Herr Nilsson

Photo: Sandra Jecmenica

It's always a welcome surprise to find an artist we've featured in the past involved with additional music projects of which we were previously unaware. As for today's offering, we find Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Ragnhild Hogstad Jordahl a.k.a. Soda Fountain Rag, who we first featured in September 2007 and updated most recently in February 2008, now contributing to an impressive indie pop collective. Herr Nilsson is an eight piece from Bergen, Norway consisting of Terje Bringsvor Nilsen (vocals, guitar), Ragnhild Jordahl (keys, fiddle), Eirik Utne (guitar), Lars Jakob Stava (guitar), Einar Olsson (drums), Jan Otto Nerdal (drums), Mjorten Mjørlaug (bass) and Johannes Førde (trumpet). The band's third and most recent release is an EP titled Tuesday Is My Birthday that was made available through Karisma Records in late April 2008. The EP is a follow up to their previous two full length albums I'm No Elvis (2005), Downhill Thrill (2007) and, from what Terje explained to us, there is yet another full length collection of songs slated to be recorded in the early part of this upcoming year.


Photo: Sandra Jecmenica

If you've already snuck down for a listen to today's featured track, the festive warmth surrounding the music will have been an immediate ear perk as the instrumentation gives validation far beyond any thought of this band having too many cooks in the kitchen. Since the Herr Nilsson website is still a work in progress, you will need to visit the Herr Nilsson MySpace page for more information and upcoming live performance dates. Have a listen to this song from the latest EP...

MP3: Don't Put Your Money On My Horse

Daydream

Almost an entire six days away from the blog it's been, and a substantial amount of outstanding music has been filtering into our email inbox all the while. In starting the week off a bit early, a return to a city we've recently come to realize as being a hotbed for indie music is well in order. The neighborhood surrounding Hongik University, affectionately known as Hongdae, in Seoul, South Korea is where you will most likely find band mates Seung-jae Yoo (vocals, guitar) and Gye-hyun Shin (guitar) who formed Daydream in 1998 as well as more recent addition Mekong (bass) along with a number of contributing friends/musicians to complete the current lineup. In case you were wondering after listening, the band name is indeed an homage to Sonic Youth's highly regarded release Daydream Nation and there are subtle hints of SY along with plenty of other influences from the same time period to be found within the music. A Land Of April is the title for this brand new, debut gem of a long player that has been in the works since 2003 and was just made available earlier this month. For more of a listen to the new album and to view number of live performance videos, check out the Daydream MySpace page. There is also a Daydream Cyworld profile to visit and an extensive interview from February 2008 for more background information on the band.

MP3: A Land Of April

Stellarium

We really had no plans on accomplishing anything blog-related tonight, but after a quick listen this new track, our Monday hibernation session away from MML seemed less than possible. Singapore based multi-instrumentalist AZ who we originally featured a few months ago with his band Disco Ditto [June 2008 review + download], now gives us some love with the noisy new music project Stellarium and a song we recommend be heard at elevated volume levels... I think ear-bleed is the correct saying? Please take note of the unmistakable JAMC influence and how it works so well with more of a solid guitar presence in command. Impressive.

MP3: Any Day Is Fine

Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

Tonight's featured artist is one we originally mentioned over a year and a half ago and, in order to appreciate the true international flavor this troupe of musicians present, we highly suggest a visit to our previous post [April 2007 review + download]. Le Man Avec Les Lunettes is the music project of Alessandro Paderno (vocals, eastwood guitar, microkorg, acoustic guitar, diamonica), Fabio Benni (vocals, gem imperial organ, omichord, glockenspiel, theremin, tape echoes machine), Simone Gelmini (percussion), Ombretta Ghidini (vocals, guitar, synth), Giorgio Marcelli (bass) and Daniela Savoldi (cello, violin) from the northern Italian city of Brescia. The brand new album, titled Plaskaplaskabombelibom, was two years in the making and has now been released through Italian label My Honey Records (My Honey MySpace) as well as Cake and Coffee Records in Germany. The new album, with a title that sent our spell-check into a spiraling meltdown, gives another glimpse into the experimental nature of the band, while moments of dancing playfully around classic influences completes this unique sound. For more music and information, check out the Le Man Avec Les Lunettes MySpace page or, more importantly, the official LMALL website where you can order the new release without delay. The next live performance will kick off a string of regional live dates as LMALL takes the stage November 8 at Fusignano (near Ravenna) venue Brainstorm. Enjoy.

