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the new roald dahl?

band:
de novo dahl

how did i discover this band:
how the mid-west was won says: "I really like this band and you should definitely check them out."

about the band:
band from nashville. 2003 debut cats and kittens.
website: denovodahl.com

i listened to these songs:
shout
subject of the kill
market place
(mp3 on their website)

the review:
another arcade fire-like band? well, no. shout puts you on the wrong tracks. it's fun, but comparing de novo dahl with arcade fire just isn't fair. they just play glittering, shiny poprock tunes, full of happy melodies, good singing, with a party attitude. de novo dahl aren't complicated or arty, they bring straight-forward songs with a high fun factor. market place is more intimate, but de novo dahl also know how to handle these.

the points of the jury:
4/5.
perfect pop pleasure.

apparat organ quartet is actually a quintet

band:
apparat organ quartet

how did i discover this band:
arturus' favourite band starting with an "a".

about the band:
4 organists and 1 drummer from reykjavík, iceland. released their self-titled debut in 2006.

i listened to these songs:
romantika
cruise control
global capital
stereo rock and roll
(stream 'em)

the review:
apparat organ quartet sound french, as in "daft punk". they also sound german, as in "kraftwerk". it's full of bleeps, beeps and tweets. there's vocoders, a fresh sound, and lots of fun. apparat organ quartet do rock with their 4 organs. your ears'll like it, because it sounds new, crispy and a bit strange. on the other hand there's a certain banality to it, and a lack of subtility.

the points of the jury:
3/5.
fun.

listen to arms, not legs

band:
arms

how did i discover this band:
i guess i'm floating says: "the best thing I've heard in a long time*"

about the band:
arms are, or mainly is, todd goldstein (from brooklyn, ny) who writes all songs, records and produces 'em. live he brings a band.
website: armarms.com

i listened to these songs:
tiger tamers
whirring
jon the escalator
(i guess i'm floating has the mp3s. arms also have mp3s on their website.)

the review:
arms sound a bit like arcade fire, although the approach is less arty. arms put the rock back in indierock, especially in tiger tamers. the songs are nicely structured and stuffed with little surprises and twists, beautiful melodies, a good vibe and fine energy. still, arms need to find an own voice.

the points of the jury:
3/5.
give arms some time to grow.

chalets for sale

band:
the chalets

how did i discover this band:
musicforants says: "They are a band that is unabashedly pop in the twee-est of forms, full of electro-bops and jumpy guitar riffs."

about the band:
the chalets are peepee, pony, chris, enda and dilbot, from ireland. released one record: check in (2005).
live chalet:
Jun 17 2006 Summernight Festival Laupheim
Jul 1 2006 The Stables, Mullingar Mullingar
Jul 21 2006 Obstwiesenfestival Dornstadt
Jul 22 2006 Popcity Festival Augsburg
Jul 29 2006 Accross the tracks Festival, Leeds
Aug 6 2006 Mitchelstown Music Festival, Cork
Aug 19 2006 Sectret Garden Festival Huntington
Aug 26 2006 8:00P
Get Loaded in The Park Festival, Cardiff Cardiff
Aug 27 2006 Get Loaded in The Park Festival, London
website: thechalets.com

i listened to these songs:
love punch
night rocker
no style
feel the machine
(stream 'em)

the review:
it's hard not to like this band, but it's also hard to like 'em. these five kids bring enthousiastic jumpy pop à la b-52's. two girls with mics, kitschy synths, and lots of fun and joy. unfortunately, their catchy tunes aren't what you could call original. it's like you've heard it all before and better. i miss that little twist to make it jump out. although live this could be fun.

the points of the jury:
2/5.
too middle-of-the-road.

this is not an infadels review

band:
infadels

how did i discover this band:
bigstereo says: "I was totally hating on the Infadels at first, but their record has slowly grown on me."

