Wow!
This is such great and interesting music, and it’s a whole ep for free.

Tree Wave’s marvellous Cabana ep is now out as a netlabel release on the internet archive. It’s out on Observatory online’s archive page. The music is very special; all music is made by really old computer stuff, printers and comodore 64 machines…. and Lauren Gray’s beautiful voice.

Download the ep, its artwork and enjoy!

I found a nice thing on Disquiet today, – a link to a secret mp3 on Beck’s website. It’s a remix of the song “farewell ride” from Guero, made by the band Subtle. Read the story about the secret link on Disquiet, and download the track from Beck.

A small country with only 290.570 inhabitants, – known for geysirs, vikings and norse-sagas, but also for delivering clever, experimental popmusic to the major labels.

Iceland has more to offer than Bj�rk, M�m and Sigur Ros, – elfs and geysirs.

Smekkleysa (means “tasteless” or “bad taste” in english) is a movement that started in 1986 in Iceland by a group of young artists and musicians. Some of these artists soon after went on to form what they called “the pop departement of Smekkleysa“, The Sugarcubes, – a band most of us combines with their lead singer and frontwoman Bj�rk.

The young artists in the movement were eager to build something new and was determined to do as much positive damage as they could to the then fossile-like Icelandic art and music scene. The charter of the group was:

1. As “good taste” and “frugality” are the main enemies of creativity and well-being, Bad taste aims to fight everything that can be branded “good taste” and “frugality”.

2. In the fight against the above (“good taste” etc.), Bad taste will use every imaginable and unimaginable method, e.g. inculation, extermination, tasteless advertisements and announcements, distribution and sale of common junk and excretement.

There were big ideas and from what I understand, a feeling that “we can do everything“. Not all plans became reality; the radiostation “Radio Demon” has not been started yet, and not the Club “The dirt pit” either. However, Smekkleysa has done a lot for the Icelandic alternative music and art scene. The main goal has from day one been to publish work by it’s members and their friends.

According to the “saga” at their website, there hasn’t been many “bad taste”-releases lately, but their family is still growing through the Smekkleysa mailorder. Here, you can read about the bands, listen/download mp3s and order their records. Interesting to see that they still have Kukl for sale, – the punk/art band that later became The Sugarcubes, – with amongst others Bj�rk on screaming vocals.

There are so many good artists on this site, and I haven’t gone throght 10% of them yet. Here are some of the stuff I find interesting now… I guess you will find tons more (and you will find more info on all these artists and links to buy their stuff at smekkleysa.net):

Mugison
Mugison – CY

Ornelius Mugison is something like an experimental singer-songwriter. He is a musical junkshop-man, – makes music out of the stuff he finds and what is relevant to the topic of the song at the moment. He borrows from others, he reinvents and he makes his own totally new creations.

Mugison has this expression “accidental sounds“, which can be the sound of him making coffee for his friends, the tapping on a chair or some non-instrument that he needs to use during the recording. It is brought into his music to make it more personal, he says.

Mugison has released 3 albums so far: His debut “Lonely Mountain”, then the soundtrack album “Niceland” and now a new one is ready for release in late april: “Mugimama Is This Monkey Music?” on electronic mastermind Matthew Herbert‘s Accidental Sound label in the end of april 2005.

Learn more about Mugison at his own mugi-web, it’s his blog, actually… Also some info on the accidental label’s artistpage: http://www.magicandaccident.com/mugison.htm

Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen – On a mission
Jan Mayen – shut up, shut down

Named after a volcanic island in the north atlantic ocean, a 4 piece Reykjavik rock band is starting to make a name for themselves, also outside of Iceland.
This track is taken from “Home of the free indeed“, the first full length album from Jan Mayen. Alternative rock/pop with a kick-ass groove. Think Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes.
More info on their website: http://www.jan-mayen.com/

J�hann J�hannsson

J�hannsson is one of the most active and respected participants in the new Icelandic music scene. He has released two albums on his own, “Englaborn” and his latest “Virthulegu forsetar”, both on Touch records. He is also one of the founders of Kitchen Motors Band, – an art organization/label that works in several areas of the new art world (www.kitchenmotors.com).
Apparat Organ Quartet is also one of his “children”, – and you can find music from them on the smekkleysa site. He has produced and written music with artists like Marc Almond, the Hafler Trio and Barry Adamson.
This track is a beautiful, calm piece of music from his “Englaborn”-album:
Johann Johannsson: Ode et amo

Eberg
Eberg – Plastic lions
+ a 1.39 min. taste of his new album, the track “wales”

This is the London based Icelandic musician Eberg’s first release “Plastic Lions”.
Eberg signed to the Oxford label Rotator in the spring of 2003, and is currently recording his second album in a studio in Oxford. The working title is “Voff, voff” (that’s how icelandic dogs bark). Eberg�s debut single in the UK, Plastic lions, received a very warm reception. Zane Lowe and Steve Lamacq repeatedly played the single at Radio 1. BBC 6 and SBN playlisted it, and the video was played on MTV2.
Beautiful, sweet and melodic electronic pop with a floating and almost acoustic feel to it. Not easy music, though. Learn more about Eberg on the official website.


