IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

David Åhlén - Draw us near

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:17:46 -0800

Check out a video of David Åhlén (Namur) performing "Draw us near" solo on acoustic guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8VlULHd8N4

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:48:40 -0700

The Hour Is Late, the label run by David Åhlén (Namur), has signed the Göteborg-based duo Lilak and will be releasing their debut full-length "Birds, water and days" in November. More info: http://www.thehourislate.com/

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:05:59 -0700

Here's the playlist for this past weekend's radio show:

01. Pluxus - Bootstrap
02. TALK 1
03. Marit Bergman - Straight into my lovers arms
04. Grande Roses - Dead town
05. Mikko Singh - Rauha
06. TALK 2
07. Namur - Draw us near
08. Lapko - Sawyer the brother
09. Paper - To her
10. TALK 3
11. Johnossi - Train song
12. Markus Krunegård - Rocken spelar ingen roll längre
13. Printer - You need to
14. TALK 4
15. Firefox AK - Once I was like you (Boeoes Kaelstigen remix)
16. Aerial - Time is on fire
17. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
18. TALK 5
19. Siena Root - Time will tell
20. Kristofer Åström - I collect knives
21. Anna Ternheim - Better be
22. TALK 6
23. Anna Leong - Guollotine
24. Folie - Krogg
25. Hearts of Black Science - Empty city lights
26. TALK 7
27. Inuit - En förlorad generation
28. The Psyke Project - Dark halls red floors
29. Memento Mori - Epilog
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Lights out, sound off
32. Fun - I know Ted Kennedy
33. Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.
34. TALK 9
35. Lama - Bussi
36. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
37. Little Jimmy Reeves - Drowsy dogs
38. C.Aarmé - Visions
39. TALK 10
40. No Privacy - Blood over Denmark

Reminder: my show on Sirius Blog Radio runs Saturdays at 12 noon and midnight ET on channel 26 (Left of Center).

MP3: Namur - Draw us near

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:09:52 -0700

The best religious music is ostensibly about struggle. Not just the struggle between good and evil/heaven and hell, but the struggle of faith. Remember, the name Israel (as given to Jacob) literally means "to wrestle with angels" or, to extrapolate further, to wrestle with God or even to wrestle with the idea of God itself. The music of Namur possesses a yearning quality that exemplifies this, the struggle to put faith into song, to cleave to God in a meaningful way. There's no hokey sentimentalism, rather there is honest feeling and emotion. You'd never know it from the sound of most contemporary "worship music", but faith is not necessarily an easy thing. Heartfelt platitudes, however well-intentioned, don't do it justice. When faith is challenged and those challenges overcome, only then can be considered strong. Namur is sacred music, but not in the way you might expect, but in a way that I find eminently satisfying. It's glorious, but it is not so easily accessible. The title itself, "Draw us near", suggests an absence or a distance to be traversed. By burying his vocals deep in the mix, David Åhlén further muddles the contention of the subject matter. We struggle to do good, to be closer to God, but it is not easy. Or, to flip the biblical decree that "God made us in His image" on its head, perhaps we struggle to be more like God ourselves (if this is the case, may your God be benevolent and kind as opposed to angry and full of wrath). Essentially, an insurmountable task; a job that will never be truly finished. I hear this music as a way of reaching out and it moves me, even though we don't share the same faith. It's Namur's passion that is most important and, on this track, that passion is unmistakable.

Sun, 04 May 2008 11:25:00 -0700

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

01. Johan Heltne - Din alkoholism är ingen alkoholism
02. TALK 1
03. Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos spelar på Tensta torg
04. Oliver North Boy Choir - New folder
05. Firefox AK + Laid - Once I was like you
06. TALK 2
07. THe Eight Arms Around You - Guilt ridden
08. Efterklang - Step aside
09. Orjan Hultén Trio ft. Fakir Karlsson - Untitled
10. TALK 3
11. Kornstad Trio - Intornette
12. Dmitry Fydorov - Greetings, D!
13. Disfear - Live the storm
14. TALK 4
15. I Are Droid - Time on time
16. Ihsahn - Unhealer
17. Juvelen - Don't mess
18. TALK 5
19. Henrik Rylander - Information and disinformation for alien civilizations
20. Namur - Draw us near
21. Lukestar - Clockworks of tomorrow
22. TALK 6
23. DS-13 - Prechewed rebellion
24. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
25. Sophie Rimheden - Go away
26. Anders Persson och Carl Smith - Morgonsol i April
27. TALK 7
28. Masshysteri - Monoton tid
29. NSI - 12
30. Zanussi Five - Azrah illusion / Street woman
31. TALK 8
32. Washington - Landslide
33. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
34. Bobby and Blumm - Hiss and rustle
35. Paragon - Aavisst
36. TALK 9
37. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:14:31 -0700

