Check out numerous video clips from Motorpsycho's recent show in Berlin: http://motorpsychonews.blogspot.com/2006/05/berlin-videos.html

Go here for the setlist and videoclips from Motorpsycho's tour kickoff: http://motorpsychonews.blogspot.com/2006/04/trondheim-setlist_23.html

Podcast: Q1 highlights

According to the Motorpsycho news blog, the band has acquired the services of Øyvind Brandtsegg as a touring musician, filling the role once occupied by Helge Sten/Deathprod. Read more: http://motorpsychonews.blogspot.com/2006/04/good-vibes.html

Motorpsycho
Black hole / Blank canvas
Stickman Records

I am not familiar at all with Motorpsycho's career but from what I understand they like to explore a lot of genres. Well "Black hole / Black canvas" certainly qualifies as a very diverse record, as diverse as I have heard. Once upon a time, it was an admired quality for band to be diverse. I mean, the Rolling Stones went from country to blues to rockabilly on a single record and nobody ever complained. Nowadays, bands that do that are accused of being "unfocused" or some other crap. Well Motorpsycho are Krautrock, stoner-rock, even a bit post-punk and I love every minute of it. What is even better is the fact that it all makes sense because they have a great sense of melody and they use it with consistency throughout their explorations. Great record.
- Simon Thibaudeau

New mp3 today from Motorpsycho, one of Norway's greatest rock bands, if not the greatest. Word on the street is that the band's new double album "Black hole black canvas" is the band's best work in many, many years and you know what? It's true. For many people, the term "prog-rock" conjures up images of bands like Rush or some other sort of noodly wanker with stupid hair, but when I apply it to Motorpsycho, I'm using it as it was originally intended. Motorpsycho is progressive - they stretch the boundries of genre to create something amazing. In the same way that many 70s classic rock acts used to evade pigeonholing, "Black hole black canvas" is all over the map musically, but always grounded and held together by the band's amazing sense of melody. It's distinctive and immediately recognizable. This particular song that I've posted today is the album's first single "Hyena". It's a powerful pop song with a grandiose, soaring quality that I just love. Recommend listening? Hell yes.

MP3: Motorpsycho - Hyena

New mp3 today from Motorpsycho, one of Norway's greatest rock bands, if not the greatest. Word on the street is that the band's new double album "Black hole black canvas" is the band's best work in many, many years and you know what? It's true. For many people, the term "prog-rock" conjures up images of bands like Rush or some other sort of noodly wanker with stupid hair, but when I apply it to Motorpsycho, I'm using it as it was originally intended. Motorpsycho is progressive - they stretch the boundaries of genre to create something amazing. In the same way that many 70s classic rock acts used to evade pigeonholing, "Black hole black canvas" is all over the map musically, but always grounded and held together by the band's amazing sense of melody. It's distinctive and immediately recognizable. This particular song that I've posted today is the album's first single "Hyena". It's a powerful pop song with a grandiose, soaring quality that I just love. Recommend listening? Hell yes.

Motorpsycho - Hyena

Aerial
Black rain from the bombing
Nomethod

I never cared for the term "post-rock," and I can't believe such an unimaginative phrase is used as a designation for so much great stuff. But okay, that's the banner under which Swedish rockers Aerial will find themselves placed, as they play long, rousing, atmospheric, guitar-based songs with minimal vocals. They're damn good, too, and there's a whirlwind of aural activity blowing through each of the four tunes on this CD. Think Sonic Youth meets Motorpsycho, or something like that. "A limbless stare" has a punk sort of fury to it (lyrics really aren't important, and you can't decipher most of them anyway, as they're mixed low), and the creatively titled "Yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey" is 13 minutes of blazing, densely textured guitar angst. One major complaint: you can barely hear the bass on most of this record; what's up with that, guys? It seriously diminishes the power of the first two tracks, particularly. This music screams for a more balanced rhythm section. But I dig the epic scope of Aerial's sound, and they seem like the kind of band that are only gonna grow more and more exciting over time.
- Kevin Renick

