Nö Music

The Stool Pigeon presents doom and drunks at by:Larm

Åse Bredeli Røyset — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:02:29 +0000

Our favourite music newspaper is bringing its gospel to Oslo. Launching their Oslo distribution during by:Larm, The Stool Pigeon presents a fine night featuring Altaar; Chrome Hill, with Jørgen Munkeby from Shining amongst others; psychedelic Danes in Oh No Ono; Manhattan Skyline and Ungdomskulen’s shiny sequined songs.

The paper, awarded Best Free Music Magazine in 2009, is celebrating its 5 year anniversary in March, and currently sees distribution all over England and Berlin. Delivering the papers by hand in 72 cities across the UK, driving over 4,000km per issue, is according to The Guardian the only reason why the paper has decided not to up its print run from 60,000 copies.

Now however, The Stool Pigeon has chosen to go north, where the skies are blue. And according to Editor Phil Hebblethwaite, this is due to how Norwegians «obsess over music in a very similar way to the British. You lot also drink too much and have a cruel sense of humour. Those are characteristics that The Stool Pigeon considers to be eternally sacred.».

When asked what has made them choose these particular acts, he explains:

Three of them (Altaar, Manhattan Skyline, Ungdomskulen) I know from coming to Norway for Øya (many times) and by:Larm (once). We always wanted Ungdomskulen to headline, because they’re a band of the people — especiallywhen the people are hammered, as they will be at midnight. I love dark, heavy music and seeing as dark, heavy music is like the Norwegian folk music, we were determined to get at least a couple of nasty rockers on the bill — hence Altaar and Manhattan Skyline. Oh yes! Oh No Ono are signed to a brilliant British label called Leaf who are friends of The Stool Pigeon. We’re doing a feature on them in the new issue, so it made sense to have them included. Chrome Hill we didn’t know, but we checked them out, and we liked them. A lot.

What are you looking most forward to at by:Larm?

All of the above. Other than them… Efterklang, Casio Kids, Jaga Jazzist, and as much ear-splitting metal as humanly possible.

The Stool Pigeon presents:
by:Larm 18th February 2010
Samfunnssalen, Oslo

20:30 ALTAAR — www.myspace.com/altaarnorway
21:30 Chrome Hill — www.myspace.com/chromehill
22:30 Oh No Ono (DK) — www.myspace.com/ohnoono
23:30 Manhattan Skyline — www.myspace.com/manhattanbitches
00:30 Ungdomskulen — www.myspace.com/ungdomskulen

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The Fix announces stellar lineup

Dan Roberts — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:18:30 +0000

Bergen clubbers are in for a considerable treat if this year’s The Fix turns out to be anything near as good as it looks on paper. The event, ‘presented’ by Ekko and Bergenfest, two of the city’s flagship live music offerings, revealed a host of great Norwegian and foreign acts who will take to the stage over one reasonably-priced night.

Spread over three venues, Logen Theatre, Ole Bull Scene and the newly reopened Kvarteret, the third The Fix is headlined by three of the most exciting Norwegian acts around — all plugging new hyped albums — Jaga Jazzist, Lindstrøm & Christabelle and Serena Maneesh. The event also has a history of presenting innovative foreign artists: last year Flying Lotus made the trip, with Diplo on the bill the year before, and this time round they don’t disappoint either: Brighton krautrockers Fujiya & Miyagi, acclaimed London jazz group Portico Quartet and afrobeat legend (or at least son of afrobeat legend) Femi Kuti providing ample reason to shell out the paltry 270 NOK for the Bergenfest daypass that provides admittance.

The Fix is on April 30, and the full line-up is…

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Pick what album Motorpsycho will perform this summer

Åse Bredeli Røyset — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:14:14 +0000

For their only festival gig in their home country this year, Motorpsycho have decided to make it special. Following the trend of playing albums back to back, they are letting their fans decide which album will see one exclusive live performance this summer. Where? Where else, The Øya Festival.

The band members have picked fifteen albums from their vast catalogue for the fans to vote for. The selection ranges both in style and age, from debut album Lobotomizer (1991), the only one featuring Kjell Runar Jenssen on drums, via their poppy displays such as Phanerothyme (2001) all the way up to last year’s favourite Child of the future, and the week-old Heavy Metal Fruit. All in all the list gives an almost annual overview of their albums from ‘91 to now. So, good luck, psychonauts, it’s the battle of the albums. You can only vote for three, in prioritized order. But then again, this is one you can’t really lose.

A tip to make this concert last may be to put in a cheeky vote for the classic double album Timothy’s Monster (1994).

Make your voice heard here, by 8th March at 23:59 CET.

From Lobotomizer...

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Supergroup Apparatjik’s debut out today!

Dan Roberts — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:48:39 +0000

Following the recent demise of Norway’s most successful band a-ha, fans were placated by the surprise announcement that the odd but intriguing assembly of the band’s guitarist and songwriter Magne Furuholmen, Mew’s Jonas Bjerre and Coldplay’s Guy Berryman had decided to release a full album following their previous one-off recording of the theme for the BBC series Amazon.

