Keeplefty

Songs playing now, August 2011

2011-08-08T16:55:00.001+02:00

Alexander Ebert, Dirty Beaches and Jamie Woon. And more.

Copenhagen anno 1937

2011-07-29T16:16:00.004+02:00

Just discovered this old video of Copenhagen.

06:12: "Most of the business of the day is over, and the hole population seems to suddenly appear on wheels."

Nothing has changed...

Via @Mikkelmarius

Max Richter

2011-07-29T15:23:00.003+02:00

Max Richter (born 1966) is a German-born British composer. I no longer remember how I came across this very blue and scenic music.

Here is a selection of his songs:

Follow Max Richter on Twitter.

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

2011-07-26T13:02:00.000+02:00

Since Roskilde Festival 2011, #rf11, I've been getting intimate with PJ Harvey's 2011 album Let England Shake.

In the dark places is such a strong number. I still remember her singing and playing it on that peculiar breast-high held instrument.

Rangleklods

2011-07-26T12:00:00.002+02:00

Aarhus/Berlin/Copenhagen based Rangleklods ~~makes me dance with emoticons and dry-weep with a off-beat smile~~ is coming up!

Rangleklods will play the 4th of August along with the danceable electro-rock band Turboweekend. Upcoming concerts

~~He makes anthems and semi-bangers~~ - the production is high quality and the vocal got depth.

Find your new favourite song on Rangleklods' debut album sampler:

Rangleklods by Rangleklods

Roskilde Festival 2011 bands I like to hear

2011-04-23T12:36:00.005+02:00

My @orangefeeling playlist on Grooveshark (a legal music service paying royalties to 667 labels and lots more unsigned bands, including EMI (and counting). AND: building fan bases!

"Grooveshark states that they hold any money collected for any artist with whom they do not have an agreement in place in an escrow account." - the internet (unverified??))

Celebrate the bands at RF11 we will!

Northside Festival, June 2011

2011-02-17T18:27:00.001+01:00

Looking forward to Suede, Crystal Castles, Band of Horses etc.

Roskilde 2010 warm up - Playlist from Grooveshark

2010-06-13T09:42:00.004+02:00

Editors, 18/11, Vega

2009-10-01T22:52:00.000+02:00

Groovesharking...

2009-08-13T17:02:00.003+02:00

#Roskilde Festival PROGRAM #rf09

2009-06-16T21:33:00.005+02:00

Roskilde site is down but the program is here. Some quick guy snapped it.

#Roskilde Festival 6: Peter Doherty #rf09

2009-06-15T16:24:00.003+02:00

RF just added 3 artists to the program. Doherty, who is the great singer of The Libertines, is one of them!

Nephew Danmark Denmark 12 Videos!

2009-06-12T10:41:00.006+02:00

By 12 visual/video artists @nephunited

#Roskilde Festival 5: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart #rf09

2009-06-11T13:59:00.003+02:00

I don't know this New Yorker band, but if their concert cross my way I'll like to get to know them.

#Roskilde Festival 4: Coldplay #rf09

2009-06-09T15:20:00.005+02:00

Coldplay (UK) is a decent band that makes great melodies to sing-a-long to - which is why they do enchanted festival performances.

#Roskilde Festival 3: Cody #rf09

2009-06-07T16:52:00.006+02:00

Cody (DK) should not be playing at Pavillon Junior before the "real" festival starts, but they do.

Distortion

2009-06-06T13:37:00.001+02:00

Today at Vesterbro:
Thursday at Nørrebro:

#Roskilde 2: Kanye West #rf09

2009-06-06T13:06:00.004+02:00

Kanye West is a trendsetting music and style icon who manages to combine MTV appeal and artistic drive – abandon his concert like in 2006, I will not do.

Guy starting dance party at festival!

#rf09 #ROSKILDE festival 1: White Lies

2009-06-05T18:27:00.005+02:00

@orangefeeling
White Lies

A must hear. White Lies are the glowering, glistening, moody, magnificent, cheekbones-of-granite, stone cold future of Rock. Yeah!

Tonight amazing happens: Magic vs. Lakers - Let's go Magic!!

2009-06-04T14:11:00.002+02:00

Distortion

2009-06-04T13:41:00.002+02:00

Today
Yesterday (Wednesday)

"Guess a movie/tv theme" playlist

2009-06-04T12:53:00.005+02:00

Classic Movie and Television Theme

CPH Distortion 3.-7. June 2009

2009-06-02T17:47:00.004+02:00

Distortion starting mañana:

Night Of The Living Dead (1968) - Full Movie

2009-06-01T16:46:00.000+02:00

Download the movie

MTV Movie Awards 2009: Bruno 69 Eminem (video)

2009-06-01T11:21:00.025+02:00

Clearly it was staged - but who suggested it: Bruno, Eminem or MTV?

