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A girl called Eddy / Paradiso small hall / 20 September 2004
There was a lot of buzz about �A girl called Eddy� lately. The magazines were full of the new hype, after Joss Stone. Hansione thought to check it out for all the FS-ers in the world
. No Burt Bacharach and no Dusty Springfield, no Brian Wilson influences and no Karin Carpenter; although that was what the glossies said.
Hansione reports: AGCE has a lot of Aimee Mann with a touch of the Chrissie Hynde vibrato.
In fact, I had a very cool night, because this singer/songwriter did not come alone to Amsterdam. Normally I get bored when a female singer;/songwriter comes along on her own, but Eddy brought a five piece band, in a very interesting setting.
A drummer (of course) all he did was what he is paid for, then a basis guitar player, no soli at all, Eddy with the keyboard, occasionally a guitar and once with a melodica, a violin player with the face of an angel, a bass-player with the looks of catweezle and the moves of Michael Jackson when he is 71 and a tromboneplayer (swordfishtrombone??) The melodies were nice and keen, the lyrics from sad to very sad
. There was one song, don’t know the title. Eddy announced it as “a happy song�…well I thought I knew what happiness was about, but since last night I’m not sure anymore.
They played for about an hour, the audience, normally very busy ordering beer and things, where at times pretty silent. At the encore, I found myself with gooseboops (cup aa) and thin ice on my back. Cool concert. If you have a chance to see her at a small venue….go!cool, thanks a lot for the impressions, hansione
…AMG also spots a certain Aimee Mann likeness: A Girl Called Eddy on AMG
New Jersey….. Funny to read the stuff on AMG.
BTW it was very nice talking to her after teh show, very modest and she realy loved it to play at such a small venue as "bovenzaal Paradiso". The ones on FS who are able to read dutch can find a longer review on:
Google -> discussiegroepen-> hansione-> sorteren op datum…..Safariari at mono, Oslo.
Safariari might not be a household name for most you guys here. And that’s a shame. Because you’re really missing out on something great.
The backdrop:
Safariari released his debutalbum to great reviews in both norwegian and international press in 2001. And fell victim of what must be one of the biggest misfortunes ever to happen to a record. Reason? Release date: 10. september 2001. Album title: Save New York. And the cover art depicted the twin towers.Needless to say, the album was quickly taken down from the shelves at stores world wide. Half a year later the album was re-released with new artwork, and the more acceptable title Zebra Knights.
This spring Safariari released the sophomore effort Goaway. And though Safariari is still the brainchild of Jon Kristian Furuheim, he’s collaborated more closely with Magnus Abelsen of norwegian casiopop pioneers Remington Super 60. The result is a record unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Think Grandaddy+punk+the danceable quirkiness of japanese Shibuakey artists. This might sound slightly schizophrenic. And to some extent it is. But most of all it is adventureous and daring, tied together by a bulletproof instinct for pure pop bliss and brilliant melodies.
the show:
the band entered the stage accompanied by a part of the intro to Megatron that makes you feel like you’re in a cathedral of ice, waiting for the autobots to kick some decepticon ass. When the sampled voice of starscream toasts megatron, the band explodes into a wonderfull, breakneck paced, version of Megatron. Fast guitars, hardhitting drums and samples of megatron, soundwave and starscream throws you against the wall, with a huge grin on your face. This song should be mandatory listening for all boys(and girls for that matter,) that grew up with transformers on the tv in the 80’s. Reliving a part of your youth has never sounded so good.From there on Sarariari controls the crowd. And the funniest thing unfolds before my eyes as I witness the credpoliced indieboys struggle against the unfamiliar urge to…dance? They cast uncertain glances at each other, as if to seek comfirmation that it’s ok to follow their urge to dance around to the music. And as a compromise they end up bouncing around irratically, smiling and nodding their heads like speed driven teletubbies. I know, I was one of them. And Safariari’s abililty to unite blistering guitars with alluring rythms in a way that brings both the indie and elektronica kids together might be one of their strongest sides. This became evident as they performed a brilliant version of Satanizer, as the song went off the rails and turned into an orgasm of polish deathpolka on acid, the whole place was one big organism that gladly bounced along
The songs gathers a new momentum and flow when performed live. A bouncy wall of happy electronic noices and fuzzgitars. Vocalist Magnus Abelsen seems to be unable to sing out of key, he’s spot on the entire show, and he masters his bass with elegance and determination. Furuheim sends chills down your spine with his guitar, and together with the drummer and the man behind the synthezisers they form a tight unit that lifts you up and guides you through the setlist with great ease and certainty. And at the end of the evening they sat us down softly, and left us with the feeling of having experienced something spectacular.
