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<title>IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal</title> 

<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/</link> 

<description>Scandinavian music news, daily mp3 downloads, reviews, interviews and more</description>

<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2026 01:38:50 -0700</pubDate> 

<copyright>2026</copyright> 

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	<title>IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal</title> 

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<item>
	<title>Crunchy Frog turns 15, Epo-555 says goodbye</title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30874-crunchy-frog-turns-15-epo-555-says-goodbye</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30874-crunchy-frog-turns-15-epo-555-says-goodbye</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30874-crunchy-frog-turns-15-epo-555-says-goodbye#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Crunchy Frog's upcoming 15th anniversary concert will apparently be Epo-555's farewell performance. Full details: http://blog.crunchy.dk/post/15-YEARS-COME-AND-POP-OUR-CHERRY.aspx
UPDATE: didn't notice it before, but apparently Jenny Wilson will also be rejoining her old bandmates First Floor Power for this gig as well.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Crunchy Frog's upcoming 15th anniversary concert will apparently be <b>Epo-555</b>'s farewell performance. Full details: <a href="http://blog.crunchy.dk/post/15-YEARS-COME-AND-POP-OUR-CHERRY.aspx" target="_blank">http://blog.crunchy.dk/post/15-YEARS-COME-AND-POP-OUR-CHERRY.aspx</a><br/>
UPDATE: didn't notice it before, but apparently <b>Jenny Wilson</b> will also be rejoining her old bandmates <b>First Floor Power</b> for this gig as well.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:10:35 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
	<category>general</category>
	<category>live</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Rune Vigil + Ebbe Frej = Helsinki Poetry</title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30859-rune-vigil-ebbe-frej-helsinki-poetry</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30859-rune-vigil-ebbe-frej-helsinki-poetry</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/30859-rune-vigil-ebbe-frej-helsinki-poetry#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[The Late Parade's vocalist Rune Vigil has teamed up with Ebbe Frej (Epo-555), the producer of the band's recent record "In chase of red beads", for a new project called Helsinki Poetry. The duo plans to record an EP eventually, but for now they are regularly posting demos for free download at their website: http://www.helsinkipoetry.com/]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>The Late Parade</b>'s vocalist <b>Rune Vigil</b> has teamed up with <b>Ebbe Frej</b> (<b>Epo-555</b>), the producer of the band's recent record <i>"In chase of red beads"</i>, for a new project called <b>Helsinki Poetry</b>. The duo plans to record an EP eventually, but for now they are regularly posting demos for free download at their website: <a href="http://www.helsinkipoetry.com/" target="_blank">http://www.helsinkipoetry.com/</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:33:04 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
	<category>general</category>
	<category>multimedia</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title>New label: Ha Ha Records</title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28800-new-label-ha-ha-records</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28800-new-label-ha-ha-records</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28800-new-label-ha-ha-records#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Drummer Ebbe Frej (Epo-555, Lise Westzynthius, The Late Parade) has started a new label with his friend Mads Bøgh under the name Ha Ha Records. Their first release this coming summer will be the debut EP from Danish lo-fi singer/songwriter Jeremy Sparrow. Listen at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeremysparrow]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Drummer <b>Ebbe Frej</b> (<b>Epo-555</b>, <b>Lise Westzynthius</b>, <b>The Late Parade</b>) has started a new label with his friend <b>Mads Bøgh</b> under the name Ha Ha Records. Their first release this coming summer will be the debut EP from Danish lo-fi singer/songwriter <b>Jeremy Sparrow</b>. Listen at myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jeremysparrow" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/jeremysparrow</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:11:42 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
	<category>general</category>
	<category>industry</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/21245</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/21245</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/21245#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indie act Epo-555 has uploaded the Evil Death Machine remix of "Centipede" to myspace: http://www.myspace.com/epo555]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indie act <b>Epo-555</b> has uploaded the <b>Evil Death Machine</b> remix of <i>"Centipede"</i> to myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/epo555" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/epo555</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:36:36 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
	<category>multimedia</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20979</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20979</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20979#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[The Pastry Club is presenting a night of (mostly) Danish music at 93 Feet East in London on February 19 with Epo-555 and Jong Pang. More details: http://www.last.fm/event/470263]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Pastry Club is presenting a night of (mostly) Danish music at 93 Feet East in London on February 19 with <b>Epo-555</b> and <b>Jong Pang</b>. More details: <a href="http://www.last.fm/event/470263" target="_blank">http://www.last.fm/event/470263</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:15:22 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
	<category>live</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/462</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/462</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/462#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[PonyRec has signed Evil Death Machine, the solo act of Danish artist Hans Emil Hansen (Epo-555, Lazerflex). Listen to songs at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/evildeathmachinedk]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>PonyRec has signed <b>Evil Death Machine</b>, the solo act of Danish artist <b>Hans Emil Hansen</b> (<b>Epo-555</b>, <b>Lazerflex</b>). Listen to songs at myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/evildeathmachinedk" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/evildeathmachinedk</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1169</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1169</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1169#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indie act Epo-555 will play a few US shows at the end of the month:06/25 - Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY06/26 - 200 Orchard, NYC, NY06/27 - Maxwell's (tbc), Hoboken, NJ06/28 - PA's Lounge, Boston, MACheck out an ecard for the US release of the band's latest album "Mafia": http://www.rykodisc.com/ecard/epo-555/]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indie act <b>Epo-555</b> will play a few US shows at the end of the month:<p class="indent">06/25 - Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY<br>06/26 - 200 Orchard, NYC, NY<br>06/27 - Maxwell's (tbc), Hoboken, NJ<br>06/28 - PA's Lounge, Boston, MA<br><p>Check out an ecard for the US release of the band's latest album <i>"Mafia"</i>: <a href="http://www.rykodisc.com/ecard/epo-555/" target=_blank>http://www.rykodisc.com/ecard/epo-555/</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1323</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1323</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1323#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish artist Lise Westzynthius is currently working on her third solo album, due out this coming fall, her first since 2004's "Rock you can fly" (released internationally in 2005). She also makes guest appearances on the recent Epo-555 7" "Mafia fallout" as well as Caspar David's album "Let the past begin".]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish artist <b>Lise Westzynthius</b> is currently working on her third solo album, due out this coming fall, her first since 2004's <i>"Rock you can fly"</i> (released internationally in 2005). She also makes guest appearances on the recent <b>Epo-555</b> 7" <i>"Mafia fallout"</i> as well as <b>Caspar David</b>'s album <i>"Let the past begin"</i>.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/2546</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/2546</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/2546#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Crunchy Frog has signed Epo-555 sideproject Oliver North Boy Choir. Read more at Gaffa: http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=17412 (in Danish)]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Crunchy Frog has signed <b>Epo-555</b> sideproject <b>Oliver North Boy Choir</b>. Read more at Gaffa: <a href="http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=17412" target=_blank>http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=17412</a> (in Danish)]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3415</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3415</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3415#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Gaffa is reporting that Danish indie label Crunchy Frog (Junior Senior, Powersolo, Epo-555) is entering into some sort of partnership with Rykodisc in the US: http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=16784]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gaffa is reporting that Danish indie label Crunchy Frog (<b>Junior Senior</b>, <b>Powersolo</b>, <b>Epo-555</b>) is entering into some sort of partnership with Rykodisc in the US: <a href="http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=16784" target=_blank>http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=16784</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3565</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3565</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3565#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Hits in the Car has a pair of exclusive mp3s from Oliver North Boy Choir, the new band of ex-Epo-555 vocalist Camilla Florentz with Mikkel Max Hansen (still in Epo-555) and Ivan Petersen: http://stytzer.blogspot.com/2006/11/oliver-north-boy-choir.html]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hits in the Car has a pair of exclusive mp3s from <b>Oliver North Boy Choir</b>, the new band of ex-<b>Epo-555</b> vocalist <b>Camilla Florentz</b> with <b>Mikkel Max Hansen</b> (still in <b>Epo-555</b>) and <b>Ivan Petersen</b>: <a href="http://stytzer.blogspot.com/2006/11/oliver-north-boy-choir.html" target=_blank>http://stytzer.blogspot.com/2006/11/oliver-north-boy-choir.html</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4550</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4550</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4550#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indierockers Epo-555 have announced that Linda Christine Drejer Bonde  is their new female singer, replacing the recently departed Camilla Florentz who left to concentrate on her pending motherhood (Less anyone think there are hard feelings, Epo-555 frontman Mikkel Max Hansen is the father).]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indierockers <b>Epo-555</b> have announced that <b>Linda Christine Drejer Bonde </b> is their new female singer, replacing the recently departed <b>Camilla Florentz</b> who left to concentrate on her pending motherhood (Less anyone think there are hard feelings, <b>Epo-555</b> frontman <b>Mikkel Max Hansen</b> is the father).]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4795</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4795</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4795#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Vocalist/synth player Camilla Florentz has left Danish indie act Epo-555 now that she's expecting a baby. DoCopenhagen has the full statement reprinted: http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2006/08/epo-555.html]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Vocalist/synth player <b>Camilla Florentz</b> has left Danish indie act <b>Epo-555</b> now that she's expecting a baby. DoCopenhagen has the full statement reprinted: <a href="http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2006/08/epo-555.html" target=_blank>http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2006/08/epo-555.html</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5385</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5385</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5385#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indierockers Epo-555 have posted the video for "Hyperschlieb": http://www.epo-555.dk/ensite/hyber/flvplayer.html]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indierockers <b>Epo-555</b> have posted the video for <i>"Hyperschlieb"</i>: <a href="http://www.epo-555.dk/ensite/hyber/flvplayer.html" target=_blank>http://www.epo-555.dk/ensite/hyber/flvplayer.html</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6736</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6736</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6736#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indierockers Epo-555 have a brand new website: http://www.epo-555.dk/]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indierockers <b>Epo-555</b> have a brand new website: <a href="http://www.epo-555.dk/" target=_blank>http://www.epo-555.dk/</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6896</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6896</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6896#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indierockers Epo-555 have their new single "Harry Mambourg" available for streaming and download on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/epo555As mentioned before, the new album "Mafia" comes out on March 13 in Denmark, April 28 in Germany.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indierockers <b>Epo-555</b> have their new single <i>"Harry Mambourg"</i> available for streaming and download on myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/epo555" target=_blank>http://www.myspace.com/epo555</a><br>As mentioned before, the new album <i>"Mafia"</i> comes out on March 13 in Denmark, April 28 in Germany.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6978</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6978</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6978#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Finally, the full tracklist for the upcoming Danish Depeche Mode tribute "DMDK":01. Tiger Baby - Strangelove02. Figurines - Dreamning of Me03. Marie Frank - It's No Good04. The Gospel - Personal Jesus (Kira Skov)05. epo-555 - Stripped06. Diefenbach - Policy of Truth07. Mikael Simpson - Det er lige meget08. Track 72 - Monument (Tue Track feat. Mark Linn)09. Moi Caprice - Any Second Now10. Lake Placid - Everything Counts11. Sterling - Nyt liv12. Jet - Just Can't Get Enough (Anders Remmer)More details: http://www.bonnieramigo.dk/index.php?newsid=16 (in Danish)]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Finally, the full tracklist for the upcoming Danish <b>Depeche Mode</b> tribute <i>"DMDK"</i>:<p class="indent">01. <b>Tiger Baby</b> - Strangelove<br>02. <b>Figurines</b> - Dreamning of Me<br>03. <b>Marie Frank</b> - It's No Good<br>04. <b>The Gospel</b> - Personal Jesus (Kira Skov)<br>05. <b>epo-555</b> - Stripped<br>06. <b>Diefenbach</b> - Policy of Truth<br>07. <b>Mikael Simpson</b> - Det er lige meget<br>08. <b>Track 72</b> - Monument (Tue Track feat. Mark Linn)<br>09. <b>Moi Caprice</b> - Any Second Now<br>10. <b>Lake Placid</b> - Everything Counts<br>11. <b>Sterling</b> - Nyt liv<br>12. <b>Jet</b> - Just Can't Get Enough (Anders Remmer)<br><p>More details: <a href="http://www.bonnieramigo.dk/index.php?newsid=16" target=_blank>http://www.bonnieramigo.dk/index.php?newsid=16</a> (in Danish)]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6994</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6994</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6994#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish indiepoppers Epo-555 have confirmed their new album "Mafia" for release on March 13 in Denmark, April 28 in Germany.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish indiepoppers <b>Epo-555</b> have confirmed their new album <i>"Mafia"</i> for release on March 13 in Denmark, April 28 in Germany.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Interview: Tor Helmstein (Loveninjas)</title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25525-interview-tor-helmstein-loveninjas</link>
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	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25525-interview-tor-helmstein-loveninjas#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Tor Helmstein writes lyrics about death and sex -- with a manga slant, no less -- and he crafts them in arrangements that honor the indie pop genre with hooks, grit, and balance.  It takes someone with deft talents to make this concept compelling and lend legitimacy to the first four letters in its name, Loveninjas.  Though it's unlikely that these elements would survive the fusion, Helmstein surpasses that benchmark while injecting yet another piece that's not entirely prevalent in indie pop -- fun..
- Roni Brunn

