Boston trio 28 degrees taurus play some kind of “dreamy, psychedelic lo-fi shoegaze” if you know what I mean.  Their new and second album is just released, and it’s called “How do you like your love”. The album is sometimes a bit too dark and dreamy for me, but other times it really works for me. What I like: Most of the parts where Karina Dacosta and Jisen Liu sings. Nice melodies and good vocals! What I don’t like: The long, dreamy shoegaze-guitar parts. I never missed that part of shoegaze…

Here’s a taster for you:

28 degrees taurus - waves of love

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I just came home from my vacation, and found a nice new song from Pelle Carlberg in my inbox. The song is called “1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)”, and it’s the first single from his third album “The Lilac Time”.  The new album will be released August 27, on Labrador Records, of course.

I like the song, - catchy and simple with nice lyrics, but it may be easier to forget that the first single from his previous album “In a Nutshell”, the übercatchy “I Love You, You Imbecile”. Looking forward to the album though! Both of his previous have been high class pop albums.

What do you think of the new single from Pelle Carlberg?

Pelle Carlberg - 1983 (Pelle & Sebastian) (from Labrador Records)

You can preview more songs from the new album on Pelle Carlberg’s myspace.

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Magnus Sinnes is one of the more interesting new young artists in Norway, and for some strange reason, he’s still unsigned. We featured the song “Kalypsos Garden” on our own free summer compilation “Summer’s here!” (link to the compilation in the sidebar), and now Magnus has made another of his new recordings available via NRK Urört’s website. the song is called “Imminent”, and it’s another gem from Sinnes. His music is filled with interesting elements beneath the leading vocal melodies, and especially his string arrangements make me hold my breath just to focus on listening.

Magnus Sinnes has just finished the recording of his debut album, and everything is so far financed by himself. So, if you run a label and want to make Magnus Sinnes the star he ought to be, then you know what you should do!

Magnus Sinnes - Imminent (from nrk urört)

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Just before I went on my vacation, I bought the new album from The Heart Strings, called “Try Fly Blue Sky”, and it has really become a summer favourite of mine.

This London six-piece is led by icecream-loving twins Todd and Max, and their music reminds me of Sufjan Stevens in some ways, - especially in the way they build their arrangements and melodies. Charming, warm and completely irresistable popmusic. This is orchestral pop, and the songs are filled with trumpets (and all kinds of brass instruments), strings, glockenspiels and lots of backing singers.

It’s a really nice album to listen to, and it’s one of those where you listen extra carefully to the lyrics. It’s high class storytelling, and some of their lyrics and songs are easy to dream yourself away to. It’s words you remember. I have several favourites on the album, - some for their lyrics, other for the music, and most of them for the combination.

Check out the band and their music on their myspace or on their website.

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LO recordings has become one of my favourite labels this year. LO is a London based label, with 2 sublabels, where LOaf recordings is my favourite. They release mainly electronic music  somewhere between pop and experimental. Interesting music, melodic music, surprising music.
LO’s latest releases has been a wonderful album from The Chap (one of my favorite electronic albums of the year), the new Black Devil Disco Club and now the awesome new ep from Dark Captain Light Captain, “Circles”.
The EP is a taster for the band’s forthcoming full-length, “Miracle Kicker”, out on LOAF this fall.

DCLC is Dan Carney (guitar, vocals), Giles Littleford (guitar, vocals), Neil Kleiner (electronics, vocals), Chin Keeler (drums), Laura Copsey (brass, vocals) and Michael Cranny (bass, vocals).
Their first ep, “Jealous enemies”, has become a stayer in my personal playlists for a long time now, and this new one is even better. A bit psychedelia, a bit folk, a bit electronica and a lot of sweet, friendly harmonies. Beautiful music! References may be the music of Tunng or The Accidental.

Here’s a taster for you, “They be underwater”:
Dark Captain Light Captain - They be underwater

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Indonesian Sunny Summer Day was one of the bands we featured on our recent “Summer’s Here” compilation here at Eardrums. Now, they’ve got a new download-only EP available on Letterbox Records, and after listening to the six songs on “me, myself and the empty soul” I can give this release my warm recommendations.

