Canon Blue

Canon Blue, the solo project of Daniel James, released his sophomore LP, Rumspringa, today (8/16) via Temporary Residence Limited (and via Efterklang's label Rumraket in Scandinavia) (Rumtaket's last-ever non-Efterklang release). The album is the follow-up to 2007's Colonies, a collaboration with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear. It was recorded while he was on a European tour with Efterklang, who Daniel contributes to. Sigur Ros' string section Amiina provided string arrangements on the album (which they recorded in Iceland). Slaraffenland and Efterklang both also contribute to the album. Stream the track "A Native (Madison)" here and check out some video clips of album tracks below. Listen to the whole album at Spinner.

Canon Blue kicks off a tour in support of the album tonight (8/16) at Mercury Lounge. After a couple more East Coast dates, they'll play Glasslands on August 20 and then hit up other US and Canadian venues. Both NYC shows feature support from Atlantic/Pacific (ex-Texas is the Reason). Tickets are on sale now for the Mercury show and the Glasslands show. Canon Blue also tour in November supporting The Boxer Rebellion. Canon Blue are not listed as an opener when The Boxer Rebellion hit NYC on November 18 at Webster Hall but maybe that will change after Canon Blue's NYC shows this week. Tickets for the Webster Hall show are on sale now.

Speaking of Sigur Ros, they recently put a trailer video on their website for the film INNI, which will screen at the Venice Film Festival. The film was directed by Vincent Morisset, who also directed the Arcade Fire film Mirror Noir. Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi is also set to score Cameron Crowe's upcoming film We Bought a Zoo. Cameron and Sigur Ros last worked together when the band contributed music to his 2001 film Vanilla Sky.

All dates, videos, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Sigur Ros doing film stuff, Canon Blue released an album & is playing shows (dates, songs & videos)"

DOWNLOAD: Buke & Gass - Medulla Oblongata (MP3)

Buke & Gass @ High Violet Annex (more by David Andrako)

Efterklang, the Danish collective that came through NYC most recently in March, will be touring with NYC art-pop duo Buke & Gass this September and October. The trip ends with a pair of New York shows: Friday, October 1st at Santos Party House (tickets are on sale) and a Saturday, Oct. 2nd show at Glasslands (tickets TBA). Eferklang's Peter Broderick is back in good health and will be rejoining the band on the tour, where they'll play as a seven piece.

Buke & Gass are Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez, who drew the band name from their respective instruments, a six-string baritone ukulele and a guitar-bass hybrid (pronounced byook, as in baritone-plus-ukelele, and gace, as in guitar-plus-bass). They're gearing up to release their debut full-length, Riposte, out September 14th on Brassland (the label co-run by the National's Dessner bros).

The pair aren't total newcomers though: Besides their Buke & Gass work over the past three years, both played in punk band Hominid, who broke up in 2004. And Sanchez played in Proton Proton (whose credits include opening for Deerhoof). The first song from Riposte, the jittery, short-breathed post-pop "Medulla Oblongata," is posted above.

Below is a first look at the album cover, which features a pair of ominously grimy, tenderly grasped shears, rendered in black and white.

In addition to their two namesake instruments, the pair utlize a kick drum and a galaxy of pedals and effects to layer and tweak their live sound. Check out the concert setup in a pair of recent videos. Those, all tour dates and album info are below...

Continue reading "Buke & Gass touring w/ Efterklang -- dates, album info, MP3"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Efterklang

It's rare that I enjoy every artist on the line-up, but Wednesday night's show at Le Poisson Rouge hit all the right notes. Sure, I was a bit bummed out that Balmorhea had canceled (due to "urgent family matters"), but the last minute replacement for the opening slot, Samamidon, was a welcome addition to the roster...

...[Sam's] performance tonight made me regret not making more of an effort to see him in the past. Sam unceremoniously took to the stage, picked up a ukulele, and began playing...

...Next up was Icelandic composer/conductor Daníel Bjarnason... or more accurately, I should say Daníel Bjarnason and his sixteen-piece orchestra. I'm still not quite sure how they fit so many people and instruments on stage, but it was marvelous.....