A leaked document from Bruno, Eminem and MTV PR Buzz Managers compiles a list of media stories to be spun off this marketing stunt:

1. Homophobic Eminem gets sexually harassed by crazy homo-star Bruno (hahaha)
2. Eminem, who is always making fun of other celebrities, receives a load of his own medicine - and does not like it (didn't I say, he is just like them)
3. Bruno is kicking a guy, straight out of rehab, that is lying down (so rude)
4. By letting this happen MTV again shows a lack of moral. Our kids must be told not to watch this godless channel (oh my, where is this world heading?)
5. Eminem can't be part of the prank - 'cause it's soo humiliating (it must be real, right!?)

Danish media will follow Rupert Murdoch on micropayment

2009-05-11T18:01:00.004+02:00

Murdoch wants his web sites to charge for content following the success of Wall Street Journal - a global niche media. The two big Danish media houses, Berlingske Media and JP/Politikens Hus, desperately agree with the man. They are looking for an online business model and it better not include them having to work harder, make better web content or open their sites up to the social and blogging web (admittedly, eb.dk is semi doing this).
Murdoch:

"(...) you can confidently presume that we are leading the way in finding a model that maximizes revenues in return for our shareholders... The current days of the Internet will soon be over."

Uuuhh, tough guy... I do not think it is the current days of the internet, that will soon be over... but the current days of news business.

(lyrics + stream) The Streets - He's behind you, he's got swine flu

2009-05-06T15:41:00.010+02:00

The Streets - He's behind you, he's got swine flu - lyrics:
He's behind you,
he's got swine flu
Make a sacrifice for societies sake,
(no) decapitate your mate!

You started sneezing,
I could see that you were freezing
in the heat of this really, unbelievable evening.
The streets were all empty but for overturned cars
bellowing smoke from the sparse roads clothed with scars.
The brain dead in face masks wandered, Im stretched
sizzling bacon from beyond the farfetched,
Ive never hurt my friend till the very burning end
is what flirtingly I said to my best friends head.

Verse 2:
The story then was told
it got gory it unfolded
broadcasters blasting out stories of the poorly,
I dont advocate anarchy in any way,
but i saw him scratch a rash
and i had to grab an axe.
Weve all known each other since the groans of our mothers,
and throwing with our brothers little stones in the river
the fact that my man might not actually expire
caused me some ire while i hauled him on the fire

Theres something that I need to share with you all,
I cant go on lying Im developing sores,
Im turning Im burning up Im turning back bro,
Ill hold them up while u turn and run.
--------------------------------------------

Watch the video using classic zombie footage:

Troels Abrahamsen - WHT (stream new album)

2009-05-04T12:23:00.012+02:00

@supertroels, Stream Troels Abrahamsen - WHT - New album:
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://troelsabrahamsen.bandcamp.com/album/wht"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Woods Are Here by Troels Abrahamsen&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This is the best act so far from this young lad, oh yeah, it is!

Police Stop Bicyclists To Give Them Hugs And Helmets

2009-05-01T09:25:00.002+02:00

It's a clip from a traffic campaign in Aalborg (Denmark), to get people wear helmet when cycling! The film was made with real people, real cops and real love.

Comments from the Huffington Post:

- Did anyone else notice that all the cyclists were men? Yep. I'm really wondering if this was supposed to be a "Wear a Condom!" ad instead. ;-)

- Look at those socialists caring about each other! That's why they're so unhappy. Oh wait...

- U.S. cops would shoot you in the leg and THROW the helmet at you while you were sprawled on the pavement.

- Hey, our cops give out free hugs, too! They're just really tight ones from behind and around the neck...with a baton (for extra love)!

- Damn socialists - making the world safer and friendlier!! Surely will lead to the destruction of society's fabric and the homosexualization of babies.

- Hugging? Contact? OH GOD THAT'S HOW YOU SPREAD GERMS!!! SWINE FLU! =P

Danes might be more friendly and openminded, but Americans are more fun!

The Streets: Computers and Blues (stream)

2009-04-30T08:43:00.012+02:00

Oi oi, a stream of new songs by @skinnermike:

"The final Streets album (the fifth one) will be dark and futuristic. It's gonna be called 'Computers And Blues' and it's all about dancing and CHATTING SHIT. One more banger. Dancing music to drink tea to. 45 minutes of 130 bpm style straight spittin."

Playlist of all the songs - kudos to Skinner for sharing!
Last in, first out. Play the playlist! He's behind you...

