Hanne Kolstö and Love:Fi to Perform at SXSW

Try to follow me here, folks. 

For those of you who may be a bit new to the blog, I used to run this feature called Myspace Music Mondays in which I would profile talented artists who I totally found on myspace.  On January 21, 2008 I profiled a young woman from Norway who I felt had what it took to be the next, oh I don’t know, Bjork.  Her name is Hanne Kolstö and she sings with several different groups.

As it just so happens, Hanne and the guys from Love:Fi will be performing at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, TX on March 18.  Now I know that for many of you attending the festival, hearing some little known group from Norway is no big deal, but trust me, you’re in for a treat!

There’s no word yet on specific times or location, but do yourself a favor and try to discover something new.  Who knows?  You may even get to say “Yeah, I heard them before they got famous” to all your friends a few years from now.  Just a thought….

myspace music monday: Sleeping In the Black Light

Can you believe it’s only been two weeks since the last myspace music monday? It feels like a lifetime! So I know you’re sitting on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating this article. That’s why I won’t waste any more of your time with fancy-shmancy introductions. Just read.

Sleeping In the Black Light

Genres: Alternative/Progressive/Experimental
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Band Members: Gav – Vox, Guitar, Piano, Sax / Matt Webb – Lead Guitar, Percussion, B Vox / Junior – Bass, B Vox / Jay – Drums, B Vox
Influences: Too many to name. Highlights include: Sigur Ros, Radiohead, The Walkmen, and Led Zepplin.
Sounds Like: “Going for a lovely picnic, sitting in the grass, staring at the sky, and eating a sandwich, only to find that you have forgotten to pack a drink. You finish the sandwich regardless and try to enjoy yourself. Nevertheless you are constantly plagued by the feeling that things could be a lot better.”

The Short of It: The best way to describe the band is by stealing their above statement. You try to enjoy yourself, but are constantly plagued by the feeling that things could be a lot better.

Songs:
“Mexican Standoff” – To be 100% truthful, the reason that I am featuring this band today has little to do with my admiration of their talent. The band went splitsville over a year ago but are still being promoted by Net Label, The Gack Factory, who contacted me about doing a write-up of the band. In their letter was a line that grabbed my attention and forced me to listen. Comparing their “mini-album” to Muse, Radiohead, and System of a Down, they wrote that “Mexican Standoff” is the “pinnacle of the band’s recorded work.” If that’s the case, then the best thing to happen to Manchester, England in some time was this band’s dissolution. “Mexican Standoff” sounds like a high school band’s attempt at Audioslave, with amateurish vocals and a somewhat bluesy, but mostly ballsy, guitar line. If this is the pinnacle, then the rest of this articles really ain’t worth writing.

“Shadows in the Headlights” – The production on this song is the best of any of their recorded work, as it sounds legitimate as opposed to the other songs’ garage-style recordings. Gav’s vocals aren’t half bad here, and his falsetto sounds natural and unforced. Hearing the two guitar parts play off of each other is very nice. Also, I’m really struck by the band’s ability to tone things down. The other songs sound like a mess of guitars, drums, and vocals, but this one is well-balanced and easy to swallow.

“Been Killing Wasps” – To be honest, this is really the best that the band at it’s best. That’s not including Gav, of course, who can’t sing a lick. He spends most of the song going back and forth between awkward yelling and a castrati-like falsetto. The instrumentation, however, is quite solid and makes the song worth hearing.t

“Diplomatic Malice” – Comically bad vocals really ruin anything else that this song may have going on for it, which isn’t a whole lot. Gav’s voice is reduced to a nerdy growl thoughout the song’s length. The fact that this is the final version of the song and not some bedroom demo is the most shocking revelation I’ve dealt with in some time. The song’s instrumentation picks up a bit towards the end (once the vocals have gone away), but it’s not enough to redeem the song. Not by a long shot.

“Crows on Telephone Wires” – Not a terrible song by any means. The 6/8 time signature used by the band makes for an interesting listen. Guitar-driven, the only thing one could really complain about are Gav’s vocals which are downright pitiful. It sounds like he recorded the song after a night of heavy drinking, which can never bode well.

The Long of It: You know what the sad thing about this is? The band probably could’ve made a few decent songs if it weren’t for their lead singer. The guys sure are familiar with their instruments, and aside from the low fidelity, their recordings aren’t all that terrible. But there’s that Gav fellow who just flat out doesn’t sound good. Hopefully the rest of the band has moved on to other projects. As for the singer, well, I hope he has come to terms with his lack of talent and tried to occupy his time with other activities – like water polo! Who doesn’t love water polo?

