New Music: Matthew Kilford

Putting on Matthew Kilford's song "Zurich" feels like a movie starts in your head. In my head I walk through the door on the front of his album cover and into a room where the light falls in from the side and the window is open to a late summer evening. It's something very comforting, beautiful and peaceful about it. At the same time your heart and head catches that there is a little undertone of something a bit more sad underneath it all.

Kilford's guitar playing is just wonderful and spins around like some kind of nice little machine in the background, and I mean machine in a nice way. I am not sure exactly what kind of machine it is, but I think it is made of silver and is quite elegant and pleasant. In short, great guitar playing.

But most of all, what caught my ear, was this brilliant voice. It has it's own very clear beautiful, emotional and sweet tone, but also remind me of such great men as Simon and Garfunkel, Jeff Buckley (when he's calm, Jeff that is) and last, but not least Andy Yorke, brother of the more famous Thom. And when I tell you that Matthew also is from Oxford,it shouldn't be surprising as all good things to seam to come from there these days, at least Oxfordshire. Sorry, I apparently don't know my English shires :)There is someone else he also very much remind me of in the singing department, but I am totally unable to pin point it right now. But it's someone I really like, so a compliment.

Don't let this chance pass you, good people. Let's make this man get the fame he deserves. Why don't you start with the one on the bottom of this post. It has an truly great contrast between the verses and the refrain. I think we need to see this man live in Norway soon too.

And I haven't even gotten far enough to listen to the lyrics for real yet, but enough to know that it's beautiful. For me that is a bit like unwrapping a gift slowly.

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Tv memories: Sunday morning cartoons

Me and my boyfriend started this Sunday morning with talk of the cartoons we used to watch as a child on Sunday mornings. We searched our way through many delights on YouTube and I made you a little list of the highlights. Do you remember any of these? Are they just popular in Norway or/and Holland? These are my memories from late 80's and the early 90's at least, hope you like it :) Everything from Rag doll Anna (Tøydukke Anna) to Zorro. They were not all on on Sundays, but I hope you will forgive me for that. And they are not strictly all cartoons, but they all give me that sneaking up in the morning to watch cartoons feeling :)

Friday Fun: Scandinavia and the World - webcomic

Awesome Hats by *humon on deviantART

And then it's time for another Friday Fun post! I have been looking forward to this all week, since around last Sunday when my darling showed me this one. It's a webcomic with characters based on all the different countries around the world. Mostly it's seen from a Scandinavian point of view, but there are others from all over the world quite often turning up too. As a Norwegian I laugh my head of and I think the writer has really nailed how the Scandinavian countries relate to each other: The organized Swede, the happy-go-lucky Norwegians, the drunk under the table Danish. Finland and Iceland are very often included too, but remember boys and girls, they are not Scandinavian countries :) Other frequent characters is USA, King EU, Germany and Nazi-Germany. Under you will find some of my favorites, just use the arrows on the top of the page to navigate to the next comic

Direct link to the page.
Some of my favourites:
not-a-yahtzee
nordics-like-fish
mixed-feelings
computer-technician
damn-kids
the-north-sea-lotto
come-and-get-it-big-boy
christmas-traditions
Metal

New Music: Spring Offensive

As I said last week, all good things seam to come from Oxford these days, and here is another example. If my Last.fm related artists radios keeps giving me such great stuff again and again, I think I might be addicted to "the Oxford-sound".

Spring Offensive is one of those bands who just made me go "Wow, this is great stuff" over and over again to my poor boyfriend. I just had to tell someone. The vocals are great, the way the guitars lines line up with each other is just beautiful. The bass and drums makes me want to get on my feet and groove to the beat in songs like "A Let Down". Over all there is just a great intensity in everything they do, that make me sit up in my chair and listen every time they randomly comes over my stereo. That intensity also comes through in the videos and seeing the videos for "Every coin" and "A Let Down" really did it for me. I want to see these guys live now! Apparently they are famous for one of the most touring bands in Britain, maybe they will jump on a ferry and go to Norway one of these days! If you look at the last clip of this blog post, you understand why. Great stuff.

Spotify link to Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive's Home page

Youtube videos:

Great songs: Odd Nordstoga - Borga i Ur

Somewhere between 5 and 10 years old, when we were all free and single, all my best friends gathered together for one great weekend in the mountains in a cabin. As we "wushed" by waterfalls and mountains, cliffs and was slowly climbing higher, one of my friends started talking about this new great records he had bought and it turned out to be Odd Norstogas album "Luring". Odd somehow managed to fusion his folk music background with all kinds of folk from over the world and hit the Norwegians directly in the heart. On a gas station my friend bought the CD, and we couldn't have had more perfect for this trip. It and the landscape just fitted so perfectly with the whole idea of being Norwegian and felt so much like home somehow. We first of all listened to the hit and single of the CD quite a lot, but whenever "Borga i Ur" came on, something would happen and I have had the experience that this happens to other people I have played it for later as well. People go very quiet and get goosebumps and is amazed by the brilliant arrangement. The song is about some kind of Mideastern pre-biblical or biblical society. This part of history is not my strongest side, so read more about Ur, if you want to. The magic for me in the arrangement is the way the violins sneak up under you, under that beautiful voice and guitar. It's so big, so magical.. Listen with good stereo or headphones!

