Top 5 Norwegian Releases In 2011

I know, I know, I'm late!! I apologize but here we go again! Another year is over and... WOW, wasn't 2011 a fantastic year considering all the Norwegian releases?

And indeed we find many jewels among the releases this year and it's difficult to put them in an order, especially if you're trying to pick the 5 most exraordinary ones. However, tastes differ but you should definitely make sure to check out these Norwegian releases from 2011!


1. Hanne Kolstø - Riot Break

Combine a fantastic singer/songwriter, a sunny summerly day where one's playing acoustic guitar, the gloomy atmosphere an empty street gets during the night and lyrics to sing along and to listen to closely with bells, claps, keys, effects, guitars and some orchestral-like arrangements. What you get is this album. A great debutalbum. What makes it so good is that the songwriting itself as well as the music around was done so extremely well. Not to forget Kolstø's ability to play with the moods, not only from song to song but also during particular songs.
And it's not surprising that this album got so many good reviews: "Riot Break turns out to be both irresistibly playfull and extremely sophisticated at the same time" writes Musikknyheter. "She's one of the greatest vocalists in this country, with a husky, powerful and unique voice that itself sounds more seductive than the most things in this world" said NRK Lydverket.
If you want to read an extended version of what I'm thinking about this album, you can read my "review" on my blog. I just can say that I'm deeply in love with Riot Break!

Released: 16th of September 2011 with Karmakosmetix Records
Listen to the album on Spotify. It can be bought on CDON.eu (physically as CD or vinyl) and on iTunes (digitally).


2. Jonas Alaska - Jonas Alaska

The young talent with the great lyrics!! Spellemann-awarded as newcomer of the year. And indeed there was a lot in the press and media in general about this 23-year old boy from southern Norway. Just listen to the lyrics - I need to put preassure on that! The music is embracing the texts. It's a sensitive and genuine style of music. A sort of pop mixed with country - lots of acoustic guitar in the main-appearance of the songs combined with decent and modest percussion, drumming, keys and harmonica. Liverpool-style!! You see, Jonas is a songwriter. Maybe he's not making people aware of critical aspects of life or politics or whatever BUT he's telling stories.
All in all a good and solid debutalbum. I recommend to listen to "October" even though it might break your heart a little.
PS: I can't even tell how happy I am to have seen him live once!
Norway can be proud of Jonas!!

Released: 23rd September 2011 with Jansen Plateproduksjon
Listen to the album on Spotify. It can be bought on CDON.eu (physically as CD or vinyl) and on iTunes (digitally).


3. Lama - Endless Repeats

I have heard of Lama before. Listened to a couple of songs. It would be hard to criticize them because musically seen, they're quite flawless. Fine rock music. But, for me, the music couldn't light a fire.... until I heard Endless Repeats!! It blew me a bit away. And, personally, I think it's the whole package that has taken on me: the style - this very "clear" kind of rock with the adequate amount of guitars, drums and keys. This kind of minimalism (thinking of their album cover, for example) - you get what you need and the album won't overflood you. I must also mention their music video to "Flashes" at this point: I love it!! Just as the music or their CD-cover, the video is clear and not too much! And "Flashes" is a killer-track.
A bit oddly actually that my favourite track on the album is "One Million Times" - must have heard it a million times actually!
A fantastic and surprising album! Many thanks to you six guys in Lama!!

Released: 30th September 2011 with Spoon Train Audio
Listen to the album on Spotify. It can be bought on CDON.eu (physically as CD) and on iTunes (digitally).


4. Team Me - To The Treetops

They're young, they're loud, they're happy and they're energetic!! And what a cool debut album they released there in 2011. To me they appeared out of nothing. Suddenly they were there - a band I really just discovered last year. What I love about their music is that they create an interesting mix of pop - pop orchestral sound, actually - with parts from rock, alternative, post-rock and fill it up with bells, lots of drums and keys. This music is sooooo rich in its sound, you'll get the feeling of listening to a whole freaking orchestra even though the band is just consisting of six - still, during concerts, those six people are moving more on stage than a whole orchestra, as a matter of fact. It's a rainbow of music (or something like that) and it makes you move.
You should definitely check "Weathervanes and Chemicals" as well as "With My Hands Covering Both Of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have A Look At You Now" (what a title!!).
Good debutalbum with rich and energetic sound - very unique!!!

