Storsviet Nix Noltes and Animal Collective Live

Bottom line up front, Storsviet Nix Noltes is amazing. If I had to describe their sound before research, I would call it kick-ass Eastern European gypsy like rock music. Upon further searching, I came across a Foxy Digitalis review and interview. They are an Icelandic, nine person group who met in school and crowd the stage with a huge ensemble of instruments to include, but not limited to... guitars, tuba, trumpet, cello, upright bass, accordion, banjo, and drums. Simply amazing. Their music comes from traditional Eastern European folk music from areas such as, Croatia, Romania, and Hungary... I would just like to highly recommend seeing this band to everyone before I steal some quotes from the interview that I feel are very relevant. I would consider it a cultural experience as well as an amazing show.

Quoted from Foxy Digitalis Online:

How has the tour been so far?

Palli: Drunk.

Is the music you´re playing mostly composed or improvised?

Gestur: The melodies are composed.

Palli: Yeah, the basis is composed, but starting from there, we just do what we feel like. All songs we play are traditionals from Eastern Europe, but we arrange them heavily.

Does the country you´re living in influence your music?

Palli: [sighs] This is always a difficult question. It would be so nice to say that we´re influenced by the elves and the glaciers and the volcanoes and so on, but that´s not it.

Gestur: You were probably referring to traditional Icelandic music. That certainly has influenced us a bit.

Palli: Our music would maybe sound differently, if we were all living in Hungary or Bulgaria. That´s the great thing about the band, we´re totally free in what we want to do.

Gestur: We hear traditionals and what they sound like, but when we play, it sounds differently. That´s what keeps me going and what fascinates me so much. I relate the music we´re playing to so many things.

Palli: All members of the band come from very different backgrounds and we give everybody their space. We don´t say: Don´t play this or that, don´t play romantic or whatever. It´s musicianship. It´s not meant in an arrogant way, but rather that everything just comes naturally.

I was also lucky enough to get one of their US debut albums on the very day it was released in the US, Orkideur Hawai on Bubble Core Records is exceptional and very different from almost everything I have heard before. For those with an open mind, a love for music, and or a desire for cultural music turned even more awesome, check out this album. here are a few mp3s, and you can get more at their page here.

Storsveit Nix Noltes - Kreptatka (html->mp3)
Storsveit Nix Noltes - Gankini Hore (html->mp3)

Animal Collective...

I was still thinking so much about Nix Noltes when AC came on that at first I did not know what to think. I was listening to is and was suprised at what I heard. Its certainly a different sound from their most recent album, but there was more. I can honestly say that as I listened more and more, I started to feel something that were playing in their musiabsorbedcame obsorbed in the sounds and had to close my eyes to take it in as much as i could. It was like reading a book that you can't put down, anticipating every page turn. This is how I felt with every change in the song and transition to the truly I can truely only describe it as an experience that will make you feel music like never before.


P.S. i can't wait until January 1, 2007 when DC restaurants, restuarants, and pretty much every other public workplace become smoke free. I almost died tonight at Black Cat, honestly. Support SmokefreeDC. I dont knock people for smoking, I just think there are places it should not be done, like indoors. It effects people a lot more than some realize.

I am off for the weekend to North Carolina for one of my friend's house eviction celebration, hopefully I will be back for Annie on sunday.

posted by RyanSpartan @ 10:31 AM