IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Kråkesølv - I Limbo

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:24:10 -0700

"I Limbo" is an old Kråkesølv song from the band's very first demo in 2008, now reconfigured and rerecorded for the band's upcoming album "Alle gode ting". I really dig the heavier sound they have going on this new recording and am eagerly awaiting the full record.

Kråkesølv - Sjalusien som driv dæ (video)

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:49:03 -0700

"Sjalusien som driv dæ" is the second single + video from Kråkesølv's upcoming album, due out in September. Great as always!

Kråkesølv - Stødig som en bauta (video)

Thu, 31 May 2012 17:25:11 -0700

A new video from the fine Norwegian act Kråkesølv.

Fredrik William Olsen - Helt uten tanke

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:46:36 -0700

Hear another new solo tune from Fredrik William Olsen (Kråkesølv) and download it in exchange for a like/tweet: http://www.beyondrecords.no/fredrikwilliamolsen/

Fredrik William Olsen - Ikke redd

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:23:27 -0700

As promised, here is the debut solo single from Kråkesølv frontman/guitarist Fredrik William Olsen.

Kråkesølv frontman going solo

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:02:11 -0700

Kråkesølv singer/guitarist Fredrik William Olsen will be releasing his debut solo album "Hver gang æ græv" on May 11 via Beyond Records. The first single "Ikke redd" will be out on April 11 and you can hear a quick sample clip via Amazon. And no, this does not mean the end of Kråkesølv -- the band is already working on their 3rd album.

Kråkesølv taking a break

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:37:46 -0700

Norwegian indierocks Kråkesølv will be taking a year off following their show at Verketfestivalen on September 3.

Magnus Eliassen & Kråkesølv - Til dem du e glad i (video)

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:12:20 -0700

A new charity single from Magnus Eliassen and Kråkesølv benefitting the Norwegian Red Cross in the wake of last week's tragedy. More here: http://8000bodo.tumblr.com/post/8119369609/tildemduegladi

Ihab - Æ må fær

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:35:27 -0700

Via Musik fra Norge comes a heads-up that up-and-coming Bodø-based indie act Ihab are streaming a new track at Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/beyond-records/ihab-ae-m-faer-1
Look for the band's new EP "Marionettedukke" to be released digitally on May 20 via Beyond Records with a physical version to follow on June 4. As Musik fra Norge says, definitely recommended for fans of Kråkesølv.

Kråkesølv for free

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:48:38 -0700

Norwegian act Kråkesølv is giving away their albums as a free download since they realize not everyone in the world can get a chance to hear them via Wimp or Spotify: http://krakesolv.no/pirat.html
The Cold Mailman album is posted there for download as well.

Kråkesølv - Romskipet revideres (video)

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:15:16 -0700

A new clip from Norwegian act Kråkesølv, and a quite good-looking one at that. Direct link: http://vimeo.com/22188626"

Spellemann 2010 winners

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:37:55 -0800

The winners of the 2010 Spellemannpris, the Norwegian Grammy, have been announced:

Honorary Award: A-ha
Newcomer of the Year: Kvelertak
Producers of the Year: Stargate
Electronica: Lindstrøm og Christabelle
Metal: Enslaved
Open Class: Jaga Jazzist
Pop group: Kråkesølv
Jazz: Elephant9
Female artist of the Year: Ingrid Olava
Popular music composer of the Year: Susanne Sundfør
Male artist of the Year: Thom Hell
Spellemann of the Year: Karpe Diem

More here: http://www.listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2011030713200940182650

Spellemann 2010 nominees

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:23:10 -0800

The nominees for this year's Spellemann awards, the Norwegian Grammy, have been announced:

Female Artist:
Christel Alsos - Tomorrow is (Sony Music)
Ida Maria - Katla (Nightliner/Universal Music)
Ingrid Olava - The guest (Universal Music)
Susanne Sundfør - The brothel (EMI Music Norway)

Male Artist:
Moddi - Floriography (Impeller Recordings)
Odd Nordstoga - November (Sonet/Universal Music)
Thom Hell - All good things (Voices Music and Entertainment)
Thomas Dybdahl - Waiting for that one clear moment (Universal Music)

