IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

MP3: The Alpine - Box office band

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:02:41 -0800

RIP The Alpine. I thought these guys were destined for international success when I heard their debut "On feel trips", but the follow-up album was a total dud and then they got usurped by Alphabeat as Denmark's reigning pop champs. It's a shame, but that's the way it goes. Anyhow, I'll still break this out on sunny days for years to come.

The Alpine is breaking up

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:30:55 -0800

Danish pop-rockers The Alpine are calling it quits: http://www.myspace.com/thealpinepop

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:01:36 -0700

Danish pop act The Alpine have added the new track "Volunteer army" to myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thealpinepop

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:20:05 -0800

Danish pop act The Alpine has a new website: http://www.thealpine.dk/
It also happens to be a flash-heavy disaster, but at least you can preview a few more tracks from their forthcoming album.

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:16:22 -0800

The Alpine's forthcoming sophomore album "There's only so much you can do" is now pushed back to April 16. It will also be released in Germany on May 23.

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:23:22 -0800

Danish pop act The Alpine has posted their new single "Youniverse" on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thealpinepop
The band's new album "There's only so much you can do" will be released on April 2. Unfortunately, I have to say that my first impression is underwhelming.

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:40:30 -0800

Danish pop act The Alpine will release their new album "There's only so much you can do" sometime around April.

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:51:08 -0800

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

01. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
02. TALK 1
03. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
04. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
05. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Bhf. Asta
08. The Alpine - Iceland
09. Pluxus - Bootstrap
10. TALK 3
11. Graveyard - Thin line
12. Hospital - Something in the water
13. Attrap - Just a word away
14. TALK 4
15. Jonna Lee - I wrote this song
16. Paper - My life is going under
17. Broder Daniel - You bury me
18. TALK 5
19. Radio LXMBRG - Score on the floor
20. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
21. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
22. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
23. TALK 6
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
26. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - If this is the way
27. Barra Head - Overseas
28. TALK 7
29. Superfamily - Warszawa
30. Oskar Schönning - S
31. Brick - Automen
32. TALK 8
33. Miss Li - Leave my man alone
34. Kasper Bjørke - Liquid propagnosia
35. Loveninjas - I wanna be like Johnny C
36. Anti Cimex - Only in dreams
37. TALK 9
38. Pan Sonic - Virta 1

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:10:25 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Mattias Bärjed - 99 pounds
02. TALK 1
03. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
04. Hyacinth House - Swedish signs on Monkey Island
05. Aerial - Secret goddess
06. Icos - Fly away
07. TALK 2
08. Robyn - Konichiwa bitches (Trentemøller remix)
09. Folke Rabe - Argh!
10. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
11. TALK 3
12. Audionom - In the streets
13. The Alpine - Trigger
14. Immanu El - Astral days
15. TALK 4
16. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jag har en vän
17. Logh - Thieves in the palace
18. Galento - Gunnar Hardings paraply
19. TALK 5
20. Promise and the Monster - Antarkis
21. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Heroica
22. Anchor - In the throes of passion
23. TALK 6
24. Repoman - Valley of snakes
25. Ulver - Shadows of the sun
26. Bobby Baby - Do not twist
27. TALK 7
28. Superfamily - Warszawa
29. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
30. Sinikka Langeland - Sus i myrull
31. TALK 8
32. Graveyard - Thin line
33. Mai - Snowing downtown
34. KVLR - Abomination
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Alpine reports that production is well under way for the recording of their sophomore album: http://www.thealpine.de/ver2/news/news.php

MP3: Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night

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

Like Denmark's The Alpine, Norwegian act Superfamily is the kind of band that could be huge if promoted correctly. Great modern pop/rock played with a strong sense of humor and a healthy dose of 80s-ness. It's not in a retro/nostalgia trip way either, it's more about maintaining an unselfconscious attitude and an optimistic worldview. Superfamily also one-ups The Alpine by having an amazing visual presence. "The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night" (posted today) was the first single from the band's new album "Warszawa" and it's a fantastic lead track. I always love songs with that sort of epic, yearning quality. That neediness is very inviting and appealing. Current single "I could be a real winner" has a bit more of a Hall & Oates vibe and it's pretty good too, but it's definitely the lesser of the two. "It's on the radio, channels made of tears." Who hasn't been affected by the perfect song coming on at just the right time? Great stuff.

