IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Ring Them Bells - Technicolor

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:52:00 -0800

Ring Them Bells, a new Danish indie/noiserock act featuring ex-members of the bands Campsite and Lampshade, are giving away their debut single "Technicolor" as a free download: http://www.ringthembells.dk/
Look for the band's debut album to be released later this spring.

Stream the new Lampshade record

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:30:59 -0800

Lampshade's new and possibly final album "Stop pause play" is now streaming in its entirety at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lmpshd

Lampshade to go on ice following tour

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:21:07 -0800

Lampshade will be going on hiatus at the conclusion of their upcoming tour. Personally, I'm quite disappointed since I don't think any of their various sideprojects (As in RebekkaMaria, etc.) come anywhere close. So it goes...

Lampshade to tour Germany in March

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:51:42 -0800

Upcoming tourdates for Lampshade:

02/28 - Visions Party, Darmstadt (GER)
03/01 - Ekko, Utrecht (NL) 03/02 - Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin (GER)
03/03 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
03/04 - Schlachthof, Kassel (GER)
03/05 - Jubez, Karlsruhe (GER)
03/06 - Forum, Bielefeld (GER)
03/07 - Loppen, Copenhagen (DK)

Lampshade - Stop pause play

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:01:32 -0800

Lampshade's new 6-track MCD "Stop pause play" is now confirmed for release on January 26. Preview/pre-order at the band's website: http://www.lampshade.dk/

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:03:48 -0800

All Scandinavian has a new track from Swedish/Danish act Lampshade with guest vocals from Teitur: http://allscandinavian.com/448/exclusive-new-lampshade-single-%e2%80%98silkesar%e2%80%99/

MP3: Lampshade - Den støjende tid

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:26:16 -0800

What we have here today is a new track from Swedish/Danish act Lampshade, their first in quite some time. It's actually a Nikolaj Nørlund cover song, their contribution to the Danish classic artist tribute comp "Kender du det?". I won't pretend that I actually know anything about Nørlund and I will refer you to Hits in the Car for more details on said comp, but I do have this story as provided by vocalist Rebekka Maria Andersson:

"When I was phoned by Franka Abrahamsen, who asked if we would like to contribute with a cover version of a Nikolaj Nørlund song, I couldn't help but laughing a bit. Fact was, that we were at the Sauna Studio with the same guy producing new Lampshade material. We asked Nikolaj is he would produce his own song in a new version, and he answered with a dry smile that he could at least help us with the chords..."

More new Lampshade material? Finally! Apparently an EP in on the way before the end of the year and I have to say, I'm pretty excited about it. While the members of Lampshade have been quite busy with various sideprojects such as As In RebekkaMaria, This Is Head and so on, none compare to the original. I will not settle, I will not accept substitutions.

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:10:37 -0700

Lampshade report that they've completed work on seven new tracks. One happens to be a cover of "Den støjende tid" by Nikolaj Nørlund which will probably end up on a comp this coming fall and they also did a track called "Silkesår" which will feature guest vocals from Teitur.

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:05:52 -0700

Lampshade are currently at Sauna Studio in Copenhagen with producer Nikolaj Nørlund working on their next album.

RebekkaMaria Queen of France A:larm Music

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Icy, avant-garde electro pop has long been a fixture of Scandinavian music, ranging from the dense, arty compositions of The Knife to pop flavored chart toppers like Robyn. "Queen of France" (the debut solo album from Lampshade frontwoman RebekkaMaria Andersson) falls somewhere in the middle. The first half of the record was definitely crafted with a pop song structure in mind, while the latter half is much more experimental and less immediate. Tracks like "Yours truly" and "She lion" hit you over the head on the first listen with their confident melodies and infectious attitude, but from there, the album becomes decidedly less mainstream. The bizarre helium-induced "Army of foxy" initiates this change, but it's tame compared to head-scratchers like "The foam" and "Happy birthday". Fans of the genre will love it, and there's no denying the creativity that went into the record, but most listeners will probably wish that the entire album played to the strengths of the first four tracks.

MP3: RebekkaMaria - She lion

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:14:54 -0800

I don't post a lot of remix stuff on here because, generally speaking, I find the whole scene to be boring. Not only are they often totally unnecessary, the sheer numbers are so damn overwhelming that even when they are good, it's still incredibly hard to keep track of 'em. Unfortunately, as with today's track, I'm stymied by what I've been given so that's all I have to work with. On the other hand, this isn't always such a terrible burden as the mp3 I'm posting is actually quite good, it's more that it goes against my natural preference for album material. Anyhow, As In RebekkaMaria is the solo act of Lampshade frontwoman RebekkaMaria Andersson, a band that I'm quite fond of and have posted about often. Her debut album "Queen of France" finally comes out on March 17 and I believe that "She lion" is her latest single and that's where our song selection comes from. Despite the presence of big-name remix talents like SuperTroels and Kasper Bjørke, the best b-side on this single comes courtesy of yet another Dane, a gentleman by the name of Pato. He's the only one who bothers to take the material in a different direction, giving it a skittery synth hook and a fun polka beat. As for the other guys' unimaginative MOR electro tedium, why bother? That shit is dime-a-dozen. It's better to try and fail than not try at all.