This is jangly, melodic indie pop, and the band is more than a little inspired by bands from the legendary Sarah Records. Some of their songs may sound a bit too much like old heroes (Primal Scream from around the c86 time, The Sea Urchins, The Field Mice, The Orchids, 14 iced bears, Brighter + others), and on especially one of their songs (not one of the ep tracks) I find myself singing the words from Primal Scream’s “Velocity Girl” to the Sunny Summer Day-song. I’m not sure if that is a good thing, but for people like me, who love this kind of music, it’s easy to ignore, and just sing along…

All of the songs on the ep holds a high quality, and I especially like the catchy “You’re the one for me” and “Happy in the summer”. As expected, a fine release from Sunny Summer Day!

Sunny Summer Day - You\’re the one for me

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Jesper Norda is a multi-talented artist from Gothenburg, Sweden. He works with both music and visual arts, and has had art-exhibitions in several countries around the world.
We first wrote about him a year ago, when we featured his pop-band If There Is Something (together with Åbi Berglund), but this time Norda is on his own in his solo project. His songs are mainly based on piano and vocals, and it’s this simple instrumentation that really gets me hooked on his music. The warm vocals and the beautiful melodies comes so close, and the songs have this wonderful atmosphere that works especially good after dark. It might be his voice, - I don’t know - , but there’s something in his music that makes me think of Magnetic Fields. It’s not the obvious comparison, I know, but still…

I love the way Jesper Norda describes how he creates his songs on his website:

“I try to follow my hands along the keyboard, and then I try to sing something that feels
singable, and then I try to stop to play when I feel that something feels to complicated and messy. Then I start to play something new that I think I might like.»

A good and simple recipe for good songs.

Jesper Norda has a free digital 5 track ep called “Little Ones EP” available on his own website.

Jesper Norda - Make it pass

Jesper Norda - Tomorrow you will be forgiven but tonight you will have your teeth knocked out

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I first heard of The Jersey Barrier through their wonderful song “Grey Skies” on the Kindercore “war on christmas” compilation from 2007. I looked around on the web for more music from this band, but I could not find much. Now, I’m sitting here with a smile on my face, listening to The Jersey Barrier’s debut album, “Steady Pace in The Slow Lane”. It’s quiet, folky and very melodic music. Nothing rushes in The Jersey Barrier’s world, - time is not limited, - and they manage to give the listener this nice, calm feeling, - at least THIS listener. The Jersey Barrier has two very good vocalists, who sometimes sing together and sometimes alone. I’m rarely a fan of two vocalist-bands (I almost always prefer one of them and don’t like the other), but this time it works very good. They both have the same warm calmness in their voices.

“Steady Pace in the slow lane” has become a really nice debut from a band I had high hopes for. Let’s hope we hear much more from The Jersey barrier in the future!

The Jersey Barrier - crack the roof

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This might be old “news” for some of you, but I just had to write some words about the wonderful “Searching for the now” series from the fine Slumberland records. It’s originally a series of split 7-inch singles, but all of the releases in this series has now also been made available digitally on some download-shops (amazon and emusic has all of them). The singles are also available directly from Slumberland (link above).

The latest two releases in the series (3 and 4) was released mid june, and included great songs from bands like A Sunny Day in Glasgow, The Sunny Street, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Summer Cats (who we also featured on our own summer compilation). All of them are really good pop songs, but the Sunny Street and Summer Cats are my personal favourites. The first two singles in the series are also well worth getting, with bands like The Hermit Crabs, Bye!, Company and The Happy Couple. Great pop, as always from Slumberland.

Here’s a short preview of the Sunny Street’s song

The Sunny Street - Pottery and Glass (not the whole song, only a short edit)

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After weeks with planning, artist contact, receiving files, listening, tagging, more planning… we are finally finished with our compilation. It’s huge, and maybe not your typical summer compilation, but it shows what we like and it has a wonderful summer sound to it. I’m also very proud of the cover art, made especially for this project by two of my favourite illustrators, Alex Noriega and Helena Garcia.

