On October 28, Norwegian artist Egil Olsen (nee Uncle's Institution) will be releasing a new live album entitled "Egil Olsen show". Samples and details here: http://www.egilolsen.com/eos.htm
Egil will also be releasing his most recent studio album "Keep movin - keep dreamin'" on vinyl that same day, along with his solo debut "I am a singer/songwriter", making his entire discography finally all available on wax.
A number of Norwegian artists have come together to pay tribute to singer/songwriter Egil Olsen (neé Uncle's Institution) on the occasion of his 30th birthday by putting together an album of them playing his songs. Contributors include Thom Hell, Side Brok, Robert Post, Rockettothesky and more and you can get the full tracklist here: http://www.groove.no/html/news/42239378.html (in Norwegian)
Egil, who is currently in LA working on his next album, replied in response to the news (according to Google Translate), "I feel old. Not just 30, but a tribute album? I feel really dead."
Norwegian artist Egil Olsen (nee Uncle's Institution) has licensed his album "I am a singer/songwriter" to Lirico Records for release in Japan this coming spring. The new edition will feature an extra bonus track and new Japanese artwork.
The new Egil Olsen (nee Uncle's Institution) self-explanatory single "Singer/songwriter" is now available for free download (both mp3 and video): http://www.egilolsen.com/
Norwegian singer/songwriter Egil Olsen (nee Uncle's Institution) will release his new single "Singer / songwriter" in April. A video for the song was done with director Janic Heen and should airing shortly.
Egil Olsen (nee Uncle's Institution) has posted a live video of him performing "You and I (and the dog)" on his website: http://www.egilolsen.com/video.htm
Egil Olsen, the Norwegian singer/songwriter who used to be known as Uncle's Institution, not only has a new website, but it also offering up his entire discography for free download: http://www.egilolsen.com/
Available for a limited time, naturally. If you like quirky, genre-hopping indie such as Beck and the like, check this out.
Uncle's Institution is basically Egil Olsen, Norway's answer to Iceland's Mugison and Gisli. "Yet another Scandinavian Beck soundalike, then!" you might retort. Well, yes, and no, it's quite unfair to dismiss to Uncle's Institution as nothing but a Beck copycat, they also sound a lot like Eels. Recently people have lamented a lot about how the age of the mp3 might mean "the death of the album", and I'm definitely one of the people who will weep at the album's funeral. This is why it feels like a waste when artists make an album that sounds like a various artists' compilation, instead of making a proper full length where all the songs live together in harmony. Despite this little exasperation, I can see a lot of people getting into this album and feeling very "hip" listening to it. There are some great ideas here, all carried out with a bit of flair, but the whole product is just way too superficial and forced, no matter how many great hooks/choruses Egil has managed to squeeze into 35 minutes.
- Simon Tagestam
Uncle's Institution is Ørsta, Norway's Egel Olsen and a rotating cast of musical characters, helping him fill out his songs. "Babe" is clavinet-driven funk, with lyrics that cross the line between humorous and ridiculously over the top: "She's mighty sexy/my personal whore/but not the kind you can buy at the store." It descends into endless repetition, hastily going from borderline funny to boring. Far more interesting is the b-side, "Everything is new". Focused on Olsen's acoustic guitar and falsetto vocals, it does reveal both his versatility and his aim of sounding a bit like a Norwegian Beck. Still, his versatility will shine only if his songcraft improves.
- Matthew W. Smith
For the Eardrums reviews the new Uncle's Institution: http://eardrumsreviews.blogspot.com/2005/09/uncles-institution-walkie-talk-to-me.html
I haven't heard the new record yet, but a lot of Knut's observations about UI's character are right-on.
Download the track "Good time" from Norway's Uncle's Institution: http://www.unclesinstitution.com/uncles%20institution_good%20time.mp3
Check out a promo video for the new Uncle's Institution album "Walkie talk to me": http://www.unclesinstitution.com/wttm_promo.wmv
The new Uncle's Institution album "Walkie talk to me" has been confirmed for an August 29 release. Head over to their website for the full tracklist and a "child-friendly" version of the song "F#%!in P!#$": http://www.unclesinstitution.com/