Stafraenn Hakon - Gummi (2007)

Once described as “frequently mesmerizing, seamlessly interwoven combination of electronica and ambient guitar…” by the legendary Wire magazine. Stafrænn Hákon has indeed through the last 6 years been described as a mix of post-rock, lo-fi, ambient guitar & electronica. The Icelandic born Ólafur Josephsson has been recording music since 1999 under the name Stafrænn Hákon (sometimes stafraenn hakon, stafrann hakon) which has often confused the media, due to the confusing Icelandic origin. 

Late in 2005 and Stafrænn Hákon is hard at work on his 5th album entitled “Gummi”. Ólafur drives up to the countryside in Iceland to meet up with his friend Lárus Sigurðsson in a church to record harps into the opening song of “Gummi”. Still there is no sign of any elf or a ghost there, the reason is simple, and there is no such thing. The delicate and subtle sound of Lárus harps spread over crunchy ambient guitars in opening tones of “Járn” and make the song one of the most complete songs Ólafur has ever written. The more acoustic alive sound on the album can be clearly heard when Birgir Hilmarsson of Blindfold and Ampop plays the last notes on the harmonium as he stands up and exits the studio in the closing track “Veggur”. The climax of the song comes with Birgir singing harmony vocals over the enormous guitar layers and crunchy drums from Daniel Lovegrove (aka Dialect). Samúel White a long time collaborator and vital part of the Stafrænn Hákon project is delivering one of his most elaborative works with his beautiful picked guitar parts. In the intense melody of “Hausi” Samúel´s guitar is sounding huge with vocals contributed from Minco Eggersman. “P-rofi” collaboration with the Danish based Efterklang ties the album together with the advanced sonic structure and subtle use of instruments. When Ólafur enters Daniel´s studio to complete the album with additional production, he knows this album is going to be the most complete and solid record he has ever done. With Daniel´s drums and production, the sound stretches to new dimension in Stafrænn Hákon´s soundworld.

Album

Gummi (2007)

1. Jarn
2. Svefn
3. P-rofi
4. Rjupa
5. Hausi
6. Kvef
7. Purr Purr
8. Glussi
9. Veggur

VBR 128-320 kbps

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Last.fm|MySpace|Official Site

We vs. Death - We Too Are Concerned/We Are Too Concerned (2006)

We vs. Death is a Dutch indierock band, founded in 2000. Since then the band has put out a few releases and has been touring throughout Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan.

In the second half of 2000 a couple of like-minded musicians find each other at Utrecht University in Netherlands and decide to start a band. 
Almost right away they choose to make instrumental music, that by lack of a better term can be described as post-rock. 
Anno 2008 we vs .death moved to using more vocals and harmonies, the sound evolved to more song-based material.

In the Netherlands We vs. Death is still the most successful exponent of the genre, that nowadays becomes more popular among bands.

After releasing the 7” EP en two split-CD’s, the band released their full-length debut in Spring 2006. The CD-package also contained a DVD and a booklet with a short story from artist Jeremiah Day. The CD, again released on the Zabel Muziek-label contains eight tracks.

Album

We Too Are Concerned/We Are Too Concerned (2006)

1. And How To Translate It
2. Pictures From Stanford
3. Snow Cushioned The Fall
4. One Light Will Do
5. Thomas Corner And The Valley Houses
6. (Yes,) We Went To Novgorod
7. Mother And Father And Me
8. Fieldfire

VBR 192-320 kbps

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Yndi Halda

Yndi Halda are a post-rock band from Canterbury, United Kingdom. ‘Yndi Halda’ is Old Norse for “Enjoy Eternal Bliss”, also the name of their “self-titled” debut. The band’s music is characterized by expansive, cinematic pieces that have seen the group compared to modern classical and post rock - however, Yndi Halda’s work is usually considered more thematically optimistic or hopeful, and more song-based than artists of those genres.