MP3: Apples

Vidulgi Ooyoo

With all of the obvious, ridiculous and often fleeting resources available online to assist us in finding new artists to feature here at MML, it really is a true comfort to have like-minded friends lending a helpful hint/clue once in a while. This time around, it happened to be Perry, of Chicago based loveliness Skylight (that we last featured here), who gave us a heads-up on an incredible band from an unexpected location halfway around the planet. Vidulgi Ooyoo is a shoegaze-influenced rock quartet consisting of musicians Ji-hye Ham (guitar, vocals), Jong-seok Lee (guitar, vocals), Ki-hun Sung (bass, vocals) and Yong-jun Lee (drums) from the capital city of Seoul, South Korea. The band name actually means "pigeon milk" in Korean language and they have been making this dream-tastic music together since 2003. Our initial thought was to describe the sound as something of a textbook shoegaze lesson for aspiring upstarts here in the west, but after listening further, today's featured submission proved to contain a building presence that escapes any simple genre classification. The latest full length album/CD, titled Aero, was released in April of 2008 and you can find more music, from what we consider an extremely solid debut LP, by visiting the Vidulgi Ooyoo MySpace page as well as the VO Cyworld profile. Oh, this is so gooood.

MP3: Seeing me Through Your Eyes

Satin Gum

In consuming our Sunday beers, while also making plans for another week of music here at MML, we happened to be listening to a number of bands and stumbled upon one that deserved our immediate attention. If already listening, or if you are even remotely aware of our current midwestern location and penchant for a lovely wall of guitars, today's showcased artist will come as no surprise where featurability is concerned. Satin Gum is a true-to-form rock trio from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania consisting of Brian Spekis (vocals, guitar, keys), Dan Vavro (drums, backing vocals), and Travis Craig (bass) who just so happen to have a brand new, self-titled EP to share. After listening to this new EP release, our initial thoughts involved locking the band securely in a studio, with occasional raw meat rations thrown under the door, in order to induce the best full-on rock record in future memory... or something along the lines of Amusement Parks On Fire at the very least. All fantasies aside, you can listen to more music at the Satin Gum MySpace page and check them out live, this Thursday October 16, as a performance is set to take place at local Pittsburgh venue/varnished treehouse Lava Lounge. Oh yes, this is a good one... and probably the longest title for a song ever.

MP3: No, We Are Not Naming Our Kids After Ikea Products

Now that I am out of review mode (whew)... I have to say, this band fucking rocks. As a non-related bonus, we are also giving you a similarly themed track from Copenhagen, Denmark trio The Floor Is Made Of Lava who we previously featured in 2006 and 2007. For some strange reason, I have the feeling these two bands would get on just swimmingly.

MP3: The Floor Is Made Of Lava - Ikea Did A Job On You

Photons

As promised in far too many of our earlier posts, more attention has been paid to messages sent our way (well, sort of) and today this new practice pays off nicely. I have to be honest in saying that when a music project includes any more than five, or even six members, our interest fades into skepticism rather quickly... so listening before reading was probably for the best in this instance. Photons are an eight piece collective from San Francisco, California who formed recently and now have a self-released/titled debut EP ready to share as of tomorrow, October 10. From what we learned after checking out the brief communication they sent, one of the guitarists in this band was, at some point, a part of now wildly famous UK trio The Wombats who we featured way back in July 2006. The band also shares a practice space with fellow bay area outfit The Dodos (Dodos MySpace). There will be a CD release party tomorrow night as Photons take the stage at one of San Francisco's oldest bars House Of Shields. The debut EP is nearly 18 minutes of downright enchanting guitar pop that is effective in escaping the background clutter that can sometimes result when multitudes of musicians are involved. Very nice... and we highly suggest taking a few moments to listen. Here is the lead track for you...

MP3: This Must Be Love

Church

So we spent another Sunday morning, with beers, sitting on the front porch watching elderly couples gently helping each other down front steps for church. It really is one of the charming aspects of calling middle-America home, regardless of the fact we would most certainly burst into flames upon entering any house of worship. Not to worry though, this time we remain non-combustible and only needed to visit our email inbox for great new music. Church is the experimental trio of Brandon Laws (vocals, guitar, moog, taurus, banjo), Richard Laws (vocals, drums, sampler) and Cristof Hendrickson (fender rhodes, minimoog, omnichord, glockenspiel) from Portland Oregon. A first listen to today's featured track, Happiness reveals exactly what the title suggests. From the initial keys that build into something of a quick guitar tribute to both Big Dipper and Bow Wow Wow in under two minutes, Church managed to capture the warmest depths of our ears... and then some. The featured song we now adore belongs to a So-Hi-Tek Records release, titled Gold and you can listen to more upon visiting the Church MySpace page. Happiness is more than alright.

