Misty Monday XXVII

There's a way to handle the fact that the weekend is gone...

  Gem Club

photo: Tonje Thilesen

Dreamy pianochords mixed with the voice of Christopher Barnes for example. Boston based band Gem club is releasing a new album January 2014. Something to look forward to, after their very nice debut album, Breakers. Even more now since they released the first song "Hypericum". For those who didn't catch their earlier album Breakers, here's for example the song 252
And this was the title track "Breakers". Have a nice monday.

Misty Monday XXVI

It's misty monday time and let's start the week with a bit stardust brought to you by Chantal Acda

Chantal Acda has worked under the Sleepindog moniker since 2006 making three affectionately received albums. At the same time, she was a constant on-stage presence with Isbells. Now she's made a solo album together with Nils Frahm (who also produced the album), Peter Broderick (Efterklang), Cellist Gyda Valtysdottir and Shahzad Ismaily. The album is called "Let your hands be my guide" and it's due to release on 11 november. Here's the first song from this album called "Jason" I love it and i'm very excited to the rest of the 9 track album. Her aim was to find some kindred spirits with whom she might record an album filled with freedom and intensity, and who were conscious of the patterns we so often fall back on. It sounds she succeeded. Chantal Acda also recorded some songs with Craig Ward (dEUS, Zita Swoon) under the name True Bypass. A very nice collaboration with some beautiful songs as a result like "You Knew" And here's some older work from Isbells it's the song "Reunite"

Tinseling Thursday XII

Today we have the nice voices of Lucius giving us the Thursday tinsels.

Lucius is a indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Dan Molad, Peter Lalish and Andrew Burri. The tandem singing of frontwomen Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig is a bit confusing because sometimes is sounds like one voice. “Sometimes we’ll be recording something and we’ll listen back, and we can’t remember who sings what,” Said Jess (or Holly) on the phone in a interview. They sound a bit like First Aid Kit or Secret Sisters but the music sounds more poppy. Let's take a look and have a listen to their latest release from the upcoming album "Wildewoman". Here's "Tempest". Here's an older song called "Don't Just Sit There" This song triggered NPR Tiny Desk Session creator Bob Boilen to ask them for a session, here's the result: Set List "Go Home" "Don't Just Sit There" "Turn It Around" "Genevieve" Very impressive live skills, I love the twofoldness. We end with another song from the upcoming album Wildewoman (Mom+Pop music), this song is called "Hey Doreen" the album is coming out on october 15.

Warm Wednesday XXVI

Superband Tired Pony has made a new album called "The Ghost Of The Mountain"

first track they are releasing is "All Things at Once". Originally Tired Pony was formed by Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) with the long term ambition of making a country album. I think their ambition is a bit fading away because for me this is no country, but that's my humble opinion. Anyway R&B isn't R&B anymore and I see some artists on North Sea Jazz that I can't call Jazz musicians...many music nowadays is crossing-over so let's not pigeonholing, call it country/singer-songwriter/guitarmusic/soft/rock call it what you want, it's just beautiful music and warm wednesday worthy. Nice isn't it? Here's the title track "Ghost of the Mountain"
 I love this song "Carve Our Names"
 In the US the album is coming out on the 1st of october...so enjoy møpkemuziek until then :) here's

"The Creak In The Floorboards"
 

Misty Monday XXV

Let's start the week a bit easy with RY X

L.A. based Australian musician Ry-X (Ry Cuming) is about to release his beautiful debut EP called Berlin on Stockholm based record label Dumont Dumont, the 28th of August. The title track "Berlin" is a perfect song for those who want a clean and a quiet start of the week, nice fragile angelic harmonic voices and dreamy chords. It's a bit in the same league as Bon Iver or Antlers. The follow up "Vampires" is also a beauty and a bit more eerie and dynamic. RY X has just spent the summer in Berlin while touring with Frank Wiedemann (Âme)for their mutual project The Howling.

Tinseling Thursday XII

Todays dose of tinsels are brought to you by
                            Half Moon Run

 

Half Moon Run are a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal exisiting of Devon Portielje, Conner Molander, Dylan Phillips and Isaac Symonds. They are supporting Of Monsters and Men on their North American Tour and this year they released their debut album  Dark Eyes and it's a beauty! The first track on the album is Full Circle

Nice harmonics and I love the staccato voices layered upon eachother. Another great song on this album is "She wants to know" with a more dark feeling... it could be a Villagers song, here you can see them performing it live at SXSW. Like it? I do, and for those who like it too here's the full album "Dark Eyes" enjoy...