Pop Group:
deLillos - Hjernen er alene i Operaen (Warner Music Norway)
I was a king - Old friends (Hype City Recordings/Voices Music and Entertainment)
Kråkesølv - Bomtur til jorda (Kråkesølv Plateselskapet/Grand Sport Records)
Madcon - Contraband (Cosmos Music Group)

Electronic:
Bjørn Torske - Kokning (Smalltown Supersound)
Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Real life is no cool (Smalltown Supersound)
Ost & Kjex - Cajun lunch (Voices Music and Entertainment/Dynamic Music)

Rock:
Blood Command - Ghostclocks (Tiger Safari/Fysisk Format)
Kvelertak - Kvelertak (Indie Recordings)
Motorpsycho - Heavy metal fruit (Rune Grammofon)
Serena-Maneesh - No 2: Abyss in b minor (Smalltown Supersound/4AD)
Tommy Tokyo & Starving for My Gravy - Go time, showtime & absolute war (Warner Music Norway)

Metal:
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini (Indie Recordings)
Ihsahn - After (Tuba Records/Candlelight)
Shining - Blackjazz (Indie Recordings)
Solefald - Norrøn livskunst (Indie Recordings)

Hip-Hop:
Karpe Diem - Aldri solgt en løgn (Cosmos Music Group)
Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, helt om dagen (Cosmos Music Group)
Salvador Sanchez - Happy daze (MTG Productions)

Folk:
Gjermund Larsen trio - Aurum (Heilo/Grappa Musikkforlag)
Ingvill Marit Buen Garnås og Per Anders Buen Garnås - Salme, segn & solbøn (Talik Da)
Sondre Bratland/Annbjørg Lien - Alle vegne (Kirkelig Kulturverksted)
Unni Boksasp Ensemble - Keramello (Øra Fonogram)

Jazz:
Elephant9 - Walk the nile (Rune Grammofon)
Ivar Antonsen/Vigleik Storaas - Dialogues (Ponca Jazz Records)
Paolo Vinaccia - Very much alive (Jazzland Recordings)
Supersilent - 10 (Rune Grammofon)
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra - Triads and more (Midtnorsk Jazzsenter)

Open Class:
Beady Belle - At Welding Bridge (Jazzland Recordings)
Jaga Jazzist - One-armed bandit (Universal Music)
Karl Seglem - Ossicles (Nor CD/Ozella Music)
Pelbo - Pelbo (Denstad Rec Play Forward/Rhinoprod)
Petter Wettre/Audun Kleive - The only way to travel 2 (Household Records)

Lyrics:
Bare Egil Band - I fyr og flamme (Grappa/Duplex)
Erik Fosnes Hansen - Neste stasjon Grorud (Daworks Records)
Ingrid Olava - The guest (Universal Music) Odd Nordstoga - November (Sonet/Universal Music)
Susanne Sundfør - The brothel (EMI Music Norway)

Pop Composition:
Gjermund Larsen - Aurum (Heilo/Grappa)
Ingrid Olava - The guest (Universal Music)
Odd Nordstoga - November (Sonet/Universal Music)
Susanne Sundfør - The brothel (EMI Music Norway)
Thom Hell - All good things (Voices Music and Entertainment)

Newcomer:
Bjørn Johan Muri (Universal Music)
Frida Ånnevik (Grappa Musikkforlag)
Kvelertak (Indie Recordings)
Moddi (Impeller Recordings)
Thomas Eriksen (Warner Music Group)

Winners will be announced on March 5. More here: http://www.spellemann.no/

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:26:02 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
02. Sissel - ...til deg...
03. Madrugada - The Best Of Madrugada
04. Jan Werner - One more time - The Very Best Of
05. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Rundt neste sving
06. Silje Nergaard - If I Could Wrap Up a Kiss
07. Vamp - I Full Symfoni 2
08. Madcon - Contraband
09. Odd Nordstoga - November
10. Helene Bøksle - Det Hev Ei Rose Sprungen
11. Bugge Wesseltoft - It's Snowing On My Piano
12. Hans Rotmo - Vårres Jul 2
13. Malin & Celine - Julekonserten
14. Koret på Botsen & Henning Kvitnes - Bortkomne Julestjerner
15. Henning Kvitnes - For Sånne Som Oss
16. Silje Hrafa - Frelsesarmeens Juleplate 2010
17. Sissel & Odd - Strålande Jul
18. Kari Bremnes - Fantastisk Allerede
19. Narum - Ælt som var søkk borte
20. Kråkesølv - Bomtur til Jorda

