A Weekend In The City.

For a long time, I've wanted to focus on one of the, in my opinion, most interesting things in music: The album. As much as the music listener of today is more and more likely to download his music track-by-track, if he even does pay for it, I still find the conceptuality and composition of albums intriguing. It interests me, how albums are put together - how the tracks are position through the record, and how they affect the overall composition of the album, as well as each other accordingly.

I'm gonna start this running feature off with one of my favorite albums, Bloc Party's A Weekend In The City, from 2007. This was Bloc Party's sophomore effort, and reviewers and critics alike were very divided on it. Most agreed that it wasn't at all the same as the very energetic and very tightly knit guitar-oriented indie of the much acclaimed debut, Silent Alarm. But while some reviewers dismissed A Weekend... as an inadequate and incoherent mess, others delightfully embraced Bloc Party's courageous creation of a concept album in the midstof one of the album-format's toughest periods of crisis.

For a concept album it is. A Weekend... deals with numerous issues immediately surrounding Kele Okereke and his contemporaries' lives in the heart of metropolitan England. While the lyrical universe of Silent Alarm was often diffuse and metaphorical, A Weekend... often sees Okereke express himself in a very forthright manner. Mostly though, it is the lyrics' close alliance with their surrounding music throughout the record, that consolidates A Weekend... as not only guys with guitars, but guys with a point to be heard.

A Weekend In The City can be quite easily and relevantly divided into three parts. The first four tracks, ranging from opener 'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)' through 'The Prayer', are a collection of frantic and hectic songs, trying to fight the dilemmas and issues that loom around the corner for every a city dweller. This part of the album is dominated by heavy drumming, layers of synthesizer and an overall attempt to shove through the entire ordeal with pointy elbows.

The trio of songs in the middle of the record - 'On', 'Where Is Home?' and 'Kreuzberg' - marks a turn of events. There is a completely different presence and intimacy to these tracks, but also an urgency, most profoundly expressed on 'Where Is Home?', Okereke's grand outcry against discrimination and racial violence. Okereke himself is one who has bridged this gap, being a Black man in the predominantly White industry that is rock music. These three middle tracks are where it's at. In stead of trying to fighting problems with fists, Bloc Party now resolves to a different strategy. The entire mix and closeness of especially Okereke's vocals on 'Kreuzberg' are in stark contrast to the menacing drums and claps of 'The Prayer'.

The final three tracks have a much more serene nature, and at first glance display a feeling that this too shall pass. The lyrical universe reverts from dealing with drugs, violence, neglect and failure into dealing with the romance and idyllic coquettery of Sundays with your loved one, before squeezing out one last scream of anguish - albeit a graceful one - on the suicidal closer 'SRXT'.

'Uniform' is, in many ways, the centerpiece of the album, and connects to either and neither of the three parts. It is a long (the longest track on the record) and meandering story about the ignorant youth of today. Its comfortable and harmonic first part marks a change in ambience to the four tracks preceding it, yet from 2:27 onwards, aggressive drums and guitar squeaks display a return to the sense of alarm and urgency, albeit in a much more lyrically constructive way than on the album's initial songs. Musically, 'Uniform' is perhaps most akin to some of the latter tracks on the album, being the closest A Weekend... comes to the instrumentalisation and sound of Silent Alarm. 'Uniform' in this way becomes a crucial track, and as it comes to a close, the monolithic riffs and soli have again given way to pensiveness.

There is one track on this otherwise very complete album that sticks out like a sore thumb, and that is 'I Still Remember'. I simply cannot comprehend just exactly what made Bloc Party include this track, which wouldn't deprive the album of a thing. It sticks out especially as it is surrounded by four of the strongest and most persistent tracks of the album. The albums finest few minutes are when the cringeful and unforgiving 'Where Is Home?' concludes with its exigent and raw guitar-riff, and gives way to the blissfulness of 'Kreuzberg', that creeps under your skin, and silkily beguiles and embraces you with its unambitious splendor. It is no secret that this is one of my favorite pieces of music. There is something incredibly uplifting to the fact that simplicity can be so grandly captivating and beautiful as it is on 'Kreuzberg'. It fills me with peace, hope, trust and curiosity.

Epic 'Sunday' is another strong and life-affirming track on this album, mostly carried by its magnificent lyrics. But not exclusively, as it does require some sort of musical elegance to make lyrics as simply and precisely put as these, seem as strong and relevant as they do. And 'SRXT' is, in many ways, a typical closer. It deals with the gloomy issue of suicide, and could be seen as a slightly disconsolate way to finish off the album. But this track too hits home when Okereke explains: "If you want to know what makes me sad/well it's hope, endurance and faith/a battle that lasts a lifetime/a fight that never ends.", before dismissing the track and the album off into an epic instrumental finale, only to be interrupted by Okereke's voice and Gordon Moakes' glockenspiel bringing A Weekend In The City to a close.

While being a bit of a dystopy, the first part of the album is in many ways the most musically interesting. 'The Prayer', apparently one of the last songs to be finished for the album, kicks off with stomp-clap rhythms and hums, and is by far the track that distances itself the most from Silent Alarm in style, and points towards the increased electronic and big-beat influences of Intimacy, which was to be released a year and a half later. 'The Prayer' is one of the most vivid tracks on the album, and spins your head through images of drug-fueled raves, dark club-corners and dancing, sweaty people. It is also one of the few parts of the album, where Russell Lissack's distinctive style and use of pedals comes forth (at 2:54). 'On' is, with its lyrics, electronic drums and heavy use of samples and synths, very closely related to 'The Prayer', almost like a slightly quieter, darker and more ruminative big brother.

One of Bloc Party's great strengths is their high level of musicianship, which is perhaps one of the key reason why the change in focus from Silent Alarm to A Weekend In The City was mourned by many a critic. Other than guitarist Russell Lissack, it is very often the impressive work of drummer Matt Tong, that elevates Bloc Party from the rest of the indie posse. A good example on this album is 'Waiting For The 7.18', perhaps the world's most epic ode to commuting. Here, Tong's drumming gives the chorus and the outro an incredible energy and drive, very fittingly expressing the narrator's urge to one day leave the insanity of the stuffed morning-rush hour Tube behind and drive to Brighton on the weekend.

The talent of Bloc Party's musicians is also very distinct on opener 'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)' which is, perhaps alongside 'Kreuzberg', the albums strongest track. A very courageous, almost unison vocal intro leads the way, but the climbing synths indicate, that something else is boiling, and when the imperative drums of Tong and the magnificent riff of Lissack enter, 'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)' takes off, and becomes one of those tracks you just cannot hear too loudly and too often. The entire composition of the very distinct backing vocals, the clamant bass line, the guitar squeaks and the altogether splendid 'East London is a vampire'-bridge makes this one of the strongest openers heard in a long, long time.