Warm Wednesday XXV

How to get a song a little warmer? Just lower the pitch! Someone took Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and played it on 33 rpm instead of 45 rpm. I think it sounds great, it could be a hot indyband with a smooth singer with a golden voice, even the choirs still sound great....
The other way around is also possible, here's Bruce Springsteens I'm on Fire's album version played on 45 rpm, sounds like Dolly Parton :) For the generation who doesn't get this oldschool terms like RPM and don't know the smell of vinyl... click here

Here are the original versions

Tuesdays got talent XX

Todays talent Soldier's Heart has only one own song to offer but better one good song than a lot of crap!

Soldier's heart is a four headed Belgian band existing of Sylvie Kreusch, Laurens Mariën, Jasper Segers en Benjamin Cools. Their song "African Fire" is stucked in my head for weeks (thanks to the radiostations in Belgium playing it almost daily) Recently they won a national contest (Nieuwe Lichting) for young talented bands. I love the dreamy voice of Sylvie and the spherical sounds in this song. I'm curious to the next stage this band is taking. For now here's their version of Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen.

Misty Monday XXIV

Welcome back! Is was a perfect holiday here in the Northern hemisphere with beautiful weather conditions, summer as it's supposed to be I guess. So reloaded with new energy and some great music it's time to put some mist back in your monday with Melanie de Biasio

Melanie de Biasio is a Belgian Jazz singer with a voice like the sweet fluid inside a Belgian chocolate, sweet, warm and smooth. Her second album "No Deal" is coming out on the 21st of october. From that album here's the first single "The Flow" Relaxed way to start the week isn't it? I hear a bit Nina Simone or Sade, jazzy in a fresh way I Feel You is the opening track. No Deal is her second album, 5 years ago she released "A Stomach is Burning" from that album here's the song "Down" and here's the title track from that album A Stomach Is Burning, also a very nice album although her new album is probably more my cup of tea....anyway....enjoy

Shut happens!!

Tinseling Thursday XI

Sorry, but for the time being I'm going to post some shorter items because I'm very busy with some interesting musical projects. Todays tinsels were produced by Hot Chip and 2 Bears member Joe Goddard

He made a remix of a Dirty Projectors song named The Socialites and it's a beauty, even better than the original but that's my humble opinion.

Nice one isn't it? Via soundcloud you can enjoy a bunch of remixes....thanks Joe!

Warm Wednesday XXIV

Let's have a warm wednesday with Lodewijk Fluttert alias

 Bakermat

  Bakermat is a Dutch DJ/Producer making some groovy and warm house/dance songs. The songs are often completed with jazzy saxophone samples and fragments of speeches like the famous Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech in the song "Vandaag". It sounds a bit like St. Germain meets Laurent Garnier meets Parov Stellar. Imagine a beach party, a sunset, a BBQ, some cocktails and then this song "Vandaag" as the opener... Yep it's going to be a great night I can assure you. The template is simple, start a beat at +/-120 BPM, then some nice piano / organ / fender rhodes chords, ad a solo instrument and maybe a nice speech-sample as the cherry on the pie. His song "Zomer" (Dutch for Summer) is another nice mellow song with the flute in the leading role. I think it's going to be a long hot summer for Bakermat because his song "Vandaag" is predicted to be one of the 2013 summerhits in these regions. And here is "Leven" enjoy!

Misty Monday XXIII

Today we have Belgian hitwonder Paul van Haver a.k.a. Stromae bringing us a perfect misty monday song.

 It was 2011 when he made a massive breakthrough with the summer hit "Alors on Danse" (that song with that annoying saxophone sample). Now he made a new song with a Jaqcues Brell kind of feeling and that's more what I like. Listen and take a look at todays Misty Monday song "Formidable".

Nice video and a well piece of street acting :)even the police is convinced, very nice detail that one of the cops is a fan and offers him to bring him home safely....cute! He released another song for his second upcoming album, it's called "Papaoutai" Personally I heard this song way too much but for those people who don't know the hit, here's "Alors on Danse".

Tinseling Thursday X

Today a very short tinsel due to a lack of time, as you may have noticed. Nowadays it's Bastille buzzing on all radiostations with their hit "Pompeii".