Released: 14th October 2011 with Propeller Recordings
The album can be bought on CDON.eu (physically as CD or vinyl) and on iTunes (digitally).


5. Bernt Moen - Closure

Jazz?! Now we're talking!! "Closure" is one of the three studio albums Bernt Moen (aka Massive Skills) released in 2011. Bernt Moen is a pianist with heart and soul (this can actually be heard when listening to his music). And already being this solo-pianist he has those abilities (superpowers?! something in the Norwegian water?!) that will leave you breathless and stunned. But the reason I picked "Closure" is because I really, really like this interaction between keys and drums & bass. It can be wild, it can be tender but never boring. It's the things you could always imagine but never heard. This album should be way more known, I say!!I have actually a couple of favourites on this album: Open Water, Fluid Dynamics, Transition and Momentum (---> mind-blowing).

Released: 26th August 2011 with BAM Records
Listen to the album on Spotify. It can be bought on iTunes (digitally).




Apart from the jewels I spoke about above, here a couple more albums you should check out:
Nils Petter Molvær - Baboon Moon ("Mercury Heart" is one of the most beautiful and brilliant tracks I've ever heard), Jarle Bernhoft - Solidarity Breaks (nice tracks, good album but Jarle's speciality is probably to play them live - that's what's special about him), Valkyrien Allstars - Ingen hverdag (as the previous albums is this one full of norsk-sounding fiddle music - a must have!!), Splashgirl - Pressure (check "The Other Side" - fantastic track, good album), Petter Carlsen - Clocks Don't Count, Honningbarna - La Alarmane Gå, Oslo Ess - Uleste Bøker Og Utgåtte Sko, Bernt Moen - Solopiano Vol. 1 & Solopiano Vol. 2, Ane Brun - It All Starts With One,...

A band to recommend!

Once more I must recommend a band coming from cold, cold Norway. I actually haven't been knowing this band for long and I don't recall how I came to listen to their music. Have I heard people talking about them? Did I read reviews or recommendations? And how come I had some of their music on my computer?
Probably just mystic cricumstances that made me check out and listen to Team Me!!

Without thinking much, it seems I've put their song "Weathervanes And Chemicals" in my autumn playlist. So repetitively sounding from my loudspeakers it was growing on me! This very catchy and energetic tune!

I should feel ashamed not knowing much about them, but the fact that the band is consisting of six young, clever, talented (and good-looking) Norwegians who got together to make music. Simple as that. Their music could be described as pop-orchestral tunes with influences of post-rock. So when you listen to a song you'll most likely hear lots of drums, keys, bells - energetic, powerfull sequences and noisy but tender parts. It's a fantastic combination!!

Photo by Team Me // Bjarne, Marius, Uno, Simen S., Synne, Simen Sch.

When I heard they would play a gig in Vienna I was playing with the thought of going. Actually I've been thinking: It's not happening too often that a Norwegian band or musician is playing in Vienna (or Austria, in general), so I should be going. I owe it to the Norwegian music industry!
They played in a tiny, tiny location in Vienna, with a even tinier stage. While I was waiting for them to arrive, maybe four or five other people were waiting. So I wasn't sure how this gig would end up being like because the success of a concert often depends on the quanitiy and mood of the audience, right?!

Team Me @ rhiz in Vienna, 28th of November 2011

But the band came, arranged themselves on that tiny stage and suddenly the room was full of people. The gig started. People were singing along, tried to move (which was difficult because of the lack of space), to jump to clap or at least to shake their heads to the music. Seeing Team Me live is like a hurricane of joy that lifts your body and a far nicer experience than just listening to their music with headphones.


"With My Hands Covering Both Of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have A Look At You Now" by Tem Me

What I wanna say is, that you should see them live, you have to buy their EP and their album and at least you should check their music!!

Here's all you need to know:
Here you find the website of Team Me as well as their Facebook, Twitter and Urørt page.
The EP which can be found on iTunes, Spotify and CDON.eu !!
And the album "To The Treetops" that can be bought from CDON.eu !!