Here are the albums (browse down for Volume 2)

Volume 1: Art by Alex Noriega

Download the zip’s, and while you do, you can read (or download) the pdf-files included with info about the artists and the compilation. Enjoy the music, and please leave a comment or a “review”. I would so much like to know what you think!! Also, if you notice anything wrong either in the text or with the sound, please contact me (contact-link in the left sidebar).

GO TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE

Tracklisting:

My Little Pony - Skipping down the street (Norway | new track)
The Zebras - Push Our Way To The Front (Australia | new track)
spaghetti anywhere - loveagain (UK | new track)
Magnus Sinnes - Kalypsos Garden (Norway | new track)
The LK - Never Mind Your Idols (Sweden | new track)
The Bank Holidays - Folded In Half (Australia | released)
All My Friends - Up and Down The River    (UK | new track)
The Little Hands of Asphalt - Blue & Green    (Norway | new track)
My Amiga - Thank Heavens for Little Victories    (UK | released)
The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Laundry    (UK | new track)
Hello Saferide - The Quiz    (Sweden | released)
Princeton - The Waves    (USA | released)
Slowmotion Club - The Salt    (Sweden | new track)
Jacob Borshard - I Can’t Go Back To Sweden    (USA | new track)
Jeremy - Little Boy (Norway | new track)
Outmen - The Dog Boy (Sweden | new track)
Little Things - Red Estate Car    (UK | new track)
Sunny Summer Day - So Much Fun    (Indonesia | released)
The Charade - Loaded Gun (alternative mix)    (Sweden | new track)
Richard Holmsen - In Common    (Norway | new track)
The Foster Kids - Foster Kid    (UK | released ltd)
Lego Castles - Triangles    (UK | released)
johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.(Sweden | released)
Cold mailman - Time is of the essence (Norway | new track)

Vol.2: Art by Helena Garcia

GO TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE

Funny Little Dream - Sunshine (Indonesia | new track)
Northern Portrait - Crazy (Denmark | released)
Elle s’appelle - Reasons your reasons your… (UK | new track)
I was a King - Norman Bleik (Norway | new track)
Northern Fields - never take the beauty (Sweden | released)
We Grow Up - Wrote It All Down In My Diary (Australia | released)
club 8 - take me home (eskimo-esque mix) (Sweden | new remix)
Bedroom Eyes - Norwegian Pop (Sweden | released)
Fireflies - Our Time To Fall (USA | new track)
The School - Summer’s Here (demo) (UK | new track)
Nomber 5s - You Know (Norway | released)
Little Name - thoroughly modern (UK | new track)
Remington Super 60 - The bicycle song (Norway | new track)
Stars in Coma - Amelie (Sweden | new track)
Summer Cats - Bed Wetter (Australia | released ltd)
Princess Niko - Kelvinpolis (Norway | new track)
Pocketbooks - Summertime (UK | released ltd)
Bears - The Worst Part (USA | released ltd)
Sly Hats - Does He Cry (Australia | released)
Still Corners - history of love (UK | released)
Tellus about the Moon - Nomore (UK | new track)
The April Skies - Fading dreams (Norway | new track)
Celestial - the summers first kiss (demo) (Sweden | new track)
ANT - Please please please (let me get what I want) (Sweden/UK | new track)

HOPE YOU LIKE IT! HAVE A PERFECT POP SUMMER!

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(If you are not familiar with my compilation album plans, you can read about it here and here)

All tracks have been received and put together into two very fine digital summer compilations, and both will be available for free here on the site. I’m hoping to be able to release it for you tomorrow, tuesday the 24th, but I’m waiting for the last cover to arrive, so I can’t promise 100%.

I guess the tracklisting might be interesting for you, so check it out here (Last minute changes may still happen):

“SUMMER’S HERE! - EARDRUMS COMPILATION 2008, VOL.1″
Cover art by Alex Noriega

My Little Pony - Skipping down the street
The Zebras - Push Our Way To The Front
spaghetti anywhere - loveagain
Magnus Sinnes - Kalypsos Garden
The LK - Never Mind Your Idols
The Bank Holidays - Folded In Half
All My Friends - Up and Down The River
The Little Hands of Asphalt - Blue & Green
My Amiga - Thank Heavens for Little Victories
The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Laundry
Hello Saferide - The Quiz
Princeton - The Waves
Slowmotion Club - The Salt
Jacob Borshard - I Can’t Go Back To Sweden
Jeremy - Little Boy
Outmen - The Dog Boy
Little Things - Red Estate Car
Sunny Summer Day - So Much Fun
The Charade - Loaded Gun (alternative mix)
Richard Holmsen - In Common
The Foster Kids - Foster Kid
Lego Castles - Triangles
Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.
cold mailman - Time is of the essence