RB: How did you get started with Loveninjas?
TH: I basically started writing songs after this very emotional period.  My dad died, and I started writing a lot of songs, most of them were really shitty. [Laughs] Because, you know, when you get emotional and basically when you write songs about love and stuff like that, it gets sort of corny.  So most of the early songs were really bad.  And then I read the book "Shogun," and I got really into Japan.  I was just sitting with my piano, and I wrote this song called "Sweet Geisha Love," and it's sort of like set the tone for a new concept.  And I thought, "hey, why not start a ninja band?"  But a ninja is basically a bad guy.  So I thought that we should be nice ninjas who spread the message in love and blah, blah, blah, etcetera.

RB: What does it mean to be a good ninja?
TH: Instead of killing the good guys, a Loveninja kills the bad guys, who are ninjas, amazingly.  And when we're not out killing people, we just walk around like ordinary people.  Empathy is a big part of it.  We're not religious or anything like that.  We're somewhere in between good and bad.  We just wanna have as much fun as possible and as much sex as possible.  And then die.

RB: How did you get together with your band mates?
TH: Everybody in the band, except for Dennis, the guitarist, is from the same town. Anders and I had played in another band before.  And I lived with Olle.  So I just didn't have any other options.  I decided that if he could wear the heart, he'll just look good and it doesn't really matter what he plays.

RB: Did he know how to play the keyboard before?
TH: No, I, I taught him to play.  I said that the good thing is that you'll be in a pop band and you'll get to meet chicks and stuff.  But the bad thing is that you'll have to be in this papier mache heart.  But, actually, everybody loves the heart.  Sometimes it's even good because even though I'm comfortable with being the front of the band, it's still nice to have a guy who's taking a bit of the load.