The Streets - Trust Me (lyrics + stream)

2009-04-29T11:01:00.011+02:00

The Streets - Trust Me - lyrics:

(trust me)
is the skyline sliced up into pieces and broken steel and mesh
or is the progress a process thats a natural people quest
metal and the workings dark and lurking in my mind
branding neon, red and blue flashes the view from the flats is nice

i see Alice in wonderland
i see malice in Sunderland
mouse to house i am this man the where without its Thumberland
smoke to a karma coma
jamaicans do yard aromas shake bacardis and coke make me laugh and trust me

so much stuff in many people the future is not evil the future is not ficcient its simple its efficient
now that things are costing nothing is any of it good
come and love me, read my nothings blogging river floods
??????????????

dubstep
club sweat
come get
rubbed red
play the playlist
--------------------------------------

Help us get the words right!

The Streets - A Blip on a Screen (lyrics + stream)

2009-04-26T11:44:00.013+02:00

@skinnermike posted a great new song: A Blip on a Screen

The Streets - A Blip on a Screen - lyrics:
Turn on the lights
so it burns in the night
turning down the flay
the world is uncertain
I’m certained by the curtains tonight
……………
Got to reverse the pattern
What’s the worse that could happen?
For the first time in my adulthood
The worse that could happen
Is utterly unthinkable, ……..
Suddenly I’m worried about the bread under the bed
Bu then all sort of awful shit seem plausible indoors
Proportions get “walked” in to the worse, and for certain
You’re growing thumbs
I’m growing numb
“totting” to your mom’s lips like it might be quite fun

Chorus:
A blip on a screen
You don’t know me
I think about you
And what you’ll grow to be

(......)
I fix and I plan
but this is just mad
I love you
You're only a 100 pixels on a scan
----------------------------------------

Mike Skinner posted the song for you to download:
Download the Streets - A Blip on a Screen

Other new The Streets songs from the album he might be calling "Computers and Blues":

Jooks - Hun vil ha' en rapper (lyrics/tekst + stream)

2009-04-21T10:31:00.018+02:00

Jooks - Hun vil ha' en rapper - lyrics/tekst:

Jeg ik et stilikon ligner ik en million
men lyder som en milliard når jeg på den mikrofon
broke - jeg har ik en krone - tomme lommer i mine jeans
har ik råd til en dyr tøs har ikke engang råd til Billi(g)e Jean
så jeg sipper billig vin og sætter ild til en af mine
sidste stænger nikotin og lukker nattelivet ind
mænd på fire ben jager for at finde en
tøs med klasse inden klokken ringer ind til sidste time
så hun er ik alene behøver intet diadem
nattens dronningen combi af kvinde min og kvinde din
ja hun er virkelig fin burde hedde giloutine
fyrerne de taber hovedet når de ser hende grin

hun vil ik ha en rock n roller
der står og skråler
Gasolin ved et bål
og hun vil ik ha en bodybuilder
hvis eneste jern der virker
er det der vægte på
og hun vil ik ha et jakkesæt
med pengeclips og slips
tænder ik på regnskabstips
og hun vil ik ha en prettyboy
der går i for fint tøj
hun vil ha wifebeater og sneaks så når hun ser dig siger hun
nej nej nej nej nej
så når hun ser dig siger hun
nej nej nej nej nej
så når hun ser dig siger hun
jeg vil ha en rapper jeg vil jeg vil ha en rapper

hun vil ha en rapper - siger jeg til mig selv
mens jeg passerer mænd der alle må gå triste hjem
de tabte mælet da de talte med hende
og det hjalp ik da lod deres penge tale for dem
og deres trendy tøj hjælper ik noget
når det deres mundtøj der gået af mode
og hvis de prøvede at fylde hende med pis var hendes svar
er du for dum til at se forskel på pussy og pissoir
hun skal ha en rapper der siger det som det er
intet skjult intet glemt der siger det sådan her
der gir hende lige det hun fortjent
en gentleman i byen og en gadedreng i sengen
så jeg siger det til hende og hun svarer igen
har en betingelse hvis jeg ville se hende i mit hjem
hun synes ik der bliver spillet nok rap i dag
så hun fik mig til at lave pop så alle kan høre hvad hun vil ha!
-----------------------------------------

@Jooks_ new single out. For the Danes:

Buy on iTunes (with instrumental version)

'bout a girl looking for a guy who walks the talk...

The Danish Data Protection Agency questions Facebook

2009-04-20T13:43:00.003+02:00

"The Danish Data Protection Agency is asking Facebook whether it respects Danish legislation, following criticism that Facebook users have to renounce many of their rights when they enter a profile on the social network."

- Politiken News (in Danish)

@Facebook - I am sure, this is not the Danish people speaking! We don't want special rights, please...
We do understand you need to do your thing to deliver the best service to the users.

Touch Me Thermo is the next THING

2009-04-17T21:59:00.012+02:00

Saw these sasseeh gals last night at Stengade 30. They are the next thang out of Denmark, brother.

I tell you, if I had a record label, I'd sign them instantly!

Check them out before they check you out.