Dagbladet top 20 for 2010

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:14:00 -0800

Dagbladet's top 20 Norwegian albums of 2010:

01. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
02. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
03. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
04. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, helt om dagen
05. Serena Maneesh - S-M No 2: Abyss In B Minor
06. Thomas Dybdahl - Waiting For That One Clear Moment
07. Ost & Kjex - Cajun Lunch
08. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
09. Odd Nordstoga - November
10. Kråkesølv - Bomtur til jorda
11. Röyksopp - Senior
12. Shining - Blackjazz
13. Karpe Diem - Aldri solgt en løgn
14. Frida Ånnevik - Synlige hjerteslag
15. Narum - Ælt som var søkk borte
16. Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool
17. Casiokids - Topp stemning på lokal bar
18. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Rundt neste sving
19. Grande - You Are The Night
20. Kenneth Ishak & The Freedom Machines - Kenneth Ishak & The Freedom Machines

Link: http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/12/07/kultur/musikk/musikkanmeldelser/anmeldelser/arets_beste/14613152/

Musikknyheter top Norwegian picks for 2010

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:33:28 -0800

Musikknyheter's top 10 Norwegian albums of 2010:

01. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
02. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
03. Röyksopp - Senior
04. Kollwitz - Like Iron I Rust
05. Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson - s/t
06. Casiokids - Topp steming på lokal bar
07. Shining - Blackjazz
08. Kråkesølv - Bomtur Til Jorda
09. Pow Pow - Last Days On Earth
10. Death By Unga Bunga - Juvenile Jungle

Read more: http://www.musikknyheter.no/news/7505 (in Norwegian)

Top songs:

01. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
02. Kvelertak - Mjød
03. Lars Vaular - Rett Opp og Ned
04. Kråkesølv - Nordavind Mot Varme Kinn
05. Cold Mailman - Put Yourself Together And Fall In Love With Me
06. Röyksopp - The Alcoholic
07. Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Lovesick
08. Kvelertak - Ulvetid
09. Honningbarna - Våkn Opp
10. Pow Pow - Solar Eclipse

See videos for every track here: http://www.musikknyheter.no/news/7511

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:52:08 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
02. Sissel - ...til deg...
03. Jan Werner - One more time - The Very Best Of
04. Madcon - Contraband
05. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Rundt neste sving
06. Kråkesølv - Bomtur til Jorda
07. Vamp - I Full Symfoni 2
08. Silje Nergaard - If I Could Wrap Up a Kiss
09. Hans Rotmo - Vårres Jul 2
10. Narum - Ælt som var søkk borte
11. Koret på Botsen & Henning Kvitnes - Bortkomne Julestjerner
12. Odd Nordstoga - November
13. Henning Kvitnes - For Sånne Som Oss
14. Ida Maria - Katla
15. Helene Bøksle - Det Hev Ei Rose Sprungen
16. Tone Damli Aaberge - Cocool
17. Sissel & Odd - Strålande Jul
18. Bugge Wesseltoft - It's Snowing On My Piano
19. Ole Edvard Antonsen - Desember Stemninger
20. Vassendgutane - Julefest i Vest

Sirius playlist week #39

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:31:05 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Simian Ghost - Beat on the brat
02. TALK 1
03. End of All - Folkhemmet
04. In These Woods - Bear
05. The Bells - Outside
06. Britta Persson - Some girls some boys
07. TALK 2
08. Kråkesølv - Nordavind mot varme kinn
09. Tomas Halberstad - The pendulum swings again
10. WhoMadeWho - Left hand of the boxser
11. TALK 3
12. Säkert! - Köttet är svagt
13. Next Life - Battle tactics
14. Kaka - Candyman
15. The Fine Arts Showcase - Spanish kerosene
16. TALK 4
17. Kimono - Black
18. Axe - Up against common sense
19. NNDC - Mouthful of diamonds
20. Slöa Knivar - Anticimex
21. Enforcer - Take me to hell
22. TALK 5
23. Ikons - Imperiet

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Kråkesølv - Nordavind mot varme kinn

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:49:24 -0700

Check out the new Kråkesølv single "Nordavind mot varme kinn", the first taste of upcoming album "Bomtur til jorda": http://kraakesolv.ekort.net/

Kråkesølv to release 2nd album in November

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:26:37 -0700

Norwegian indie act Kråkesølv are working on a new album at Grand Sport Studio in Oslo with Christian Engfelt and Øystein Greni, tentatively titled "Bomtur til jorda" and set for a November 9 release.