Safariari deserves a place in your record collection. And you deserve to witness the band live.
"Robert" wrote:Safariari released his debutalbum to great reviews in both norwegian and international press in 2001. And fell victim of what must be one of the biggest misfortunes ever to happen to a record. Reason? Release date: 10. september 2001. Album title: Save New York. And the cover art depicted the twin towers.now, that was either clairvoyance or bad bad luck!
I’ve listened to that first album, Zebra Knights, and for an instrumental record it is nice and entertainig to listen to, I like how the electronica sound is mixed with cool guitars
your review sounds like they’re definitely a live act worth while to see, so if they would make their way to my town, I’d go for sure
is the new record also throughout instrumental?
I just edited the question into the above post while ypu were replying… is the new one an intrumental album too?
I guess it’s on soulseek, I’m going look there for itThere’s one(or two) mostly instrumental tracks, but the rest have vocals. And there’s a lot more guitars on this record. And it’s recorded in a studio, instead of just by Jon Kristian in his room. So there’s a big difference.
Oh and I’m ripping it now.I’ve seen Motorpsycho aka the International Tussler Society yesterday here in Hamburg, in a venue called Fabrik, which is a nice factory building with quite a big hall & enough space & air for everyone.
Motorpsycho is a Norwegian band, which has been formed in 1989, and that’s quite all I know about them …I mean, I’m not privy w/ the Motorpsycho worship
they have a relatively big horde of followers here in Germany, though. their sound is experimental indie rock or something like that.
lately they have recorded two Alt.Country albums under the moniker "the International Tussler Society", which I have listened to during the last days to get a feeling for how they sound. after that, I was still undecided if to go or not, as these albums have quite a few very nice songs, but also quite a lot of songs I’m undecided with.
well, I felt like going out and went to the showthe band started quite early, only shortly past 9pm with a bunch of their Alt Country songs, and I have to say, these songs worked very well live on stage, better than I would have thought. the sound appears like more than just a concept, but sincere country music, and worked fine when played live in high volume & wildness
after about an hour of playing, the band made a break, which turned out to be a break in the middle of the set. when they returned, they played a series of country songs with acoustic instruments, the feeling of this part of the show was mellow & contemplatively, compared with the first part of the show.
the next 6 or 8 songs which followed appeared to be Motorpsycho songs, according to the reactions of the hard core fans who went crazy. the sound was more rock than country, but I don’t know the Motorpsycho oeuvre, so I can’t be too precisely here.
some of the songs went into many-minute-long jazz session kind of jams, which also seems to be a Motorpsycho speciality.After almost 3 hours and 2 encores, the gig was over, way too early for the hardcore fans…
I had a nice time, but don’t really think I would have missed something essential when I wouldn’t have been there. but it was an ok experienceI’m looking forward to a show of another weird Norwegian on Friday: St. Thomas
🙂i like you discription of seeing a band that has a huge following, people love their bands, i’ve only heard one St. Thomas song, take a dance with me, it is fun i bet they would be cool live, hope you have a good time…
cool you liked the show review, likeaghost, I’m very much into going to gigs these days
the St. Thomas gig on Friday was very nice …nice singer, nice backing band, nice crowd, niceness all the way
and that’s fine, because St. Thomas himself (aka Thomas Hansen, an alt-country singer/songwriter from Norway) has to fight emotional instability and extreme stage fright & and it happened more than once that his gigs ended with him swearing in rage at the audience or suffering from a nervous breakdown on stage… 
that’s how he describes these incidences himself on his website stthomas1976.net:
Quote:i have never performed on a stage without either using medication to calm my nerves, or drinking alcohol, or both.
i am afraid of my audience, yet i need it.
