Oya Festival Report: Saturday [Stephen M. Deusner]

Photos by Eirik Lande (unless otherwise indicated); text by Stephen M. Deusner

Øya Saturday

The sun has canceled due to exhaustion.

No seriously, it's pouring this morning in Oslo. The sky is gray, the water is gray, the streets are gray. This doesn't bode well for the festival, which has so far been fortunate enough to avoid any major weather trouble. The hardy fans will be there regardless of the weather, but it'll be a pain nonetheless, and a bummer on the final day.

Walking becomes a little more treacherous today. Due to the morning's rain, large puddles have formed on the main paths, which everyone but the very young and the very inebriated tries to avoid. But with the large crowds, it isn't easy. Soon everyone at Øya seems to have soaked pant cuffs. The smart ones bring galoshes; the stylish ones bring galoshes in bright colors.

Hanne Hukkelberg



Photo 1 by Stephen M. Deusner

Fortunately, Oslo-based singer/songwriter Hanne Hukkelberg's set is perfectly melancholy for such a rainy day. She has brought a large band with her, including two drummers and a variety of multi-instrumentalists who play toy piano, castanets, autoharp, clarinet, flute, tuba, accordion, even pots and pans. Hukkelberg plays the spokes of an overturned bicycle for one song. All these sounds coalesce into a jazzy rattle that highlight her eccentric songwriting and warm, lovely vocals. Songs like "The Northwind" and others from her 2006 album Rykestrasse 68 fluctuate between subdued and blustery, usually starting soft and slow but gradually crescendoing into extended climaxes that show off her band's considerable muscle.

Bjørn Torske






Bjørn Torske is a DJ who hosts an open-mic night in Bergen, during which he invites musicians to share the stage with him. He's invited an army of regulars to play Øya with him (including Mental Overdrive and DJ Rune Linbæk). He calls them to the stage one by one; there are seventeen or eighteen in all, including five singers dressed variously as a flapper, a goth, a biker, and a young girl. It's a full stage. Just as the crowd migrates over following synth-rock act Pleasure's set, the concept behind Torke's show becomes clear: he plays his musicians like instruments, instructing each one what and when to play and when to stop. For one song, he talks at length to the guitar player, who begins to play a short Spanish filigree over and over; following his instructions, others add droning background, the drummer adds a beat, the vocalists sing operatically and wordlessly, and the song takes off.

Throughout the set, Torske wanders the stage, a mad-scientist emcee trying to control his musical Frankenstein's monster. Sometimes his experiments create an arrhythmic cacophony, as on the wobbly second song. In general, however, the show hinges on the unscripted and untested nature of his approach, which endears him and his crew to the crowd, who call for an encore even though his set runs long.

Maribel




Rockettothesky




As the Oslo electropop trio Rockettothesky take the Sjøsiden stage, noise from young drone-rockers Maribel can still be heard from the Vika stage nearby. While it almost seems to overpower this act, it also serves as a reminder that there have been very few instances of sound interference from one area of the festival to another, despite the small grounds. Soon enough, either Maribel's distortion fades or Rockettothesky finally make enough noise of their own to drown it out.

At first, though, they're almost too cute. One of the two keyboard players sports a pink t-shirt, barette, and scruffy beard, and singer Jenny Hval highlights her platinum bob with an outfit that seems a little self-conscious in its mismatched outlandishness. It doesn't help that their first number is a pirate song with the chorus, "Heave ho and a bottle of rum."

But first impressions quickly melt away. As the set progresses, the arrangements grow spacier and stranger, and Hval's crystalline vocals become more confident and commanding. Her voice, which is the act's primary sonic element, shifts from stoic to sensuous, especially on songs like "A Flock of Cheshire Cats" and "A Choir of Crayons". Later in the day, when the band plays an intimate set on Ikea's floating booth, these elements will come through even more strongly.

The Besnard Lakes






Olga Goreas has rockstar moves. Wearing a gray summer dress that doesn't exactly scream "experimental indie rock," the Besnard Lakes bass player, singer, and co-songwriter jams just as hard as her taller, guitar-playing bandmates, even as she must split the difference between the band's guitar attack, strong rhythm section, and dual vocals. Throughout the show, her constant smile nicely punctures the group's gravity. Goreas is obviously enjoying herself tremendously.