Spotify link to Odd Nordstoga - Borga i Ur

Youtube video with brief translation of the lyrics:

Great musicians: Elliott Smith - The pianist

Time to continue my Great musicians series. One of the artistes who has absolutely meant the most to me in my life so far, is the brilliant Elliott Smith. Pages upon pages have been written about Elliott and his depression and possible suicide. But enough about that for now, instead I am going to focus on the extraordinary good musician he was and through a series of clips and blog posts I am gonna give you a peak into that.
I start the series up with giving you two clips that portrays Elliott the pianist and at the same time the positive Elliott, and that he could be very happy and cheerful. Among other things he does a brilliant moonwalk. He also play some Rachmaninov, famous as one of the hardest things to play on piano ever. Being a classically trained pianist myself, I am so impressed with his technique too. It just look so effortless. This is a man who as considered a child prodigy on piano, and you can tell. Turned out that he could do most other things in music too, he plays all of the instruments on his albums most of the time, but more of that in the next parts.
Here he is in the studio:



The songs he were playing here were the intro for a cover of the The Beatles song "Because", "Figure 8" and "Everything means nothing to me" Only the last one has been released. One of my favorites when it comes to great arrengments

And here he is playing Rachmaninov:

Great songs: Nickel Creek - The Lighthouse's Tale

A few years ago I wanted to explore a bit of American folk music style music and I found the great Nickel Creek thanks to a last.fm radio. I love they way they use the traditional instruments and the amazing mandolin playing of Chris Thile. Nickel Creek no longer exists as a band, but I have kept listening to them on my mp3 player. I always loved the feel and melody of the song "The Lighthouse's Tale", but in true style of me, I didn't really listen that closely to the lyrics until I was on the way to work a few months ago. It really hit a chord with me and I almost started crying on the bus. Today has been a day of talk about American singer/songwriter/folk music that tells good tales (since Fleet Foxes is coming to Norway's greatest music festival)and in that light I though I would share this great song with you. It's the story seen from the perspective of a lighthouse, and I like that. The video is quite horrible, so I think I would just listen to it without watching, if I were you.

These are the lyrics:

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.

I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts.

I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me.

And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night.

And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.

She'd had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return.
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned.

He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wave.
In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end.

And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.

Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the SHORE.
He kissed her cold face, that they'd be together soon he'd swore.

I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran.

And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way.

And this is the video:

New Music: The Winchell Riots

Sometimes it seams like all the good music in the world comes from one great place. And the last few days it's been all Oxford for me. First of all with the great Radiohead of course, but then I also remembered that other favourites of mine Youthmovies are also from Oxford. I was sad to read that Youthmovies have decided to split up, but at the same time I found a remix they had done and of course had to listen to the band that they had remixed. And oh hey ho and hallo!! hehe. I am in love with The Winchell Riots, maybe I won't be in a few days or tomorrow, but the first impression is just over the moon, and that is very seldom that I will say that! It in many ways remind me of some kind of Radiohead light, it has that great vocal and the great guitars and the fantastic rhythm and vibe. Oh yes, I love this.

I will come back with more detailed descriptions later, if I keep loving them as much as this and that is very likely :) But for now, I give you these links:
Spotify

And here are tons of clips from YouTube, I am still exploring myself. But so far I have loved every note. So let's enjoy!

Great live: R.E.M at La Blogothéque

Again I realized that I thought I had blogged about this a long time ago and had not. I have written a little about the great La Blogothéque before however and their "Les Concerts A Emporter" (The take-away concerts). It's a French concept and is basically to film artists and bands playing live while they move from one place to another, or sometimes in very strange and unexpected places with little equipment. It's an amazing idea, because it brings people a little out of their comfort zone and you have to be a great artist to do this:) The first one of these I saw was of Beirut (I have to blog more about that sometime soon) and I have blogged about Andrew Bird and Phoenix in that setting too (You can read those posts here La Blogothéque)Oh, and yes, the site is in French and I have no idea what it says, I kinda like it like that.

But, back to R.E.M. The collaboration between La Blogothéque and R.E.M gave 5 amazing videos. I don't even know what to write about them without going on for 3 hours, so more than anything it's something you should just see and experience yourself. It's a extremely special feel to the whole thing, and you feel like you are literally sent of to a late evening in Athens, Georgia somehow. Makes me long for summer and remember those evenings when you just take your friends and a car and just drive randomly around and see what you can find and experience. I miss that.