RB: How did you make the heart?
TH: I made it with Olle's mother.  We used chicken wire and covered it with newspapers in wallpaper glue.  Then we painted it.  So, actually on some parts of the heart, you can read what it says on the newspaper.  [Laughs] If you're bored and on tour, you can read him, the heart.

RB: Is the heart heavy?
TH: No.  It's really light.  We thought it had to be something mobile, and it would still have to be able to take a lot of hits and stuff like that from touring.  It's definitely getting worn down.

RB: Does Olle like all the attention?
TH: That's the fun part about Olle.  He's the sort of guy who doesn't really like attention.  He's the most mature guy in the band, even though he's the youngest.  At first, we thought that it would be hard to be the guy in the heart.  And everybody would think that he was a geek and heckle him.  But we've gotten a hundred percent positive reactions on the heart.  So he's getting the chicks, which is all right with me because, you know, I have a girlfriend.  And I don't really care about it.  So it's good for him.

RB: Now that you have a band together, do you think you'll co-write with people in the band?
TH: No.  I've been in bands before, and this is more like my solo project.  The guys are as much part of the band as I am, but I write all the music and I record everything.  I play all the instruments right now.  In the future, they will probably play on the records.

RB: What's your experience been like with previous bands?
TH: When you bring a song to a band, if everybody has to have a say, there's no song anymore.  Everything changes, everything has to change.  So that's why I wanna do it on my own.  My creative process is too sensitive, at least, this is what I think, to be disturbed by other people.  I need a lot of time on my own then.  So I don't think Loveninjas is ever going to feature songs from other members or anybody else but me, unless we do a cover.  But they're okay with that.  If they would ever write really good songs, I'd say, "hey, start your own band and do whatever you like."  In my previous bands, they didn't want me to have a lot of side projects.  They were really upset with me going to Germany with The Legends.  In Loveninjas, everybody is free to do what they want, but at the same time, they don't really leave the band.  When we rehearse for the live show, they have more of a say.  So we're more like a band.

RB: Are there songs you wanna cover?
TH: Yes.  Recently, because of my girlfriend, [laughs] I haven't been writing much.  I work in the studio every day because I don't have a regular job.  I want to record a finished song every week.  Now, it's been like two months since my last song.  So I thought, "all right, if I can't write a song, I could, at least, record someone else's song, just for a kick."  So I started recording a Loveninjas version of Joanna Newsom's "Peach Plum Pear."  We might just make a download, a little song or something like that, just for kicks.  It's very minimalistic when she does it.  I've added some drums, some bass and my vocals, of course.  So it's a bit different.  She has a really high pitched voice, and my voice is more of a whisper.

RB: What's in the future now for Loveninjas?
TH: Hopefully, if this first single, does well and people like it, we'll do another single on Labrador, and then the album should be out next year.  The working title is "Loveninjas: The Early Years."  [Laughs] I think it's fun to make the first album a compilation without ever releasing anything else before.  

RB: What are your plans for touring with The Legends?
TH: We did a combined tour together with The Legends, and it was great.  And in November, after the release, we're gonna do a couple of shows.  Then we're gonna go on tour in December together with Pelle Carlberg, former Edson.  In January, we're going to Germany to do shows with The Legends.  We just wanna do as many support gigs as possible, so we can just reach as many people as possible.  People have been really enthusiastic.  I don't know if it was the music or the costumes.  But maybe a combination.  And that's what's good about the concept; there's something for everybody.  Even if people don't like the music, the heart is funny to watch.

RB: What do you think about being grouped together with Swedish indie pop?
TH: Well, I think it's true.  Even though it doesn't matter how much I would try to evolve in any direction, it would still be Swedish music.  Everybody knows that Swedish pop is good.  I'm not saying that I'm part of it; I'm definitely trailing.  Or, at least, I hope so.  And I want to be a part of it.  I'm not into traditions and stuff.  But we have a good songwriting tradition in Sweden, and we have everything from rock sets to ABBA.  Then we have so many good indie acts, as well.  And no matter how a Swedish band sounds, it will always be compared to the big Swedish bands.

RB: Do you compare it yourself, or is it just something you accept?
TH: I think it's just something I'll have to accept.  When I write, I just try to get the melodies as nice as possible.  And then try to build a song from that.  This morning I had a really nice experience.  I dreamt this melody, sort of like when Paul McCartney wrote  "Yesterday."  I'm not staying that it's gonna be a good song.  But I had this melody in my head when I woke up and I went to the guitar and I tried to sing it and find the chords.  Then I recorded it with my cell phone.  Tomorrow, I'm gonna write some lyrics, at least temporary ones, and I'm gonna record it.  That's the way I do it: first the melody, then the chords, and then the lyrics.  I think the melody and beats are the most important things. [Note: the song is now finished and is called "Earl Grey With Honey."]

RB: What do you think about Loveninjas being called a concept band?
TH: I think it's good.  We don't wanna be just another band.  And I mean I'm not saying that we wanna be different and cool and stuff like that.  But we just do a lot of things.  And I wanna be able to incorporate them into Loveninjas.  In the future, I wanna be able to design clothes like J. Lo.

RB: What other things do you wanna incorporate?
TH: Comic strips.  We wanna have a new comic strip on the website every month.  And then, have you heard of a television show called "Star Zinger?"  It's a Japanese series edited out of a long Japanese animated movies. They cut it in pieces and translated it into Swedish.  It's really, really good.  I like the characters that are featured; there's one fat guy, and there's one thin guy, he's tall.  They have different weapons and, I wanna do something like that with Loveninjas.  I wanna do a lot of things.  Olle and I started a DJ team.  Maybe some more claymation as well.  And then after about three records and a moustache, I wanna finish it. 

RB: What music do you play when you DJ?
TH: Oh, dear.  Actually the fun thing is that Olle's been trying to teach me about indie pop, ever since we moved into together.  And so I think all the musical influences I have, I've gotten them from Olle.  It's a very nice friendship.  He also reviews all my songs before I give them to the record company.  I think we'd love to play songs by Field Mice, especially "Emma's House".  And my favorite band, EPO-555.  Sometimes we throw in Joanna Newsom, New Order, and Magnetic Fields.  We wanna play songs that we just love.  It doesn't have to fit in with Loveninjas influences or anything like that.

RB: What other interests do you have besides music?
TH: I should say sex, but that's a bit weird.  I like to do claymation.  My cousin and I recently got our first paid job to do a claymation video for a, for a band.  We did a claymation  of them playing hockey.  We made the ice polishing machine out of  cardboard.  The figures are about a decimeter high.  How much is that in inches?  Three, four inches.  It's really fun.  The band projects it the big screen behind them on stage.  The first movie we did was called "The Finger."  It's very childish and very nasty.  It's about a guy who puts his finger up another guy's ass.  We've made a movie about Santa, when he was drunk and puking.  We did a "Star Wars"  movie as well.  We're working on projects all the time.  In the first Loveninjas video, we had a short clip of claymation as well.  I got this idea about making a series of 10 minute episodes of claymation with, with a space theme, about, well, it's a cliché, but it's a guy's girlfriend has been kidnapped. [laughs] He's trying to find her, and he has this map to a space station.  I wanna make 10 episodes, and every episode would have feature a Labrador band.  So you can only do so much, but we'll see what happens.