Sat, 26 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My radio show this week is all about good-time summer jams:

01. TALK 1
02. Junior Senior - Move your feet
03. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
04. Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt
05. TALK 2
06. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
07. Margaret Berger - Samantha
08. The Knife - Heartbeats
09. The Ark - The worrying kind
10. TALK 3
11. Bamse - Kapten Busters sång
12. Marit Bergman - Adios amigos
13. Last Days of April - Playerin
14. Nic & the Family - Hej Monika
15. TALK 4
16. Basshunter - Boten Anna
17. The Alpine - No I in team
18. Aqua - Barbie girl
19. TALK 5
20. I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse
21. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
22. Eric Prydz vs Floyd - Proper education
23. TALK 6
24. Children of Bodom - Oops, I did it again!
25. Whale - Hobo humpin' slobo babe
26. Kurt Nilsen - She's so high
27. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
28. TALK 7
29. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
30. Peter Bjorn and John - Young folks
31. September - Cry for you
32. TALK 8
33. Randy - Summer of bros
34. Ace of Base - All that she wants
35. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - Democracy
36. TALK 9
37. Håkan Hellström - Kann ingen sorg för mig Göteborg
38. Seven Feet Four - Last days of summer
39. Tiger Lou - The war between us (Rupesh Cartel remix)
40. Madrugada - The kids are on high street
41. TALK 10
42. Europe - The final countdown

Download the companion "Summer jam '07" podcast mix right here.

Podcast: Summer jam '07

Fri, 25 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 05.25.07
LENGTH : 60:30 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_05252007.mp3 (42.5mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. Junior Senior - Move your feet
02. Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt
03. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
04. Margaret Berger - Samantha
05. Marit Bergman - Adios amigos
06. Nic & the Family - Hej Monika
07. Basshunter - Boten Anna
08. The Alpine - No I in team
09. Aqua - Barbie girl
10. I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse
11. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
12. Whale - Hobo humpin' slobo babe
13. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
14. September - Cry for you
15. Randy - Summer of bros
16. Tiger Lou - War between us (Rupesh Cartel remix)
17. Europe - The final countdown

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Denmark's The Alpine have posted a nice long blog entry concerning their recent activities and upcoming album plans: http://www.thealpine.dk/ver2/alpine.php?sub=webdiary

Sat, 05 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

To celebrate the 1-year anniversary of their album "On feel trips", Denmark's The Alpine has posted an entire remix album for free download: http://thealpine.mymusic.dk/diskografi/album.asp?id=761
Contributing artists include Lo-Fi-Fnk, Choreo and more.

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The Alpine has a new roadmovie/music video posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqg1zAlebjQ

MP3: Samuraj Cities - Saturday night is never fair to everyone

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

I wasn't the only one impressed with the Samuraj Cities demo (see my original post here). Imperial Recordings (José González, Eskju Divine) wasted no time and quickly swept them up for their roster. The music is still quirky and lofi and imbued with that fantastic, dark sense of melody that made me appreciate the band in the first place. "Saturday night is never fair to everyone" doesn't quite reach the same level of despair as say, Broder Daniel, but it comes close. The vocals are more weary than anguished - just like as with yesterday's song from The Alpine, the song's protagonist is sick and tired of the same old shit. The approach is completely different, but the sentiment is the same.

MP3: The Alpine - Mondays look the same

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Had I not been so rudely preempted by a blackout, I would've continued my week of great songs with a track from The Alpine on Friday. Just like Sir Eric's "Democracy", I first heard "Monday's look the same" as a single and totally divorced from the rest of the album. Not that it really matters much though, it's an obvious standout track: a simple, universally accepted lyrical sentiment anchored by a call-and-response vocals, an insistent piano line, pounding drums and hand-claps. This is pop music big enough to fill an arena. I would not be the least bit surprised to see The Alpine swept up for international success in 2007. I know of at least three people who I played them for who now consider them as one of their 2006 favorites. The only reason it didn't make my own list is because I mistakenly overplayed the damn thing and burnt myself out. Take my advice: The Alpine may prove addictive, but keep your doses small. The high will last longer that way.