MP3: Happiness

Sharesprings

Ok... this one is beautiful, so we will spare everyone another extended blather-fest. MML friend Az, of previously featured music project Disco Ditto, gave us the heads-up on what we would consider a textbook example of how to make the both of us melt in our house slippers. Sharesprings is a Jakarta, Indonesia-based quartet consisting of members Abdul Wahid Sabilillah (bass, vocals), Rusli Budianto (drums), Riftyza Gestandi (guitar, vocals) and Ardhi Yudho (guitar, vocals) that formed as a complete band in 2006. There is more music to check out upon visiting the Sharesprings MySpace page and we highly suggest taking a few moments to do so. Since the myspazz music player is down for an extended repair session at present (completely fucked forever), we only needed to skip down the street in order to borrow a cup of sugar from neighboring music blog Coast Is Clear. Today's featured track is listed as a demo but it really is difficult to imagine anything else needing to be done here... just lovely!

MP3: Ceiling Blossom

Rademacher: ERA EP

One of the cool things we encounter in maintaining this music blog is occasionally e-bumping into people who also spread the word and sounds of good music. This time around, we received a nice message from JAX who runs the west coast music blog Rock Insider. Aside from her long time blog, JAX also runs a Los Angeles-based label, aptly named Jaxart Records (Jaxart MySpace), that just released a brand new EP from a band we originally featured back in March 2006. Rademacher is an ever-evolving music project from Fresno, California which has undergone enough lineup changes to leave us hard pressed in giving an accurate headcount at present. There are plenty of releases available, beginning with an outstanding series of EPs as well as the band's first full length album Stunts that we recommend checking out. Now included in their discography is the most recent (as of three days ago) offering, titled ERA EP, which brings to mind an initial, however unexpected, comparison in something of a middle ground between unlikely bookends Polyphonic Spree and Yo La Tengo. Whether or not you agree after listening to today's featured track, the sound works well and ERA EP is more than a good reason for us to hope for another full length release... some day soon?

MP3: If U Know

*Bonus* From the 2006 EP Heart Machine:
MP3: You're Never Gonna Hear From Me

My First Days On Junk

We really should make an effort to check our email inbox a bit more closely, or at least loosen the filter in my brain as to what constitutes PR firm megamail. I received a message the other day from a friend of MML who just so happens to run the lovely music blog Powerpopulist, regarding a band we remembered (if only by name) receiving information on and unfortunately overlooking. What we mistakenly thought was another one of "those" emails around a month ago, now turns out to be something of a must listen for those of you who share our footwear-fixation when exploring new music. My First Days On Junk is a five piece rock outfit consisting of primary musician Steven Hazen Williams (guitars, bass, percussion, vocals), along with Colin Clary (vocals), Jason Routhier (drums), Jedidiah Mayer (drums) and Brooke Dooley (vocals) from Burlington, Vermont. They've been around since 2003 and now have a brand new, sophomore release through State Capital Records, titled No Order. If you are already listening to the featured track right now, it might be easy to understand our thought of any given late 1980s/early 1990s haughty traditionalist having an impossible time looking down the nose at this music. In the same breath, this new offering seems to present the perfect introduction for unfamiliar listeners to this particular genre of music. The swirling guitars that caught our initial attention are complimented by an equally effective series of low-key songs which are threaded warmly into No Order. For more raised eyebrows and perked ears, a visit to the My First Days On Junk MySpace page as well as the MFDOJ website is recommended. Have a listen..

MP3: Try Hard

The Legends

If you frequent the MML blog and just so happen to keep up to date with Swedish label Labrador Records, today's featured artist will be no surprise to you. Not because of any similarity in a sound that could easily be mistaken as having a nouveau-shoegaze influence, or even that the band hails from a country of choice for plenty of our content. Instead, it might be obvious (for those who have skipped ahead to listen while reading) that the combination of heavy noise and beautiful pop would be an instant favorite for us. There might not be any other way to describe the manipulated feedback involved in this track, other than something of a semi-functioning hairdryer accompanied by a coin-operated car wash vacuum cleaner, but if you can think of something fun we would be more than interested to hear it. The Legends are a nine piece from Stockholm, Sweden fronted by multi-instrumentalist Johan Angergård who started the band in 2003. Today's featured listen will end up being a single that is set for a release date of November 5, through Labrador, and we highly suggest a listen. This is beautiful noise that leaves us rather smitten. Enjoy.

