Pitchfork reviews 120 Days
Pitchfork reviews 120 Days new album "II": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16492-120-days-ii/
Country: Norway
120 Days - Sunkissed (video)
New spaced-out, kaleidoscopic visions from Norway's 120 Days.
Imorgon! Caotico + 120 Days
Speaking of 120 Days, here's the set times for tomorrow night's It's a Trap! Clubnight at Debaser Malmö:
22:00 - Caotico
23:00 - 120 Days
DiS Some Velvet Mixtape: 2012 so far
Drowned in Sound has resurrected their short-lived "Some Velvet Mourning" heavy guitar/shoegaze column with a new edition highlighting new 2012 releases from artists such as Culkin, The Megaphonic Thrift and 120 Days: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4144750-some-velvet-mixtape--2012-so-far-in-layers-loops-drones-and-noise
Fredrik William Olsen - Ikke redd
As promised, here is the debut solo single from Kråkesølv frontman/guitarist Fredrik William Olsen.
Neneh Cherry & The Thing - Dream baby dream
Pitchfork is streaming a track from the new Neneh Cherry/The Thing collaboration which just happens to be a cover of "Dream baby dream" by Suicide: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13425-dream-baby-dream/
Where the metal at?
Perhaps you've seen this? Well, it's hopefully not too surprising for most of you regular readers, here's a short follow-up article on the subject from The Atlantic that includes actual academic citations: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/04/where-heavy-metal-bands-are/1714/
Svart Records spring release schedule
' upcoming release schedule is bonkers -- in addition to the new Beastmilk and Hexvessel 7"s, as well as the "Dawnbearer" 2LP repress, they've also got like 5 new releases coming out every week from May through June. Here's the Finnish/Scandinavian highlights:
05/09 - Sähkö-Isku - Sata kaljaa 12"
05/09 - Kovaa Rasvaa 7"
05/09 - Problems? - Ei tää lama päähän käy 7"
05/09 - Unicef - Käkimassaa 7"
05/09 - Kollaa Kestää - Jäähyväiset aseille LP
05/16 - Abhorrence - Completely Vulgar 2LP / CD
05/23 - Jess and the Ancient Ones LP/CD
05/23 - Callisto - Noir 2LP
05/23 - Sarcofagus - Envoy of Death LP
05/23 - Sarcofagus - Go To Hell 7"
05/23 - Kimmo Kuusniemi Band - Moottorilinnut LP + DVD
05/30 - CMX - Kolmikärjen veljeskunta 4LP
05/30 - Musta Paraati - Peilitalossa LP
05/30 - Reverend Bizarre - Crush The Insects 2LP
05/30 - Rattus - WC räjähtää LP
05/30 - Mana Mana - Maria Magdalena 7"
06/06 - Pelle Miljoona & NUS LP
06/06 - Pelle Miljoona & 1980 - Pelko ja viha LP
06/06 - Carpathian Forest - Strange Old Brew LP
06/06 - Candlemass - Ancient Dreams 2LP
Smalltown Supersound profile in M Magazine
Check out an interview with / bossman Joakim Haugland from M Magazine: http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/featuresinterviews/interviews/sounds-from-a-smalltown/
Kråkesølv frontman going solo
Kråkesølv singer/guitarist Fredrik William Olsen will be releasing his debut solo album "Hver gang æ græv" on May 11 via . The first single "Ikke redd" will be out on April 11 and you can hear a quick sample clip via Amazon. And no, this does not mean the end of Kråkesølv -- the band is already working on their 3rd album.
PopMatters reviews WhoMadeWho, 120 Days
PopMatters has new reviews up today of both WhoMadeWho's latest record "Brighter" and the sophomore full-length from 120 Days, giving them each marks in the mediocre range.
Ane Brun - Neighborhood #1 (video)
Apparently the US release of Ane Brun's latest record "It all starts with one" will include this Arcade Fire cover as a bonus track. The official release date is May 1.
Nordic By Nature April mix + events
Berlin-based clubnight Nordic By Nature has posted their latest mixtape for April/spring. To get the latest on their activities for the month, go here: http://www.nbnberlin.de/dates.html
Susanne Sundfør
The silicone veil
EMI
"The silicone veil" is a lesson in contradictions -- it's a far warmer record than Susanne Sundfør's previous release "The brothel", but it's also far more electronic and synth-heavy. Likewise, it's more direct and approachable while also somehow remaining far more abstract and densely composed than anything she's done before, both lyrically and musically. The Joni Mitchell comparisons which were apt for her self-titled debut circa 2007 have been completely stripped away and what now remains is a performer that is uniquely her own self, standing alone among erstwhile peers. As always, the focal point remains her voice, and on this album she allows it to boldly soar through obtuse chord changes, rarely opting to take the route most easily travelled. It can be a daunting listen for the casual pop music fan or anyone else hoping for a friendly singalong, but at the same time, those challenges are a crucial part of what makes her so compelling. One never gets the impression that she is over-complicating things for its own sake either, rather the songs always flow effortlessly from one movement to the next and there's never a moment where a single note feels extraneous or out of place. Her compositions are a direct reflection of the complex notions she conveys and I couldn't imagine it coming out any other way. And besides, the moments I struggle to wrap my head around are precisely what keep me coming back for repeated listens -- even when I feel like I can't fully grasp the big picture, the music still affects me deeply at a raw, emotional level. That's how I know Susanne Sundfør is a truly great artist and her new album is a brilliant piece of work. This is the new benchmark.
- Avi Roig