about the band:
5 boys from england, released their first album we're not the infadels in 2006.
infadels live:
Jun 17 2006 Sonar Festival Barcelona
Jun 22 2006 Santander Festival
Jun 24 2006 Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats
Jun 25 2006 Parkpop Festival The Hague
Jul 1 2006 Eurokeennes Belfort
Jul 2 2006 Roskilde Festival
Jul 6 2006 Quart Festival
Jul 12 2006 Solidays Paris
Jul 13 2006 Dour Festival
Jul 14 2006 Melt Festival Grafenhainichen
Jul 15 2006 Nuke Festival Vienna
Jul 21 2006 Paleo Festival
Jul 22 2006 Obstwiesenfestival
Jul 23 2006 Vieilles Charrues
Jul 28 2006 Le Cabaret Frappe Grenoble
Aug 4 2006 Louvigne Du Desert Rennes
Aug 5 2006 Big Weekender Cardiff
Aug 6 2006 Hi-Fi Festival Dublin
Aug 12 2006 Sonne, Mond & Sterne Festival Saalburg
Aug 17 2006 Pukkelpop Festival
Aug 18 2006 The Secret Garden Between Ipswich and Cambridge
Aug 26 2006 Westerpop Festival Delft
website: infadels.co.uk

i listened to these songs:
girls that speak no words
love like semtex
can't get enough
murder that sound
(stream 'em here)

the review:
infadels really sound fresh and contemporary. they mix up a funky rock sound with catchy melodies, electro and maybe a bit punk. you could actually dance to this (not that i dance, but if you do, please go ahead). there's nothing more to say, shake that ass!

the points of the jury:
4/5.
let's dance!

a genus of flowering plant in the family araceae

band:
calla

how did i discover this band:
mp3hugger says: "even though calla are not going to change the world their music certainly deserves its place in the upper echelons of the indiepop hierarchy."

about the band:
calla are aurelio valle (vocals, guitars), wayne b magruder (drums, samples) and peter gannon (bass, guitars). from nyc. four records out, last one is collisions (2005)
live:
Jul 22, 2006 Benicàssim, Spain
website: callamusic.com

i listened to these songs:
swagger
it dawned on me
initiate
(stream these songs)

the review:
first impressions. for calla they're no good. to me, the first time i heared these songs, they sounded too easy, maybe even too banal. but hey, listen 3 times and something happens. calla gets addictive. they play a sort of undercooled indierock which won't change the world, but they got some fine songs, a good singer and overall coolness.

the points of the jury:
4/5.
4=good.

how many arms has an octopus?

band:
the octopus project

how did i discover this band:
youaintnopicasso says: "I looked it up online in the store and it had the word “instrumental” in the review. At the time I wasn’t really willing to risk buying a random cd with a band too lazy to even come up with words. It sounds cliche, but with The Octopus Project, their music are their words. “Music Is Happiness” has enough twists and turns to fill a John Grisham novel."

about the band:
the octopus project are josh lambert, yvonne lambert and toto miranda.
live octopus:
06/09 - Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
06/10 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
06/11 - Baltimore, MD @ Fletcher's
06/12 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
06/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
06/14 - Boston, MA @ Middle East
06/16 - Detroit, MI @ Shelter
06/18 - Buffalo, NY @ Soundlab
06/19 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mattress Factory
06/20 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House
06/21 - Columbus, OH @ TBA
06/23 - Denton, TX @ Hailey's
website: theoctopusproject.com

i listened to these songs:
tuxedo hat
music is happiness
the adjustor
righteous ape & bird
(check their website and their myspace site)

the review:
the octopus project rock! they bring instrumental music, a battle between electronics and guitars. and not only do they rock, they also euhm... unrock. even without words they manage to create songs full of emotions. their sound is smart, their little noises and effects are interesting, it's well balanced with minimalistic interruptions and full-out-rocking parts.

the points of the jury:
4/5.
nice!

read "knut", say "cnoot"

band:
knut

how did i discover this band:
aversionline says: "Having been a big fan of Knut for many years now (believe me, we all owe Hydra Head Records a great deal for bringing this band to the attention of the US), I'm disappointed in myself that it took me so long to finally pick up their latest disc."

about the band:
knut are didier severin (vocals), philippe hess (guitar), jeremy tavernier (bass) and roderic mounir (drums). from switzerland. if i'm not wrong, they released their sixth album in 2006: alter.
live:
june 25 hellfest, clisson france
website: hydrahead.com/knut

i listened to these songs:
torvalds
bite the bullet
the whip
(download these mp3s on their website)

the review:
knut are heavy boys. math/post-metal with influences from neurosis, isis, some snapcase and even the noise scene in general. mostly, knut are uptempo, which makes them different from neurosis or isis. but they have the same sort of loud soundscapes, drone riffs and hypnotic loops. knut's songs are a lot shorter than the epic tracks we know from neurosis or isis, and they manage to create a style of their own, with quick twists and intelligence.

the points of the jury:
3/5.
it sounds interesting, but they don't have that extra bit to get stuck in my head.

p:ano is not a piano, nor a double bass drum

band:
p:ano

how did i discover this band:
ifyrahummer says: "this one's sticking around".