David Åhlén has resurrected his Namur moniker and released a brand new single "Draw us near", now available for free download w/b-side: http://www.namurmusic.com/

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:51:52 -0800

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

01. Niccokick - The poet
02. TALK 1
03. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
04. David Sandström - Apropå det här med att finnas till
05. Mew - Why are you looking grave?
06. TALK 2
07. C.Aarmé - Rhythm
08. Dieter Schöön - Lot's of free Shoes but nowhere to run
09. Meshuggah - Pravus
10. TALK 3
11. Elin Ruth Sigvardsson - Antidote
12. The Bear Quartet - Volksblues
13. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Wedding
14. Lack - Naked girls
15. TALK 4
16. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
17. Namur - Marching
18. NEI - Trip to Luleå
19. TALK 5
20. Printer - All right
21. Moto Boy - Beat heart
22. Christel Alsos - Come back to me
23. TALK 6
24. Promoe - Headache
25. Mustasch - Dogwash
26. Montt Mardié - Too many songs unwritten
27. Pascal - Smärtstillande
28. TALK 7
29. Pan Sonic - Virta 1
30. Pekker - Ass electro
31. Regulations - Police siren
32. TALK 8
33. Deud - Lördag
34. Linus Larsson & John Roger Olsson - Beyond the south tunnel
35. Barra Head - Undermine
36. TALK 9
37. Aerial - Kallisti
38. Paris - Office killer
39. Lukestar - The shade you hide
40. TALK 10
41. Jazkamer - Metal music machine

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:03:03 -0800

David Åhlén (Namur) has posted a whole bunch of old material for free download: http://thehourislate.blogspot.com/2007/12/namur-2-songs.html
I can definitely recommend the "Songs from the valley of Baca" material - that stuff is great.

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:24:46 -0700

New music from David Åhlén: http://www.myspace.com/thetorontoblessing
This appears to be the electronic shoegazer half that he dropped when he went "solo" under his own name after abandoning the Namur moniker. Still sounds great, of course.

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.

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My playlist for this week's radio show on Sirius:

01. Bogus Blimp - By five o'clock tea
02. TALK 1
03. Sivert Høyem - Smalltown supersound
04. Pluxus - Kinoton
05. Brick - No names
06. TALK 2
07. Hebosagil - Let us go
08. Dialog Cet - Crocodile hunt
09. Hurdy Gurdy - Ynglingen
10. Anja Garbarek - The last trick
11. TALK 3
12. E.S.T. - When god created the coffee break
13. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
14. Afenginn - Ralli i d-mol
15. Magyar Posse - Whirlpool of terror and tension
16. TALK 4
17. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
18. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
19. Nisse Hellberg - Kärlekens express
20. TALK 5
21. The Spacious Mind - Rider of the woodlands
22. TALK 6
23. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
24. Svenson - Don't get lost
25. Namur - Marching
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Carpet People - A girl without a skin
29. Anna Ternheim - Lovers dream (feat. Fyfe Dangerfield)
30. Knife and Ape - No arms no legs
31. TALK 8
32. Brighter Death Now - American tale

MP3: David Åhlén - Wasted breaths

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

David Åhlén kicks off his US tour tonight in NYC so I've got the a-side from his new single "Wasted breaths" for you to hear. Big ups to his label Compunctio for being gracious enough to share.
When I heard that David was abandoning his Namur moniker and heading in a more acoustic direction, I was braced for disappointment. Would his music still succeed minus the lush shoegazer artifice? Thankfully, yes, it does. David is a strong, passionate vocalist and fittingly, he lets his voice carry the material. Two chords is all he needs. Go see him live, I'll be at the Seattle show for sure:

05/24 - Pianos, NYC
05/25 - Pianos, NYC
05/28 - The Starline, Fresno, CA
05/29 - The Independent, San Fransisco, CA w/Loney, Dear
05/30 - Dolores Park Church, San Fransisco, CA
05/31 - Barkin' Dog Grill

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Two new David Åhlén (nee Namur) songs now up on for streaming on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/davidahlen

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

David Åhlén (nee Namur) will release a 7" single via Compunctio/Baked Goods in June featuring the song "Wasted breaths" (ft. Rickard Jäverling) b/w "We sprout in thy soil".