MP3: Seconds Away

BlindPlace

As concerned as we are about the world economy and the ridiculous political stunt that was leveled upon our country today, by a supposed war hero no less?... uggg, we have decided to turn away and wish for a happy place we can share. Imagine yourself at an outdoor summer festival, cold beer(s) in hand, sitting on a lush lawn with eyes closed enjoying the music... now that's more like it!! Fest is an aptly titled song that was recorded, in various forms, for an EP and LP last year and the 8+ minutes of this instrumental track provides us with a much needed warm fuzzy feeling. BlindPlace is a four-piece consisting of Hiroshi Sanse (vocals, guitar), Koji Tsuruno (percussion), Syun Katsumi (bass guitar) and Haruhiko Sagawa (guitars) from Tokyo, Japan. There are a pair of additional songs to download on the BlindPlace website as well as some more information if you visit the BlindPlace MySpace page and/or the Pure Volume profile... This song is quite nice and the perfect distraction from our deteriorating daily news.

MP3: Fest

The Beijing Tangs

The Beijing Tangs have a name that might bring to mind a lost gang from the classic 1979 film The Wanderers or even a give the impression they are a slick-ass media-cultivated rockabilly outfit from NYC, but we can assure you they are neither. Bandmates Mike Parkin and Nick Olsen (sharing vocal/guitar/bass duties) started out as a recording project and have since added Mario on percussion earlier this year to complete a full trio plenty of you will be more than pleased with. The influences involved are decidedly shoegaze-era, however, an undeniable sound that falls somewhere between later favorites Ride and Swervedriver is what struck our collective fancy after a few listens. You can find more music upon visiting this Scottsdale, Arizona band at The Beijing Tangs MySpace page and there will hopefully be a website, at some point, to coincide with the full length release they mention is in the works. There is also the amazing possibility of of a split EP with previously featured lovelies Skylight and, to be honest, both of our heads would probably explode if that one arrived in the post. Let's have a listen... shall we?

MP3: Faster Than The Dream
MP3: Empty

Girl Loves Distortion: Debut Release

So we open the mailbox that barely hangs from the side of our house late last week and, after sorting through various coupons and credit bills, a package containing the CD we have been waiting for had finally arrived. With the brand new debut release, titled Earth Beings On Exhibit, from Washington, DC trio Girl Loves Distortion now in hand, a decision was made to do the unthinkable. Review this music in the car?? Oh yes, our trusty mobile sound unit (Mazda 3) was put to good use as our otherwise mundane series of daily tasks were fulfilled and the outcome was more than we ever could have expected. No, this is not a bad episode of Top Gear, but after starting up the car to the amazing lead track we featured back in February, a quick stop to the local fuel station revealed a JSBX-threaded gem in Luminance, while our extended drive to northern Kentucky in search of cheap cigarettes offered even more of the music we can now easily recommend. From the scorching guitars that introduce Earth Beings On Exhibit, with the track Transition + Resistance, to the ramped-down conclusion of Upstart, GLD maintains a tension that serves to remind us of the possibility they could become unglued at any given moment. This is a beautiful thing the hierarchy of new(er) Washington DC bands have seemingly forgotten... so a listen to the previously featured song is a mandatory refresher course.

MP3: Transition + Resistance



Earth Beings On Exhibit was just released on new label Etxe Records (Etxe MySpace) and is currently available through fabled DC label Dischord Records. You can find more of the music at the Girl Loves Distortion MySpace page as well as some insight into the dislocated honesty we have come to love at the Girl Loves Distortion website. Since the band was generous enough to give us an opportunity to post another track, we bring you a steady, driving slug fest plucked from somewhere in the middle of this gem of a debut. Enjoy!

MP3: Psychic Raygun

Summer Jets

It's hard to believe it actually happened, but those hurricane winds that originated in the Gulf of Mexico made their way up to southwestern Ohio on Sunday, at category one strength, ripping apart trees and houses while leaving a half million people in our area alone without power or internet service. We are grateful, however, to report that the new house was untouched and our internet service is back up to full speed in order to bring you a great band this evening. Summer Jets are the Bedfordshire, UK duo of Mark Mills (guitar, bass, keyboard, tech geek) and Suzy Mills (lovely vocals, bass, tech geek) who have been members of various bands since the late 1980s. If some of you MML regulars have taken the high road and skipped past my endless blathering to listen, the sound will be satisfying and distinct. 50 Reasons is the most recent track from the band, and it might have admirers of traditional wall-of-sound shoegaze raising more than an eyebrow as all out Lush fans will probably need to be removed from the ceiling of any given room in which they happen to be listening. Oh, it's that good. There is currently no website for the band, so you will need to visit the Summer Jets MySpace page for more music/video as well as their Silver Sound MySpace page where you can find an impressive listing of gear Mark and Suzy have commandeered over the years... check the blog section for sure.