Top 10s for 2007: Johannes Dybkjær Andersson (Lampshade/As In RebekkaMaria)

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

01. Spring and summer days (especially the ones in Paris, Copenhagen and Berlin)

02. The music of Loney, Dear, Bob Dylan, Hero Horns and Sufjan Stevens (always)

03. Remixes and liveshows with our new project As In RebekkaMaria - makes me wanna dance

04. Album: Efterklang - Parades (best Danish album ever)

05. Klubb Smørrebröd at Debaser, Malmö

06. Tez - the human beatbox guy from CocoRosie

07. My new vinyl player and speakers

08. Belgian chocolates and beer (I visited Brussels for my first time this year)

09. Books of Paul Auster

10. Dancing of DJ'ing at nightclubs to the tunes of Turboweekend, Trentemøller, Campsite and SuperTroels

---------------------------
Johannes Dybkjær Andersson is the bass player of Lampshade, drummer in the live band of As In RebekkaMaria, DJ in JOJO DJ TEAM with Johannes of Campsite, manager of a lot of different bands, host at Klubb Smørrebröd at Debaser Malmö, booker for the Nordklang Festival and Tivoli, Copenhagen (Fredagsspot).
www.lampshade.dk
www.myspace.com/lmpshd
www.myspace.com/asinrebekkamaria
www.myspace.com/smorrebrod

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:04:01 -0800

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

01. The Bombettes - I wanna
02. TALK 1
03. Anna Järvinen - Helsinki
04. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
05. Pay TV - Fashion report
06. TALK 2
07. Timo Räisänen - My valentine
08. Jonna Lee - And your love
09. José González - Killing for love
10. The Bear Quartet - It only takes a flashlight to create a monster
11. TALK 3
12. Kristofer Åström - The dark
13. Munck//Johnson - The streets
14. Bertine Zetlitz - Draggin' me down
15. Dieter Schöön - Warm hearts
16. TALK 4
17. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
18. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Ashen like the sky
19. Kazakstan - Song to the past
20. TALK 5
21. Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
22. Menfolk - Ghosts
23. Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
24. TALK 6
25. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
26. Stina Nordenstam - So Lee
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination
28. TALK 7
29. Marybell Katastrophy - Slabiak
30. Sinikka Langeland - Høstnatt på Fjellskogen
31. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
32. Printer - Minds out
33. TALK 8
34. Montys Loco - Wasteland
35. Lampshade - Fjäril
36. NEI - Trip to Luleå
37. Laakso - Hang me in the Christmas tree
38. TALK 9
39. Honey Is Cool - Drums and boys

Don't forget to vote for Sirius Blog Radio at the Plug Awards! Vote here: http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php
We are nominated under the category "Media (Obsessive) > Specialty Show Of The Year (Commercial Radio)".

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:18:29 -0700

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. TALK 1
02. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
03. Moder Jords Massiva - Vapen
04. Kornstad Trio - Intornette
05. TALK 2
06. Ghost Brigade - Autoemotive
07. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
08. September - My neighbourhood
09. TALK 3
10. Ebba Grön - 800°
11. Torpedo - My evil twin
12. Jonna Lee - Dried out eyes
13. TALK 4
14. Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
15. Pimentola - Death is a secret
16. Nils Berg - Sailors fighting in the dance hall
17. TALK 5
18. Lampshade - By and by I come
19. Midnight Choir - Will you carry me across the water
20. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
21. TALK 6
22. Candlemass - Elephant star
23. Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun
24. Cortex - Warrior night (live)
25. TALK 7
26. The Grizzly Twister - This city is a halo
27. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
28. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
29. TALK 8
30. The Bear Quartet - I'm still her
31. Paper - My life is going under
32. Darkthrone - Wisdom of the dead
33. Detektivbyrån - Nattöppet
34. TALK 9
35. Mob - Ghost track
36. Fare You Well - Deceiving eyes
37. TALK 10

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:10:24 -0700

Danish so-called "soft midnight indie pop" act The Late Parade will finally release their debut self-titled EP on October 1 via Good Tape Records. Listen to samples: http://www.myspace.com/thelateparade
RIYL atmospheric melodramatic pop such as Under Byen, Lampshade, Namur, etc.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish indie label/booking agency Parapluie will celebrate their second birthday with a special show at Pusterviksbaren in Göteborg on August 1 featuring "Reader's companion" alumni The Lionheart Brothers plus IAT faves Lampshade as well as Steso Songs, Daniel Ohrvall and DJs Jerry Boman and Euphoria and the Lazy Boy.

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Danish act Munich has posted the new track "The young ones" on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/munichdk
RIYL Lampshade.

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Danish act The Late Parade has a new mix of the song "My spies" posted on myspace, the first taste they say of what to expect from their forthcoming record: http://www.myspace.com/thelateparade
Reminds me a bit of Lampshade.

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Lampshade frontwoman RebekkaMaria will release her debut 12" solo single "Part of the game" using the moniker As In RebekkaMaria on June 2 via Attack Music to coincide with her performance at the Spot Festival. B-sides include the track "Cowboy song" as well as remixes from SuperTroels, Kernefamilien and Varano. Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/asinrebekkamaria

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Last night's playlist for my show on Sirius Blog Radio:

01. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
02. TALK 1
03. Johndoe - Nattskift
04. Montys Loco - Wasteland
05. Once We Were - Cut corners
06. TALK 2
07. [ingenting] - Mycket vasen for ingenting
08. Margaret Berger - Robot song
09. Namur - Marching
10. Lampshade - New legs
11. TALK 3
12. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. Juvelen - Hanna
16. TALK 4
17. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
18. Sonores - 16th of June
19. Detektivbyrån - E18
20. TALK 5
21. At the Gates - The swarm
22. Barra Head - Kill the lights
23. TALK 6
24. The Tough Alliance - Leg 7
25. Torpedo - My evil twin
26. Alog - Catch that totem!
27. TALK 7
28. Valley Days - 10k angels
29. A-ha - Celice
30. Victims - Who the fuck are we?
31. TALK 8
32. The Vicious - Alienated
33. Viola - Unreal life
34. Zweizz - Nowadays the only boring everything is so frustrating
35. Viktor Sjöberg - Winter guitars
36. TALK 9
37. Closer - The talker
38. Aerial - My god, it's full of stars!
39. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
40. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
41. The Psyke Project - Panic
42. TALK 10
43. C.Aarmé - We are the world

Next week: expect lots more killer jams including totally a brand new track from Closer and maybe even a spotlight set on post-rock/ambient music. Good times!