...In addition to the obvious - the music, I love Efterklang for their charming stage presence. All of the guys in the band seem so genuinely excited to be playing - as if they can't believe that they're on stage in New York.... [Sonic Smorgasbord]

More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Efterklang, Sam Amidon & Daniel Bjarnason @ Le Poisson Rouge in NYC - pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Daníel Bjarnason - Bow to String I. "Sorrow Conquers Happiness" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

Daníel Bjarnason...

Tonight's Efterklang's show at (Le) Poisson Rouge (3/3) has been merged with the club's earlier show, which adds Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason and the banjo playing Sam Amidon to the bill. Tickets are on sale.

Part of the reason for the new lineup is the fact that Balmorhea, who was to open Efterklang's entire tour had to cancel due to a family emergency. As a result the band's tour schedule had been updated with new openers, posted below. Efterklang will also be touring without violin+ player Peter Broderick, who has to tend to "a knee surgery that isn´t healing properly." Best of luck to both of them.

All three of the bands playing have records that just came out, or are coming out shortly. Efterklang's Magic Chairs came out February 23rd. "Modern Drift" from it is posted above.

Bjarnason's debut album, Processions, came out on the Bedroom Community label on March 2nd. "Sorrow Conquers Happiness," the full-throttle first part of his Bow to String concerto, which opens the record, is posted above. Its multi-track cellos evoke a range of sounds from clanging chains and machine gun taps to spiraling riffs and even a bit of tender melody.

At age 30, Daníel Bjarnason is already a veteran of Iceland's music scene, and his compositions have received international acclaim in recent years. As co-founder and chief conductor of the Isafold Chamber Orchestra, he's recorded two discs of modern classical music on the 12 Tónar label....He has lent his talents to artists on the other side of the alleged classical/rock divide--Ólöf Arnalds, Pétur Ben, Hjaltalín, and, most famously, Sigur Rós, collaborating with that band at its Abbey Road sessions with the London Sinfonietta--before creating Processions with producer and Bedroom Community co-founder Valgeir Sigurðsson.

He'll be joined at the show by cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir, pianist Vicky Chow, and others.

Sam Amidon's new record, I See the Sign, comes out on Bedroom Community on April 20th. Among the guests on the album is Beth Orton, who Amidon opened for in January. He plays a record release show at 92YTribeca on April 10th with Thomas Bartlett (Doveman). Tickets are on sale.

Its amazing lead single, "How Come That Blood," is available here. Sam was recently featured on the World Cafe, which you can stream online.

Sam Amidon will be part of the Whale Watching Tour, which'll pair him with Bedroom Community labelmates Ben Frost (who plays at Big Ears with Tim Hecker), Nico Muhly (who plays with Doveman at the Kitchen March 18th and 19th), Valgeir Sigurðsson, and a band of musicians across Europe this April and May. Tour dates for that and more are below...

Continue reading "Daníel Bjarnason & Sam Amidon have new albums & shows, both opening for Efterklang (because Balmorhea cancelled)"

DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

On Tuesday February 23rd [TODAY] from 5-7pm at the Clark Studio Theater [at Lincoln Center] in Manhattan, an 8 piece orchestra, made up of kids from PS. 859, a public school for musically gifted children from grades K-8 (aka The Special Music School) will perform Efterklang songs in tandem with a filmed performance of the band. The band will be projected on a 20-foot high screen behind the kids. We call this collaboration Efterkids! With this performance, 4AD and Efterklang hope to raise awareness for the overall issue of music education in schools.

Entry to the Efterkids show is free; RSVP to rsvpnyc@4ad.com. Prior to the show, there will be a listening party for Efterklang's new album, Magic Chairs, which is out today (and a song from which is above). More details are below.

I saw Efterklang twice over the weekend at by:Larm. Both were 30 minute sets which is standard for all shows at the Norweigian festival. Like Oh No Ono, the Danish band are big in Scandinavia. Efterklang are more established though, with three studio albums, the newest being on 4AD. Both shows I saw were in big theaters. The second was in a seated venue called Folketeateret...

Folketeateret is a stage for music and theatre in the centre of Oslo. The building is over 70 years old and used to be the home of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet.