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!

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish avant label Compunctio has posted details on their first release, an album featuring pianists Andreaz Hedén and Gösta Rundqvist taking turns interpreting the same piece of music. Sounds incredibly interesting to me, not to mention the fact that they'll be releasing David Åhlén's (nee Namur) solo debut in early 2008. Read more: http://www.compunctio.com/

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

David Åhlén (Namur) will be working on a new solo album this summer to be released under his own name sometime in early 2008: http://thehourislate.blogspot.com/2007/03/ny-skiva-p-g.html
Gustaf Spetz (Eskju Divine), Krister Linder (fd Dive) and Tobias Åhlén will lend a hand and Andreas Runeson will produce.

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

David Åhlén (Namur) on tour in the US supporting Bradley Hathaway:

05/24 - Pianos, New York, NY
05/27 - tba, Bakersfiend, CA
05/28 - tba, Fresno, CA
05/29 - The Underground, Roseville, CA
05/30 - Dolores Park Church, San Fransisco, CA
05/31 - tba, Modesto, CA
06/01 - tba, Redding, CA
06/02 - The Revolution, Ashland, OR
06/03 - tba, Bend, OR
06/04 - The Noisebox, Camas, WA
06/05 - Q Café, Seattle, WA

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

David Åhlén (Namur) will support Bradley Hathaway on tour in the US this coming June. Dates soon!

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

David Åhlén (nee Namur) has signed with Swedish upstart indie label Compunctio and will be recording a new album later this year. Expect an early 2008 release.

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)

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Namur's excellent album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" is being offered as a free download: http://www.namur.nu/
If you want a copy of the real thing, buy it here: [click here]

MP3: Ella Rouge - Manhattan

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I've mentioned my appreciation of Christian music a few times here and there, but I think some clarification is in order. When I talk about good Christian music, I mean passionate stuff like Namur and Isolation Years or 16 Horsepower and even the Louvin Brothers. It's important to note that except for the latter, all of these acts consider themselves musicians first, Christians second. The mission is to make music, not necessarily spread the gospel, though inevitably their convictions are reflected in the music. Want an example of what not to do? Listen to today's mp3 from Ella Rouge. This is exactly the kind of empty, vapid music that gives Christian rock such a horrid name. If the Holy Spirit moves you in profound ways, the music should reflect that. Hiring a gospel choir to double the final chorus is no substitute for real emotion. The first couple songs on their record aren't so bad - overproduced and generic yeah, but listenable. I probably wouldn't change the channel if they came on the radio. But this song? Terrible. Painful even. Download at your own risk. Some trivia: The band features the vocals of one Ludwig Andersson, son of Benny from Abba. Though technically proficient in every way, I feel his talents could be put to much better use.

MP3: Namur - Marching

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

2006 has been an amazing year for dark and dreamy pop and Namur's "Songs from the valley of Baca" is one of the best examples of the genre. You can call it a shoegazer revival if you want, but I think that all the sounds I've been hearing are something completely new and different. It may be a lot of things, but it's certainly not retro. Anyhow, despite releasing one of the year's best albums, Namur mainman David Åhlén decided recently that it was time to retire the name and move on with something new: Father of Levi. Naturally, I wanted to know more, so I asked him why. Read more: [click here]
"Marching" is the one of the only songs on the album that delivers immediate gratification out of context. That might sound like a bad thing, but I assure you it's not. "Songs from the valley of Baca" is very much an album, not just a collection of songs or singles. Each track flows effortlessly into the other and weave together to create a much greater listening experience. It's becoming rarer and rarer to find music that achieves this sort of cohesiveness nowadays in our post-iPod world. Like I said before: one of the best releases of the year.