Bloc Party's more extensive use of synths and crooked samples, such as the cut-and-paste radio sequence of 'Hunting For Witches' and the tapping of a guitar pedal on 'Uniform', reveals a band that has spent a lot more time in the studio this time around, and as opposed to Silent Alarm, which was developed live, A Weekend In The City is, for better or worse, a much more planned effort. It does kill some of the spontaneity evident on Silent Alarm, but richly rewards the listener with what is arguably Bloc Party's best album - definitely the most discussed and polarizing one. Through the conceptuality of the lyrics, the composition of the album, and the unique character of every track, my subjective perception renders discussion unnecessary. This is an extraordinary piece of work.

Electro-reggaedub from Geordie country!

Alright, reggae isn't exactly my area of expertise. But throw in some electronic beats, electroklash-ingredients and hints of dubstep, and it's totally my cup of tea! One who does that is Riton & Primary 1 from Newcastle. Check out 'Radiates' - cool beans, innit?

Yannis and his polyrhythmic posse Foals have released the video for the first proper single off Total Life Forever, which will be out in May. It's called 'This Orient', and it's cool. There seems to be a bit more noise here, compared to the very cleanly and clinically mixed sound of Antidotes. I'm looking very much forward to hear, how the entire album will be brewed together, as there is a bit of a way between this track, and the formidable 'Spanish Sahara' with its stunning video, which has been floating around for some weeks now.

Back in my own back yard, I really try to keep up with what's doing in Danish indie, but I must admit that Shout Wellington Air Force have flown somewhat under my radar. Their debut album Clean Sunset will be out next week, and you can stream it in its entirety right here. It's very artful, and resembles Oh No Ono slightly. They could be a hot tip for Roskilde. One other very artful Danish indiepop-outfit that have already confirmed themselves for this summers orange bash is The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. One track of theirs which is really good is 'Golden Age'. I just looove that voice - so sexy!

I managed to give both Beach House and Gorillaz' respective new albums a few spins, given that they're now both coming to the Animal Showgrounds this summer. The former is really chilled. It doesn't seem to have the same durability throughout the album as some of its shoegaze/indie-folk contemporaries, but definitely in the mix for my sake. The latter hasn't impressed me quite as much, however they will still be high on the list come July, mostly due to their unique live show. Of yesterday's world music announcement, I've only had a rad at Mexican Institute of Sound, which sounds promising, but I am always slightly skeptical when it comes to ethno-electronic fusion bands taking their stuff to the stage. It's seldom as party-starting as they would like. My main world music-tip for this summer is still Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar.

Just been listening to OK Computer. My god what a marvelous piece of work.

MGMT flash muscles and well-known recipes.

Prolific psych-poppers and spearheads of the brooklynization of modern contemporary indie, MGMT, are about to release the followup to their very widely acclaimed debut, 2007's Oracular Spectacular. The new album is called Congratulations, and is now available to stream full length off the band's website!

I must admit that Oracular... has really lost pace with me, and although Congratulations starts really well, the two first tracks being awesomely energetic, it seems that the band now and then dwindles into the dragging ballads topped by horrid vocals that we know all too well. There are some other cool tracks, such as 'Brian Eno', so all in all, Congratulations to me seems to be a 50/50 album (like its predecessor was).

English IDM-giants Autechre released their tenth album, Oversteps, today, and the reviews I've seen so far have been very positive. I haven't listened to the whole album, but I think it may well be in my next batch of records!

But, but... The big news today, in Denmark anyhow, can't of course be anything but the fact that Roskilde announced Gorillaz for this summers festival. I know it's easy to say, but I have seen this one coming. It's the major headliner that Roskilde has been missing - it spans music lovers across almost every genre, and it's a very exclusive name, as Gorillaz are only playing a few festival gigs this summer. Definitely a scoop! Coincidentally, I got a hold of their album yesterday, alongside Beach House's Teen Dream. I'll try and give them both a few spins as the week rolls on.

Now for a few track hypes. I stumbled across Grafton Primary's name on quite a number of festival line-ups back when I was in Australia, and I got reminded of them today. 'Hold Her' sounds a bit like Soulwax, a bit like Danish outfit Turboweekend, a bit like Goose, and a wee bit like a lot of other stuff. It's quite cool! I do think they use the same midi-bellsynth as my band Kinetics do in our track 'Dark Walls'.

I've been listening a lot to Phoenix lately, especially 'Armistice', which is a jewel of a track. I really love the final part of it. A perfect way to finish off a wonderful album. Hot Chip are out with a new single, 'I Feel Better', off their latest album. The video is hilarious.

Finally, I had a really confirming experience of how much it takes to make electronic music work live. Band Ane, who played here in Aalborg two days ago, couldn't. It was such a boring press-play-on-laptop show, that was completely devoid of intensity. Too bad.

Remixomania.

As the Roskilde-announcement of two days ago didn't really excite me that much (although Wild Beasts does have an interesting twang to it, which might, just might, herald a passing by), I decided to postpone my preliminary priorities list a week or two.

In stead, I'm gonna get started on something I've wanted to do for a long time, which is digging for cool remixes. And I'm gonna start off with focusing on French pop-rockers Phoenix. One of my favourite tracks of theirs is 'Lisztomania', off their wonderful newest record, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix of yesteryear. I've managed to find a few enjoyable remixes of this particular track. This is an Alex Metric-remix, which incorporates both the bridge and the signature guitar-riffs in a cool way. This Yuksek-remix is a bit more dancefloor-oriented - very clear French house connotations here. I don't really like how this remix completely rids the track of its beautiful harmonics, however it's pretty cool anyway, especially how it works out around 1:40. The end of the remix reminds me very much of Justice. Yuksek has done a number of other interesting remixes, including this suave remix of Gorillaz' 'Stylo', and this one of 'Never Miss A Beat' by Kaiser Chiefs.

Back to Phoenix, and what could be construed as being their breakthrough single, 'If I Ever Feel Better', off their now ten-year-old debut album United. The Buffalo Bunch did this remix, which is (a bit annoying at first, but) really catchy, and faithful to the groovy nature of the original. It does get a bit long in the tooth though.

Moving a few albums forwards in the Phoenix discography, we find the charming power-pop of It's Never Been Like That, from 2006. A really good remix off this record is the 25 Hours a Day-remix of 'Long Distance Call'. True to the instrumentalisation of Phoenix, this is a really awesome remix - it's almost as good as the original.