 
 Bastille are an alternative rock band from London. First formed in 2010, Bastille began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece consists of members Dan Smith, Chris 'Woody' Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. The name of the band derives from Bastille Day – an event celebrated on 14 July, which is also the same date lead vocalist, Dan Smith, was born. Yesterday I saw them performing an a capella version of this song which I want to share with you. And here's their latest single from the album "Bad Blood" this is the song "Laura Palmer" and here's the original song "Pompeii" on soundcloud you can enjoy the album "Others people heartache part II" with some nice covers, what about "Killer" from Seal? enjoy

Tinseling Thursday IX

Today it's up to Theo Bass to give us the thursday tinsels!

Theo Bass is an Oxford based music maker working on his first EP, as he describes himself on his facebook page. I found almost no pics of him so we have to do it with this blurry live pic he posted on his soundcloudpage. But it's the music that counts and he has made some beautiful tracks, for example Mr. Stellakis!
I like the chirpy sounds he uses to make his rhythm tracks. His profound rhythms are tantalizing anyway, listen for example to the song "Slovenian Police" it's a beauty. He's playing at the Brainchild Festival in Canterbury (UK) 5-7 july. On his soundcloud he is posting lots of nice dreamy soundscape stuff, songs like King Karl, Lit and JAB, enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XXIII

Today it's up to the Treetop Flyers to give us some warmth.

And we're desperate. Summer didn't show it's face until now and in a month time days are shortening again so.....some anti-depression music for the sunlovers:)
Treetop Flyers are a folk rock band based in London. Consisting of Reid Morrison, Sam Beer
Laurie Sherman, Matthew Starrit and Tomer Danan. They won the Glastonbury Festival Festival Emerging Talent Competition 2011 and released their debut album 'The Mountain Moves' in the UK on 29 April 2013 and it's a real beauty. Some oldschool rock songs that makes me want to drive a convertible on endless American roads with their music on the background!
First let's listen to the uplifting opening track of the album: Things will change

Nice choirs and guitarsolo's and the whole music's got a kind of "Summer Festivals Here We Come!!" sauce all over it. .... more, more we need more! Okay then we're going listen to the ballad "Rose is in the Yard", with a warm guitar opening this song, giving it a Rod Steward'ish "I am Sailing" feeling. I imagine myself on a warm summer evening with a piña colada in the hammock listening to this song.
Click here to listen to Rose is in the Yard It reminds me of an older song of them called "It's about time"
Convinced? I was! It's instant summer with these guys so here's the full album, enjoy!

Fiddles on Friday XX

Today we have no fiddler but a beautiful cellist avant cellist named Zoë Keating

photo by Jeffrey Rusch

Zoë Keating is a Canadian-born cellist and composer based in San Francisco, California. Zoë is a one-woman orchestra. She uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate, haunting and compelling music. She's the Andrew Bird or Kishi Bashi on cello. First let's take a look at a stunning performance she did for Wired, this song is called "The Escape Artist". It's a perfect performance. In her shoes I would be affraid technology would fail or let me down... like computers sometimes do, but probably the loopstation is not Windows based ;-) I think she writes great compositions and never a dull moment no endles repeating but nice variations of rhythm, sounds, sphere, richness. It's not a surprise that her songs are often used as soundtracks (Breaking Bad, Elementary, The secret life of bees etc.). Here she's playing her song Lost from the album Into the Trees The next song she felt almost too embarrassed to play because she found it too simple, extremely simple even.....sigh Here's a more dark and rough-edged song she made in collaboration with the also møpkemuziek worthy artist Jane Woodman here's Tango. And here's a soundcloud link to a selection of her own favorites. 45 minutes of joy. Have a nice weekend!!!        

Tinseling Thursday VIII

Today we got Telekinesis for our weekly dose of tinsels.

Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner, an indie rocker based out of Seattle who is currently signed to Merge Records. The band was signed to Merge Records in early 2009, and shortly afterward released the eponymously named debut album Telekinesis! The album was produced, mixed, and engineered with the help of Chris Walla (guitarist for Death Cab For Cutie), who also played on most tracks. They recorded one song per day on analog tape. Last month they released their third album called "Dormarion" and it's instant summer! First I want you to see the video of this albums first single "Ghostst and Creatures"
Lerner originally intended to record the album completely on his own. Instead, he made the record in two weeks with Spoon drummer Jim Eno in his Austin, TX studio, Public Hi-Fi. On Dormarion Lane, to be specific. “It’s a beautiful-sounding word, and if you Google it, nothing but this one tiny street comes up,” says Lerner. “No origin, no description. I can’t tell you what the word means. It’s like something from Lost.” Here's the more uptempo song and second track from the album "Empathic People" I like his voice, sometimes gritty, sometimes crystal clear. He's made some beautiful ballads too. Listen for example to the song Symphony And we end with Island#4, a song with some Death Cab influences, enjoy.