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Hits in the Car on Twami's new Lampshade remix: http://stytzer.blogspot.com/2007/03/twami-vs-lampshade.html

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Supertroels has posted a remix of As in RebekkaMaria, the solo project of Lampshade's frontwoman: http://supertroels.dk/wp/?p=170

Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Official top 10 releases for 2006, in alphabetical order:

There was a glut of good music in 2006, but only a few truly great albums. I found myself enjoying a very high percentage of the music that came my way, but very little remained in regular rotation for any length of time. Too much of a good thing? Perhaps. Regardless, I had some trouble compiling my list since I wanted to ensure that my selections were fit for posterity. That means albums like The Knife's "Silent shout" and Motorpsycho's "Black hole/black canvas" were out, despite being admirable pieces of work. They deserve high praise, but I simply didn't listen to them that much. Similarly, I'm From Barcelona and Peter Bjorn and John were off the list because their 2006 releases pale in comparison to what came before (both the original "Sing!!" demo EP from IFB and PB&J's "Falling out" are 100% unfuckwithable). What's left? Well, lots actually. The difficulty is separating all the 8s from the 9s and 10s. Let's get going then:

01. Aerial - Black rain from the bombing (Nomethod)
It came out in January and stuck with me throughout the entire year. That alone says something. As for the music, it's an amazing display of epic bombast and twisting riffs. Why can't more post-rock be noisy like this?
MP3: Time is on fire

02. The Book of Daniel - Songs for the Locust King (Black Star Foundation)
A late in the year release so I was reluctant to list it, but there's no denying the quality. Full of wisdom and poetry.
MP3: The camels parade

03. C.Aarmé - Vita (Carcrash/Burning Heart)
The brightest stars always burn out the fastest. RIP.
MP3: We are the world

04. Closer - Tokpela EP (Closersounds)
One of those bands I fell in love with the moment I first heard it. Heavy rock doesn't get better than this.
MP3: Open casket

05. Johndoe - Dødvinkel (JHND)
This one snuck up on me and is probably the one record on this list I've listened to the most.
MP3: Kjøtere

06. Montys Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
God, I hate the genre label 'folktronic', but I really can't think of a better way to describe this. Quirky instrumentation and arrangements aside, the music is simply brilliant and would work in any context.
MP3: Wasteland

07. Namur - Songs from the Valley of Baca (Thehourislate)
It's probably for the best that David Åhlén retired this stage moniker because this will be hard to top. Nothing wrong with quitting while you're ahead.
MP3: Marching

08. Raison d'Être - Metamorphyses (Cold Meat Industry)
I honestly don't believe I've heard another dark-ambient album this good. Ever.
MP3: Metamorphyses phase I

09. Oskar Schönning - Happy jazz, please (Amigo)
Another one of those records that found its way into steady rotation without much thought. Echoes of that other famous bassist/bandleader Charles Mingus along with fellow Swede Jan Johansson, but with an ear to the future.
MP3: Happy jazz, please

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
These guys asked me if I wanted to co-release this with them and I said no because I thought I was too busy. I blew it.
MP3: Jonathan

Best two demos I heard all year: Circle Six and Iisole

Four favorite non-Scandinavian releases:
Converge - No heroes (Epitaph)
Kayo Dot - Dowsing anenome with copper tongue (Robotic Empire)
Jesu - Silver (Hydra Head)
Rome - Berlin (Cold Meat Industry)

Two old metal warhorses who prove that age doesn't mean a thing: Iron Maiden & Slayer

What to expect for 2007? Well, my predicted goth revival for 2006 didn't live up to expectations even though it seemed to spawn quite a few excellent releases (The Kid and 1999, for example). Regardless, I'm not going to let that stop me from making more asinine predictions. My pick for the new trend of 2007: industrial/EBM. I swear, it's gonna happen. It's time.

Honorable mentions:
Asha Ali - s/t (NONS)
Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen (Danarkia)
The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
Kazakstan - s/t (Katalyst)
Knife and Ape - Hex! (Deleted Art)
Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
Lemonator - At the presence of great beauty (Odor)
Once We Were - Contra (Tenderversion)
Britta Persson - Top quality bones... (Amigo)
Plain Fade - Aure (Punos Sound)
Promoe - White man's burden (Burning Heart)
Tsukimono - Neé (Kalligrammofon)

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Not everyone was able to get their lists in on time, but I think you'll find more than enough titles here well-worth investigating, whatever your tastes may be. Enjoy!

Jonas Appelqvist:

01. The Fine Arts Showcase – Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
When Christian released a kinda mediocre record, Gustav stepped up, delivered and restored the honour of the Kjellvander brothers.

02. C.Aarmé – Vita (Burning Heart)
Music for the gut, not the brain. Göteborg's finest punks just recently split up, it's a pity.

