Okay, I admit it - I was a bit premature with my initial appraisal of the new Kaizers Orchestra record. I still think that the money they used for vocal lessons would've been better spent on booze, but whatever. What's done is done. "Maestro" isindeed fine album, despite my disatisfaction with the production. Even with the thickest layer of gloss, there's no getting around the fact that Kaizers Orchestra are not and will never be an act that's an easy sell. Sure, they've got great singalong parts, but is the world ready for a crazy circus-rock act that sings in Norwegian and bangs on oil drums? I've been a fan ever since I first heard them, but that's just me. Maybe it's quirky enough that it might just work? Today's mp3 is trademark Kaizers: exotic Eastern European folk melodies, huge choruses and plenty of lurching, bombastic rhythms. Come to think of it, what's not to like?

Last week's top 10 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kaizers Orchestra - Maestro
02. Ravi & DJ Løv - Den nye arbeidsdagen
03. Röyksopp - The understanding
04. Trang Fødsel - De aller beste
05. Vazelina Bilopphøggers - Bedre hell all medisin
06. De Lillos - Festen er ikke over det er kake igjen
07. Marion Raven - Here I am
08. Alexander Rein - Der er et land
09. Inger Lise Rypdal - I mitt liv
10. Madrugada - The deep end

MP3: Kaizers Orchestra - Auksjon (I Dieter Meyers Hall)

Okay, I admit it - I was a bit premature with my initial appraisal of the new Kaizers Orchestra record. I still think that the money they used for vocal lessons would've been better spent on booze, but whatever. What's done is done. "Maestro" is indeed fine album, despite my dissatisfaction with the production. Even with the thickest layer of gloss, there's no getting around the fact that Kaizers Orchestra are not and will never be an act that's an easy sell. Sure, they've got great singalong parts, but is the world ready for a crazy circus-rock act that sings in Norwegian and bangs on oil drums? I've been a fan ever since I first heard them, but that's just me. Maybe it's quirky enough that it might just work? Today's mp3 is trademark Kaizers: exotic Eastern European folk melodies, huge choruses and plenty of lurching, bombastic rhythms. Come to think of it, what's not to like?

Kaizers Orchestra - Auksjon (I Dieter Meyers Hall)

This week's MTV UpNorth video chart:

01. The Rasmus - No Fear
02. Midnight Monkeys - Monkeys On Attack
03. HIM - Wings Of A Butterfly
04. Hellacopters - Everything's On TV
05. Apulanta - Pahempi Toistaan
06. Darin - Why Does It Rain
07. Laleh - Live Tomorrow
08. Östermalm - Le Åt Allt
09. TwoPointEight - Red Eye
10. Lene Marlin - How Will It Be
11. Svenska Akademin - Du Vill Så Du Kan
12. Håkan Hellström - Gårdakvarnar och Skit
13. Kent - Den Döda Vinkeln
14. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Station To Station
15. Division Of Laura Lee - Dirty Love
16. Firefox - What's That Sound
17. Kaizers Orchestra - Maestro Kaizerecords
18. Thomas Dybdahl - If We Want It, It's Right
19. Peshi - Hush Hush
20. Alcazar - Start The Firt

Challengers:
01. Saint Thomas - Morning Dancer
02. Crashdiet - Breakin The Chainz
03. Stratovarius - Maniac Dance
04. Karl Larsson - Off The Cliff
05. The Legends - He Knows The Sun

Go here to vote for your favorite: http://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=4753

Norway's Kaizers Orchestra are the spotlight artist over at Allmusic.com right now. I'm happy to see the band get more international attention, but I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed by the new record "Maestro". It's the epitome of a major-label debut. The songs are still good, but the performances are stilted and the recording is totally overproduced. Where's the danger? Where's the fun? (via)

This week's MTV UpNorth video chart:

01. The Rasmus - No Fear
02. Midnight Monkeys - Monkeys On Attack
03. HIM - Wings Of A Butterfly
04. Apulanta - Pahempi Toistaan
05. TwoPointEight - Red Eye
06. Östermalm - Le Åt Allt
07. Darin - Why Does It Rain
08. Lene Marlin - How Will It Be
09. Division Of Laura Lee - Dirty Love
10. Firefox - What's That Sound
11. Peshi - Hush Hush
12. Röyksopp - Only This Moment
13. Laleh - Live Tomorrow
14. Hellacopters - Everything's On TV
15. Marion Raven - Break You
16. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Station To Station
17. Svenska Akademin - Du Vill Så Du Kan
18. Alcazar - Start The Firt
19. JR Ewing - Fucking & Champagne
20. Oscar Sharp / Melo - Runaway