This Lungo Maltese-remix of 'Lost and Found' is a bit in the alternative category, but very interesting nonetheless. This is another remix that tends to loop too much around the same few ideas though. The original is a somewhat overlooked track, and definitely one of my favorites on that particular album.

Speaking of favorites, and moving back to the present day, closer 'Armistice' is truly the hidden gem of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Well-known Oregonian musician and producer YACHT has done this trippy remix of it. Phoenix themselves have also done an enjoyable acoustic version.

Not surprisingly, Animal Collective bring home the bacon in this bunch of remixes. They've merged 'Love Like A Sunset' I and II, into this cool remix. It's not a floor-filler, but it's a very interesting interpretation indeed.

Finally, one of my current fave bands Delphic have done a remix of 'Fences', also from Wolfgang..., which I just had to include, even though it's terribly boring. 'Fences', for whichever reason, is one of the most remixed tracks off this album. I guess you need something to work with (yeah, you get it, I'm not crazy about the original). That's for not always having to finish on a high note!

A few Tuesday-tips.

Once again, I've got a few tracks that are on the move for me presently. Quite convenient, as this is one of those weeks where I've sort of lost a bit of pace on what's the new black. Anyway, one of those mentionable tracks is (still) 'Spanish Sahara', the lead single off Foals' forthcoming album, Total Life Forever. This is really gonna be one of this year's most exciting releases in my book.

Not much of a Gorillaz-aficionado, I have really warmed to 'Stylo', which of course is the lead single off Plastic Beach. This track is more catchy than anything that has hit mainstream radio for a long, long time. It works under so many circumstances - by itself, as background music on TV, radio, soundtracking something. Just an amazing, amazing track.

I really need to get some new records soon (high on the list is The Knife, Vampire Weekend and Florence + The Machine), but this draught in new investments has given me opportunity to dig a bit deeper into some of the stuff I rarely listen to, such as Sigur Rós. I love their album Takk... from 2005, and lately I have really gotten into ( ) (from 2002) as well. Especially the third track, which is really really god damn beautiful. I heard some of their recentmost album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which is very interesting as well. They're probably my ultimate live experience wish, but they are sadly on a hiatus at present.

Junior Boys is another band I've gotten around to as of late. I want to point out 'Count Souvenirs' as a very beautiful and very representative piece. And last, but not least, I've been tripping frequently to 'Acolyte', the epic title track of Delphic's oft-mentioned debut release of this January.

Tomorrow I might do a bit of Roskilde-babble, probably including a preliminary priorities-list.

We sure have come a long way...

... since the conformist anti-sophisticatedness and musical agnosticism of them Gallagher Bros.' (and others') heyday in the nineties. Sure, there are still a plethora of acts as mainstream as Ikea, perhaps in an even more nauseating way, but we do also have bands like Dirty Projectors, whose curiously titled album Bitte Orca of yesteryear scored an impressive 9.2 on Pitchfork's review-meter, and several other very favorable reviews. It's funny how reviewers tend to topple each other in being the first to praise the next wave of awkwardness, kitsch or downright uaestheticness. I mean, look at Jens Lekman: The man can barely sing in tune, let alone in English, and he still garners rave reviews everytime he picks his nose. Even I have developed a liking to his silly lyrical universe. Now they're Roskilde-bound, these Dirty Projectors, alongside HEALTH, Beach House and, albeit still unofficially, LCD Soundsystem, an ode to the fact that Roskilde is still alone on its pedestal in the upper echelon of Danish music festivals, for whomever it may concern, and a discreet but precise slap-in-face of the upstarts in Skive and at BeatDay.

Bitte Orca is one of the most interesting records I've heard in a long time. Not beautiful, but interesting. It's like an incomprehensibly avant-garde piece of art that begs to be rightfully placed among Monets and Gaudís, but at the same time stands out like a sore thumb in its undefinedness and inaccessibility. Opener 'Cannibal Resource' reminds me of Battles with its syncopated rhythms, cacophonous yelps and the odd untimely skronk. I love syncopated drums, and even more so, I am a big fan of skronks and other atonal and industrially-sounding noises, but still, Bitte Orca's main relevance for me will probably be the fact that I am likely to hear the masterpiece performed live.

This being said, it is an exceptionally intriguing piece of work. Take 'Two Doves', which is beautiful (in a cheap way), but gets interrupted by noises reminiscing a bee through a vocoder. Elsewhere on the album, the assoication which comes the most to mind would be 'jackhammer' or 'rear-wheel driven car stuck in snow'. 'Useful Chamber' is the album's highlight, in a number of ways. It is so intimate it even has a Jens Lekman-kind of moment, but then it explodes in what I would most approximately describe as 'wakarrgzonkk!!'. Then it becomes beautiful in an annoying way, turns into something as repetitive as your generic hard house, and ends in another syncopated madness. Then, on the other end, you've got 'Stillness Is the Move', which has very deep soul and especially R&B connotations. What I do like is the fact that Dave Longstreth, the man behind Dirty Projectors, is the kind of man who yells into the studio: "Hey, let's try out what'd happen if we did THIS", followed by his warping his guitar into some kind of almightily strange sound. Dirty Projectors is very difficult to define genre-wise, other than the very vague umbrella of 'experimental rock', but in a sense, this is because Dirty Projectors does not apply the limitations of being in a genre. Everything goes, but in a constructive way, rather than a loud and cacophonous one. Nevertheless, this is probably not an album I will listen to time and again.

Of the other announcements, LCD Soundsystem is by far the one that intrigues me the most. Actually it intrigues me way more than Dirty Projectors. I'm a big fan of his last album Sound of Silver, and I'm very curious to see what this proper musical whizz has cooked up when he releases his new album in May. HEALTH seems somewhat strenuous, but nevertheless, I do tend to like guitarists who spend more time tinkering with their pedalboard than playing their guitars. I guess that's my synthesizer-heritage. Don't like the dancing emo-punker with bad instrument/location of crowd-orientation in this live performance of 'Die Slow', though. Beach House off Sub Pop is a really cool and chilled outfit, try 'Zebra', but boy is there a lot of indie-folk these days! They're definitely worth a look come June though. I had however hoped for the likes of Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend, both of whom filled the teaser-bill like the triangular plug in the triangular hole. Next week please announce Foals, thank you.

In other news, Caribou has put out this remix of Oh No Ono's 'Eleanor Speaks'. Very cool. And MGMT have let slip a track from their coming album Congratulations. I fear that this is gonna be an album I'm gonna love to bash.

What Troels Abrahamsen and a nice pair of jeans have in common.

