Puddlegum

Efterklang landed in Denver yesterday to begin their first US tour. They will spend a month traveling the North American continent with a fellow Danish band, Slaraffenland, performing two shows in Canada after coasting along the Western and Eastern states.

Efterklang is growing in popularity in Europe, touring frequently in between recording sessions and managing their own label, Rumraket. While on tour the five piece band is joined by four “live-band members” on strings. Efterklang is also signed to Leaf Label in UK, making them neighbors to Nancy Elizabeth, Murcof, and A Hawk and a Hacksaw.

Their sound has a distinct European experimental pop sound, reminiscent of Mum and Tunng, attracting close to 500,000 plays on Myspace. Efterklang’s ten music videos on YouTube are very creative, using animation, short film concepts and live video footage. Their label, Rumraket, works with Canon Blue, Amiina (Sigur Ros’s string band), Grizzly Bear, Taxi Taxi!, among many others.

06.05 - Denver, CO / Larimer Lounge / w. Slaraffenland
07.05 - Salt Lake City, UT / Urban Lounge / w. Slaraffenland
09.05 - Portland, OR / Doug Fir / w. Subtle & Slaraffenland
10.05 - Seattle, WA / Nectar Lounge / w. Subtle & Slaraffenland
11.05 - Eugene, OR / WOW Hall / w. Slaraffenland
12.05 - San Francisco, CA / Bottom Of The Hill / w. Slaraffenland
13.05 - Visalia, CA / Cellar Door / w. Slaraffenland
14.05 - Los Angeles, CA / Spaceland / w. Slaraffenland
15.05 - San Diego, CA / Casbah / w. Slaraffenland
16.05 - Tucson, AZ / Plush / w. Slaraffenland
17.05 - Phoenix, AZ / Modified / EARLY SHOW! / w. Slaraffenland
19.05 - Denton, TX / Hailey’s / w. Slaraffenland
20.05 - Austin, TX / Mohawk / w. Slaraffenland
22.05 - Atlanta, GA / Drunken Unicorn / w. Slaraffenland
23.05 - Chapel Hill, NC / Local 506 / w. Slaraffenland
24.05 - Washington, DC / Rock and Roll Hotel / w. Subtle & BMSR
26.05 - Philadelphia, PA / The First Unitarian Church / w. Slaraffenland
27.05 - Hamden, CT / The Space / w. Slaraffenland
28.05 - New York, NY / Knitting Factory / w. Slaraffenland
29.05 - Boston, MA / TT the Bears / w. Slaraffenland
30.05 - Montreal, PQ / Zoobizarre / w. Slaraffenland
31.05 - Toronto, ONT / El Mocambo / w. Slaraffenland
02.06 - Chicago, IL / Empty Bottle / w. Slaraffenland & Nick Butcher
03.06 - Kansas City, MO / Record Bar / w. Slaraffenland

10. Rosie Thomas - These Friends of Mine
Just as the title portrays, you feel as though you’re sitting in the studio with Rosie.

9. Seabear - The Ghost that Carried Us Away
This album makes me miss Iceland, though I’ve never been.

8. Taxi Taxi! - Taxi Taxi!
I could sit and listen to these Swedish twins sing all day.

7. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Not only did this album stir the industry up, these songs will be favorites for a long time.

6. Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
Our Ill Wills struck me as an album I had heard before, yet never had.

5. The Innocence Mission - We Walked In Song
The Innocence Mission has a way of grabbing my emotions like no other band.

4. Blonde Redhead - 23
Phenomenal album. It felt like a chemical addiction and I kept sneaking spins.

3. The Forms - The Forms
Twelve songs, each under four minutes, and I find myself listening to them several times on repeat.

2. Pela - Anytown Graffiti
My friends will attest that I asked them if they had heard Pela yet, and made sure they had.

1. Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters
Maybe it’s the thick Scottish accent, the shoegaze distortion, and lyrics that plot out like a well written film, but this album continues to amaze me.

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin usually isn’t the town you think of when indie music comes up in conversation, but The Cold Comfort Band is out to challenge your preconceived notions. Their sound is indelibly influenced by their surrounding landscape, and they make no attempt to hide the silo of corn in the background; rather, they pose with it in a band photo as all eight members hang off the edge. The Cold Comfort Band seemingly begs of Sufjan Stevens to move North to Wisconsin and join them in their experimental folk.