Warm Wednesday XXII

A short post today, but todays warmth is brought to you by Anouk

Anouk is a Dutch rockbitch (her own words) and is this years Dutch contestant of the Eurovision Songcontest. She's not singing a typical Anouk-song but a very soft and warm ballad called Birds. My "douze points" go to her but I'm not objective I suppose :) Here's the song "Birds". She's performing this song on saturday in the ESC final, votes please! She's releasing her album Sad Singalong Songs this friday. From that album "The Good Life", I think there's some competition for Adele :) And to end with here's the song "Pretending as always" also a very warm ballad, enjoy!

Tuesdays got Talent XIX

Today we have Vancouvers talents Gold & Youth

The band is comprised of Matthew Lyall, Murray Mckenzie, Jeff Mitchelmore and Louise Burns.
And today they are releasing their debut album "Beyond Wilderness" and I really like it.
It has a nice 80's feeling with programmed electronic drum patterns and heavy, dark synths. Let's take a look and have a listen to "Time To Kill" The album was produced and recorded by Colin Stewart (new pornographers) and mixed by Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Interpol, Grizzly Bear) and Damian Taylor (Björk, Robyn), I hear some similarities with Depeche Mode / Joy Division / Roxy Music / Talk Talk / New order... I think you got the message now. Here's the song "City of Quartz"
Louise Burns, already well known for her own work as a solo artist, lending her voice to four of the album's tracks, including the first single 'Jewel'. And for the Depeche Mode lovers here's a live video of Gold and Youth playing "Enjoy the Silence"

Misty Monday XXII

Welcome back, today we have the easy-going dreamy ambient music of Vondelpark

Vondelpark are a three headed English band, formed in 2010. The band consists of Lewis Rainsbury, Alex Bailey and Matt Lawrenson. They are named after a public park in Amsterdam. The band were founded by the members of the band Lion Club, after its dissolution in 2010. After signing to R&S Records, the band released their first EP, Sauna in 2010. The band's second EP, NYC Stuff And NYC Bags was released in 2011. This was followed by their third release, Dracula EP in 2012. The band's debut album, Seabed, was released on April 1, 2013 and it's a beauty. Let's take a look and have a listen to the song "Dracula" It's a perfect album for the "Hard-to-start Monday" and if you're in the mood, listen to it with headphones, nice soundscapes. This is the opening track of the album Seabed, it's a song called Quest Here's a soundcloud link to "California Analog Dream" enjoy And here we have some older work, this is the song "Camels" from the 2011 NYC Stuff And NYC Bags EP

Tinseling Thursday VII

Today's Tinsels brought to you by Eliza and the Bear

Eliza and the Bear are an indie folk pop band from London and existing of James Kellegher, Callie Noakes, Martin Dukelow, Chris Brand and Paul Kevin Jackson. Wait a minute there's no Eliza? That's right Eliza and the Bear is the title of a collection of poems by Eleanor Rees. First let's take a look and have a listen to their latest feelgood song "Upon the North" James the lead singer suffers from arthritis in his hands and finds playing music is the only thing that relieves the pain. Another prove that music is a healing factor for a lot of problems I know a stammering guy but when singing he doesn't stutter at all.

Here's the song "The Southern Wild" performed at the Amazing Afternoon sessions. And here's the live version of "Brothers Boat" Nice to see a bunch of friends enjoying the music they make, and luckily we have a soundcloud link... enjoy!

Tuesdays got Talent XVIII

A little delayed here's our tuesdays talent
 Brushy One String


Brushy One String is from Jamaica and I've seen him in the award winning documentary called "Rise Up". Rise Up is a documentary about the Jamaican underground music. Bushy's playing a one-string guitar while tapping a beat on the guitarbody. In the documentary he's playing his song "Chicken in the Corn" on the street and I love it. The song is settled in my mind for two days now :) Here's the video.
 I love it as the crowd step-by-step are singing along. I think Brushy's star will rise sky high... Here you can order his CD (after the documentary Rise Up there's a follow up "The King Of One String" a special documentary about Brushy himself). Here's a soundcloud link to the song "No Man Stop Me" And he's inspiring more people with his songs Here's the remix of "No Man Stop Me" by CM BRX (mr lucius)and I think many others will follow.. let me know if you hear one, especially of the Chicken song :) enjoy!

