez. These videos are directed by the very interessting directors Mögel & Andreas Nilsson adding some both surreal and beautiful characters.

José Gonzales - Teardrop

José Gonzalez - Down the Line (quicktime)

José Gonzalez - Killing for Love (quicktime)

Why hasn't the new Radiohead-album been leaked

Radiohead generates a lot of attention these days with their new free cd 'In Rainbows' coming out wedensday. I'm pretty exited about this new album. Read a nice article from todays Times on what this release might lead to for the global music industry.
What puzzles me most about this album is why it hasn't been leaked yet? Every normal release would have been released so few days prior to a launch-date. More on that subject here.

Congrats to Patrick Watson

Patrick Watson is in fact pretty good, and that's why he won the second annual Polaris Music Prize in Canada last week. I like him a lot.
A certain danish musicmag shows their brilliance in doing a terrible review.

Made of Buildings - new great indielineup from Århus

These days I'll do anything to help my favorite footballteam - AGF - win some points.
I don't know if this will help any bit, but Made of Buildings is from Århus and has a fine debutalbum out called 'The World has been stolen by cynics'. It's indie and it's not of the happy go lucky kind of indie, which I'm not sooo crazy about. This is a bit darker and has some very nice minimalist melodies on it. The vocals works pretty good and in glimpse Made of Buildings reminds me of The American Analog Set and The Album Leaf. So in the good spirit of the band and our footballteam AGF - go visit and support these boys.

Download a few songs on their MySpace

From Devendra with Love!

It's exciting times in the record-industry. It seems that the web is about to kill old-school music-distribution totally. Today Radiohead announced that you can download their new album from their website in ten days, and YOU decide the prize! Access to music gets easier and easier. My favorite hippie Devendra Banhart just put his entire new album om his Myspace page. Thanks! If you are an old-school guy like me who in fact likes cd's for the stereo and magazines in your hand, I can recommed the new Uncut-magazine, where Devendra has compilated a cd showing his personal taste. Exciting times!