about the band:
p:ano are larissa loyva, justin kellam, julia chirka and nick krgovich, from vancouver, canada. four records out:
When it's Dark and it's summer (2001)
The Den (2002)
Brigadoon (2005)
Ghost Pirates Without Heads (2005)
website: darkhills.net

i listened to these songs:
light o' love
the oc
covered wagons
dark hills
stream 'em on their myspace site.

the review:
to me it seems p:ano is covering up their lack of plain good songs with strings, handclaps, horns, choirs, etc. i can't say it's bad, but it doesn't touch me. their eccentric indie-pop switches between genres (dreampop, cabaret, folk,..) but they seem too busy looking clever than actually putting some depth in their songs. it sounds smart and talented... maybe better next time?

the points of the jury:
2/5.
do your homework!

rocky knocks you out, this time using songs instead of fists

band:
rocky votolato

how did i discover this band:
notonmyway says: "Rocky Votolato is the best thing i've heard in a long while. His most recent album, Makers, is simply superb."

about the band:
from barsuk: "Rocky is a soft-spoken, very hard-working 28-year-old father of two, born on a horse farm in rural Texas and raised in the Pacific Northwest indie scene (where he fronted the acclaimed but emo-stigmatized Waxwing). He has matured over the course of three increasingly accomplished solo albums." most recent album: makers (2006).
rocky live:
06.02.06 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
06.03.06 Roseville, Ca @ The Underground
06.04.06 San Francisco,CA @ Cafe Du Nord
06.05.06 West Hollywood, CA @ Toubadour
06.06.06 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
06.10.06 Lawrence, KS @ Clinton Lake State Park
09.04.06 Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
website: rockyvotolato.com

i listened to these songs:
white daisy passing
portland is leaving
the city is calling
the light and the sound
(mp3s on collective music)

the review:
this is what i've been waiting for, for a long time. just good songs, no cover-ups with special instruments, complex song structures or whatever. rocky votolato is honest. well written songs, simple but effective instrumentation and arrangements, a good voice. he's a singer-songwriter who reminds me of freedy johnston. basic acoustical guitar poptunes so beautiful they go straight to your heart. this you MUST hear.

the points of the jury:
4/5.
finally someone who knows how to write good songs.

two gallants, three horses, and a monkey with a red hat shouting "keep going"

band:
two gallants

how did i discover this band:
extrawack says: "In the wake of The White Stripes, The Black Keys, and DFA 1979, there are countless two-person bands floating around right now, most of whom suck. I'm thrilled to see Two Gallants not getting lumped in with those knuckleheads and getting the notoriety they deserve."

about the band:
two gallants are adam stephens (guitar, vocals) and tyson vogel (drums, vocals). from san francisco. two records out: the troes (2003) and what the toll tells (2006).
live:
june 1 seattle, wa live in-studio on KEXP.ORG / 90.3FM @ 12:00 PM
june 1 seattle, wa neumo's
june 2 vancouver, bc pats pub
june 3 portland, or doug fir lounge
june 22 london, england wireless festival
june 23 evreaux, france, le rock dans tous ces etats
june 24 scheesel, germany southside festival
june 25 neuhausen, germany hurricane festival
june 27 eindhoven, netherlands effenar
june 28 groningen, netherlands vera
june 30 belfort, france eurokennes festival
july 01 roskilde, denmark roskilde festival
july 02 montreaux, switzerland montreaux jazz festival
july 03 dudingen, switzerland, bad bonn
july 05 cesky brod, czech republic rock for people festival
july 07 borlange, sweden peace and love festival
july 14 spain, barcelona summercase festival
july 15 spain, madrid summercase festival
july 16 belgium dour festival
aug 04 berkeley, ca the greek theatre
aug 12 osaka, japan, summersonic festival
aug 13 tokyo, japan, summersonic festival
website: twogallants.com

i listened to these songs:
las cruces jail
waves of grain
nothing to you
my madonna
(stream 'em here)

the review:
two gallants bring passionate lo-fi bluesy/punky folkrock (with a country twist). think bright eyes mixed up with white stripes. they sound nostalgic and emotional, yet spiky and raw at the same time. the songs have a rather complex structure and are a lot longer than your average 3-minute pop song, but that doesn't bother. anyhoo, one thing is bothering me, and that's that all songs sound alike...

the points of the jury:
3/5.
a bit too much of the same thing every time. but maybe i had to listen 2 times more.