REVOLVER SXSW EVENTS - SATURDAY MARCH 21ST

SATURDAY MARCH 21ST
AKRON/FAMILY
3/21 Waterloo Park side stage - Mess With Texas 6:55 PM

BLACK LIPS
3/21 Waterloo Park main stage - Mess With Texas 8:20 PM

CAUSE CO-MOTION
3/21 Spider House Cafe: Courtyard Stage - SXSW party 3:00 PM
3/21 Waterloo Records - SXSW in-store 4:00 PM
3/21 Ms. Bea's - Woodsist Records party 7:30 PM

CHAP
3/21 Urban Outfitters - SXSW in-store 2:00 PM

CLIPD BEAKS
3/21 Mohawk SXSW Panache showcase 10:00 PM

CRYSTAL STILTS
3/21 Spider House Cafe: Main Stage - SXSW party 5:45 PM
3/21 Ms. Bea's - SXSW Woodsist Records party 10:30 PM

DASH RIP ROCK
3/21 Austin TX Continental Club - Mojo's Mayhem free show

DEATH SET, THE
3/21 Waterloo Park - Mess With Texas 2:30 PM

DMG$
3/21 Speakeasy - Turbo Crunk 11:00 PM

EAT SKULL
3/21 The Music Gym - Victim of Time.com showcase 5:45 PM
3/21 Ms. Bea's - Woodsist Records party 9:30 PM

EFTERKLANG
3/21 Emo's - The Agency Group showcase 10:00 PM

GOLDEN BOYS
3/21 Spider House Cafe: Courtyard Stage - SXSW party 4:00 PM
3/21 Beauty Bar Backyard - SXSW show 12:00 AM

HUNTER, JANA
3/21 Co-Lab - IndieHouston pary 12:40 AM
3/21 Beauty Bar Backyard - SXSW show 8:10 PM

INDIAN JEWELRY
3/21 The Independent Load / Dull Knife showcase 12:00 AM

INTELLIGENCE
3/21 Spider House Cafe: Courtyard Stage - SXSW party 6:30 PM
3/21 The Music Gym - Victim of Time.com showcase 5:00 PM

MATTHIAS, JOHN
3/21 Tap Room Cortical Songs 2:00 AM

OCTOPUS PROJECT
3/21 Emo's Main Room - The Agency Group SXSW Showcase

OH SEES, THEE
3/21 Beerland - SXSW party 5:00 PM
3/21 Ms. Bea’s - Woodsist Records party 9:00 PM

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART, THE
3/21 Waterloo Records - SXSW in-store 1:00 PM

PEEL
3/21 Okay Mountain Gallery - Autobus Records SXSW Party
3/21 Smokin Music - SXSW Showcase

PORT O'BRIEN
3/21 The PureVolume.com House - SXSW party 7:30

PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT
3/21 Spider House Cafe: Courtyard Stage - SXSW party 3:30 PM
3/21 The Music Gym - Victim of Time.com showcase 6:30 PM
3/21 Ms. Bea's - Woodsist Records Party 8:00 PM

PYGMY LUSH
3/21 The Radio Room (medium stage) - Slip Productions and Lovitt Records 2:15 PM

RUSTED SHUT
3/21 The Independent - Load / Dull Knife showcase 11:00 PM

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
3/21 Urban Outfitters - SXSW in-store 5:00 PM

SILVER SCOOTER
3/21 The Radio Room (main stage) - Slip Productions SXSW Party

STRANGE BOYS, THE
3/21 Beauty Bar Backyard - SXSW show 11:00 PM

THUNDERHEIST
3/21 El Soy Y La Luna - M for Montreal / T for Toronto 1:30 PM
3/21 1107 N. I-35 - Perez Hiton showcase 9:05 PM

TYVEK
3/21 Beerland - X! Records/Sweet Rot Records showcase

VETIVER
3/21 Waterloo Park - Mess With Texas 3 1:35 PM

VIVIAN GIRLS
3/21 Mohawk Patio - Hot Freaks party 2:00 PM
3/21 Waterloo Park main stage - Mess With Texas 3 4:35 PM

WOODS
3/21 Ms. Bea's - Woodsist Records Party 10:00 PM

Efterklang's Seattle Show Review.

Efterklang's first show of their current North American tour has received a glowing review by Seattle Show Gal. It appears the band is off to rulin' start, play on boys & girls.

