4 months.. lots of music! This is some of what I've been listening to this summer.



1. "The Snow Leopard" by Shearwater
"Rook" (Matador, 2008)

2. "Creeper" by Islands
"Arm's Way" (ANTI, 2008)

3. "Ragged Wood" by Fleet Foxes
"Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop, 2008)

4. "For the Birds" by Earlimart
"Hymn and Her" (Shout Factory, 2008)

5. "Best Mistake" by The Disciplines
"Smoking Kills" (Voices Music, 2008)

6. "Grapevine Fires" by Death Cab for Cutie
"Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic, 2008)

7. "Sundance" by Sam Roberts
"Love at the End of the World" (Universal, 2008)

8. "A Change is Gonna Come" by Ben Sollee
"Learning to Bend" (SonaBLAST!, 2008)

9. "Gamma Ray" by Beck
"Modern Guilt" (Interscope, 2008)

10. "Fine Young Cannibals" by Wolf Parade
"At Mount Zoomer" (Sub Pop, 2008)

11. "Ways to Come Home" by Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains
"American Names EP" (Saddle Creek, 2008)

12. "Counting to Sleep" by Wallis Bird
"Spoons" (Island, 2007)

13. "Rooibos/Palm Wine Drinkard" by The Stills
"Oceans Will Rise" (Arts & Crafts, 2008)

Download mix [25.28MB 64kbps .mp3 - length 55:13] (Right-click, "Save as")

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tags: mix download 2008

Another rather short mix. I assure you a decent summer mix will appear by the time the leaves turn orange.



1. "I'm Good, I'm Gone" by Lykke Li
"Youth Novel" (EMI, 2008)

2. "Last Kiss" by Guillemots
"Red" (Polydor, 2008)

3. "Don't You Worry" by Jim Noir
"Jim Noir" (My Dad Recordings, 2008)

4. "Hold On to Yourself" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" (Mute, 2008)

5. "This Farm Will End Up in Fire" by Girls in Hawaii
"Plan Your Escape" (62TV, 2008)

6. "Tape Song" by The Kills
"Midnight Boom" (Domino, 2008)

Download mix [10,958MB 64kbps .mp3 - length 23:55] (Right-click, "Save as")

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tags: mix download

"The Sophtware Slump" as an album will always be a classic. I was thinking to myself where it would be without this one song? Still a classic, but further down on the list of classics perhaps?

This song reminds me of long bus drives, not only is it perfect for it, but I've had my share of those with this exact song streaming through my ears. While the song builds up I get closer to my arrival, and the scenery buzzing before my eyes fits perfectly with the shifts in tone, speed, and atmosphere.

It's epic, not only because of it's length (close to 9 minutes), but in the way it all happens throughout the song. From the simple strumming in the beginning where you can hear a gentle bird in the background, to the part where it speeds up, to come down to the slow pace where it stays until the end.

There's something grandiose about it all. Like the world is coming to an end, and this is the last song. Or - the world is coming to an end, and we don't know yet if this will be the last song. Layer upon layer, it builds up to something you know will arrive, but you're not quite sure when (even if you've heard it a thousand times before).

As an album opener it sets the theme, which in this case is some sort of future prophecy. "The Sophtware Slump" was by some labeled as the American "OK Computer". Grandaddy however took the spacy route. For me it's not so much about the meaning in this one, it's more about how it's all carried out.

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tags: 2008 revisited review

Small collection of songs enjoyed the first two months of 2008.



1. "Mystery Lights" by Uh Huh Her
"I See Red EP" (Plaid, 2007)

2. "What's On Your Mind?" by Madrugada
"Madrugada" (EMI, 2008)

3. "From A Tower" by Love Like Fire
"An Ocean in the Air" (self-released, 2007)

4. "Walcott" by Vampire Weekend
"Vampire Weekend" (XL, 2008)

5. "Electric Feel" by MGMT
"Oracular Spectacular" (Sony, 2008)

6. "Angels" by Black Mountain
"In the Future" (Jagjaguwar, 2008)

7. "Caravan Girl" by Goldfrapp
"Seventh Tree" (Mute, 2008)

8. "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington" by Jason Collett
"Here's To Being Here" (Arts & Crafts, 2008)

9. "Split Lips" by Sons and Daughters
"This Gift" (Domino, 2008)

10. "Nude" by Radiohead
"In Rainbows" (self-released, 2007)

Download mix [17,68MB 64kbps .mp3 - length 38:37] (Right-click, "Save as")

(1) This track is only available on the iTunes version of the EP, as a bonus track.