Links:
Sleeping in the Black Light’s myspace Page
Tracks for Download
The Gack Factory’s Website

myspace music monday: Days Like Stars

For tomorrow’s release of Death Cab for Cutie’s Narrow Stairs, I’ve decided to make all posts this week Death Cab-related. So for today’s myspace music monday, I browsed through all the artists who listed Death Cab as either an influence or a “sounds like.” The result? People are liars! None of the dozens of artists that I heard even resembled DCFC. So we’re left with the best band that I stumbled during today’s browsing. It may not sound like Death Cab for Cutie, but it’s still pretty decent.

Days Like Stars

Genres: Indie/Rock/Pop
Location: Sydney, Australia
Band Members: Billy Coleman (Vocals, Guitar), Adrian Sheather (Lead Guitar), Toby Shain (Bass and Keyboards), Anthony Layton (Drums)
Influences: Death Cab for Cutie, Motor Ace, Bluebottle Kiss, Snow Patrol, Explosions in the Sky, Deloris.

The Short of It: More Snow Patrol than Death Cab. More contemporary Christian than indie rock.

Songs:
“Pale Signs” – Ok, so when I say they sound like Snow Patrol I really do mean it. “Pale Signs” is almost a dead ringer for that other band. But the song is good, and you know because it was featured on Love My Way, a now-cancelled Australian TV drama. For all of the American readers out there, think of the kind of song you’d expect to see at the end-of-show montage at the end of a Grey’s Anatomy season finale. You get the idea. A very energetic and empowering track.

“Devoted Youth” – Snow Patrol comparison clear? Check. CCM comparison? Coming right up! Now I grew up in church, and I grew up hearing a lot of Christian music as a result. This song sounds a lot like late Audio Adrenaline or even Chris Tomlin to some extent. But as is growing to be the theme with this band, the song is very uplifting. “Devoted Youth” gives its album Fight the Sunset its namesake with the line, “If we ever wake up again, we’ll fight the sunset to the end.” Good stuff, really.

“Thunderstorm” – Billy has quite the voice, and his lyrics aren’t half bad either. Granted, he’s no Ben Gibbard (his voice is stronger, but his lyrics are a little more cliche’). His vocals on this song are some of the most impressive on the band’s myspace page. Unfortunately, the song itself isn’t as interesting as the rest of the music. It all seems quite cookie-cutterish and it never really affects you as much as the band probably would’ve liked.
“City” – This is an awesome song that starts out with a very funky rock sound in the line of Maroon 5. Of course it eventually transforms into another Snow Patrol-esque anthem in the chorus. Billy passionately sings, “In light of night/ we’ll stand and watch/ over the city as it weeps/ cause I just though/ we should know/ that our hearts don’t sink alone,” over the band’s emphatic instrumentation. It’s a great song, and probably my favorite on the page.

“Afterthought” – If there was ever a song where the band truly sounded like Death Cab for Cutie, it’s not on the page. But this one is as close as they come. A solid, solemn piano ballad, Billy’s vocals are the centerpiece of the song, singing, “Though we may touch/ I’m only an afterthought.” Hearing the band tone things down a bit and take on an entirely different feel is extremely welcomed. The song barely features any instrumentation at all, and what is there is either brief or so far off in the distance that it’s more atmospheric than central. “Afterthought” is more than its title suggests. It is an undeniably gorgeous song.

The Long of It: Days Like Stars may not be the most original band on the planet. But what they lack in originality, they more than make up for with passion and energy. None of the songs featured on the band’s page come off as forced or faux, and all of them have the ability to make an impact on an unsuspecting listener. The band is incredibly talented, and their sound is polished beyond belief. They may not be equivalent to Death Cab for Cutie, but you’d be hard pressed to find a band that is. For what they do, though, you really couldn’t get much better than this.

Links:
Days Like Stars’ myspace Page
Official Site
Music Video for “Showtime”

myspace music monday: NanKama Music Project

Several months ago (like, October), I was sent an email by a fellow named Gerard asking me to play his music on my radio show. Well, I don’t have a radio show, but I listened to his music and told him what I thought of it and we sent a few more emails back and forth before I totally forgot all about him. Well when I was looking around for myspace music today, I happened to remember this correspondence and decided to feature the guy’s music on today’s myspace music monday. I’m such a nice guy!

NanKama Music Project

Genres: Experimental/Electro/Afro-beat
Location: France
Members: Gerard
Sounds Like: Nothing else!

The Short of It: Electronic music that is trippy, soothing, and sometimes downright strange!