Kråkesølv back in the studio

Wed, 05 May 2010 17:08:41 -0700

Kråkesølv are currently at Grand Sport Studio in Oslo working on a new album for release this fall. If you can read Norwegian, follow their studio blog at myspace: http://blogs.myspace.com/krakesolv

Sirius playlist week #18

Mon, 03 May 2010 11:49:34 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Kråkesølv - Skredder
02. TALK 1
03. Lama - Curses and broken glass
04. Underachiever - No rain (arson)
05. Originalljudet - The oral solution (with pear)
06. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Lumpettrick
07. TALK 2
08. Masshysteri - Låt dom hata oss
09. Den Svenska Tystnaden - Reaktor
10. Simian Ghost - Star receiver
11. Kobert - Recipe
12. TALK 3
13. Traktor - Where water goes
14. Disco Ensemble - Protector
15. Hooded Menace - Night of the deathcult
16. TALK 4
17. Menfolk - From the horse's mouth
18. Mattias Alkberg - Nerverna
19. Khoma - Osiris
20. TALK 5
21. Baby Alice - Piña colada boy

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Sirius playlist week #14

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:39:06 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. TALK 1
02. Robyn - Fembot
03. Monty - Orden
04. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Bye bye pianotie
05. Palpitation - What if
06. TALK 2
07. The Tallest Man on Earth - Burden of tomorrow
08. Dyno - Don't speak love
09. Margaret Berger - Will you remember me tomorrow?
10. Holiday for Strings - Shelter Island
11. TALK 3
12. Tutankamon - Have you ever been in love?
13. Kråkesølv - Skredder
14. The Tiny - Last weekend
15. Asha Ali - The time is now
16. TALK 4
17. Monzano - Yes, we can't
18. Donkeyboy - Ambitions
19. Kite - Ways to dance
20. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
21. TALK 5
22. Makthaverskan - German boy

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Kråkesølv Trådnøsting self-released

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:06:39 -0700

There's a certain jazzclub ambience about "Trådnøsting" that belies the fact that it's essentially an indiepop album and it's hard to pinpoint the reason for this, other than Kråkesølv's ability to outlay a sound that's so upbeat and complex, yet so relaxing and easy on the mind that it creates a sense of being at one with the music. It gets into the head and fuses with the brain, eliciting a variety of emotions so strong that it's not even essential to be able to understand Norwegian to know where they're at with a particular song. That's not an easy thing to pull off and, whether intentional or not, the Bodø quartet have done so in such a natural way that it displays the true quality of their songcrafting skills. Style-wise, Kråkesølv are so much like Germany's little-known indiepop act, Monostars, that the only thing separating them in places is the distinct difference in accents. Where Monostars exude a certain abrasiveness in the natural intonation of the Munich dialect, Kråkesølv offer a more lilting, almost flowery, adaptation that complements the melodies in the music and sounds off like an additional instrument. That's simply down to the natural Norwegian accent with its airy peaks and troughs and, for Kråkesølv, it works exceptionally well throughout, with particular note being made of "Privat regn" for its catchy pop anthem stylings and "Vågøyvannet rundt" for its dreamy, fairytale qualities. The title track really displays what Kråkesølv are all about in terms of their musical outlook, as does "Waldemar". What is this outlook, you ask? Well, from spinning this disc a few times, it seems it's all about creating beautiful music that really grasps the heart. Hopefully, the obvious international limitations that come with singing in Norwegian (read 'not in English') won't damage the band's exposure too much.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:00:06 -0700