In 2009 Folketeateret opened after a long renovation process, and the building's rich tradition and architectural greatness is clearly visible in the new theatre.

Folketeateret has 1,400 seats, making it Oslo's biggest stage for theatre. The theatre is connected to Restaurant Folk and Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret. [Visit Norway]

As you can see in the pictures that continue below, the place was pretty packed, and at this performance especially, Efterklang put on a beautiful performance. It was also really nice to be seated, even if just for a short time. Most of the time I was running around like crazy in the snow from venue to venue.

Efterklang's upcoming US tour includes a March 3rd show at (Le) Poisson Rouge and ends with a run of SXSW shows in Austin. For their LPR show and others, they'll be touring with Austin's Balmorhea. LPR tickets are still on sale.

All tour dates for the band are here. Efterkids details, flyer and re-posted "Modern Drift" video, along with more pictures from Norway, are below...

Continue reading "Efterklang played by:Larm (pics), "Efterkids!" playing in NYC today (to celebrate release of Efterklang's new 4AD album)"

Crystal Stilts @ Slumberland Birthday, 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Red Baraat @ BAM
* Dan Deacon at Suny Purchase
* Evangelista @ The Stone
* Memory Tapes at Tribeca Grand
* Men, MKNG FRNDZ @ The Bell House
* Wakey! Wakey!, Harper Blynn @ Mercury Lounge
* Yemenwed, Light Asylum, Sabine Gruffat @ P.S.1
* The Golden Filter, Nancy Whang @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Man In Gray, El Jezel, Coyote Eyes @ Union Hall
* H2O (15 Year Anniversary Show) @ Gramercy Theatre
* Nosaj Thing, Daedelus, Jogger @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* These Are Powers, MNDR, Blondes, JDH & Dave P @ Coco 66
* Misery Index, Magrudergrind, Mutant Supremacy @ Union Pool
* Aligns, The Yellow Dogs, In Cadeo, Darwin Deez @ The Cameo
* Zola Jesus, Blacklist, Cult of Youth, White Ring @ Cake Shop
* Extra Life, Pink Reason, Silk Flowers, M. Lamar @ Death By Audio
* PC Worship, Ashcan Orchestra, GDFX, Hexbreaker Quintet @ Shea Stadium
* Pygmy Shrews, Golden Girls, Byrds of Paradise, Tough Knuckles @ Bruar Falls
* Greg Kelley, Chris Brokaw, Matthew Heyner, Sean Meehan @ Issue Project Room
* Secret Country, Roadside Graves, WJ & The Sweet Sacrifice, My Name Is John Michael @ Maxwell's
* Crystal Stilts, The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, German Measles @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Haiti Benefit w/ Your 33 Black Angels, Bugs in the Dark, Palominos, Hollands, Normandy, Balboa, Winston Troy, MK Groove Orchestra @ East River Bar

Man in Gray are back together for one night only tonight at Union Hall! With Coyote Eyes and El Jezel. They played their two final shows in 2008, one of which was at one of our Rock n ROFL shows at Pianos.

Extra Life, who are at DBA tonight, have a new record coming out, called Made Flesh, on March 30th.

Memory Tapes tonight at Tribeca Grand is free (RSVP to events [at] self-titledmag.com). Tanlines are DJing.

Mates of State play the Bell House on Sunday.

Today is the last day of by:Larm in Norway. I've seen a ton of great bands so far. Most are new to me. I'm trying to avoid bands I've seen or will definitely see soon. Serena Maneesh fall into both categories (SXSW = the "see soon" part), but I couldn't help myself and went and checked them out last night at Spectrum Scene in Oslo. They went on after Johann Johannsson who went on after Efterklang (it was 4AD night). I actually watched all three and even saw some bands in nearby venues during set change... there's a band on somewhere every half hour, and all bands only play for 30 minutes.... so if you're quick you can see at least 25 minutes of a 30 minute set twice an hour for about 7 hours straight...except Serena Maneesh actually who got 45 minutes as tonight's big headliner... actually Johann played longer too, but I left before he finished). I don't have videos from the show, so here are some of their official videos instead, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

Copenhagen's Efterklang are releasing Magic Chairs, their third record (and first on 4AD), on February 23rd. Three songs from the album (including "Modern Drift," which you can get above) are streaming on their website. They also recorded a "Happy New Year 2010 video postcard" with audio clips from four of the new songs. That's posted below.