RB: What are your influences musically?
TH: Olle introduced me to Labrador, the label.  And the first band that I started loving was The Legends.  And now I [laughs] play with them.  I haven't really been listening to indie pop for a long time.  I started writing songs a year ago, or writing in this way that I'm writing.  I mean, I've been writing for a long time, but I think I reached a new level of writing.  I'm not saying that I'm writing good songs, but there was a lot of crap before, [laughs] and now it's better.  I'd like to be able to reach another level again, so that I can write even better songs.  But I think, lately, I've been listening to lots of New Order and Joy Division and more synthesized music.  But my favorite band, at the moment, is a bunch of guys from Denmark called EPO-555.  They're like a little bit like the Jesus and Mary Chain with electronic beats.  And really cool, nice melodies and, then it's really a bit dark sometimes.  I tend to like music that combines what's sweet and happy with sad messages, like the single, "Keep Your Love," it's a happy song, but the message is "fuck off."  EPO-555 has the same type of thing, but their music is much darker, and I wanna  write dirty music.  I don't mean dirty like in the sexual sense.  I want it to sound dirty.  I wanna use a lot of noises.  You won't hear that in the first single, but I wanna do it in the future.  I work a lot with noises on my demos.  And then when I give it to Johan [of Labrador Records], he brushes it up.

RB: What sort of noises?
TH: Indie  pop is always, almost always dirty sounding.  I mean, the sound quality is never really that good.  I just bought a new synthesizer, and I'm trying to work with distorted organs and violins, and I try to distort the sound as much as possible.

RB: What do you like about combining happy music and dark lyrics?
TH: I'm sort of into death and sex.  Who isn't into sex?  The first song describes it so well -- "Sweet Geisha Love" is about a female assassin that's gonna kill a guy, and it turns out that they're old lovers.  And he says, "all right, you can kill me, but let's fuck first."  So basically the story is that they have sex, and then she kills him.  I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with death.  But I think it's a big part of our lives and I wanna write and hear about it.  It's not like I wanna die; I value my life.  But I think I'm ready for it whenever it comes.  At least I try to be.  Well, every time I fly, I'm like, "all right, Daddy, here I come."

RB: Are you approaching it from an intellectual perspective or an emotional, personal perspective?
TH: To be honest with you, I don't think I'm that smart.  Actually, it's this thing about music.  When you start playing a lot of music, you become stupid.  It's true, it's true.  This  has been tested over and over again.  You get happy, but you get stupid as well.  And I wrote a lot better lyrics before, but the music was really bad.  So now I'm more into making it sound good than making the messages mean something.  But still you can't just write anything.  Like the, the new James Blunt.  In the song "You're Beautiful," the lyrics go, "I saw you face in a crowded place," stuff like that.  And I just wanna puke.  But sometimes I wanna keep it simple, just because I can.  And I don't wanna go too deep because I think I can do that some other time.  And sometimes, well, I just wanna explore lyrically what I can do.  Loveninjas is pretty shallow.  It's basically just pretty straightforward, let's have sex and kill each other.  But maybe some day I'll learn to write better lyrics.  I hope so.

RB: What are your influences, comedy-wise?
TH: I think Jonathan Richman writes really good lyrics, and, when it comes to pop music, I think Hidden Cameras write about dirty things as well.  I like "The Simpsons" and "South Park," but I can't really think of anything that's influenced my sexually inspired dark humor.  Maybe life itself.  I mean, everything's so fucked up, and everything's so dark.

RB: What's the idea behind the gay element in your lyrics? 
TH: Even though I'm not gay, I wanna be able to reach people.  I don't wanna just write songs about heterosexual relationships; I wanna write about gay love.  I'm not saying that I wanna be a gay icon or anything like that, but, still, I wanna be able, I want everybody to be able to identify with the lyrics.  I think that even though I'm not gay, I should be allowed to be write about anything.  The song, "She Broke his Penis in Two" is sort of like an homage to that.

RB: Are you part of the gay community?
TH: No, I don't even have any gay friends.  Or maybe I do.  You never know.  I'm sort of like fascinated.  I don't wanna be different or anything like that.  I don't wish I was almost gay or anything like that.  I'm sort of fascinated by the way the people react to gays.  I wrote "Keep Your Love," and it's about a girl who likes a guy, but he doesn't like her.  The guy says, "can't you see that I'm gay?"  And even though it doesn't actually mean that he's gay, my old producer said, "we can't have this text.  You have to edit that out."  And I was like, "no way.  I'm not not changing the lyrics."  I would be really honored if I could write a song that would be liked by gay people.  I mean, I don't wanna please them or anything like that.  I just want to reach out to everybody.  I don't wanna be limited.

RB: How do people react to the sex in your lyrics?
TH: I think that it's related to the gay thing.  A lot of people react strangely when they read the lyrics that are both about death and sex, at the same time.  A friend of mine in America said that this will never work there because it's too explicit, but I don't think it's bad or bold.  What he said just makes me wanna write even more.  I don't wanna provoke or anything like that.  I don't care.  I just wanna do what I feel like.  And if I wanna write about sex, that's what I'll write.  It's good inspiration, as well.  When I first started writing for Loveninjas, I put myself in this box of just sex and death: I could only write songs about sex and death.  If you limit yourself, it sometimes makes it harder to write, but sometimes it also makes it easier to write.