MP3: 50 Reasons

Interesting Note: The last live or, at least public, performance took place just a couple of weeks ago in the kitchen of Andy Clegg (yes that Andy Clegg) formerly of The Chameleons (Chameleons MySpace) and The Sun And The Moon. I must admit that I was completely unaware of these bands before this post but Michelle assures me they were both well in circulation during her early 1990s tenure at Reading, UK record shop The Sound Machine. (Well yeah, they'd been around for a decade or so at that point! - M.) Anyway... Andy ended up providing accompaniment in the form of a children's drum set and we can only hope someone videotaped the event. We love Summer Jets.

Vox Von Braun

As we've mentioned many times in the past, Subroutine Records (Subroutine MySpace) is a Netherlands based label that we keep in touch with on a regular basis and there seems to be no shortage of outstanding new music emanating from their lineup. This time around, we have the chance to offer up a band we originally featured as part of our first Milk Mixer almost one year ago. Vox Von Braun is the impressive, fuzz-tastic collective of Wymer Vaatstra (vocals, guitar), Ben Wennekers (guitar, organ), Maike Doornebosch (bass, backing vocals) and Janwillem van der Veen (drums) from Groningen, Netherlands. The band has a brand new, debut, full length release, titled Something Ain't Wrong, and we can easily suggest a proper first listen. Here you go...

From the 2008 full length debut Something Ain't Wrong:
MP3: When Did You Become So Popular



One of the things we love about Vox Von Braun is the playful approach they take in recognizing their varied and semi-retro influences while maintaining a unique, strong sound that stands more than well enough on its own. For additional new music, you can visit the Vox Von Braun MySpace page and also check out the Vox Von Braun website. A very cool event will take place later this month in nearby Tilburg as the band takes stage on September 20 at the ZXZW Independent Culture Festival. As an extra bonus, the following is a live video for the track Julia... oh yes, we love this band.

Haruki

Another week at the day-job/office has begun for the both of us, and refreshed or content is probably the last way I would describe one of these type of days. Often times I think the music we find, or that finds us, is one of the bright spots that help us maintain a semi-reasonable level of sanity... and today's featured artist is just what we needed. Haruki is the experimental music project of a multi-instrumentalist named Boris from Ghent, Belgium. His impressive repertoire of shared musical endeavors with a number of international contributors, along with plenty of additional tracks from new and previous releases can be found on the Haruki MySpace page. From what information we were generously given, the evolution from purely electronic music to more of an acoustic sound (including banjo, accordion, mandolin and guitar) was a gradual and purposeful one. We highly recommend the following tracks and look forward to a more expanded review of upcoming music.

MP3: I Had It All Planned Out

MP3: In The Garden

Skylight: New Demo!

Around six months ago [March 18, 2008], we featured the swirling shoegaze-threaded music of Chicago, Illinois based outfit Skylight. As mentioned in our previous review, the band has been an on and off project of Perry and Brent since 1990 with the most recent core addition of Kim and her lovely vocals in 2007. Earlier this week, we received a heads up and access to some of the brand new demo material that will eventually belong to a yet-to-be-named debut release that will become available late 2008/early 2009. After listening, we had a difficult time cherry picking for a favorite since all of the tracks were amazingly solid, even if not completely polished, so we decided to post the first one we wrapped our ears around. To be honest, If there were ever any questions as to what exactly we look for where featured music is concerned, this new demo should provide an easy answer. As it turns out, the song we chose to feature was first recorded in 1990 and you can listen to that original version on the Skylight MySpace page. Now we need to get to business with the new music for you:

MP3: As You Leave (demo 2008)

As if that were not enough, Perry & Co. also provided us with an additional track from back in the day.

*Bonus MP3: She Got Lost (1990)

MML Update: Phillip Eno

If you are a regular visitor to MML and enjoy the darker side of experimental pop, today's offering might serve as another reason to explore and/or follow some of the featured musicians a bit more closely. Our original review of New York City based outfit Phillip Eno took place earlier this year in April and there are now two brand new releases to report. Blueprint is an impressive collection of new songs, while Maybe Tomorrow gives an acoustic look back at some of the band's previous material. Both new albums are freely available for download on the Phillip Eno website and you can also visit the Phillip Eno MySpace page to meet a few like-minded friends. Before I forget, the next live show will take place September 18 at local NYC venue Lit Lounge. Have a few listens?

From the 2008 release Blueprint:
MP3: Try As I Might (highly recommended!)
MP3: Your Name

From the 2008 acoustic release Maybe Tomorrow:
MP3: Dumplings