Artist: Madrugada
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Did I mention that I'll be posting new music five days a week from here on out? I know that's been the case for the last few weeks, but I'm making it official. It's hard to believe there's so much quality stuff coming out that my posting schedule is booked weeks in advance. I try to be fickle, but there's no arguing with quality.
Today's track comes to us from Skywriter, a dark and brooding rock act from Denmark. Reverbed-soaked guitars and lots of hanging chords, a frontman with a deep-voiced croon, nice sparse arrangements - imagine Madrugada, but more solemn, more sullen. "Dead end street", the song I've posted today, is the centerpiece of the band's debut album "Where both worlds never meet". It smolders with a quiet intensity that builds slowly as it weaves its melodramatic tale of a man's doomed love with a prostitute: "All she ever gave him was a name / every other part of her he paid for / and all he ever wanted was his dream / her worn-out pride, her child inside / who can say love doesn't cost a thing?" Sublime.
Skywriter - Dead end street
2005 was quite the year for Norway's Madrugada. Their 4th record, "The deep end", outsold their others and swept every Norwegian award there was to be won. Proving that they know how to make hay while the sun shines, they've released not one, but two, follow-ups in less than a year's time. "Live at Tralfamadore" is a live record based primarily on their December, 2005 concert at the Oslo Spektrum, and "Live at Oslo Spektrum" is a DVD of that show. Both are more like top notch souvenirs than new additions to their catalogue (they themselves referred to the live record as #4.5 rather than #5), but both feature excellent songs performed with stellar musicianship and passion. "Majesty" on "Tralfamadore" outshines the studio version from "Grit", and old gems like "Vocal" sound better than ever. "Tralfamadore"'s rendition of "Only when you're gone," with an orchestral backing that owes more to modernism than schmaltz is downright breathtaking. Both feature one new song, "You better leave," which is darker than most of "The deep end," and a moving rendition of "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child," an old spiritual that makes it easy to imagine ever-amazing singer Sivert Høyem working the cotton fields of the old south, despite his arctic pallor. There are a few missteps - the cd inexplicably features the studio version of their duet with Ane Brun ("Lift Me"), rather than the live version on the DVD, and two versions of "Black Mambo," seriously disrupting the sense of a concert. The DVD relegates old favorite "Electric" to the credits, leaves some of the fan-favorites performed that night off entirely, and spends a bit too much time on Høyem when one might want to see more of what those playing instruments were up to. Having been filmed at their biggest concert ever, the DVD also creates more of an atmosphere of stardom than the intimacy that characterizes them at their best. But both are strong releases from one of Scandinavia's finest, and further demonstrate how much they deserve a wider international audience than they've found to date.
- Nancy Baym
Madrugada will play Dingwalls in London on April 5.
Norwegian rock act Madrugada will play at Dingwalls in Camden, London on April 5.
The winners of the 2005 Spellemanpris, aka the Norwegian Grammy:
Spellemann: Madrugada
Female artist: Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (Det Er Mine/V2)
Male artist: Robert Post - Robert Post (Universal)
Pop group: Röyksopp - The Understanding (EMI)
Electronica: Alog - Miniatures (Rune Grammofon)
Rock: Madrugada - The Deep End (EMI)
Metal: Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
Hip-hop/Rnb: Paperboys - When Worlds Collide (Bonnier)
Jazz: Hans Mathisen - Quiet Songs (Curling Legs AS)
Open class: Nils Petter Molvær - Er (Universal)
Best newcomer: Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Best song: Madrugada w/Ane Brun - Lift Me (Det Er Mine/V2/EMI)
Music video: Robert Post - Got None (Universal)
Full results: http://www.spellemann.no/vinner.html
The winners of Norway's Alarm awards:
Alarmpris: Sofian
Rock: Madrugada - The Deep End
Pop: Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive
Metal: El Caco - The Search
Hip-hop/rap: Paperboys - When Worlds Collide
Newcomer: Mira Craig
Club: Röyksopp - The Understanding
Jazz: Shining - In the Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster
Post-rock/electronica: Cloroform - Cracked Wide Open
Song: Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
Live: Purified In Blood
Video: Cast
Fan: Henning Klokkeraasen/Kaizers Orchestra
The nominees for this year's Spellemann (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female artist:
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (Det Er Mine/V2)
Lene Marlin - Lost In A Moment (EMI)
Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Maria Mena - Apparently Unaffected (Sony BMG)
Simone - Last Days And Nights (Daworks)
Male artist
Alejandro Fuentes - Diamonds Or Pearls (Sony BMG)
Magnet - The Tourniquet (Atlantic)
Robert Post - Robert Post (Universal)
Sofian - This Is Sofian (C+C Records)
Pop group:
Jim Stärk - Jim Stärk (Sweet Recordings)
Ravi & Dj Løv - Den Nye Arbæidsdagn (Sony BMG)
Röyksopp - The Understanding (EMI)
Electronica:
Alog - Miniatures (Rune Grammofon)
Datarock - Datarock Datarock (Yap/VME)
Toy - Toy (Smalltown Supersound)
