coloring car: December 2011

Anywhere with you...

So typically me...have completely ignored Hymns From Nineveh's Christmas album Endurance In Christmas Time. Anywhere With You especially is stunningly beautiful...a modern classic...

Hymns From Nineveh - Anywhere With You

Been working on a new blog...in Danish. Not really sure why, but I probably just need some fresh air or something. Check it out if you like.

Vote in the annual Matinée fan club poll. Not that many releases to choose from, but the few ones put out this year were good ones!
+ Champagne Riot - Moonstruck

Here’s a brand new (and darn good) demo track from The Sexual Outlaws.
+ Night Of The Living Bachelors

Death Valley Sleepers announced yesterday that the debut album will be out in April next year on Playground Music.
+ White Noise

Check this track by Under Electric Light that somehow didn’t make it onto the debut album.

Somewhere only Santa knows...

Lost interest in Keane a long time ago, but this Xmas greeting from the band is pretty cool!

Lilly at the doctor's...

I swear on whatever I can possibly swear on that I’d normally never listen to a band called something as amazingly awful as Lilly Wolf and Dr. Nu. My first and only reaction would probably be “they can’t be serious” and then move on, as my expectation would be that with a name like that the band has to be playing dreadful monotonously pounding electronic dance pop music that will only appeal to a seriously drunken crowd on holiday in Ibiza (and the photo certainly doesn't leave with any other impression!). But Alex (who’s the male half of the duo) wrote me a real nice mail and commented on various things I had written (you all know I’m a sucker for that), so in return I thought I’d give their music a quick listen…and know what? They do in fact play electronic dance pop music with heavy beats, but rather amazingly the songs aren’t dreadful at all! Not even close. All 5 tracks available are melodious and catchy as glue, and thus show a far more talented band than I ever expected. Which is quite refreshing for a change! Just with they’d come up with a better name!

Love Too Serious by Lilly Wolf and Dr. Nu

The Devil You Know by Lilly Wolf and Dr. Nu

3 more tracks are free to download via SoundCloud.

UPDATE: At SoundCloud the duo has deleted the "and Dr. Nu" part and is now called Lilly Wolf. I like that much better!

ho ho ho...

Ingenuity has never really been one my strengths, so I’m borrowing last year’s title as well as last year’s illustration. I cannot help thinking that this post is somewhat of a contradiction, as I normally don’t shy away from expressing my dislike of Christmas in general. Not that I dislike everything about it, as I’m obviously enjoying the food, the beers (especially) and the days off. But the buying Christmas gifts madness, people “having” to see friends and families (whom we normally don’t care shit about the rest of year), kids acting like little angels etc. make me sick. As if behaving nicely (and spending loads of money on presents) in December gives you the stamp of approval to behave like a dickhead the rest of the year? So yes – I’m no fan and haven’t been since my late teens. That said; I do (of course) enjoy the many great tunes that always pop up this time of year and December offers the annual opportunity (posting them in June probably wouldn't make much sense) to post the best of the new ones as well as some old favorites…

+ I Am Noxious – The Snowman
Apparently published last year, but somehow I missed out on it. About “a snowman and his melting heart” and has a lovely Christmas feel to it!

+ Sleep Party People - Silent Night
Special but really beautiful cover of this ageless classic!

+ I Like Trains - Last Christmas
As I wrote last year: "Finally this classic sounds miserable; exactly as it should!"

+ Liam and Me - Winter Paradise (I Miss You This Christmas)
One of my favorite Christmas tracks...

+ Jmo - Santa, If You Do Exist
Murder Mystery frontman Jeremy has recorded this absolutely gorgeous indie pop Christmas song with jingle bells and jangling guitars...

+ Strawberry Whiplash - Santa Needs A Holiday
...and listening to some great guitarpop while on holiday probably won't hurt...

+ Fireflies - X-mas song
More great guitarpop for Santa!

+ One Weekly Gun - One Xmas Song
Check what I wrote about it three years ago. Should have been a classic by now!

Check back for updates tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...etc...

As previous years the post will be bumped to the top of the page when new songs are added…

My sense of pride...

Exactly what one wants to find in the inbox on a cold December morning...check out this brand new track from Finland's Cats on fire. Gorgeously catchy guitar pop with Morrissey-inspired vocals...yummy! New album is expected out in the spring of 2012 through Soliti.
+ My Sense of Pride (via SoundCloud)

Cats On Fire : My Sense Of Pride by Soliti

Your face in the skies...

Busy or not...have to post this one. New video from Death Valley Sleepers and a promise that an album is coming soon...

Born in good shape...

Don't like the trend here...another working day and once again there's plenty of work that needs to be done...hopefully there will time for some catching up later this week...meanwhile; check out this new track by tung_nem...

Born In Good Shape by tung_nem

Keep floating...

This track will be the first (by that I suppose they mean lead) single from the forthcoming The Kids Got Lost In Formalities EP by The Golden Ratio, which will be out on January 30. This is absolutely brilliant…so go check them out damn it!