Yes, Apparatjik’s debut album, We Are Here, is out, well, today: February 1st.

The band are also set to play their first live show together tonight at the club transmediale (CTM) festival in Berlin, apparently from inside a giant cube.

There may be details about all of this on the band’s strange and confusing website, but I couldn’t find them.

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Nominees for Statoil funding announced

Dan Roberts — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:30:16 +0000

Every year Norway’s huge state energy company Statoil donates a sum of money to one of the country’s emerging musical talents to help their progress, with a focus on artists deemed on the cusp of an international breakthrough. Last year jazz solo-artist Mathias Eick walked away with the dough, using it to fund a substantial world tour. The prize is not without controversy, however. Four bands, including acclaimed newcomers Kråkesølv, have refused to participate this year in protest against Statoil’s involvement in drilling projects off the Lofoten peninsula, an area on the ‘tentative list’ of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The shortlist for the Statoil prize of 800,000 nok (£84,000), the biggest of its kind in Norway, has retained the following hyped artists:

Casiokids
The Cumshots
Diskjokke
Donkeyboy
Ingrid Olava
Jaga Jazzist
Katzenjammer
Serena Maneesh
Susanna & The Magical Orchestra
Thom Hell

According to Dagbladet’s poll, the audience thinks Donkeyboy should win the bag of money, a band who critics nation-wide agreed has two good songs, on a debut album of fillers. Serena-Maneesh and Casiokids on the other hand, who have gained a solid name for themselves abroad through hard work and no cash at all, have received a modest 4% each.

Let’s be glad there’s a jury deciding this, and see if not that jazz band everybody raves about will be awarded the oil money. You can get your voice heard here.

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Elephant9 reveal new album details

Dan Roberts — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:06:34 +0000

With members of Shining, Supersilent and, um, BigBang amongst their ranks Elephant9 are as worthy as any of the jazz ’supergroup’ title, and having garnered widespread acclaim for their 2008 debut Dodovoodoo they now have a follow-up set to drop. With the love of punning evident in that debut’s moniker intact, this second record is titled Walk The Nile, and label Rune Grammofon’s proud introduction to the release does make it sound rather tasty:

“Sporting five originals from Ståle Storløkken and one from Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen, the all analogue recording from Grand Sport Studios in Oslo gives it a gorgeous, organic late sixties, early seventies feel combining elements from rock, jazz, psychedelia, funk and prog.”

Elephant9’s Walk The Nile is out on the 22nd February on CD and white vinyl with a free download.

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Bonnie ‘Prince’ and Magical Orchestra for Literature Fest

Dan Roberts — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:35:54 +0000

Lillehammer’s Norwegian Literature Festival, the biggest event of its kind in Scandinavia, has confirmed a ’double’ concert with the country’s own Susanna & The Magical Orchestra and US acoustic favourite Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (with ‘the Cairo Gang’) on Saturday 29th May. Not very literary, admittedly, but they get round that by calling them ‘poets’ in the write-up. Whether this is set to be an entirely collaborative show or more of a double-bill kind of thing is unclear, but the two acts have a long history of working together: two tracks on Susanna’s last record, Flowers of Evil, featured Will Oldham’s distinctive vocals, and the Magical Orchestra traipsed all over supporting him in return. Hell, Billy even released a 7″ with a pair of Susanna & The Magical Orchestra covers not too long ago.

You can catch Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, probably most famous for his bleak opus I See A Darkness, and Susanna & the Magical Orchestra at Maihaugsalen on Saturday 29th May. More info here.

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Whitest Boy Alive announced for Coachella Festival

Dan Roberts — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:31:09 +0000

The full line-up for Coachella, the first of America’s major music events, was released in full recently, with The Whitest Boy Alive being the only Norwegian-ish inclusion. The Berlin-based band are of course fronted by none other than Erlend Øye, one half of Kings of Convenience, which makes them Norwegian enough for us. They are set to play the festival’s opening day.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place from the 16th to 18th of April, and is headlined by Jay-Z, Muse, Faith No More, Pavement, Gorillaz and Thom Yorke’s Flea-featuring supergroup.

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Immortal Slams Door on Spellemann Jury

Linn Nystadnes — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:28:06 +0000

What do Årabrot, Code, Cumshots and Immortal not have in common? For one, Immortal have un-nominated themselves from the Norwegian Grammy Awards.

Photo: Handout

Nominated for the Norwegian Grammy’s Spellemannsprisen (”The Fiddler Awards”) for their 8th studio album All Shall Fall, Immortal have issued a press release stating they “wish to decline this nomination”. When it comes to True Norwegian Black Metal, declining nominations isn’t exactly new under the …. moon.

