Friday Fun: Dominos in a Finnish K-market

Since I haven't posted any Friday Fun videos lately, I hope that you forgive me for giving you this one on a Saturday. It's a lovely domino video made by two Finnish guys who work in a K-mart apparently. The build an amazing domino track around the whole store. Strangely enough the owners of the store didn't appreciate it ;)

Enjoy!

New music and New Album: Veronica Maggio - Satan i Gatan

It's not often that the first round I listen to a album I find myself really enjoying and listening to the lyrics. Whenever that happens, it's quite a miracle and deserves a blog post just for that. I just put on the new album to the Swedish artist Veronica Maggio, just for fun and was totally blown away. Beautiful pop song with so much soul and honesty and power, lovely stuff! I am looking forward to checking out every little detail of the album as I go along. And her voice is amazing, it captures you and draws you in. It's sharp, demanding and clear, but in a very very good way. Great music for a Saturday morning, though not always so happy lyrics. If she continues in the tracks of the last album, very likely from what I have heard, she is highly self ironic and talks about her own little party life a lot, and I just like it. I wasn't sure when I heard her old album, it just sounded winy, but for some reason it now works! It's almost as catchy as Kent at times. And she's amazingly good at build ups to. Guitar riffs are almost as catchy as Håkan Hellstrøm. I guess this is Swedish delight. Makes me shake around the room. :) Enjoy!

Spotify link

And Jag kommer - I am coming.
This may easily be the one that ends up as my first favourite. Here is the video.

Music: Questions about top 50 artists on Last.fm

I like this little games, and I love lists. It makes me reflect around the music I like in new ways and remind me of the things we used to write about favourite hunks, movies and horses when I was a kid. I found this questioner in an old post from 2008 and wanted to do it again, just to see how much had changed. Here is the original post. It seams like a perfect little Easter quiz for me.

Yes, I know it's kind of childish but I love these things. Makes me reflect on my relationship with music, and is exciting at the same time to see what combinations that turn up.

1. What's your favourite song by 15?
Keane
Hamburg is an amazing song written about Tom by Tim and how he's worried about how he's doing. It's amazing to then again hear Tom sing that. Bedshaped is a good second and an amazing video.

2. How did you get into 20?
U2
I can not really remember a time that I didn't know about U2. But I think I got really into them in 1998 before going to see them in concert on the Pop mart tour. They are one of the constants in music life for me. Seen them twice and would love to again.

3. Who is your favourite member in 1?
(same as in 2008:)

Radiohead
I love them all but Jonny Greenwood often gets a bit underrated and he is just a brilliant musician and songwriter.

4. Whats your favourite lyric bit by 29?
(unknown) so impossible to tell.

5. Have you ever seen 22 live?
Jezebel
My own band, so yepp, about 1000 times ;)

6. What's your favourite album from 10?
Björk
Debut, Post and Homogenic are all just plain brilliant.

7. Do you own any merchandise from 3?
Travis
Yepp, I have a t-shirt. I love it, but it's tiny and almost impossible to wear. From "The invisible band" tour.

8. What is a good memory you have of 7?
(still the same as in 2008:)
R.E.M
Wow... A lot of good memories... Some of love, some of theatre and a lot of growing up.

9. Is there a member of the same age as you in 2?
Elliott Smith
I think I am just about the same age now as when he died. Sad.

10. When did you first get into 8?
Imogen Heap
Vivian, Jørgen and me was watching The late show with David Letterman, when she suddenly turned up and played live there. We wondered "What the hell is that?" and "Wow, that's one cool girl" Turned out, she's brilliant.

11. Who likes 4 along with you?
Phoenix
I have a few friends that like them, some more than others, and the last years just about the best of the world.

12. Which song did you first hear from 16?
The Cardigans
I don't really remember.. I must have heard them on the radio maybe? I think it's very likely that it was Lovefool.

13. What song made you fall in love with 5?
Blur
That must have been Song 2. But quite quickly after, the whole Blur album.

14. Which song do you not like by 18?
Graham Coxon
There are a few songs on the latest album so far that are extremely repetitive (Caspian sea!!!) I don't really care that much for them. But must of his stuff is truly brilliant.

15. Why do you like 14's songs?
Frank Sinatra
The class! The style! The velvet voice! The feeling! The feel of times gone and lost.

16. Where did you first hear 6?
Lali Puna
I truly have no idea. Must be through some related artist things, I think?


17. How long was 19 a singer before you liked them?
The Most Serene Republic
A quite long time, I think. I didn't discover them until my boyfriend showed them to me about 2 years ago :)

18. Does 13 have a song that gives you a bad memory?
(same as in 2008:)
Thom Yorke
Harrowdown Hill always give me a knot in the stomic because of the lyrics.