Challengers:
01. Kaizers Orchestra - Maestro Kaizerecords
02. Håkan Hellström - Gårdakvarnar och Skit
03. Thomas Dybdahl - If We Want It, It's Right
04. Kent - Den Döda Vinkeln
05. Musikk & John Rock - Love Changes

Go here to vote for your favorite: http://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=4753

The YLE X3M video chart is back from summer hibernation:

01. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
02. Röyksopp - Only this moment (NOR)
03. Crashdiet - Riot in everyone (SWE)
04. Sophie Rimheden - Red line (SWE)
05. Varano feat. Chords - Leaving my trouble behind (DK)
06. Poets of the Fall - Lift (FIN)
07. Leaves - Good enough (ICE)
08. Spiha - Planet horse (FIN)
09. Kaizers orchestra - Maestro (NOR)
10. User - Miss Wanted (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Children of Bodom - In your face (FIN)
12. Lutrica McNeal - What about it (SWE)
13. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)

Kaizers Orchestra talks about their new video: http://www.kaizers.no/index.php3?ID=Nyheter&ID2=Vis&counter=357 (in Norwegian)

Kaizers Orchestra has set an August 15 release date for their new album "Maestro" and will be heading out on a huge European tour in support. Dates booked so far:

07/01 - Eurockeennes, Belfort (FRA)
07/08 - Træna Festivalen, Træna (NOR)
07/16 - Pop'D Europe / Arena, Berlin (GER)
08/05 - Haldern Pop, Haldern (GER)
08/31 - Folken, Stavanger (NOR)
09/01 - Teatergarasjen, Bergen (NOR)
09/02 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)
09/08 - Storan, Gothenburg (SWE)
09/09 - Studenterhuset, Ålborg (DK)
09/11 - Rytmeposten, Odense (DK)
09/13 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
09/14 - Kato, Berlin (GER)
09/15 - Batschkap, Frankfurt (GER)
09/16 - Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
09/17 - Vera, Groningen (NL)
09/18 - Leffingeleuren, Leffinge (BEL)
09/19 - Botanique, Brussels (BEL)
09/20 - Le Boule Noire, Paris (FRA)
09/24 - ISC, Bern (SWI)
09/25 - X-tra, Zurich (SWI)
09/27 - Rockhouse, Salzburg (AUS)
09/28 - Scene, Vienna (AUS)
09/29 - Backstage, Munich (GER)
09/30 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg (GER)
10/01 - Gebäude 9, Cologne (GER)
10/02 - Ringlockschuppen, Bielfeld (GER)
10/03 - Tivoli, Utrecht (NL)
10/04 - Modernes, Bremen (GER)
10/05 - Vega, København (DK)
10/07 - Nalen, Stockholm (SWE)
10/08 - KB, Malmö (SWE)

The new Kaizers Orchestra album will be called "Maestro". It should be out sometime around August/September.

Kaizers Orchestra reports that they are currently about half-way done with their next album, tentatively due for wide release in Europe on August 15. The band is currently at Duper Studio in Bergen, Norway with their producer Jørgen Træen and plans to start mixing on March 14.

Norway's Kaizers Orchestra has signed an international record deal with Universal Germany. Pretty exciting, especially for a quirky band that only sings in their native tongue. Read more: http://www.kaizers.no/index.php3?ID=NyheterEngelsk&ID2=Vis&counter=36
The band plans to begin recording their next album early next year for a September release in Northern Europe with a wider release to follow in 2006.

Even more Norwegian mp3s posted today- the last tracks from that Kaizers Orchestra live set are now online, too.

Also posted today are four more tracks from that Kaizers Orchestra live set. Enjoy!

German site Nordische Musik interviews Kaizers Orchestra (and has some great pics as well): http://www.nordische-musik.de/artikel/kaizers_orchestra.php (in German)