Back in 2004, Darkthrone protested being nominated for the Norwegian alternative to Spellemann, the Alarm Award, for their Sardonic Wrath album — ’cause as we know, Darkthrone don’t do entertainment, they do Black Metal. Fenriz told Ballade.no that in reality records shouldn’t be reviewed before 15 years have passed, which means it’s about time to review their Panzerfaust (1995).

Immortal on the other hand, were awarded the Alarm Award in 2001 for their Damned In Black album. They considered Alarm very different from Spellemann, as the winner was decided by fans as opposed to a jury. In fact, while the award still existed, votes from fans only counted for 50% and a jury of about 60 journalists the rest, but comparing this to the small amount of people in the juries selecting the winners of “the Fiddler”, they do have a point.

What makes Immortal’s “no, thank you” a bit… well, funny, is that record labels themselves (at a small fee) enter bands to be nominated for the Spellemann. But like Spellemann chairman Marte Thorsby says to Verdens Gang, “One shouldn’t be forced to be nominated.”.

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Spellemann 2010: The Norwegian Grammys

Åse Bredeli Røyset — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:40:45 +0000

The Norwegian equivalent to the Grammys, Spellemannprisen, just announced their nominees. Last year’s most annoying, highest pitch, most hyped and most singalong-friendly are all included.

The nominated albums and artists are:

Newcomer of the year:
Alexander Rybak
Donkeyboy
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen
Kråkesølv
Vilde Frang

Best female artist:
Ane Brun - Live at Stockholm Concert Hall
Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone
Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin’ Feet
Noora Noor - Soul Deep

Best male artist:
Alexander Rybak - Fairytales
Martin Hagfors - Men And Flies
Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio

Best pop group:
Datarock - Red
Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life
Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence
Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting
Montee - Isle Of Now

Best electronica album:
Lindstrøm og Prins Thomas - 2
Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away
Röyksopp - Junior
Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak

Best rock album:
DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin
Heroes & Zeros - Simian Voices Modern Devices
John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future
Skambankt - Hardt Regn

Best metal album:
Code - Resplendent Grotesque
Immortal - All Shall Fall
The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary
Årabrot - The Brother Seed

Best hiphop album:
Chris Lee - Love Ghost
Lars Vaular - D’e Glede
Tommy Tee - Studio Time

Best lyricist:
Sverre Knutsen - La Det Brenne
Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn
Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - Tidsmaskin (DumDum Boys)
Tønes - Sobihob
Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene

Best popular composer:
Svein Berge/Torbjørn Brundtland - Junior (Röyksopp)
Ole Jørgen Ottosen - The Man Across the Fountain (Tellusalie)
Øystein Greni - Edendale (Bigbang)
Cato Sundberg/Kent Sundberg - Caught in a Life (Donkeyboy)
Lars Christian Narum - Samma Hen Du Fær (Narum)

Best singer/songwriter (folk):
Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn
Helene Bøksle - Morild
Tonje Unstad - Æ Ror Aleina
Aasmund Nordstoga - Ein Visefugg
Narum - Samma Hen Du Fær

Best contemporary album:
Håkon Austbø - Norwegian Imperatives (Valen/Egge/Wallin)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Gupta m/Herresthal, Birkeland, Bullock og Styffe - Low Jive (Jon Øivind Ness)
Truls Mørk/Scottish Chamber Orchestra/John Storgårds - Plays Hallgrimson

Best contemporary composer:
Ruben S. Gjertsen - Grains
Sven Lyder Kahrs - Dew Sparrows Breath
Lasse Thoresen - To The Brother Peoples (Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra)

Best classical album:
Vilde Frang - Prokofiev & Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Grieg Trio - Tchaikovsky/Smetana/Grieg
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Jansons - Gustav Mahler Symf. 7 (Live)
Henning Kraggerud, Bård Monsen, Lars Anders Tomter, Ole-Erik Ree
Ysaye - String Trios

Best jazz album:
Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada
Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned
Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak
Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up (Way Down)

Best traditional folk album:
Synnøve S. Bjørset - Slåttar
Olav Luksengård Mjelva - Fele/Hardingfele, Røros/Hallingdal
Daniel Sandén-Warg/Sigurd Brokke - Rammeslag 2

Best danseband: (see Wikipedia definition)
Vagabond - Vagabond
Anne Nørdsti - Livet er nå
Ole Ivars - Femten fersk

Best country album:
Jonas Fjeld & Chatham County Line - Brother Of Song
Steff Nevers - Closest To My Heart
Tore Andersen - Right Around The Corner

Best blues album:
The Crank Bros. - Black Midnights, Stars & Streetlights
Reidar Larsen - Kom Inn Te Oss
Ronnie Jacobsen - San Jose Sessions

Best childrens album:
Malin Reitan - Malin
Diverse Artister - Go’ natt
Trond Brænne - Bamsen Er Borte
Gjermund Larsen og Bom Basker - Går I Fjøs

Open category:
Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day
Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea
Knut Reiersrud - Gitar
When - Homage Series Vol. 1: Sun Ra
Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony

The awards are presented 6th March 2010.

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