Comprising of members Jack Lambert (guitar), Brendan Grieve (bass), Daniel Neal (violin), oliver newton (drums, tamborine) and James Vella (guitar, glockenspiel and lapsteel), the band formed in 2001 while all of the members were still in school. In the summer of 2005, they began recording the three tracks that make up debut release Enjoy Eternal Bliss (EP), which was finished in the autumn of that year. A fourth track has been planned for the world-wide release of Enjoy Eternal Bliss in November 2006, on both Big Scary Monsters and Burnt Toast Vinyl.

The self-released edition of Enjoy Eternal Bliss was often reviewed favourably (although the band have boldly copied negative reviews onto their myspace site), and gained a lot of attention because of its distinctive, individualised hand-made covers.

They have since gained a great deal of support from the self-released EP despite their limited exposure on the live circuit and have recently signed to the Big Scary Monsters record label in Europe and Burnt Toast Vinyl in North America. Vella also works on a side project title A Lily.

Album

Enjoy Eternal Bliss (2006)

1. Dash & Blast
2. We Flood Empty Lakes
3. A Song For Starlit Beaches
4. Illuminate My Heart, My Darling

192 kbps

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Last.fm|MySpace|Official Site|Big Scary Monsters Recording Company|Burnt Toast Vynil

You Slut! - Critical Meat (2007)

You Slut! are a Derby/Nottingham instrumental math-rock experimental 4-piece.

Styzer, Rhyll [Axe 1]
Christ, Vanilla [Axe 2]
D’Angelo, Sato [Head Rim-Smith]
Zwei, Marc [Axe sans treble]

A 2005 6-track EP ‘Grit Eyed & Greasy Tailed’ was followed with the release of 8-track mini album ‘Critical Meat’ in Japan (Xtal Records) in 2007 and the UK (StressedSumo Records) in 2008.

Work on the follow up album is ongoing.

The four members of You Slut! also play in: Amusement Parks on Fire; Mascot Fight; Pilgrim Fathers; and Salo.

Album

Critical Meat (Japanese edition) (2007)

1. Cut & Shut By You Slut!
2. On The Count Of 13
3. Roofio Soots, Roofio Scores
4. On The Spot Tina Turner Fine
5. Pie To The Death - Faced Indie Kid
6. 1S, 2Ns (The Original Door)
7. Jarabew
8. MyBloodyJesusExplorerOnFire
9. On The Spot Tina Turner Fine (Live Radio Session)
10. 1S, 2Ns (The Original Door) (Live Radio Session)

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Yeah. And this is not a girls band. Surprisingly.

Links

Last.fm|MySpace|XTAL Records|Stressed Sumo Records

Sleepmakeswaves

Sleepmakeswaves are an instrumental rock band from Sydney, Australia. Drawing influences mainly from but not limited to post-rock, the young quartet mix driving metallic bombast with textured electronics to create a sonic space where delicate melodies and thunderous climaxes peacefully co-exist.
Since their formation in late 2006, sleepmakeswaves have rapidly established themselves as a promising and unique voice in their field. Within the space of a year the band has enjoyed considerable word-of-mouth support and have landed auspicious opening slots with post-rock luminaries such as Pelican, Laura and Meniscus on the back of their powerful live show and acclaimed demo recording.

Albums

Demo (2007)

1. One Day You Will Teach Me To Let Go Of My Fears
2. By Moving The Stars I Have Found Where You Are Hiding

192 kbps

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In Today Already Walks Tomorrow (2008)

1. I Will Write Peace On Your Wings And You Will Fly Over The World
2. Exits To Nowhere
3. One Day You Will Teach Me To Let Go Of My Fears
4. So That The Children Will Always Shout Her Name
5. It's Dark, It's Cold, It's Winter
6. What We Cannot Speak Of, Must Be Passed Over In Silence

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Last.fm|MySpace|Official Site

You.May.Die.In.The.Desert

You.May.Die.In.The.Desert is a three-piece instrumental band from Seattle, WA. The band originally formed as a two-piece in early 2005 by Brandon Salter and Brian Woods. Their first recordings were nothing more than bass, guitar, some effects, a drum machine, and a tape 4-track recorder. These demos attracted both local and out of state attention. After only playing a handful of local shows they were invited on tour by Boulder, Colorado’s Strangers Die Every Day. After returning from tour, Brandon and Brian decided they needed a live drummer to complete their sound. Local drummer Michael Clark filled the position in the fall of 2006.