Interview: David Åhlen (Namur/Father of Levi)

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Just last week Namur mainman David Åhlen announced that he was retiring the name and continuing on under the alias Father of Levi. But why start over after just releasing one of the year's best records. Inquiring minds want to know!

Why lay the name Namur to rest? What inspired the change and how will Father of Levi differ from what you've done before?

I've been doing Namur for nine years now, so I thought a new name would inspire me in my future creative process... I've started to record some new stuff in my studio and it's too early to tell the differences, but Father of Levi is probably more acoustic.

What does the name "Father of Levi" signify?

That's who I am now; father of two kids (one named Levi) and it's totally a new era. Life is tough, I live in a surburb, trying to find extra jobs to feed my family... Things have changed, so I guess that as well is a reason why I change my name.

So "Father of Levi" isn't any sort of biblical reference then? That was my first thought upon seeing it. Does it concern you that it may be interpreted as such?

Well, Levi is a biblical name. If someone interpretes it in that way it's ok for me.

How does your new label Thehourislate factor in with this? Did the act of releasing your own music help create the impetus for more change? What made you go DIY in the first place?

I believe the DIY way brings me more freedom and control... And yes, having my own label gives me new ideas and visions for future projects...

Religious and spiritual imagery seem to be prevalent themes in your music - would you consider yourself to be a Christian artist? How important is religion in your life and how important is it to your public identity?

I believe all music is spiritual and when I listen to Arvo Pärt, Woven Hand or Sigur Rós I can sence spirituality in a special way. As the son of a Baptist minister, I grew up with hymns and spiritual songs. I was tought to sing for a higher purpose. Several times as a kid I experienced a whole congregation singing in tongues (it may sound wierd) but it was really beautiful. Music is truly a transcendental language. With this background it's natural for me to create music and lyrics with inspiration from the Bible and the church-music tradition. I would say I'm a Christian and an artist but not a Christian artist.

Has the new role of label manager changed the way you look at/listen to music? What kind of artists are you looking to work with? What kind of expectations do you have for thehourislate?

I cannot really identify myself as a label manager or a&r... My way of listening to music hasn't changed since I started my label... My plan from the start was to release other artists as well, but if I go on with thehourislate in the future it'll be a label for my own projects only. The artists I "signed" to my label; Isaac since 1980 and Oplen will now be found on a new label called Depth and Construction that I started with my friend Isaac Nyberg. It's a netlabel for digital releases only and mostly compilations with electronica/progressive artists.

What's the plan for Father of Levi? When can we expect to hear something new?

I plan to release an EP or album during spring 2007... I hope to tour a lot in the future, it will be easier now when I'll perform without a band.

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

Speaking of Namur, mainman David Åhlén has laid that project to rest and will be continuing on now under the new moniker Father of Levi. Check out a new song on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/fatheroflevi

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]

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, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The Hour is Late, the label run by David Åhlén from Namur, has announced the signing of Oplen.

MP3: Red Moon - Nothing there

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I don't get a lot of demos sent to me, but what I do get is often surprisingly good. And let me tell you: it's much nicer to be surprised and impressed by a nondescript CDr than it is to be let down by a mediocre, but well-packaged "pro" CD. Red Moon is a duo of two sisters from Göteborg with an incredibly low profile as they've never played live before and have no proper webpage. The music they create is dreamy, ethereal, droning shoegazer pop - not too unlike Namur's most recent album (which I also fell in love with). Of course there's also plenty to link them to genre founders such as the Cocteau Twins and so forth, but I think their Swedish sense of melancholy gives them an extra edge. I've posted the first track from their four-song demo, but I strongly recommend that you head over to myspace to listen to the rest. Very, very impressive!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The Hour is Late, the label of David Åhlén from Namur, has announced that their next release will be a digital EP from Isaac Since 1980 coming in September. Exact details tba.

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Namur will begin to record a new album later this month co-produced with Jonatan from the band Blackstrap. Namur's most recent album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" is amazing, so expectations are high.

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I meant to mention it earlier, but I now have the latest Namur CD in stock: [click here]
If you like dreamy shoegazer rock, you need this.

