Artist: The (International) Noise Conspiracy
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I loved Refused. I found The (International) Noise Conspiracy intriguing in the very beginning of their career, before they turned extremely boring. I liked the first Lost Patrol album and wasn't too keen on the second one. What about this new album from the ever-so-creative Dennis Lyxzén then? Well, there's none of the slower beautiful stuff that can be found on "Songs in the key of resistance", and too many songs sound like something by T(I)NC. Surprisingly enough, there are 5 fantastic pop songs on this album, that in a fair world should all be released simultaneously worldwide, then all entering the top 5 all over the globe (with "Golden times" occupying the #1 spot everywhere, of course).
- Simon Tagestam
As hinted at before, here's those confirmed North American dates for The (International) Noise Conspiracy supporting Trail of Dead:
05/13 - Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
05/14 - Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
05/15 - Lo Fi Cafe, Salt Lake City, UT
05/17 - Red's Ent'ment Complex, Edmonton, AB
05/18 - MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB
05/20 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
05/21 - Showbox Showroom & Lounge, Seattle, WA
05/22 - Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
05/24 - Phoenix Theatre, Petaluma, CA
05/25 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
05/26 - The Wiltern LG, Los Angeles, CA
05/27 - Canes Bar & Grill, San Diego, CA
05/28 - House of Blues, Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
05/29 - Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
And some more dates by themselves:
05/31 - Emo's, Austin, TX
06/01 - Mary Jane's Fat Cat, Houston, TX
06/03 - Walbühne, Berlin (GER) w/Die Toten Hosen
06/04 - Rock am Ring, Nurburgring/Eifel (GER)
06/05 - Rock Im Park, Nurnberg (GER)
06/07 - Lokhalle, Göttingen (GER) w/Die Toten Hosen
06/08 - Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig (GER) w/Die Toten Hosen
06/10 - Nova Rock Festival, Nickelsdorf (AUS)
06/24 - Furia Festival, Paris (FRA)
06/25 - Fury Festival, Le Mans (FRA)
06/26 - Greenfield, Interlaken (CH)
07/23 - Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago, IL
07/29 - Street Scene Festival, San Diego, CA
08/07 - Sudoste Festival, Zambujeira do Mar (POR)
08/11 - Sziget festival, Budapest (HUN)
The (International) Noise Conspiracy has a new website: http://www.internationalnoise.com/
My understanding is that American Records is finally getting the latest album "Armed love" ready for a US release this summer, but probably not in time for the Trail of Dead tour. I haven't heard an exact date yet, but American has confirmed that they've established a new relationship with Warner and will able to get it properly distributed.
The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Moneybrother and Mando Diao will play the Kuttner on Ice Festival in Berlin on March 13. More info: http://www.viva.tv/index.php?action=kongtent_show_page&page=1997
Okay, I've been informed that the Buddyhead-perpetuated rumor about The (International) Noise Conspiracy being dropped by American Recordings is not true. My understanding is that the label is still in the process of separating from Def Jam and working on establishing new distribution and all that, so the release is taking much, much longer than planned. More info soon?
Via Dagensskiva, here's the Swedish student radio top 40 for the fall semester (total rank, highest rank, # of weeks):
01. (01) (06) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
02. (02) (06) Phoenix - "You Can't Blame It On (Anybody)"
03. (04) (08) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
04. (01) (05) The Hives - "Two-Timing Touch And Broken Bones"
05. (01) (05) Bergman Rock - "I'm A Crab"
06. (04) (06) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
07. (01) (06) Marit Bergman - "Can I Keep Him?"
08. (01) (06) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
09. (02) (05) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
10. (02) (05) Ison & Fille - "Vill va Highwon"
11. (02) (04) The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - "Bigtime"
12. (01) (04) The Libertines - "Can't Stand Me Now"
13. (03) (05) Faithless - "Miss U Less See U More"
14. (05) (05) Thunder Express - "In My Mind"
15. (06) (08) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - "#1 EP"
16. (05) (05) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
17. (05) (04) Ed Harcourt - "Born In The '70s"
18. (04) (04) Sahara Hotnights - "Who Do You Dance For?"