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
02. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
03. Thom Hell - All Good Things
04. Raga Rockers - Shit Happens
05. Aleksander With - Still Awake
06. Navigators - The Straight And Narrow
07. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
08. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
09. Ingrid Olava - The Guest
10. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
11. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
12. Burzum - Belus
13. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
14. Audrey Horne - Audrey Horne
15. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
16. Batteri - Batteri
17. Diverse artister - Dugnad For Haiti
18. Frøya - My American Dream
19. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
20. Kollwitz - Like Iron I Rust

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:17:59 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Navigators - The Straight And Narrow
02. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
03. Ingrid Olava - The Guest
04. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
05. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
06. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
07. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
08. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
09. Bjørn Hellfuck - Innforjævlig
10. Frøya - My American Dream
11. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
12. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
13. Joddski (Jørg1) - Krig & Kjærlighet
14. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
15. Casiokids - Topp Stemning På Lokal Bar
16. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
17. Moddi - Floriography
18. D-Techs - From the Street to the Stage
19. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
20. Stage Dolls - Always

Sirius playlist week #9

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:47:15 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. TALK 1
02. Shining - Healter skelter
03. Beem - Manka
04. Dmitry Fyodorov - Simcoe
05. TALK 2
06. Björn Kleinhenz - Dackes drabanter
07. Kråkesølv - Pirvat regn
08. Holiday for Strings - Favorite flavor
09. TALK 3
10. Disco Ensemble - White flag for peace
11. Trinacria - Make no mistake
12. House of Tomidas - The letter
13. TALK 4
14. Kite - Looking for us
15. Mikkel Meyer - Dyreryg
16. Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
17. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Statoil stipend shortlist

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:10:42 -0800

Nö Music has the lowdown on this year's nominees for the Norwegian Statoil artist stipend: http://www.nomusicmedia.com/2010/01/30/nominees-for-statoil-funding-announced/
Also worth noting: a number of bands have refused to participate including hyped up-and-comers Kråkesølv, citing Statoil's offshore drilling near Lofoten as reason to protest.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:27:22 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
02. Frøya - My American Dream
03. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
04. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
05. Stage Dolls - Always
06. Shining - Blackjazz
07. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ild & Vatten
08. Claudia Scott/Casino Steel/Ottar Big Hand Johansen - Honky Tonk Night - The Best
09. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
10. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
11. Pony the Pirate - This is Our Psychopedia!
12. d'sound - Starts and Ends
13. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
14. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
15. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
16. Alf Prøysen - De kjente og kjære sangene
17. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
18. Torbjørn Egner - Samlede CD-er
19. Lindstrøm and Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool
20. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting

2009 Spellemannprisen nominees

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:53:16 -0800

The nominees for the 2009 Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:

Female Artist:
Ane Brun - Live At Stockholm Concert Hall (Det Er Mine, Balloon Ranger Recordings)
Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone (Propeller Recordings)
Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin' Feet (Sweet Morning Records)
Noora Noor - Soul Deep (Blue Mood)

Male Artist:
Alexander Rybak - Fairytales (EMI Music Norway)
Martin Hagfors - Men and flies (ME Records)
Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing (Hektor Grammofon)
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (Rounder Records/Decca Records/Universal Music)

Pop Group:
Datarock - Red (VME/Yap Records)
Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life (Warner Music Norway)
Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (Virgin/EMI Music Norway)
Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting (Diger)
Montée - Isle Of Now (VME)

Electronica:
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - 2 (Eskimo Recordings/VME)
Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away (Smalltown Supersound/VME)
Röyksopp - Junior (Virgin/EMI Music Norway)
Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak (MTG/Vulcano Records)

Rock:
DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin (oh Yeah!/EMI Music Norway)
Heroes & Zeros - Simian Vices Modern Devices (Nightliner/Sonet/Universal Music)
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt (VME)
Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future (Rune Grammofon)
Skambankt - Hardt Regn (Tuba Records)

Metal:
Code - Resplendent Grotesque (Tabu Recordings)
Immortal - All Shall Fall (Dunder Records)
The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary (Rodeostar)
Årabrot - The Brother Seed (Norway Rat Recordings)

Hip-hop:
Chris Lee - Love Ghost (Oslo Records/Bonnier Amigo Music)
Lars Vaular - D'e Glede (VME)
Tommy Tee - Studio Time (Bonnier Amigo Music)