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

As I said in last week's newsletter (sign up on the right!), this week is all about new music. I've gotten so much good stuff recently that there's no way for me to keep up if I stick to my usual 3x week posting schedule. I like rules and tradition, but sometimes you gotta break free, y'know? Lucky for you.
Today's mp3 comes from Namur, the musical alias of David Åhlén. I had never really paid much attention to his music before, but when he posted the song "Marching" from his new album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" I was blown away. The music takes the atmospheric shoegazer pop of Appleseed Cast's "Low level owl" and expands on it with a broader sonic palette. Whereas "Marching" has a driving beat and hypnotic looping riffs, this particular song I've posted is all about shimmering guitars and creating a mood. The album flows gently from one piece to the next, lulling you in and caressing your eardrums. It's dreamlike, but never boring (or sleep-inducing). Look for the record to be rereleased in Sweden later this month with the help of the Dotshop.se distro.

MP3: Namur - Vesper

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

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Download a brand new song from Namur: http://www.namur.nu/files/mp3_baca/Marching_192.mp3

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...

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Namur has posted a new song called "Be still" on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/namur

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Namur has posted a preview of a song from his new album on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/namur

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Namur reports that his third album "Songs from the valley of Baca" will not be ready for release this fall as originally expected, but will instead be out sometime next spring.

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Namur is currently recording their third album "Songs from the valley of Baca" for release sometime this fall.

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

Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Download "Come closer" from Namur: http://www.namur.nu/files/namur_come_closer.mp3
As mentioned here recently, the band will be travelling to the US soon to do some dates opening for their friends in Blindside.

Tue, 13 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Blindside 'Internal Storm' tourdates:

08/08 - Pepsi Center, Hoi Polloi Fesitval, Denver, CO
08/10 - Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/11 - Creepy Crawl, St Louis, MO w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/12 - Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/13 - Machine Shop, Flint, MI w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/14 - Odeon, Cleveland, OH w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/16 - CBGB's, New York, NY w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/17 - Theatre of The Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/18 - Axis, Boston, MA w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/19 - Trinity Church, Albany, NY w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/20 - Purple Door Festival, Lewisberry, PA
08/21 - Ace's Basement, Greensboro, NC w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/22 - The Social, Orlando, FL w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/24 - Floyds, Tallahassee, FL w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/25 - Cotton Club, Atlanta, GA w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/26 - The Muse, Nashville, TN w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/27 - Juanitas, Little Rock, AR w/Me Without You, The Kick
08/28 - Hear No Evil Festival, Tulsa, OK
08/29 - The Music Hall, Fayetteville, AR w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/01 - Rave Bar, Milwaukee, WI w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/02 - Ascot Room, Minneapolis, MN w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/03 - Nuemann Outdoor Stadium, Fargo, ND w/Me Without Your
09/04 - Grand Forks, ND w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/05 - Lifelight Festival, Sioux Falls, SD
09/07 - Lo-Fi Café, Salt Lake City, UT w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/08 - Bourbon St Stage, Big Easy, Boise, ID w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/10 - MacEwan Hall, Calgary, ALB (CAN) w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/11 - Harvest Moon Festival, Edmonton, ALB (CAN)
09/13 - Croation Hall - Vancouver, BC (CAN) w/Me Without You, The Kick
09/14 - Graceland, Seattle, WA w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/15 - Meow Meow, Portland, OR w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/17 - Pound SF, San Francisco, CA w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/18 - The Glasshouse, Pomona, CA w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/19 - The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/20 - Epicenter, San Diego, CA w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/21 - Phoenix, AZ w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/23 - Launch Pad, lbuquerque, NM w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/24 - The Gym (West Bowles), Littleton, CO
09/25 - 32 Bleu, Colorado Springs, CO w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur
09/27 - Dallas, TX w/Me Without You, The Kick, Namur

For more info about the group's hand-picked tour companions, including Namur from Sweden, go here: http://www.blindsideonline.com/news/index.asp

Wed, 07 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The full line-up and schedule for the En ljummen i gräset Festival at Vintervikens trädgård has been announced:

07/24: Differnet, Loney, Dear, K (Krister Linder/Dive), The Fine Arts Showcase, EF, The Sorayas, Deltahead, Cirera, Walter Sound System
07/28: Jens Lekman, Britta Persson, Natasha Lea Jones (UK)
07/31: Popundret, richard reagh&wwnb2, QOPH, Namur, I Love You Baby, The Bright And Shiny, Thomas Denver Jonsson, Tony Clifton, Walter Sound System
08/07: The Deportees, Paatos, Montys Loco, Empire Dogs, The Tiny, Plod, Dexter's Moon, Walter Sound System
08/11: Heikki, Hip Whips
08/14: First Floor Power, Ane Brun, Rundfunk, Tobias Fröberg, Fire fox, The Sunshine, Le Muhr, Un Rodo Cora