03. Hets – s/t (V2/Etikett: Hets)
I was a bit hesitative when I heard that members from Laakso, Fireside and Moneybrother formed a band. They proved me wrong.

04. Raised Fist – The sound of the republic (Burning Heart Records)
This long awaited full-length proved to be exactly what I hoped for. Uncompromising hardcore, this time with hooks!

05. Insurgent Kid – Paranoia (Wasted Sounds)
Just recently released and it went straight into this list. The punkrock on this disc is, in fact, all I ever need.

06. Khoma – The second wave (Roadrunner)
I always knew something good would come out of Plastic Pride.

07. Aerial – Black rain from the nombing (Nomethod)
Epic and almost instrumental post-rock from Sandviken that moved me big time.

08. Tar... Feathers – Make way for the ocean floor to fall to the surface (Release the Bats!)
Self-willed indiepop that sounds like Modest Mouse mixed with Xiu Xiu at times.

09. Darkthrone – The cult is alive (Peaceville)
Pioneers that released their most interesting record since "Total Death". Black-metal with one hell of a punkrockattitude!

10. Cult of Luna – Somewhere along the highway (Earache)
One of the records I've listened to the most in 2006 and it's still intriguing.

Top 3 non-scandinavian records of 2006:
Converge – No heroes (Epitaph)
Electric President – s/t (Morr Music)
Cursive – Happy hollow (Saddle Creek)

Nancy Baym:

01. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris/PlayRec)
It's catchy, it's quirky, it's consistently strong. And it's interesting too.

02. Skywriter - Where both worlds never meet (Iceberg Records)
The slow ones drag a bit, but the fast songs are a sublime mix of sexy, cool, driving and restrained.

03. Consequences - s/t (BOW/Groover Recordings)
Puts the "infection" in infectious pop. I can't stop listening to it and really don't want to either.

04. Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's block (V2/Wichita)
Not as good as last year's "Falling out", but an okay Peter Bjorn and John record is still better than most.

05. Pelle Carlberg - Everything. Now! (Labrador)
He's thoughtful, he's sensitive, he's twee, but most of all he's the perfect mix of soothing and beautiful. Frazzled nerves be gone!

06. The Phonies - Gran tourettes (Money Laundry Records)
Inconsistent record from Finland's Phonies, but it's best songs are exhuberant enough to carry the rest.

07. Billie the Vision & the Dancers - The world according to Pablo (self-released)
While I'm From Barcelona gets all the buzz, I prefer this. It's kind of mellow, a little dark, sort of conceptual if you bother to figure it out, but most of all, it just sounds good.

08. David & the Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
David Fridlund's a melodic genius and the music may be better than ever, but Fridlund's angst runs too close to whining too much of the time.

09. Starflower - Moment in the sun (Music Is My Girlfriend)
Tranquil and poppy, youthful and tuneful, it's a gentle little debut from a band I hope will diversify its sound in releases to come.

10. The Charade - Real Life Drama (Skipping Stones)
Half of this is too sweet for me, but the rest is charming as all get out, and "September" easily wins the award for catchiest sugar pop song of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Sivert Høyem and the Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
It's not out yet and I've only heard 2 songs, but given his track record with Madrugada and his last solo record, it's guaranteed a spot in my top 10 when I do get to hear the rest.

Tiger Lou - The loyal (Startracks)
It came out in 2005 but now I've finally heard this record. It's got such a cool consistent vibe, such a unique sound, and I'm under it's spell completely.

Matt Giordano:

01. Peter Bjorn and John - Writers block (V2/Wichita)
After last years excellent "Falling out" I expected a great album, but this release just floored me.

02. Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John)
Yes, this is technically a re-release, and yes, it's that good.

03. The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian)
This is the new album I listened to most this year, and a it was quite a leap artistically for Mr. Kjellvander.

04. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris)
This one sat in my room for about a month until one day I brought it in the car with me, and to say the least, I was impressed.

05. Vapnet - Jag vet hur man väntar (Hybris)
"Thoméegränd" instantly hit me with pure pop genuis, and this album is so textured and deep, it has yet to be fully realised.

06. Firefox AK - Madame, madame! (Razzia)
It took me a while, but I have finally realised how genius this album is.

07. Nicolai Dunger - Sjunger Edith Södergran (EMI)
I believe this is Mr. Dunger's most cohesive album to date, and perhaps his most intimate.

08. Sibiria - Inom familjen (Hybris)
Martin A and Martin H put out two stellar albums in one year. Gorgeous.

09. The Knife - Silent shout (Rabid)
This album is both bleak and enchanting.

10. David & The Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
This album is so solid, and it should silence all of the naysayers.

Other:

Best 2005 release of 2006:
El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar (Memphis Industries/The Control Group)
Gorgeous, that is the only way to describe the songwriting of Sarah Assbring, and it's good to see the rest of the world catching on.

Top three non-Scandinavian releases:

Tom Waits - Orphans (Anti)
This is absolutely essential.

Nobody & Mystic Chords Of Memory - Tree colored see (Mush)
Another post-Beachwood Sparks work of excellence, now I'm only wishing for Beachwood Sparks to reunite.

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos (RCA)
America's best current live band, and this is their document.