Songs:
“What’s the Rush v2” – This song should give you a good idea of what his music is all about. There is a lot of strange ambient noise going on, but at the same time it all seems to fit in rather well. There’s a catchy bass line that runs the length of the song that is only interrupted by the song’s constant drop-outs (its only real downfall). I also really dig the flutes that come in as well.

“Interlude 1 Kitties” – Honestly, one of the weirdest things I’ve ever heard, but really really cool. The guy uses at least a dozen samples of cats making noises and pairs it with an extremely bouncy beat. Not much else, only a few seconds.

“And We’re Off” – The most uptempo song I’ve yet to here from Gerard. The bass line is once again persistent, but the sounds of fast, crescendoing hand claps are the only thing you’re likely to notice. I really can’t see anybody dancing to this anytime soon, but if they ever remade “Run, Lola, Run,” this would probably fit on the soundtrack pretty well.

“I Have Never Wanted” – Gerard actually sent me an unfinished version of this song back in November, and I’m pretty stoked to here it again, here. Back then the song was called “Dun Du Son” and had this annoying cymbal line that just wouldn’t quit. My exact words: “The only thing I would change would be the cymbals. They don’t seem to blend in very well. Everything sounds kinda tribal, and they just sound like a bad cymbal sample that shouldn’t be there. Other than that, don’t change a thing.” It seems like he took my advice, and the end result is nothing short of fantastic! Best song on the page, by far.

“Interlude 2 Belles” – Another short interlude, but he uses various types of bells this time rather than cats. Fair trade, I suppose.

“The Yodeler” – This song needs to be on the next iteration of Lumines! It’s a tremendously enchanting track that uses different types of tribal and foreign sounds to add to its distant feel. There are some drum parts towards the end that sound a bit louder than they should, but overall, it’s a pretty solid track.

————————-

The Long of It: I’m impressed for two reasons: 1.) I know from speaking with Gerard that he uses FL Studio to make a lot of his music on. I have about 6 years of experience working with that program and I can still make nothing close to this. 2.) If you could’ve heard the stuff he sent me 8 months ago (technically you can, as I still have the MP3s and can upload them…but won’t), you’d know the amount of improvement that he has shown in just that very short period of time. His music is very, very cool and kinda unique as well. It’s not stuff that I can listen to for days at a time, even hours. But if I ever need a musical background to my day-to-days, this stuff would work perfectly. Please head over to his myspace page and support his music with a listen. I’m sure he would greatly appreciate it!

Links:
NanKama Music Project’s myspace Page

myspace music monday: Snow Friends

So apparently I’m in this band with this guy who has something to do with this band called “Snow Friends.” What better way for me to weigh in?

Snow Friends

Location: Houston, TX
Genres: Pop/Indie
Sounds Like: A Party?

The Short of It: Not bad for a couple of guys playing around…but kinda bad.

Songs:
“Everything” – Question: what do you do if have a vocoder and a copy of Zero 9 – Pro Samples: Future Beats 1 (from Chemical Beats)? Well, you make this song, exploiting those two things the best you can. The thick, heavy synth and unrelenting drums give off a very Joy Electric vibe to me, and I totally adore the sound. But past that, what you have are some lame lyrics and annoying vocal performances (enhanced by the vocoder, but would be downright intolerable without it).

“The Night Never Ends” – The best song on the page, by far. The verse synths are amazing, while the chorus synths are a bit more obtrusive. The lyrics are cut from the same, “Baby, I want you” pie as the first song, but this one has a much stronger groove and more solid vocal melody throughout. There’s this odd, out of place breakdown in the middle of the song (where else, right?) that just doesn’t blend well with the rest of the song and that dissonance is heightened by the terrible “explosion” sample that brings it back into the song proper.

“Make it Snow” – Clearly the first song that these guys made, and totally hilarious. This short, Justin Timberlake-lite song is filled with such lyrical gems as,”My name is the only thing that I’ma let you scream all night / and then when I am done with you, you won’t be able to sit right.” Of course, that pales in comparison to hearing one of the guys say, “My ear pussy just got raped,” after the song concludes. Of course, the guys are still using the vocoder, even when unnecessary (like when talking). But if ever there was a way to be completely charming while also being ridiculously crude, this song would be it.

The Long of It: Keeping in mind that the majority of Snow Friends’ music is completely ridonkulous and probably not meant to be taken seriously, it ain’t all bad. As long as you don’t expect greatness from two guys with a vocoder, synthesizer, and drum machine (we can’t all be The Postal Service, right?), you should find their music to be an interesting little diversion from your “case of the Mondays.” Listen to it. Smile. Forget about it. Maybe not the most conventional choice for myspace music monday, but I could certainly do worse.

