label manager Joakim Haugland has started a new label in collaboration with called after the name of an old watch and record shop in Flekkefjord. Their first signings: hype acts Young Dreams and I Was A King, the latter of which will be releasing their new record "You love it here" through the new enterprise on October 5.
Check out a sample tune from Stanley Brinks and the The Kaniks, aka Herman Dune with members from Bergen Mandolinband and I Was a King: http://soundcloud.com/hype-city-recordings/stanley-brinks-and-the-kaniks
The band's album "Jamaica Inn" will be released on June 24 via .
has a 5-song Scandinavian music sampler comp available for free download at Amazon: http://amzn.to/iw9NN9
Not the usual selection of just-Swedes either, this collection has stuff from The Deer Tracks, Figurines, Wildbirds and Peacedrums, El Perro Del Mar and I Was a King. And likewise, by perusing the top free downloads chart, I also see that has a label comp for download as well: http://amzn.to/lk0RPs
Featured artists on that one include Delay Trees, Oh No Ono, Regina and The Concretes.
The nominees for this year's lucrative by:Larm Statoil Grant have been announced and they are Harrys Gym, Ulver, Ost & Kjex, Kvelertak, Montée, 120 Days, Jenny Hval, Turns, Lukestar and I Was A King. Knut Schreiner aka Euroboy will be heading the jury making the final decision.
PopMatters reviews Norwegian indie act I Was A King's latest record "Old friends": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134898-i-was-a-king-old-friends/
The nominees for this year's Spellemann awards, the Norwegian Grammy, have been announced:
Female Artist:
Christel Alsos - Tomorrow is ()
Ida Maria - Katla (/)
Ingrid Olava - The guest ()
Susanne Sundfør - The brothel ()
Male Artist:
Moddi - Floriography ()
Odd Nordstoga - November (/)
Thom Hell - All good things ()
Thomas Dybdahl - Waiting for that one clear moment ()
Pop Group:
deLillos - Hjernen er alene i Operaen ()
I was a king - Old friends (/)
Kråkesølv - Bomtur til jorda ()
Madcon - Contraband ()
Electronic:
Bjørn Torske - Kokning ()
Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Real life is no cool ()
Ost & Kjex - Cajun lunch (/)
Rock:
Blood Command - Ghostclocks (/)
Kvelertak - Kvelertak ()
Motorpsycho - Heavy metal fruit ()
Serena-Maneesh - No 2: Abyss in b minor ()
Tommy Tokyo & Starving for My Gravy - Go time, showtime & absolute war ()
Metal:
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini ()
Ihsahn - After (/)
Shining - Blackjazz ()
Solefald - Norrøn livskunst ()
Hip-Hop:
Karpe Diem - Aldri solgt en løgn ()
Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, helt om dagen ()
Salvador Sanchez - Happy daze ()
Folk:
Gjermund Larsen trio - Aurum (/)
Ingvill Marit Buen Garnås og Per Anders Buen Garnås - Salme, segn & solbøn ()
Sondre Bratland/Annbjørg Lien - Alle vegne ()
Unni Boksasp Ensemble - Keramello ()
Jazz:
Elephant9 - Walk the nile ()
Ivar Antonsen/Vigleik Storaas - Dialogues ()
Paolo Vinaccia - Very much alive ()
Supersilent - 10 ()
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra - Triads and more ()
Open Class:
Beady Belle - At Welding Bridge ()
Jaga Jazzist - One-armed bandit ()
Karl Seglem - Ossicles (/)
Pelbo - Pelbo ()
Petter Wettre/Audun Kleive - The only way to travel 2 ()
Lyrics:
Bare Egil Band - I fyr og flamme (/)
Erik Fosnes Hansen - Neste stasjon Grorud ()
Ingrid Olava - The guest (
Pop Composition:
Gjermund Larsen - Aurum (/)
Ingrid Olava - The guest ()
Odd Nordstoga - November (/)
Susanne Sundfør - The brothel ()
Thom Hell - All good things ()
Newcomer:
Bjørn Johan Muri ()
Frida Ånnevik ()
Kvelertak ()
Moddi ()
Thomas Eriksen ()
Winners will be announced on March 5. More here: http://www.spellemann.no/
I Was A KingOn their self-titled debut, I Was a King carved out a niche filled with lackadaisical charms and easily repeatable, difficult to dislike slacker melodies. A year later, the Norwegian band is back with their aptly named sophomore album "Old friends". Crafting more of the same honey-soaked tunes that play like the embodiment of your favorite, worn-out sweatshirt, the band continues their reign of simplistic pleasantries.
Their previous effort boasted a guest spot from Sufjan Stevens (relegated to piano -- but hey, you can't argue with that kind of indie star power); this time Stevens cohort Daniel Smith (Danielson Family) steps in as the guest du jour. The paring makes sense -- both bands are only a few steps away from each other on the quirky scale (with Danielson Family taking the prize each and every time), but while Smith's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality translates to an utterly pleasing loose ride, and his recording digs contribute to an undeniably warm and immediate sound, the tunes themselves plateau at merely enjoyable.
With the longest track clocking in at three-and-a-half minutes (and the shortest -- "Kontrari" -- demanding a scant fifteen seconds of your time), it's nice to know that some bands still know better than to overstay their welcome. But while brevity is the soul of wit, achieving it shouldn't come at the cost of stunting idea development -- an unfortunate issue that dots many of the otherwise most enjoyable tracks. "Forgive and forget", in all its classic pop glory could have benefited from an extra verse or two, and the pulled back freak-out of "Unreal" is so adroitly crafted, it would have merited grandstanding. However, the stars do briefly align on "Snow song", a lightening-bolt of a piano ballad that blossoms into to an angular shower of electric guitars. With moments as impressive as this, is it greedy to ask for a bit more?
- Laura Studarus
, the label of the Danielson Family, will be releasing I Was A King's latest record "Old friends" in the US on January 25.
Check out the debut single "Stapte Renault" from Skjelvekommode, the collaboration of Frank Tønnesen (Tønes) and Frode Strømstad (I Was A King): http://hypecity.no/?p=865
Norwegian indie act I Was A King report that their new album "Old friends" is finished and will be released on August 16 via .
The folks behind the Ja Ja Ja Scandinavian music showcase in London have made themselves a short doc on the November event featuring guests Kira Kira, I Was A King and TV Off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ffksvr_8oE
Frank Tønnesen from Tønes and Frode Strømstad of I Was a King have started a new band together called Skjelvekommode which their label Hype City describes as "Jeff Tweedy and Neil Young with [a] Haua dialect." Look for an album in the spring.
Norwegian act I Was A King will tour the UK in November:
11/19 - Ja Ja Ja @ The Lexington, London
11/20 - Tommy's Bar, Cardiff
11/21 - Amersham Arm's, London
11/22 - Masque, Liverpool
11/23 - The Social (Sonic Cathedral night), London
11/24 - Jam, Brighton
11/25 - Bush Hall, London
11/26 - O2 Academy, Oxford w/Swervedriver
Norwegian indie act I Was A King recorded three new songs with Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor) which will be appearing on a new 7" due out in January.