19. When did you get into 17?
Arctic Monkeys
I had heard about them for years and didn't really get around to listening to them before I heard Brainstorm. Then I was hooked.

20. How long have you been into 9?
Kent
Since 1998 when I bought Isola on a gas station in Sweden on my way to Praha.

21. If 11 had a concert 300 miles away, would you drive there to see them?
Odd Nordstoga
Nah, don't think so. He would be around soon again.

22. How many CDs do you own of 12?
Coldplay
4 albums, I think.


23. Does 21 have a song that makes you cry?
Bo Kaspers Orkester
No, moved in many ways, yes. But not to tears.

24. Does 27 have a song that makes you happy?
Jamie Cullum
He's just a very happy go lucky person. He generally makes me very happy.

25. Does 23 have a song that makes you smile?
Beirut
Beirut is a wonderful guy and lots of his music just makes you smile in the way you would at the local pub with all your friends and family around.

26. What's the last song you've listened to from 28?
Editors
Escape the Nest, I think.

27. Is there a song by 32 that you've listened to more than 30 times?
Brendan Benson
If The Raconteurs – Many Shades of Black counts, yes :)

28. What is a song from 50 that you've only listened to once?
Aleksander With
I am sure there are many...

29. Is there a song you are sick of hearing by 24?
DumDum Boys
Sick and tired of Splitter Pine, but it's still an amazing song.

30. What song got you into 40?
The Strokes
Nice and simple: Last Nite!

31. What is your favourite single by 25?
deLillos
Oh dear, that is many! Klokken er mye nå is one of the more unknown favourites.

32. If 49 hated you, what would you do?
Michael Bublè
Not fight him. He's from Canada and they know their hockey fights.

33. What would you say if 42 or one of the members from 42 asked you out?
Johnny Cash
I would go in an instant! Wow, imagine having dinner with Cash.

34. Would you care if 41 had a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Ane Brun
Couldn't care less!

35. Who has the best voice in 46?
Ella Fitzgerald
Say no more!

36. Do you think 26 is/are good looking?
Span
Sure, angry little rocker boys.

37. How many times have you listened to your favourite song by 36?
The Postal Service
Such Great Hights - 51 times

38. How many CDs do you own of 30?
The Raconteurs
Wish I had CD-s or LP-s. Have two on MP3.

39. Is there a song from 38 that makes you mad?
Kings of Convenience
Nah, they are quite guys and good background music.

40. Which member from 31 do you want to see go solo? If 31 is only one artist, what would you do if they joined a group?
Madrugada
Sivert Høyem seams to be the obvious answer here.

41. What does your favourite song from 48 remind you of?
The September When
Leave to Wonder was the background track for my life from years 17-19.

42. Did you hate 43 at first?
PJ Harvey
Nope, think I never hated her.


43. Does your best friend also listen to 33?
Foo Fighters
Yepp, I think a lot of my best friends listen to them.


44. Do you think your parents would like 37?
Bill Frisell
I highly doubt it. They are more into rock.


45. Does 47 have a song that makes you want to dance?
Aretha Franklin
I think everybody has a Aretha song they like to dance too :) Just a little bit!!

46. Have you ever seen 34 in person?
Oasis
Yepp, seen them live on stage twice - 1998 and 2008.


47. Do you like 44's name?
The String Quartet
Yepp, simple and beautiful.

48. Is there someone in 45 that you want to go out with?
Supergrass
Nah, seam like nice guys, but not dateable.

49. Do you know anyone that hates 39?
Belle and Sebastian
How can anyone hate them? Nah...

50. Have you ever danced to a song from 35?
Stereophonics
Of course! Tons of stuff.

New music and new album: Gorillaz - The Fall

Well, as I have stated in this blog before, I pretty much like any music as long as Damon Albarn sings. And when it comes to the new Gorillaz album it's no exception. From the moment I put this record on it was just clear to me that this is a darn good record! It's something with the flow of the whole thing. It's just beautiful! Hurrah! Great new music, there is almost nothing like it.

Yesterday I read up a bit on the story of the Gorillaz as well and how that whole thing started. I love it:

"Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created Gorillaz in 1998 when they were living together in a flat on Westbourne Grove.[10] The idea to create the band came about when the two were watching MTV, "if you watch MTV for too long, it's a bit like hell – there's nothing of substance there. So we got this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be a comment on that," Hewlett said".(quote from Wikipedia).

I also read somewhere else that from the beginning the idea behind the band was to mix all kinds of genres and just see what happened. To me that must be the greatest idea for a band I have ever heard of. It made me respect and love them even more.

The new album The Fall was also recorded and made in a very interesting way.

