Music Is My Girlfriend.is offering up a couple mp3s from the forthcoming Stars In Coma album "You're still frozen in time": end.com/index.php?id=93" target="_blank">https://musicismygirlfriend.com/index.php?id=93
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Your search returned 194 results. Viewing results 76-90Posted today, a new interview with Andrea Kellerman aka Firefox AK: [click here]
Also, congratulations to Soeren Andersen for winning the "Winter rose" giveaway. I'll get your CD in the mail this weekend. Otherwise, thanks to everyone else for entering. Better luck next time!
Stars in Coma's new album "You're still frozen in time" has been confirmed for a March 5 release via a collaboration between labels Plastilina Records and Music Is My Girlfriend. Said album will include a few tracks from past CDRs as well as new songs.
MP3: Don Juan Dracula - Take me home
It's been awhile since we've heard anything new from Norway's Don Juan Dracula. I was super excited that they agreed to contribute a track to my "Reader's companion volume two" and subsequently a bit disappointed that they went on hiatus immediately after, but it's all good in the end.because they're back together now, working on fresh material (three tracks 100% complete, more on the way plus a single sometime around February/March). As for today's mp3, this is a nice little treat that showed up in my inbox this past weekend. It's not as exciting as a brand new single, but why look a gift horse in the mouth? A Johan Agebjørn/Sally Shapiro remix is still plenty nice, especially considering the way they've revamped the track. Sally's breathy vocals and softer synth tones give the song an even better end.of-the-night vibe. Removing the guitars was a good idea too, not that they were very loud in the original, mind you. DJD has always skated on the edge of 80s synthrock cheesiness (the right side IMO), but once you get rid of the guitars, that feeling is gone. Well done.
Look for an international release of Don Juan Dracula's full-length "Young debutantes II" this coming spring with a proper new album expected closer to summer.
Don Juan Dracula - Take me home (Johan Agebjørn remix feat. Sally Shapiro)
Music Is My Girlfriend.is offering up a free Christmas single from Celestial for download: end.com/index.php?id=89" target="_blank">https://musicismygirlfriend.com/index.php?id=89
MP3: Linus Larsson and John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
I've mentioned a few times that John Roger Olsson from IAT.MP3 act The Grand Opening was working on an ambient album with Linus Larsson and now I'm happy to report that said album is done and in my hands (well, on my computer) and it's absolutely fantastic. It fulfills the textbook definition of post-rock: using typical rock instruments to create decidedly non-rock music. Said album "Leve Hogrän" does a lot of things, but I can tell you with all certainty that the one thing it doesn't do is "rock." Face it, the quiet/loud dynamics of most post-rock has been a cliché for a long time now, so it's nice to hear someone embracing one end.of the spectrum. The track I've posted today, "In the shadow", is the group's own personal favorite and it's easy to understand why as it's got a little bit of everything: dreamy soundscapes, languid guitar melodies, a cohesive full-band moment in the mid-section and even a bit of wordless vocals towards the end. I think I like this even better than JRO's other post-rockish project Will Gambola Sing and those guys are pretty damn good. Also, please note that this project is currently unsigned, so if you might be interested in putting it out, I suggest you get in touch.
Music is My Girlfriend.has posted a 4-song remix EP from Celestial for free download: end.com/index.php?id=83" target="_blank">https://musicismygirlfriend.com/index.php?id=83
MP3: Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
Danish act Marvins Revolt may have pared down to three members, but they certainly haven't streamlined their sound. They've taken that noiserock/post-punk they were doing and taken way further out into prog territory. More notes, more starts, more stops, and yes, more better. I'm not totally crazy about the ricky-ticky opening of this particular track, but there's so many other great moments, I forget about the weak beginning. Like when those keys come in and offset the guitar/bass riff until they all come cascading down together, leading back into the second verse. Or whatever you'd call that part as this definitely isn't verse/chorus type rock'n'roll. Also, the way they kick it up a notch soon thereafter, altering the parts just enough to build the excitement. The best part however, is the end. That's when the end.essly cycling guitar riff starts up over the odd drumbeat that seems to lack a clear downbeat. Then the bass and vocals slowly come back in, taking the lead and creating a tumultuous polyphony. Just when you think they'll go to a fade-out, they wrap it up in a neat little package. Well done!
Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
MP3: The Bear Quartet - You built your life upon the ruins of mine
This week's Bear Quartet post comes courtesy of Lisa BK, Jim Kelly's better half:
The Bear Quartet's music and lyrics are so fascinating by themselves - so compelling and intricate and complex - they make me into an airhead. I don't know any of their songs' titles, see - I'm totally bewitched by the art. I usually have to hum or sing the song to Jim so he can identify it for me; failing that, we have to trot out the CDs and have a listen (bummer, I know) in order to find my favorites' names. The other day, he told me I really liked a song called "You built your life upon the ruins of mine", and I had no idea what he was talking about until he sent me the lyrics and I saw the following unforgettable lines:
but one day you'll get married
to someone big and scary
a hairy monster of a man
who'll make sure he's taken care of
'cause of burdens you've been carrying
kill him off if you can
Oh! That one! Yes! The one that our daughter used to walk around singing when she was three! Yes, yes, that one.
