Category Archives: News

A ghostly presence – Choir of Young Believers

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A few Saturday evenings ago I was sacked out on the sofa (as is my wont), idly flipping through channels. I came across the latest Scandinavian TV export, Bron/Broen (The Bridge). Now I love me a Scandinavian crime show (who doesn’t – The Killing and Borgen had me in raptures, takk!), so I settled down to watch. Ok, maybe Bron/Broen isn’t quite as gripping as its other Scandi compatriots, but I was very taken by the beautiful opening sequence, and the song used throughout, ‘Hollow Talk’ by Danish orchestral indie pop band Choir of Young Believers.

Ex-Lake Placid member Jannis Noya Makrigiannis formed Choir of Young Believers with six friends, releasing their debut album This Is For The White In Your Eyes 2008 (on which ‘Hollow Talk’ is the first track), and their second album, Rhine Gold, earlier this year. And hey, guess what? In a happy coincidence, it turns out that Choir of Young Believers is gracing us with their presence in support of their current album, Rhine Gold, at Papiersaal, ZH, this week.

The title intro to Bron/Broen is worth seeing just for the gorgeously cinematic and atmospheric time lapse shots of the bridge that links Sweden and Denmark and surrounding areas:

Here’s a live version of the same:

Choir of Young Believers + Junes play @ Papiersaal, ZH, Wednesday 16.05.12. Tix here.

Rhine Gold is out now on Ghostly International.

Young Magic + Milagres – 2×2 tix FREE

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Milagres by Cameron Witig

Miracles do happen, you know. In fact, one will be taking place next Tuesday 15.05.12 @ Exil, ZH, when Young Magic (US) + Milagres (US) (what a beautiful name, Portuguese for miracle, I believe) conjure up a night of long, lingeringly lovely indie rock/pop with a touch of ethereal, psychedelic soul.

Young Magic (Aussies Isaac Emmanuel and Michael Italia & Indonesian Melati Melay) formed as a result of three young vagabonds travelling the world and soaking up musical influences, eventually ending up in NYC to put together the band. Milagres was the product of serious injury – perhaps the miracle after which the band is named? – when main man Kyle Wilson severely injured his back in 2009 while rock climbing. While flat on his back convalescing, Wilson found a renewed passion for music. Upon recovery, he and the remaining members of Milagres put together their current album Glowing Mouth in NYC.

Young Magic, ‘Sparkly’:

Milagres, ‘Halfway’:

Ok peeps, I’ve got 2×2 tix to give away to some lucky punters in need of a miracle. Just answer me this:

What does the name Milagres mean in Portuguese?

Send me your answers pronto! Mail me, tweet me or leave an answer in the comments or on Facebook.

Young Magic + Milagres play @ Exil, ZH, Tuesday. Tix here.

Young Magic’s debut album Melt is out now on Carpark.

Milagres’ second album Glowing Mouth is out now on Kill Rock Stars/Memphis Industries.

Room with a view – Fanfarlo

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It’s been a couple of years since I saw British quintet Fanfarlo at the Ziegel Oh Lac at Zurich’s Rote Fabrik. After the success of their 2009 debut album Reservoir, the indie darlings have toured relentlessly, alone as well as supporting the likes of Snow Patrol and Mumford & Sons, had a song included on the Eclipse soundtrack and just generally gathered inspiration for their latest effort, Rooms Filled With Light.

I have to admit I haven’t had a chance to listen to Rooms Filled With Light yet (so much music, so little time!), but Reservoir was a pretty constant presence on my 2010 playlists. I guess my first introduction to the new album will be hearing it at Rote Fabrik on Wednesday night when the band hit town again. Needless to say, I’m quite looking forward to it. Here’s a taste of what the album has to offer:

‘(Everything Turns)’ from Rooms Filled With Light:

Fanfarlo play @ Clubraum, Rote Fabrik, ZH,Thursday 10.05.12. Tix here. 

Fanfarlo’s second album, Rooms Filled With Light, is out now on Canvasback.

Silence is louder than words – Dillon

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I first heard Brasilian-born, Berlin-based singer Dominique Dillon de Byington aka Dillon as I was driving home late one night after a gig, and her quiet, otherworldy little girl voice and use of spare beats and brass was immediately intriguing. Her first album, This Silence Kills, released in late 2011 on Ellen Allien‘s BPitch Control label, occupies a space somewhere between Lykke Li, Joanna Newsom, Bat For Lashes and Fever Ray – absorbing and expressive music that bears some serious listening.

See what I mean – watch ‘Tip Tapping’, from This Silence Kills:

Dillon plays @ Mascotte, ZH, Tuesday 27.03.12, with Kaltehand/Natasha Waters as support. Tix here.

This Silence Kills is out now on BPitch Control.

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Class act – Summer Camp + Class Actress

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Summer Camp

Ahh, Summer Camp, how I enjoy your sepia-toned dream pop, your idealised re-imaginings of times gone by, and your nostalgic yearning for the mythical endless summers and teenage romances we wish we’d had ( or wish we’d never had). London duo Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley have taken the theme of suburban teenage nostalgia, added a touch of 60s pop and run with it, to the American suburb of Condale – check out their website and you’ll see what I mean.

Summer Camp, ‘Better Off Without You’:

Former LA drama student Elizabeth Harper, psychoanalyst Mark Richardson  and multi-instrumentalist Scott Rosenthal make up Class Actress, a trip dispensing an 80s-influenced version of (self-described) stalker pop – ‘Depeche Mode meets early Madonna and Five Star as heard on the radio in the leather backseat of a cab’ – sounds promising, eh?

Class Actress, ‘Bienvenue’:

I’ve got 2×2 free tix to the Summer Camp + Class Actress double bill at Papiersaal, ZH this Tuesday – just shoot me an email or leave a comment below with the answer to this question:

What are the names of the female vocalists of each band?

Summer Camp + Class Actress play @ Papiersaal, ZH, Tuesday 27.03.12.

Summer Camp’s first album, Welcome To Condale, is out now on Moshi Moshi/Nation Music.

Rapprocher, the first album from Class Actress, is out now on Carpark Records/Namskeio.

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Take no prisoners – The Jezabels

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I’ve been waiting for this for quite a while – in fact, ever since I heard the opening goth-rock splendour of ‘Prisoner‘, the title track of Australian quartet The Jezabels’ debut album Prisoner. And now, joy of joys, The Jezabels are hitting our sleepy little town. Rest assured I won’t be missing out!

After leaving the sunny, laid-back shores of Byron Bay, NSW, singer Hayley Mary and keyboard player Heather Shannon landed at Sydney University, where they met Nik Kaloper (drums) and Sam Lockwood (guitar), and formed The Jezabels. After releasing of a number of EPs, a groundswell of support from the Oz music industry saw them widely feted as the Next Big Thing. Labels aside, Prisoner is an impressive debut that mixes melodramatic goth-rock with a hint of 80s pop and emo.

‘Rosebud’, the latest video from Prisoner:

The Jezabels play @ Abart, ZH, Wednesday, 14.03.12. Tix here. UPDATE: the show is now sold out!

Prisoner is out now.

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