The Hour is Late, the label of David Åhlén from Namur, has announced that their next release will be a digital EP from Isaac Since 1980 coming in September. Exact details tba.

Namur will begin to record a new album later this month co-produced with Jonatan from the band Blackstrap. Namur's most recent album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" is amazing, so expectations are high.

I meant to mention it earlier, but I now have the latest Namur CD in stock: [click here]
If you like dreamy shoegazer rock, you need this.

Podcast: Q1 highlights

As I said in last week's newsletter (sign up on the right!), this week is all about new music. I've gotten so much good stuff recently that there's no way for me to keep up if I stick to my usual 3x week posting schedule. I like rules and tradition, but sometimes you gotta break free, y'know? Lucky for you.
Today's mp3 comes from Namur, the musical alias of David Åhlén. I had never really paid much attention to his music before, but when he posted the song "Marching" from his new album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" I was blown away. The music takes the atmospheric shoegazer pop of Appleseed Cast's "Low level owl" and expands on it with a broader sonic palette. Whereas "Marching" has a driving beat and hypnotic looping riffs, this particular song I've posted is all about shimmering guitars and creating a mood. The album flows gently from one piece to the next, lulling you in and caressing your eardrums. It's dreamlike, but never boring (or sleep-inducing). Look for the record to be rereleased in Sweden later this month with the help of the Dotshop.se distro.

MP3: Namur - Vesper

As I said in last week's newsletter (sign up on the right!), this week is all about new music. I've gotten so much good stuff recently that there's no way for me to keep up if I stick to my usual 3x week posting schedule. I like rules and tradition, but sometimes you gotta break free, y'know? Lucky for you.
Today's mp3 comes from Namur, the musical alias of David Åhlén. I had never really paid much attention to his music before, but when he posted the song "Marching" from his new album "Songs from the Valley of Baca" I was blown away. The music takes the atmospheric shoegazer pop of Appleseed Cast's "Low level owl" and expands on it with a broader sonic palette. Whereas "Marching" has a driving beat and hypnotic looping riffs, this particular song I've posted is all about shimmering guitars and creating a mood. The album flows gently from one piece to the next, lulling you in and caressing your eardrums. It's dreamlike, but never boring (or sleep-inducing). Look for the record to be rereleased in Sweden later this month with the help of the Dotshop.se distro.

Namur - Vesper

Download a brand new song from Namur: http://www.namur.nu/files/mp3_baca/Marching_192.mp3

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)

MP3: Lampshade - Fjäril

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

Namur has posted a new song called "Be still" on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/namur

Namur has posted a preview of a song from his new album on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/namur

Namur reports that his third album "Songs from the valley of Baca" will not be ready for release this fall as originally expected, but will instead be out sometime next spring.

Namur is currently recording their third album "Songs from the valley of Baca" for release sometime this fall.

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

Download "Come closer" from Namur: http://www.namur.nu/files/namur_come_closer.mp3
As mentioned here recently, the band will be travelling to the US soon to do some dates opening for their friends in Blindside.