100 (The latest flame)...

Stream or download (name your price) the new single 100 (The Latest Flame) by The Boombox Hearts. As I wrote a while back...it's totally awesome (no tristesse, just plain old catchy and perhaps a little melancholic) and of course I hope you agree! More details and the story behind the song can be found at the band's blog...

Shorts...

Admittedly things are not running as smoothly around here (and by that, I do mean the blog) as one could wish, but work, travelling, family and life in general is taking its toll. So be it and really nothing I can (or want to) change.

Still room for music and here a few quick recommendations.

First single Leave Your Body Behind You from Richard Hawley’s recent album Standing At The Sky’s Edge has been made free to download. Grab it, love it and then go buy the album. Sometimes life can be real simple!


Courtesy of Soliti Records the entire All Blackshirts To Me album by Cats On Fire can now be streamed from SoundCloud (for one week only). First listen pretty much blew me away…wonder what a few more listens will do!


The Boombox Hearts will release a new single called 100 (The Latest Flame) on (approx.) 22 June. I’ve had the privilege to give it a few advance listens and in a few words the song is not so sad (as one would expect), really catchy and totally awesome!

Lovebugs shares this lovely acoustic version of the track Truth Is.

C.P.H.L. ...

Stream rough mix of new track C.P.H.L (what the abbreviation stands for seems to be a secret) by The Boombox Hearts. Will be the opening track of the band's forthcoming album (when, where, how etc. are still secrets I believe) and is "distilled sadness and hate mixed with noise, lo-fi, spacepop and a beat"...whatever that means exactly, except perhaps that sadness can sound incredibly cool? The rest of the album promises to "include sadness...and a few (slightly) happy pop songs". Should be interesting and am very much looking forward to it...despite all sadness...

  C.P.H.L. by The Boombox Hearts 

Crank it up...

Check out the video for new track Crank It Up by The Boombox Hearts. A sort of "in-between" release as it wasn't included on the debut EP and won't be included on the album, which the band (this comes straight from the horse's mouth) has begun recording. Crank It Up is sad, beautiful and lo-fi, sounding quite Iron & Wine(ish).

Friday night...

Went to Copenhagen Friday evening and left wife and kids (plus car) at my mother-in-law's (this piece of info gets sort of relevant later). First stop (after the required shawarma) was meeting Tempomatador underneath Copenhagen soil in the band’s rehearsal room (an old either cold war or Second World War bunker). The band was rehearsing for an upcoming semi-acoustic concert and I believe I caught the second half of the set; and it sounded pretty good (though I was later told that he sound in the bunker is far from perfect; fuck that – what do I know and no matter what you say, I enjoyed it…). Following a short break the band had apparently had enough of the acoustic softness and tuned things up (the only time that night I needed my earplugs). But before kicking off the band tried to encourage me to grab an instrument (any instrument) and join the party, so for the first time in 30 years I honestly cursed that in my youthful ignorance I decided to skip piano lessons and bet on a soccer career instead (which needless to say led absolutely nowhere). Sadly meaning no special guest star appearance by yours truly on bongo drums or triangle, though I did relentless tap my feet during the whole thing. Sitting there I realized it was the first time ever I witnessed a band rehearsing, so quite funny hearing their comments, though a few internal jokes probably went over my head (what’s the problem with them Rolling Stones drums?).

Next stop Stengade and during the walk with Mr. Boombox to the venue, my wife suddenly called telling me that she had forgotten her own car keys, so they had to spend the night at her mom’s…and it would be much appreciated if I could come and pick them up in the morning at around 8.30 (am and sadly not pm). So with the prospect of only a few hours’ sleep, it unfortunately meant that I had to reduce the beer consumption as hangovers and little sleep is probably the worst combination imaginable.