Whoa, a lot of stuff suddenly piled up on my ideas-list, so I better be brief!

Foals are rapidly on their way with one of those very difficult sophomore albums. Following the trails of critically very acclaimed debut LP Antidotes comes Total Life Forever, which is out May 10th. However, we don't have to wait that long for the lead single, 'Spanish Sahara', which is out now! This is a very patiently building piece of music, and as such, the band has thrashed completely the well-known restless energy of Antidotes. In stead of being constantly surrounded by tapping guitars, Yannis Philippakis' somewhat opinion-splittingly fragile voice now nakedly caresses a long, unfolding track. I somehow had the idea that Foals would move a long way from the Antidotes-sound, and I'm very excited about the new record. Let's hope to see them at Roskilde!

Troels Abrahamsen, arguably Denmark's most hyperactive musician, is out with a new album, again. It hits stores on Monday, is called BLCK, and is already available for listening here. It's admittedly really good, but eventhough mr. Abrahamsen probably doesn't give a rat's ass what people think, and in all likelihood only releases these albums to channel his many creative impulses out of his brain and computer, it does hit me that there might be an upper limit of relevant output - especially in a genre like this. BLCK was supposed to be more towards hard house than WHT was, but, let's face it, these two records have got more in common than the hairdos of The Beatles. I mean, some of the tracks really are pretty good, but you just get the same feeling like when you buy your fourth pair of black jeans. They're really nice, and fit really well on your bum, but honestly, you don't really need them, because you've got three that are very alike already. I think it's probably a good thing that Troels is hitting the studio with VETO again soon.

A few other new records are relevantly mentionable. The Knife got exciting reviews on their new album Tomorrow, In A Year. They've got a lot to live up to, and I think some critics have that too much in mind. Especially because it seems to be an almost inaccessibly experimental album. It's sort of like discussing the aesthetics of 'Fitter Happier'. Pitchfork only gave it a 6.9, while Drowned In Sound gave it a whopping 10/10. I'm looking forward to hearing it. I heard The Kissaway Trail's new album Sleep Mountain the other day, and it seems pretty good. I haven't heard a whole lot of their stuff before, but they might be worth checking out at Roskilde. They do reminisce Arcade Fire quite a lot, though. Also, Two Door Cinema Club are out with their debut effort Tourist History now. Check out 'Undercover Martyn' - isn't that just facile, yet adorable? I think they're definitely in my next batch of records. So to may well be Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s new album, Don't Say We Didn't Warn You, although there's no date out on that one yet. They're playing in Århus late this month, hopefully I'll attend that.

Now finally, a few interesting tracks. This is 'Real Life' by Tanlines. They are from Brooklyn, like everyone else, and I really dig their sound. And this is Swedish The Radio Dept. and their very Swedish-sounding tune 'Heaven's on Fire' from their third album, Clinging To A Scheme, which is out on Labrador soon. They're coming to Gothenburg for Way Out West, joining a line-up of La Roux, LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A., among others. Sadly, I'll probably be in the wrong end of Europe at that point of summer.

Finally, one could argue that OK Go's music is as blandly anodyne as anything. Maybe that's because they spend all their time creating their groundbreaking music videos. We all know the treadmill-dance of 'Here It Goes Again', and these days, they're back with a whopping video for 'This Too Shall Pass'. Impressive.

Scandinavian rediscoveries.

It's always a good time for digging into your record collection, and dusting off some of the stuff you haven't heard for a long time (especially so, if you're broke as fuck, and can't really afford much in the way of new records these days, but that's another story...).

I've dug up a quintet of Scandinavian records, that I thought I'd point out. Three Danish, and two Swedish. All five of them have, at the very least, a few years on them.

Starting from the most recent, I've recently warmed very much to Spleen United's sophomore effort Neanderthal from 2008. While their debut record became a bit too diffuse at times, they really did hit the nail on the pin with Neanderthal. One of the gems is 'Dominator'. I remember it actually took me some time, before I realized that this is an instrumental track. There's nothing at all wrong with instrumental tracks; notwithstanding, they seldom hit home as massively as this one. I love the flicky, scratchy percussion sample, which is very unlike Spleen United's normally very machine-only sound. Of course I also have to mention '66', which is an absolutely massive, massive, massive track. I'm really looking forward to seeing these guys live again - soon, hopefully.

It's been quite some years now, since I got introduced to Aarhusian balkanists Analogik. They too are a really likeable live act, and their debut LP Søens Folk is snug as a bug. They employ various murky existences of the Danish reggae-dancehall underground to create their eclectic everything-goes'y balkan-sailor music, which is instantaneously likeable. Such as 'Farligt Monster' here. And 'Kringel'. Sadly, I can only find a live version of this one. On the studio version, there's a real dandy toothbrush-sample. Try and dig it up!

Heading across the sound now, I've dug out perhaps one of the oldest records I've got - it's Bo Kaspers Orkester's first record, Söndag i Sängen', from whopping 1993. This jazz-pop orchestra is really enjoyable. I love the nighttimelyness of 'Köpenhamn', which I can also only find in a live version. Hijo de puta, it isn't really my day. But anyway, this is a really nice album - the kind of stuff you can put on at almost any time of day, and it'll hit home.

Perhaps not needing much presentation is good old Joto Joto - spano-swedish singer-songwriter-vituoso José González (of Sony commercial fame...). I of course have to point out 'Heartbeats', which is a tune I've much enjoyed to chuck on after a big night out. It's been loooong overdue for me to mention it here, really. The whole album, Veneer, originally from 2003, and rereleased in 2005, is enjoyable business, like 'All You Deliver' here.

Finally, back to Denmark for the final gem, which is Marvel Hill. They emerged at the same time as VETO, Spleen United, Dúné, Oh No Ono and a hell of a lot of other promising, now established, Danish acts that in different ways reminisced each other somewhat, and as such, they sort of drowned in the wave, and never really made it big. Their debut record was Heartless Is More, and to be honest, it is still a favorite for me. I really like how they employ arpeggios and multiple synths, while still not losing their slightly rock'n'roll-ish edge. They've released another album since, which apparently had them thrashing their synths. I haven't even heard that one. For whichever reasons, neither of my two favorite tracks of theirs, 'Odyssey' and 'Trembling Hands' are available on YouTube, but they might be found on Grooveshark. 'Heartless Is More' is the only decent track I could find, sadly. But it's good.

Digging is good too. Watch out on the weekend for some constructive blues...

Quiet might well be the new loud.

