Sometimes a band or song or album that you haven't listened to in aeons will pop into your head and spark you to give it a casual listen. Whatever the reason, be it a yearning for an adrenaline injection or a desire to experience a distant, heartfelt memory, the uniting factor that draws us to do this is a love -- or even a passing fondness -- for the music in question. Regardless of the genre, from the most minimalistic ambient music to the most complex extreme metal, the music must have that certain something that inspires us and compels us to listen every once in a while. The thing about this third album by the Norwegian "dronejazz" trio is that there's not much on it that would make the average Joe -- jazz-inclined or otherwise -- decide to give the thing a spin on a whim. It's often melancholic in the way that television soundtracks like to portray sadness or hurt and the occasions where the jazz elements come into play are reminiscent of the type of seedy lounge bar music that would usually play over a noir actor's closing monologue. We could go on forever about layers and textures and guest contributions on "Pressure" and, yes, there seems to have been a lot of thought put into creating it, but at the end of the day there's nothing on this almost average album that makes me want to come back and listen ever again. - John Norby
Remember that No Sleep song? Looks like Samuraj Cities have reclaimed it as their own. As long as those guys are still making music, it's all good by me. The name they release it under is the least of my concerns.
"A hint" is the brand new single from Swedish indiepop act Most Valuable Players. Purchase a piece of the cover art painting at the band's website: http://mostvaluableplayers.se/
New music from Danes Choir of Young Believers off the band's upcoming record "Rhine gold", due out March 20 via . Full details: http://www.ghostly.com/releases/rhine-gold
New Norway-centric webzine Bad Sounds opened its virtual doors today: http://www.badsoundsmagazine.com/
Among the first batch of content is a by:Larm primer and an interview with David Daja of Pirate Love.
Via The Living Doorway comes a heads-up on Danish act Hexis, a rare example of a band that's successfully able to combine elements of black metal and hardcore into something that's actually good! Seriously, give it a listen via Bandcamp and see what you think.
New stuff on the way from Susanne Sundfør? See: http://www.thesiliconeveil.com/
I do believe that a new single called "White foxes" is on the way and will be officially released on February 24.
"Awry aesthetics" is the opening track of the upcoming Anchorless ablum "Every nook and cranny" and once again, it sounds a lot more like REM than their debut EP did.
Splashgirl