Has enough time passed to make it okay to embrace grunge again? Personally, I never got entirely sick of Nirvana and actually find Pearl Jam's later-era material to be quite good (thanks to my freshman college roommate for insisting), but all the also-rans? Dead and buried in my mind, for the most part. So what to make of a band like I Am Bones? Is this the grunge revival? Is everyone okay with that? I guess it has been 17 years since "Smells like teen spirit" hit which means that kids these days have no idea how fresh it sounded at the time. I can still clearly remember the first time I heard it as a matter of fact. I Am Bones aren't nearly as fresh (obviously), but good songs are still good songs and I do like this one a lot. So what the heck, if it's time for a grunge comeback I guess I'm okay with it.
I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
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Public radio does have its virtues: It gives weekly airtime to people such as Andreas Tilliander (former Swedish Grammy-Winner, present Kent-support gig, ever-productive multi-aliased electronic musician) to talk about and play electronic music in his acclaimed show "Ström" and, from time to time, it even lets said show hosts compile CDs. After a walk in the park with 2006's birdsong-remix CD "Pausfågeln remixad", the current topic, which translates to "New music for national grief", touches on more sombre grounds - its aim was to compile music that could be played on the radio in case of national grief, think tsunami or death in the royal family. Naturally, each of the record's 12 musician has their own personal concept of grief and expresses it through (more or less) crackling electronica in widely different ways. Ideally, such fragmentism could be enriching, as in the Pausfågel-compilation, but here it revives a familiar problem of compilations: some tracks truly stand out (to me: the more cut-up, less vocal ones) but others are more of the skipping-kind. It's a matter of taste, as always, but I think I'll stick with the Pausfågel-CD for now and wait for the next Ström-sampler.
- Arnulf Köhncke
Swedish prog act Anekdoten will tour Europe in May. Confirmed dates at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/anekdoten
Norwegian artist Thom Hell will release his third album "God if i saw her now" on April 3.
The Vladislav Delay Quartet, featuring Vladislav Delay on drums along with fellow Finn Mika Vainio (Pan Sonic) on electronics, Derek Shirley on double bass and Lucio Capece on sax and bass clarinet, will make their live debut on April 11 as part of the 2008 "My Favourite Thing" Festival at Radialsystem, Berlin. Read more: http://www.vladislavdelay.com/site/?page_id=50
New European dates for Shout Out Louds: http://www.shoutoutlouds.com/shows.aspx
Norwegian avant/noise/experimental label Roggbif will have two new release out on May 31. First up is a split CD featuring Norway's Golden Serenades and Force Majeure, a collaboration of Swedish noiseniks Sewer Election and Treriksröset. The second is Origami Galaktika's long awaited album "Laos Vegas", an record that was originally slated to be released as an LP via Beta-Lactam Ring five years ago. Read more: http://www.roggbif.com/
New tourdates for Denmark's Late Night Venture:
04/17 - Astra Stube, Hamborg (GER)
04/18 - Intersoup, Berlin (GER)
04/29 - Loppen, Kbh (DK)
05/26 - Werk Stadt, Witten (GER)
05/27 - Café Mule, Leipzig (GER)
05/28 - Monkey Club, Berlin (GER)
05/29 - Steinbruch, Duisbirg (GER)
05/30 - TAC, Eindhoven (NL)
05/31 - Club Meander, Amsterdam (NL)
06/03 - Brasserie 911, Belvaux (LUX)
06/04 - d:qlique, Luxembourg (LUX)
06/06 - La Scène Bastille, Paris (FRA)
Have you been following Last Days of April as they blog about their current US tour? Read here: http://karltommy.blogspot.com/ (in Swedish)
Swedish hip-hop producer Erik L (Flyphonic/Supersci) is offering up a 6-track EP for free download in advance of his new solo record: http://www.flyphonic.com/flyphonic/
Swedish indie label Cosy Den has posted details for their next three releases from The Budgies, The Garlands and Erik Halldén: http://www.smallstepforward.com/cosy/wordpress/?p=36
Morningside Records has confirmed that the new Larsen & Furious Jane album "Zen sucker" will be out on May 19. Expect samples to be online soon.
Zero is reporting that Gbg-based EBM artist Stisch is working on a new single together with singer Wayne Hussey of The Mission. The track is called "Hit repeat" and will be out in April.
Turbonegro has been forced to cancel the upcoming European Volcom Tour due to guitarist Euroboy falling ill. Dates are due to be rescheduled for later this year.
Various Artists