John Maus

John Maus is the keyboardist in Panda Bear, and seemingly a fairly tortured individual.

Last year he released an album called Songs which Vice magazine described thusly:

‘Apparently Maus spent five years working on this album, which is a shame because, frankly, it’s awful.’

I haven’t heard any of the songs from that album but I have heard a new track, Do your Best, which is beautiful.

It’s dark, and obviously inspired by early 80s synth like Giorgio Moroder, Flock of Seagulls, and Blue Nile, and it’s just lovely.

I’ve loaded it up into the Box on the right. Alternatively, you can hear it on his MySpace page. Read more about John Maus here.

Sigur Ros film coming to Copenhagen

UPDATE: My Danish translator just told me that the band are playing a 30 minute acoustic set after the film.

Fans of Sigur Ros can catch their tour film, Heima, (Icelandic for ‘At Home’) at Vega later this month.

Judging by the trailer, it looks like a stunning piece of work.

Ticket info here.

 

 

Sound Team, retrospective

Didn’t realise how much I loved this band until I trawled back and had a look at these videos.

Born to please

Your eyes are liars

Be sure to read guitarist Bill Baird’s blog post where he details the reasons behind the split. There’s also a really, really beautiful and elegiac video for a Sound Team song I didn’t even know existed, Bedroom Walls.

It’s also worth checking out his new project, Silent Sunset.

Sound Team disband

Sound Team – another band from Austin, Texas, that I was crazy about for a while – have called it a day.

They are responsible for Electric Stallion, which is the song I probably listened to more than any other last year.

And this newish track, No More Birthdays, is probably the best thing I’ve heard in the past six months. They’re going to be sadly missed.

Such talented boys

My lovely friends over at Spoiled Milk are men of many talents. Not only do they have the finest beards in Christendom, every now and then they produce actual work. Work that clients pay them for. With money!

For instance up-and-coming Dansk rock dudes Marvel Hill asked them to design a record cover. And so they did.

New Band of Horses

If there is one album that has come to somehow symbolise the last few years of my life it’s Everything All the Time by Band of Horses.

I’d explain more but I have to leave for work and my banana and yoghurt breakfast isn’t going to eat itself.

Suffice it to say that the album perfectly soundtracks the amazing highs – and lows – I have known since moving to Denmark.

All that aside, the band is finally getting round to releasing its second album and Gorilla Vs Bear has the first new track – Is there a ghost? – available as a download.

Click here for genius. 

Viva Radio . . .

. . .is the latest string to the American Apparel bow.

It’s ‘underwritten’ by the company, whatever the hell that means, and is apparently playing in all their stores.

Whenever I see American Apparel ads on the net (see here for an example) I’m torn by how infuriatingly smug they are but then I realise it’s because their pitch is so ‘effing perfect and I actually want to buy into their brand.

They’ve got the 20-something-disaffected-indiekid-cool thing down pat. Who wouldn’t want to dress in artfully minimalist tees and cardigans and lounge around in boho bars discussing design projects?

Anyway, Copenhagen doesn’t have an American Apparel store as far as I’m aware but with Viva Radio you can recreate the experience of shopping in one in the comfort of your own home.

Simply turn it up (sample tracks selected at random from their playlist: Stevie Wonder – Do like you, Deerhoof – +81, Erase Errata – Marathon) and then walk around your living room trying on clothes, pausing occasionally to ask your partner for the name of the track that’s playing. What larks.

Viva Radio. 

The Tough Alliance remixes Victoria Bergsman

I’ve written about both The Tough Alliance and Victoria Bergsman’s solo project Taken by Trees so when I found out the former have done a remix of the latter’s rather lovely track Too Young, it seemed right to share it.

The song is in the Box on the right and you can download it here.

Kevin Drew

Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew has an album out next month. I’ve heard four songs so far and all are beautiful.

One, Safety Bricks, is in the Box on the right if you want to hear it. It’s really, really lovely, and exquisitely sad. A bit like me, but without the lovely part.

You can download Too beautiful to fuck here.

The Tough Alliance

Pretty cool name for a band whose members are two skinny Swedish boys who wear vests.

There’s a bit of an Animal Collective vibe to this – it’s summer if it ever stopped effing raining.

The Tough Alliance.

Found at the awesome Gorilla Vs Bear.