Jazz:
Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up (Bolage)
Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak (Aimsoundcity)
Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada (Emarcy/Universal Music)
Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons (SloMO/Universal Music)
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned (ECM)

Open Class:
Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony (Jazzaway Records)
Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (Emarcy/Universal Music)
Knut Reiersrud - Gitar (Jazzland Recordings/Universal Music)
Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea (Lean/Universal Music/Emarcy)
When - Homage Series Vol.1: Sun Ra (Jester)

Lyrics:
Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene (Warner Music Norway)
Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin (EMI Music Norway)
Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn (EMI Music Norway)
Sverre Knudsen - La Det Brenne (Ohyeah!)
Tønes - Sobihob (VME)

Best Newcomer:
Alexander Rybak
Donkeyboy
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen
Kråkesølv
Vilde Frang

More here: http://spellemann.no/

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:55:45 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Stage Dolls - Always
02. Frøya - My American Dream
03. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
04. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ild & Vatten
05. Claudia Scott/Casino Steel/Ottar Big Hand Johansen - Honky Tonk Night - The Best
06. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
07. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
08. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
09. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
10. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
11. Jokke & Valentinerne - Levende (så lenge det varer)
12. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
13. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
14. Röyksopp - Junior
15. Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons
16. Torbjørn Egner - Samlede CD-er
17. Tellusalie - Man Across The Fountain
18. Herborg Kråkevik - Kvar Ein Dag
19. Malin - Malin
20. Helene Bøksle - Det Hev Ei Rose Sprungen

Moddi vs. Kråkesølv - "Magpie eggs" (video)

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:32:35 -0800

Via Eardrums comes this nice live clip of the Norwegian acts Moddi and Kråkesølv performing the Moddi track "Magpie eggs" together: http://vimeo.com/8681914

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:13:43 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
02. Frøya - My American Dream
03. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
04. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
05. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ild & Vatten
06. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
07. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
08. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
09. Claudia Scott/Casino Steel/Ottar Big Hand Johansen - Honky Tonk Night - The Best
10. Helene Bøksle - Det Hev Ei Rose Sprungen
11. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
12. Tine Thing Helseth - Mitt hjerte alltid vanker
13. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
14. Jokke & Valentinerne - Levende (så lenge det varer)
15. Ole Edvard Antonsen - Desember Stemninger
16. Herborg Kråkevik - Kvar Ein Dag
17. Röyksopp - Junior
18. Diverse artister - Dansejul
19. Malin - Malin
20. Stage Dolls - Always

Sirius playlist week #52

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. TALK 1
02. Mattias Alkberg - Andra känner
03. Darkthrone - Launchpad to nothingness
04. Mikkel Meyer - Kokostosca
05. TALK 2
06. First Band from Outer Space - Turn left to the Mexican barbeque
07. Kråkesølv - Privat regn
08. TALK 3
09. Galaxy Safari - Save me
10. Witchcraft - Samaritan burden
11. Bad Hands - Sonnenrad
12. TALK 4
13. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
14. Siena Root - Into the woods
15. Marvins Revolt - Siberia
16. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

MP3: Kråkesølv - Skredder

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:34:48 -0800

I'm working in an office in SF this week, so in case you haven't already noticed, posting will be a bit on the lighter side. I don't intend to leave you completely empty-handed though, so to follow up on Friday's post praising Tiger/Diger/Fysisk Format, here's another fine act that came to me through them. Can't say I know much about Kråkesølv, but they sound like a restrained version of Lukestar so of course I'm all about it. They don't rock out quite as hard and the vocals stay within normal human range, but they've got similar styles as far as noisy-leaning indierock with busy drums and charming melodies go. "Skredder" is the lead track from new album "Trådnøsting" and it's a perfect introduction, layering on subtle vocal harmonies as it builds to a halting climax. I have to be honest, 80% of the new music I hear from Norway tends to be mediocre garbage that's always erring on the wrong side of tame. This is not.

Top 10s for 2009: All Scandinavian

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The 2009 SpaceScan flashback

So, 2009 is coming to an end and time for reflection is upon us - and thanks to Avi for inviting us to do it here on It's a Trap. Our chosen subject for this year-end retrospect is the All Scandinavian SpaceScan series, a continuous trip around MySpace designed to give our readers and ourselves new, interesting musical experiences.