Top ten songs of 2006*
01. Montt Mardié - "My girlfriend is in the Grand Prix finals" from "Science" (Hybris)
02. Peter Bjorn and John - "Paris 2004" from "Writers block" (V2)
03. Kristofer Åström - "So much for staying alive" from "Black Valley" (Startracks)
04. Loney, Dear - "The city, the airport" from "Sologne" (Dear John)
05. Tom Waits - "Bottom of the world" from "Orphans" (Anti)
06. Vapnet - "Thoméegränd" from "Jag vet hur man väntar" (Hybris)
07. The Velvet Teen - "Gyzmkid" from "Cum laude" (Slowdance)
08. Nicolai Dunger - "Lyckokatt" from "Sjunger Edith Södergran" (Dolores)
09. Loose Fur - "The ruling class" from "Born again in the USA" (Drag City)
10. Islands - "Don't call me Whitney, Bobby" from "Return to the sea" (Equator)

*These songs, as well as 31 others appear on my "Best of 2006" mix, which I have made 20 copies of as a double-disc set to give away to the readers of It's A Trap! Here's the deal, the first twenty people to email me at matthew dot giordano at macys dot com with their name and postal address will receive a copy (as well as tracklisting) in the mail. Enjoy.

Kevin Renick, in alphabetical order:

01. Ampop - My delusions (Dennis Records)
Balancing the epic and the emotive is an increasingly dicey proposition as more and more groups on both sides of the Atlantic sacrifice one or the other in the process. Iceland's Ampop gets the blend just right with these 11 surgingly powerful, yet fragile tunes. .

02. El Perro Del Mar - s/t (Memphis Industries)
Possibly the most bubbly, infectious, melodically rich, beautifully sung sad album ever made.

03. Sofia Hardig - The need to destroy (Filthy Records)
An adventurous electronica foray in which Sofia makes an art out of distorted vocals that are nonetheless emotionally wrenching. Dark, machine-laden grooves that grip the soul.

04. The Knife - Silent shout (Brille Records)
By any standard, one of the year's boldest and most significant records, especially for a spooked, tech-savvy, mask-wearin', brother-sister dance-tronica act.

05. Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
The sophomore release by this fabulous Swedish/Danish group is just as good as the debut; RebekkaMaria and company fuse primal rock and Scandi sensuality together in a thoroughly compelling manner.

06. Mew - And the glass-handed kites (Sony BMG Music)
A continuously flowing, continuously melodic and dazzling production that got many satisfying spins on my car stereo in 2006.

07. Monty's Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
Take a female vocalist who's like a tougher Emiliana Torrini, add equal parts acoustic/electronic instrumentation, throw in a few dollops of inspired weirdness and mix/produce well. Result: a grabber of an album that tickles the sonic taste buds..

08. Britta Persson - Top quality bones and a little terrorist (Amigo)
I like my Scandinavian music to be a little tart. Britta's debut CD is positively lemony from start to finish, a real standout in a year filled with great records by Scandi girls.

09. Patrik Skantze and the Free Souls Society - Fiction at first view (Mimo Sound)
A master class in inspired prog songcraft, superb guitar playing and the art of channeling diverse influences into your own lovingly prepared recipe.

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
As a long-time fan of both atmospheric ambient and mournful female vocals, this texturally absorbing disc had me at "eftermiddag".

Best EP: Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen (Danarkia)
Best CD to reevaluate your life to: Es - Sateenkkarisuudelma (K-RAA-K)
Best reasons to have faith that the spirit of weirdness lives on in Scandiland: The Bear Quartet, Sir Eric Beyond, and Tar...Feathers

Simon Tagestam:

01. Vapnet – Jag vet hur man väntar (album / Hybris)
Vapnet lived up to all my expectations and delivered a fantastic album

02. Moneybrother – De vet ingenting om oss (single / Hacka Skivindustri)
This song came totally unexpected and instantly floored me.

03. Lo-Fi-Fnk – Boylife (album / La Vida Loca)
Very exciting album from Sweden’s new dance kings, now TTA gone all new age.

04. Mattias Alkberg BD - Ditt hjärta är en stjärna (album / A West Side Fabrication)
Third and best album from this Bear Quartet member.

05. Taxi Taxi – Old big trees (song on myspace)
Killer song. Got high hopes for these young twins.

06. I'm From Barcelona - Let me introduce my friends (album / Dolores)
Hate them live, but still love their music.

07. Juni Järvi - Wherever thou art (album / Everlasting)
The surprise hit of the year, a collection of some magnificent songs.

08. [ingenting] - Mycket väsen för ingenting (album / Labrador)
An album that deserved much more attention and praise than it got.

09. Juvelen – Watch your step (song on myspace)
Sounds exactly like Prince when he was at his best. Pretty damn good that is!

10. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - s/t (album / Flora & Fauna)
Weirdest and most wonderful gig at Emmaboda this year where 'Sir Eric', even though he's Swedish, only talked in English in-between songs. He also released a fine record.

Three amazing songs from albums that I wasn't too keen on:
Fattaru – 100 spänn
Hello Saferide – The quiz
Peter Bjorn and John – Young folks

---------------------------

Jonas Appelqvist is in the works of completing the first fullengthrecord with Blinders On, indierock based in Malmö. The band is, as I write this, finished with the mixing and the mastering of the album entitled "Obsolete music", so we should expect a release in January. The 17th, to be precise. More on that after New Year's Eve.

Nancy Baym can be found happily blogging away at Online Fandom and digging music at Last.fm.

Matt Giordano wishes everyone safe, yet wine-filled holidays and New Year's celebrations, and hopes those who'll be getting his "Best of 2006 mix" enjoy them. He also hopes Arsenal can pick up the pace in the premier league and that Scandinavian bands continue to release the world's best music. Here are the new releases he's looking forward to in 2007: two Laakso records, Kristofer Åström, Shout Out Louds, Via Audio, Christian Kjellvander, Spoon, Tiger Lou (I can hope), My Morning Jacket (I can hope), Nick Cave (I think it's about time for another), Moonbabies, Nicolai Dunger, and all Hyrbis releases.