It is, in any case, the title of the now almost nine year old debut album by Norwegians Kings of Convenience, a duo, which has been one of my biggest musical discoveries of the past half year. Quiet Is The New Loud, which quite handily fits the easy-listening bossa nova-indie-pop of Kings of Convenience, is also one of the quintet of new albums I bought a few weeks ago, all of which, besides Trespassers, I have yet to really comment on. Quiet Is The New Loud, for one, has definitely been a pleasurable addition to my collection. It does not really rebel or apply goosebumps or anything, but it is an inordinarily soyeux collection of very nice songs, such as 'Little Kids' here.

The suave Norwegians have however been appreciably trumped by one of their nexts-of-kin. We've heard enough now of how Justin Vernon, known to the world as Bon Iver, sat in his ramshackle little cabin, which probably had neither power nor heating, except for the fact that he did manage to record almost an entire album in it, thru the frozen solid Wisconsin winter. But here's the thing: It's all legit indie gossip and romanticism, because For Emma, Forever Ago is an astonishingly beautiful and incomparably heartfelt piece of music of unrivaled brilliance. Especially so, when you give it a chance in a pair of good headphones. It's not just the fact that whoever that whopping cunt Emma were, she really received a proper broadside, but in a beautiful way, rather than the emo-punk way in which break-up albums are often fashioned. It is as much the enjoyment of all the little layers of voices, noises and frets that makes you feel almost as though you are there, throwing firewood on Vernon's fireplace and serving him chai latte, which a fellow like him must certainly prefer. Take a listen to this live take of 'Skinny Love'. Damn.

In the other alley, more festive, less whiney, I came across Delphic when they warmed up for now semi-defunct faves Bloc Party a year ago, and I got a hold of their debut release Acolyte. After a few weeks, I still think this could very well be one of the major debut releases of the year. It's not a Mercury-winner or anything, but in a year that will be very dominated by releases by bands we already know (The Strokes, anyone), I think Acolyte will definitely be on a few end-of-year lists. I like how Delphic have grasped the indie-dance genre in a much more mature and much less silly way than the likes of Hadouken!, Does It Offend You, Yeah? (I mean, just the names...) and Klaxons, among others. I really like the title track (beware: instrumental!) and also 'Clarion Call'.

Finally (or...), Ginger Ninja, the young Danish electro-rockers, have of course released their debut, Wicked Map, which admittedly didn't warm to me initially. It has however grown slightly on me, and while I still miss some of their live energy, it is what can be described as a decent effort. I also finally had a run through Julian Casablancas' Phrazes For The Young. Not so impressive, back to the drawing board (or the guys...) Jules.

And just on the quick quick, I had go at Lungs by Florence + The Machine this morning. Pretty impressive, although I didn't expect otherwise. Might be a gig to see at Roskilde. I also went through Efterklang's new album the other day. A bit iffy, I've never quite accustomed myself to their records, but they're an amazing live act when they roll out the full monty.

Always trust the Germans...

... To come up with something completely insane. This time around, it's Schlachthofbronx from Bavaria, who are coming to Roskilde this summer. If it fits into my schedule, I'd really like to see them. Try and have a listen to 'Too High'. It's hilarious, and really bordering stupid, but at the same time, I find it somewhat catchy. Quickly on the Roskilde-grapevine, I must declare my indifference to the acts that have been announced this week, but I know it fills voids for many a Roskilde-enthusiast, and if it sells tickets, I'm happy.

VETO frontman Troels Abrahamsen has been beavering away this winter on yet another solo-album, which is gonna be his last before starting to work on another VETO album. The new album is titled BLCK, and it's out in March. The first single is 'Not Moving', and I must say it slightly disappoints me. BLCK was supposed to be way more towards the hard house that Abrahamsen exhibited on his unreleased Mockin' Bird record from a few years back, but it seems that BLCK is very much on the same tangent as WHT, his previous album, was.

In the same direction, Danish-Swedish electro-songstress RebekkaMaria is out with her second full-length March 1st. It's called Sister Sortie, and is available on her Soundvenue-profile. I've only heard the first few songs as of yet, but it seems fairly promising. I am a big fan of her first record, Queen of France, and it might just be that she has matured even more on the new record.

Good ole dance-punk'ers Late of the Pier are out with new stuff as well, a track called 'Best in the Class'. It's quite recognizably them, I think, with an 8-bit twang. Notice the granny in the video - pure awesomeness!

I was supposed to go see young Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer tonight, but yet another snowstorm has got me stuck in Shit's Creek. Alas. I really have to get out of here soon.

A Bloc Partribute: Beginners guide.

As many of you may know, I am a big fan of British indie outfit Bloc Party, who are, at the moment, on a hiatus. Both Russell and Kele, guitarist and lead vocalist respectively, are working on their own projects at the time, and while they are both interesting musicians, I am most interested in, what drummer Matt Tong ends up doing, as he is by far the most outstanding instrumentalist of the four.

Anyway, I've decided to throw together sort of a beginners guide to Bloc Party. A collection of six tunes that will act as a proper introduction to, or summary of this band.

Start of full throttle on 'Helicopter', which is a perfect example of the frantic, riff-laden style of debut album Silent Alarm. Originally from the Little Thoughts EP, it eventually made it to Silent Alarm as second on the tracklist, and a perfect sequel to anthemic opener 'Like Eating Glass'.

Also from Silent Alarm, I've chosen 'This Modern Love', which is a really pretty little tune, that has really grown on me this past year or so. Revolving very much around its lyrical theme and universe, this song really brings forth Bloc Party's eminence in ballads, even though characterizing this track as a ballad would perhaps be a bit off. There are also some very fine acoustic versions of this one around.

Moving on, second full-lengther A Weekend In The City opens with Bloc Party's hands down strongest track, 'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)'. I've never grown tired of that riff, and the overall drive and vigor of this song really never dies. I think it's probably one of my favourite tunes all in all, although that's always a risky statement.

'Kreuzberg' is in the entirely other end of the spectrum, which serves to illustrate the many facets of A Weekend In The City, that makes it such a magnificent album. It is really a less-is-more kind of song, and its simplicity becomes its strength. I love to listen to this tune at night, when I'm walking somewhere, or on the train or something, or coming back home from a night out.

I was really in doubt about which track to add as the sixth, but I eventually settled on 'Sunday', also from A Weekend In The City, which might be a wee bit corny, but at the same time is just a wonderful piece of music. It carries very distinct traces of producer Jacknife Lee, but I just can't resist the lyrical theme in this one. It is such an honest expression of affection as it is perceived on those all too well known Sunday mornings.

