Tuesday, January 29, 2008

A Hot Chip bag and some selfmade rumours

Week is already busy and my mind is still on monday. But it's tuesday. And it's busy. And soon it's wedensday and suddenly our life is over. Or wait, it's soon weekend.

To slow us all a bit down, drowse and relax, I've - for once - tried to be on time with a new release. Hot Chip is soon out with a new spinner on DFA/Astralwerks. It's called Made in the Dark.

I'm looking quite forward to hear what the electro-soul of the new Hot Chip album will bring us this time. Since The Warning they've been busy in my iPod and even though I love Coming on Strong as well, the style and momentum found on The Warning is the style I want from these dudes. The laidback attitude carefully designed for those crosscountry busrides, your headphones and the dark spots on the dancefloor.

So far my ears tell me the new album will mix the two poles between the kitchy and yet affecting lyrics and of course have both the deeper quirky ambient sound and the groove to get your head nodding.

My ears also tell my that these guys will join Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Van Halen and The Decemberists this year at the Roskilde Festival. Just guessing, but I'll bet ya!

  • Hot Chip - Made in the dark
  • Hot Chip - In the Privacy of Our Love

  • Over and Over (From The Warning)

    Monday, January 28, 2008

    Cave's coming to town!

    The coolest man in the world will play in KB-hallen in Copenhagen on the 19th of may. See you there?

    Thursday, January 17, 2008

    Indie Laundry goes jazz with Dave Brubeck Take Five

    Sometimes it's just not time for rock or indie. These are the jazztimes. And for some snack-minutes I've felt it. And learned a bit about Dave Brubeck - the shang-chi of the jazzpiano.
    Check out this 1961 recording of Take Five. The alt-sax is Paul Desmond and the drummer is Joe Morello. He is brilliant. Behold the moment around the 1:45 mark. Such subtle restraint, and then some serious speed to top things off. Just what you need for these small jazztime moments.

    New song from Sun Kil Moon

    One of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters is Mark Kozelek. He has released breathtakingly beautiful and melancolic music for the past 15 years. Whether he has used his own name, Red House Painters or now Sun Kil Moon (appearently named after a Korean boxer) the quality has always been top-notch.

    Kozelek's voice is world class and his usually simple arrangements on his blue acoustic guitar cuts right into the core of the songs - his own or in stunning covers of e.g. AC/DC (sic!) -with gorgeous results.
    April will bring a new Sun Kil Moon release fittingly called 'April'. The reports have revealed that no other than Bonnie 'Prince' Billy joins in a couple of tracks. Very prmising, indeed!!
    Do not miss the great first taster 'Moorestown' from the album.

    Monday, January 14, 2008

    Spacy Twins

    Ok, I admit this post is more than a bit unusual. Yes, Its downright strange. Normally, I certainly don't care much for tv shows like 'American Idol' but I must confess I saw the Danish version, X Factor, this Friday. And I don't regret it because of one single, extremely strange experience.

    Enter two - well, lets just say odd - twins in identical clothes looking completely baffled and behaving weird. But then they start to sing and... well, I'm speechless. Its not great in a trational way but not bad either. It defies description, really. I think this will devide our readers but you can't be unaffected by this machine-like high-pitched duet. Very monotone yet cool - or..? I really can't describe it better than the judge Thomas Blachman who was absolutely nuts about it. "This is not the new thing. This is never than that" & "You remind us that we in the end are nothing but aliens hanging in outer space without a clue of anything", he said in awe.

    Judge for yourself. I'm sure that the twins won't go far in the contest - they are simply too weird. And I can go back to not caring for the show...

    Thursday, January 10, 2008

    Tom Waits nanny Jesca Hoops really rocks

    There's no guarantee that babysitting Tom Waits offspring will land you rising fame and fortune, but singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop managed to do both.
    After trying out her record Kismet, released in the autumn, I much say I'm damn impressed 'bout this girl.

    Jesca Hoop is not in for girly indiepop you can dance to. Her way is quirky off-beat guitar-vocal stuff with evershifting rythms and complex figures. She really demands to be listened to, but the challenge is always rewarding and enchanting and maybe just a bit to emotional for me at times. But it's unconventional and honest, so it's hard not to be compelled by it.

    After five years of babysitting at the Tom Waits mansion her employer finally decided he loved Jesca Hoops songs and forwarded them to a dj he knows. Since then lots of airplay with the single below - Seed of Wonder - in hometown Santa Monica colliding with her record release last year.

    For musical references I'll mention "The New Weird Americans", Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Faun Fables and also Bonnie Prince Billy. Her style is also cabaret, hiphop, blues and ordinary folk. So homage to names like Edith Piaff, Judy Garland, The Roots, PJ Harvey and The Police would also be appropriate.

  • Jesca Hoops - Seed of Wonder
  • Jesca Hoop - Enemy
  • Thursday, January 03, 2008

    Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place video

    There's no doubt that we here at the office thinks that Radiohead is ace. I havn't seen this first video off the In Rainbows album before now, but I'm still amazed about how this band can make a great artconcept with webcams strapped to a bikehelmet. And of course one of the best songs from the album. So sorry for another YouTube-video.

  • Radiohead - Jigsaw falling into places

  • Noah and the whale - a cheerful video

    So this is the new year? Well, I definetly feel better. At least than yesterday. But not being all upbeat yet I might as well just post something cheerful, creative and worth 04:02 of your time. It's Noah and the Whale.

    BTW: Our site has undergone one of its biggest developments in the past year: it now has a 'post this entry to your Facebook' under each posting. Amazing? Well, we don't know.