Imports From Øya

Safe to say that I was running on fumes before I even arrived in Oslo. Lolla was hot, busy and without opportunity for sleep. (Man do I love adrenaline.) Anyway, before I get started, it's incumbent upon me to point you over to Stereogum, 'cause the wrap-up is comprehensive.

The Øya Fest grounds were a mere ten-minute walk from our hotel (which is a very good thing, given the ease with which cabbies would jack the already-astronomical rates for tourists). After morning activities (like trips on fjords -- no shit), there were maybe ninety minutes in which to get some shut-eye. I had the most insanely lucid dreams. I was tired.

Noxagt - Soft Sugar (MP3)

Still, I soldiered on, and had great finds along the way. First off, Noxagt (Website | MySpace). Total noise-rock. Load Records has had 'em for a few -- and they aren't a new band -- but their recent switch from viola to guitar has brought a new quality to their deconstructed sludge jams. They had the last set of Øya, at a time when my feet were pleading for rest. Yet I stayed, along with the fifteen other brave souls who preferred this shadowy madness over the bright lights of the Beck-man. Just a look around cracked me up: Brandon, Cole, randon journos and photogs I'd met over the course of the weekend, all nodding their heads in unison, barely illuminated by the dim reflected stage light. And the rest of mankind over at Beck. There's some sweet sentiment in that situation, but I'll let you draw it out.

New Violators - Burma (MP3)

I'll say that New Violators (Website | Myspace) were another favorite find, only I didn't see them. Brandon kept raving all weekend (and after an interview with some Norwegian press, ended up as the band's biggest champion in the next day's paper), but it was only after we ran into lead singer Per at the Love Is All after-party that I decided to give a listen (and I'll admit, it's partly because he truly looked like a cross between Morrissey and Vanilla Ice). I know, I know, we're all really burned on neo-new wave, but give these guys a shot. They've been together since February, and their buzz back home is building. I think they'll be around and through the States soon enough.

The Knife - Kino (live) (MP3 Removed)

I loved The Knife. I saw that Chris started fiending after seeing the pics on 'gum, and may be coming up to NYC to take in their Webster show. May be a tough ticket to score, but if you go, you won't be disappointed. GvsB also posted this awesome live Knife cut (har har).

Spank Rock - Rick Rubin (MP3)
Spank Rock - Put That Pussy On Me (MP3) 

One more act that got me this weekend: Spank Rock (Website | MySpace). The 'gum readers were on me to check 'em out, and I ended up running into Naeem at some hipster bar our first night there. I'm a fan of conscience-raising hip-hop, of guys with shit to say (like Talib, Common, even Kanye -- though he's a bit on the pop side of things), and I tend to shy away from dudes who preach "Put That Pussy On Me" and tell me that his jams will "make my dick turn racist." But damn, I haven't seen a performance like that in, well, never, really. Kid's got smooth stage-bounding moves, mad charisma, hilarious lyrics and rad beats. I would not miss them when they come through McCarren next month (and Bowery in October).

And I'm gonna wrap up the post with one more band for you to get into: Malajube (Website | MySpace). They're from Montreal (and they're taking that city by storm), and they sound utterly fantastic. (If you're wondering, they're a Prog Emo Jam Band. That's what you get for wondering.) More on them soon.

I have so many postable pics, but it takes SO LONG. I'll try and get some pic posts together soon.

Comments

[kathryn]

I loved your 'gum write-up of Oya. That should be your new full-time job: going to foreign festivals, seeing bands the NYC blogosphere has barely heard of, and taking more fantastic photographs. How would you say it compares to stuff like SXSW, CMJ, Lolla, Pitchfork, or Bumbershoot?

I wish Malajube would play a show in NYC! They seem to have gotten little or no US buzz. I would have thought more people would have discovered them since they were shortlisted for the Polaris Prize.

Get some sleep!

[AngryCitizen]

yeah so that second photo of enslaved over at stereogum is out of control. It's hypnotizing me.

[Amrit]

Thanks Kathryn! The comparison is a good idea for a post, so I'll letcha know. And yes, I accept your offer to cover foreign festivals for a living. Do you give benefits?

I heart Malajube.

And I have like 16 variations of that Enslaved photo, if you want.