Seattle Show Gal
Your Public Servant for Live Show Reviews

Efterklang
To See Rating 8/10
Just Curious Rating 8/10

Band Members: * Casper Clausen (Vocals & Various Instruments) * Mads Brauer (Computers, Seq. & Flute) * Rune Fonseca Mølgaard (Piano) * Thomas Kirirath Husmer (Drums, Trumpet & Choir) * Rasmus Stolberg (Bass, Guitar & Various Instruments) * Peter Broderick (live-band member – Violin, Guitar, Drums, Whatever he feels like, & Choir) * Anna Brønsted (live-band member - Piano, Vocals) * Niklas Antonson (live-band member - Trombone & Choir) * Frederik Teige (live-band member - Guitar & Choir)

Denmark’s finest!

I had the pleasure of being at the premier show on Efterklang’s American Tour. This was one of those shows that can’t ever be recreated. There were world premier songs that were played, and songs that were a work-in-progress debuted. For those of you who weren’t able to make it and for those of you who are just curious, here are some highlights.

Efterklang, the Danish word for remembrance and reverberation or ‘after sound,’ bring distinction and light to unchartered waters. Efterklang explores an area of sound that hasn’t been touched. There are so few bands these days that are indisputably original and leave no room for copy cats; Efterklang is one of them.

There are lots of layers and moving parts within Efterklang. I really like Efterklang’s approach to this because their moving parts are created and executed by individual contributors as opposed to being created by one mind and performed many. Having multiple minds at the source of Efterklang adds levels of individuality that translate into depth of sound. Although being created by several different minds, Efterklang has been playing music together for so long that all the sounds meld together as one cohesive unit.

Their approach to music is very story telling and progressive. With gradual mood changes though-out the songs and through-out the set, I was very compelled to put myself over in their world. Sit and listen. Their set was so moving and versatile that it was difficult for me to choose what to feature. I am giving you a world premier performance of a song that is currently called Friendfirmations. I am also going to give you a collage of three other songs in a separate clip that highlight the diversity of sound that is Efterklang. If you have the chance to see them first hand, don’t miss it.

There are still plenty of dates to go:
03/09 Visalia, CA @ Brewery
03/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
03/11 Tucson, AZ @ Plush
03/13 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
03/14 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
03/16 Norman, OK @ Opolis
03/17 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
03/19 Austin, TX @ French Legation Museum (SXSW Other Music party 2:00 PM)
03/19 Austin, TX @ Habana Bar (SXSW Hometapes/Leaf showcase 11:00 PM)
03/23 Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room (w/ Canon Blue)
03/24 Atlanta, GA @ E.A.R.L. (w/ Canon Blue)
03/25 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 (w/ Canon Blue)
03/26 Washington, DC @ DC9
03/27 Philadelphia, PA @ The First Unitarian Church
03/28 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
03/30 Boston, MA @ TT the Bears
04/01 Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
04/02 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artwork
04/03 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
04/04 Chicago, IL @ Schubas

Free EP Of Efterklang Hybrid Band & "Polygyne" Video.

Take from the Leaf Label newsletter:

The four songs on this free download live EP were recorded at the festival in Roedovre (a suburb of Copenhagen) on November 8 2008. This was the first and maybe also the last concert by Slaraffenklang. The idea is simple and fun. Slaraffenklang is the mutant hybrid of Efterklang and Slaraffenland. There were 12 musicians on stage, and the songs performed were versions of songs by Efterklang and Slaraffenland. Sometimes just louder and heavier, and sometimes in new arrangements.

SLARAFFENKLANG - Danish Dynamite Live at Sono Festival 2008
Tracklisting:
1. Cutting Ice To Snow
2. Polaroids
3. Echo Wave
4. You Win

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Petter Samuelsson Click here



Efterklang - Polygyne from Rumraket on Vimeo.

Efterklang Are Coming To North America!

2008 marks the fifth year anniversary of Efterklang performing as a live band. There's no better way to celebrate this milestone than to bring their multi-instrument/multi-person live show stateside. May & June dates are as follows:

05/06 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
05/07 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
05/09 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
05/10 Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge
05/11 Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall
05/12 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
05/14 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
05/15 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
05/16 Tucson, AZ @ Plush
05/19 Phoenix, AZ @ Modified Arts
05/20 Denton, TX @ Hailey's
05/22 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
05/23 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
05/24 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
05/26 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
05/27 Hamden, CT @ Space
05/28 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
05/29 Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's Place
05/31 Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
06/02 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
06/04 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar

Check out this Youtube footage of 'Caravan' from a show in Vienna from earlier this year.