First band on stage at Stengade was recently founded duo The Golden Ratio (one half being Jonas of old blog favorites, but now sadly split-up Entakt). The band’s laid back folk pop sounded absolutely wonderful, as one would expect after watching the two live videos I’ve previously posted; though perhaps not the perfect choice to get a party started (assuming that my assumption is correct that people going out on a Friday night wants to party)? Talked briefly to Jonas afterwards and he agreed that the band needs a few more “rock tracks”, which they are in fact working on. But people (myself included) seemed to be enjoying themselves, so everything was just swell.

Second band on stage was the much hyped From Sarah. When posting the video for Demons I wrote that it reminded me quite a lot of Kashmir. Now that I’ve seen the band live I’m going to say exactly the same again. No that it should matter, because the trio is a brilliant live band (at least I thought so) and the quality of the songs was surprisingly high. But in some ways it was just frustrating that I couldn’t listen to the music on its own premises without constantly thinking of another band! The hype is understandable though!

Here ends the story…unless you should be interested in hearing about a tired train ride home, far too few hours of sleep and getting up early Saturday morning to catch another train…and I guess you’re not!

Vender mig og glemmer dig by tempomatador (several songs are free to download from the band's blog)

Cover Me by The Boombox Hearts

This is No Season for Swimming by The Golden Ratio (DK/SE)

Demons by From Sarah

Oslo...

Sorry, but I'm afraid not. The title has nothing to do with tonight’s much talked about and ridiculously overhyped soccer game. Instead it’s the name of this beautiful demo track by The Boombox Hearts (that never made it onto the band’s debut EP), which the band is now giving away as a free download to celebrate the birthday of an old friend. It’s, in their own words, “a countrypop song about going to Kalvøya Festival in 1993, being teen, ever so slightly drunk, kissing a girl and listening to Neil Young for the first time”. Sweet memories…!
+ Oslo

Shorts...

This will be short...

@Jonas; I know, I know. I owe a post on The Golden Ratio. Coming real soon (if next week is "real soon")...

New single National Runner by [the] caseworker is, is, is absolutely brilliant. Insistingly noisy and catchy exactly as I like it...

+ National Runner

There is no justice in this world. The video for Demons, the single by From Sarah, has been viewed exactly 603 times at YouTube. The number of views should have reached 5 digits (at least) by now. Wake up people!

The abovementioned From Sarah is one of the bands who will be performing at next week's Paper Planes Festival. As always familiar matters have top priority, so I won't be able to go. Pretty frustrating as blog favorites The Boombox Hearts is in the line-up as well!

and short it was...

Friday night...

The wife’s out, the kids are watching TV, I’m having a beer and enjoying that for once the computer is mine…aaaaall mine! Really tired tonight, but having a few things I’d like to post and share, so sleep is put on hold!

Boxstr.net still isn't working. Will be quite interesting if they have the nerve to keep charging their monthly fee, but "at least" their support hasn't replied to any of my emails. Great, great service (can you spell sarcasm...s-a-r-c-a-s-m)...Fuckers!

On a far more positive note. Earlier today the always helpful and up-to-date Mikkel pointed my attention to the little known, but nonetheless absolutely brilliant Danish one-man project Flag White. The debut EP, which can be downloaded for free (or for whatever amount you wish to pay) via bandcamp, contains 5 tracks that could be described as electronic indie pop/rock with a twist of shoegaze. Totally likeable stuff!
+ Of Laughter And Forgetting

More positive news comes from The Boombox Hearts, who are in the studio recording a good old-fashioned single (though not so old-fashioned that there will be any physical copies) with an a-side (the hit) and a b-side (which they expect that no one will give a damn about). Btw. Ivan of the band thinks we should all listen to the new single by Halasan Bazar, which indeed is very nice and reminds me a bit of The Rumour Said Fire!
  You Will Know by Halasan Bazar

You've probably all grabbed it by now, but still worth mentioning that Labrador gives away a 22-track sampler called Stockholm.
+ Sambassadeur - Days

She Wants Revenge shares a demo version of the track These Things.
  These Things (demo) by DJ Adam 12