Danish artist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis may be the only permanent member of Choir Of Young Believers, but he justifies his band’s name by never having a shortage of friends to flesh out his orchestral, chorus-like song structures. The band continues in this vein and then some with the March 20 release of Rhine Gold (Ghostly International), which features a multitude of instruments and voices crafted into glorious, folky-yet-dramatic numbers. This mix tape, made by Makrigiannis, includes some schooling on some of the coolest bands to come out of his native Denmark lately.
“Patricia’s Thirst” (download):
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Thulebasen “Monster”
Thulebasens second LP, Gate 5, from last year is one of the best rock albums I have heard in a very, very long time. It’s psychedelic, groovy, heavy and very danceable, and then they are amazing live. They are playing their first U.S. shows at SXSW this year. So if you’re going, this is definately one of the bands you don’t wanna miss. I used to play in a band called Mit NYE Band (“my new band” in Danish), with the singer and guitarist, Nis. He also produced the new Choir Of Young Believers records with another friend of ours, Aske Zidore, from Oh No Ono. Video
Bruce Springsteen “Tougher Than The Rest”
I never really understood him, but my girlfriend has been a fan since she was a kid and it seems like he’s having some kind of revival of some sorts with Arcade Fire, Kurt Vile and the War On Drugs giving him lots of love. Anyway, to me it’s a pretty new thing that everybody suddenly just loves The Boss, which is cool ’cause take this song: I heard it before and all, but if it wasn’t for this revival thing I would never have gotten it as I got it now. It’s the saddest country song disguised in this beautiful ’80s synth outfit. So beautiful! Video
Cass McCombs “Hermit’s Cave”
Cass McCombs made my absolute favorite album of last year with Wits End. I just discovered him a year ago and I still only heard half of his back catalog, but I know I have a friend for life in all the music he has done and is going to do in the future. Video
Girlseeker “Lightning From My Mind”
Girlseeker is a new Danish band. They only released a seven-inch and a tape until now, but I think a record (CD) is on its way. Great singer, great melodies and arrangements, sexy, mysterious and brain dead. Hey, what else do you need?! I heard someone describe them as “Ariel Pink’s retarded cousin,” which is pretty well put, I think. Video
Euros Childs “Gently All Around”
Euros Childs is a fantastic musician from Wales. He used to be in Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, which I don’t know that well, but I think they were kind of big in the ’90s. Anyway, I’m a huge fan of his solo stuff, especially the albums Son Of Euro Child and Chops. He does a couple of releases a year and gives it all away on his website. Right now I’m listening to his album Ends, which he just released a month or two ago. Video
Lars Hug “Mon De Kan Reparere Dig”
I guess that the readers of MAGNET don’t know that much Danish music, so here’s an oldie but goodie. Lars Hug used to be a part of the punk/new-wave scene in Denmark in the start of the ’80s. He had a really cool band called Kliché, but some of his solo stuff, also from the ’80s, is really worth a listen to. Currently, I’m spinning the records Kysser Himlen Farvel and City Slang a lot. Video