.:About the author:
Designer/musician Roni Brunn dreams of Stockholm while residing in Los Angeles, where she runs a math club.  Of course.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Tor Helmstein</b> writes lyrics about death and sex -- with a manga slant, no less -- and he crafts them in arrangements that honor the indie pop genre with hooks, grit, and balance.  It takes someone with deft talents to make this concept compelling and lend legitimacy to the first four letters in its name, <b>Loveninjas</b>.  Though it's unlikely that these elements would survive the fusion, <b>Helmstein</b> surpasses that benchmark while injecting yet another piece that's not entirely prevalent in indie pop -- fun..<br>
<i>- Roni Brunn</i><br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> How did you get started with <b>Loveninjas</b>?
<p><b>TH:</b> I basically started writing songs after this very emotional period.  My dad died, and I started writing a lot of songs, most of them were really shitty. [Laughs] Because, you know, when you get emotional and basically when you write songs about love and stuff like that, it gets sort of corny.  So most of the early songs were really bad.  And then I read the book <i>"Shogun,"</i> and I got really into Japan.  I was just sitting with my piano, and I wrote this song called <i>"Sweet Geisha Love,"</i> and it's sort of like set the tone for a new concept.  And I thought, "hey, why not start a ninja band?"  But a ninja is basically a bad guy.  So I thought that we should be nice ninjas who spread the message in love and blah, blah, blah, etcetera.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What does it mean to be a good ninja?
<p><b>TH:</b> Instead of killing the good guys, a <b>Loveninja</b> kills the bad guys, who are ninjas, amazingly.  And when we're not out killing people, we just walk around like ordinary people.  Empathy is a big part of it.  We're not religious or anything like that.  We're somewhere in between good and bad.  We just wanna have as much fun as possible and as much sex as possible.  And then die.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> How did you get together with your band mates?
<p><b>TH:</b> Everybody in the band, except for <b>Dennis</b>, the guitarist, is from the same town. <b>Anders</b> and I had played in another band before.  And I lived with <b>Olle</b>.  So I just didn't have any other options.  I decided that if he could wear the heart, he'll just look good and it doesn't really matter what he plays.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Did he know how to play the keyboard before?
<p><b>TH:</b> No, I, I taught him to play.  I said that the good thing is that you'll be in a pop band and you'll get to meet chicks and stuff.  But the bad thing is that you'll have to be in this papier mache heart.  But, actually, everybody loves the heart.  Sometimes it's even good because even though I'm comfortable with being the front of the band, it's still nice to have a guy who's taking a bit of the load.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> How did you make the heart?
<p><b>TH:</b> I made it with <b>Olle</b>'s mother.  We used chicken wire and covered it with newspapers in wallpaper glue.  Then we painted it.  So, actually on some parts of the heart, you can read what it says on the newspaper.  [Laughs] If you're bored and on tour, you can read him, the heart.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Is the heart heavy?
<p><b>TH:</b> No.  It's really light.  We thought it had to be something mobile, and it would still have to be able to take a lot of hits and stuff like that from touring.  It's definitely getting worn down.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Does <b>Olle</b> like all the attention?
<p><b>TH:</b> That's the fun part about <b>Olle</b>.  He's the sort of guy who doesn't really like attention.  He's the most mature guy in the band, even though he's the youngest.  At first, we thought that it would be hard to be the guy in the heart.  And everybody would think that he was a geek and heckle him.  But we've gotten a hundred percent positive reactions on the heart.  So he's getting the chicks, which is all right with me because, you know, I have a girlfriend.  And I don't really care about it.  So it's good for him.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Now that you have a band together, do you think you'll co-write with people in the band?
<p><b>TH:</b> No.  I've been in bands before, and this is more like my solo project.  The guys are as much part of the band as I am, but I write all the music and I record everything.  I play all the instruments right now.  In the future, they will probably play on the records.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What's your experience been like with previous bands?
<p><b>TH:</b> When you bring a song to a band, if everybody has to have a say, there's no song anymore.  Everything changes, everything has to change.  So that's why I wanna do it on my own.  My creative process is too sensitive, at least, this is what I think, to be disturbed by other people.  I need a lot of time on my own then.  So I don't think <b>Loveninjas</b> is ever going to feature songs from other members or anybody else but me, unless we do a cover.  But they're okay with that.  If they would ever write really good songs, I'd say, "hey, start your own band and do whatever you like."  In my previous bands, they didn't want me to have a lot of side projects.  They were really upset with me going to Germany with <b>The Legends</b>.  In <b>Loveninjas</b>, everybody is free to do what they want, but at the same time, they don't really leave the band.  When we rehearse for the live show, they have more of a say.  So we're more like a band.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Are there songs you wanna cover?
<p><b>TH:</b> Yes.  Recently, because of my girlfriend, [laughs] I haven't been writing much.  I work in the studio every day because I don't have a regular job.  I want to record a finished song every week.  Now, it's been like two months since my last song.  So I thought, "all right, if I can't write a song, I could, at least, record someone else's song, just for a kick."  So I started recording a <b>Loveninjas</b> version of <b>Joanna Newsom</b>'s <i>"Peach Plum Pear."</i>  We might just make a download, a little song or something like that, just for kicks.  It's very minimalistic when she does it.  I've added some drums, some bass and my vocals, of course.  So it's a bit different.  She has a really high pitched voice, and my voice is more of a whisper.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What's in the future now for <b>Loveninjas</b>?
<p><b>TH:</b> Hopefully, if this first single, does well and people like it, we'll do another single on Labrador, and then the album should be out next year.  The working title is <i>"Loveninjas: The Early Years."</i>  [Laughs] I think it's fun to make the first album a compilation without ever releasing anything else before.  <br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What are your plans for touring with <b>The Legends</b>?
<p><b>TH:</b> We did a combined tour together with <b>The Legends</b>, and it was great.  And in November, after the release, we're gonna do a couple of shows.  Then we're gonna go on tour in December together with <b>Pelle Carlberg</b>, former <b>Edson</b>.  In January, we're going to Germany to do shows with <b>The Legends</b>.  We just wanna do as many support gigs as possible, so we can just reach as many people as possible.  People have been really enthusiastic.  I don't know if it was the music or the costumes.  But maybe a combination.  And that's what's good about the concept; there's something for everybody.  Even if people don't like the music, the heart is funny to watch.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What do you think about being grouped together with Swedish indie pop?
<p><b>TH:</b> Well, I think it's true.  Even though it doesn't matter how much I would try to evolve in any direction, it would still be Swedish music.  Everybody knows that Swedish pop is good.  I'm not saying that I'm part of it; I'm definitely trailing.  Or, at least, I hope so.  And I want to be a part of it.  I'm not into traditions and stuff.  But we have a good songwriting tradition in Sweden, and we have everything from rock sets to <b>ABBA</b>.  Then we have so many good indie acts, as well.  And no matter how a Swedish band sounds, it will always be compared to the big Swedish bands.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Do you compare it yourself, or is it just something you accept?
<p><b>TH:</b> I think it's just something I'll have to accept.  When I write, I just try to get the melodies as nice as possible.  And then try to build a song from that.  This morning I had a really nice experience.  I dreamt this melody, sort of like when <b>Paul McCartney</b> wrote  <i>"Yesterday."</i>  I'm not staying that it's gonna be a good song.  But I had this melody in my head when I woke up and I went to the guitar and I tried to sing it and find the chords.  Then I recorded it with my cell phone.  Tomorrow, I'm gonna write some lyrics, at least temporary ones, and I'm gonna record it.  That's the way I do it: first the melody, then the chords, and then the lyrics.  I think the melody and beats are the most important things. [Note: the song is now finished and is called <i>"Earl Grey With Honey."</i>]<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What do you think about <b>Loveninjas</b> being called a concept band?
