Artist: Lampshade
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The style of music offered up by Namur, essentially the solo project of Sweden's David Åhlén, deserves a good, descriptive name. I'm sick of words like "slowcore" and "shoegaze" to describe this style of heavily atmospheric, churning melancholia. But there may be no substitute for "electro ambient dream pop," the title of a real Yahoo! group. That's pretty accurate, so let's go with it. "Songs from the valley of Baca" is the third Namur release and it's a thing of fragile beauty. Rather minimal, with some fuzzy, My Bloody Valentine-style guitar drone and superb drumming complementing Åhlén's soft, compellingly shy vocals. "Consuming fire" and "Marching" are exceptionally fine, emotionally stirring tunes (especially the keening vocal on that latter track), and again I have to mention the beauty of the drums... clean, loud and hypnotic a la John Bonham. The vocals are mixed almost in the background, like they're just part of the blissful, foggy ambience. "Vesper" is a solemn, beatless song which is deeply melancholy... you'll get as lost in thought as the singer seems to be if you just drift with this wisp of a tune. And "Brighter than the sun" sounds uncannily like Sigur Ros, just a bit less lush; but the textural organ and little snowflake synth flurries are quite captivating. And the vocal's emotive power is doubled here. Rebekkamaria from Lampshade provides harmonies on one track, but otherwise, this is a pretty singular affair, and it's as light as a dream. Very pretty, haunting music worth drifting off to sleep to...
- Kevin Renick
New tourdates for Lampshade, a band whose most recent album "Let's away" is one of my favorites for 2006:
08/04 - Lott Festival (GER)
08/05 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
08/19 - JFK Open Air, Stemwede, Haldern (GER)
09/07 - Gimle, Rosklide (DK) w/Campsite
09/08 - Forbrændingen, Albertslund (DK) w/Campsite
09/09 - Loppen, Copenhagen (DK)
09/15 - Voxhall, Århus (DK) w/Campsite
10/04 - 603qm, Darmstadt (GER)
10/05 - 013, Tilburg (NL)
10/06 - Kompleks, Heerhugowaard (NL)
10/07 - Hedon, Zwolle (NL)
10/09 - Sugar Factory, Amsterdam (NL)
10/17 - Gebäude 9, Cologne (GER)
10/18 - Feierwerk, München (GER)
10/19 - Cafe Mokka, Thun (CH)
10/20 - Musikzentrum, Hannover (GER)
10/21 - Musiktheater, Kassel (GER)
10/22 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)
10/23 - White Trash, Berlin (GER)
10/24 - Franzis, Wetzlar (GER)
10/25 - Rosenkeller, Jena (GER)
10/26 - Mausefalle, Bonn (GER)
10/27 - Forum, Bielefeld (GER)
10/28 - Museumskeller, Erfurt (GER)
11/01 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
11/25 - Rust, Copenhagen (DK)
11/26 - Stars, Vordingborg (DK)
Lampshade has posted the video for "New legs": http://www.lampshade.dk/forsta.htm
The band's most recent album "Let's away" is one of IAT's top picks for 2006.
Lampshade will be recording a cover of "Good day sunshine" by The Beatles for an upcoming "Revolver" tribute to be released with the June edition of Mojo magazine.
Both Kevin and Avi are all over this album, and to be completely honest: they are right to be. Lampshade create some beautiful music with intelligent arrangement and memorable melodies. Singer RebekkaMaria Andersson does, as Kevin mentioned, have a similar tone to Björk, but she is much more natural and fluid, albeit less powerful, than the Icelandic goddess. This is lovely pop and clever songwriting all combined with a taste for melancholy that is very pleasing. But, for some reason, I just can't get into it. It all seems a bit stiff and deliberate. I just can't seem to put the finger on why I feel like that because I should like this. In the words of the legendary George Costanza: "It's not you, it's me."
- Simon Thibaudeau
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Lampshade - Fjäril
Danish act Lampshade has posted a new track for free download: http://www.lampshade.dk/10dissefugle.mp3
Danish act Lampshade has a new website: http://www.lampshade.dk/
The band's new album "Let's away" comes out February 6 in Denmark, February 24 throughout Europe. Listen to the first single "New legs" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lmpshd
The band will also be playing a special record release show at Rust in Copenhagen on February 4 that will be recorded by Danish Radio P3 for rebroadcast on the 9th.
Denmark's Lampshade has posted a brand new song for listening on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/lmpshd
The band is now selling a special, limited-edition prerelease version of their new album "Let's away". Details at the above link as well.
Some new confirmed dates for Namur:
08/15 - Sub, Oslo (NOR) w/Lampshade
08/17 - Chelsea, Wien (AUS) w/Lampshade
08/18 - Zerwirk, Munchen (GER) w/Lampshade
08/19 - Yard Club, Köln (GER) w/Lampshade
08/20 - Knaak Club, Berlin (GER) w/Lampshade
09/02 - Skylten, Linköping (SWE) w/Left Handed, Second Language
09/03 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
09/04 - tba, Göteborg (SWE) w/Lilac
Updated summer tourdates for Norwegian hardcore act Silence the Foe:
06/12 - Elm Street, Oslo (NOR)w/Jeroan Drive
06/14 - Folkets Hus, Örebro (SWE)
06/15 - 1000fryd, Aalborg (DK)
06/16 - Vera, Groningen (NL) w/Callisto, Jeroan Drive, Go! Revolution Go!
06/18 - Peacedog Festival, Ede (NL) w/Lampshade, Opposition of One
06/18 - The Box, Boxmeer (NL)
06/19 - Gloppe, Leuwarden (NL)
06/21 - MTC, Köln (GER)
06/22 - tba
06/23 - Juz, Burglenfeld (GER)
06/24 - Pressure Festival, Herne (GER) w/Napalm Death, Purified in Blood, Sick of it All
06/24 - Siemstrasse 18, Giessen (GER)
06/25 - Gasometer, Zwickau (GER)
06/26 - 13eins, Ansbach (GER) w/Desperado, Jeroan Drive, Go! Revolution Go!
06/28 - Sub Scene, Oslo (NOR)
07/07 - Seaside Festival, Risøya (NOR) w/The Lionheart Brothers, Larry Norman, The Supertones
Lampshade is having a contest to give away free copies of their debut album "Because trees can fly": http://www.adorablevoid.com/lampshade/contest/
Namur