More info: http://www.ljummen.com/

Thu, 01 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish Christian nü-metal act Blindside has announced they will be undertaking yet another US tour. It's gonna be called the 'Internal Storm Tour' and Me Without You and The Kick are coming along as support. They'll also be flying out their Swedish friends Namur for a couple select West Coast dates. Shows confirmed so far:

07/06 - Gabes Oasis, Iowa City, IA w/Armor For Sleep
07/07 - Canopy Club, Urbana, IL
07/08 - The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI
07/09 - Lifefest 2004, Sunnyview Fairgrounds, Oshkosh, WI
08/08 - Hoi Polloi Festival, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO w/POD
08/10 - Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
08/11 - The Creepy Crawl, St. Louis, MO
08/12 - The Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
08/13 - The Machine Shop, Flint, MI
08/14 - Odeon, Cleveland, OH
08/16 - CBGB's, New York, NY
08/17 - Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
08/19 - Trinity Church, Albany, NY
08/20 - Purple Door Festival, Ski Roundtop, Lewisberry, PA
08/21 - Aces Basement, Greensboro, NC
08/22 - The Social, Orlando, FL
08/24 - Floyd's Music Store, Tallahassee, FL
08/25 - Cotton Club, Atlanta, GA
08/28 - ORU Mabee Center, Tulsa, OK
09/01 - The Eagles Bar (The Rave Bar), Milwaukee, WI
09/02 - Ascot Room, Minneapolis, MN
09/05 - WH Lyons Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls, SD
09/11 - Harvest Moon Festival, Heritage Amphitheatre, Edmonton, AB (CAN)

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Sweden's Crying Bob Records has signed a licensing deal with Belgium's Vulcain Records who will rerelease Namur's CDs "Cherub Dust" (2001) and "Conquer me" (2003) as a special double album in Benelux this coming fall.

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)

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's the nominees for the Swedish Manifest awards:

Pop/Rock:
Hell on Wheels - Oh my God What have I done
Radio Dept. - Lesser matters
Concretes - Concretes
Franke - Optimismens hån
The Knife - Deep cuts

Hardrock/Punk:
Arch Enemy - Anthems of rebellion
Burst - Prey on life
Cult of Luna - The beyond
Katationa - Viva emptiness
Nasum - Helvete

Hip hop/R&B/Soul:
Chords - The garden around the mansion
Speech Defect - Freshcoast gettin' rowdy
Soul Supreme - The Saturday nite agenda
Advance Patrol - Utskrivna
Kaah - Jideblasko international

Postrock/electronica:
Namur - Conquer me
Sagor & Swing - Allt hänger samman
Sophie Rimheden - Hi-fi
Slagsmålsklubben - Den svenske disco
Tape - Milieu

Dance/house/techno:
Hundarna från Söder - Hundarna från Söder
Forss - Soulhack
Plej - Electronic music from the Swedish leftcoast
Stateless - Art of no state
Steve Angello - ...presents tracks

Folk/World music:
Lisa Rydberg - Östbjörka
Frifot - Sluring
Anders Nygårds & Magnus Stinnerbom - Dalahyl
Anders Norrudde, Leo Svensson and Göran Fredriksson - Med hull och hår
Cerro Esperanza Band - Nubes del alma

Singer/Songwriter:
Ane Brun - Spending time with Morgan
Ulf Stureson - Allt jag ville säga
Christian Kjellvander - Introducing the past
Johan Borgert - Johan Borgert
José Gonzàlez - Veneer

Best live artist:
Looptroop
Moneybrother
Randy
Timbuktu med Damn
Killers

Best newcomer:
Miss Universum
José Gonzàlez
Shout Out Louds
Radio Dept.
Paris

Winners are chosen by the SOM (Svenska Oberoende Musikproducenter) (Swedish Independent Musicproducers) and will be announced at an awards ceremony on January 29 at Debaser in Stockholm.