Kevin Renick is exhausted from trying to pare down the list of favorites from a really great year in music.

Simon Tagestam is a regular contributor to IAT and he doesn't really have any plans for 2007, except some vague ideas concerning a Nintendo Wii, his mother's 60th birthday, more tattoos, and badminton.

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Lampshade frontwoman RebekkaMaria is working on a soloproject along some of her bandmates and Johannes Nidam from Campsite. The name of the project is called As In RebekkaMaria and the music is described as "pop with a twist," citing influences as diverse as Brigitte Bardot, The Knife, Cat Power and Sufjan Stevens.

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Hits in the Car mentioned them the other day and let me reiterate, Munich is an up-and-coming Danish band not to be missed. Check out the three new tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/munichdk
It's worth noting that Jonas Petersen from IAT-approved act Attrap sent me a tip about these guys as well. He also plays a bit of cello and sings some backing vocals on the album. If that's not enough, let it be known that Johannes Dybkjaer of Lampshade, yet another IAT-recommended act, produced the record. If you enjoyed the dreamy pop of either of those two bands, you'll dig Munich for sure.

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Gaffa is reporting that IAT faves Lampshade will be the subject of a documentary film to be released early next year: http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=16397 (in Danish)

MP3: Élodie - Overload

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

A good follow-up to yesterday's post on Under Byen is today's mp3 from Élodie. Both bands are female-fronted and could be considered post-rock by the way they embrace slow-building dynamics. The main difference however is that Élodie is more of a pop band. Where Under Byen is unique for their heavy percussion, Élodie soothes with lush, gentle melodies. It's a shame that their new EP "At the end of the line" is the last we'll hear from them - the band recently played their final show at Trästockfestivalen in their hometown of Skellefteå. If you've been at all into any of the other dark and dreamy pop I've been raving about this year such as Lampshade or Namur, then this is definitely up your alley. Not only is there a ton of similar music in this vein being released now, a very high percentage of it is remarkably good. There's more on the way too - keep an eye out for posts on new music Sonores and The Grand Opening in the near future, both amazing bands (and also both IAT.MP3 artists releasing their first official full-lengths).
Buy "At the end of the line": [click here]

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Updated European tourdates for IAT faves Lampshade:

09/07 - Gimle, Roskilde
09/08 - Forbrændingen, Albertslund
09/09 - Loppen, Copenhagen
09/14 - Voxhall, Århus
10/04 - 603qm, Darmstadt
10/05 - 013, Tilburg
10/06 - Kompleks, Heerhugowaard
10/07 - Hedon, Zwolle
10/09 - Bitterzoet, Amsterdam
10/14 - -Q-Bar, Berg/Drau
10/15 - Grabenhalle, St.Gallen
10/17 - gebäude 9, Cologne
10/18 - Feierwerk, München
10/19 - Cafe Mokka, Thun
10/20 - Musikzentrum, Hannover
10/21 - Musiktheater, Kassel
10/22 - Scheune, Dresden
10/23 - White Trash, Berlin
10/24 - Franzis, Wetzlar
10/25 - Rosenkeller, Jena
10/26 - Mausefalle, Bonn
10/27 - Forum, Bielefeld
10/28 - Museumskeller, Erfurt
11/01 - Landet, Stockholm
11/25 - Rust, Copenhagen
11/26 - STARS, Vordingborg
12/15 - Step In Bad, Lippspringe
12/16 - Pavillion, Sindelfingen

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out Lazy Spinning Sparrow, a new Danish act that just opened their website: http://www.lazyspinningsparrow.dk/
If you like bands like Lampshade and Under Byen who fit somewhere between the realm of post-rock and dreampop, you'll definitely dig this. There's also a bit of the chamber-pop sound of The Tiny thrown in as well. The songs they have for streaming sound great, so check it out.

Namur Songs from the valley of Baca Thehourislate

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The style of music offered up by Namur, essentially the solo project of Sweden's David Åhlén, deserves a good, descriptive name. I'm sick of words like "slowcore" and "shoegaze" to describe this style of heavily atmospheric, churning melancholia. But there may be no substitute for "electro ambient dream pop," the title of a real Yahoo! group. That's pretty accurate, so let's go with it. "Songs from the valley of Baca" is the third Namur release and it's a thing of fragile beauty. Rather minimal, with some fuzzy, My Bloody Valentine-style guitar drone and superb drumming complementing Åhlén's soft, compellingly shy vocals. "Consuming fire" and "Marching" are exceptionally fine, emotionally stirring tunes (especially the keening vocal on that latter track), and again I have to mention the beauty of the drums... clean, loud and hypnotic a la John Bonham. The vocals are mixed almost in the background, like they're just part of the blissful, foggy ambience. "Vesper" is a solemn, beatless song which is deeply melancholy... you'll get as lost in thought as the singer seems to be if you just drift with this wisp of a tune. And "Brighter than the sun" sounds uncannily like Sigur Ros, just a bit less lush; but the textural organ and little snowflake synth flurries are quite captivating. And the vocal's emotive power is doubled here. Rebekkamaria from Lampshade provides harmonies on one track, but otherwise, this is a pretty singular affair, and it's as light as a dream. Very pretty, haunting music worth drifting off to sleep to...