Tinseling Thursday VI

Just a quick tinsel today, here are the "Compact Disk Dummies"

 Yes again from Belgium I know it seems I only post Belgian bands last weeks, true because I'm working a lot in Belgium and the radio there is very good, they offer great indie music on the mainstream channels and this week there's "Week van eigen Kweek" on Studio Brussels (loosely translated "The own breed week :) and they only play Belgian music, I love this because you hear a lot of undiscovered and unknown music. Like the brothers Coorevits (Janus and Lennert).
They make a kind of electropunk.
Here's their latest song "The Reeling"
They won Belgian most prestigious rock contest called Humo's Rock Rally in 2012 so live they kick some ass! Here's their version of Britney Spears song Toxic Here's some older work this is the song Fat Frazurzz and here the cover Heart of Glass from Blondie

Tinseling Thursday V

Sorry for my lame blog behaviour last week. I was very busy with my own music and gigs so almost no time to post some nice music here on møpkemuziek. Finally I've found some spare time to present SX to you.

 I've already refered to this Belgian band when I made a post about Polica. SX is a bit in the same league, dreamy female voice interwoven with 80's synths (the famous Yamaha DX7), dark big beats and strong hooks. They surprised me back in 2011 with their first single "Black Video" ...completely out of the blue.
Let's take a look and have a listen to this song
Nice song isn't it? SX are Benjamin Desmet, Stefanie Callebaut and Jeroen Termote. They took their time to make a beautiful debut album called "Arche" which was released november 2012. Here is the song Graffiti, with a very strong chorus, I like Stefanies sharp and edgy voice! The video by the way was released last week...fresh fresh :) The first single release from the album Arche was Gold. Here's the live version And here's a soundcloud link to five songs of the Arche album, enjoy.

Tinseling Thursday IV

Today it's up to Belgian band "Absynthe Minded" to lighten up our Thursday

Absynthe Minded is a Belgian rock band, around frontman, vocalist and guitarist Bert Ostyn. Their tracks contain a weird mix of rock, thirties jazz, a touch of funky soul, Balkan beats and Merseyside pop. Absynthe Minded originally was a one-man band, being musician-singer-composer Bert Ostyn. He started off in 1999 with recording More Than This on 8-track in a 5 to 4 bedroom in Ghent (yes again Ghent, I'm sorry ;-), soon he found other musicians (Renaud Ghilbert, Sergej van Bouwel, Jan Duthoy and Jakob Nachtergaele) to enjoy his project. And after the succesful debut album "Acquired Taste" they developed themselves into a very productive and exploring band producing 4 more great albums. Here's the song "Envoi" inspired by poems from the famous Belgian writer Hugo Claus, this is from the samenamed album Absynthe Minded. More recent is the song Space from the latest album "As it ever was" They make very diverse music, sometimes Bert sounds like Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, sometimes they sounds like a 30's jazz orchestra and they wrote a beautiful soundtrack for the movie "Turquoze", the movie is a beautie too by the way, here's the eastern orientated song "Little Rascal" And this is their latest single "End Of The Line" Here's the soundcloud link to a set of nice songs, enjoy

Warm Wednesday XXI

Warm memories of Jason Molina (December 16, 1973 – March 16, 2013)

Tuesdays Got Talent XVII

Today we have London Electro Pop Trio Dems to surprise us.

Dems are David Gardener, Duncan Mann and Dan Moss. They produce dreamy lo-fi electronic masterpieces and 2013 will be their year! They promise us a new release every two months and their former work is so beautiful and warm it's a band to watch, at least I'll do. But first let's take a look and have a listen to "Desire" which has pricked up my ears! This song will be released the 24th of march and was a follow up for the song "Christabel". Triggered by this song I was looking for more work and was surprised that I've never heard of them before. So nice original songs, nice voices and melodies interweaving the electronic samples and drumloops/patterns. Here's for example the song "Inner O" Here are some songs via soundcloud This is "Bridesmaid" And "House" which is a beauty too You may have noticed my enthousiasm so before I put all their songs on møpkemuziek I end with the first of the every-two-month-release-songs "Christabel" enjoy! Okay then one for the road :) here's "Lioness" which was one of first songs by Dems back when it was just a solo project of Dan Moss By the way MØPKEMUZIEK is curious about your thoughts about the music we play so leave a comment if you like, you can do it even anonymous when you are affraid to offence me :)