The Lakes' show, however, is beset with early problems. The man who introduces them either forgets or can't pronounce their name, and a few songs in, Jace Lasek disappears after breaking a string. While the band pauses for him to restring, Goreas asks if anyone knows any jokes in Norwegian. By the time the Montreal collective get to "On Bedford and Grand", though, they've recovered fully, pounding out track after track from their debut, The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse. The arrangements on that album, saturated with strings and horns, sound a little fussy, but today, the Lakes pare everything down to their essentials: guitars that alternately drone airily and churn earthily, counterbalanced by unapologetically sunny melodies. As a result, songs like "For Agent 13" and "And You Lied to Me" sound heavier and more urgent.

The Go! Team










Starting life as a sample-based act, the Go! Team have evolved into a traditional band, complete with guitar, bass, two drummers, keyboards, and a highly charismatic frontwoman. On the main Enga stage, their music loses little of its fizzy charm or frenetic excitement. Ninja delivers her pop-raps at lightning speed and generally acts like the most determined cheerleader you've ever seen. Meanwhile, the band run through tracks from their new album, Proof of Youth, with an emphasis on loud and fast.

Ninja wears a bandage around one knee, which seems to keep her anchored to the stage. She tells the crowd that because she dislocated her knee the day before, she won't be able to go as crazy today as she would like. Instead, in a lemons-to-lemonade twist, she informs her audience that they'll have to go even wilder on her behalf. They willingly oblige, even though it's difficult to see how Ninja or anyone else in the band could give any more.

Lady Sovereign




Øya booked Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Lady Sovereign, all three troubled British female pop divas who have had high profile problems this year. The first two canceled their Øya sets, but Lady Sov actually shows up. That is enough to win over all the fans who've crowded the Sjøsiden stage, even after a pre-show set by her DJ that seems to go on and on. But her performance-- bolstered by a live rhythm section-- is playful but gritty, as if she's trying to make us forget her recent TRL success. It's odd that an artist so young could have "early days", but today she looks and sounds more like the pranksta-rapper of her very first singles, with her signature sideways ponytail, oversized t-shirt, and two pairs of sunglasses that she trades off as purposefully as other acts change instruments. More to the point, she raps frantically, infusing these songs with an aggression that's completely missing from her album.

Yo Majesty

Yo Majesty are the third of three very different female rap acts scheduled for today, each of which has its own direction and sense of realness. A lesbian crew from Tampa, Florida, Shunda K., Jwl B., and Shon B. (Shon B. is missing from the Øya set) have the potential to topple so many masculine hip-hop clichés, turning misogynist terminology toward dramatically new ends. Initially, however, I'm skeptical. Before I head over to the Vika stage, a publicist tells me that the group puts on a crazy show and often even raps topless. Sure enough, a few songs into their set, Shunda K. is in her sports bra and Jwl B. is bare-chested. There's a disappointingly scripted feel to this exhibitionism; it's an act that potentially distracts from the music instead of signaling a natural expression of personal freedom.

On the other hand, who the hell cares? Even without Shon B., Yo Majesty have undeniable chemistry. Over low-key beats that form just the skeletons of songs, Shunda K. takes most of the verses, wielding a phallic scepter and exhorting the crowd with "Norway, where you at!"-- which is my favorite stage banter from the entire festival. Meanwhile, Jwl B. punctuates her partner's performance with gospel grunts and r&b howls. Yes, she takes her shirt off, which sets the audience's mouths agape, and yes, she wields those breasts like weapons, flaunting her fulsome physique proudly. Nevertheless, the crowd's excitement is a response to the music, not the mammaries, and in turn Yo Majesty seem generally touched by their reception. It's only reluctantly that they leave the stage.

Primal Scream




The last bill of the fest is always a thankless one, especially for a post-rock act like Norway's Salvatore. After seeing headliners BigBang and Primal Scream, audiences trudge tiredly toward the exits, most of them catching Salvatore by accident. Many leave for club nights early in the show, when the group still sounds a little rusty. One song in particular sounds like it might even fall apart, and the drum stand wobbles alarmingly. I'm a little worried for them. But soon enough, their grooves click into place and their music becomes purely motional. As squirrelly guitar lines buzz around the military rhythms, the crowd stops dwindling and people even summon the energy to dance.

Salvatore are a reminder that there hasn't been a defining performance at Øya-- that one show that so far exceeded expectations that anyone who missed it might as well have not attended the festival. There were, however, so many great performances-- Ungdomskulen, Ida Maria, Battles, Jens Lekman, the Go! Team, and Yo Majesty-- that it hardly matters. These were mostly smaller acts that didn't draw crowds as big as those for the headliners, but they had a big impact nevertheless.