What kills me about the above part of this 1997 song (it appears as a b-side on the "His spine" EP) is not the lyrics, though they're certainly moving; no, it's the the slightly somber and conversational tone of the verse, with its acoustic guitar which then slides into a bootstrappy, oh-well chorus, with a strident piano and some handclaps moving things along. By the end.of the chorus, though - after he sings kill him off if you can - it's turned into the most wistful thing, all "oooooo" with the background vocal and a little tiny bit of lonely, atmospheric slide guitar buried in the mix at the very end. Oh, the production. Ten straight plays in one sitting? I'm still hearing things I've never heard before. This is a b-side, people.
Bear Quartet, during this period, came completely into their own as a band. Their music and lyrics from the late 1990s possess depth, layers, maturity, great lyrics, and flawless songwriting and musicianship found nowhere else in their oeuvre; when songs like "YBYLUTROM" are castoffs, it's clear that BQ had discovered the Rosetta Stone for creating the kind of music that doesn't betray when it was written. The kind you hum for your husband so he can tell you what it is because, well, you were so taken by everything else going on...
The Bear Quartet - You built your life upon the ruins of mine
Norwegian singer/songwriter Thomas Hansen aka St Thomas/Saint Thomas was found dead at his home in Oslo last night. He was 31 years old. Read more: VG / end.s.no/2007/09/11/511689.html" target="_blank">Kjend.s
Thomas had struggled with depression and addiction for a long time, often in a very public and candid way and it's a terrible shame that he came to such an unfortunate end. He will be missed. For a translation of a statement from his label Racing Junior, go here: https://www.itsatrap.com/view_topic.php?id=54
MP3: Enemy Alliance - Government subsidized ghetto
I've been going through a bit of a punk rock renaissance as of late, getting back in touch with my roots and figuring out how it relates to my life here and now. I know it can be argued that punk is meaningless now (and has been for quite some time), but nothing else quite affects me in the same way. It's not just the music - punk had always been about more than that - it's also the values and the spirit of community it represents. As for the "indie" scene? Give me a break, that's not a scene at all. So while I could easily get up on my soapbox and pontificate on the subject all day, it must be pointed out that it really does come down to the music in the end. Lots of mediocre bands coast on being good dudes who "support the scene" or whatever, but they never stand the test of time. Good bands, even if they aren't doing anything particularly groundbreaking, are timeless. That's kind of how I'd describe the new split from Enemy Alliance and The Indecision Alarm. It sounds so incredibly familiar, yet fresh and alive. You can hear it in the sincerely of both band's performance. There's a certain wistfulness that calls to mind Midwestern acts of yore, but for Enemy Alliance, the sound is far more Southern California. Fast skate-rock beats and huge harmonized choruses. Nothing original there, but the delivery is so good I could care less. It makes me feel like a kid again.
Enemy Alliance - Government subsidized ghetto
Thunder Express
Republic disgrace
Razzia Records
Rock n' Roll is a tradition. Many follow it. Few make it to the end. Thunder Express, despite their desire to conquer the great frontier, apparently by laying tracks as quickly and easily as possible, have derailed somewhere between the mid-seventies and early eighties. Some bands are able to thrive on their own sound, stick to it consistently, and modernize it to achieve an acceptable standard. However, on "Republic disgrace" (appropriately), the concept of a solid sound seems to have been left back at the station. This record meanders through territory conquered and well scouted by the New York Dolls, Rolling Stones, and then into some weird mish-mash of rock ballads and Led Zeppelin rip-offs. While their 70's grooves can be fun and catchy at times, as tourists on the rock music trail, Thunder Express has gone for the cheap souvenirs, cheesy postcards, and crowded museums. It is an excursion that would well have benefited from a venture off the beaten path.
- Paul Bredenberg
Audiversity reviews A Perfect Friend./b>: end.perfect-friend.html" target=_blank>https://audiversity.com/2007/07/perfect-friend.perfect-friend.html
MP3: The Bear Quartet - Old friends
It's been awhile since I've had an "Old friend." moment. It certainly helps that I've relocated myself far away from the Bay Area where I spent my oh-so formative teen years. Despite being the state capitol of Washington, Olympia is very much a small town so the chances of me running into old mates are minimal at best. Especially the ones who drifted in the direction I didn't want to go. I heard the inevitable bad news about one of those old friend. this week, secondhand. It's a relief in a way; a conclusion that I think a lot of people were resigned to. Not that it makes it easier, better or anything else for that matter. I'm sorry that I let you become so scary to me. I wish I could've been a better friend.
The Bear Quartet - Old friends
MP3: Logh - Thieves in the palace
Today's the day that Logh's new album "North" is officially released in Sweden and Bad Taste Records has kindly given me permission to post my favorite song from the record "Thieves in the palace". Like most of Logh's best work, the mood is dark and tense, but not necessarily in a "doom" sort of way. The best doom music is defined by an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness, something that Logh doesn't fully embody. They have moments of grimness, but the recurring lead guitar melody fills me with a warm sense of optimism. It's something about the way they let the note hang after the string-bend. Pay extra close attention to the way it morphs ever so slightly as it leads out of the breakdown into the song's final coda.
It's funny - every new Logh album is a bit different than the last and not quite what I expected. It always takes me more than a few listens to wrap my head around it and appreciate it, something I fear most (especially America) critics are loathe to do. I like immediate gratification, but I also know that the bands who stick with me the longest rarely make that sort of music. For that, Logh remains one of my all-time favorites and "North" fits in nicely with their ever-evolving progression. Very well done.
Logh - Thieves in the palace