Links:
Snow Friends’ myspace Page

So if you know of a myspace artist that should totally be featured on Audio Overflow, leave a comment below. I’d totally appreciate it.

myspace music monday: Past Artists Update

myspace music monday: Dictaphone Blues

The last time we took a virtual stroll through New Zealand, I wound up hearing a little band called “Teacups.” Well, Teacups is still the bomb, but I came across someone else with an entirely different sound that also happens to be awesome. Check it out.

Dictaphone Blues

Genres: Indie/Electro/Pop
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Band Members: Edward Thomas Castlelow
Influences: People that listen more than they talk, Morgan Schroeder, Christine Castelow, Sandringham Rd traffic on a wet day, The Jubbley Spufflewupps and anyone that is nice to me.

The Short of It: Charming indie pop music with jaw-droppingly awesome vocals.

Songs:
“Your Eating is You” – The actual title to this song should be “You’re Eating is You,” which, honestly, should’ve been enough for me to leave this dude’s page and forget it forever. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that until I had already fallen in love with it. Edward sings passionately and confidently, and his vocals are probably a bit too front-heavy. Still the song is a blast to listen to, with a catchy, sing along melody and harmonies that challenge the likes of Field Music or Queen. This song is somewhere between the former and Belle and Sebastian. I can’t download the song to place on Audio Overflow, but you should totally listen to it!

“Lantern” – Edward’s vocals are once again the best part of this song, most notably in the chorus when he’s playfully singing “I won’t ever see until I hold a lantern.” The song has a very groovy vibe to it that makes me want to compare it to some of Spoon’s music…like “Rhythm and Soul.” I’m totally digging this one.

“About 8 Hours” – This song is the only ballad featured on the page. After about 3 listens, I’ve decided that I’m not the biggest fan of it. It features some pretty decent production, but Edward seems less sure of his vocals, probably because a decent vocal melody never really enters the picture. It’s the polar opposite to “You’re Eating is You.”

The Long of It: There’s a ton of potential here, and even more potential that has already been realized. I think that Dictaphone Blues has a fairly marketable sound and I wouldn’t be surprised to find Edward picked up by a label in the near future. Whether or not I actually hear his music on a grander stage than his myspace page really depends on how said record deal works out. I do think he deserves to be heard though, so here’s hoping for some good luck and smart decisions!

Links:
Dictaphone Blue’s myspace Page
More songs, in an entire radio set (streaming)

If you have any recommendations, or would like your band featured, please leave us a comment or shoot us an email at audiooverflow@gmail.com. Word.

myspace music monday: My Reminiscence With A Stranger

I’ve been kind of spoiled over the last month or so. Whereas I normally spend my Mondays scouring myspace music for a hint of something listenable, I’ve actually had artists or labels sending me stuff to go to and most of it has been good enough to feature. This week though, the well has gone dry and I was forced once again to brave the harsh myspace music world alone. I think I did pretty well for myself.

My Reminiscence With a Stranger

Genres: Indie/Electronica/Experimental
Location: Larnaca, Cyprus
Band Members: Denis Novojilov

The Short of It: Somewhere between elevator music and Jimmy Tamborello-esque glitch.

Songs
“Raindrop Voices” – The song proper, which is a very mellow composition that is complemented by some very cool glitch drumming, ends at about the 4-minute mark. After that, there’s an additional 4 minutes of raindrops and whispery pad synths that is at once compelling and soothing. It’s really a very well-done song despite the fact that its length and second half could be deemed unnecessary by some.

“Adult Conversations” – This song can get a bit repetitive, but thankfully it’s entrancing enough to where I don’t mind it. Denis uses the piano, and later a guitar, in pretty unconventional ways and even manages to squeeze in some vocals here and there. They’re not the sharpest, which makes me glad that his stuff is mostly instrumental. Towards the end, there’s a very neat snare-heavy drum line that is made all the better by heavily distorted, harmonizing guitars. This is probably the most-solid of his three songs.

“Love in Marlboro Country” – This, I believe, was the first real song that Denis did under this name. It shows all the signs of a first work. You can tell that a lot of labor went into it to get it to sound exactly right. It is the least repetitive of the three songs, and it’s constantly evolving into something greater. He does a little bit of singing again, but not too much. Overall, it’s a really good song that is very chill, relaxing, and inspiring.

The Long of It: I really enjoy this music in small doses. I can picture listening to it on the drive home from work, or using it as a soundtrack to the winding down of my day. It’s not something that I could picture buying a whole album of and listening to for 60 minutes at a time, but I really do enjoy what I’ve heard to some extent. I totally recommend it for people who need to unwind or relax, especially if you have one of those nifty little water fountains running in the background. Sadly, if you’re looking to rock out with your Charlie Browns out, you may need to apply elsewhere.

