|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 041EP
|
Electronic pop fruitcakes múm return with a single, before coming up with a whole new album later in 2013. "Toothwheels" starts off with echoes of their millennium-era rhythms, which morph into shadows. Flourishing strings and teeming arpeggios elevate the track, which spins along in a cyclical motion before being washed away. The lulling vocals disguise the song's fatalistic lyrics, evoking an eerie sense of immateriality. "Cranes Like Ships" is built around booming electronic beats and confused synthesizers, but it's a much happier affair.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 033EP
|
Iceland's Múm send seasonal greetings with this 7", containing two interpretations of conventional Icelandic Christmas songs: "Nú er Gunna á nýju skónum" ("Now Gunna is wearing her new shoes") and "Babbi segir" ("Daddy Says"), both of which are traditionally sung around the tree at Christmas dances. They are arranged for guitar, autoharp, kazoos and voices and are sung in (charming) terrible-beautiful style. Slightly festive stuff yet melancholic, floating somewhere between pure naiveté and lucid kitsch. With the addition of artwork by lead singer Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason and a coupon for a free download (with a a digital bonus track), this is the best Icelandic Christmas 7" put out all year.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 032EP
|
Fenster plays deconstructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives and schadenfreude. The two songs evoke a futuristic nostalgia -- playing with Tom Waits percussion and Velvet Underground guitar riffs with a nod to the macabre Dada sweetness of early Beck and Cat Power. Their instruments include slamming doors and trashy synths, utilizing the analog warmth of their instrumentation to underscore the interaction between the two vocalists.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 023EP
|
"Move On," taken from the Lali Puna album Our Inventions (MORR 098CD/LP), is a track that summarizes pretty well what Lali Puna is about: it starts with a quite abstract and kicking beat that is accompanied by Valerie Trebeljahr's voice but then the refrain comes in: and thanks to the generous harmonies, the whole song now suddenly blossoms out, but without losing focus. The previously-unreleased flipside features a long introduction that uses the voice as a transcendent instrument.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 030EP
|
To celebrate the signing of the wonderful Icelandic supergroup FM Belfast, A Number Of Small Things presents "Underwear," the biggest hit from their debut album How To Make Friends (KRCD 012CD/KRLP 012LP) with an exclusive additional version that was recorded live in their backyard and a version from Prins Póló. "Underwear" perfectly captures FM Belfast's carefree and enthusiastic attitude and provides a glimpse into the joy surrounding everything the band gets up to.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 029EP
|
Icelandic king of lo-fi layered lushness Sindri Már Sigfússon aka Sin Fang (formerly Sin Fang Bous) brings you a 7" as a foretaste of his album Summer Echoes. "Because Of The Blood" encapsulates the essence of the forthcoming album in a euphoric, orchestral pop song that manages to merge epic tune-sculpting with several layers of choir. "Two Boys" is a heartbreaking ballad, like the essence of pop music in two minutes.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 027EP
|
Iceland's Sindri Már Sigfusson used his time off from touring the world with Seabear to write and record an album of his solo project Sin Fang (formerly Sin Fang Bous). The album is preceded by this 7" featuring two all-time-classic non-album conversions: "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy In New York." Sin Fang's versions withdraw some of the glossy sweetness of the originals and replace it with a pinch of heartbreaking weirdo-folk.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 026EP
|
Pascal Pinon are Icelandic twins Jófríður and Ásthildur. When they were only 14, they decided to start a band with two of their friends. Using a guitar, a glockenspiel and of course, their voices, Pascal Pinon produced a twee mixture of acoustic neofolk and lo-fi pop with a remarkable sense for songwriting. It was nominated for The Icelandic Music Awards as Newcomer of the Year, 2009. This 7" contains three tracks from their self-titled album. Sleeve design by Julia Guther.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 025EP
|
As singer of The Bats and bass player with The Clean, Robert Scott is one of the main protagonists of the New Zealand indie scene. Songs pour out of Robert Scott constantly, collected in exercise books and on cassette tapes over the years. "Too Early" is a short and fuzzy pop song garnished by Scott's laconic vocals. "The Moon Upstairs" will thrill you with its slightly psychedelic guitar arrangements. The 7" comes with a silk-screened cover designed by Julia Guther.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
7"
|
|
ANOST 022EP
|
Morr Music brings you this perfect appetizer of Lali Puna's fourth album, Our Inventions (MORR 098CD/LP). "Remember" is the album's most jubilant track, perfectly recalling the extrovert tendencies of Faking The Books (MORR 044CD/LP). Mastered at Abbey Road Studios, this track has the kind of clever arrangements and haunting melodies that truly make a hit. "Remember" was heavily requested when it was streamed on various web sites like Pitchfork.com, and it has received heavy rotation on many radio stations. Also includes a non-album track.
|