IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Spellemann winners announced

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:13:00 -0800

Here are the winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivilent to the Grammy:

Female Artist: Noora Noor - Soul Deep (Blue Mood)
Male Artist: Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing (Hektor Grammofon)
Pop Group: Montée - Isle Of Now (VME)
Electronica: Röyksopp - Junior (Virgin/EMI Music Norway)
Rock: John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt (VME)
Metal: The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary (Rodeostar)
Hip-hop: Tommy Tee - Studio Time (Bonnier Amigo Music)
Jazz: Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned (ECM)
Open Class: Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (Emarcy/Universal Music)
Lyrics: Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin (EMI Music Norway)
Best Newcomer: Donkeyboy - Caught in a life (Warner Norway
Music Video: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Hit of the Year: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Spellemann of the Year: Alexander Rybak

More here: http://spellemann.no/

2009 Spellemannprisen nominees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More here: http://spellemann.no/

Weeping Willows Fear and love Virgin/EMI

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The name says it all: this band, and CD, is a weeper. Even the most jubliant songs carry with them a sort of bittersweet sadness that one can't shake off, but it's not melancholic. Maybe it's because of the mellow vocals or the subdued production. I love how Magnus Carlson enuniciates each of the lyrics, each word a lullaby set free and sent out to the world. The rest of the band is just background, I'm sorry to say. It's great music to wander around downtown to, shunning all other forms of human life except for Carlson's voice.

The Ark State of the Ark Virgin

Tue, 08 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

My Swedish friends may make fun of me for having the musical taste of a 14 year-old girl, but I can't help it: I like The Ark. But jeez guys, when did you get so angry? There's really an overwhelming air of hositility on this album that I just did not expect. Ola's cursing like a sailor! Not that it's a bad thing, it's just a far departure from what I expected. Perhaps they are trying to keep up with their aging demographic? Or is it to show they the edge needed to break into the fickle US market? Anyhow, there's still plenty of the usual flamboyant glam-pop here to satisfy my needs, I don't care what anyone else says.

Deportees All prayed up Dolores/Virgin

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Indierock heavily influenced by Prince – a match made in heaven, some might say, but although a band like Phoenix has demonstrated that the result of such a mix can be quite good, the Deportees (hailing from Umeå, Sweden) gives us all a warning example of how disastrous this alluring blend can turn out. They almost had me fooled though, with their first fine single "Arrest me 'til it hurts", but compared to the other songs on this debut album, it sticks out like a flower growing in the middle of the highway. It's a real shame that "Arrest me 'til it hurts" has to be accompanied by such an insipid bunch of soulless tracks that "All prayed up" consists of. In fact, this album is so slick, bland, and unsexy that it often comes across as something by a second rate boyband. A bit harsh you think? Yes, perhaps, but even harsher for the poor souls who buy this album, lured by "Arrest me 'til it hurts" (hopefully the awful record cover will have a repelling effect).

Weeping Willows Presence Virgin/EMI

Sun, 22 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Just like people, bands change. It took me a long time to accept the new Weeping Willows sound debuted on their last album "Into the light". Once I got over the shock of change, I discovered a great pop album. Being said, this new albums continues very much in the same almost 80s-pop/rock style, but I think I still need to let it grow on me. There's three or four songs (including the single "Stairs") that are immediately appealing, but I'm undecided on the rest. Good, not great.