Finally, it would be unfair to not include Bloc Party's third album, Intimacy, which, although to me definitely the weakest album of the three, does include some very good tracks, some of them very zippy. The eventual standout from this album however is epic closer 'Ion Square', which builds in a wonderful way, and expresses a certain longing sadness and feelings of love and ultimately resignation. Some might construe Kele Okereke's lyrics as being somewhat pocket poetic, but I think he really shines through as a lyricist and a vocalist on a song like Ion Square. An extraordinary tune.

A few electro picks (and a bit of garage too).

Alright, this is gonna be a quick, less-is-more runthrough of some more new stuff I've run into. By the way, I went to see 2ManyDJs the other day with a couple of my fave allies. It was pretty impressive. Although the vibe wasn't as frantic as at Roskilde (being as it was a Thursday night, probably), and the Belgian kings of cool made use of some slighty predictable climax-situations, it was still good.

First off, I've mentioned this one before, it's 'Odessa' by Canadian indie-house project Caribou. I just love the faint grittyness of this track, a proper indie club hit.

I've known this Gramophonedzie mix for about a year now, but actually this is the first time I've found the full original mix - Kjeld Tolstrup used to play a shorter version on UngaBunga. It's just awesome, combining vintage vocals with a catchy house beat.

This is Darwin Deez with 'Constellations'. I know it reminds me very much of something, but I'm not sure what it is, but something old. It does resemble stuff like The Spinto Band slightly too.

The next two are not as much catchy as they are merely interesting. I am scared out of my wits of what dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man might be capable of live. It's Skream. And Benga. AND Artwork. All three together. Brrr. Are you shivering? The other is Joy Orbison, which is kind of an amalgamation of dubstep and something more Ibiza'ey. I think we're gonna hear a lot more of this kind of stuff, as dubstep wiggles towards some sort of mainstream acceptance (eventhough dubstep becoming mainstream is a bit of a catch-22). Check out 'Wet Look'.

Finishing off a mainly electronically themed post, I've got young Frankie and The Heartstrings for you. They resemble Tokyo Police Club very much, have a listen to 'Hunger' - nothing like a wee bit of garage-revival.

The one good thing...

... about major humanitarian disasters is the fact that it inspires bands to do charity stuff. Such as Radiohead, who played a Haiti-benefit gig at the Jane Fonda the other day, and has put it up for grabs online! Check it out here! It includes the seldom heard live 'A Wolf At The Door', which is a real treat, alongside a beautiful version of 'All I Need', and, ta-daa, a new song. Now, I haven't been exceedingly positive on the stuff we've heard from Radiohead post In Rainbows, such as 'These Are My Twisted Words', and the Harry Patch-one. And not this new new one either. Let's hope their unimpressiveness is the exact reason they're not on the forthcoming Radiohead-album, which is due late this year, and which will be released only in bundles dropped by parachute randomly across the globe (kidding).

It's Wednesday, which means new names for Roskilde. Today's release includes a Danish and two Norwegian acts, none of which really excite me, although Efterklang did play a really massive gig in 2008. Hopefully this time around they've grown to a slot where they can be undisturbed by the bass-happy hip-hop posse that does swing by Orange now and then. In the Roskilde-department, recently announced Icelandic act FM Belfast got alright reviews of their debut record How To Make Friends (Danish review only at the time, sorry.)

English We Have Band are rotating their single 'Honey Trap' off their quasi-eponymous debut record WHB these days. It reminds me of a crossbreed between Goose, Friendly Fires and (perhaps not so favorable) New Young Pony Club. Speaking of clubs, Two Door Cinema Club still rock my world with 'I Can Talk'. Their debut, Tourist History, is out soon, and I might, just might, get a hold of it. Finally, I also got tipped onto Peter Broderick, who actually used to play with the above mentioned Danish outfit Efterklang, and who is a very talented musician. Try 'Not At Home'.

That's about it for now. There'll be a number of posts these next few days on some of the records I bought recently, some more on new stuff and on Bloc Party.

Trespassers: To throw off the Zitilites-harness.

Boy, have I dreaded, but at the same time much anticipated, commenting on the new Kashmir album, Trespassers. How do you subjectively review a band, that has in many ways been your musical year zero? And how do you compare a week-old record with staples in your record collections - albums you know inside out?

It isn't easy to throw off the Zitilites-harness, neither for me nor for Kashmir. Whilst running through Trespassers for the first time, you can't help comparing it to the fervor of 'Melpomene', the imperativeness of 'Surfing The Warm Industry', the quirky aesthetics of 'Ruby Over Diamonds' or the sheer beauty of 'Petite Machine'. Kashmir will never again create an album like Zitilites, neither like The Good Life, their ballad-laden breakthrough effort.

But let's fast forward a bit - eleven years on from The Good Life, six from Zitilites, five from slightly clinical No Balance Palace, through a decade and a bit, and into Kashmir anno 2010 - the Trespassers-era. We are now dealing with a band getting up there in years. It sure has been a long time since Kasper Eistrup's blond fuzz of the 'Graceland' video, or the eccentric, humouristic punk-funk of the first two records. We are dealing with a band, whose last record, while having gotten a favourable reception, these last few years has somehow slid behind its two predecessors in prominence. No Balance Palace was never as sincere, never as heartfelt as Zitilites or The Good Life, and although some of the tracks, such as opener 'Kalifornia' and the closing title track, were obvious winners, No Balance Palace seems to be covered in a duvet-like varnish that fades it in comparison to its predecessors.

For Trespassers, Kasper Eistrup, the band's main songwriter, has at times isolated himself completely (Bon Iver, anyone?), and returned to the band with material to work on, or to be thrashed. This seems to suit the band, as one always got the impression that the No Balance Palace sessions were somewhat concentrated in the studio, with Tony Visconti very audibly pulling the strings.

Opener 'Mouthful of Wasps', while already having become a bit tiresome through its heavy rotation on P3, is a very accessible and delightful song, with a skillfully written chorus that passes through feelings of despair, darkness, determination and, ultimately, hope. Throughout the album, but very clearly on Wasps, we witness how keyboardist Henrik Lindstrand has become much more central in the songwriting process, in comparison to the very guitar heavy No Balance Palace. He seems to have switched his focus from pads and background noises to leads and piano, which suits the band's sound very well.

'Intruder' is somewhat ordinary, albeit lyrically well-written, but the next few songs really hit home. 'Mantaray' and 'Still Boy', divided by curious interlude 'Pallas Athena', are among the strongest tracks on this album. They are a bit similar in build and form, and this is where Trespassers really takes off from No Balance Palace, as these tracks are much more naked and much more intensive than No Balance Palace ever was. It leads ones thoughts back to the The Good Life-era, to tunes like 'Miss You' and 'Kiss Me Goodbye'. This part of the record integrates Lindstrands pianoes and leads with a somewhat youthful guitar-sound in a formidable way.