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

New tourdates for Lampshade, a band whose most recent album "Let's away" is one of my favorites for 2006:

08/04 - Lott Festival (GER)
08/05 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
08/19 - JFK Open Air, Stemwede, Haldern (GER)
09/07 - Gimle, Rosklide (DK) w/Campsite
09/08 - Forbrændingen, Albertslund (DK) w/Campsite
09/09 - Loppen, Copenhagen (DK)
09/15 - Voxhall, Århus (DK) w/Campsite
10/04 - 603qm, Darmstadt (GER)
10/05 - 013, Tilburg (NL)
10/06 - Kompleks, Heerhugowaard (NL)
10/07 - Hedon, Zwolle (NL)
10/09 - Sugar Factory, Amsterdam (NL)
10/17 - Gebäude 9, Cologne (GER)
10/18 - Feierwerk, München (GER)
10/19 - Cafe Mokka, Thun (CH)
10/20 - Musikzentrum, Hannover (GER)
10/21 - Musiktheater, Kassel (GER)
10/22 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)
10/23 - White Trash, Berlin (GER)
10/24 - Franzis, Wetzlar (GER)
10/25 - Rosenkeller, Jena (GER)
10/26 - Mausefalle, Bonn (GER)
10/27 - Forum, Bielefeld (GER)
10/28 - Museumskeller, Erfurt (GER)
11/01 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
11/25 - Rust, Copenhagen (DK)
11/26 - Stars, Vordingborg (DK)

Profile: Attrap

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Name: Attrap

From: Aarhus, Denmark

Sounds like: Ethereal, melancholy pop.

Listen: Just a word away

Discography:
2006 - House of dreams (Warfare Records)

Links:
www.attrap.net
www.myspace.com/attrap

"Who are we listening to? I like this."
"Attrap"
"Who?"
Sigh. "It's Attrap."
*snicker*
So goes the conversation with my wife every time I play this band's debut EP. She usually never recognizes 90% of the stuff I'm playing in our shared office, but somehow Attrap always catches her attention and forces her to make bad puns at the expense of this site's namesake. The important thing to note however, is that of all the many many bands I'm constantly shuffling through on the stereo, Attrap stands out.

Who are you and where are you from?

We are four young people from small villages in Denmark. Now we live in the second largest town in Denmark, called Aarhus..(where three of us study). But really, it's a joke. Everyone knows everybody anyway. We've all met eachother on the bus. we plan on moving to Copenhagen. More busses there.

What makes Attrap special? And why no drums? Was that a conscious decision?

We would like for our music to be like a trojan horse. Coming slowly towards the big fortress of the pop-industry. The guards (the radio stations) let us inside - we look nice, sound nice. Nothing new, seemingly. But when we get inside the thick and mighty city walls and join the masquerade, we reveal our faces; and suddenly, there is one single band who actually mean what they dream and insist on singing about joy, love, death and the relations between people - in spite that it is claimed to be alarmingly old-fashioned by the industry. I think that is what makes us special.. that we believe we can set people in motion, physically and mentally.
About the missing drummerboy: Let us be the first to brake the ice: All drummers are ugly. All four of us are beautiful. that's why. Drummers also have an annoying tendency to take full controll of the musical landscape. We like the possibility to make a more "rubato" feeling in the compositions. but mostly because they are ugly (ok - except Nick Mason of the Pink Floyd. wow, that moustache!).

How does the music scene/industry of Denmark compare to Sweden?

To be honest, I don't know much about the music scene in Sweden. I'm too busy figuring out what happens on the Danish scene :). Right now there's some interesting things going on on the small indielabels. Our own, Warfare Records, the stars at Morningside Records and Crunchy Frog, but also the crazy people at BSBTA has had some exciting new releases and hopefully, much more to come. I don't know if there are any cool independant labels in Sweden? I think the music scene in Denmark is heading towards something better -more breath-taking melodies. The melodic skills is the main trademark of Swedish music from my opint of view. ABBA, José González, Lampshade and Kent are all in the superleague when it comes to melodies. I envy them. We should collaborate.
I have the feeling, that young bands from Sweden reach a high level earlier than the Danish young bands. But again, I don't know much about the swedish scene, so I'll stop it here.

What is your preferred beverage of choice and why?

Coffee, mostly. because it is one of the only legal drugs that can help you kill time.
And Danish beer. Llots of beer. Carlsberg if we have enough money. I don't really know why. it's something that goes with the Danish culture. Maybe it's because it looks like piss, but tastes much better. Don't know.

If you were suddenly elected to be a world leader, what would be the first thing you'd do?

I, Jonas, would probably send an email to the bully from my highschool with the words: "I told you so."
Secondly, I would invite all the poor people of the world (and the bully from my highschool, if I remember it in my email) into my huge backyard and have a great party. Attrap would play. Kofi Annan would make a toast. Maybe I would give every newborn baby a cello. Haven't decided that yet.

You said in response to the first question that you are in Aarhus to study. What is your chosen subject(s) of interest?

Actually, I'm the only one who doesn't study. Troels and Johan study philosophy and Gertrud studies some fancy art thing. I just walk around feeling very bohemian, reading Danish poetry from the 1920s and 1980s. Smoking.

Finally, what does the future hold for Attrap?

We are working on our debut-album, which will be released in a year or so. It will be a sonic explosion of joyful indie-pop. less mellow. lovely. We are going to play a lot of concerts during the fall in Denmark and hopefully south of the border. Germany, the Netherlands. The future is a shiny apple and we're more than ready to take the first bite.

Mon, 22 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lampshade has posted the video for "New legs": http://www.lampshade.dk/forsta.htm
The band's most recent album "Let's away" is one of IAT's top picks for 2006.