Efterklang will be touring the United States this March with Austin's Balmorhea. The bands come to NYC for a Wednesday, March 3rd show at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Tickets are on sale.

That tour takes them to Austin for SXSW shows which are currently-TBA. The new video for their album-opening "Modern Drift" is posted with all tour dates and more below...

Continue reading "Efterklang - 2010 tour dates, new album, MP3, video "

Naomi Shelton @ Joe's Pub in 2009 (more by Jacob Blickenstafff)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash comedy @ UCB
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Butch Morris (seminar) @ The Stone
* White Hills, Pontiak, Eidetic Seeing @ Cake Shop
* Les Paul Guitar Tribute w/ Dorado Schmitt @ Iridium
* Maluka & Bad Brilliance Haiti benefit @ Public Assembly
* Jim Campilongo Electric Trio @ The Living Room
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Martin Bisi, Paul Wallfisch, Rachelle Garniez, John Dylan Keith @ The Delancey
* Retribution Gospel Choir feat. Alan Sparhawk, Datus, Arms & Legs, Himalaya @ Mercury Lounge
* Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra (w/ members of Chico Mann and Fela!), Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Rich Medina, Ikebe Shakedown @ Knitting Factory

The Knitting Factory show tonight is a benefit for Haiti.

Butch Morris gives a seminar tonight at The Stone. Toby Driver's month of choices kicks off on Tuesday.

David Byrne and Justin Vernon showed up as surprise guests at the St. Vincent show on Friday night.

David Byrne's newest album won a Grammy, as did many other people and albums last night.

Les Paul Guitar Trio with guest Dorado Schmitt does a special show for Django Reinhardt's 100th b-day at Iridium. Jeff Beck and Imelda May honored Les Paul last night on the Grammys.

Killing Joke are releasing a new album, playing more shows.

Tinariwen are one of the first acts announced for the 2010 season at Central Park Summerstage.

Mayhem tickets went on sale.

Passion Pit tickets went on sale.

Video of Zs playing "New Slaves" at Market Hotel on January 29th, below...

Efterklang's new video for "Modern Drift", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

Efterklang @ (old) Knitting Factory in May 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

"Modern Drift," a new song from Danish Efterklang that's posted above, catches the band caught between its chamber pop and post-rock leanings. It's off the group's forthcoming, third album, Magic Chairs, due February 23rd on 4AD (their first for the label).

In October, Leaf Label put out a live DVD+CD documenting Efterklang's "Performing Parades" show on September 28th, 2008, with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Just like it sounds, the show featured the band playing their 2007 album, Parades, in full. They're curently touring Europe. Tracklists for those two records (and new album artwork) and a video of the group doing the song "Caravan" with the Danish National. Chamber Orchestra are below...

Continue reading "Efterklang - 4AD album in 2010 (MP3) + live DVD/CD out now"

Efterklang @ Mercury Lounge - March 28, 2009 (Efterklang - photoblog)

A Hawk and a Hacksaw @ SXSW 2009 (Efterklang - photoblog)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* Garotas Suecas @ Zebulon
* The Roots @ Highline Ballroom
* Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu) @ Monkey Town
* Mates of State, Black Kids @ Webster Hall
* The Rakes, The Dig, Sean Bones @ Bowery Ballroom
* James Yuill, The Answering Machine @ Mercury Lounge

"This is a charity auction for 2 tickets to see Dark Was The Night - Live at Radio City Music Hall on May 3, 2009. Besides getting the VIP treatment, you will also receive what we are calling THE JOSH FREESE COMMEMORATIVE BONUS PRIZE PACK of extras and goodies to enhance your overall winning bid experience." [ebay]

Videos of Les Paul playing at Iridium below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Micachu - Lips (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Chap - Proper Rock (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Choir of Unbelievers - Next Summer (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Youth Group - "Start Today Tomorrow" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Fumes - "Automobile" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Deastro - Parallelogram (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Deastro - Light Powered (MP3)

Micachu @ Cake Shop (more by Tim Griffin)

Welcome to the SXSW Hangover edition of This Week in Indie. Those who went to Austin might not want to go see live music, but for everyone else it's a boon. Most of these bands have been covered before so I'm just going to go night-by-night of the shows I'd recommend...