Likewise, Øya continues to promote its ecological goals in subtly pervasive, but enormously effective ways. The festival never feels like a political or charitable event, and there are no onstage homilies exhorting attendees to save the earth. Instead, that mission is obvious in the collection of booths selling organic and locally grown food, which isn't necessarily unique to Øya but seems all the more significant in this context. Also, to cut down both on garbage and on dehydration, water is surprisingly inexpensive: for 1 krone, you can buy a paper cup that you can refill at any of the water stations throughout the grounds.

Throughout the week I've seen festivalgoers collecting beer cups and cardboard carriers, sometimes carrying stacks taller than they are. Initially I assumed they were volunteers doing clean-up duty, but later I was informed that Øya pays for trash-- 1 krone for each cup, 5 for carriers. So the industrious members of the crowd scooped them up for beer money, which created more trash, which other people collected for beer money. It's a productive and profitable cycle that constantly maintains the grounds and keeps Medieval Park clean and green. It's a small thing, but the result is huge-- which seems to be the Øya ethos.

Fans

Arp (Ex-Tussle) Remixed by Panda Bear, Remixes Lindstrom
Arp preps debut LP, single

Former Tussle mastermind Alexis Georgopoulos will release the debut album from his newest project, Arp, on November 6.

The album, In Light, will come out via Smalltown Supersound, and despite its electronic nature, it was recorded almost entirely live. Following the album's release will be a 12" single, "St Tropez/Potentialities", featuring remixes from German proto-ambient legends Cluster and Georgopoulos' own Expanding Head Band project. A Panda Bear remix of Arp will soon follow, although details have not yet been confirmed.

Arp recently did a little remixing of his own as well. One Arp remix will appear on a forthcoming Lindstrøm 12" on Feedelity, and another, for a Charlotte Gainsbourg track, should turn up on a forthcoming Vice release. [MORE...]

Smoke Weed on Stage With the Streets!

The Streets' follow-up to The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living isn't much closer to release than when we last reported on it (sometime next year is the new goal). Still, Mike Skinner and co. are getting plenty of mileage out of their remaining three tour dates by holding a bong-making contest for fans who'd like to appear on stage with them in London on August 26.

Appropriately enough, the gig in question is the Streets' headlining appearance at the Get Loaded in the Park festival. Skinner plans to end the set with Original Pirate Material's "The Irony of It All"-- you know, the one about how smoking weed is better than drinking. Since the song's lyrics reference homemade bongs, he is asking fans to design their own to smoke on stage with him and the live band.

If you're interested, all you have to do is email a photo or drawing of your design along with a description of your bong to loadedbong@hotmail.com and include your name, address, and phone number. And if your bong is chosen, you'll receive a pair of VIP passes to Get Loaded as well as the opportunity to get loaded at the gig using your bong.

According to the episode of "Beat Stevie" (Skinner's online TV show) in which the contest was announced, you'll also receive a signed octagonal shaped cymbal from the Streets' live drum kit.

Contest entries must be in by August 22, and Skinner will announce the winner on his blog the next day.

(Side note: This is the second bong-related band contest we have reported in three weeks.)

"Beat Stevie" contest announcement:

 

[MORE...]

Wilco Cancel Shows Due to Nels Cline's Chicken Pox
Alas, we're saving our good chicken pox jokes for Smoosh

Photo by Shannon McClean

Curse you, chicken pox! The most popular excuse for missing a week of kindergarten has claimed another victim: Wilco guitarist (and solo artist) Nels Cline. Yep, Cline is rife with tiny, itchy hives, and as such, the band has been forced to duck out of a pair of forthcoming dates.

Sez Wilcoworld.net:

We're sorry to report that our good friend and Wilco guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline has recently contracted a rather nasty case of the CHICKEN POX (not sure that should be in all caps... but judging from the gruesome details in email correspondence we've had with NC, we'll leave it so). He is slowly on the mend but is not quite there yet...

And you thought Sky Blue Sky was wimpy! (Zing! Actually, we hear chicken pox is particularly nasty for adults.)

Thanks to reader Steve Jones for the tip.

Tomorrow night's gig in Duluth has been rescheduled for September 4, and the Winnipeg date the next evening is off, to be either rescheduled or nixed completely. Barring a nasty case of grass-stained knees from our boy Jeffy, the updated Wilco tour schedule is yours after the jump. [MORE...]

