Taking a band out of the rehearsal room and away from the stage to shoot a video on some outdoor setting, - it’s done by many. I found this site today, and for some reason I haven’t seen it before, I think. It’s called Bandstand Busking, and they have several good bands playing mostly in a park-area. The ones on this site is actually quite good. I’ll show only a few here, and you can go to the site and watch the rest. There are 3 songs + often an interview with each band.

Let’s start with the newest video on the site, from an old favourite of mine, PSAPP. It’s so wonderful to see them play like this (the song is "I want that"):

More favourites. Nat Johnson, previously from the band Monkey Swallows the Universe, performs her song "Heart of Clay":

Asobi Seksu plays "Gliss", and oh how I want a glockenspiel like that!

…and here is a song by Left With Pictures, one of the bands from the latest Eardrums compilation. The song is called "We Clutched":

The fine indiepop-label Shelflife Records will release the debut album from Burning Hearts on February 10, 2009, and this is a release I have been waiting for with great expectations. The duo behind Burning Hearts are Cats on Fire drummer and multi-instrumentalist Henry Ojala, and Le Futur Pompiste singer Jessika Rapo, - two key members from two brilliant bands.

“Aboa Sleeping” is the title, and it comes with a brilliant cover art and 9 wonderful pop songs. The melodies and harmonies are fantastic, but the arrangements on some songs really blows me away. I am a huge fan of indie-pop, but I must admit that clever arrangements are rarely the genres strongest side. Melodies, harmonies and sometimes a whole lot of charm, yes, but arrangements, well, not always. On Aboa Sleeping, I’m loving the melodies, the harmonies, the charm, AND I’m also loving the way they have arranged the songs. Songs like “The gallopping horse”, which contain really clever rhythm elements that you need headphones to hear properly, - the almost Bowie-like “We walked among the trees” and the Stereolab-esque “Sea Birds” are only a few examples on songs that makes this album stand out among other releases in the genre. Clever, creative and most important- really beautiful to listen to.

Jessika has definitely taken parts of the Le Futur Pompiste sound with her, and the Cats on Fire-sound may also be recognized, but at the same time, - this is something very different than both of those bands.

It’s a bit early to announce “album of the year” yet, but 2009 will be an impressive year of music if this album won’t be among my top 5 this year.

Here’s a taster for you:

Burning Hearts - I lost my color vision

The album is already now available on an exclusive presale at shelflife.com, and you know what to do!

Best of 2008? Well, to be honest, I haven’t got a clue!
2008 has been a good year. I loved so many albums in 2008, and picking one, ten or even fifty would be impossible and definitely not fair at all. If I had made one of these lists, I’d probably waste a lot of time thinking stupid things like “is this album really better than that one, or should I rearrange them”, or “was this released in 2008 or is it a 2007-album??”. I don’t think that’s the way I want to spend my time… “Best of 2008”-lists are all over these days, and they all look the same, don’t they?

Let’s look forward instead!

What will 2009 look like according to your crystal ball?

I wish you all a happy and peaceful 2009, friends of Eardrums!!!

And since we’re supposed to make lists, here is a tiny New Year-playlist (and it’s all based on the titles):

The Canadian artist Montag, a.k.a. Antoine Bédard has always been a favourite of mine, with his dreamy, electronic textures and melodies.  He has released several wonderful albums, ep’s and remixes. I first heard him on his fine “Alone, Not Alone”-release in  2005 and loved his “Going Places” album, that he released last year on Carpark. Now, he has taken a step to the side, and on his most recent project “Hibernation”, he does almost everything on his own, – also the label-job. This EP is a self-release. The songs are inspired by winter, - mellow and mostly instrumental.

I asked Antoine why he has chosen to do this without a label, and this is his reply:

“The reason why I self-release is that I see those EPs as little experiments, that are very personal and I also really enjoy assembling the CD covers, getting in touch with people who order it (directly from me), etc. It’s a project that wouldn’t be as much fun if a label was releasing it for me ;)”

The EP is limited to 150 handmade copies (mini-CDs), and you can buy it here:

http://thebluehouse.org/details.php?id=1050

Here is one of the tracks on the EP for you:

Montag - la symetrie du coeur

Today’s artist is one I have great respect for. The Japanese one-man orchestra Wool Strings is Ryohei Ameda, a man who constantly is on the search for new ways to express himself musically. Those of you who downloaded our compilation “A Good Crop” may already have heard the beautiful “Shirley Poppy” from Wool Strings. Wool Strings have so far self-released two brilliant EPs, “the Tree Gate EP” and the new “Picture in the night”, both available from Wool Strings’ myspace.

Wool Strings’ music moves back and forth in the area between indiepop and experimental music, and in a clever way he always manages to make it both highly accessible and quite challenging at the same time. I’m always hearing new things when I listen to his music, always experiencing something new. On some of his songs, he has mixed his music in a way that makes me take off my headphones just to check if that element was a part of the music or if it is a “real life sound” outside of the headphones…

The melodies of Wool Strings often reminds me of Belle and Sebastian or some sweet 60s bubblegum pop group, even if his music is far from both of these. When I heard his first EP, I was struck by his amazing melodies and the soft, breezy sound he had on his songs. I love these songs, and I’m always kind of amazed when I listen to them. Pure beauty.
On his new EP, he has taken a different approach (remember I said he was constantly looking for new ways to express himself?). The melodies are still very much there, – still beautiful, but this time, he seems to have worked even more on the accompanying music. His arrangements on “Picture in the night” are very interesting, and I don’t think I have heard something like this before. It is quite complex, but still extremely accessible, very nice, kind and friendly music. Beautiful!

So, head over to Wool Strings’ myspace page and have a listen. You will not regret it!

Here’s a song from Wool String’s latest EP;

wool strings - air fountain