Phlake: Pregnant + So Faded + Like You

Despite having been introduced four years ago by mutual friends, it took a while for established producer Jonathan Elkær to officially team up with then unknown singer Mads Bo to create music that began to generate well-deserved buzz in their native Denmark last year. Going by the name Phlake, the two were signed to Sony Music which released two singles in May and September: the über chill "So Faded" and the flawless "Pregnant". A third excellent track "I Like You" will be included on the debut EP, set to drop this year. All of the duo's lyrics are co-written by multi-talented Gisli Gislason, also based in Copenhagen.

Phlake has a show coming up February 12 at Stars in Vordingborg. October 28 and 29 they have two prestigious gigs at Train in Århus and Store Vega in Copenhagen, respectively. A number of additional dates will no doubt be announced on their Facebook page as we get further into 2016.

I'm also posting a outstanding live stripped-down performance of "So Faded", recorded in Copenhagen June 10, 2015 as part of the ongoing intimate concert series Sofar (Songs From A Room).


https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/phlake/id993110878

https://www.facebook.com/phlake-402433419930535/app/308540029359/?ref=page_internal

https://twitter.com/gislitherapper

https://www.sofarsounds.com/

Aurora: Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

I became familiar with Norwegian artist Aurora a year ago, and although I definitely took note, it wasn't until I watched the live stream of the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo on December 11 last year that I truly became a fan. The night was packed with stellar contributions by Kygo, a-ha, Mø and more, but when the 19-year-old sang her original composition 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)', expertly accompanied by fellow Bergen singer-songwriter Odd Martin Skålnes on acoustic guitar, you could hear a pin drop, the melody and lyrics filling the large space as she told her haunting tale, one which easily holds a candle to those penned by two of her biggest idols, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

Aurora´s 12-track debut full-length 'All My Demons Greeting Me As a Friend' drops March 11; a deluxe edition containing 17 tracks will also be available.

She has a string of shows lined up in the UK, continental Europe, and the U.S. between February and May. NOTE: She'll also be performing at the Roskilde Festival (June 25 - July 2.)

Update February 2: ten additional UK dates have been scheduled between October 3 and October 16.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-my-demons-greeting-me/id1065969288

http://www.aurora-music.com/live

David Bowie: Lazarus + Heroes

David Robert Jones, age eight, 1955, Bromley, Greater London

I was as surprised as anyone when I read the news that David Bowie died from liver cancer yesterday, only two days after his 69th birthday; the same day he released his twenty-fifth studio album 'Blackstar'.  Utterly unique and a bona fide genius, he created a treasure trove of music throughout five decades, an accomplishment hard to fathom.

For this blog post I chose an early school picture rather than a photo showing one of his many fascinating recording/stage personas because it freezes a moment in time when not even lil David Jones could have predicted the brilliant career of David Bowie. Or could he? Is that why he's smiling?

The beautiful second single "Lazarus" dropped December 17 and is a fitting swan song from Bowie. The stellar video, published January 7, was directed by Johan Renck (who also directed the clip that accompanies the first single "Blackstar".)

Everyone has their favorite Bowie songs: mine is "Heroes" and so I am also posting his classic from 1977.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/blackstar/id1059043043?app=itunes

Choir Of Young Believers: Jeg Ser Dig

Choir of Young Believers mastermind Jannis Noya Makrigiannis has an eagerly awaited new full-length coming out February 19; the twelve-song 'Grasque' album is the first since 'Rhine Gold' dropped in 2012.  Three teaser tracks have been unveiled so far of which the most recent is my favorite. "Jeg Ser Dig" [I see you] is six minutes and eight seconds of gorgeous vocals and music: the perfect way to kick off 2016 here on The Nightfly music blog.

The black-white video is decidedly low-key yet strangely effective; the clip was directed by Sara Laub, a graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design.

COYB aka Jannis and friends have a show on January 23 at Bremen Teater in their hometown of Copenhagen. An April 5-13 eight-city tour starts in Zürich and ends in Berlin. April 22 there's one date in Helsinki and three gigs have so far been scheduled at Danish venues for the last week of April and first week of May (see Facebook link below for details.)


https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/grasque/id1044373917

https://www.facebook.com/choirofyoungbelievers/app/123966167614127/?ref=page_internal

http://cargocollective.com/saralaub/About-Sara-Laub

12 Fave Videos/Songs Posted On The Nightfly In 2015

2015 is coming to an end here in California, and so once again it's time for me to pick my favorite videos/songs among the many that I have posted on The Nightfly these past twelve months.

NOTE 1: As usual, I need to point out that this is not a "Best" list, but simply my personal favorites. It wasn't easy to only choose one dozen among the scores of great ones, but below are twelve videos/songs that I found to be truly outstanding on all counts: music, vocals, arrangement, concept, cinematography, direction.

NOTE 2: Some faves were left out because the videos were either: not published this year, live performance videos, lyric videos or not music videos per se. Finally, in the case of a few videos, I decided that the clip did not quite match the high quality of the song.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of my lovely readers out there in cyber space - thanks for "tuning in" to The Nightfly music blog - my advertisement free, labor of love, one-woman operation since February of 2008 - come back and visit often in 2016!!!

And without further ado, in random order, here are my twelve favorites (with links to my original posts below each video):





http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/11/findlay-electric-bones.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/10/charles-murdoch-frogs-featuring-ta-ku.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/10/silicon-burning-sugar.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/09/daye-jack-save-my-soul-easy.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/08/kentaur-arms-of-infinite.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/08/oh-wonder-livewire.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/07/on-on-its-not-over.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/06/melody-gardot-preacherman-posted-in.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/06/wyles-simpson-stormy-skies-light-and.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-very-best-let-go-hear-me.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-prodigy-wild-frontier-nasty.html






http://latenightdj.blogspot.com/2015/04/kwabs-perfect-ruin.html

Mystery Jets: Telomere

Together for a decade, London band Mystery Jets are still going strong. January 15 they drop their fifth full-length 'Curve of the Earth' and kick off a UK mini tour the day before (in between, they have a show in Dublin on February 12).

On the coming album's first track "Telomere" Blaine Harrison's voice is more gorgeous than ever. In the accompanying video he seems remarkably unfazed by his stint at a hellish mud bath spa; the clip was directed by James Copeman.



https://www.facebook.com/mysteryjets/app/308540029359/?ref=page_internal

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/curve-of-the-earth/id1060253734

http://www.loveandhate.co.uk/#!music-video/c3wz

Rasmus Bjerg & Citybois: En Rigtig Drengejul

Photo by Lila Orshefsky, Long Beach

Sunday, a friend of mine was admitted to a hospital in Long Beach, California following a severe stroke. He has always had a great sense of humor, and once the difficult rehabilitation begins, I sincerely hope that he regains his ability to smile and laugh. And so, in that spirit, instead of posting a sad video, I chose a funny one that I know he would truly appreciate.


Acclaimed by critics and beloved by audiences in Denmark, actor Rasmus Bjerg excels at both drama and comedy. For this 2015 clip he invited Thor (left) and Anthon (right) of wildy popular Danish pop duo Citybois to a very special Christmas party. The catchy track and funny video is an instant classic: Wham-meets-Saturday Night Live.