Efterklang Video Posted On Pitchfork

An amazing video for Efterklang's "Illuminant" was posted on Pitchfork yesterday. Efterklang will spend February and March on a headlining tour of Europe and will continue to tour throughout most of 2008. Hopefully the band will make their way to the US this fall.

Video: Efterklang: "Illuminant"
This is gorgeous, really, every frame of this thing has something to take in. Yeah, the floating babies and two-headed men are familiar "weird video" territory, but the rich colors and mind-blowing detail make that easy to forget. Tobias Stretch, combining bits of Kubrick and Gondry in just the right proportions, directs. A higher resolution version is available on his webiste. This is the best way to hear Efterklang's music.

Mega List of Year End Lists

AKRON/FAMILY Love Is Simple (Young God)
#09 Mojo Magazine top ten underground albums of 2007
#15 Treblezine.com top 50 albums of 2007
#18 "Ed is a Portal" - Treblezine.com top 50 songs of 2007
#80 Paste top 100 albums of 2007
NPR.org Top Ten Genre-Busting Records for 2007

ANGELS OF LIGHT We Are Him (Young God)
#21 Tiny Mix Tapes best album covers of 2007
#49 Cokemachineglow.com top 50 albums of 2007

BEIRUT Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing!)
#01 The Mac Weekly 2007: the year in music
#01 Blog Beat top 5 albums of 2007
#02 Reformissionary best albums of 2007
#02 Muzzle Of Bees.com best albums of 2007
#02 BWANK! Blog top ten of 2007
#04 "The Penalty" - Coffeesnorter Blog best videos of the year
#04 Superb Live Blog best albums of 2007
#04 MP7 Blogas top albums of 2007
#05 Criminal Records Blog / Lillian bakers dozen for 2007
#06 Deaf Indie Elephants.com top 20 albums of 2007
#07 Lawrence.com
#07 March on Electric Children Blog top 15 albums of 2007
#09 Pitchfork guest list best of 2007: Rodrigo Gorky
#10 The Sky Report best of 2007 - album of the year
#11 “Flying Club Cup” - It Covers The Hillsides Blog top songs of 2007
#12 Stereogum.com Gummy Awards - best album of 2007
#12 Anyones Guess Blog 14 best favorite recommended albums of 2007
#14 “Guyamas Sonora” How's The Pie? Blog top 25 songs of 2007
#16 Chinese Restaurant In The Forest top 27 of 2007
#17 “The Penalty” - Gorilla Vs. Bear songs fo the year
#17 Musecology Blog the 30 albums - best of 2007
#19 MetaMusic top 50 albums of 2007
#20 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07
#20 My Old Kentucky Blog: Dodge's favorite 50 albums of 2007
#22 NPR Listeners Pick the Year's Best CDs, From All Songs Considered
#25 Hate Something Beautiful. Com Best of 2007: Best Full-Length Albums
#26 Idolator.com top 50 albums of 2007
#26 Q Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#26 Bleep.com top 50 albums of 2007
#29 Lines Through Lines Blog top 30 albums of 2007
#36 Treblezine.com top 50 albums of 2007
#37 Uncut Magazine You Rate Uncut's 50 favourite albums of the year
#37 Drowned In Sound top 50 of 2007
#40 Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2007
#40 “Nates” - Propeller music mayhem: Considering the top albums of 2007
#44 Harp Magazine top 50 CDs of 2007
#48 “Nates” - Treblezine.com top 50 songs of 2007
#49 How's The Pie? Blog top 50 albums of 2007
#50 NME Year-End Critics' Polls '07
#58 PopMatters.com best albums of 2007
#65 Boomkat our favourite 100 albums for 2007!
#74 Paste top 100 albums of 2007
Best of 2007 - I'm Just Sayin Is All
The Essential Albums of 2007 - To Die By Your Side Blog
Daily Collegian - Collegian music critics present top albums of 2007
I Was Told There Would Be Bacon Blog top 20 albums of the year
Piccadilly Records top 30 albums of the year
Honorable mention top 25 albums of 2005 Otchster.com
Honorable mention Best of 2007 - AlphabeticalORDER
Honorable mention for top 7 albums of 2007 - MP3Wox.com
Honorable mention top albums of 2007 Sound on the Sound.com
Honorable mention favorite 20 albums of 2007 - Almostcool.org
Runner Up Favorite Albums of 2007 Extravaganza! - MusicWarship.com
“In The Mausoluem” You Set The scene Blog 2007 top ten songs

