Check out the It's a trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 albums of the week:
01. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
02. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
03. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
04. The Knife – Silent Shout
05. The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
06. Camera Obscura – Let's Get out of This Country
07. The Arcade Fire – Funeral
08. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
09. The Postal Service – Give Up
10. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
Someone stop me before I fall asleep! If you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod, please please please join us! The more people that join, the more interesting our chart will be, the more interesting new music you'll discover. Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/
The Silent Ballet has selected Scraps of Tape as their band of the week and the album "This is a copy is this a copy" as the album of the month: https://thesilentballet.com/
The band will be playing a release party at Inkonst in Malmö on Wednesday with friends Audrey and Hojfen Balagan and will actually be their first show in 10 months. Buy the album here: CD / MP3
1997's "Moby Dick" is considered by many to be The Bear Quartet's finest moment. It was certainly their most commercially successful, not to mention the most straightforward and rock'n'roll. As if it wasn't obvious from the Led Zeppelin homage of the title! It's not my own personal favorite, but it certainly ranks near the top. I like loud guitars, what can I say? Just listen to that opening drumfill! "Moby Dick" was Jejo Perkovic's debut with the band and he wastes no time proving his place. As evidenced with yesterday's Brick post, it's obvious that the man knows what he's doing.
I'm short on time and energy this week, so I'll have to let the music speak for itself beyond what I've just said. I really need more people to contribute to these weekly Bear Quartet tribute posts, so please please please email me if you're interested!
The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
I've done a Friday post on Brick before, but it's been about two years, so I think they're due for revisiting. They also work well as a precursor to our weekly Bear Quartet post as drummer Jejo Perkovic played with Brick before he joined BQ. Some folks might recognize frontman Patrik Instedt's maniacal vocals from the final Breach album "Kollapse", one of my all-time favorites. Patrik was also the man behind the camera for Logh's "A sunset panorama" DVD. However, before all that, he led Brick - Sweden's leading Jesus Lizard imitators. It pains me to say it as I love both bands, but the influence is obvious. Things is, many have attempted the same and failed, but Brick somehow pulls it off. The jagged rhythms, the jabbering, unintelligible vocals, even the slide guitar riff on the track I've posted today - all totally derivative, but done incredibly well. Too close for comfort for you? Just remember that a 1st rate Jesus Lizard clone is still about 1000x better than most of what Touch & Go puts out today.
Brick - Hole digger
The video for the new Peter Bjorn and John single "Objects of my affection" is now online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxVRhcLXftg
Subliminal Sounds has posted details and a sound clip for their reissue of Swedish psych-rock legends Baby Grandmothers: https://www.subliminalsounds.se/DOK/babygrandmothers.html
Strip Music will tour the Ukraine in May: https://www.stripmusic.se/gigs.php
Stickman Records is sending Gustav Kjellvander (The Fine Arts Showcase) out on their 'Song Slam' tour along with Chris Wicky (Favez). Dates and more info: https://www.antistars.de/
Finnish noiserockers Fun (as heard on "Reader's companion volume one") have finalized most of their US tour schedule:
03/05 - 720 Space, Minneapolis, MN w/Charles de Gaulle, The Yoleus, Lazer Forever
03/06 - The Vault, Milwaukee. WI
03/07 - Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL (recording)
03/08 - Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL (recording)
03/09 - Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL (recording)
03/10 - Ronny's, Chicago, IL w/Quatre Tete, Unique Chique, Gloria Story
03/11 - Lemp Arts, St. Louis, MO w/Muscle Brain, Dashchund
03/12 - tba, Kansas City, MO
03/13 - Sound Pony Lounge, Tulsa, OK
03/14 - 1919 Hemphill, Ft. Worth, TX w/The Cheat, Koji Kondo
03/15 - No Idea Records & Political Party presents SXSFest, Austin, TX
03/16 - 3299 Ivanhoe St., Baton Rouge, LA w/Brainworms
03/17 - Cave 9, Birmingham, AL w/Brainworms
03/18 - ISP (Stickfigure sunday matinee), Atlanta, GA w/Brickmason, Battlecat, Eether
03/19 - tba, Charlotte, NC
03/20 - tba, Greensboro, NC
03/21 - Solid Dudes House, Richmond, VA w/The Catalyst, Mouthbreather
03/22 - HELP!
03/23 - HELP!
03/24 - Veggieplex Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
03/25 - HELP!
03/26 - HELP!
03/27 - Gooskis, Pittsburgh, PA
03/28 - Tower 2012, Cleveland, OH
If you can help on any of the dates marked 'HELP!', get in touch with the band via their website: https://www.noisecorewalze.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.
Stickman will release Isolation Years' latest album "Sign, sign" in Europe on April 27. They will also be doing a vinyl edition of the record.
MIC Norway profiles renown trumpet player/composer/improviser Arve Henriksen: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007022310290340221103
Also at MIC Norway, a profile of Real Ones, one of the bands appearing at SXSW this year: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007022315345573287708
Today's Single File at Paper Thin Walls is all about Norway: https://www.paperthinwalls.com/
Artists featured include Shining, Årabrot, In the Country, Lionheart Brothers and Benea Reach.