"The entire album was recorded on group founder Damon Albarn's Apple iPad, during the American leg of the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour in October 2010, and mixed in England by Stephen Sedgwick"(Wikipedia)

. If you look at the albums track listing it's very clear that this songs were made in different places in America. Most of the songs titles have some reference to the place where they were made. And to make it all in a quite new media and within the boundaries of that seams like a brilliant idea. To me that means you have to be creative in a whole other way than if everything is available to you. It seams like it can be both a comfort for the "musicmaker" and a horror. The Gorillaz succeeded, that's for sure. I want to make my own sounds too.

In some ways, the new Gorillaz album is what I hoped that the new Radiohead album would be.. It just sound fresh and exciting and new, but of course very much like Damon made it :) It will be exciting to see what Mr. Coxon will release upon the world soon. Oh how I wish someone could make these too make music together again. That would result in something truly new and exciting, I think.

Spotify
There is also supposed to be a new video on YouTube for Amarillo, but I can't find it. Feel free to look :)

Great songs: The Raconteurs - Carolina Drama

I have written before about my love for Mr. Jack White as a performer in this blog. Now it's time to celebrate his storyteller skills. The Raconteurs song Carolina Drama is an fantastic little hill-billy story that has all the classic elements that hark back to storyteller geniuses like Johnny Cash, of family dramas and murders and deceit. Still this one is quirkier than the classic country ballads, though it is clear for me that the inspiration comes from that tradition. Somehow though I think Mr. Cash never would have chosen a bottle of milk as a murder weapon. The music also builds in a brilliant way and underpins the rise of the climax of the story by steadily more climatic music. Perfectly done. That also go for perfectly timed breaks that makes you hunger and wonder for the next part of the story. The haunting high pitched vocals at the back of this little breaks in the music also adds to the airiness and chilliness of the whole thing, as it is absolutely one hell of a drama. As I said, great storytelling.

It took me about 60 tries to get my head around the lyrics and understand who is actually killing who and who is who's father. I loved that whole process of unfolding that whole brilliant story, so I am going to give you the chance too. You can either listen to lyrics yourself or read them from the link below. There is also something strangely "True Bloodish" about this whole lyrics too, as my darlin' pointed out. I find myself really liking that part of the American style. Must look more into that.

Lyrics

Spotify

New music (for some of you): BigBang

Sometime one comes across personal favourites that one doesn't understand why other people don't like. You try to get your friends into it, but nah.. On a larger scale, what about those bands that are great heroes in a country, but for some strange reason haven't made it out there for real. BigBang is one of those bands I think. I am not sure really to what degree they have sold records outside of Norway, but they haven't got the huge appreciation that I think they deserves. This is a band who has been around since 1992 and that I think all Norwegians have in their hearts to some degree. A couple of weeks ago they released a brilliant new album. I should probably write more about it, but the truth is that I haven't really listened enough to it yet, only enough to know that it is over all very very good.

So what can I say? BigBang to me has the same kind of solidness as you find when you are listen to R.E.M. Everything they do is just quality. It's just rock bottom steady and nice and just darn good! They are such great talented musicans. They are a great guitarist, bassist, drummer and singer. And when they make music together they just float. More then ever live. You just find yourself nodding you head along and thinking, "Oh, yeah! This is groovy!". As any good music the music speaks best for itself, so if you haven't heard about them or haven't heard enough, or want to hear it again, here are some links:
And remember to tell your friends..

Spotify
Home page
Live clips:
http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.7589062

New music: Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters

It feels like the whole of 2010 went past with any quality rock music. All my favourite rock band seamed to want to start playing some weird kind of 80's rock hard synth pop style and throw the guitars out the windows. Well, I like guitars, so shoot me. I like them a lot together with tons of interesting electronica effects too. But not rock bands who just removed all trace of the guitar band they once was. Some examples are the latest album from The Strokes', The Editors' and Kent's latest albums. And it seams like Radiohead has stopped doing rock and guitars too.

In all of this, I am extremely happy with the latest album of Foo Fighters and what I have heard so far from the latest Arctic Monkeys album. The Foo fighters are still masters at both amazing use of rhythms and the skills of hit writing that is almost at Bon Jovi and U2 level. The songs that stick around in your mind and you just love. I need to listen more to the new album, but so far it's just great and makes me go "oh, cool! " That is not often in my musical world. Arctic Monkeys released another single from their upcoming album on their web page to, and it just sounds as great quality as always. They just have their own significant and quite brilliant signature that stays with them even if they expand and grow. Let's hope the future will see more of this at other people too. There must be time for some rock'n'roll soon now. The last years have been either metal or pop.

Foo fighters new album on Spotify
Arctic Monkeys new single