Steintryggur
Steintryggur – Sara meets the Ancients
– Two percussionists, Siggi Baldurs (ex-Sugarcubes) and Steingrimur Gudmundsson, collaborate with a colourful mix of musicians and singers for a groovy shangalang around the block of ethnodiversity. Steintryggur build layers of textured vocals and instrumentation with their rythmic music. Sounds like the most ethnic works of norwegian singer Anneli Drecker.

Botnledja
Botnledja – fardu i rod

In English, Botnledja means silt. In Norwegian it’s bunnslam.
The band has released 5 albums and is one of the most popular rock bands in Iceland, but one of the least known Icelandic bands internationally… Their last album �Iceland National Park� was released in 2003 and is Botnledja’s very own homage to Iceland. Musically “Iceland National Park” is more agressive compared to their previous indie rock releases. Their 6th album is in the making, and it will be their second long player on Norwegian label Trust Me Records and due for release spring 2005. A live album is also scheduled for fall 2005.

Slowblow
Slowblow – very slow bossanova - Icelandic duo. Slowblow (Orri Jonsson and Dagur K�ri Petursson), have been active for over a decade, creating a uniquely Icelandic aesthetic of home-made, lo-fi analog tinkerings, at times slipping into more electronic terrain. Strange arrangements, but beautiful when you dig into them.

Ampop
ampop – made for market

AMPOP are no newcomers to the Icelandic music scene, where they have developed a following as one of the most exciting bands around. In 2002, they released their second album �Made For Market� and this was chosen as the Icelandic album of the year by several respected local critics. Musically, they are often in the melancholic mood,
- beautiful downtempo rock/pop with electronic elements.

More about Ampop at their website: http://www.ampop.co.uk/
The ampop-site also offers several soundclips and music downloads.

Singapore Sling
Singapore Sling – overdriver
This is Rock’n'roll…and the title of the song says it all. The band has released two albums on Stinky records, and in my ears they sound like a dark, dark Jesus and Mary Chain.

Stafr�nn H�kon

picture above: Stafr�nn H�kon

Stafraenn Hakon – kjammi
Stafr�nn h�kon is the alter-ego outfit of Olafur Josephsson a musical artist from reykjav�k, Iceland. It’s difficult to describe his music, but maybe “ambient rock” may suit him? The music is atmospheric and large, and it can be compared to more known artists as Sigur Ros or Mogwai. More about this always experimenting artist on his website: http://www.shakon.com/

Fidel
Fidel – liquid lips -
Fidel is a four piece rock quartet which has been likened to Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Unwound and Trans Am. This is their first album, full of powerful hooks and playful guitar experiments. The album is called “Good riddance = New entrance”. Icelandic power!

***
…and of course you have to listen to Bj�rk, M�m, Sigur Ros and Emilliana Torrini if you haven’t already…

SOURCES:
https://www.smekkleysa.net/
http://www.iceland.org/
http://www.icelandairwaves.com/
+ several band and labelsites.

JUST IN:
A NEW EARDRUMS-INTERVIEW WITH DAN SNAITH OF CARIBOU/MANITOBA IS COMING UP ON THIS SITE SOON!!! WRITING IN PROGRESS!

Ok, I admit it, – I am a big fan of the radiostation KCRW’s live performances with artists in studio, and I also feel quite a chill when I hear alternative music from the late 70s/80s/early 90s… I have realized that punk, postpunk and new wave have marked me more than I thought (or like…I don’t want to be too backwardlooking, but it gets me every time! ).

Why am I telling you this?
Well, it might have something to do with a radio/video stream I saw and listened to from KCRW today. The artist was the french bossanova coverband Nouvelle Vague, and the songs were all old new wave and postpunk songs, – in a bossa style. I’ve known about the band since their album was released last summer, and I like it, – but I really got a great feeling when I saw them perform this KCRW set. Bossanova versions of The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, The Clash and more, + also some unreleased covers (from NEW ORDER, BUZZCOCKS and DEVO) on this show. Great start of the day!

Go to KCRW’s page and browse down to Nouvelle Vague. Fun to hear a swedish voice sample om “Love will tear us apart”… Anybody who knows who’s talking?
Direct link to the video: Nouvelle Vague at KCRW

I’ve written two new posts at the section for norwegian music, “norwegian eardrums”, today. One is about powerpoppers BEEZEWAX and the other about synthpoppers KAWAII. Several MP3s and great music.