Misty Monday XXI

Todays Misty Monday is for James Blake

James Blake is an English electronic music producer and singer-songwriter from London. His eponymous debut album was released in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2011 for which he was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2011. He covered the Feist song "Limit to your love" in his particularly way, slow piano, nice voice often reshaped with vocoders, electronic drums and lots of space in the mix. He is also known as "Harmonimix" particularly when releasing mixes. He has made a new album called "Overgrown" and on that album is a perfect Misty Mondaysong called "Retrograde". Let's take a look to the beautiful video and listen to this amazing song. I really like the synths climbing up to the right tone, it's the first single from his new album "Overgrown" due to release the 8th of april. And then there's his collaboration with Brian Eno for the song "Digital Lion" It's a worthy artist for our 100th post on møpkemuziek. Here are some grooveshark links to some older work like "The Wilhelm Scream"

And here's Lindisfarne II

And we end with the short and strange cut-up song "Why Don't You Call Me?" which made me think a little of "Antony and the Johnsons"

Tinseling Thursday III

Todays tinsels brought to you by "Toro Y Moi"

 Toro Y Moi is Chazwick Bradley Bundick, an American recording artist and producer. His music is often identified with the rise of the CHILLWAVE movement in 2010 and 2011 (Chillwave, sometimes also referred to as glo-fi, is a genre of music whose artists are often characterized by their heavy use of effects processing, synthesizers, looping, sampling, and heavily filtered vocals with simple melodic lines.") .  Let's take a look and have a listen to his latest song "So Many Details" the first single of his new album "Anything in Return" released 22 january '13
  I like that smooth summer feeling and the use of sytnhs / samples / rhythm patterns in combination with his light voice. Someone has been so friendly to put on the complete album on youtube so here's the link: He's a very productive guy because after releasing his full lenght album in january he's now released some tracks under a new side project called "Les Sins" here's "Grind" and "Prelim", enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XIX

Today it's up to Blaudzun to give us the warmth we need.
Blaudzun is the moniker of Dutch singer- songwriter Johannes Sigmond and Blaudzun is called after a Danish cyclist (Verner Blaudzun) back in the 1970's. In these regions Blaudzun is a becoming a term, and now I know that he's programmed for SXSW to conquer the rest of the world I thought let's introduce him for the ignorant. First let's take a look at the beauty "Flame on my Head" from the album "Heavy Flowers" released in januari 2012 and due to release any moment in the USA.
His live performances are a great party with brass ensembles, glockenspielplayers, violins and his own remarkable appearance on stage. Lets take a look at the song "Elephants" live at last years Dutch festival Lowlands.
Via soundcloud we can enjoy the first 5 tracks of the album heavy flowers. And here's one of my favorite songs "Midnight Room" from his 2010 album "Seadrift Soundmachine"have a nice warm wednesday!

Tuesdays got Talent XVI

Today we are in need of some uplifting music, due to the winter coming back this week when spring already has showed it's face last week. To ease that pain of cold harsh weather kicking us back and to bust the winter depression we call in the help from our Tuesdays Talent Jonas Alaska.

Jonas Aslaksen from Norway better know with his stagename Jonas Alaska had a break through in Norway with his debut album in 2011. The self-titled album sold to gold record (15 000), had 3 singles in the Norwegian radio charts simultaneously, and won the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemann) for best new act. Jonas is releasing his next album in Norway and Denmark very soon. The single "I Saw Your Kid" is released a month ago accompanied by this funny video
Often he is compared with Bob Dylan, but luckily he's more a music- than a lyricsman, don't understand me wrong and Bob Dylan wrote great songs but some of it's work annoys me because I don't listen to the lyrics but more to the music and then his repetivity is boring me. Last friday Jonas released a second video called "If Only As A Ghost" which is a little less light. Nice song but i'm in the wintermood again so here's some of his earlier work enjoy. Here's "In The Beackseat" Here's "Tonight" And here's the beautiful song "Oktober, we let you know when his EP is released.

Misty Monday XX

I really felt ashamed this morning, when i was looking for a great misty monday artist i thought, it has to be someone like Ólafur Arnalds.....dreamful quiet nicely arranged floating away music. Wait a minute, Ólafur hasn't been on Møpkemuziek before!