Podcast: Q1 highlights

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 04.14.06
LENGTH : 37:37 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_04142006.mp3 (26.5mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. Montys Loco - Wasteland
02. The Knife - Silent shout
03. Namur - Marching
04. Aerial - A limbless stare
05. Motorpsycho - In our tree
06. The Fine Arts Showcase - I don't worry
07. The Alpine - Trigger
08. Lampshade - By and by I come

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lampshade will be recording a cover of "Good day sunshine" by The Beatles for an upcoming "Revolver" tribute to be released with the June edition of Mojo magazine.

Lampshade Let's away Glitterhouse

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Both Kevin and Avi are all over this album, and to be completely honest: they are right to be. Lampshade create some beautiful music with intelligent arrangement and memorable melodies. Singer RebekkaMaria Andersson does, as Kevin mentioned, have a similar tone to Björk, but she is much more natural and fluid, albeit less powerful, than the Icelandic goddess. This is lovely pop and clever songwriting all combined with a taste for melancholy that is very pleasing. But, for some reason, I just can't get into it. It all seems a bit stiff and deliberate. I just can't seem to put the finger on why I feel like that because I should like this. In the words of the legendary George Costanza: "It's not you, it's me."

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...

Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!

Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:

03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)

MP3: Lampshade - Fjäril

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Danish act Lampshade has posted a new track for free download: http://www.lampshade.dk/10dissefugle.mp3

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Danish act Lampshade has a new website: http://www.lampshade.dk/
The band's new album "Let's away" comes out February 6 in Denmark, February 24 throughout Europe. Listen to the first single "New legs" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lmpshd
The band will also be playing a special record release show at Rust in Copenhagen on February 4 that will be recorded by Danish Radio P3 for rebroadcast on the 9th.

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Denmark's Lampshade has posted a brand new song for listening on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/lmpshd
The band is now selling a special, limited-edition prerelease version of their new album "Let's away". Details at the above link as well.

Fri, 17 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Some new confirmed dates for Namur:

08/15 - Sub, Oslo (NOR) w/Lampshade
08/17 - Chelsea, Wien (AUS) w/Lampshade
08/18 - Zerwirk, Munchen (GER) w/Lampshade
08/19 - Yard Club, Köln (GER) w/Lampshade
08/20 - Knaak Club, Berlin (GER) w/Lampshade
09/02 - Skylten, Linköping (SWE) w/Left Handed, Second Language
09/03 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
09/04 - tba, Göteborg (SWE) w/Lilac

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Updated summer tourdates for Norwegian hardcore act Silence the Foe:

06/12 - Elm Street, Oslo (NOR)w/Jeroan Drive
06/14 - Folkets Hus, Örebro (SWE)
06/15 - 1000fryd, Aalborg (DK)
06/16 - Vera, Groningen (NL) w/Callisto, Jeroan Drive, Go! Revolution Go!
06/18 - Peacedog Festival, Ede (NL) w/Lampshade, Opposition of One
06/18 - The Box, Boxmeer (NL)
06/19 - Gloppe, Leuwarden (NL)
06/21 - MTC, Köln (GER)
06/22 - tba
06/23 - Juz, Burglenfeld (GER)
06/24 - Pressure Festival, Herne (GER) w/Napalm Death, Purified in Blood, Sick of it All
06/24 - Siemstrasse 18, Giessen (GER)
06/25 - Gasometer, Zwickau (GER)
06/26 - 13eins, Ansbach (GER) w/Desperado, Jeroan Drive, Go! Revolution Go!
06/28 - Sub Scene, Oslo (NOR)
07/07 - Seaside Festival, Risøya (NOR) w/The Lionheart Brothers, Larry Norman, The Supertones

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Lampshade is having a contest to give away free copies of their debut album "Because trees can fly": http://www.adorablevoid.com/lampshade/contest/

Thu, 17 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Download a remix of "Within symmetry" from Denmark's Lampshade: http://www.alternativenation.de/mp3/lampshade_within_symmetry_remix.mp3

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Denmark's Lampshade is touring Germany in February:

02/16 - Knust, Hamburg
02/17 - Hafen 2, Offenbach w/Tiger Lou
02/18 - FZW, Dortmund
02/19 - Museumskeller, Erfurt
02/20 - Pfefferberg, Haus, Berlin

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Check out the video for "Because trees can fly" from Danish act Lampshade: http://www.beofilm.dk/lampshade/

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Lampshade will be throwing a record release show on November 15 at KB in Malmö to celebrate their new album "Because trees can fly", to be released on Germnay's Glitterhouse Records.

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Denmark's Lampshade has signed with Glitterhouse Records. The band is described as "a collision of noise rock, sad core, emo and dreamish post rock" and their new album "Because trees can fly" will be released internationally in November.

Wed, 28 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Upcoming tourdates for Namur:

04/29 - Paraplyen, Vejle (DK) w/Lampshade
05/01 - Studenterhus, Odense (DK) w/Lampshade
05/02 - KB, Malmö (SWE) w/Lampshade
05/06 - Nordischer klang festival, Klex, Greifswald (GER)
05/07 - King kong club, Berlin (GER) w/The Broken Beats
05/09 - Ms Stubnitz, Rostock (GER) w/Bob Log III
05/10 - Kino Melodie, Potsdam (GER)
05/12 - tba, Leipzig (GER)
05/13 - Schilleroper, Hamburg (GER)
05/14 - Z Altenberg, Oberhausen (GER) w/Festspielhaus
05/15 - Project 7, Magdeburg (GER)