My favourite of the 5 clips is "Living Well Is The Best Revenge" I think. Look at that amazing joy of playing even though they are showed up all in a tiny car. And what great bass technique! I also love "Sing for the Submarine"", because of it's use of effects (a silo!) and the whole vibe of the apartment in "On the Fly". I love that Michael Stipe still smokes a little and needs lyrics when he sings. To many songs written by now for one little head.. Sigh! I love all of it. Oh yes, and I love how it's filmed (entirely?) in one take most of it. That gives an amazing flow to it all. Anyways, good people, click on the link and enjoy:

R.E.M on La Blogothéque
(and cranck it up to HD if you can)(Or click below)


#89.1 - R.E.M. - Until the day is done
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - See the latest featured music videos.


#89.2 - R.E.M. - Living well is the best revenge
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.


#89.3 - R.E.M. - On the fly
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#89.4 - R.E.M. - Houston
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#89.5 - R.E.M. - Sing for the Submarine
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Friday Fun: Dutch commercial with Clinton and Voodoo

This Friday I finally had time to add a new video to my little series of Friday Fun which is basically funny interesting things that I think you should see. Surprising, astonishing or just plain fun. Something to let you float happily into the weekend.

This week it's a Dutch commercial with Bill Clinton and Voodoo thanks to my dear Dutch boyfriend. Enjoy! And have a very nice weekend :)

Great covers: Vitamin String Quartet - Beaucoup de VSQ

(Photo from the band's own homepage)

I am a sucker for great covers by string quartets of great pop and rock songs. I have also the last years gradually grown more and more fond of French electronica or electronica related music. In that last category I put the band Phoenix. Though they are strictly also a rock band the influences from being Air's backing band is very clear (I can't believe I haven't written about that either, more about that later then). Anywayys (as Ellen says it) when you mash a great string quartet together with brilliant French tunes it makes one hell of a masterpiece if you ask me, and was lucky enough to stumble upon it yesterday randomly in Spotify. The String quartet (also called Vitamin String Quartet has made lots of covers of everything and anything, so there will surely be more blogging about them soon. They capture all the little great details of the original details of the songs that make them great in their arrangements. And that is especially well done when it comes to French electronic music I think that has an amazing smoothness to it, or said even better pure elegance.
Here are some links to the brilliance: Spotify YouTube 1 2

Great live: U2 at the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - Until The End of The World

First of all, I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before. It is truely one of my favourite live clips of all time.
Some artists are such good entertainers that they can't be contained even though the setting around them are very serious and formal. This is not surprisingly also the case for what I consider to be one of the greatest showmen of all time: Bono of U2.
This clip is from their Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony and as you can see it's filled with their friends in their audience and a very posh black tie event in many ways. Many artists would have just sung their song in touching and beautiful way and then gone home. Bono on the other hand shows just why they are in Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame and just dives into the audience and makes it a tribute to them as well. He singes parts of the lyrics to selected members of the audience. I unfortunately is not enough of a U2 fan to know who all of them are, but I am very touched with the lines "You kissed my lips and broke my heart" sung with the arm around his wife. There is magic in the air. There is the jointed effort of four musicians that have been friends and played together for so many years that it just flows out of them. There is amazing timing in all they do and most of all as Bono pops the champagne open in just the right moment of the song. This, my friends, is music deep from the heart and it goes straight in to all of ours. I believe that noone in the world that love music can not respect this sensational moment. Enjoy! And if you have any chance, go and see them live. I promise you that Bono can control an audience of 30 000 with the same force. Been there, experienced it.

New Song: R.E.M - Oh My Heart

The only thing I can say is, oh, that Michael Stipe... What a poet!!! Just one sentence that he writes can make me want to stop and think for like 5 minutes, and just when you think you have understood what he writes about, a new dimension opens. This is gonna be a good album.

It sounds exactly like a lot of other R.E.M songs, and by that I mean, just as great.
Enjoy, my friends.

The music of 2010 and Ôlafur Arnalds

(No, I have not stopped writing a blog, I will try to write a bit more often in 2011, and hope it is not as stressful as last year was, I truly enjoy sharing music with you all.)

As many of you know by now, the year 2010 was in many ways a very very sad one for me, when it comes to music. I thought most of the new music that was released was extremely boring. Every time I tired to listen to something new it either felt cold and unconnected and unemotional or like something that I had heard A MILLION times before. But I also find myself often liking things in retrospect rather than when it's just released, and you can kind of say it has already started, though I did listen to and liked this album in 2010, it's now that I have realized how brilliant this is.
So ladies and gentlemen, I give you the brilliant Ôlafur Arnalds. Even though one can argue that the melodies of this album is not the most exciting that you have ever heard, there is something extremely fragile and beautiful about it. You can hear the man that made the music through the music, and he most truly be a soul of beauty. And I also, not surprisingly, really love his arrangements. He takes his time when he's supposed to and build huge webs of melodies when he wants to.

You can listen to his album on Spotify here. It even has a wonderful title:
...and they have escaped the weight of darkness.
Here is also a link to his YouTube Page.