Pitchfork reviews Icelandic artist Jóhann Jóhannsson and his new soundtrack album "And in the endless pause there came the sound of bees": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14064-and-in-the-endless-pause-there-came-the-sound-of-bees/
Pitchfork covers the topic of government/public support for the arts in Sweden/Scandinavia and beyond: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7776-whats-the-matter-with-sweden/
Icelandic artist Ólöf Arnalds was a guest on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124771829
Benni Hemm HemmProving that less is often more -- both in production and length -- Benni Hemm Hemm's "Retaliate" EP is a brilliantly hushed gem. Trademark horns diminished to a mere whisper, Benedikt H. Hermannsson (the brains behind the ostensibly solo project) gently guides his listener though an affecting five-song cycle of softly strummed guitars, plunked pianos, and ghostly harmonies.
Despite its pervasive lo-fi ambience, "Retaliate"'s minimalism never translates to boring. From the delicate rise and fall "Church loft" to the title track's slow-build instrumentals, Hermannsson crafts the sort of bedroom-Nick Drake compositions that could easily be lost in a slicker set-up. Left unadorned, his image-heavy prose glistens. No Sufjan Stevens-style narrator (even if his style often bares a passing resemblance), the listener is left to comprise his own story, awash in religious iconography, travels taken, days reborn and blood letting. Hermannsson may have settled into a period of personal quiet contemplation, but it's clear his restless creative spirit never will.
- Laura Studarus
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, a special post-SXSW extra-mellow episode:
01. TALK 1
02. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Lost & losing
03. Raison d'Étre - Withstand the fire
04. The Bear Quartet - Carry your weight
05. TALK 2
06. Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
07. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Theme
08. Håkon Kornstad - Oslo
09. TALK 3
10. Patrik Andersson & Vegar Vårdal - Gråtaren
11. Folkvang - Myrmark
12. Hello Saferide - Arjeplog
13. David Åhlén - Great is thy faithfulness
14. TALK 4
15. Tsukimono - Gloomy Sunday
16. Hearts No Static - Happy holidays
17. Ted Gärdestad - Come give me love
18. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
I knew that April's Ja Ja Ja showcase was going to be metal and now the lineup is confirmed: Thunderstone, Solstafir and Vreid @ The Lexington on April 15. Full details: http://www.jajajamusic.com/events.php?id=15
I took a few months off to think about the future of my mailorder distro, but I'm back now and ready to do business again: http://www.itsatrap.com/store/
Expect many of the CD titles to be marked down in coming days as I'm still trying to clear out old stock, so if you see something you like, don't be scared by the price. Let's make a deal! Email mailorder@itsatrap.com for all inquiries.
Ja Ja Ja's showcase on March 18 (their 2nd for the month) will feature Hafdis Huld and Katzenjammer in addition to the previously confirmed Bodebrixen.
Pitchfork reviews "Draumalandid", the soundtrack album by Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13976-draumalandid/
Dusted has a review up as well: http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5568
FM BelfastFM Belfast's debut full-length "How to make friends" is a breathless up-yours to any expectation of the (near) cliché ethereal Icelandic sound. Concerning themselves, not with glacially moving soundscapes, but with pulsating dance floors, the Reykjavík quartet stomp though eleven tracks with a dedication to disco-fueled outlandish fun that's likely to make Scissor Sisters jealous. In the case of tracks such as "Par avion", "Underwear", and "VHS", their horn and drum machine-backed high-octane determination goes down with a delicious hook and subversive wink.
However, FM Belfast refuses to simply rest on their outsider status -- piling on layer after layer off-kilter synth, pushing askew melodies a bit further off-center. By album mid-point, their more-is-more approach to quirk grows wearing, dragging down what could undoubtedly have been classic nü-disco cuts. Instead of answering our burning questions -- namely, does the world really need another cover of Technotronic's "Pump"? -- tracks "Synthia" and "President" close out the album with shouting, odd layers, and the world's most awkward rap. Probably not the best way to make friends, but I'm willing to give this relationship a second try if you are.
- Laura Studarus
Wildbird & Peacedrums recently recorded a pair of new EPs in Iceland, five songs with the 12-person Schola Cantorum Reykjavík Chamber Choir and five with steel drums, and will be releasing them on 12" vinyl with CD and digital releases to follow eventually. They're also road-testing the new material and here are the dates:
05/14 - ATP Festival, Minehead (UK)
05/15 - Bishopsgate Institute, London (UK)
05/16 - Café De La Danse, Paris (FRA)
05/17 - Dampfzentrale, Basel (CH)
05/19 - Babel, Malmö (SWE)
05/20 - Jazzhouse, Copenhagen (DK)
05/21 - Blå, Oslo (NOR)
05/22 - Södra Teatern, Stockholm (SWE)
Ja Ja Ja will be holding two showcases in March, the first of which taking place on the 11th at Tabernacle as part of the International Music Conference (ILMC). Acts featured include Hjaltalín, Lucy Love, Husky Rescue and Megaphonic Thrift. As mentioned before, there will also be a showcase on the 18th at The Lexington with Bodebrixen being the first name confirmed.
Spinner lists their five favorite acts from by:Larm: http://www.spinner.com/2010/02/21/best-of-by-larm-festival/
The names: The Megaphonic Thrift, Altaar, Negash Ali. Kira Kira and Joensuu 1685.
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. The Bear Quartet
02. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
03. The Radio Dept.
04. Yeasayer
05. Loney, Dear
06. Håkan Hellström
07. Seabear
08. Markus Krunegård
09. Beach House
10. Jonathan Johansson
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
