Top tens for 2010: All Scandinavian

MP3: The Malpractice - Boss stallion

The Malpractice is the new solo project from Johannes Gammelby of I Am Bones/Beta Satan and "Boss stallion" is the latest single off the forthcoming album "Tectonics", due out October 25 via Crunchy Frog. I liked a couple I Am Bones songs, but was mostly ambivalent about the band overall; Beta Satan fare much better in my eyes due to the band's exemplary noisiness, whereas The Malpractice fall somewhere in between. This song in particular is quite good, despite my distaste for disco tropes to which I credit the beat emphasizing heaviness over funk. Seems to me, it aims for more an angular rock thing and nails it rather than poorly faking your standard Motown breaks. Elsewhere, the band seems to fall off a bit when Johannes loses focus, as was often the case with IAB, but whatever. We're in a new age of the single, right? Isn't that what they say?

The Malpractice - Boss stallion

Crunchy Frog signs The Malpractice (ex-I Am Bones)

Crunchy Frog has signed The Malpractice, a new band started by Johannes Gammelby of I Am Bones (now officially broken up) and Beta Satan. Look for a single in June to be followed by an album after summer; otherwise, hear some demos at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/themalpracticedk

I Am Bones on hiatus, enter Cabin Fever

Johannes Gammelby from I Am Bones has put the band on ice and started a new act called Cabin Fever. Hear a couple demo tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/fevercabin

I Am Satan - Heatseeker

The I Am Bones/Beta Satan collaboration from the Peter Pan Speedrock tribute comp "Heatseeker" (remember?) is now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iambonesband

I Am Bones now just one

Johannes Gammelby of I Am Bones has fired his band and will continue on as a solo artist: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=30882408&blogId=512411961

Saluting the Crunchy Frog-a-logue preview

Crunchy Frog has established a myspace page for their new tribute comp "Saluting the Crunchy Frog-a-logue" and are streaming a good number of the tracks: http://www.myspace.com/frogalogue
In case you missed my earlier mentions of it, the comp features 25 current Danish acts each covering a song from the label's vast back-catalogue. Acts featured include: As in RebekkaMaria, Baby Woodrose, Choir of Young Believers, Decorate Decorate vs Cody, Figurines, I Am Bones, Marybell Katastrophy, Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks, Slaraffenland, The Asteroid Galaxy Tour, The Blue Van, The Fashion, The Kissaway Trail, The Wong Boys, When Saints Go Machine, Who Made Who and lots more.

I Am Bones - Lovesong (First Floor Power)

I Am Bones' contribution to the upcoming Crunchy Frog 15th anniversary comp featuring current Danish acts covering tracks from the label's back-cataglogue is now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iambonesband
After attempting a Raveonettes song and then Junior Senior, they settled on "Lovesong" by First Floor Power in a version they describe as "Timberlake vs funk-Meshuggah." The entire collection "Saluting the Crunchy Frog-a-logue" comes out September 5.

The Psyke Project, Last Mile, more cover Peter Pan Speedrock

Upstart label What Happened to the Reason for Screaming Records will be releasing a 10" comp featuring eight different Danish bands covering the track "Heatseeker", originally by Peter Pan Speedrock. Acts featured include The 20Belows, Babylove and the Van Dangos, The Hitchcocks, I Am Satan (I Am Bones + Beta Satan), Koldborn, Last Mile, Parasight and The Psyke Project. Look for it on September 5, otherwise listen to the original here: http://www.we7.com/#/track/Heatseeker!trackId=512599

I Am Bones post old music, rarities for free download

I Am Bones are giving away a large collection of old and out-of-print material as a free download: http://www.iambones.dk/

New demo track from I Am Bones

There's a new demo track from I Am Bones up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iambonesband

Wedoband, the sideproject of Jeppe Lindgren from I Am Bones, will make their live debut at Pakhuset in Århus, Denmark on December 13. Sample tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wedoband

Sad Day For Puppets
Unknown colors
HaHa Fonogram

The 90s have been somewhat redeemed in recent years - grunge has made a little resurgence in acts like Nine Black Alps and I Am Bones; Britpop has retained much of its shimmer; indie acts like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. continue to inspire... but what of the other stuff that was happening back then? Sad Day For Puppets would fit quite perfectly onto the "So I Married An Axe Murderer" soundtrack, right between the Boo Radleys, Spin Doctors, and Toad the Wet Sprocket, and yet this designation doesn't seem to carry with it the dreaded "cultural black hole" label for Sad Day that haunts so much of the artistic contributions of the 1990s. The influence is there, but somehow Sad Day instill a degree of sincerity into the saccharine-sweet swells of guitars. The music is just as catchy, and yet there's no bad taste left in the mouth. There is also an attempt on "Unknown colors" to update this decade-old sound: "Mother's tears", the album's standout, takes a less optimistic approach, a little reminiscent of The Stone Roses; "Lay your burden on me" could almost be a Granada song; and I can't help but hear a little Håkan Hellström in "Last night". Sad Day For Puppets have achieved quite a feat - an album saturated in the 90s that doesn't feel like a guilty pleasure.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Danish indie label Morningside Records (Figurines, Speaker Bite Me, I Am Bones, etc.) has announced the signing of Wont Lovers Revolt Now and be releasing the band's debut album in January. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wontloversrevoltnowmusic

MP3: Happy Trash Culture - Frisky pet

As far as grunge revival acts go, Happy Trash Culture wins serious points for throwing in Wipers riffage on "Frisky pet", but I have to say that I Am Bones wins the war. I Am Bones uses the style more as a jumping off point while Happy Trash Culture is content with pure homage. It's pure contrivance. Even vocalist Martin Befve's terrific throat-shredding roar can't quite save 'em. They do what they do and they do it well, but c'mon, why bother?

Happy Trash Culture - Frisky pet