Next comes the album's weakest bit. It's funny how so many records have a mediocre middle part. 'Bewildered In The City' is, after the first few listens at least, a indifferent piece of music, luckily carrying the albums clear-cut most beautiful lyrics. A bit weepy at times, yes, but very strongly and skillfully written.

I'm a mole rushing blind through your nooks and veins.
Curling up drunk in your vacant carpool lanes.

That is quite poetic. Too bad the music accompanying it is so ordinary. 'Pursuit of Misery' is a decent track, but it seems somehow misplaced in between the ballads that dominate the latter half of Trespassers. I absolutely love the guitar that kicks in at about 1:01 though, what a twang! And I like the drum-piano pattern in the final part too. It is however a track that never quite takes off, and it's somewhat schizophrenically neither beautiful nor powerful. Same goes for 'Time Has Deserted Us', which in my opinion is the weakest track on the record.

By now, during my first listen, I was growing quite negative in opinion on this record, but then comes 'Danger Bear'. What a stunning and exquisite little piece this is! I especially love the second verse, where a delicately beautiful string section enters and accompanies a wonderful piece of lyric in a lovely way:

Your heart is for beating.
Not the fiends that stand in your way.

So debonaire.

'The Indian (That Dwells Inside This Chest)' is a fitting and strong closer to an album, whose biggest weakness is perhaps the fact, that none of the tracks really take off. Some of them contain beautiful lyrics, whilst others employ to different degrees the masterfulness of Henrik Lindstrand's pianoes and beautifully orchestrated string-sections, and the close-knitness of Kashmirs guitar and rhythm section. But none of the tracks contain the whole package. There's no 'Melpomene' or 'Gorgeous' or 'Petite Machine' or 'Lampshade' on this album, yet it does stand out as being very well composed, most of it anyhow. Time will tell if it has the longevity of Zitilites and The Good Life, but I do definitely think Kashmir with Trespassers have come a long way from the anonymity and coldness of No Balance Palace. Trespassers is a delightful album, regardless of where it ends up in the hierarchy in a few years.

The Kings-of-Leonification of contemporary rock.

I sincerely hate when bands leave their unique formula and sound, in order to pursue the easy and proven way to success.

One of the most successful rock bands of the past few years have been Kings of Leon. I do not intend to discuss them and their music, as I do not particularly fancy them, neither do I despise them. They have however been extraordinarily good at what they do. They've brought back an old-fashioned twang to a scene that has become increasingly indie-schmindie. Everyone seems to want to be up the arse of skinny-jeaned youths (such as myself) with accessible, electronically flirting indie-electro hybrids of different sorts.

The last years time, I've seen a few bands trying to copy Kings of Leon's succesful formula. One of them have been The Temper Trap, who by the way were announced for Roskilde Festival today. Props on that. Roskilde have the last few years been a bit weak in booking bands "just in" from undergrounddom. Where the hell were La Roux last year? The amiable Aussies in The Temper Trap aren't Kings of Leon, but they managed to barely squeeze into the little vault of oxygen that is still breathable for bands like this post the Followill brothers' rise to superstardom. I'm looking forward to seeing them this summer. Everyone probably knows 'Sweet Disposition', but 'Fader' here is another good one.

The misery really hit home when I head The Floor Is Made Of Lava's new single, 'All Outta Love' from their forthcoming sophomore release (find it on their myspace). Come on! Anyone who can't hear the clear and clumsy Kings of Leon inspiration here must be deaf, and it's really a shame. The Lava (for short...) were one of the most interesting up-and-coming outfits on the Danish stage two-three years ago, with their festive, riff-based indie (although one could argue that they then just went along the lines of one of the newly risen major bands back then, Arctic Monkeys), which they have almost completely thrashed on the new single. Let's hope this here single is one-of-a-kind on this record, or The Floor Is Made of Lava will lose their relevance. Fast.

I actually intended this as just a quick sort of start pedal for blogging post my aaliyah to Denmark. Quite a few bands were released for Roskilde these past weeks, and I have yet to check all of them out. Jack Johnson is the obvious crowdpleaser headline, and he is a delightful addition, although my attendance at his show is far from set in stone. He will be a surefire winner friday afternoon on Orange though. I just checked out FM Belfast of Iceland, who were announced alongside The Temper Trap and young danish electro-duo Electrojuice today. At first listen they seem a potentialful outfit that just might fit into my schedule, or might not. They're somewhere along the lines of New Young Pony Club, albeit with miles better vocals (can it be worse than NYPC?). Check out 'Par Avion' here.

I'd also like to just point out Caribou's (formerly Manitoba) new single, 'Odessa', which sounds really, really promising.

Oh, and, why no mention of the one and only Trespassers? I haven't got it yet. I know that's miserable, but Denmark is snowed over and mail is delayed. Much more on Trespassers, and a few other new albums such as Delphic's magnificent Acolyte next time around.

Free internet, you know.

Alright, I had promised you and myself that I would keep quiet and enjoy my last days in New Zealand without sniffing about for stuff to mention here, but I've just got a few wees that I need to get out of the system.

First of all, I am massively impressed by new-in-town Danish house-duo Kenton Slash Demon, made up of parts of much heralded band When Saints Go Machine. I think good old Kjeld T. is probably going bonkers for a track like this one. Check it out, it's massive.

Don't bother reading this next part if you're feeling miserable, because upcoming Kitsune-darlings New Door Cinema Club are anything but it. In fact, they're somewhat over-fresh, but hey, aren't we all sometimes? 'I Can Talk' is a likeable little track in any case.

Back when it was released about half a year ago, I didn't really notice I Got You On Tape's 'Spinning For The Cause', but as they just won the P3 Prize (which, by the way, I think Oh No Ono were snubbed for, as was Trentemoller snubbed for the Live Prize for his godlike show at Roskilde), I thought I'd check out their performance from that show, and what charisma, actually. It's been on my mind for days.

In other stuff, I had a quick hear-through of Delphic's debut album Acolyte, which I mentioned in my last post. A promising record, although too early to say anything.

And one more gulp: Arctic Monkeys' Humbug has really grown on me through the past half year, and I regret I have yet to mention it. But it is a brilliant record.

Five in five weeks.

This is probably gonna be my last post until I return home in early February, unless I stumble upon something really awesome of course.

These next five Mondays see the release of exciting new records in my book, which I'm definitely gonna get a hold of when I get back. They include a few exiting and energetic debuts, one of those all-too-anticipated sophomores, and two albums from staples in very different fields.