Continue reading "Deastro, Obits, White Lies, WAVVES, Ladyhawke, Efterklang, Primal Scream & more in This Week in Indie"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland - I'm A Machine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland - Polaroids (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - "Mirador" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Mirror Mirror (live) (MP3)

Efterklang @ Knitting Factory in 2008 (more photos by Zach Dilgard)

Danish band Efterklang:

...toured its 2007 album Parades for 14 months, performing 133 shows across the planet. This new North American tour will be the first opportunity to hear some of the band's new material being road-tested before they head back into the studio to record their third album, due for release in 2010.

Efterkland has four dates marked off for SXSW shows between March 18-21, after which the band will tour its way to NYC for a Saturday, March 28th show at Mercury Lounge with Shilpa Ray (tix on sale now).

In 2008, Efterklang joined fellow Danes Slaraffenklang (who will be at SXSW this year too) in touring US and Canada as The Danish Dynamite Tour, which included a NYC gig at Knitting Factory (5/28/08).

On the last show of that tour, the bands joined forces on stage to form "Slaraffenklang", releasing the result as a free four song EP, Danish Dynamite Live at Sono Festival 2008. The story behind the EP is posted below.

Efterklang also is prepping a live CD/DVD, which documents the band's September '08 performance of its Parades album accompanied by the the Danish National Chamber Orchestra.

EP story, some videos, and all of Efterklang's tour dates dates, below...

Continue reading "Efterklang - 2009 Tour Dates, free "Slaraffenklang" EP, MP3's"

photos by Zach Dilgard

Slaraffenland

Efterklang

The Danish bands Efterklang and Slaraffenland passed through NYC to play Knitting Factory on Wednesday night (May 28, 2008).

Slaraffenland played first and was joined on stage by Efterklang's drummer for a few songs (see below for why). Efterklang played last and was joined by all of Slaraffenland during the encore. That put around 13 or 14 people total on stage at the end of the show, including..... Christopher Taylor from Grizzly Bear who got to show off his skills on the tambourine. Casper Clausen of Efterklang said that every time they see Christopher, he gives them some haircuts.

Everyone seemed to be into both bands for the most part, but Bill from Sound Bites definitely preferred Slaraffenland...

Live, Slaraffenland are pretty fascinating to watch, as all the members sing and play at least two instruments... often within the same song. The guitarist played the oboe; the percussionist played a variety of woodwinds; the bassist also played flute; and the keyboardist / sampler was often seen with a trombone. I'm sure the drummer also was a multi-instrumentalist but he was absent at Knitting Factory -- a new father, he had to leave the tour early for daddy duty.

He follows that by saying that Efterklang....

were a little too affected for my tastes, both musically (a lot more precious and grandiose) and visually (they band wore turn-of-the-century garb, including those weird golf/riding pants that are baggy at the thigh and tight through the calf).

Ray went to the CT show and said Efterkland "was a truly hypnotic experience". More pictures from Knitting Factory below....

Continue reading "Efterklang, Slaraffenland & a member of Grizzly Bear @ Knitting Factory, NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland - I'm a Machine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland - Polaroids (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Mirror Mirror (live) (MP3)

You might recognize the above picture from our last SXSW-related Danish band feature. They are Slaraffenland and Avi Roig said that "Just saying their name out loud is enough to make me smile." Stereogum said to watch them and Pitchfork called them one of their favorite bands. The first MP3 up there is from their older Sunshine EP. Their new album called Private Cinema came out on Hometapes on May 6th and the 2nd MP3 up there is from that one.

Efterklang are also from Denmark and that's who Slaraffenland are on tour with right now. Read about their 2007 release on the Leaf label at Stylus. Grab their MP3 above too and check out their video for "Caravan" below.

TONIGHT's show at Knitting Factory should be great (May 28, 2008). All tour dates under the video....

Continue reading "Slaraffenland & Efterklang - Danish bands touring, in NYC!"