Monthly Archives: September 2009

Firefly Effect, retro-futuristic sunshine pop

Posted on by Knut in Bandprofile, Nordic music | Comments Off

Tweet The Oslo-quartet Firefly Effect is a band I’ve had on my to-blog-about list for some time now. They recently released their brilliant debutalbum “Everything is beautiful and you are the reason” on Perfect pop/Solerød records, full of charming indiepop-songs with organs, boy/girl harmonies and jangly guitars. I’m sometimes slightly reminded by older, perfect Perfect Pop-acts like The Tables and The Blind Bats when I listen to Firefly Effect, – other times I get a feeling of Je Suis Animal …

Princeton – “Cocoon of love” – highly recommended!

Posted on by Knut in Recommended Releases, Reviews | 3 Comments

Tweet Los Angeles-based quartet Princeton will release their debut album “Cocoon of Love” on the fine Kanine Records this Tuesday, the 29th of September. I first heard the band on their wonderful, self-released “Bloomsbury EP” from 2008, and soon after, I invited them to be a part of our own “Summer’s here!”  compilation. Their music is warm, charming, intelligent pop, with the classic pop- melodies that make you smile and lyrics that makes you think “ah, well said”. “Cocoon of …

New video and song from Tvärvägen

Posted on by Knut in Nordic music | 2 Comments

Tweet The Swedish One-Man Orchestra Tvärvägen, a.k.a. Henrik Öhberg, has made a video for a new song called  “Pingvinvärmen”. As always, Tvärvägen’s music is stunningly beautiful, and I am even more looking forward to his new album after hearing this. Enjoy!

Julie Peel – “Near the sun”

Posted on by Knut in Bandprofile, Recommended Releases, Reviews | Comments Off

Tweet Julie Peel is a Canadian folk artist I have enjoyed on several tribute compilations for some old favourites of mine. She has done a wonderful version of “A night like this” by the Cure, The Pixies’ “The Happening”, The Breeders’  “Fortunately gone” and “Divine Hammer” and “I believe in you” by Neil Young. Now, she is here again with her own songs, and they are good! Her music must not be compared by the bands she has covered, – …

New “Picture Perfect” EP from Strawberry Whiplash

Posted on by Knut in Recommended Releases, Songs | Comments Off

Tweet Matinée Recordings has released a new EP from Glasgow indie pop duo Strawberry Whiplash, “Picture Perfect”. This is their second release, after last year’s wonderful “who’s in your dreams”. Strawberry Whiplash is Sandra and Laz, – the latter is also the man behind Bubblegum Lemonade, also on Matinée. When I listen to the wonderful title-track on this new EP, I get back the good feeling that I once had, driving around in my hometown on a sunny day, playing …

Magical

Posted on by Sarah Winona in Recommended Releases, Reviews | Comments Off

Tweet There are some bands I listen to more than others. One of the bands I’ve taken the time to really listen to are Inner Banks and their second album Songs from Disko Bay. When I first heard the album, I thought it sounded great, but it was a bit anonymous. Even so, I was convinced that there were something interesting about it, and I played it over and over again. I’m so glad I did, because I think it …

Music Alliance Pact, September edition, 33 songs by 33 bands from 33 countries presented by 33 blogs…

Posted on by Knut in Other | 4 Comments

Tweet (music alliance pact logo created by eardrums, based on a stock photo from stock.xchng user coscurro) It’s that time of the month again, Music Alliance Pact-time. Every month on the 15th, music blogs from all over the world work together to create a huge blog-post with music from all the MAP-members’ countries. Each blog present a favourite from their own country, and all the band-presentations are presented in one big post in all the MAP-blogs on the same day, …

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher than the stars EP (- again)

Posted on by Knut in Recommended Releases, Reviews, Songs | 1 Comment

Tweet I have written about this ep earlier here on Eardrums, but now I have heard it, and you really have something to look forward to. I loved their album, but this is even more my style. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart sound less fuzzy and even more pop than before on the “Higher than the stars” EP.  Don’t get me wrong, – this is very much the same The Pains of Being Pure at Heart that we …

Get everything out of [Nothing]!

Posted on by Knut in Bandprofile, Recommended Releases | 2 Comments

Tweet There are some bands that I love too much to destroy them with words. Writing long posts about a band, – analyzing their music -, may take away the pure joy of JUST listening and enjoying the music as it is. I would never write a review or a long, analytic post about Sweden’s [Ingenting] (Labrador records), that’s why I will stop now. I’m just writing this to share my love for this band, their new album and their …

Katsen – It Hertz!

Posted on by Knut in Recommended Releases, Reviews | Comments Off

Tweet “It Hertz!” is the name of an upcoming album from UK-electro pop duo Katsen, a band I ALWAYS manage to spell with a z, but I hope I do it right this time. Their playful synth-pop has been on several compilations, like the brilliant “Bot Pop” album from Happy Robots recordings and “Electronically Yours Vol.1” (Undo/ EMI), but this is the first time we can play an entire album by this band. So, what does it sound like? Old …