Scandinavian acts Datarock, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour and For a Minor Reflection have been added to the lineup of this year's Culture Collide fest in LA: http://culturecollide.com/index.php/news/entry/gang_gang_dance_datarock_men_more_added_to_2011_culture_collide
Listen to Norway runs down the 18 Norwegian acts now confirmed for SXSW 2011: http://www.listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2011011114030711899290
The list: Altaar, Benea Reach, Casiokids, Datarock, Death Crush, Forza, Harry`s Gym, DE Håker Flaten, Kvelertak, Marit Larsen, The Megaphonic Thrift, My Little Pony, Nico D & Admiral P, Serpentine, Simon Says No!, Sondre Lerche, Tôg and Youth Pictures Of Florence Henderson.
Preview the new Datarock single "Catcher in the rye" over at their special-edition X-mas website: http://xmas.datarockmusic.com/
Said single is due out March 2011 and will come as a "Limited edition designer toy with 4GB USB stick" featuring a total overkill of content: 105 bonus tracks, 1500 photos, 20 music videos and a 60-minute concert film.
Nö Music reports that Ketil Mosnes of Datarock is going solo with his bedroom project Bærtur: http://www.nomusicmedia.com/2010/11/02/the-other-guy-from-datarock-goes-solo/
MIC Norway has launched a new feature called "99 minutes" featuring a 99-minute podcast from DJ 99 with new music from bands such as Datarock, Fjorden Baby!, Serena Maneesh, Årabrot and Diskjokke plus an interview with Martin Horntvedt of Jaga Jazzist and more. Go here: http://listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2010051111383357144426
Here's another song I'm semi-obsessed with right now, though not nearly as deep as Susanne Sundfør's latest. I typically make a point of being at least vaguely familiar with most chart-topping bands because you never know -- sometimes the cream really does rise to the top -- but I had always ignored Donkeyboy because their name sucks and also because, for some reason, I thought they were a hip-hop act and Norwegian hip-hop is almost always awful. I'm late to the game, but I stand corrected! Now I know: Donkeyboy is a fine mainstream pop/rock act that manages to be successful by employing smart, strong hooks with a touch of 80s pastiche. It's a good formula, it worked out well for Superfamily at home in Norway and The Sounds sure seem to do well by it, though I'd argue they are far less "smart"; now Donkeyboy are attempting to take it to the next level (apparently Sweden is already conquered). Good luck to them, I say. They might be a tad too unassuming to break in territories where bold and brash win and that's a shame because that's yet another reason they're a good band. I see bands like Datarock and I think "trying too hard," yet people still seem to like them. Whatever, it's not as if I didn't already think the music biz was a shitsystem.
Donkeyboy - Ambitions
The nominees for the 2009 Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female Artist:
Ane Brun - Live At Stockholm Concert Hall (, )
Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone ()
Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin' Feet ()
Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist:
Alexander Rybak - Fairytales ()
Martin Hagfors - Men and flies ()
Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing ()
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (//)
Pop Group:
Datarock - Red (/)
Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life ()
Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (/)
Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting ()
Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica:
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - 2 (/)
Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away (/)
Röyksopp - Junior (/)
Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak (/)
Rock:
DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin (/)
Heroes & Zeros - Simian Vices Modern Devices (//)
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt ()
Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future ()
Skambankt - Hardt Regn ()
Metal:
Code - Resplendent Grotesque ()
Immortal - All Shall Fall ()
The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary ()
Årabrot - The Brother Seed ()
Hip-hop:
Chris Lee - Love Ghost (/)
Lars Vaular - D'e Glede ()
Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz:
Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up ()
Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak ()
Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada (/)
Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons (/)
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class:
Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony ()
Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/)
Knut Reiersrud - Gitar (/)
Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea (/)
When - Homage Series Vol.1: Sun Ra ()
Lyrics:
Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene ()
Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin ()
Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn ()
Sverre Knudsen - La Det Brenne ()
Tønes - Sobihob ()
Best Newcomer:
Alexander Rybak
Donkeyboy
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen
Kråkesølv
Vilde Frang
More here: http://spellemann.no/
Norwegian pop-black-metal-punks Lydia Laska report that their new album is done and mixed and confirmed for a March 2010 release. I'm not sure if it has a title, but they did say that many fellow Oslo-based artists make guest appearances on said album including Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest), Emil Nikolaisen and Eivind Schou (Serena-Maneesh), Kjetil Møster (Datarock), Sissy Wish and quite a few others. Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=20281527&blogId=518825652
Datarock have a new video for the song "The pretender", a take-off on John Carpenter's cult classic film "They live": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mVPsCqSRAg
Lots of Scandinavian reviews at PopMatters today including the latest from Mew, Datarock and Anna Ternheim.
Pitchfork reviews the new Datarock album "Red": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13207-red/
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Alexander Rybak - Fairytales
02. A-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
03. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Halleluja Live Vol. 2
04. Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future
05. Lollipop - Lollipop - 50 beste
06. Sibbe - Best Of
07. Röyksopp - Junior
08. Narum - Samma Hen Du Fær
09. Postgirobygget - Øyeblikk
10. Reidar Larsen - Kom in te oss
11. Henning Kvitnes - Tid for latskap
12. BigBang - Edendale
13. Erik og Kriss - Tabu
14. Trøste & Bære - Drita full før Drøbaksundet
15. Tone Damli Aaberge - I Know
16. D.D.E. - Ut av kontroll
17. Datarock - Red
18. Smurfene - Smurfeparty 2
19. Terje Formoe - Kaptein Sabeltann og den forheksede øya
20. Too Far Gone - Sola i ryggen
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Alexander Rybak - Fairytales
02. A-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
03. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Halleluja Live Vol. 2
04. Lollipop - Lollipop - 50 beste
05. Narum - Samma Hen Du Fær
06. D.D.E. - Ut av kontroll
07. Henning Kvitnes - Tid for latskap
08. Postgirobygget - Øyeblikk
09. Smurfene - Smurfeparty 2
10. Röyksopp - Junior
11. Reidar Larsen - Kom in te oss
12. BigBang - Edendale
13. Tone Damli Aaberge - I Know
14. Vømmøl Spellmannslag - Vømmøl'n
15. Erik og Kriss - Tabu
16. Trøste & Bære - Drita full før Drøbaksundet
17. Eriksen - De aller beste
18. Datarock - Red
19. Terje Formoe - Kaptein Sabeltann og den forheksede øya
20. Too Far Gone - Sola i ryggen
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Alexander Rybak - Fairytales
02. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Halleluja Live Vol. 2
03. A-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
04. Postgirobygget - Øyeblikk
05. Lollipop - Lollipop - 50 beste
06. Henning Kvitnes - Tid for latskap
07. Narum - Samma Hen Du Fær
08. Smurfene - Smurfeparty 2
09. D.D.E. - Ut av kontroll
10. Erik og Kriss - Tabu
11. Eriksen - De aller beste
12. BigBang - Edendale
13. Tone Damli Aaberge - I Know
14. Aasmund Nordstoga - Ein visefugg
15. Röyksopp - Junior
16. Too Far Gone - Sola i ryggen
17. Terje Formoe - Hiv o'hoi - Kaptein Sabeltanns beste
18. Reidar Larsen - Kom in te oss
19. Datarock - Red
20. Vømmøl Spellmannslag - Vømmøl'n