On repeat today is the Danish eight-piece Under Byen (pronounced “ohna boon,” but you knew that). At times they recall Björk, Mogwai, and Tortoise, but ultimately it’s unlike everything else I’m listening to these days. Like their MySpace page says, it’s experimental.
Start with the Samme Stof Som Stuf title track/single. Reminiscent of the nervous orchestration of Apple-era XTC … but performed by Björk and two kickass drummers. “Tinder” has a nifty music box intro that unravels into a brooding ballad showcasing Henriette Sennenvaldt’s fragile Sia-like inflections. No axes for Under Byen, but violinist Nils Gröndahl plays a mean saw.
Samme Stof Som Stof will be the band’s first international release, courtesy of Paper Bag Records. Look for it in stores 9/26, and on blogs now.
From Samme Stof Som Stof (2006)
Under Byen – “Den Her Sang Handler Om At Få Det Bedste Ud Af Det”
From Det Er Mig Der Holder Træerne Sammen (2002)
From Kyst (1999)
Hear more at myspace.com/47795897.
Here’s the new video for “Af Samme Stof Som Stof.”
Fantastiske.
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So how long until a Pitchfork writeup and all us cool kids stop listening?
P.S. The lead singer of this band is super fucking hot.
wow.. apparently Bjork is now a genre?
all these song titles sound like something the swedish chef would say.
this band is amazing! very bjork like but very original in it’s own right. thanks for the post.
yes, henreitte Sennenvaldt (singer of this band) is brutally hot. She’s good friends with our man Howe Gelb, and even did a song with him on his Arizona Amp and Alternator album last year
stream:
http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/preview.html?id=100000892
http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=100213
I didn’t realize she was on AA&A! Cool.
RAD Post!
A friend saw them play in Denmark and they were amazing!
P.S. Yes, she is smokin…
Oh, dear.. of all the bands here in denmark, this hippie-shit is what you bring up? I’m sorry, they’re alright, but it’s very easy to get sick of them when they’re all over magazines over here.
Recommend us some good Danish music, Martin!.. I don’t think I’d ever even heard a band from Denmark before listening to these songs.
I’ve been loving this band for the past couple of years. I recommend their previous album… Det Er Mig Der Holder Træerne Sammen… it’s really really good.
Forget shitty overhyped bands from the UK, Denmark has the best music out right now.
A few of the best bands:
Kashmir (one of the biggest bands there),
Mew (just starting to break out internationally), Efterklang (check them out if you like Under Byen),
Kitty Wu,
and newcomers VETO.
All of them are worth a listen – and all of them have songs in english so no excuses there…
kashmir.dk
mewsite.com
kittywu.com
efterklang.net
vetonet.dk
thank you, thank you, thank you, for bringing up mew, emmanuel. they are the shit.
this stuff is pretty good, but i gotta admit i hate this video.
/everywhere there’s a critic, i guess.
Come on! As a dane I love Under Byen, but..[sigh] Listen to Sigur Rós instead. Under Byen is a talented collective with great sound, but well, it’s just too much whinning too cope with… Check out http://www.mikaelsimpson.dk, who just released his fourth album. He’s whinning as well, but the stuff is all his own. Besides that, Emmanuel got his stuff right.
Nice to se a Danish band posted here, but as mentioned Denmark can do better than Under Byen.
I agree with Kristoffer about listening to Sigur Rós instead. and Mikael Simpson.
If you want to find more Danish music then check out the homepage for the the Danish Spot Festival, which is mianly promoting Danish and Nordic acts.
http://www.spotfestival.dk/index.php?1153991230
I agree that is sounds like Sigur Ros but it sort of doesn’t at the same time. There are no guitars and the way she sings is so beautiful, no matter what she’s saying. There are tonnes of great bands all over the world that don’t get enough attention and just like everything else, if it’s not the band you want to get attention, then it’s no good or sounds like something else. Whatever, this is far from boring and I’m glad I read about it here and discovered some new music. I would say to those haters out there, don’t be so boring yourself.
Wow. Not to be completely superficial, but … that band is full of earth-scorchingly hot women.
I love how this gets highjacked to be a commentary about hot chicks and “better” bands from Denmark.
This band is chillingly awesome…and it’s the music that makes my pants shrink.
Better late than never.
I love Under Byen!
I love Under Byen!
Funny that someone complaining about Danish musicians whining and then suggesting Mikael Simpson instead. “It’s irony on a basic level, but I like it…”
Compared to Sigur Ros and Björk Under Byen is still totally different. Closer to Sweden’s fantastic Stina Nordenstam vocally and maybe now even Tom Waits, Einstürzende Neubauten and hell, Sonic Youth-noise musically, in a way…
L
“Det er mig der holder træerne sammen” is by far their best album. Amazing. Go buy!
Sennenvald (lead singer) works at my local bookstore. She’s sweet.
Love this band! So not enuf coverage in North America. stereogum rocks!
Love this band! So not enuf coverage in North America. stereogum rocks!
Totally love this band. Needs more North American Coverage! (stereogum rocks it).
Totally love this band. Needs more North American Coverage! (stereogum rocks it).
Thank you for posting this. Under Byen is fantastic!
Thank you for posting this. Under Byen is fantastic!
Not to be a bitch, but i actually went backstage after a concert and had red wine with henriette (yeah thats right the hot one) and the others. I even got to sleep over in the house in Brussels where they recorded samme stof som stof.
I rule.
But yes; Under Byen rocks, theyre lyrics own and the musical atmosphere is unique. It is however 1000000 times more impressive live.
VETO is definately an amazing band.
They just finished a new video. Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/vetosite
We couldn’t agree more. VETO are an amazing band and after 4 years they deserve the love. They were voted Band of the Day on http://www.newbandday.com