Thursday, November 19, 2009

Múm- Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know



What a beautiful day it was today... The Sun(Sol!) is a reminder to keep your head up... Another day with Sun is another day won! Be thankful for being able to breathe.. Life is one long song of chaos and order. Balance it out and experiment as much as possible! Which leads me to the icing on the cake, Múm. A fantastic Icelandic experimental pop group! Some great electronic music with the right amount of vocals and ear vitamins... Give it a listen... Let me know what you think...

Info:
múm (pronounced [muːm], moom) are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.

The band was formed in 1997 by original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, who were joined a year later by twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir. According to Kristín, the band's name was not intended to mean anything. In 2002, after the first American tour, Gyða left the band to return to her studies in Reykjavík. Shortly after Gyða left, Ásthildur Valtýsdóttir joined for singing duties and Serena Tideman replaced Gyða on cello, for a European tour. Then the ensemble evolved to include Ólöf Arnalds and Hildur Guðnadóttir. In early 2006, Kristín also left the band, although it was not officially announced until November 23 of that year.[1]

Despite the departure of some of its members múm has remained together as a collective of musicians. Their fourth album, recorded during 2006, was released on 24 September 2007, entitled Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy.

In November 2007, múm toured the East Coast of the US with German musician, Hauschka. They returned in Spring 2008 with the same set list. Both tours included songs from their latest album, Go, Go Smear the Poison Ivy.

On 27 August 2008, múm announced on their official website that "múm is quietly but surely [working on] their new album. No release date has been etched in stone, but every day will bring it closer." múm also released several pictures of themselves during the recording process on their My Space page.

On 22 May 2009, during a concert in Burgos, Spain, múm played songs from their newest album Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know. It was released as a download through Gogoyoko on 17 August 2009, and on CD on 24 August 2009.

Albums:
Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK (TMT, 2000; reissue Morr Music, 2005)
Finally We Are No One (Fat Cat Records, 2002)
Loksins erum við engin (Smekkleysa Records, 2002) — the Icelandic version of "Finally We Are No One"
Summer Make Good (Fat Cat Records, 2004)
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy (Fat Cat Records, 2007)
Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know (Morr Music, 2009)

Compilations:
Blái Hnötturinn (2001) — Soundtrack
Motorlab #2 (2001) — 3 tracks contributed to compilation album by Kitchen Motors
Please Smile My Noise Bleed (Morr Music, 2001) — 3 New Tracks + Remixes
Remixed (TMT, 2001) — Versions of Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is Ok
Fálkar (Smekkleysa Records, 2002) — contributed "Grasi Vaxin Göng"
Wicker Park (soundtrack) (Lakeshore Records, 2004) — contributed "We Have a Map of the Piano"
Screaming Masterpiece (2005) — Appeared in the documentary with the video for "Green Grass of Tunnel" and contributed the same song to the soundtrack.
Friends of the Random Summer (2005) — 3 CD, Unofficial Release.
Kitchen Motors Family Album/Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússins (Spring 2006) — contributed "Asleep in a Hiding Place"

EPs:
The Ballað of the Broken Birdie Records (TMT, 2000)
Dusk Log (Fat Cat Records, 2004)
The Peel Session (Fat Cat Records, 2006) (Maida Vale 4 Studio 2002)

Singles:
"Green Grass of Tunnel" (Fat Cat Records, 2002)
"Nightly Cares" (Fat Cat Records, 2004)
"They Made Frogs Smoke 'til They Exploded" (Fat Cat Records, 2007)
"Marmalade Fires" (Fat Cat Records, 2007)

Tracklisting:
01.I Were a Fish – 4:16
02.Sing Along – 5:39
03.Prophecies and Reversed Memories – 4:06
04.A River Don't Stop to Breathe – 4:45
05.The Smell of Today Is Sweet Like Breastmilk in the Wind – 4:47
06.Show Me – 3:45
07.Húllabbalabbalúú – 3:27
08.Blow Your Nose – 4:07
09.Kay-Ray-Kú-Kú-Kó-Kex – 3:57
10.The Last Shapes of Never – 2:27
12.Illuminated – 4:09
13.Ladies of the New Century – 3:45

Listen

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Octopus Project- Golden Beds & Hello Avalanche




It's been some time since my last post... I really only like to post albums, I can't help but share. These two albums really take me somewhere else.. It's like the Octopus Project had disected part of my brain and maid some music! Perhaps, some of the best music I've heard all year..

Info:
The Octopus Project is an American indietronica band based in Austin, Texas. Its unique sound, blending pop and experimental elements, is a combination of digital and electronic sounds and noises (including drum machine, keyboard, synthesizers and other devices) and analog equipment (including guitars and live drums). Its music is mostly instrumental.

On April 30, 2006, the band played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. They were offered the opportunity after a fan, unbeknownst to the band, entered them in a contest held by the festival on MySpace in which voters were to "nominate their favorite band for an open slot at the festival".[1][2]

In 2007, the Octopus Project supported underground hip-hop star Aesop Rock on his national tour.

Members
All members are known to switch instruments live (for instance, Josh Lambert playing drums while Toto Miranda plays guitar, or Yvonne Lambert playing guitar while Josh Lambert operates the electronics), but each member can be said to play a primary instrument.

Josh Lambert: guitar, bass, keyboards
Toto Miranda: drums, guitar, bass
Yvonne Lambert: samplers, keyboards, theremin, glockenspiel, guitar
Ryan Figg: guitar, bass, keyboards
[edit] Discography

Ryan Figg and Josh Lambert exchange guitars in the midst of a song in San Francisco, August 2008.[edit] Albums
Identification Parade (2002)
One Ten Hundred Thousand Million (2005)
Hello, Avalanche (2007)
[edit] Splits, remixes, singles and EPs
Christmas on Mars (EP, Soda Pop Productions, 1999)
Black Octopus Lipstick Project Foam Party (Peek-A-Boo Records, 2004)
The House of Apples and Eyeballs (Collaboration with Black Moth Super Rainbow, Graveface Records, 2006)
Wet Gold/Moon Boil (7" Peek-a-Boo records, 2007)
Golden Beds (EP, Peek-A-Boo Records, 2009)


Listen

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