<p><b>TH:</b> I think it's good.  We don't wanna be just another band.  And I mean I'm not saying that we wanna be different and cool and stuff like that.  But we just do a lot of things.  And I wanna be able to incorporate them into <b>Loveninjas</b>.  In the future, I wanna be able to design clothes like <b>J. Lo</b>.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What other things do you wanna incorporate?
<p><b>TH:</b> Comic strips.  We wanna have a new comic strip on the website every month.  And then, have you heard of a television show called <i>"Star Zinger?"</i>  It's a Japanese series edited out of a long Japanese animated movies. They cut it in pieces and translated it into Swedish.  It's really, really good.  I like the characters that are featured; there's one fat guy, and there's one thin guy, he's tall.  They have different weapons and, I wanna do something like that with <b>Loveninjas</b>.  I wanna do a lot of things.  <b>Olle</b> and I started a DJ team.  Maybe some more claymation as well.  And then after about three records and a moustache, I wanna finish it. <br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What music do you play when you DJ?
<p><b>TH:</b> Oh, dear.  Actually the fun thing is that <b>Olle</b>'s been trying to teach me about indie pop, ever since we moved into together.  And so I think all the musical influences I have, I've gotten them from <b>Olle</b>.  It's a very nice friendship.  He also reviews all my songs before I give them to the record company.  I think we'd love to play songs by <b>Field Mice</b>, especially <i>"Emma's House"</i>.  And my favorite band, <b>EPO-555</b>.  Sometimes we throw in <b>Joanna Newsom</b>, <b>New Order</b>, and <b>Magnetic Fields</b>.  We wanna play songs that we just love.  It doesn't have to fit in with <b>Loveninjas</b> influences or anything like that.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What other interests do you have besides music?
<p><b>TH:</b> I should say sex, but that's a bit weird.  I like to do claymation.  My cousin and I recently got our first paid job to do a claymation video for a, for a band.  We did a claymation  of them playing hockey.  We made the ice polishing machine out of  cardboard.  The figures are about a decimeter high.  How much is that in inches?  Three, four inches.  It's really fun.  The band projects it the big screen behind them on stage.  The first movie we did was called <i>"The Finger."</i>  It's very childish and very nasty.  It's about a guy who puts his finger up another guy's ass.  We've made a movie about Santa, when he was drunk and puking.  We did a <i>"Star Wars"</i>  movie as well.  We're working on projects all the time.  In the first <b>Loveninjas</b> video, we had a short clip of claymation as well.  I got this idea about making a series of 10 minute episodes of claymation with, with a space theme, about, well, it's a cliché, but it's a guy's girlfriend has been kidnapped. [laughs] He's trying to find her, and he has this map to a space station.  I wanna make 10 episodes, and every episode would have feature a Labrador band.  So you can only do so much, but we'll see what happens.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What are your influences musically?
<p><b>TH:</b> <b>Olle</b> introduced me to Labrador, the label.  And the first band that I started loving was <b>The Legends</b>.  And now I [laughs] play with them.  I haven't really been listening to indie pop for a long time.  I started writing songs a year ago, or writing in this way that I'm writing.  I mean, I've been writing for a long time, but I think I reached a new level of writing.  I'm not saying that I'm writing good songs, but there was a lot of crap before, [laughs] and now it's better.  I'd like to be able to reach another level again, so that I can write even better songs.  But I think, lately, I've been listening to lots of <b>New Order</b> and <b>Joy Division</b> and more synthesized music.  But my favorite band, at the moment, is a bunch of guys from Denmark called <b>EPO-555</b>.  They're like a little bit like the <b>Jesus and Mary Chain</b> with electronic beats.  And really cool, nice melodies and, then it's really a bit dark sometimes.  I tend to like music that combines what's sweet and happy with sad messages, like the single, <i>"Keep Your Love,"</i> it's a happy song, but the message is "fuck off."  <b>EPO-555</b> has the same type of thing, but their music is much darker, and I wanna  write dirty music.  I don't mean dirty like in the sexual sense.  I want it to sound dirty.  I wanna use a lot of noises.  You won't hear that in the first single, but I wanna do it in the future.  I work a lot with noises on my demos.  And then when I give it to <b>Johan</b> [of Labrador Records], he brushes it up.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What sort of noises?
<p><b>TH:</b> Indie  pop is always, almost always dirty sounding.  I mean, the sound quality is never really that good.  I just bought a new synthesizer, and I'm trying to work with distorted organs and violins, and I try to distort the sound as much as possible.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What do you like about combining happy music and dark lyrics?
<p><b>TH:</b> I'm sort of into death and sex.  Who isn't into sex?  The first song describes it so well -- <i>"Sweet Geisha Love"</i> is about a female assassin that's gonna kill a guy, and it turns out that they're old lovers.  And he says, "all right, you can kill me, but let's fuck first."  So basically the story is that they have sex, and then she kills him.  I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with death.  But I think it's a big part of our lives and I wanna write and hear about it.  It's not like I wanna die; I value my life.  But I think I'm ready for it whenever it comes.  At least I try to be.  Well, every time I fly, I'm like, "all right, Daddy, here I come."<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Are you approaching it from an intellectual perspective or an emotional, personal perspective?
<p><b>TH:</b> To be honest with you, I don't think I'm that smart.  Actually, it's this thing about music.  When you start playing a lot of music, you become stupid.  It's true, it's true.  This  has been tested over and over again.  You get happy, but you get stupid as well.  And I wrote a lot better lyrics before, but the music was really bad.  So now I'm more into making it sound good than making the messages mean something.  But still you can't just write anything.  Like the, the new <b>James Blunt</b>.  In the song "You're Beautiful," the lyrics go, "I saw you face in a crowded place," stuff like that.  And I just wanna puke.  But sometimes I wanna keep it simple, just because I can.  And I don't wanna go too deep because I think I can do that some other time.  And sometimes, well, I just wanna explore lyrically what I can do.  <b>Loveninjas</b> is pretty shallow.  It's basically just pretty straightforward, let's have sex and kill each other.  But maybe some day I'll learn to write better lyrics.  I hope so.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What are your influences, comedy-wise?
<p><b>TH:</b> I think <b>Jonathan Richman</b> writes really good lyrics, and, when it comes to pop music, I think <b>Hidden Cameras</b> write about dirty things as well.  I like <i>"The Simpsons"</i> and <i>"South Park,"</i> but I can't really think of anything that's influenced my sexually inspired dark humor.  Maybe life itself.  I mean, everything's so fucked up, and everything's so dark.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> What's the idea behind the gay element in your lyrics? 
<p><b>TH:</b> Even though I'm not gay, I wanna be able to reach people.  I don't wanna just write songs about heterosexual relationships; I wanna write about gay love.  I'm not saying that I wanna be a gay icon or anything like that, but, still, I wanna be able, I want everybody to be able to identify with the lyrics.  I think that even though I'm not gay, I should be allowed to be write about anything.  The song, <i>"She Broke his Penis in Two"</i> is sort of like an homage to that.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> Are you part of the gay community?
<p><b>TH:</b> No, I don't even have any gay friends.  Or maybe I do.  You never know.  I'm sort of like fascinated.  I don't wanna be different or anything like that.  I don't wish I was almost gay or anything like that.  I'm sort of fascinated by the way the people react to gays.  I wrote <i>"Keep Your Love,"</i> and it's about a girl who likes a guy, but he doesn't like her.  The guy says, "can't you see that I'm gay?"  And even though it doesn't actually mean that he's gay, my old producer said, "we can't have this text.  You have to edit that out."  And I was like, "no way.  I'm not not changing the lyrics."  I would be really honored if I could write a song that would be liked by gay people.  I mean, I don't wanna please them or anything like that.  I just want to reach out to everybody.  I don't wanna be limited.<br><br>