(5) I find "Oracular Spectacular" to be the ultimate car album these days...

(10) I've already used a tune from "In Rainbows" in a mix, but there's no escaping the brilliance of "Nude".

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tags: 2008 download mix

Teitur has scheduled a Scandinavian release of "The Singer" February 11th, while the rest of the world will get it during March/April. MySpace gives you the title track.

Girls in Hawaii releases "Plan Your Escape" in Belgium February 13th, followed by a European release February 19th. Their 2005 debut "From Here to There" desperately needs a proper follow-up, and if first single "The Farm Will End Up In Fire" is any indication I might get my wish. Head over to their MySpace for a preview.

The National Bank releases their second album "Come On Over To the Other Side" February 11th. A Week later Kaizers Orchestra follows with their fourth studio album titled "Maskineri" (Machinery). All is good here in Norway... To top it all Ane Brun's new album "Changing Of The Seasons" is being released March 12th.

"Heretic Pride" is the title of The Mountain Goats' new album, out February 18th.

"Midnight Boom" from The Kills is scheduled for a March 10th release.

It's about to "Get Awkward" when Be Your Own Pet releases their second album March 17th in UK and Europe, and March 18th in the US. March 18th also brings "A Mad and Faithful Telling" from Devotchka, as well as Joseph Arthur's "Could We Survive EP". Apparently there's a lot to come from Mr. Arthur in 2008.

Guillemots are also set to release "Red" in March, not sure when exactly. Whenever, I'm sure it will be good! As with several other releases that might surprise me over the next couple of months.

Looking further ahead, the last I heard Metric are looking at a June release of their so far nameless album. Judging by the slower more mature version of "Give Me Sympathy" first heard at The Sound Academy in Toronto a few days ago (footage below), work is progressing quite well.



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tags: 2008 upcoming release

With "OK Computer" my first band obsession began. Considered to be one of the best albums ever, making an appearance here is unavoidable. One of the first albums that had any real influence on how my taste in music progressed, or was it music awareness?

Prior to "OK Computer" my only familiarity with Radiohead was through "High and Dry" from "The Bends" (1995). I believe I saw the music video and became slightly infatuated. When "OK Computer" was released I recognized the name, and there I was on my way to discover what was about to change my view on music.

"Karma Police" was played non-stop on several radio stations, but most notably in the form of the quite popular music video. I guess this was back when I used to watch music videos. After listening to the album for quite some time though, I was made aware for the first time that singles are NEVER, and I mean NEVER the best tracks on a good album (I might have to eat those words sooner or later). Since then I've been wary of singles, radio airplay, music videos and the likes. It's only purpose is introduction, and should never be taken too seriously.

While "Karma Police" by all means is a decent song, it drowns in the pool of great songs this album has to offer. Take "Paranoid Android" for instance, a song that more or less sounds like 4 songs put into one. At first listen it sounds like a huge mess, but once the various parts are recognizable it becomes the story you wish to read over again in an instance. Preferably louder this time.

To get it out in the open: "Fitter Happier" annoyed the hell out of me for quite some time. You know the track you always skip, usually within 1 second? Unfortunately this was the track for me... Once I got passed the "oh what amazing atmospheres created by musical instruments" phase when listening to music, I jumped forward to realize that lyrics are 80% of it all, and never skipped "Fitter Happier" again. It's probably the track that best ties in with the album title. An ode to the mid 1990s infatuation with technology. See it's not just music - it's social analysis. Weirdly enough I often think of "Fitter Happier" when washing spiders down the plughole.

"Exit Music (For A Film)" has one of the best build-ups in history. It makes me want to crank up the volume and raise my hands while I spin myself around slowly. Once the dizziness hits you might just want to fall to the ground - and it wouldn't even hurt - I swear. The intimacy provided by Thom's whispery vocals and the gentle strumming of a guitar saves the day. My personal favorite on this album however has always been "Lucky". I don't quite know if it was the lyrics that crept up on me and took a firm handle on my subconsciousness back then, or if the whole thing is to be blamed on the overall brilliance of how the song is arranged. Somehow I believe Thom Yorke when he says "It's gonna be a glorious day". Then it just is...