19. (01) (03) Le Tigre - "TKO/New Kicks"
20. (03) (04) The Mo - "Howl In The Jungle"
21. (01) (03) Beastie Boys - "An Open Letter To NYC"
22. (04) (05) Radio LXMBRG - "L'Indiffirence EP"
23. (02) (03) Dogs Die In Hot Cars - "I Love You 'Cause I Have To"
24. (05) (04) Baby Shambles - "Killamangiro"
25. (03) (07) Embee - "Not Tonite"
26. (08) (05) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
27. (02) (03) The Ark - "One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young"
28. (06) (04) R.E.M. - "Leaving New York"
29. (05) (04) Ron Sexsmith - "Whatever It Takes"
30. (08) (05) Starmarket - "Cologne"
31. (06) (05) Björk - "Who Is It?"
32. (07) (05) Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
33. (02) (06) Kings Of Convenience - "Misread"
34. (09) (04) Jens Lekman - "Julie"
35. (07) (04) Blacknuss Feat. Awa Manneh & ADL - "All Your Lovin'"
36. (10) (04) Deportees - "Not Tonight"
37. (06) (03) Franz Ferdinand - "Michael"
38. (08) (03) The Chrysler - "Blue Gold"
39. (04) (04) Talib Kweli Feat. Mary J Blige - "I Try"
40. (08) (03) De La Soul - "Shopping Bag"
Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:
01. Smak - Hallanvaara (FIN)
02. Kapasiteetti- yksikkö - Usko parempaan (FIN)
03. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
04. Searching for Nurmes - Halti (NOR)
05. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty (NOR)
06. Apocalyptica - Bittersweet (FIN)
07. The (International) Noise Conspiracy - A small demand (SWE)
08. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
09. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
10. Melody Club - Baby (SWE)
Challengers:
11. Negative - In my heaven (FIN)
11. Brolle Jr - Sound of a drum (SWE)
12. The Soundtrack of our lives - Bigtime (SWE)
Mates of State (US), The (International) Noise Conspiracy and Isolation Years are the first acts confirmed for next year's Umeå Open.
Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:
01. Kapasiteetti- yksikkö - Usko parempaan (FIN)
02. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
03. Apocalyptica - Bittersweet (FIN)
04. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
05. Týr - Regin smidur (DK)
06. Melody Club - Baby (SWE)
07. The (International) Noise Conspiracy - A small demand (SWE)
08. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
09. Lars Winnerbäck - Elegi (SWE)
10. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty (NOR)
Challengers:
11. Smak - Hallanvaara (FIN)
12. Timo Räisänen - Lovers are lonely (SWE)
13. Searching for Nurmes - Halti (NOR)
Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:
01. (03) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
02. (02) Ison & Fille - "Vill Va Highwon"
03. (09) Faithless - "Miss U Less, See U More"
04. (18) Radio LXMBRG - "L'Indiffirence EP"
05. (04) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
06. (01) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
07. (NY) Beastie Boys - "An Open Letter To NYC"
08. (NY) The Chrysler - "Blue Gold"
09. (05) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
10. (NY) The Ark - "One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young"
11. (07) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
12. (NY) CDOASS - "Speak To Me"
13. (08) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
14. (ÅT) Keane - "This Is The Last Time"
15. (17) The Streets - "Blinded By The Lights"
16. (06) Björk - "Who Is It?"