VASHTI BUNYAN Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind (DiCristina)
#05 Other Music top 25 reissues of the year

PATRICK CLEANDENIM Baby Come Home (Ba Da Bing!)
#17 Almostcool.org favorite 20 albums of 2007

COLLEEN Les Ondes Silenciuese (Leaf)
#21 Boomkat our favourite 100 albums for 2007
#41 The Wire Magazine Top 50 Albums of the year
#44 Stylus Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#50 Bleep.com top 50 albums of 2007
NPR.org Top Ten Genre-Busting Records for 2007

DEERHUNTER Cryptograms (Kranky)
#01 The Sky Report best of 2007 - album of the year
#03 Sam Fogarino of Interpol (via Filter)
#04 Mike McGonigal (yeti magazine)
#04 Paul Banks of Interpol (via Filter)
#04 Cole Alexander of Black Lips (via Filter)
#05 Tiny Mix Tapes favorite albums of 2007
#11 Drowned In Sound top 50 of 2007
#11 Criminal Records Blog / Lillian bakers dozen for 2007
#14 Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2007
#19 Treblezine.com top 50 albums of 2007
#21 The Wire Magazine Top 50 Albums of the year
#27 Boomkat our favourite 100 albums for 2007!
#31 Stereogum.com Gummy Awards - best album of 2007
#46 "Wash Off" - Pitchfork Top 100 Tracks of the Year Revealed

THE DRAGONS B.F.I. (Ninja Tune)
#29 Bleep.com top 50 albums of 2007

EFTERKLANG Parades (Leaf)
#23 Mojo Magazine Class of 2007
#24 Drowned In Sound top 50 of 2007

FIELD MUSIC Tones of Town (Memphis Industries)
#02 Lines Through Lines Blog top 30 albums of 2007
#17 Mojo Magazine Class of 2007
#29 Drowned In Sound top 50 of 2007
#38 Cokemachineglow.com top 50 albums of 2007
#40 Stereogum.com Gummy Awards - best album of 2007
#40 Q Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#40 Idolator.com top 50 albums of 2007
#66 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07

DANIEL HIGGS Ancestral Songs (Holy Mountain)
#03 Mojo Magazine top ten underground albums of 2007

JANA HUNTER There's No Home (Gnomonsong)
#34 “Babies” - Gorilla vs. Bear songs of 2007
#38 Boomkat our favourite 100 albums for 2007!
#98 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07

ESSIE JANE We Made This Ourselves (Ba Da Bing!)
#12 “Glory” - Little Boy's Choir Blog 2007 Opinion List: Favorite Tracks

KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW What Is? (In The Red)
#33 Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2007

LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver (DFA)
#01 Uncut Magazine You Rate Uncut's 50 favourite albums of the year
#01 Stylus Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#01 Drowned In Sound top 50 of 2007
#01 Piccadilly Records top 30 albums of the year
#01 "All My Friends" - Pitchfork Top 100 Tracks of the Year Revealed
#01 Guardian picks of the year 2007's best albums
#02 Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2007
#02 Amazon.com Best of 2007: Top 100 Editors' Picks
#02 Exclaim! Magazine Frequencies: Year in Review 2007
#02 The Sky Report best of 2007 - album of the year
#02 Rhapsody Blog Best of 2007: Electronic/Dance
#02 “All My Friends” - Treblezine.com top 50 songs of 2007
#03 How's The Pie? Blog top 50 albums of 2007
#03 PopMatters.com best albums of 2007
#03 PopMatters.com 10 best Electronic albums of 2007
#03 “Us Vs Them” PROPELLER - Music mayhem: Considering the top albums of 2007
#03 "Someone Great” - Treblezine.com top 50 songs of 2007
#03 Fact Magazine the 20 best albums of 2007
#04 Chinese Restaurant In The Forest top 27 of 2007
#04 "Someone Great” - Clash Magazine top 20 tracks of 2007
#04 Treblezine.com top 50 albums of 2007
#05 Mojo Magazine Class of 2007
#05 Rough Trade Shops top 10 albums of 2007
#05 Time Magazine top 10 albums
#05 Musecology Blog the 30 albums - best of 2007
#05 The Wire Magazine Top 50 Albums of the year
#06 Tiny Mix Tapes favorite albums of 2007
#06 Stereogum.com Gummy Awards - best album of 2007
#07 You Set The scene Blog 2007 top ten albums
#07 "Someone Great" - Pitchfork Top 100 Tracks of the Year Revealed
#07 Entertainment Weekly.com best albums of the year
#08 Los Angels Times / Ann Powers top ten albums of 2007
#09 Muzzle Of Bees.com best albums of 2007
#09 Almostcool.org favorite 20 albums of 2007
#10 "Someone Great” - Delusions of Adequacy10 favorite songs from the year
#11 NME Year-End Critics' Polls '07
#12 Hate Something Beautiful. Com Best of 2007: Best Full-Length Albums
#13 NPR Listeners Pick the Year's Best CDs, From All Songs Considered
#13 "Someone Great” - Gorilla vs. Bear songs of 2007
#15 Reformissionary best albums of 2007
#18 Idolator.com top 50 albums of 2007
#18 Q Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#22 Paste Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#33 Cokemachineglow.com top 50 albums of 2007