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The video for The Alpine's latest oh-so-catchy single "No I in team" is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJGfroRF0uQ

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

Danish arenapop act The Alpine are looking for people to remix them: http://www.thealpine.de/ver2/text/index.php

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out The Alpine's low-budget DIY video for their new single "Sham on": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOTMq3fQni0

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

It's barely been a day since the announcement that guitarist Mikkel was leaving The Alpine, but a replacement has already been found. His name: Jesper Hoff-Clausen, ex-frontman for the band Polar.

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Guitarist Mikkel Brynildsen has left The Alpine. The band says the split is amicable and you can read the full (short) statement here: http://www.thealpine.dk/

Thu, 25 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out a remix of "Two steps" by The Alpine, as done by fellow Danes Yesteryear: http://yesteryear.mymusic.dk/diskografi/sang.asp?id=72077

Wed, 03 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out a remix of The Alpine's latest single "Trigger", as done by NYC-based DJ duo A Touch of Class: http://www.thealpine.dk/ver2/music/soundFiles/05.mp3

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Denmark's The Alpine, the band that released what I consider to be 2006's best pop record (that is, until the new I'm From Barcelona record comes out), has posed a link to their EPK (electronic press kit) video: [click here]

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

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

New reviews today: [click here]
I happen to think that The Alpine put out the best pop album I've heard so far this year, but hey - I can deal with dissent. To each their own, right?

The Alpine On feel trips Supersonic Records/Sony/BMG

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

The Alpine sort of remind me of a sub-par version of Blur circa "The Great Escape" in that they play this sort of tongue-in-cheek pop with slick, harmonized vocals – the lead singer's bratty sneer is featured prominently all over the album and is at times, a little grating. Unfortunately, the singer's voice is not the only thing that's grating: the songs themselves are just sort of generic and uninspired which makes for a pretty shaky foundation for the band's somewhat overbearing delivery (I'm mostly referring to the dueling boy/girl vocals and liberal use of silly keyboard settings). My aversion to this album probably has much to do with the cringe-worthy lyrics (for example: "Life is so ironic/it's never what it seems" and "Mom and Dad/got pissed real bad/the day I joined the band"). If you're the kind of person that is easily turned off by bad lyrical content, avoid this album altogether. It's not to say there aren't any high points at all: "Trigger" stands out as one of the few gems in the sense that I could imagine it penetrating Top 40 radio, but I cannot conclusively say that I enjoyed this album.

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The Alpine's new website is live: http://www.thealpine.dk/

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The video for The Alpine's latest single "Trigger" is now online: http://www.g-boy-t.com/alpine/triggersmall.mov

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The Alpine's new single is for the song "Trigger". I've said it before and I'll say it again: this band is totally my summer jam. Seriously fun, good-time music.

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

RockFreaks reviews The Alpine: http://www.rockfreaks.net/index.php?page=albumreviews&id=198
I don't understand how anyone cannot love "No I in team", but otherwise I agree that it's a fine record.

MP3: The Alpine - No I in team

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Warning: Do not download today's new song. It will haunt you. You will wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night with the lyrics of the chorus screaming in your brain. It's already too late for me, but you - you still have time. Beware!

MP3: The Alpine - Mondays look the same

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

I know it's only Thursday, but I'm going to post a new mp3 anyways. I'm doing it because I'm taking a four-day weekend and won't be posting new content tomorrow or Monday, but also because I've got a glut of great music that I want to share. Denmark's The Alpine has a bit of that hip post-punk-disco thing akin to Franz Ferdinand and the like, but with more of a glam touch ala The Killers or maybe even The Ark. It's not the kind of thing you listen to for intellectual stimulation, but if you heard on the radio or at a party, you'd probably find yourself smiling and singing along. I've only given the new full-length "On feel trips" (out in Denmark on Feb. 27, Germany on Mar. 31) a couple spins so far, but the single "Mondays look the same" is firmly embedded in my brain after a week of listening. That chorus is just so huge! And who doesn't relate to the lyrics? That's pop gold, lemme tell ya. I can easily see The Alpine being this year's summer jam.

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The Alpine's debut full-length album "On feel trips" has been confirmed for a February 27 release in Denmark, March 31 in Germany. Head to their website to listen to some samples: http://www.thealpine.dk/

Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700