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Play Russia!
Russians retaliate with new band: No One Will Ever Love You George W. Bush

Seriously, somebody make this into a childrens' book already. Nearly four months after their namesake's passing, Polyvinyl-signed upstarts Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin made it to Russia late last month.

Seems the Missouri-bred quartet were the talk of the Annual Afisha Picnic, which went down July 28 at Moscow's Kolomenskoye park. There they competed against native heavyweights like Mumiy Troll-- as well as cartoon viewings, fashion shows, backgammon and chess tournaments, sculpture gardens, manicures, an interactive "cardboard kingdom," and a whole lotta food-- to win the hearts and raise the eyebrows of our brothers and sisters of the former Soviet Union.

But why simply read about it when you can scope some rad pics direct from the band (including a requisite Saint Basil's Cathedral shot), as well as a news report video from Russia Today (whose anchorpersons conveniently deal in British English)?

SSLYBY are presently recording the follow-up to their 2006 debut Broom, with eyes on a 2008 release. Catch them on their home turf at several upcoming late summer gigs.


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Patrick Wolf Scores Film, Boosts Nudity, All Ages Shows
Plans tours, works with Alec Empire, disses Perez Hilton

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

This just in from the cluttered desk of Patrick Wolf: nakedness is a-okay. Opined Wolf in a recent blog post, "a naked body does not offend me in any way, it can be used as a communication device, a performance piece. It need not be perfect and there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to the body."

Patrick felt compelled to assume this magic position after taking a swing at celeb gossip hound Perez "soulless vacuous im sorry your life is so superficial gustav mahlers dog will be waiting for you in the afterlife to eat you" Hilton, who apparently refers to Wolf as a "Swedish stripper." Right, then.

Wolf also howled about the foul English injustice that is the 18+ show. "The government has restricted so much of the fun and feelings you deserve," he wrote. "[They're] denying new generations of a healthy musical upbringing and its [sic] becoming boring. If it means all venues are over 18 these days, then I will try my hardest to play halls and bandstands and anywhere where music can be heard for everyone."

Speaking of playing shows, the man who claimed his "final concert" will be this November is planning tours in America, the UK, Japan, and Australia "before the year is through."

Wolf also assures us that he is indeed working with Atari Teenage Rioter Alec Empire on material for Wolf's fourth album, which is "becoming an epic."

What's more, Wolf's lending his boundless creative juices to an enterprise by filmmaker John Jenkinson (not the quality car salesman, we'll assume). Jenkinson's feature No Ghosts will include original music from Wolf; you can hear a snippet of the piano'n'strings tune "The Days" (recorded in Vienna, fittingly) on the film's website.

While No Ghosts is "only in the early stages," you can settle for the whole live Patrick Wolf spectacle for now, which goes down at a number of upcoming festival gigs. [MORE...]

Jennifer Gentle, Sean Lennon, Earlies Cover Os Mutantes

Photo by Sanchez and Kitahara

Hey hey! There's a new Os Mutantes tribute album out today! Jardim Elétrico: A Tribute to Os Mutantes features fifteen different artists tackling tracks from all over the catalog of the highly influential, stupendously great Brazilian psych-pop experimentalists.

You'll likely get quite a kick out of contributions by the Earlies, Jennifer Gentle, Residual Echoes, and Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto), as well as White Flag's take on "Mysterious White Roses," a Mutantes gem that never made it to a proper album but did show up in a 1968 film. The disc features an insert poster drawn by Mutant Arnaldo Baptista, which we'd wager might look pretty cool under a blacklight. All this can be yours from Italian label Madcap Collective.

There's also a clause in this here press release suggesting this album was made available at all Os Mutantes tour dates. Since those suckers have, for the time being, come and gone, you may already own this album. If not, get to searchin'! [MORE...]

Ted Leo Bassist Dave Lerner Leaves Band
Bonus! Photos: Ted Leo + Pharmacists / The Thermals [Brooklyn, NY; 08/12/07]

Photos by Ryan Muir

A Ted Leo and the Pharmacists show is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. You've got Ted's boundless energy (and penchant for self-injury), drummer Chris Wilson's bug-eyes and bountiful beard, and, up until Sunday, bassist Dave Lerner's ever-expanding mass of curly hair.