people would say i’m spoiled and arrogant.
when i scream and throw and hit and lose control, i am afraid. i want to hide. i want to say what’s wrong, but i can’t. my whole body shiver, the pulse runs extremely fast.
i am talented, but i make my way to my goals very hard.
i destroy my own career. i scare away my audience.
people read headlines and believe in them.
in norway most people would say that i’m not a nice person. i am one of them most unpopular artists in norway. i am completely honest. i say everything i think. i say it in your face if you do something wrong.
most people don’t like that.well, nothing of this at the gig on Friday. He came with a bass player and a drummer, playing electic guitar himself, and they had a fine and relaxed time on stage, talking and joking a lot between the songs, and also w/ the audience.
Although St. Thomas’ unique voice didn’t came through the band sound as special, as it would have sounded in a solo acoustic gig, but nevertheless the singer and the songs still maintained their distinctiveness & charm.
the crowd knew the songs well & cheered with enthusiasm to everything that happened ob stage, so the entire gig had a very friendly feeling about it.
well, of course I have to thank Robert a lot for his continuous recommendations of great Norwegian acts!
😀…and tonight, I’ll see the heroes of my youth, who are still cool — the Fall
whoa, I’ve seen a living legend yesterday, I’ve seen the Fall, yeah, they’re legendary, and they’re completely alive-uh
I mean they’re around since more than 25 years, doing their very own distinctive kind of music, released up to 50 records, and on stage they still sound fresh and contemporary, their sound didn’t age at all. Well, and age also didn’t bother Mark E Smith, their leader & mastermind, to go on and on with his very own generic resentment tirades :aliensmile:
the live Fall these days are new guys, apart from Mark himself of course, more details about it I found in this very informative interview on their official site:
Quote:Ames: How do you like your new lineup? How do they compare to previous ones?
Smith: Well I think this band’s the best one yet.
Ames: Do you think the sound of this lineup is going back to the old sort of…
Smith: We’re not trying to, you know. I don’t ever go back and listen to the old Fall albums. I don’t like listening to stuff I’ve already done, unless I have to if we’re doing an old song in our set.
Ames: Raw, lo-fi rockabilly always seemed to be one of your biggest influences.
Smith: Yeah, yeah, that’s right, Mark.
Ames: How did you find your new band, or they find you?
Smith: I don’t know, through contacts and stuff. I don’t like hiring Fall fans, you know what I mean? Don’t want people coming to me. I prefer if they don’t even really know The Fall.lo-fi rockabilly! indeed! I wouldn’t have ever come up with this, but that description works!
the band’s live performance was absolutely absorbing, repetitive in the best way, soaking everyone in a trance-like state of being, or, as for the many old fans like me, in a state of happiness
😀 …although I missed the very special bass sound of former bass player Steve Hanley, who was really outstanding on the records he played on, but the new bass guy did a good job, too. In general, the sound was extremely tight and very much to the heart of it.well, and of course there was Mark E Smith’s stage performance (although he would deny anything like a "performance" from his side)
… he entered the stage casually, immediately started to shout the mostly unintelligible lyrics in his very personal way, ignoring everyone and everything around him (at least he was good in doing so). he appeared like he found it more interesting to inspect his fingernails than to acknowledge the cheering crowd but that didn’t impress anyone in the front rows where I was, we were just completely happy to see and hear him up there
He had three microphone stands which he used alternating or simultaneously, making a big mess with the wires
Of course there were so many songs they could have played, but they much rather stayed with the newer material, which was completely fine, and made me looking out for more of the newer records now
anyone who ever liked the Fall: if they should play close to your town, make sure not to miss them, they’re amazing!!!! best show of the year for me (so far…)
:D:D3appleshigh. Best damn band out there playing crazy instrumental compositions with random sporatic samples and varied influences ranging from classical to techno with a whole lot of jazz inbetween. Caught them at some jazz bar on River street in WilkesBarre, PA. Great room. They were opening for some techno jamish band called Lotus. Lotus was acceptable for what they do, but 3 apples high is the real deal in danceable music. So much going no. Mixed a cover of MJ’s "Billie Jean" into there tight set. Got me moving like nothing else, love dancing and fun times in general…
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