Every Friday without exception throughout the year we have presented two Scandinavian acts and here are 15 of the songs and artists we think stand out among the 94 so far (it's always hard to kill darlings, so we've simply ignored the Top 10 theme). As this is handed in there are still a handful of Fridays left, but a deadline is a deadline and the world is not always fair...

Anyway, here it is; the SpaceScan flashback of 2009 listed chronologically. Hope you enjoy it.

Who: Vinnie Who
Country: Denmark
Featured: January 30
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/vinniewhoofficial

Who: Joensuu 1685
Country: Finland
Featured: February 6
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joensuu1685

Who: 200
Country: Faroe Islands
Featured: February 13
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/200baby

Who: Kiasmos
Country: Iceland
Featured: March 27
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kiasmos

Who: Parachutes
Country: Iceland
Featured: April 17
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/parachutesmakesongs

Who: Day Eleven
Country: Finland
Featured: April 24
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/dayeleven

Who: Sebastian Lind
Country: Denmark
Featured: May 1
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sebastianlind

Who: SKRIET
Country: Sweden
Featured: May 8
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/skrietsthlm

Who: Let Me Play Your Guitar
Country: Denmark
Featured: June 5
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/letmeplayyourguitar

Who: I Am Sound
Country: Norway
Featured: June 5
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/iamsoundnorway

Who: The Works
Country: Denmark
Featured: July 3
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theworksprojects

Who: High Hat
Country: Faroe Islands
Featured: September 4
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/highhatband

Who: Feldberg
Country: Iceland
Featured: October 30
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/feldbergmusic

Who: Kråkesølv
Country: Norway
Featured: November 6
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/krakesolv

Who: Pixie Carnation
Country: Sweden
Featured: November 20
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pixiecarnation

---------------------------
All Scandinavian is a blog focusing on music in a wide variety of genres and styles from Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and the Faroe Islands (so strictly speaking the Nordic countries, but all good North and Nordic domains were taken).
http://allscandinavian.com

Sirius playlist week #49

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:26 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Interlace - Nemesis
02. TALK 1
03. Kråkesølv - Skredder
04. Mata de Leon - He's alright
05. Agent Side Grinder - 210-392
06. TALK 2
07. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Frivolvol - Blades of steel
10. Adam McCormack - Dead sailor
11. TALK 3
12. Marvins Revolt - Organize your arms
13. The Bear Quartet - Least loved (of the unloved)
14. Håkan Lidbo - Let's rock
15. TALK 4
16. Eskatol - Hevn
17. Elias & the Wizzkids - Oh these nights
18. Grande Roses - Factory
19. C.Aarmé - Assuan
20. TALK 5
21. Le Sport - Love in stereo

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:50 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
02. Sissel & Odd - Strålande Jul
03. Donkeyboy - Caugh in a Life
04. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
05. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
06. Nilsen/Aalberg - Call Me a Dreamer
07. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
08. Herborg Kråkevik - Kvar Ein Dag
09. Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene
10. Ole Ivars - Femten Ferske
11. Rita Eriksen - Frelsesarmeens Juleplate 2009
12. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
13. The Blacksheeps - Blacksheeps
14. Jokke & Valentinerne - Levende (så lenge det varer)
15. Chris Lee - Love Ghost
16. Malin - Malin
17. Anne Nørdsti - Livet er nå
18. Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned
19. Christine Sandtorv - Stjerneteller - Godnattsanger
20. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:59:41 -0800

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Donkeyboy - Caugh in a Life
02. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
03. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
04. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
05. Herborg Kråkevik - Kvar Ein Dag
06. Ole Ivars - Femten Ferske
07. Nilsen/Aalberg - Call Me a Dreamer
08. The Blacksheeps - Blacksheeps
09. Anne Nørdsti - Livet er nå
10. Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
11. Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned
12. Malin - Malin
13. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
14. Diverse artister - Go'natt
15. A-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
16. Alf Prøysen - De kjente og kjære sangene
17. Kings Of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
18. Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons
19. Alexander Rybak - Fairytales
20. Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:24:14 -0800

How Is Annie has announced the signing of Norwegian indiepop/postrock act Kråkesølv and is offering up three tracks as a free download: http://www.howisannierecords.com/article.php?id=115