THE LODGER Grown-Ups (Slumberland Records)
#62 Amazon.com Best of 2007: Top 100 Editors' Picks

MAMMATUS The Coast Explodes (Holy Mountain)
#8 Casey Rae-Hunter -Dusted Magazine

MATTHEW DEAR Deserter (Ghostly International)
#07 Fact Magazine the 20 best albums of 2007
#08 Clash Magazine Top 10 Leftfield Albums of The Year
#10 CMJ RPM charts
#35 Treblezine.com top 50 albums of 2007
#38 "Deserter " - Pitchfork Top 100 tracks of the year revealed
#45 Mojo Magazine Class of 2007
#48 How's The Pie? Blog top 50 albums of 2007
#77 Amazon.com Best of 2007: Top 100 Editors' Picks
"Elementary Lover" - Entertainment Weekly best songs of the year list
Nominated for a Plug Award - Electronic Album of The Year
Pitchfork - Named on multiple staff members Individual Track lists with "Deserter" and "Asa Breed"

MELT BANANA Bambi's Dilemma (A-Zap)
#17 Decibel Magazine top 40 for 2007

MURCOF Cosmos (Leaf)
#05 The Wire Magazine Electronica genre of the year
Honorable mention favorite 20 albums of 2007 - Almostcool.org

NEUROSIS Given To The Rising (Neurot Recordings)
#03 Pitchfork guest list best of 2007: Bruce Lamont, Yakuza
#05 Allmusic Blog favorite metal albums of 2007
#06 Revolver Magazine Top 20 for 2007
#06 Decibel Magazine Top 40 for 2007
#09 PopMatters.com 20 best metal albums of 2007
Nominated for a PLUG Award for Best Metal Album of 2007

PAPERCUTS Can't Go Back (Gnomonsong)
#05 BWANK! Blog top ten of 2007
#05 Pitchfork guest list best of 2007: Beach House
#44 My Old Kentucky Blog: Dodge's favorite 50 albums of 2007
#75 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07

PINK REASON Cleaning the Mirror (Siltbreeze)
#15 Tiny Mix Tapes favorite albums of 2007

POP LEVI Return To Form Black Magick Party (Ninja Tune)
#15 March on Electric Children Blog top 15 albums of 2007

PYLON Gyrate (DFA)
#03 Other Music top 25 reissues of the year

JAY REATARD Blood Visions (In The Red)
#9 Other Music's Top 25 albums of the year

RIO EN MEDIO Bride of Dynamite (Gnomonsong)
NPR.org Top Ten Genre-Busting Records for 2007

SONIC YOUTH Daydream Nation 4XLP box set (Smells Like Records)
#05 Popmatters.com best reissues of 2007
#05 Mojo Magazine top ten reissues of the year

STARS OF LID And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky)
#10 Cokemachineglow.com top 50 albums of 2007
#12 Almostcool.org favorite 20 albums of 2007
#33 Stylus Magazine top 50 albums of 2007
#43 Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2007

STRATEGY Future Rock (Kranky)
#14 The Wire Magazine Top 50 Albums of the year
#45 Stylus Magazine top 50 albums of 2007

MARK SULTAN Sultanic Verses (In The Red)
#89 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07

THEE MORE SHALLOWS Book of Bad Breaks (Anticon)
#5 Beth Lisick's 2007 Pick for the SF Weekly