"OK Computer" is created to be played in loop. Listen to the last few seconds of album ender "The Tourist" before you go back to "Airbag". This should clue you in on something, but it's not until you try listening to the album starting with "The Tourist" and stopping after "Lucky", while paying extra good attention to lyrics, you really understand it. That is at least how I see it. I'll skip the explanation because noticing it on your own is a bit of thrill.

Apart from being a glorious collection of music, this album is both a reflection on a specific period of time as well as timeless. It serves well as 55 minutes of great music, but it also works as a wake-up call when commenting on our lack of ability to live our lives with awareness.

Without awareness within. Always on the lookout never knowing where to look.

"OK Computer" could potentially be the album that turns a casual music listener into music for good. Oh, how happy it makes me knowing these guys are still going strong.

Visit Radiohead's official site which has been in constant change since the start if I'm not mistaken...

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tags: 2008 revisited review

It happens - you hear a song, it moves you like no other, and you are positive the artist behind it will become one of your favorites within days. My introduction to Elliott Smith was "Between the Bars", and it remains my favorite song of his, just as Elliott Smith did become one of my favorite artists within days.

It's sound is simple yet effective, like any good Elliott Smith song. Guitar chords to help build it up, but always with Elliott's voice in the forefront. More than anything, Elliott Smith was an excellent lyricist. This shows in the amount of posts done by fans on online message boards and such in an attempt to analyze it. Whatever the meaning is, people's ability to connect to it is obvious. What we all seem to agree on is how it's about alcohol as a relief, or in the bigger picture how we all find ways to escape reality. Not necessarily biographical, even though it points in that direction, it's one of the best lyrics I know. It has by many been said to be a love song sung by a whiskey bottle to the writer, which makes sense considering that's who holds the power in that relationship. More than anything "Between the Bars" embodies a certain chosen loneliness.

For the movie "Good Will Hunting" Elliott recorded an orchestral version of "Between the Bars" collaborating with Danny Elfman, in addition to the new song "Miss Misery". Although a decent version, it left out some of the intensity and intimacy of the original version.

It might be convenient to call him the Nick Drake of my generation, but the comparison just doesn't work on some levels. One rather ironic part of it is how Elliott experienced what Nick Drake missed out on, and found the whole experience rather uncomfortable. The keyword is acknowledgement, the thing Nick Drake longed for - but didn't get until after his death, which is also the thing that had Elliott Smith looking VERY out of place at the Oscars singing "Miss Misery" in 1997. Adorable from a far however, it was clear that Elliott didn't enjoy being in the spotlight.

At small venues however he seems more at ease, even though not quite. Watch the clip below to see Elliott Smith warm up the crowd all by himself, before playing "Between the Bars". See? It's not all sadness and depression...



The story could have ended on October 21th 2001, but then came "From A Basement on the Hill" which was in the works when Elliott passed away, recruiting more fans and further establishing the fact of a great loss. Most visible today is the growing number of b-sides, demos, bootlegs, video clips, and other rarities that keep popping up thanks to fans all across the world - making sure the story never ends.

There's plenty of cover versions of "Between the Bars", and I especially think Madeleine Peyroux did a good one. It's featured on "Careless Love" from 2004 (Rounder Records). On "To Elliott: From Portland" released in 2005, Amelia does a decent version as well. While the latter version resembles Elliott's own version, Madeleine Peyroux manages to take it to another level.

The summer of 2006 one of my other favorites - Metric (or 2/4 of them), dropped by Rolling Stone Magazine to play an acoustic set, and they included a cover of "Between the Bars". Hearing Emily Haines sing this song is kind of a big deal, even though I'm sure they could've done much better. I remember how fans of Elliott but not Metric hated this version, and pretty much everyone else loved it.



Cover versions are a good way to keep songs alive. More of that please.

For more info about Elliott Smith visit sweetadeline.net, the official fan site (if there's such a thing). For access to b-sides, demos, etc. you are advised to head over to elliottsmithbsides.com.

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tags: 2008 revisited review