<p><b>RB:</b> How do people react to the sex in your lyrics?
<p><b>TH:</b> I think that it's related to the gay thing.  A lot of people react strangely when they read the lyrics that are both about death and sex, at the same time.  A friend of mine in America said that this will never work there because it's too explicit, but I don't think it's bad or bold.  What he said just makes me wanna write even more.  I don't wanna provoke or anything like that.  I don't care.  I just wanna do what I feel like.  And if I wanna write about sex, that's what I'll write.  It's good inspiration, as well.  When I first started writing for <b>Loveninjas</b>, I put myself in this box of just sex and death: I could only write songs about sex and death.  If you limit yourself, it sometimes makes it harder to write, but sometimes it also makes it easier to write.<br><br>

<br>
<p class=date>.:<b>About the author:</b><br>
<p>Designer/musician <a href="mailto:hey@ronibrunn.com"><b>Roni Brunn</b></a> dreams of Stockholm while residing in Los Angeles, where she runs a <a href="http://math-club.com/" target=_blank>math club</a>.  Of course.<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>articles</category>
	<category>interviews</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Epo-555 Dexter fox Crunchy Frog</title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26348-epo-555-dexter-fox-crunchy-frog</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26348-epo-555-dexter-fox-crunchy-frog</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26348-epo-555-dexter-fox-crunchy-frog#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish quartet Epo-555\'s debut album is a haunting mix of indie rock fueled by synthesizers and the occasional drum machine programming in the vein of mid-\'90s Sub Pop band Six Finger Satellite and Belle and Sebastian. They craft these soundscapes out of vocalist/guitarist Max Hansen and Camilla Florentz (who also does vocals along with synth duties) breathy lyrics that takes the listener to a different dimension on \"Angelina Balerina\". Their vocals are nice and complimentary to the music itself, which flows from track to track in a cohesive manner (see tracks such as \"L\'art Pour La Fart\" and \"iL Presidente\" as an example.) Good stuff, overall.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Danish quartet <b>Epo-555</b>'s debut album is a haunting mix of indie rock fueled by synthesizers and the occasional drum machine programming in the vein of mid-'90s Sub Pop band <b>Six Finger Satellite</b> and <b>Belle and Sebastian</b>. They craft these soundscapes out of vocalist/guitarist <b>Max Hansen</b> and <b>Camilla Florentz</b> (who also does vocals along with synth duties) breathy lyrics that takes the listener to a different dimension on <i>"Angelina Balerina"</i>. Their vocals are nice and complimentary to the music itself, which flows from track to track in a cohesive manner (see tracks such as <i>"L'art Pour La Fart"</i> and <i>"iL Presidente"</i> as an example.) Good stuff, overall.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>reviews</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8416</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8416</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8416#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[The Crunchy Frog crew (Powersolo, Junior Senior, Epo-555, etc.) reports back from the Iceland Airwaves festival: http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=155]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Crunchy Frog crew (<b>Powersolo</b>, <b>Junior Senior</b>, <b>Epo-555</b>, etc.) reports back from the Iceland Airwaves festival: <a href="http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=155" target=_blank>http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=155</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9238</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9238</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9238#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Denmark's Epo-555 on tour in Germany:10/07 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)10/08 - Ut Connewitz, Leipzig (GER)10/10 - Freiburg (GER)10/11 - Ampere Club, München (GER)10/12 - Ufo Atellier, Stuttgart (GER)10/13 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg (GER)10/14 - Kunstwerk, Köln (GER)10/15 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Denmark's <b>Epo-555</b> on tour in Germany:<p class="indent">10/07 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)<br>10/08 - Ut Connewitz, Leipzig (GER)<br>10/10 - Freiburg (GER)<br>10/11 - Ampere Club, München (GER)<br>10/12 - Ufo Atellier, Stuttgart (GER)<br>10/13 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg (GER)<br>10/14 - Kunstwerk, Köln (GER)<br>10/15 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9361</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9361</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9361#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Updated tourdates for Denmark's Epo-555:08/26 - VibraCrunch, Malmö (SWE)10/07 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)10/08 - Ut Connewitz, Leipzig (GER)10/10 - tba, Freiburg (GER)10/13 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg (GER)10/14 - Kunstwerk, Köln (GER)10/15 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Updated tourdates for Denmark's <b>Epo-555</b>:<p class="indent">08/26 - VibraCrunch, Malmö (SWE)<br>10/07 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)<br>10/08 - Ut Connewitz, Leipzig (GER)<br>10/10 - tba, Freiburg (GER)<br>10/13 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg (GER)<br>10/14 - Kunstwerk, Köln (GER)<br>10/15 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9882</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9882</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/9882#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Check out the video for "Pre-emptive stroke" from Denmark's Epo-555: http://www.epo-555.dk/Preemptive_stroke.wmv]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Check out the video for <i>"Pre-emptive stroke"</i> from Denmark's <b>Epo-555</b>: <a href="http://www.epo-555.dk/Preemptive_stroke.wmv" target=_blank>http://www.epo-555.dk/Preemptive_stroke.wmv</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10251</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10251</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10251#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[The latest edition of the Norse Code column is online with a feature on Norway's Bol, as well as an interview with Julian Berntzen and reviews of Epo-555, PowerSolo, The Stuff and AK-Momo: http://www.playbackstl.com/Norse/N002a.htm]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The latest edition of the Norse Code column is online with a feature on Norway's <b>Bol</b>, as well as an interview with <b>Julian Berntzen</b> and reviews of <b>Epo-555</b>, <b>PowerSolo</b>, <b>The Stuff</b> and <b>AK-Momo</b>: <a href="http://www.playbackstl.com/Norse/N002a.htm" target=_blank>http://www.playbackstl.com/Norse/N002a.htm</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10782</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10782</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/10782#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Denmark's Epo-555 has posted a new edit of the song "Pizza Tintin" for download: http://www.epo-555.dk/pizza%20tintin%2026042005.mp3]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Denmark's <b>Epo-555</b> has posted a new edit of the song <i>"Pizza Tintin"</i> for download: <a href="http://www.epo-555.dk/pizza%20tintin%2026042005.mp3" target=_blank>http://www.epo-555.dk/pizza%20tintin%2026042005.mp3</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/11952</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/11952</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/11952#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[I'm not sure if this means no ExMS showcase in NY and LA, but here's the list of bands playing the two "Nordic Nights" showcases at The Drink On 6th at SXSW:03/17:Ske (ICE)Tina Dico (DK)The Low Frequency in Stereo (NOR)Epo-555 (DK)Powersolo (DK)22 Pistepirkko (FIN)03/18:Teitur (DK)Magnet (NOR)The Crash (FIN)The Ark (SWE)Surfer Rosa (NOR)The Blue Van (DK)]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I'm not sure if this means no ExMS showcase in NY and LA, but here's the list of bands playing the two "Nordic Nights" showcases at The Drink On 6th at SXSW:<p class="indent">03/17:<br><b>Ske</b> (ICE)<br><b>Tina Dico</b> (DK)<br><b>The Low Frequency in Stereo</b> (NOR)<br><b>Epo-555</b> (DK)<br><b>Powersolo</b> (DK)<br><b>22 Pistepirkko</b> (FIN)<br><p class=indent>03/18:<br><b>Teitur</b> (DK)<br><b>Magnet</b> (NOR)<br><b>The Crash</b> (FIN)<br><b>The Ark</b> (SWE)<br><b>Surfer Rosa</b> (NOR)<br><b>The Blue