It's been a few years since Motorpsycho has done much of anything and I suspect that a lot of people have only heard of them in passing. Maybe you know their contribution to the "In the fishtank" series in which they collaborated with the Jaga Jazzist horn section. Or perhaps you've heard of producer/musician Deathprod/Helge Sten and his long-time involvement with the band. Whatever the case may be, Motorpsycho is this week's 'Flashback Friday' pick. I'm not as well-versed in the band's older, more jagged-edged material as I should be, so I've decided to post a track from their 2001 album "Phanerothyme". At this point in the band's career they decided to sound less like Jesus Lizard and a whole lot more like Yes. Sound confusing? I'm sure the transition baffled a lot of people. What remained intact the whole time though was their melodic sensibility - no matter what era of the band your listening to (even going into the band's more recent Krautrock exploration), you can always tell when it's Motorpsycho. I figure this song is a good place to start. Can't wait for the new album "Black hole/Blank canvas" when it comes out on March 20. I have no idea what to expect.

MP3: Motorpsycho - Go to California

It's been a few years since Motorpsycho has done much of anything and I suspect that a lot of people have only heard of them in passing. Maybe you know their contribution to the "In the fishtank" series in which they collaborated with the Jaga Jazzist horn section. Or perhaps you've heard of producer/musician Deathprod/Helge Sten and his long-time involvement with the band. Whatever the case may be, Motorpsycho is this week's 'Flashback Friday' pick. I'm not as well-versed in the band's older, more jagged-edged material as I should be, so I've decided to post a track from their 2001 album "Phanerothyme". At this point in the band's career they decided to sound less like Jesus Lizard and a whole lot more like Yes. Sound confusing? I'm sure the transition baffled a lot of people. What remained intact the whole time though was their melodic sensibility - no matter what era of the band your listening to (even going into the band's more recent Krautrock exploration), you can always tell when it's Motorpsycho. I figure this song is a good place to start. Can't wait for the new album "Black hole/Blank canvas" when it comes out on March 20. I have no idea what to expect.

Motorpsycho - Go to California

New track today from Aerial, one of the first signings to the new label (The method of) Nomethod. No disrespect to QGMR whose "No language" EP comes out tomorrow as the label's first release (available here as a cheap paid download), but Aerial is the band that grabbed my attention. The band's four-song album "Black rain from the bombing" (yes, four loooong songs) doesn't come out until the end of the month, but I'm just too excited about it to wait that long. The label compares them to Mono and Sonic Youth with elements of "Blizzard"-era Motorpsycho, but I'm also hearing touches of classic Swedish indie like Him Kerosene. Post-guitar-rock? Anyhow, the riffs on this thing are monstrous. So many beautiful twisted patterns, weaving in and out of one another. 2006's first great release. For you lucky folk in Stockholm, be sure to check out both Aerial and QGMR at the free Nomethod showcase at Sjöhästen on February 11. Flyer here.

MP3: Aerial - Time is on fire

New track today from Aerial, one of the first signings to the new label (The method of) Nomethod. No disrespect to QGMR whose "No language" EP comes out tomorrow as the label's first release (available here as a cheap paid download), but Aerial is the band that grabbed my attention. The band's four-song album "Black rain from the bombing" (yes, four loooong songs) doesn't come out until the end of the month, but I'm just too excited about it to wait that long. The label compares them to Mono and Sonic Youth with elements of "Blizzard"-era Motorpsycho, but I'm also hearing touches of classic Swedish indie like Him Kerosene. Post-guitar-rock? Anyhow, the riffs on this thing are monstrous. So many beautiful twisted patterns, weaving in and out of one another. 2006's first great release. For you lucky folk in Stockholm, be sure to check out both Aerial and QGMR at the free Nomethod showcase at Sjöhästen on February 11. Flyer here.

Aerial - Time is on fire

Check out Marthe Valle's myspace page to hear her new single "Dandy": http://www.myspace.com/marthevalle
Her debut album "It's a bag of candy" comes out October 24 and was produced by Marthe along with Pål Brekkås and Lars Lien (Int'l Tussler society, ex-Motorpsycho). The record also features numerous guest stars such as Kenneth Ishak (Beezewax) who sings and plays guitar and keys on the aforementioned single and a few other tracks.

Adjagas will release their debut self-titled album on November 21 via Trust Me Records. The record was produced by Andreas Mjøs (Jaga Jazzist) and engineered by Lars Lien (Motorpsycho).

Via Bates Motel, here's some live tracks from the Norwegian all-female Motorpsycho cover act Trio Søt: http://motorpsycho.fix.no/musicbox/audioclips/triosoet/triosoet.html