We're sure going to miss those flowing locks, as Leo announced on Sunday during a show at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool that this would be Lerner's last performance with the band. No hard feelings-- Leo toasted Lerner with a bottle of bubbly, and fans rushed the stage. Leo and co. were in a celebratory mood, even
treating fans to a cover of Daft Punk's "One More Time".

No replacement for Lerner has been announced just yet. But the Pharmacists have a few weeks to regroup-- their next show isn't until September 1. A lengthy North American trek awaits in November.

The show was the penultimate Pool Party, the JellyNYC-sponsored free outdoor concert series. (The last one takes place this Sunday, August 19, and features Ghostland Observatory, YACHT, Kid Sister, the Cool Kids, and more.)

The Thermals also played-- check out more photos below.

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS




THE THERMALS

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Waits, Davies, Coleman, Hook Judge Song Contest
Plus: Robert Smith, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, Loretta Lynn, David Cross, Nelly Furtado

Miffed that that overrated hack Brian Wilson totally dissed your masterpiece last year? Hopeful that Tom Waits spent the past year getting a freaking clue about what it means to write good songs? Well, my friend, why not give the International Songwriting Competition another go?

Like last year's contest, this one invites aspiring songwriters to submit their best fare before a veritable Supreme Court of music legends, including Tom Waits, Ray Davies, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ornette Coleman, Loretta Lynn, Peter Hook, Robert Smith, Frank Black, and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, as well as contemporary hitmakers like Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Nelly Furtado, Macy Gray, and Sean Paul. Also: Hinder.

What's more, "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Cross, and Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong fame) will judge the newly inaugurated Comedy/Novelty category, while a number of industry heavyweights will have their say as well. View the complete list of judges here.

The ISC aims to "provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena" and "nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels, and promote excellence in the art of songwriting." To those ends, the 2007 competition will award a $25,000 cash prize to the overall winner, plus some $20,000 in prizes. First, second, third, and "Peoples' Voice" victors also rake in some cash.

Entries may be submitted via mail or online-- check out the official entry form here. And make haste! All submissions must be postmarked by October 15, 2007 to be considered.

The Shins Announce Fall Dates

The Shins have added an October leg to their marathon tour in support of Wincing the Night Away (and the UK release of the "Turn on Me" single on September 3).

The new dates are all in the U.S., and a select number of them feature Vetiver (who knew the Shins dig the freak folk?) and the Shaky Hands as openers.

The band still has plenty of love left for Europe, though, as that's where they'll be until the end of the month. Their next show is in Erfurt, Germany on August 17. [MORE...]

Jana Hunter Founds Label, Releases EP, Tours

Devendra Banhart cohort Jana Hunter is following up the release of her latest album-- this year's There's No Home-- by releasing an EP, forming a label, and going on tour.

First, the EP: It's called Carrion, and it features alternate versions of Home tracks in addition to material written during the same period. It comes out September 18 via Gnomonsong. (The vinyl version will be released the same day on Woodsist.)

Her label is called Feow!, and it will launch next month with the September 4 release of Deer Tick's War Elephant, followed by Bring Back the Guns' Dry Futures on October 2. (Matthew Brownlie of Bring Back the Guns founded the label with Hunter.)

Future Feow! release include a Hunter/Indian Jewelry split 10" this winter, full-lengths from Sharks & Sailors and Woozyhelmet next spring, and a Wicked Poseur full-length next summer.

Following an August 18 show in Denton, Texas, Hunter will hit the road with Devendra for a trio of dates this October, and she will announce a November tour with Matteah Baim shortly.

Finally, Hunter will begin recording her full-length follow-up to There's No Home at the end of this year. [MORE...]

My Brightest Diamond, Long Winters, Apostle of Hustle Cover Huey Lewis
Or: Huey Lewis in the news

A few weeks back, there appeared in Forkcast a My Brightest Diamond cover of the Huey Lewis and the News song "Naturally". The song is from a forthcoming compilation titled Are You Still With Me?! A Tribute to Huey Lewis and the News. The compilation still has no label nor specific release date in 2008, and both the line-up and tracklist await finalization. But the project's MySpace has information about some of the other contributors, for those wondering if Shara Worden was the only one who had rediscovered the heart of rock and roll.

Those contributors include Apostle of Hustle, the Long Winters, Centro-matic's Will Johnson, Bound Stems, Oh No! Oh My!, Windsor for the Derby, and Catfish Haven, among many others. In fact, all of the confirmed contributors are listed below in alphabetical order, along with the songs they cover and the Lewis/News albums they're from. [MORE...]

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)