Listen to Norway talks to Tord Gustavsen
Listen to Norway interviews pianist/bandleader Tord Gustavsen about his latest album "The well", his 5th for the esteemed German label : http://listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2012022013514671528496
Label: ECM
Viewing posts 1-9 out of 9New Sinikka Langeland album in late September
Norwegian vocalist and kantele player Sinikka Langeland will release her new album "The land that is not" on September 23 via .
Trio Mediaeval confirm new album
The superb Norwegian Early Music vocal ensemble Trio Mediaeval have announced that their new album "A Worcester Ladymass", their fifth for 's New Series imprint, will be released on March 15. The music on the album is "a reconstruction of a 13th century votive Mass to the Virgin Mary, based on surviving manuscripts from a Benedectine Abbey in the English Midlands" and can be previewed at this e-card: http://player.ecmrecords.com/trio-mediaeval
Very highly recommended!
PopMatters reviews Food
PopMatters reviews the new record on from international jazz act Food: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/128356-food-quiet-inlet/
Spellemann winners announced
Here are the winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivilent to the Grammy:
Female Artist: Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist: Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing ()
Pop Group: Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica: Röyksopp - Junior (/)
Rock: John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt ()
Metal: The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary ()
Hip-hop: Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz: Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class: Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/)
Lyrics: Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin ()
Best Newcomer: Donkeyboy - Caught in a life (
Music Video: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Hit of the Year: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Spellemann of the Year: Alexander Rybak
More here: http://spellemann.no/
MP3: Valkyrien Allstars - Å gjev du batt meg
The good folks at MIC Norway sent me a big box of CDs earlier this week as part of their "Listen to Norway" music promotion program, so to oblige them I will attempt to do some sort of weekly feature on one of the contents therein. I'm planning on listening to most of it anyway, so why not give it focus? Now as for the types of discs they sent me, there's a good selection of pop, rock, indie and metal stuff that I've either heard before or at least somewhat familiar with, so I decided to jump into the other stuff first. I know some Norwegian jazz, mostly through artists affiliated with or , and we'll get to those in coming weeks, but it's definitely the folk music that intrigued me the most. As regular readers should know by now, I love traditional Scandinavian folk, especially when it's done in contemporary fashion ala Detektivbyrån, but I'm also quite fond of the trad stuff, it's just that I barely know where to start with it so let us consider this to be a mutual exploration. There's a lot of folk music out there and I've listened to a damn lot of Hardanger fiddle this week and while I couldn't begin to tell you the history of the style or anything about the various regional variations, I know what I like and Valkyrien Allstars are a group I definitely can get into. According to the liner notes of their self-titled debut (2007), the trio got their start as the house band at The Valkyrien Restaurant in Oslo though they definitely seemed to have moved beyond that now, having been nominated for a Norwegian Grammy and toured Japan (and released a new album "To måner", which I do not have yet). Musically speaking, they are at their essence, a Hardanger fiddle trio, though they do mix it up by adding a few extra instruments and vocals. But what I like best about them is their energy and enthusiasm, a similar trait I heard in Swedish act Hedningarna, the band that first got me interested in Nordic folk. "Å gjev du batt meg" is one of the group's mellower tracks, but I just love the vocal on it, especially frontwoman Tuva Livsdatter Syvertsen's rough-edged tone. It reminds me of Hajen/Jaw Lesson a bit, in fact they even kinda look similar as far as hairstyle is concerned. Anyhow, it's those little cracks at the edges that make it, and that's why I'm sharing this song today.
Expect more folk discoveries and other new (to me) tunage in weeks to come.
Valkyrien Allstars - Å gjev du batt meg
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble coming to the US
The Tord Gustavsen Ensemble album "Restored, returned", recently nominated for a Spellemannprisen, will get a North American release on February 9 via . The entire group will also be coming over for a couple shows in March:
03/28 - San Francisco Jazz Festival
03/31 - Merkin Concert Hall, NYC
More info here: http://player.ecmrecords.com/gustavsen
2009 Spellemannprisen nominees
The nominees for the 2009 Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female Artist:
Ane Brun - Live At Stockholm Concert Hall (, )
Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone ()
Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin' Feet ()
Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist:
Alexander Rybak - Fairytales ()
Martin Hagfors - Men and flies ()
Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing ()
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (//)
Pop Group:
Datarock - Red (/)
Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life ()
Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (/)
Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting ()
Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica:
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - 2 (/)
Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away (/)
Röyksopp - Junior (/)
Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak (/)
Rock:
DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin (/)
Heroes & Zeros - Simian Vices Modern Devices (//)
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt ()
Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future ()
Skambankt - Hardt Regn ()
Metal:
Code - Resplendent Grotesque ()
Immortal - All Shall Fall ()
The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary ()
Årabrot - The Brother Seed ()
Hip-hop:
Chris Lee - Love Ghost (/)
Lars Vaular - D'e Glede ()
Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz:
Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up ()
Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak ()
Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada (/)
Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons (/)
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class:
Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony ()
Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/)
Knut Reiersrud - Gitar (/)
Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea (/)
When - Homage Series Vol.1: Sun Ra ()
Lyrics:
Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene ()
Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin ()
Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn ()
Sverre Knudsen - La Det Brenne ()
Tønes - Sobihob ()
Best Newcomer:
Alexander Rybak
Donkeyboy
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen
Kråkesølv
Vilde Frang
More here: http://spellemann.no/
Frode Haltli
Passing images
ECM
It is not often that you hear the accordion taking front and centre on an avant-garde, or any record for that matter, except if you are into traditional European folk music of some kind. Frode Haltli, a classically trained accordionist, takes the instrument out of its usual, to me at least, usage and brings the instrument to a place I can appreciate. The disc borders on New Age in several instances, which is bothersome, but also has a definite spacial quality that is very difficult to knock. While the accordion takes a lot of sonic space, the viola is the star, bringing melody and most of the high points of the album. The accordion definitely provides the glue, with its ability to play single notes and chords at the same time, that makes this record go forward and because the record is so musically sparse, it provides most of the substance too. This is a record that wouldn't be so out of place on Tzadik's composer series. Only if it could lose some of the New Age sonorities...
- Simon Thibaudeau