You.May.Die.In.The.Desert have a hard-working DIY ethic that works well for them. They have completed three west coast tours and this past summer had the opportunity to tour Japan. Their most recent EP, Bears in the Yukon (Zankyo Records, Japan), has been selling rapidly and gaining the attention of local, national, and international fans and critics. After doing everything on their own for the past two years they have finally found some small independent USA labels that are helping them to release records. They have a split record coming out on Differential Records in January, 2008 and Bears in the Yukon should see an official USA release in the next few months. Following the release of these records they plan on touring extensively.

Album

Bears In The Yukon EP (2008)

1. Oceanfloor Hijinks
2. Can I Get More Steel In My Monitors
3. The Writer's Audience Is Always Fiction
4. Interlude
5. Monorails
6. Bears In The Yukon
7. Interlude (Jatun Remix)

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Last.fm|MySpace|Official Site|TSB Album Review

Youth Pictures Of Florence Henderson

It was chance that brought the Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson together. It was having nothing better to do that made them make music. 

Meeting while attending studies in northern Norway in the fall of 2003, the idea of forming a band quickly emerged. School days were short; the sultry city too far away, and there wasn’t all that much else to do. Drummer Morfar, being the most experienced, was the most eager. Toby and Jerry both had guitars. Audi bought a bass. They had a band and didn’t know what to call it. Toby picked up the line “nude pictures of Florence Henderson” on a TV-show. Nude became youth and they had a name. 

Rehearsing in a converted, yellow bomb shelter, YPOFH made songs about Geranimo, wedding lists, drugs, optimist sailing teams and driving all night. Some were poppy, some punk, some long and dreamy, and some just plain awful. Despite that, they were all recorded February 2004. Some came out ok. Some were still awful. 

The song that came out the most ok was the long and dreamy “A list not to be read at your wedding”. National radio show for unsigned music, NRK Urørt, picked it up and declared it song of the week May 18th 2004, giving it daily rotation. YPOFH figured they were onto something and made more long and dreamy songs about prison life, the open blue sky, the weight in everything, of knowing when to take your hat off and of not taking your sweater off at all. They made a record and called it “Unnoticeable in a tiny town, invisible in the city”. They recorded, produced, mixed and mastered it themselves in the yellow bomb shelter. They got signed. 

The album was released May 21st 2005. With school over and the band members traveling separate ways, the plan was to put YPOFH on ice. If it hadn’t been for the critics going bananas, they would probably have played together for the last time.

“Newcomers of the year”, some said. “Album of the year”, others exaggerated. Flattering nonetheless, YPOFH kept playing. That summer, they played Storåsfestivalen outside Trondheim. Meeting and rehearsing randomly, concerts were played throughout the fall and winter. February they appeared at By:larm. Currently working on material for a new album, rumors have it, they might even tour abroad soon… 

Album

Unnoticable In a Tiny Town, Invisible In the City (2005)

1. A List Not To Be Read At Your Wedding
   
2. How Odd To See These Lamps Still Burning
3. I've Got A Picture Of You Boss
4. Van Gogh Kept Painting Himself Because He Was The Only Model He Had
5. We May Be Remembered By What We Did When We Sat Down
6. Yet We Continue To Build There, The Structure

VBR 128-360 kbps

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Last.fm|MySpace|HowIsAnnie Records