Ólafur Arnalds is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Ólafur Arnalds mixes strings and piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from ambient/electronic to pop. He's just released his new album "For now I am winter" and the song "Only the Winds" is perfect as a starter. There will be shurely again a very nice video with this song because that seems to be his trademark. Let's take a look at "Old Skin" ft Arnor Dan Another jewel is Near Light

okay let's listen and look to some live footage, in this video he's playing for KEXP in KEX Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves. Recorded on November 1, 2012. I like the funny stories between the songs about the roads in Poland and the song he wrote for a bathtub :), enjoy. songs: Þú ert jörðin, Tomorrow's Song, Poland, Gleypa okkur, Near Light, Ljósið

Fiddles on Friday XIX

Today we have a winner, Oene van Geel just won the Boy Edgar Prize, a prestigious Dutch award for improvised- and jazz music
  Violist /composer Oene van Geel (1973) is a true adventurer in music. Influenced by jazz, Indian music, chamber music and free improvisation, he has applied his virtuoso improvising skills and his compositional talents to a wide range of musical activities. He has toured in Europe, India, Japan, the US and Canada. First let's take a look at Oene playing a solo piece at the opening of the Spoken Beat night You can hear several influences in his music, after his classical music education he went to study South-Indian music theory and as a child he was intrigued by his father playing Balkan music. He's playing in several projects and bands, like: Zapp 4 (stringquartet), in Estafest (jazz band), The Nordanians (A Shakti like power trio), multimedia project OOOO and Windstreken Here he's playing with "Windstreken" And then there's Zapp 4 and this is their version of the itchy Radiohead song "We Suck Young Blood" here's the original And here's the ZAPP 4 version, enjoy your weekend.

Thunder on Thursday XVII

Back with some thunder and today it's Middle Class Rut
Middle Class Rut, also known as MC Rut is an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Zack Lopez and vocalist/drummer Sean Stockham. They were formed in Sacramento, California in December 2006. After several EP's, in 2010 they released their first full-length LP, No Name No Color which was a killer, especially the song "Busy Being Born" made me smile from ear to ear.
I think their songs are very dynamic and energetic, sometimes they sound a bit like Jane's Addiction. Incredible that a duo can make such a full sound... they know how to do that just like our T.O.T. band "Indian Handcrafts" MC Rut released a new song yesterday and today we can hear it on møpkemuziek, so here's "Aunt Betty". They are playing at SXSW this year. Their album "No Name No Color" is in full lenght on soundcloud, enjoy!

Misty Monday XIX

Today it's the Belgium band "The Rhythm Junks" bringing us back on track again to start the week. The Rhythm Junks are: Steven Debruyn (bluesharp, guitar, vocals), Jasper Hautekiet (base, vocals) and Tony Gyselinck (drums) They were formed about ten years ago and 3 days ago they released their third album called: "Beaten Borders" On this album they stripped the music to a minimal ...less is more! I love the bluesharp and the mysteriousness in their songs and I think Steven Debruyn is the second best harpplayer from Belgium (Toots Thielemans is no.1) Let's listen to the song "Checking In". Oh yeah did I say this is again a band from Ghent!

Normally they work with a 4-headed brass ensemble but now they stripped it to a minimal, Drums / Base / Bluesharp and some synths/samples. Here they play the song "Never The Same" which i love, especially the switching between minor - major scale. I think some of their songs are perfect misty monday songs, "Burnin' Burnin' Burnin'" or "Maybe slowly". Via soundcloud you can listen to the entire album "Beaten Borders", enjoy

Fiddles on Friday XVIII

Finally a new Fiddles on Friday and today it's up to Mack Jonsson

photo by owlblake

Mack Jonsson is born and raised in Quesnel Canada, he started busking there to buy a new skatboard :). But let's first take a look at Mack and his fiddle skills while he's busking in Victoria back in 2011 this is the song "Reubens Train". Yeehaa, and a nice voice too, Mack is also fiddler in the alternative country band "The Wicks" and in "Ain't Dead yet" "Cats in Distress" and on the moment he's also touring with "The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra" because their fiddler Patrick M’Gonigle has left the band. Busy guy! Let's take a look at busking band "Cats in Distress" Here's the latest album "Clouds" from his band The Wicks they are releasing a new album in April. And to end with, here is the latest album of "The Mockingbird Orchestra" Follow My Lead, Lead me to Follow. This is not played by Mack himself on the album but he's touring with this band right now, enjoy

Tinseling Thursday II

The second Tinseling Thursday is for the Belgian band Balthazar

Balthazar is Maarten Devoldere, Jinte Deprez, Patricia Vanneste, Simon Casier and Christophe Claeys from the neighbourhood of Ghent....i don't know if there's something in the tapwater over there but there's a lot going on in Ghent! Balthazar just released their second album Rats, but first i take you back to their first album Applause (2010), and the opening song from that album "Fifteen Floors" ...sorry there's no official video from this song. Strange song isn't it? I like that trumpet plunger sample and the strange lazy vocals. The album Rats was released oktober last year and it is also a little masterpiece. Here's the song "The Oldest Of Sisters" On soundcloud you can listen to the full album Applause, enjoy.