Rock:
Bigbang - Poetic Terrorism (Gransport Records)
JR Ewing - Maelstrom (Sony BMG)
Madrugada - The Deep End (EMI)
My Midnight Creeps - My Midnight Creeps (MMC Records)
Serena-Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh (Honeymilk)
Metal:
Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
El Caco - The Search (Black Balloon Records)
Extol - Blueprint (Century Media)
Stonegard - Arrows (Bonnier)
Hip-hop/Rnb:
Cast - Problembarn (Pass It Records)
Paperboys - When Worlds Collide (Bonnier)
Tommy Tee - Tommy Tycker Om Mej (Tee Productions/C+C Records)
Jazz:
Hans Mathisen - Quiet Songs (Curling Legs AS)
Jimmy Rosenberg/Stian Carstensen - Rose Room (Hot Club Records)
Karin Krog/Bergen Big Band - Seagull (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)
Sigurd Køhn Quartet - This Place (Heidi Køhn)
Solveig Slettahjell - Pixiedust (Curling Legs AS)
Open class:
Arild Andersen Group - Electra (ECM/Grappa)
Beady Belle - Closer (Jazzland)
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must (Smalltown Supersound)
Nils Petter Molvær - Er (Universal)
Shining - In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster (Rune Grammofon)
Best newcomer:
Animal Alpha - Pheromones (Racing Junior)
Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
Draumir - Draumir (Playground/Little Hill)
Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Sofian - This Is Sofian (C+C Records)
Best song:
Alejandro Fuentes - Stars (Sony BMG)
Kurt Nilsen - Never Easy (Sony BMG)
Madrugada w/Ane Brun - Lift Me (Det Er Mine/V2/EMI)
Maria Mena - Miss You Love (Sony BMG)
Ravi & Dj Løv - Tsjeriåu Me De Månråus (Sony BMG)
Music video:
Maria Mena - Miss You Love (Sony BMG)
Animal Alpha - Bundy (Racing Junior)
Ravi & Dj Løv - E-Ore (Sony BMG)
Robert Post - Got None (Universal)
Röyksopp - What Else Is There (EMI)
For all categories, go here: http://www.ifpi.no/spellemann/nomlst.html
Winners will be announced on January 28.
The new Madrugada live album "Live at Trafalmadore" has been a long time coming. The band's long-time reputation as a stellar live act made it inevitable. I've never actually seen them myself, but I've heard enough bootlegs to confirm and today's mp3 post one such example. I'm not sure of the exact source for the recording, but I'm pretty sure it's from a radio broadcast back in 2000 around the time of the first (and still best) album "Industrial silence". This is one of the quieter, more subtle songs from their early catalogue. The band's restraint has always been one of their strong points and I think it's showcased beautifully here, especially with the skeletal, understated guitar work.
The new Madrugada live album "Live at Trafalmadore" has been a long time coming. The band's long-time reputation as a stellar live act made it inevitable. I've never actually seen them myself, but I've heard enough bootlegs to confirm and today's mp3 post one such example. I'm not sure of the exact source for the recording, but I'm pretty sure it's from a radio broadcast back in 2000 around the time of the first (and still best) album "Industrial silence". This is one of the quieter, more subtle songs from their early catalogue. The band's restraint has always been one of their strong points and I think it's showcased beautifully here, especially with the skeletal, understated guitar work.
Madrugada - Shine (live)
Madrugada has a newly designed website to mark the release of their new live album "Live at Tralfamadore": http://www.emi.no/madrugada/
MIC Norway reflects back on the big year that 2005 has been for Madrugada: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005121310502164561684
Check out a video clip of Madrugada performing "The kids are on high street": [click here]
The nominees for this year's Alarm awards, the alternative to the Spellemansprisen (Norway's version of the Grammy):
Rock:
Richochets - Isolation
Madrugada - The Deep End
Serena-Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh
JR Ewing - Maelstrom
My Midnight Creeps - My Midnight Creeps
Pop:
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive
Loch Ness Mouse - 11-22
Maria Mena - Apparently Unaffected
Anja Garbarek - Briefly Shaking
Sofian - This Is Sofian
Metal:
Stonegard - Arrows
Grimfist - 10 Steps To Hell
El Caco - The Search
Scum - Gospel For The Sick
Solefald - Red For Fire
Hip-hop:
Paperboys - When Worlds Collide
Cast - Problembarn
Onkl P - Det kunne vært deg
Warlocks - The Never Ending Story
Tommy Tee - Tommy Tycker Om Mej
Free music/electronica:
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Cloroform - Cracked Wide Open
Toy - Toy
Supersilent - 7
Alog - Miniatures
Club:
Røyksopp - The Understanding
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Lindtrøm & Prins Thomas
Datarock - Datarock Datarock
Annie - DJ Kicks
Future Prophecies - Warlords Rising
Jazz:
Kornstad/Wiik - Eight Tunes We Like
Shining - In The Kingdom Of Kitch
The Thing - Live At Blå
Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground
Atomic - Bikini Tapes
Song:
Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
Röyksopp - What Else Is There
Ane Brun - My Lover Will Go
Superfamily - Taxi Dancing
Mira Craig - Boogieman
Live:
Madrugada
Turbonegro
Purified in Blood
Richochets
Kaizers Orchestra
Newcomer of the year:
My Midnight Creeps
Mira Craig
Sofian
Superfamily
Animal Alpha
Vote for your favorites here: http://www.alarmprisen.no/
Rumors abound concerning the upcoming Madrugada live album: http://www.stthomas1976.net/madrugada/news.php