TIMES NEW VIKING Present the Paisley Reich (Siltbreeze)
#53 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07
#96 "Teenage Lust!" - Pitchfork Top 100 tracks of the year revealed

TORCHE In Return (Robotic Empire)
#09 Exclaim! Magazine Aggressive Tendencies: Year in Review 2007
#34 Decibel Magazine Top 40 for 2007

VALET Blood Is Clean (Kranky)
#01 Mike McGonigal (yeti magazine)
#08 Boston Citypaper

VENETIAN SNARES My Downfall (Original Soundtrack) (Planet Mu)
#30 Bleep.com top 50 albums of 2007

LUKE VIBERT & JEAN-JACQUES PERREY Moog Acid (Planet Mu)
#36 Bleep.com top 50 albums of 2007

WHITE WILLIAMS Smoke (Tigerbeat6)
#11 Chinese Restaurant In The Forest top 27 of 2007
#49 “Violator” - Gorilla vs. Bear songs of 2007
#49 The Sky Report best of 2007 - album of the year
#71 Poptarts Suck Toasted Blog top 100 albums of '07

WHY? The Hollows EP (Anticon)
#13 Daniel Levin Becker Dusted Magazine

WOODEN SHJIPS Shjips S/t (Holy Mountain)
#03 David Frick / Rolling Stone top 5 albums of 2007
#04 Piccadilly Records top 30 albums of the year
#07 Rough Trade Shops Top 10 Albums of 2007
#43 The WIRE Magazine 50 Best albums of 2007

WOODS At Rear House (Shrimper)
#94 Boomkat our favourite 100 albums for 2007!

Efterklang Press Roundup

Unfortunately the release of Efterklang's new album, Parades, has once again been moved. The new street date is November 13th. Despite the woes n' boos of delay the press continues to roll in - Pitchfork, Stylus, Uncut, Mojo, Drowned In Sound, just to name a few. Here are a few highlights:

Pitchfork
Online Article
Video: Efterklang: "Mirador" Man, there are a lot of animated videos coming out right now. Just in the last few days we've seen clips from José González, Holy Fuck, Chromeo, and Prefuse 73. Add to the list this clip from Denmark's Efterklang, for "Mirador", from their new album Parades. The song, widescreen and dramatic, featuring massed voices singing in unison along with horns and marching drums, is in line with previous offerings from the Danish collective. The video, directed by Hvass & Hannibal & UFEX, follows a half-human/half-bird character on assorted adventures. It looks a little like a design for a very cool and rather beautiful video game. I was getting Dig Dug flashbacks at the end there.



