For the Eardrums interviews Norwegian indie/shoegaze/dreampop act The Lionheart Brothers: http://eardrumsinterviews.blogspot.com/2007/02/eardrums-interview-lionheart-brothers.html

The curators of Norway's Øyafestivalen are putting on a showcase at this year's SXSW featuring The Lionheart Brothers (as heard on "Reader's companion volume one"), New Violators and Datarock: http://www.musikknyheter.no/news/1743

Video mix: Peter Bjorn and John, The Lionheart Brothers, Kristofer Åström, Desert Planet, José González, Khoma, more...

Frantz Andreassen and Audun Storset have parted ways with Silence the Foe in order to concentrate 100% on their other band The Lionheart Brothers. Read more: http://www.silencethefoe.com/news.php

Norwegian dreampop act The Lionheart Brothers provide an update regardless progress on their new album: http://www.thelionheartbrothers.com/news.php
A September release date is expected.

The Lionheart Brothers report that their new album is finished and will be released after the summer. More details to come.

Top 10s for 2005: Matthew W. Smith

The Lionheart Brothers
White angel black apple
Sally Forth Records

Like many of you, I first heard the Norwegian dream pop of The Lionheart Brothers on "It's a Trap! readers companion volume one". That track, "I burn myself on you", is a stunning, bittersweet symphonic gem--easily one of the best songs I heard last year. It was part of the 2004 EP "Colour contrast context", which has been combined with the Brothers' 2003 debut, "White angel black apple", for this reissue. The other three tracks from that EP boast lots of strings over a dreamy soundscape, especially "Time river floaty". Standout tracks from the debut, like "The pole dilemma" and "The sun in my eyes", share the gorgeous melodies of their follow-up, but the songs are more upfront, more electric guitar driven. Interestingly, for a band with a clear spiritual focus (e.g., "Feed me Eden"), the Lionheart Brothers are at their best when the vocals blend in like any another instrument in the mix, and it doesn't matter if the words are understandable or not. That the same band who did "I burn myself on you" can pull off the spacey, loud "Love ludicrous" is a testament to the talents of Marcus Forsgren, Audun Storset and their new bandmates.
- Matthew W. Smith

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
02. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
03. Darin - Darin
04. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
05. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
06. Laleh - Laleh
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
09. Thomas Andersson Wij - Thomas Andersson Wij
10. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
11. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
12. Emilia De Poret - A Lifetime in a Moment
13. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
14. Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
15. Kent - Du & jag Döden
16. Robyn - Robyn
17. Musikal - Mamma Mia
18. Louise Hoffsten - From Linköping to Memphis
19. Tom Levin - Me, My Band that I älskar
20. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - #3

Norwegian dreamy pop act The Lionheart Brothers have updated their website witht the video for "Time river floaty" as well as various mp3s from their most recent album "White angel black apple": http://www.thelionheartbrothers.com/media.php

German dates for The Lionheart Brothers:

11/09 - Schilleroper, Hamburg (GER)
11/10 - Offenbachs, Hannover (GER)
11/11 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)
11/13 - Blue shell, Köln (GER)
11/14 - Das haus, Ludwigshafen (GER)
11/15 - Gladhouse, Cottbus (GER)
11/17 - Bastard, Berlin (GER)
11/18 - Kati's garage, Dresden (GER)
11/19 - Staub-sauger, Leipzig (GER)

Norway's The Lionheart Brothers have a new website: http://www.thelionheartbrothers.com/
I was actually just listening to them for the first time in many months and wondering why they haven't been on my playlist more regularly. Anyhow, the band plans to enter the studio in late November to record a new album.

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

Top fives: 2005 so far

Streaming playlist: In rotation

The Lionheart Brothers
Colour contrast context
ChewinPine

Honest to god, I'm not the type of person who'll dismiss a band on the sole grounds of them sounding like "millions of acts before them", but when I listen to The Lionheart Brothers EP "Colour contrast context" I can't help but to feel like an old bitter man who spent his teenage years in the swinging sixties and wore nothing but flares and listened to nothing but psychedelic pop and now spends his time constantly repeating how much better everything was "back then" and how the bands of today sound like soggy carbon copies of the bands he used to like forty years ago (crazy, huh?). Of course, most of these old farts deserve to be slapped out of their weird denial, but in the case of the Lionheart Brothers there's some truth to be found in these clichéd arguments, because not only do The Lionheart Brothers wear their influences a bit too much on their sleeves but they also sound more like a travesty rather than a heartfelt homage (lyrics like "I've been crying / I've been flying" hardly work in the Brother's favour but only add to the Spinal Tap feel). Nevertheless, it should be said that The Lionheart Brothers have a rather nice feeling for melodies, harmonies and all that, but if you're really into this sort of music I'd recommend you to go and check out the new The Soundtrack Of Our Lives album instead of anything by this dull Norwegian duo.
- Simon Tagestam