“SUMMER’S HERE! - EARDRUMS COMPILATION 2008, VOL.2″
Cover art by Helena Garcia

Funny Little Dream - Sunshine
Northern Portrait - Crazy
Elle s’appelle - Reasons your reasons your…
I was a King - Norman Bleik
Northern Fields - never take the beauty
We Grow Up - Wrote It All Down In My Diary
club 8 - take me home (eskimo-esque mix)
Bedroom Eyes - Norwegian Pop
Fireflies - Our Time To Fall
The School - Summer’s Here (demo)
Nomber 5s - You Know
Little Name - thoroughly modern
Remington Super 60 - The bicycle song
Stars in Coma - Amelie
Summer Cats - Bed Wetter
Princess Niko - Kelvinpolis
Pocketbooks - Summertime
Bears - The Worst Part
Sly Hats - Does He Cry
Still Corners - history of love
Tellus about the Moon - Nomore
The April Skies - Fading dreams
Celestial - the summers first kiss (demo)
ANT - Please please please (let me get what I want)   

Anything you like here? Comments are more than welcome!

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Hi there,

sorry for the lack of posts lately, but I’m busy making a brilliant, free compilation album for you, scheduled for release one of the days after this weekend, not sure yet which, but definitely before the 25th of june. The majority of songs are NEW and so far unreleased songs from some of our favourite bands, some are older but also unreleased and some are released and really good. The compilation will not only be one BUT TWO, and they will be packed full of songs. Should you start looking forward to this already now? Yes, I think so!

I’ll get back with a full list of artists when the last few tracks have arrived in my inbox.

So, is it ok that I spend all my free time on this compilation project for one more week, or should I rather get back to daily Eardrums-posts? (If this was a play or a movie, your line should have been “Yes, dear Knut, please continue with what you’re doing!”. Please rehearse on this and say it over and over again until the album is released, ok?)

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One of our favourites, The School, will be live in session on 6Music with Tom Robinson from 7pm UK time today, friday.
The session will be broadcasted live on the internet, and you can also listen to it in a recorded version afterwards here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/tom_robinson
Their new brilliant EP, “Let it slip” is available now from www.elefant.com + from most decent record-shops, and from itunes.
Here’s the new video for the song “Let it slip”, followed by a video for “All I Want to do” further down:

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After three years of blogging, I’ve decided to do something new with the blog for a change. I’m making a summer compilation album (maybe two…) with artists I like, - artists that make music in the same “musical neighbourhood” as the ones we write about on Eardrums. Melody will be in focus, and it will be music for the warmer seasons, - a summer album. We’ve set the theme to “music for a picnic, a garden party or a warm summer night”.

The album will be a digital only release, and the only place you can get it will be here on Eardrums. Several artists will share exclusive songs with us, - not published before. Some have been published/released before, but they are either super-fresh or they are so good that they deserve to be re-published…
No money involved, either for you, us or the artists. Free, that is.

I’ve already received several songs, and more are in the making as we speak. The style range from sunshiny pop, fuzzy pop, folky pop, nice and pure pop, electro-ish pop, acoustic pop - and some of you would probably like to add “indie” in front of pop, - please feel free to do so. Some songs are happy and carefree, other are more laidback and thoughtful. A varied album, just as the blog is, I hope.

The album is quite filled up already, but If you want to be a part of this and play in a band, you can send some music over to us and we’ll consider the songs. You can contact us at info@eardrumsmusic.com. Tell us about your music, and add a link to somewhere on the net where I can preview some songs (myspace/website). Since I’ve already invited several artists, I can not promise you a place on the compilation, but I definitely would like to hear your music!

Release will be in the last part of June or in the early days of July.

This is so much fun!

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