Links
My Reminiscence With A Stranger’s myspace Page

myspace musc monday: After the Ground and You

If you are able to recall several weeks ago, I wrote about a young man by the name of Nick McKerl whose music showed promise, but was still lacking severely. Well, Nick has been kind enough to keep in contact with Audio Overflow, and has introduced me to some new music that he’s created.

After the Ground and You

Genre: Electro/Lounge
Location: Ile-de-France, France
Band Members: Nick
Influences: Phasmophobia and Scotomaphobia

The Short of It: Instrumental, electronic music that can be both soothing and invigorating.

Songs
“Jumping Ghost Runways” – A very relaxing electro song that mixes glitch production with very rich guitars and other instrumentation. There are smatterings of Jimmy Tamborello all over the place on this one and Nick mixes things up consistently to where the song never gets too boring or repetitive.

“Mercury Fields” – This one sounds like something that Chris Walla could’ve worked up had be been chosen to produce a Sigur Ros album. The guitars are especially reminiscent of the band’s sound from the “( )” record. There is a moment at about the 3:30 mark where the melody comes back in from a haunting piano “solo” where I felt that it would’ve just been best to leave it as is. But it’s still an impressive number.

“Curtain Call” (Sample) – As the name would suggest, this is just a short sample of a longer song (perhaps it’s not finished yet?). So far things are looking good, but I’m not making a definitive judgment until I can hear the entire thing.

“A Copper Film” – Again very reminiscent of Sigur Ros, this one sounds a lot like Song No. 3 from th “( )” album, especially the pianos. It’s a short, solemn song that doesn’t really go anywhere, but the musicality of it is enough to make me somewhat appreciative of it.

“For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti” – I can’t honestly give this one an unbiased opinion seeing as how Sufjan Stevens is one of my favorite artists, and this is one of his best songs. The cover doesn’t come anywhere close to doing the original justice, but do they ever?

“Olson Read” – There’s a really annoying vocal track that talks over the entire song, which is a huge disappointment. The production and music is actually very impressive, but I can’t think of a song where a person talks through its entirety that I’ve ever been totally into.

The Long of It: Nick, I’m sorry to say that I enjoy your music a whole lot more when you’re not singing. That’s not a mean-spirited comment either, just an honest one. Your work in composing all of these songs proves your talent and leaves me entirely impressed. If you want my honest opinion, I’d focus on this aspect of your work and really aim to make it better than it already is. If you do need to add vocals (some songs just need vocals, you know?), don’t let them overpower the music. Let them be complementary and subtle. Good luck to you in your musical endeavors and keep me, and the Audio Overflow readers, posted on your new stuff.

Links:
After the Ground and You myspace Page

myspace musc monday: Springfactory

Now that I am finally able to listen to music on myspace, it’s time that I profile a band that I meant to do weeks ago. Sorry it took so long, guys.

Springfactory

Genre: Powerpop
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Band Members: Lina Cullemark, Peter Gunnarson, Daniel “Våldet” Holmström, Magnus Svedjebratt, and Mikael Hall
Influences: Music and people and hot stuff.

The Short of It: A lo-fi pop band with hints of greatness.

Songs
“It’s a Relief to Give Up” – A pretty simple song without anything that really stands out. The guitars, coupled with Lina’s vocals give off a very early-No Doubt vibe.

“No More” – A delightfully playful tune that features all sorts of instrumentation, including a trumpet and a skittery child’s piano. Lina’s vocals are spot on, and she is backed up by some wonderful harmonies. Definitely one to check out.

“Peggy Pear” – It’s got a very Of Montreal-ish composition, complete with an electronic stutter throughout. There’s also this sound that reminds me of a sound that plays when you lose a life on Super Mario World. The song is an absolute blast to listen to and really portrays a band that knows what they’re doing in the studio.

“Back of your Bike” – Another carefree tune about a 4am bike ride. The band stays away from complicated arrangements and opts instead to just have fun with it without being overpowering. Not the best song on the page, but definitely not the worst.

The Long of It: Lina Cullemark’s vocals are nothing to write home about, but her voice is still relatively charming. The band carries a distinctly lo-fi sound over all the tracks on their myspace page, but songs like “No More” (by far the best track on the page) show that the band is definitely destined for more than tinny garage recordings. I totally enjoy the fact that the music is as playful and carefree as it is, and I look forward to hearing more from the band soon. I may even resort to buying one of their CDs. I haven’t decided yet, but you should definitely check them out.

Links
Springfactory’s myspace Page
Official Site