Warm Wednesday XVIII

Today again a warm wednesday with the Foals

 
Foals are an English rock band from Oxford and Foals are Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, Jimmy Smith, Walter Gervers, Edwin Congreave. "Why is this a warm wednesday band?" you may think, just listen to those African sounding guitar rifs. Sounds a little like Two Door Cinema Club or Paul Simon in his Graceland era. I discovered Foals 2-3 years ago because of the beautiful video they had made for the song Blue Blood. Watch this kid! The band's third album Holy Fire was released a week ago, and it's a great warm sounding album. Or like NME says "The Oxford art-rockers cast off their spiky, mathletic shackles and head for the big league with their third album!" Listen for example to "My Number" which will get the most airplay on radio etc i guess.

Here are some grooveshark links to the latest album "Holy Fire" ..enjoy! And here's "Late Night" And we end with the warm wednesdaysong "Stepson"

Tinseling Thursday I

No Thunder but Tinsels today:) This is Vacationer Formed in 2011 as a side project for Philly-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Kenny Vasoli
Vacationer blends the escapist dream pop of Beach House with the quasi-mystical electro-pop of Animal Collective. Rhythmic, heady, and hypnotic yet peppered with heartfelt lyrics and genuine emotion, Vacationer released its debut EP in 2011, followed by the full-length Gone in 2012; both were put out by Downtown Records. I think it sounds a bit like Avalanches or Jens Lekman, lot of nice old crispy samples blended together into new music. Live it's also worth listening, here's a kind of unplugged version of "Be With You". Via soundcloud you can enjoy the album "Gone"

Warm Wednesday XVII

Warm voice, quiet fingerpicking guitars Neil Halstead is giving us the perfect ingredients for this warm wednesday.

Neil Halstead is a British guitarist and singer. In 2002, 4AD (a British independent record label) released his debut solo album, Sleeping on Roads. Following his departure from 4AD, a second solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine was released by Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records on July 29, 2008. The album was partly recorded in Johnson's solar powered studio in Los Angeles before being completed at a Second World War airfield in Britain. The Guardian has compared Oh! Mighty Engine to the work of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. Halstead has said of his solo work that it's "really good doing something on my own" instead playing with the bands Slowdive and Mojave 3. Let's listen to the song "Tied To You", to understand the comparison with Nick Drake Neil's third solo album, 'Palindrome Hunches', was released on September 11, 2012, from that album here's the song "Full Moon Rising" On soundcloud we can hear his full album, thank you! Check that opening song...instant warmth, enjoy!

Tuesdays got Talent XV

Today it's the indie psychedelic rock band Stadt from Ghent to show us their skills.

How can a new young band sound so familiar and trusted? It's the sound i suppose, bringing back memories.. going back to the times of 12 minute songs, liquid slides and experiments...

here's "Bits of Time". Stadt are Fulco Ottervanger, Frederik Segers, Joris Cool and Simon Segers. Their upcoming debutalbum 'Some Kind of Diversion' mixes indie-rock with a small cloud of psychedelia. Hope they have this song on it it's "Little Craver" played on their first appearance ...nice debute!

Misty Monday XVIII

Today it's up to Meursault to put us back on track.

Meursault are a Scottish indie rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 2006 and Led by singer-songwriter Neil Pennycook. The band's musical style has been variously categorised as folktronica, alternative rock and indie folk. The name of the band is a reference to the main character of L'Etranger, the existentialist novel by Albert Camus but Meursault is also a whine and a commune in France :) We start the week a bit cautious with this performance of "A Mother Arms" The band are noted for their use of traditional acoustic instruments such as guitar, banjo, harmonium and ukulele, accompanied by electronic sounds and beats generated by drum machines, samplers and synthesisers. Pennycook possesses a powerful singing voice, which, in combination with the unorthodox instrumentation, lends the band a distinctive sound. So we go ahead for some more uptempo music and a song to exemplify their use of synths and drumcomputers here's "Crank Resolutions". In 2012 they released their third album " Something for the weakened" From that album this track with a more acoustic approach "Lament for a teenage millionare" And we end with the same song we started with but now it's the album version, of "A Mothers Arms".