Stylus Review
Efterklang
Parades
The Leaf Label A- Online Review The only thing that fits into a pigeonhole is a pigeon," my colleague told me last week. I'm not really sure what that means, but if it means that labels aren't always helpful in describing things such as music, then he was right. Efterklang are post-rock, so they say. The simple definition of post-rock, courtesy of Wikipedia and Simon Reynolds, is "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes." That definition works fine for Slint and Mogwai and Godspeed and the like, but "rock instrumentation" must surely include guitars, and there's barely a hint of guitar on Parades—well, there is a little acoustic at the end, but that might even be a banjo. (Rock was not built on the power of the banjo.) Besides, any guitars that are here are swamped by the more prominent use of about four hundred other instruments, various wind or stringed-objects, and just as many unidentifiable creations of robot, machine, or computer. Do violins and wind chimes and oboes and mechanical seagulls count as rock instrumentation? So let's leave labels aside just now and just focus on the music. Parades is an exquisite sounding record, with so much intricate sonic detail that it demands a good pair of headphones. Initially I wondered whether it might suffer from the same problem as Björk's Volta—being beautifully rich in sound, but lacking in things like melody. Luckily, it's a real grower and, after a while, the post-rock tag actually does make some kind of sense. Parades has the complex time-signatures and shifting movements of Slint; it has the genuine dynamic force of moving from really quiet to really loud, like Mogwai; it has the building melodrama of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. It just doesn't have the guitars. Instead, listen to the voices in your headphones. Efterklang use the hushed lead vocals of Thomas Sjöberg or Linda Drejer Bonde, sometimes together, as well as all-male and all-female choruses, and the grand orchestration of Sigur Ros. Of all the memorable moments on the album—and it is an album of moments, rather than tunes—one of the most affecting is on "Blowing Lungs Like Bubbles." Over shuffling brushes, a morose accordion, and a quivering violin, a whispered lead vocal is balanced by an unbearably sad, gentle wail by another singer who seems to be on the verge of a breakdown. It doesn't last long, thankfully, because it's heartbreaking. Although Sjöberg and Bonde do appear to be singing in English, it's never clear enough to decipher the story behind each song. More often, the voices are used like another instrument, as in the intro to "Illuminant" where multiple choruses of aahing and yawning swell together into a massive, rumbling wave before giving way to quietly tinkling piano and the promise of another swell. Frequently I imagine these quiet periods are played by small animals, like mice, let loose over the piano top. Similarly, "Horseback Tenors" begins with little birds hopping all over the strings. Then the chorus joins in and the reclaimed string section builds into an epic mid-section, which becomes even more epic when the brass players awaken and a marching beat arrives, melding everything into a joyous, striding finale. Except it's not a finale because it fades and disintegrates and is parachuted back to earth by a foghorn bassline. This is what saves Parades from being a predictable journey where every rise and fall is anticipated. It really has to be played as a 49-minute album in full because the peaks and troughs are distributed across that timeline, not the timeline of each individual track. "Frida Found a Friend" peaks after three minutes of meandering, and then spends a minute and a half recovering from the shock. Quieter periods may last 20 seconds or four minutes, building momentum or easing tension, climaxing or not and then building again. For the actual finale, closer "Cutting Ice to Snow" starts with Sjöberg and a backing vocalist imitating whalesong so slowly that you have to remember to breathe before the album dies. It's rejuvenated by the high-end of a piano and that aforementioned banjo, which conspire to finish the album with a sense of contented resolution. Parades, both restrained and wildly dramatic, gently touching and warmly enveloping, is not a record that sits comfortably with convenient labels. Instead, let's just say that it's as compelling as a winding ride through an unexplored mountain range: with scenery of size, light and dark skies, and a map that no one can read.

Lost at Sea.net
Efterklang Parades Leaf Rating: 9/10 Online review When I was a kid living in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, I loved escaping the mundane existence of suburbia by visiting the woods near my family's home. There I would fade into the mysteries of the trees, becoming an explorer and adventurer in a land far removed from the cul-de-sacs, backyard barbeques, and riding lawnmowers of the suburbs' blissful ignorance. There in the secluded, wooded oasis my friends and I would play our version of hide-and-seek, using the cover of the distortion created by the treed expanse to mask the location of our voices. That sound of reverberation, collections of echoes that build, linger, and then fade into the surroundings, has always fascinated me. Perhaps I favor the sound of reverb because it is a lot like life. On Parades, an album of echoes and haunting sounds that continue to linger well after the last note fades away, Efterklang has produced a sort of score for those secluded moments. Efterklang, whose name is, in fact, the Danish word for reverberation, sprang from Als, a small island off the coast of Denmark in the Baltic Sea, near the peninsular border with Germany. Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen, and Rasmus Stolberg all hail from Als, and were joined by Thomas Husmer and Rune Mølgaard to form Efterklang in 2000. Parades is the follow-up to Tripper, the group's debut LP of 2004, which was itself a captivating mix of electronic rhythms, layered vocals, and strings. There is, however, very little electronica within the confines of Parades, the exception being minimal background sounds and a few synthesized melodies, particularly on "Him Poe Poe." Parades is a more natural album than its predecessor, the band preferring to ply their trade with real instruments rather than electronic ones. A mélange of organic instrumentation floods the album, which is populated by brass, strings, piano, woodwinds, percussion, and a cast of others. Layers of echoing vocals add to the wall of sound. Listening to Parades is a true auditory experience, as there is a denseness and perpetual vastness to the eleven tracks. That trait no doubt owes itself to the fact that many of the tracks were recorded in large, reverb-inducing spaces: a church, bathroom, and an echo-chamber. The songs, including the standouts "Polygene," "Caravan," and "Illuminant," begin simply before stacking layers of instruments and voices towards crescendo. Like most great albums, Parades works more as a sum of its parts than it does as a collection of individual tracks, with the songs flowing past the listener like floats in a surreal parade. With their ability to make beautiful, otherworldly music out of sounds that one might not logically pair together, Efterklang have always reminded me of Sigur Rós. Their songs are engaging, well crafted, and evocative, and will be sure to inspire nights of passion, thought, and a higher realm of consciousness. Parades is a gorgeous and flowing album that feels both remarkably large and intimate in the same moment. It's kind of like my experiences as a kid in that wood of old - wonder and familiarity around every turn, a lovely little universe all my own to explore over and over again. Reviewed by Eric J. Morgan