17. (12) Snow Patrol - "How To Be Dead"
18. (14) Joanna Newsom - "Sprout And The Bean"
19. (15) Embee - "Not Tonite"
20. (16) David Fridlund - "April & May"
Hot tracks outside the top 20:
Chick Habit - "Bullshit Radio"
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - "Believe I've Found"
Stellan Wahlström Drift Band - "Ocean Ave"
Leaving the chart:
(10) Ayesha - "Squaffie"
(11) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
(13) Richard Reagh + Wwnb2 - "Outlaw EP"
(19) Dizzee Rascal - "Dream"
(20) Florence Valentin - "Där jag borde va"
Even though this isn't being released until next February in the U.S. and the rest of the world, the record shop I usually venture for the latest and greatest had it. Was it worth the $20.99 plus 7.75% California sales tax I paid for it?
For starters, Dennis Lyxzén and Co. have returned with another strong effort. With producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin at helm, the (I)NC, coping with the departure of keyboardist/guitarist Sara Almgren, move away from the garage sound they were known for to a more complete rock sound.
The album's ten tracks are all mid-to-uptempo and makes it hard for the listener to sit still through them. On the album's opening track (and next single which was released Nov. 15 by Burning Heart) "A Small Demand," the guitars, bass and drums romp along with the organ in a very catchy tune that sets the mood for the album. Lyxzén sings with desperation and urgency as the song progresses. The saxophone solo by Jonas Kullhammer adds a very interesting mix to the song.
"The Way I Feel About You" continues the trend set by the opening track with Inge Johansson's pulsating bass line bouncing along with the keyboard playing of guests Benmont Tench and Kullhammer. Lars Strömberg's guitar plays along with the keyboard as Ludvig Dahlberg's drum hash out this big '70s rock beat. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album.
The (I)NC manage to keep up the speed on "Let's Make History". It's another one of those tracks that has a great bass line and a rhythm section that just pulsates. It also contains another one of Lyxzén's passionate pleas in trying to move on without a comrade. Guitar and organ solo halfway through the song sounds very clean.
"The Dream Is Over" experiments with a blues sound with its driving guitar and piano leading the assault. Lyxzén's vocals are strong and suit the sound. It has this richness that is a good contrast to the instrumentation but both balance out each other as the song continues.
"All In All" reminds me of a Sade song. Soulful on one hand but yet still uniquely rock on the other. It's also the slowest song on the album. The bongos are a nice change of pace and the introduction of Charlotte Hatherly (of Ash fame) into the background vocal mix are also a nice touch.
"Black Mask" is a noisy reintroduction to the old sound. The song is chaotic yet catchy at the same time, with its sing-along bridge and chorus. The instrumentation is intriguing as the guitar wails towards the end with Lyxzén's vocals as everything struggles to be heard. He manages to do another one of his trademark yells at the end that's good enough to make any skeptical fan happy.
"Communist Moon" shows that they can still make the listener dance. Although the title will guarantee that the song never gets played on the radio, it's another song in which the instruments bounce along with one another. The lyrics are still catchy as Lyxzén and company sing "Let's all share our dreams/ Under a communist moon". This song could be the rallying cry of counterrevolutionaries everywhere. It also displays the keyboarding talent of the legendary Billy Preston. Preston's playing really completes the sound.
Things get jazzy with "This Side of Heaven". It's yet another one of the songs that has a great bassline that just rumbles as the guitar plays a subtle role. It is also very reminiscent of "New Empire Blues" off of their critically-acclaimed "A New Morning, Changing Weather".
"Like A Landslide" is another one of those songs that finds itself driven by Lyxzén's vocals and the driving backbeat.
"Armed Love" is the big closing number with its freaked-out harmonica solo dueling with the organ and the return of the '70s rock sound. Perfect closing number.
Rubin pushes the (I)NC to the limits of their sound while still keeping it unique for them. Although it is not as adventurous sound-wise as "A New Morning, Changing Weather", it still contains a lot of the jazz and blues elements they played around with in their previous release. "Armed Love" at times reminds me of The Jam and The Who (from the "Who's Next" era, which isn't a bad thing.