Keep Floating on the Surface by The Golden Ratio (DK/SE)

Making It Right...

I'm busy as hell, so while I'm working my tail off (at work, at home, everywhere), I suggest you check out this new track by Plastic Operator...see you soon...I hope...

Making It Right (Radio Edit) by Plastic Operator

Last Christmas...

Fonda's cover (originally released 10 years ago) of Last Christmas is so gorgeous, so lovely, so beautiful, so.....(insert whatever you feel like) that it deserves a post of its own...

Fonda - Last Christmas

Blame the weatherman...

This is the time for year-end lists and even though I’m not going to compile any myself, it doesn’t prevent me from glancing through others. Especially to see if there are artists I’ve completely ignored, but “need” to check out before the year is over…and of course there are. One of those artists is James Blake, whom I’ve obviously heard on the radio etc., but never bothered checking out. Now that I’ve given his self-titled debut a listen, I fully understand why I never bothered. Dull is the first word that comes to mind…hopefully the rest of the “cannot miss and oh so fabulous albums of 2011” are less of a disappointment?

Ever heard of back-ups? Not funny when your computer breaks down halfway through the process of recording new songs; which was exactly what Cassolette just experienced. This track was the only one that survived, though I doubt the weatherman was to blame for the computer problems!

Blame the Weatherman (demo) by Cassolette

Chorus Grant has a new track up for streaming.

Golden Head By Golden Head by Chorus Grant

Check out the Matinée Recordings advent calendar. A nice freebie track is posted every day leading up to Christmas and gives you the perfect opportunity to be introduced to the label’s many fine artists.
+ Harper Lee - Fine Bones

Speaking of Matinée Recordings; The terrific Azure Blue debut album Rule Of Thirds is now available in the Matinée shop.
+ Little Confusions

This new track by School of Seven Bells has finally brought Chris back from his hiatus (although he doesn't seem sure if it will last for long).

School of Seven Bells - The Night

It's a Trap has posted some nice words on the new Loud as Light track Lights Are Out. Name your price and download it via bandcamp.

Lights are Out by Loud as Light

The quiet zone...

If you are one of the persons left who has been following this blog for years you might (or might not) remember Breumm? A Danish duo (consisting of brothers Jonas and Steffen Breum) playing catchy electronic pop music with clever almost quirky lyrics, and who put out an album called Det Perfekte Spild af Tid (co-produced with Henrik Balling) in mid-2008? As the few of you might (or might not) remember as well, is that I did my utmost to hype them and featured the band a number of times. Not that I was very successful though, as I believe the album sold in the neighborhood of 5 copies in spite of being much better than your average yet big selling pop albums. Whether it was the lack of success or fatigue following the recording and release of the debut I don’t know, but following a few months of promoting and supporting the album they more or less ceased to exist as a duo. From time to time I’ve seen their names (Steffen especially) pop up here and there, but as a duo they’ve been awfully quiet. Well they still are, but this weekend Jonas wrote telling that he’s been working on a solo album for the past year and that he’s finally managed to finish a track. The track is called Stillezonen (the quiet zone) and the lyrics aside (still quirky and still in Danish) his solo musical universe is rather different when comparing it to that of the duo. Or as he describes it himself: “a stripped down dogma-folk universe, where I record the whole shebang myself”. An interesting concept and probably a much needed approach to recording music following the hype of the previous album (I wasn't the only one expecting big thing). Have to admit that it took me a few listens to “make friends” with Stillezonen, but now I’ve definitely been won over, so please Mr. Breum; keep the new tracks coming!
+ Stillezonen

Sea of regrets...

Watch the new video from I Like Trains...this band is certainly capable of much more than recording miserable and heartbroken cover versions of Christmas classics...both song and video are unbelievably beautiful (as well as miserable and heartbroken)!

Sea Of Regrets by I LIKE TRAINS

Today you could perhaps...

Stream this rough mix of new track Different City by Architecture. Cannot wait to hear the final mix.

different city (rough mix) by architecture!

Stream/download new track Modern Mess by Digits.

Modern Mess by digits

Watch a few videos of Northern Portrait performing a couple of songs unplugged on their recent excursion to Italy.

Order the perfect new Strawberry Whiplash 7" single Stop, Look and Listen.
+ Stop, Look and Listen

Stream the Ever The Optimist EP by The Kick Inside if you (like me) cannot get enough of jangling guitar pop.

A Matter of Convenience by The Kick Inside

Do a little Christmas shopping at Labrador, who are selling all CD releases for €9 each (including freight).
+ The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste In Music

...or just do something completely different!

Paint the town...

Check out this track by David Newton (he used to be in The Mighty Lemon Drops in case you didn't know - shame on me, but I didn't!) & The Mighty Angels...it's absolutely fantastic and that is all I am going to say...fan-tas-tic!!!
+ Paint The Town

coloring car

Merry Christmas...