I have had the privilege of listening to the new Oh No Ono album, and I must say that I am very impressed by this giant leap towards excellence in the art of music. “Eggs”, as the album is entitled, is so brilliant, layered and thought through, and should be considered a great example for everyone who is a recording or performing artist. The album and the material sounds to be largely inspired by The Beatles and probably their later more experimental works. This is however not a problem for me, as I think Oh No Ono manages to pay homage to the great masters of Liverpool, as well as many other great bands, but still going their own way, in their own shoes and their own time.
I only have a long line of superlatives for this album, and to prevent that from flooding this blog I would just say that, you should pre-order the album now, and then go wait by the mailbox till the 20th of April when “Eggs” is released.
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of The William Blakes. After a great debut album “Wayne Coyne” from last year, they are back with a collection of nine songs under the title “Dear Unknown Friend“.
I love almost all of the songs on the album and the ones I don’t love, I admire. I admire that this band is not afraid of being art – or at least try to be. So many bands and artists (myself included – and this I struggle with) are afraid to let go and be creative for real. We have all these templates and certain ways of doing things, and our habits shackle us more than they help us. It is a kind of self censoring that has been cultivated through generations of musicians and that has us all in a tight grip. We need to break out of our mind loops, that is what we need. I’ve talked to so many of my colleagues about this, and I think I could write a book on the subject if I weren’t so lazy. We’ll boil it down to this: Turn off your screen and make music. Or: You don’t need to make a great art every time, as long as you learn.
Anyways, the new William Blakes album is great. It is for and about you. You are William Blakes.
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William Blakes – Our Moment
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If you haven’t already given this bright canadian star a listen, then you definitely should start with his new album “Songs About Dancing and Drugs”. It is a fascinating journey into a reflective mind in a superficial world. I stumbled upon Jeremy Shaw’s one man project over a year ago and have been wondering when he would release an album. His track “Fight Sounds pt. 1″ was what got me hooked, but unfortunately his EP “Pre-Earthquake Anthem” didn’t live up to my expectations. With the release of his first full length album, my concerns over wether “Fight Sounds pt. 1″ was just a lucky punch was put to shame. This album is just as complex as it is simple. As deep as it is shallow. So far one of the best albums of 2009.
Circlesquare – Hey You Guys
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Circlesquare – Ten To One
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Circlesquare – Timely
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Video for “Dancers”
Buy “Songs About Dancing and Drugs” on iTunes or Amazon
Last friday my band won the P3 Award and a check for 100.000 DKR (around $17.000). We have received a lot of positive response to the award, but some viewers are also criticizing the show for being too predictable and not focusing enough on the rest of the danish music scene. All in all a very mixed reaction to the show.
Now, I like a good discussion about these issues, as much as the next one, so I started out at soundvenue.com. Let me hear what you think about the show. Was the artists performing relevant and even more important, how about the nominees and winners of the awards?
Post your reply in the comments, and feel free to express yourself in danish if you’re most comfortable with that.
I’ve been meaning to do a piece about this magnificent woman for a long time, but every time I try to write something about her and her music, I get lost for word. The truth is that I don’t know many like Marnie Stern. There I go again…lost for words. Her music is all bout being experienced. I can tell you this. She is a mean shredder. And her new record has a ridiculously long name.
Marnie Stern – Transformer
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The album – with a title I shall truncate here to be called only “This is it…” – is pretty psychotic and is a true trash rock when it’s best. Very loud, very fast and very clever. Important stuff this is.
When the sunlight is retreating and the days are getting shorter and shorter, I tend to turn to music to help me enjoy this gloomy season, instead of getting depressed over it. When it rains the best thing you can do is to stay indoors with a cup of coffee, and just enjoy the tapping of the rain on the window. When it is cold and wintery outside, the best thing I know is to throw on an album that puts me in that certain mood of confidence in the future, mixed with a healthy doze of melancholy. Then I just wander around my house for an entire day. It’s like therapy for me :-)
One of the albums of 2008 that I use for this particular habit is Sascha Funke’s“Mango”. Freed from any dogmas and rules about music, Sascha Funke has created an astonoshing album that is not quite right for the peak-hour dance-floor and nor for radio’s “3:20″ way of thinking. It is somewhere in between all of these constrains that modern music is forced into, but without leaving the land of techno behind. Have a listen yourself.
Sascha Funke – We Are Facing The Sun
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Another album I have used when I wander around my house is the soundtrack for german movie “Berlin Calling”. Paul Kalkbrenner, who plays the lead-role of a DJ in distress when he is faced with sudden stardom, have also created a nice piece of cinematic soundscapes for the movie. The movie is not yet available for purchase anywhere, but you can stay tuned on their website if you want to know when and where to get it. Untill then, enjoy the soundtrack.
Paul Kalkbrenner – Altes Kamuffel (Special Berlin Calling Edit)
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Maybe you have some suggestions as to what albums myself and others should listen to, while we all wander around the house? I am actually going away for week on my own to write new material and I could use the inspiration. So shoot: What albums get you through stormy weather?
My brother was so kind as to turn my attention to the new Bon Iver album. Bon Iver is the name of american musician Justin Vernons threepiece band, and acording to wikipedia his “most notabel project to date”. I don’t know of anything else he has done, so I wouldn’t know, but I know this: “For Emma, Forever Ago” is the soundtrack to my winter. I absolutely adore this album.
The vocal production and performance bears resemblance to an act like TV On The Radio, and the music is your standard indie-country-midwestern-guitar-bass-drums-by-the-fire-by-the-lake-feeling.
These are good songs performed with moving feeling and intensity. Go buy “For Emma, Forever Ago” on iTunes or physcial at Amazon now.
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My Mockin’ Bird album is now available through itunes for purchase, so for those of you who didn’t get it from here in time, rest assured. The album is iTunes Plus which means no DRM or restrictions on the files. Thank you for supporting me.
For those of you who are not exactly sure what this is all about read this and this.