The songs contain many of the themes that fans and listeners have come to know and love (or hate, in some cases.) Although the political rhetoric is still there, I found it to be more accessible than in previous times. In fact, this album is probably more accessible than "A New Morning..." or "Survival Sickness" but still manages to make the revolution a very romantic idea. It could be hard to swallow for those who have followed the Conspiracy from its inception but give "Armed Love" a try and you won't be disappointed.
- Navy Keophan
The (International) Noise Conspiracy have been forced to cancel their UK show on November 25 due to a member attending a funeral in Umeå. The band will instead play an abbreviated set at The Mean Fiddler on November 27 instead of the previously scheduled Nottingham show. Full UK dates:
11/26 - Hope and Grape, Manchester
11/27 - Frog Club @ The Mean Fiddler, London
11/28 - Leadmill, Sheffield
11/29 - Kings Tuts, Glasgow
11/30 - The Cockpit, Leeds
12/01 - Whelans, Dublin
12/02 - Academy, Liverpool
Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:
01. (16) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
02. (08) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
03. (02) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
04. (11) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
05. (04) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
06. (01) Bergman Rock - "I'm A Crab"
07. (10) Björk - "Who Is It?"
08. (NY) Radio LXMBRG - "L'Indiffirence EP"
09. (NY) Ison & Fille - "Vill va Highwon"
10. (05) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
11. (09) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
12. (NY) Faithless - "Miss U Less, See U More"
13. (NY) Ayesha - "Squaffie"
14. (NY) Keane - "This Is The Last Time"
15. (03) Embee - "Not Tonite"
16. (NY) Snow Patrol - "How To Be Dead"
17. (NY) Joanna Newsom - "Sprout and the Bean"
18. (ÅT) Richard Reagh + Wwnb2 - "Outlaw"
19. (15) Doktor Kosmos - "Distance Equals Rate Times Time"
20. (17) Peter Bjorn And John - "Teen Love"
Hot tracks outside the top 20:
Dizzee Rascal - "Dream"
Florence Valentin - "Där jag borde va"
Sophie Rimheden/Håkan Lidbo - "Shout"
Leaving the chart:
(06) Phoenix - "You Can't Blame It On. (Anybody)"
(07) Ed Harcourt - "Born In The '70s"
(12) Sahara Hotnights - "Who Do You Dance For?"
(13) Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
(14) 22-20s - "Shoot Your Gun"
(18) The Hellacopters - "Turn The Wrong Key"
(19) The Streets - "Blinded By The Lights"
(20) Starmarket - "Cologne"
Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:
01. (01) Bergman Rock - "I'm A Crab"
02. (02) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
03. (06) Embee - "Not Tonite"
04. (09) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
05. (NY) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
06. (03) Phoenix - "You Can't Blame It On. (Anybody)"
07. (05) Ed Harcourt - "Born In The '70s"
08. (NY) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
09. (NY) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
10. (NY) Björk - "Who Is It?"
11. (NY) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
12. (04) Sahara Hotnights - "Who Do You Dance For?"
13. (07) Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
14. (16) 22-20s - "Shoot Your Gun"
15. (19) Doktor Kosmos - "Distance Equals Rate Times Time"
16. (NY) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
17. (NY) Peter Bjorn And John - "Teen Love"
18. (NY) The Hellacopters - "Turn The Wrong Key"
19. (NY) The Streets - "Blinded By The Lights"
20. (08) Starmarket - "Cologne"
Hot tracks outside the top 20:
Florence Valentin - "Där Jag Borde Va"
Ayesha - "Squaffie"
Bright Eyes - "Take It Easy"
Leaving the chart:
(10) [Ingenting] - "Här Kommer Solen"
(11) Snoop Dogg Feat. Pharell - "Drop It Like It's Hot"
(12) Baby Shambles - "Killamangiro"
(13) Deportees - "Not Tonight"
(14) Mos Def - "Sex, Love & Money"
(15) Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"
(17) The Mo - "Howl In The Jungle"
(18) Richard Reagh + Wwnb2 - "Outlaw"
(20) The Concretes - "Seems Fine"