Van</b> (DK)]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13371</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13371</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13371#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish label Crunchy Frog is putting out a double-disc comp featuring all 12 of their acts. The first disc will contain just the hits, while the second will have two tracks from each band. Here's the tracklist:Disc one:01. Epo-555 - "Pre-emptive Stroke"02. Powersolo - "Juanito"03. The Raveonettes - "The Great Love Sound"04. Junior Senior - "Rhythm Bandits"05. The Mopeds - "Steppin' On Fire"06. Düreforsög - "Beach"07. The Tremolo Beer Gut - "Clayton's Hotrod"08. Superheroes - "Someone Else"09. Naked - "Wallpaper Song"10. Learning From Las Vegas - "Yale Keys"11. Tothe International - "Momma, I'm A Communist"12. Thau - "Awestruck"Disc two:01. Epo-555 - "L'art Pour La Fart"02. Powersolo - "Fertilizer Baby"03. The Raveonettes - "Do You Believe Her"04. Junior Senior - "Boy Meets Girl"05. The Mopeds - "Special"06. Düreforsög - "Space Loneliness"07. The Tremolo Beer Gut - "The Worm"08. Superheroes - "Miami"09. Naked - "Coming On Softly"10. Learning From Las Vegas - "Winter Waltz"11. Tothe International - "Ripe Fruit"12. Thau - "Very Moment"13. Epo-555 - "Argentina"14. Powersolo - "Party In A Box "15. The Raveonettes - "C'mon Everybody"16. Junior Senior - "Good Girl, Bad Boy"17. The Mopeds - "Loveshit"18. Düreforsög - "Barking Hotdog"19. The Tremolo Beer Gut - "She Said"20. Superheroes - "Tell It To Donna"21. Naked - "Stony Heart"22. Learning From Las Vegas - "Verbalizer"23. Tothe International - "Amazing Maze"24. Thau - "Casual"]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish label Crunchy Frog is putting out a double-disc comp featuring all 12 of their acts. The first disc will contain just the hits, while the second will have two tracks from each band. Here's the tracklist:<p class="indent">Disc one:<br>01. <b>Epo-555</b> - "Pre-emptive Stroke"<br>02. <b>Powersolo</b> - "Juanito"<br>03. <b>The Raveonettes</b> - "The Great Love Sound"<br>04. <b>Junior Senior</b> - "Rhythm Bandits"<br>05. <b>The Mopeds</b> - "Steppin' On Fire"<br>06. <b>Düreforsög</b> - "Beach"<br>07. <b>The Tremolo Beer Gut</b> - "Clayton's Hotrod"<br>08. <b>Superheroes</b> - "Someone Else"<br>09. <b>Naked</b> - "Wallpaper Song"<br>10. <b>Learning From Las Vegas</b> - "Yale Keys"<br>11. <b>Tothe International</b> - "Momma, I'm A Communist"<br>12. <b>Thau</b> - "Awestruck"<br><p class=indent>Disc two:<br>01. <b>Epo-555</b> - "L'art Pour La Fart"<br>02. <b>Powersolo</b> - "Fertilizer Baby"<br>03. <b>The Raveonettes</b> - "Do You Believe Her"<br>04. <b>Junior Senior</b> - "Boy Meets Girl"<br>05. <b>The Mopeds</b> - "Special"<br>06. <b>Düreforsög</b> - "Space Loneliness"<br>07. <b>The Tremolo Beer Gut</b> - "The Worm"<br>08. <b>Superheroes</b> - "Miami"<br>09. <b>Naked</b> - "Coming On Softly"<br>10. <b>Learning From Las Vegas</b> - "Winter Waltz"<br>11. <b>Tothe International</b> - "Ripe Fruit"<br>12. <b>Thau</b> - "Very Moment"<br>13. <b>Epo-555</b> - "Argentina"<br>14. <b>Powersolo</b> - "Party In A Box "<br>15. <b>The Raveonettes</b> - "C'mon Everybody"<br>16. <b>Junior Senior</b> - "Good Girl, Bad Boy"<br>17. <b>The Mopeds</b> - "Loveshit"<br>18. <b>Düreforsög</b> - "Barking Hotdog"<br>19. <b>The Tremolo Beer Gut</b> - "She Said"<br>20. <b>Superheroes</b> - "Tell It To Donna"<br>21. <b>Naked</b> - "Stony Heart"<br>22. <b>Learning From Las Vegas</b> - "Verbalizer"<br>23. <b>Tothe International</b> - "Amazing Maze"<br>24. <b>Thau</b> - "Casual"]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
</item>
<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13621</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13621</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13621#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Crunchy Frog with a report on the last-minute video for epo-555: http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=116]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Crunchy Frog with a report on the last-minute video for <b>epo-555</b>: <a href="http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=116" target=_blank>http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=116</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Fri, 17 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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<item>
	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13653</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13653</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/13653#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Denmark's Crunchy Frog Records is sending both Powersolo and EPO-555 over to NYC for the CMJ Music Marathon Conference. They'll be playing at Pianos on October 11.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Denmark's Crunchy Frog Records is sending both <b>Powersolo</b> and <b>EPO-555</b> over to NYC for the CMJ Music Marathon Conference. They'll be playing at Pianos on October 11.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14232</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14232</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14232#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish label Crunchy Frog has announced the lineup for their upcoming Vibracrunch 06 Festival on August 14 as part of Malmöfestivalen in Malmö, Sweden: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (US) Moon Gringo (DK), Money Your Love (DK), Tiger Tunes (DK), Sterling (DK), Talking to Teapots (SWE), PowerSolo (DK), Bob Log III (US), Learning from Las Vegas (DK), epo-555 (DK), The Tremolo Beer Gut (DK/SWE), Sandy Mouche (SWE), Niccokick (SWE) and Radio LXMBRG (SWE). Read more: http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=112]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish label Crunchy Frog has announced the lineup for their upcoming Vibracrunch 06 Festival on August 14 as part of Malmöfestivalen in Malmö, Sweden: <b>The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion</b> (US) <b>Moon Gringo</b> (DK), <b>Money Your Love</b> (DK), <b>Tiger Tunes</b> (DK), <b>Sterling</b> (DK), <b>Talking to Teapots</b> (SWE), <b>PowerSolo</b> (DK), <b>Bob Log III</b> (US), <b>Learning from Las Vegas</b> (DK), <b>epo-555</b> (DK), <b>The Tremolo Beer Gut</b> (DK/SWE), <b>Sandy Mouche</b> (SWE), <b>Niccokick</b> (SWE) and <b>Radio LXMBRG</b> (SWE). Read more: <a href="http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=112" target=_blank>http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=112</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14557</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14557</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14557#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Tons of new bands confirmed for the Malmöfestivalen today including Sahara Hotnights, Teddybears Sthlm, Markoolio, Kaizers Orchestra, Sandy Mouche, PowerSolo, Tiger Tunes, The Tremolo Beer Gut, Learning From Vegas, Sterling, Epo-555, Niccokick, Latin Kings, Promoe, Chords, Pluxus, Universal Poplab, Conevant, Alice in Videoland and more.]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tons of new bands confirmed for the Malmöfestivalen today including <b>Sahara Hotnights</b>, <b>Teddybears Sthlm</b>, <b>Markoolio</b>, <b>Kaizers Orchestra</b>, <b>Sandy Mouche</b>, <b>PowerSolo</b>, <b>Tiger Tunes</b>, <b>The Tremolo Beer Gut</b>, <b>Learning From Vegas</b>, <b>Sterling</b>, <b>Epo-555</b>, <b>Niccokick</b>, <b>Latin Kings</b>, <b>Promoe</b>, <b>Chords</b>, <b>Pluxus</b>, <b>Universal Poplab</b>, <b>Conevant</b>, <b>Alice in Videoland</b> and more.]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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	<title></title>
	<link>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14866</link>
	<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14866</guid>
	<comments>http://www.itsatrap.com/n/14866#comments</comments>
	<description><![CDATA[Danish label Crunchy Frog, home of bands like Junior Senior and Powersolo, has signed indie-rock act epo-555 who they describe as "drawing on the same musical qualities as Bob Hund, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, The Flaming Lips, The Velvet Underground, Calexico and other cool cats." Read more about them here: http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=109]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Danish label Crunchy Frog, home of bands like <b>Junior Senior</b> and <b>Powersolo</b>, has signed indie-rock act <b>epo-555</b> who they describe as <i>"drawing on the same musical qualities as <b>Bob Hund</b>, <b>Pixies</b>, <b>My Bloody Valentine</b>, <b>The Flaming Lips</b>, <b>The Velvet Underground</b>, <b>Calexico</b> and other cool cats."</i> Read more about them here: <a href="http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=109" target=_blank>http://www.crunchy.dk/asp/default.asp?News_Id=109</a>]]></content:encoded>
	<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
	<category>news</category>
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