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!

Hurra Torpedo - total eclipse of the heart

Hurra Torpedo has been around for years. And they rule! They call themselves for the worlds leading kitchen appliance rock group. It's absolutely brilliant fun from Norway. Classic.

Tender moments between Jack White and Bob Dylan

Last week the crowd at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium last week when Jack White joined Dylan for the first ever live performance of the Blood on the Tracks gem “Meet Me In The Morning.” Jack must feel very special. Next month Elvis Castello will join Dylan on his tour.
We salute the Jack White-Bob Dylan collaboration with the YouTube video below. A stunning version of Dylan's modern classic.
Also it's said that Bob Dylan has announced that he'll kick off the second season of his acclaimed radio programme very soon. Guestlist includes Jack White.

An audience recording of Jack White and Bob Dylan at the Ryman Auditorium

Farewell Angelina - Jeff Buckley

Retrorap - Lucas with the lid off

This entry started off while I was on the bike in some pretty heavy rain. Suddenly my mind started rapping "Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... I feel!" I rarely rap in the rain - or any other places I might add - but this is a classic. Sorry.
"Lucas With the Lid Off" was a smash hit in 1994 and featured the half danish rapper Lucas, which no one have heard of since then.
The single is quite irresistible, full of crazy beats, reaggae scats and great horn loops. It's kindof fun. But what is more cool is the unique video, directed by a young Michel Gondry. It's just as weird as the song; shot in one continuous take while moving between several sets.
I guess this must be the first artist Gondry has directed that hasn't been able to ignite anything but matches since his debutalbum. Btw called Lucacentric?!?!

Preparing for the Copenhagen (Rock) Opera

This Sunday a bunch of your servants here at Indie Laundry will head to the Opera in Copenhagen. Admittedly, not exactly our home turf but the occation is too good to miss when The Good, The Bad & The Queen take the stage as the Danish Crown Prince Couple hand out their yearly culture price.

Each year the Crown Prince has an important say in who is to perform. The two previous years has presented no other than Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. Not bad taste, indeed! On this picture he shows just how much he rates Damon Alburn and his new mates in The Good, The Bad & The Queen:

Some of us also attended last year's sterling concert by PJ Harvey where she gave a very early taste of the stunning 'When under ether', first single of her brand new low-key album "White Chalk". Watch that performance here:



Ok... it just wouldn't be fair of me to not give you some of the good-bad-queenies as well so enjoy this:

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Bunting Song (acoustic version)

Hayden in Copenhagen - Elk-Lake Serenade

Besides being the most depressive time of year, this november is a crazy good month for concerts in downtown Copenhagen. So far I have by far exceeded my monthly limit having added so brilliant artists as Ryan Adams, Okkervil River, The New Pornographers, Arcade Fire and The National to my concertlist. AND considering Animal Collective.
I know that The National is a great band live, so what I'm really interessted in here is the warm-up. The canadian musician Hayden Desser is that man and he is so compelling that I'd almost wish he would put on his own concert. Or at least play for more than an hour.

In 2004 he released Elk-Lake Serenade which is his best album to date. And it is beautiful, small but large. Hayden loves detuned guitars, his lyrics are clever and has a certain talent for building some very intimate acoustic landscapes. The music is mellow with subtle strings and handclaps and has this lazy late-night feel to it. His voice and his way of vary the simplicity makes it feel really really good in your ears.

Hayden is combining elements of both rock and folk music and has a voice that is able to channel both the falsetto highs of Neil Young and the wavering raspy low tones of Leonard Cohen.
Hayden has his own recordlabel Hardwood Records and a new album is in the making, due for release in 2008.

Remember to check him out and make friends with him on his MySpace profile. He has only 192 friends due to a servercrash!

Hayden - Home by Saturday

Learn how to play Blur - Now Play It!

Ever wanted to play bass like Alex James in Blur? Well, why not hire him as a teacher.
On new website NowPlayIt you can in fact have him as a teacher for 4£ for a song. ALex James and lots more are available for drum, guitar and bass teaching so you can play with the best. Of course you don't wanna pay for this, so just go for the preview-section. And Alex James is in fact quite funny on these small clips. Mostly because he just looks as if he doesn't give a shit about what he is doing in Blur. Maybe he isn't really doing anything at the moment because the band is on pause. Or are they? BTW: Alex James has a book out.. it looks like good fun.
While we wait for new material, I'll go see The Good The Bad @ The Queen in the Royal Opera on sunday. My expectations are high. Below you'll find a couple of nice Blur-songs and one of their really good videos (clockwork orange-style) and most likely, best songs.

Blur - Country House

Blur - Coffee and TV

Prefab Sprout re-released

Back in the 80's before the word 'indie pop' made any sense, there was an English band that actually possessed all the qualities of that very genre. Oddly named Prefab Sprout fronted by Paddy McAloon produced a couple of clever, elegant and delightfully awkward pop albums in the middle of that period.

Probably the best of them, ´85's 'Steve McQueen', has just been released in a remastered edition including a bonus cd of new acoustic versions of the songs.

Like most indie music this album didn't create a lot of havoc on the charts but the critics drowned it in superlatives. This is no surprise as these very slick songs, effectively manage to cover all sorts of influences, from 1940's cabaret style to bossanova, and doing it without ever loosing sight of McAloon's masterful melodies.

What strikes me most is how well this music has stood the test of time. Here is some opportunities to judge for yourself.

Video:
Goodbye Lucille (Johnny Johnny)

MP3's:
Prefab Sprout - Desire As
Prefab Sprout - Appetite (acoustic version)

New Neil Young stream!

The biggest of them all, Neil Young, is so kind to the human race, that he will release a new album in October. Hell, yes! Listen to the new tune 'Ordinary People' here - 8 minutes long - and fucking great!