Tomorrow, the 11th, sees the release of Vampire Weekend's much anticipated 2nd album, Contra, which can be heard in full length on their myspace. I have yet to give it an ear myself, but if you don't like brains, or do like Oasis, or both (which is often the case, sorry Liam, but I just can't get over how nice and quiet the NME.com frontpage has become since Noel threw his guitar at you and left), don't give it a go. They've got a tough task topping their debut though.

The 18th it's time for Delphic and their debut release, Acolyte. I saw these guys warm up for Bloc Party in Copenhagen something like a year ago, and they were quite impressive. As I've stated before, they remind me of few things internationally, but of somewhat of a cross-breed between Marvel Hill and Spleen United, to those of you lucky enough to know Danish music. Acolyte too is available for full streaming on myspace!

On the 25th, Danish upcomers Ginger Ninja are releasing their debut, called Wicked Map (I guess they wanted a record-title that was as poor as their band name, eh?), and this one I'm really excited about. They just received a nomination for Talent of the Year by benchmark Danish radio P3. I had the joy of playing alongside them with my own band Kinetics about a year ago, and since they've just gone skybound. Give the new music video for 'Bone Will Break Metal' a go here (and yes, the video is poor too).

A bit farther into the future, in February, on the 1st (01/02-2010 - nice twang, guys), Kashmir, arguably Denmark's most important rock outfit, are releasing their sixth full length, titled Trespassers. This is gonna be huge in Denmark, and less important everywhere else, but try giving 'Mouthful of Wasps' a listen anyway. You'll love that chorus.

Finally, British electrorock/dancepunk/pseudo-indie-schmindie pioneers Hot Chip are around for their fouth album on the 8th. It's called One Life Stand, and the title track is here.

Oh, and on a final note, I just can't believe I have hitherto not mentioned this track. Just, just in case you didn't hear it, which isn't likely, as this Teignmouth threesome is among the importantmost bands in the world, it's Muse's 'Undisclosed Desires', which is perhaps one of their suavest, bravest and straightforwardly brilliant songs ever.

Six new year kicks (+2).

I'm teeming with stuff to post here, but I rarely have the time to do so. Albums-to-buy lists, decade recaps et al.

I do however have the time to point out a few tracks that are very much on my mind these days. As always, I have a tough time limiting myself, thus six became seven. In other stuff, I got a few new albums these last weeks. I got a hold of Cut Off Your Hands' album You And I, which is really awesome. Very beatle-esque at times, and I just can't get my ears off 'Oh Girl'. I'm really surprised they aren't bigger around here than they are. Not even proper musos down here necessarily know them. I also got Julian Casablancas' solo debut (as a christmas present, thanks Peter!), which I haven't gotten around to hear yet though. I also must mention that I met a fellow Battles-admirer yesterday, what a rare joy.

As for Roskilde, I am not entirely thrilled by Nephew's return to the glitz of Orange. Their gig in '07 was awesome, but then again, I really doubt they'll be able to top it. Expectations will be huge, and I'm not sure which means even this by all standards amazing live act can apply to live up to them.

But let's get to it, the tracks that soundtrack these last few weeks for me. First of all, I'm growing ever more fond of The Kooks, whose amiable lo-fi garage-revival shines through most clearly on 'Seaside'.

On an entirely different front, I've been reviving Trentemoeller's fabulous remix of Royksopp's 'What Else Is There?'. This pan-Scandinavian club basher is indefatigable. So too is the vivid happyness of upcoming Danish outfit Ginger Ninja, whose second single off their January '10 debut, Wicked Map, 'Bone Will Break Metal' is really sweet as, as they say here.

Apart from Cut Off Your Hands, another choice Kiwi outfit is Kora, who played here in Queenstown, NZ, the day before I came here. They're supposed to be among the very best live acts here, so I'm quite bitter I didn't get to see them. I really need to go to a live performance of some kind soon, it's been too long. Check out 'On My Mind', and please disregard the samurai-themed cover.

Across the Tasman, we find the home of Jet. Whenever I hear tambourines, I anticipate one of my favourite dancing tunes, 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?', which never dies. Speaking of pan-Tasmanian travel, I had 'Someone New' by Eskobar on my mind while crossing a few weeks ago, and it's stuck around since. One of the few proper break-up songs to be neither corny nor whiney.

A band which is pretty much atop my need-to-buy list when I get home is Kings of Convenience, whose recent album release might make them a candidate for reappearing at Roskilde, where they were last in 2008. Their beautiful, bossa nova'ey indie-shoegaze is some of the suavest stuff I've ever come across, such as 'Toxic Girl'. And while we're at shoegazing, what would the indie world be without Bon Iver? Such a genuine and extraordinary display of anguish and agony as displayed on For Emma, Forever Ago is nothing short of masterpiece-like. 'Skinny Love' is a definite highlight.

Six became 8. The aughties become then tens in a day and a bit. Roll on.

It's that time of the year again...

No, not christmas (well, it is, but it isn't to me, even though the Aussies do their best to be christmasy, even playing 'Let It Snow' in the supermarket...), but the time of Roskilde announcements.

So far, I'm thrilled that we're getting Muse and Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, which were two of the names I had been hoping for. Muse played a massive show in '07, which still ranks near the top of my list, while seeing Dizzy Mizz Lizzy live will be a dream come true for me. It's gonna be massive.

The rest of the names don't excite me that much, although for the festival in general, I'm happy to see Pavement and NOFX being announced. They have been among the most yearned for bands the last few years. I, personally, am hoping to see, amongst others, Kashmir, Editors, Hot Chip and Does It Offend You, Yeah? on the list as well soon.

Talking about Kashmir, I've been listening to their new single 'Mouthful of Wasps' quite a few times now (as it has been haunting me whenever I don't), and I must say it is growing quite a lot on me. I love the bassline and especially the chord progression in the chorus. It really seems they're back not to appear as an aging, graying bunch of has-beens, but as a band who are still up for being a staple on the domestic scene.

To be honest, I am still a bit out of touch with goings on, but I try to keep up with who's on the up. One band that I had almost forgotten, but who are releasing their first full length in the beginning of 2010 are Delphic, who got my attention when they warmed up for Bloc Party in Copenhagen almost a year ago. It's like nothing I've ever seen come across the North Sea, but it does remind me vaguely of a crossover between the arpeggios of Marvel Hill and the ambience of Spleen United, both Danish acts. I think they might be up to something good with their first album, try check it out here!

Guess that's all for now. Too many festivals to choose from here in Melbourne this summer, none the wiser I'll leave for NZ tonight.