More noteable press quotes....
"This is their Dark Side Of The Moon, their OK Computer; it's the album Björk wishes she'd conjured in her mind when realising Vespertine, full of mystery and long-term intrigue." 10/10, Mike Diver, Drowned In Sound

"Every so often an album comes along that's so original it's difficult to accurately liken it to anything else – even Efterklang's last album, Tripper, is left behind by Parades." 4/5, Mike Barnes, Mojo Nov 2007

"More organic than their 2004 debut, Parades is just as richly rewarding" 4/5, Stephen Troussé, Uncut, Nov 2007

"Parades is, quite simply, a masterpiece." 5/5, Bruno Lasnier, themilkfactory

"Not easy to pin down and all the better for it" Phil Harrison, Time Out

"An album to blow minds and warm hearts" Graham Lynch, Rock-a-Rolla, Sep/Oct 2007

"...warmth to spare" 3/5, John Aizlewood, Q, Nov 2007

"a beautiful record of lush, and endearing electronic/indie pop music" Cillian McDonnell, Totally Dublin/Cork

Limited Edition Efterklang Mini Album - Theft, Saga & Greatness.

EFTERKLANG Under Giant Trees mini album

Copenhagen's Efterklang make a welcome return with a magical re-introduction to their sound - the release of Under Giant Trees, a limited edition five-track mini-album in deluxe packaging.

Under Giant Trees is released worldwide as a strictly limited edition of 4,500 embossed, individually numbered CDs in deluxe card packaging with four 'puzzle cards', and a limited edition of 1,200 individually numbered copies on white vinyl. It is available for download.

We had a few problems with the first batch of vinyl, and the whole lot had to be pressed again and repacked into the original numbered sleeves. Unfortunately, somewhere between the factory and Leaf's UK distributor, the first box of vinyl, numbered 1 to 20, was stolen, by someone who obviously appreciates the value of this delicious release. If you ever see these copies on sale anywhere, do let us know...

So right now, lurking somewhere, someone thinks they have the 20 most exclusive Efterklang records in their possesion. Luckily for us, a few extra sleeves were printed for the vinyl. We've taken out 29 of the original, numbered sleeves and made a new HAND-LETTERED edition with the extra sleeves - the whole alphabet is there including the three extra letters in the Danish alphabet, æ, ø and å.

We and the band have kept some of these for our personal collections, but we've decided to cut out the middleman this time, and let you get your hands on one of 10 of the remaining copies direct: they're going to be listed on eBay, one per day for 10 days, from today (April 26). As a special bonus, each of these 10 copies will include a card signed by each member of Efterklang.

In a karma balancing exercise to make good on behalf of the thief of the first 20, we've decided to give all the proceeds from these auctions to charity, and what could be more appropriate for 'Under Giant Trees' than supporting the dying rainforest? The money will be used to buy a piece of untouched rainforest to secure its preservation. The purchase will be made through Nepenthes - a trustworthy Danish organisation that has raised money to buy and preserve areas of the rainforest since 1989.

'Under Giant Trees' can be found in all good record shops now, except for those that have already sold out! We've already shipped out all the stock we've pressed of this release. There won't be any more, so whether you get a CD, one of the 1,171 'regular' numbered vinyl copies, or one of these 29 super limited lettered copies, you'll be sitting on a real collector's item...

The starting price is 7 GBP with no reserve, and they'll be up for 10 days. You can find the listings here: Auctions

Also, while we're here, for those of you who are struggling with the puzzle cards contained in the CD version of 'Under Giant Trees', you can find clues here, as demonstrated by designer Nan Na Hvass:


You can preview a track from the album at Efterklang's website, where 'Towards The Bare Hill' is free to download. There is also a video of a live performance of Jojo there (and on MySpace/Youtube), also on the mini album, recorded back in November 2005 at Nalen, Stockholm, Sweden. The video is directed by Robert Nylund and produced by Christian Rehnfors - both are from Social Club.

Under Giant Trees went straight to No. 1 in the Danish singles chart, and remained there for 2 weeks!

And finally, Efterklang are going into the studio with Darren Allison to mix their second full length album, which we expect to release this Autumn. The band will tour right through into 2008. Photos from the studio can be seen here: Flickr