Weeping Willows frontman Magnus Carlson will release a new solo endeavor with backing band The Moon Ray Quintet on November 3 called "Echoes". Said album will be available on both CD and LP, with each version containing a slightly different tracklist and two exclusive cuts. Of course, buying the vinyl gets you a download link for the lot plus a video, but you already knew that because it's the modern way. Anyhow, here's the first single "Ain't there something money can't buy" which will be officially released on October 11: http://soundcloud.com/cosmosmusicgroup/magnus-carlson-the-moon-ray-quintet-aint-there-something-money-cant-buy/
"I call the album 'My Own Little War' because I feel like I've been in my own little world doing just that. Fighting my own little war. Life can be tough on you some times but not everybody can relate so you have to do what you do best. Fight. The music sounds like the 70's on steroids in some instances. I fused a lot of punk rock and psychedelic rock over tough drumbeats. Its really up to the listener to judge but I've been told the sound has got a lot energy. I would like to think skaters will bump this album because a little while back I took out my deck and started pushin again, nothing fancy, just a little olly here, a little slide there. I was listening to my stuff while cruising and realised I felt pretty nice skating to it. So I played the album for a couple of skater friends and they felt the same way..."
Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray/The Knife will be composing music for another play, this time a stage version of Ingmar Bergman's "The Hour Of The Wolf", set to premiere at Dramaten in Stockholm in 2011. She also reports that she is back in the studio with brother Olof working on new material for The Knife. Wait and see...
Icelandic artist Ólöf Arnalds will be supporting Blonde Redhead on tour in the US come November:
11/14 - House of Blues, San Diego, CA
11/15 - Glass House, Pamona, CA
11/16 - The Music Box @ Fonda, LA, CA
11/19 - Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
11/20 - Roseland, Portland, OR
11/21 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
11/24 - The Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
11/26 - The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT
11/27 - Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
11/29 - Warehouse Live Studio, Houston, TX
11/30 - Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
12/01 - La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
Norwegian progressive rock act White Willow are still hard at work on their next album "Terminal twilight", but in the meantime they have posted a number of demos from their previous record "Signal to noise" as a free download -- head over to their website to check it out: http://www.whitewillow.info/
Boring/overrated Norwegian singer/songwriter Ingrid Olava will be getting her debut UK release in the form of a 4-track EP called "The please welcome EP", due out October 25. She'll also be coming over to play a few London dates in support:
10/18 - Purcell Rooms
10/19 - Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts
10/21 - Slaughtered Lamb
10/25 - Source Below
10/26 - Royal Festival Hall
has confirmed that the debut album from recent signees Monostrip (featuring five folks from I'm From Barcelona) will be called "The grand youth" and will be released on October 6. Check out a couple sample tunes here: http://www.wonderlandrecords.com/monopress
From the minute This Gift is a Curse's debut EP opens, there's a sense of impending dread that heightens further as it progresses. It starts off with a dark ambient intro that is cut short with a doomy passage bordering on a sludgy black metal aesthetic and, despite not really wavering from a single tempo, it works really well. It's got a vibe about it that cries Red Harvest and it wouldn't sound out of place on the likes of "Sick transit gloria mundi". The rest of the disc is very like a more abrasive version of Will Haven, both in terms of music and vocal output. It's a lot darker than most material that the Sacramento four-piece have released, no doubt down to the more extreme influences evident here. Take "Althea" for example: an eerie opening that's definitely of the avantgarde persuasion, moving into a slow Khold-type post-intro intro before embarking on the main body of the song, a trudging slab of Will Haven with that characteristic vocal playing off the beat. The main parts of closing track "Voulet's dream" is even more in the WH vein than WH themselves and, far from being a criticism is an absolute gem of a song for fans of that style. Even though this only gets as fast as mid-paced it's probably best described as metalcore with a grindcore sentiment. We even have a Barney Greenway"Morale" vocal on the end, so that's all the more justification for the grind tag. Not original by any means, but bloody good stuff. - John Norby
This is a good choice of a track to showcase Obstacles' many strengths. Though undoubtedly a mathrock band, they know how to properly employ empty space and held notes and also, most importantly, they understand how to maintain a proper melodic theme. Yeah, they do get to hammering on, but it goes with the territory (and title). And really, as far as this sort of stuff goes, it's all done quite tastefully. Doubt it'll convert any non-believers, but anyone already down with the scene would do well to check these dudes out.
Direct video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy1GwmL-TrA
Obstacles - Twilight of the Idiots or, how to philosophize while hammering on
Norwegian spastic noise/metal act Killl is finally preparing to release their long-awaited live DVD/CD and what you see above is a sample of what to expect. Best/worst live experience! Total ADD/seizure-inducing nightmare! Direct link: http://vimeo.com/14720501
This Gift is a Curse