once more with feeling

Today, I got something new for you: I’m gonna give away some music, for free. Yes, that’s how much I love you. And how much Lazy Acre Records love you. Because they gave me some codes to download their compilaton “Three doors down and doing the charlestone”. Awesome, eh?
The compilation is full with catchy indie and folk tunes, perfect for listening to while enjoying the last days of this summer. My personal highlights include the Oslo based pop orchestra Cold Mailman, my most favorite Norwegian boy Uno Moller, the lovely two-voices composition of Stylusboy’s “Jigsaw” and “Burial” by the Escapists, a song that somehow reminds me of the earlier Kings Of Leon.

But now – enough with the talking. If you want one of the five download codes leave a comment, write me a mail, send me a DM on twitter or a message on facebook or just call me if you have my number. As soon as the codes are all gone – well, then they’re just gone.

Enjoy the music and enjoy the weekend.

Life can be weird. No – life is weird. It makes you constantly run into people you avoid meeting, putting you in the strangest situations. It makes you hurt people you don’t want to hurt. It leaves you completely clueless in moments, when only a clear mind will take you a step further.
That’s why it’s wonderful to take a break from time to time. To let the world turn for a while without you in it.

This is what I did last Saturday evening. The moment I stepped through the iron doors of Badeschiff, it was in a different world. With candy and cute ponies, golden jackets and checkered stockings.
mylittlepony played at the Candy Club, one of Vienna’s queer clubs. mylittlepony don’t have very much to do with the toy ponies you might know from your childhood, except for that both are extremely cute. The five Norwegians play this type of indie-pop that puts a smile on your face during the whole set, that makes you sway during the quieter and shake your hips during the faster songs.
Listening to their music will make you happy, no matter how down you might be. Their charme, combined with egg and banana rattles, sweet harmonies, their twee appearance, poppy tunes… it’s the perfect pony-pop. During their show, Ola and Nina took me on a journey to Oslo, we met MacGyver and sang stories about love.

Sadly, my trip to a motley, happy world had to end (after getting a signed copy of “Making Marks” and a hug). But if I need another break from the world, and in case you need one too: here’s a video of Alice Tragedy before the gig (see if you find the moment when she nearly falls down the stairs), some pictures of the gig (courtesy of The405), and you can get their double single “A Miracle / Stories About Love” here as well as a 5-tracks EP here.

Let’s dive into the pony world, just for some minutes.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH9_vhGBpaw

But if we stop being cynical
and speak with real intent
we could hope for a miracle
right in this moment of our lives
and then get out of here
together you and I.

In case anyone of you still hasn’t heard it yet: it’s RECORD STORE DAY tomorrow.
The tradition to celebrate the art of music once a year also made it’s way over the ocean from the USA to tiny Austria. So, here are my recommendations for how to spend that day in Vienna and/or participate via the interwebz:

1) At 3 pm, diver are gonna play at the Recordbag in the 6th district. Who still hasn’t seen them live despite the fact that I’ve been going crazy about them for nearly a year now – come!

2) The loveliest label, apart from the one I’m working for, has a crazy online program going on. Lazy Acre Records will be broadcasting live sessions and shows from different locations all around the world: they start with Stylusboy broadcasting from the UK, there will be an acoustic set from Uno Moller from Oslo and Sajama Cut from Jakarta, and finally a broadcast from My Little Pony who are currently in Vienna (and who you should go and see at 10 pm at Badeschiff!).

Also, there are gonna be some limited time releases in the form of single downloads including songs, videos, a fanzine and wallpapers.
You can get updates and check out the whole program as well as Uno and Mrs. Alice Tragedy (who also designed the awesome flyer) talking about their favorite records over at the Lazy Acre Records Record Store Day blog (damn, what a long word..).

3) I would also recommend you to go to the Radiokulturhaus and see Portugal. The Man doing a radio session there – but unfortunately the tickets were only given away through competitions. However, fm4 will put the session on their website from April 20 on.

Well, enjoy your Record Store Day – I’m sure I will!

Yesterday I went dancing. I mean, not on purpose. I went to this gig and afterwards they had this DJ playing all of the indie-pop hits from Arctic Monkeys to Mando Diao and Ezra Furman. However, I danced. And yes, that used to be unusual for me. But I’m starting to like it. Not this hardcore jumping around or the classic ballroom dance, but this moving the feet a bit back and forth, shaking the hip from left to right and back, nodding the head to the beat and having the half stretched-out arms go up and down alternately, maybe even clicking the fingers from time to time.
At the moment, I’m quite exhausted from that last night and a long day and so I’m sitting in my bed, checking my e-mails. And what do I find there? A song that makes me want to get up and dance. Dance and sing along.

It’s the new track from I see horses, a quintet from Oslo. After an eventful last year with an EP release and excessive touring, the band is planning to release their first album this year.
So now: turn the speakers on, and dance with me.

A new week, full of wonderful new music. Today, I want you to meet Bellman. The Norwegian artist just released his EP “Spaceship, Move Slow!” at Lazy Acre Records and you can download it for free here.
Bellman himself and his acoustic guitar, supported by drums, bass, piano and strings, the layers.. all together creates this soothing, atmospheric music, brought to perfection with his profound lyrics.

My favorite of the EP is this one:

Bellman – The Holy River

People say they love you and they wanna help
but how can they when you can’t help yourself.