For whom I wouldn't mind to put the kettle on
Scandinavia is all the rage. Well, not quite, but there's been some good stuff coming out of there lately. One example is a Norway-based duo that Blair posted about relatively recently - Kings of Convenience. They most commonly get compared to Simon & Garfunkel, which makes sense, but they certainly deserve their own reputation. When I was in London in 2001, their song "Toxic Girl" was something of a radio hit, and I tried out the rest of the album Quiet Is The New Loud, which isn't as upbeat but is excellent. (The fact that a song called "Toxic Girl" is the most upbeat song might give you a sense of how quiet the rest of the record is.) This one's great, though:
I Don't Know What I Can Save You From
Then there's Sondre Lerche, also from Norway, whose Faces Down I also took a chance on and loved. He's got that great combination of vulnerability and complete confidence, writing songs that both your mom and your brother could probably enjoy. This one swings, in a way that might go well with a snowy Friday (it's supposed to snow where I am, anyway):
You can buy Faces Down here, and Quiet Is The New Loud here. (Did we mention that 10% discount at Insound, only until Dec. 12? Enter "robot music" at checkout.) Sondre Lerche and Kings of Convenience also have newer records, called Two-Way Monologue and Riot On An Empty Street, respectively. Those are also available at Insound, just don't forget to enter "robot music" ... aw, forget it.