Formed in Sprint of 2007, The Cold Comfort Band have posted two demos on Myspace and Purevolume and they’re worth your attention. At first impression, Rae Klagstad’s angelic voice is reminiscent of the Taxi Taxi! sisters. She’s not afraid of using her range, and remains in control with every note. But this band is not only fueled by a strong vocalist, seven members bring their wide range of influences with them as they play their trumpet, sax, and guitars.

The Cold Comfort Band hint of numerous directions they could take with their sound, and will be an exciting group to scope… even more thrilling than saying Oconomowoc.

The Cold Comfort Band - A Heart Unseen
The Cold Comfort Band - Awake In Me Oh Morning

Most bands are dependent on other people to release their music. They would rather focus on their craft and allow someone else take care of the details. Occasionally a band will come along that is self-sufficient and capable of handling everything, and to do so successfully. Efterklang is one of these rare self-sufficient collection of artists.

Managing their own recording studio in Denmark, Efterklang gave themselves twelve months to record a full-length and an EP. During this time they also managed their record label, Rumraket, working with bands such as Taxi Taxi!, Grizzly Bear, Canon Blue, Slaraffenland, and Amiina. Artists from other countries turn to them to release their music in Denmark, which is what Grizzly Bear, Canon Blue have done.

With all this said, Efterklang has licensed their album to The Leaf Label in the UK, and will be releasing Parades on October 15. This allows them to focus on artists on their own label, and tour for the first time in two years. Starting one day after the album is released, Efterklang will stay on the road until December 3, performing with Peter Broderick and Slaraffenland. The tour will take them through France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, England, and Holland.

On the heals of Parades, Conkerco directed an impressive one minute teaser video, set to the epic Horseback Tenors track. The video shows the earth shaking back and forth as people and objects are tossed around in city streets.

Efterklang began 2007 with the release of Under Giant Trees EP, on their Rumraket label. Five songs filled out their mini-album, with three of the songs reaching seven minutes in length. One of the tracks, Towards The Bare Hill, was offered as a soundtrack to the ThinkSynch Films Competition. Iyvone Khoo and Miguel Guzman directed the short film, explaining that it was episode one, and have plans to direct a second episode. “Its a story of a girl puppet named Ping who is on a quest for freedom.”

Efterklang - Cutting Ice To Snow

Efterklang on iTunes

Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone looking for information on a band named Taxi Taxi may find themselves a bit confused. First, there is a band from Brooklyn, New York that debuted in April with a hook filled Maps and Legends. Then there is Taxi Taxi! from Sweden, who released their self-titled debut on May 7 through Rumraket. The confusion of the two bands can be found on sites such as Last.fm, where information of both Taxi Taxi and Taxi Taxi! are blended together.

Taxi Taxi (US) was formed by Terence Bernardo, a producer in Brooklyn, after "the band met in a taxi carpool," in 2005. They began writing during the taxi strikes in New York City, and Maps and Legends developed into "a uniquely personal tribute to an ever-changing city and the friends who define it." Their debut was self-released in March and is promoted by Fanatic Promotions.

Taxi Taxi! (SE) are identical twin sisters who, at the age of 17, have recorded an astounding EP. Miriam and Johanna have taken a minimalist approach, picking songs on a classical guitar, piano, slight harmonica, accordian, and reverb drenched harmonies. "On top of their composing talents, these two girls are gifted from mother earth with mesmerizingly sweet voices, when they sing in unison shivers are almost guaranteed," writes Rumraket.

Avoid comparing the two bands since the only commonalities they share is their name… and strong debuts released within a month of each other.

Taxi Taxi (US) ecard
Taxi Taxi (US) - Hide and Seek
Taxi Taxi! (SE) - To Hide This Way

Taxi Taxi (US) on:
Emusic | Amazon | Hype Machine | Elbo.ws | Flickr

Taxi Taxi! (SE) on:
Hype Machine | Elbo.ws | Last.fm | Flickr

Read the rest of this entry »