"You try to hard
u suck"
- Touch Me Thermo

About Touch Me Thermo by Stengade 30 (Translated with a machine of course... almost incomprehensible but you might get the picture anyway...):

"Out of the blue comes this 2 Copenhagen girls (they were 3 yesterday!?), armed to the teeth with 8-bit beats and catchy vocal melodies. They are playing through a noisy electro universe that allows the ideas fall into a slow version Atari Teenage Riot or unpolished version of Ladytron. A-care attitude and is seething unrest behind the distorted sound and threatens constantly to drag you back to the avant-garde club in Berlin or London in the'80s. It is raw and cold as a butcher's window yet, sources a little of the heart as a spring infatuation."

Jack Penate - Tonight’s Today (Lyrics and Stream)

2009-04-16T09:53:00.004+02:00

Jack Penate - Tonight’s Today - Lyrics:
I’m in a haze
an in between stage
Cos I’m not awake
but walk in a state
Of ghostly charm
a deadly calm
And my filthy palms
Reach for the harms

Today’s tonight tonight’s today today’s tonight
Tonight’s today today’s tonight tonight’s today
Everyday everyday everyday

Tonight just became this morning
The sun’s waving at the moon
The thought has just started dawning
That there’s still so much more that I can do
I shuffle into the sunlight
A zombie roaming on the day
She look’s at me and says “What a sight”
A passing woman says

Today’s tonight tonight’s today today’s tonight
Tonight’s today today’s tonight tonight’s today
Everyday everyday everyday

Every nights the same
I'm ringing church bells...
----------------

Jack Peñate on Myspace

Lars von Trier's Antichrist (trailer w. Danish subtitles)

2009-04-14T10:57:00.001+02:00

A grieving couple retreat to ’Eden’, their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage.

But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse…

Nephew - 007 is also gonna die (stream and lyrics)

2009-04-13T19:55:00.008+02:00

Nephew - 007 is also gonna die - lyrics:

What is black and what is brown
What is field and what is town
What is silence, what is shout
What is fear and what is doubt

Double-o-seven is also gonna die
Bond James Bond himself is bound to die
Double-o-seven is also gonna die
Bond James Bond himself is bound to die

What is less in less is more
What if god won’t bless the whore
What if words like boy and girl
Did not rhyme with joy and world

Double-o-seven is also gonna die
Bond James Bond himself is bound to die
Double-o-seven is also gonna die
Bond James Bond himself is bound to die

He’s bound to die…
------------------------------------

007 Is Also Gonna Die is the first single from the upcoming Nephew album Danmark/Denmark.

Nephew about the song:

"It's an angry cry for some absolutes in life. One thing we can be sure of is that we're all gonna die. That this also goes for James Bond reflects a very Danish point of view."

Danmark/Denmark will be released on June 5th, Constitution Day in Denmark.

"To be a Dane is not really a quality on its own, but more like the lens through which we view our lives. With that in mind, the theme of the album is really 'everything viewed from a Danish scope'. The songs are about being humans with eyes and ears, hearts and brains, physically situated in Denmark, which is in Europe, which is in the World.", says Nephew lead singer Simon Kvamm.

The album includes tracks such as Descendants Of King Canute, Jesus Jesus, 007 Is Also Gonna Die and Hurra!.

Nephew on Myspace

Eminem - We Made You (Stream + Lyrics) NEW song

2009-04-07T19:42:00.007+02:00

Eminem - We Made You (video):

Eminem - We Made You - Lyrics:

When you walked through the door
It was clear to me (clear to me)
You’re the one they adore, who they came to see (who they came to see)
You’re a … rock star (baby)
Everybody wants you (everybody wants you)
Player… Who can really blame you (who can really blame you)
We're the ones who (chicka) made you *cough, cough*

Back by popular demand
Now pop a little Zantac or ant'-acid if you can
You're ready to tackle any task that is at hand
How does it feel, is it fantastic, is it grand?
Well look at all the massive masses in the stands
Shady man… no don’t massacre the fans
Damn, I think Kim Kardashians a man
She stomped him just cause he asked to put his hands
On her massive Gluteus maximus again
Squeeze it, then Squish it, then pass it to her friend
Can he come back as nasty as he can
Yes he can, can, don’t ask me this again
He does not mean to lesbian offend
But Lindsay please come back to seeing men
Samantha’s a 2, You’re practically a 10
I know you want me girl,
In fact I see your grin
(Now come in girl)

Verse Two:
The enforcer, looking for more women to torture
Walk up to the cutest girl and Charlie Horse her
Sorry Portia, but what’s Ellen DeGeneres
Have that I don't, are you telling me tenderness?
Well I can be as gentle and as smooth as a gentleman
Give me my ventolin inhaler and 2 xenedrine
And I'll invite Sarah Palin out to dinner then
Nail her, 'Baby say hello to my little friend'
Brit f’rget K-Fed let’s cut off the middle man
Forget him or your gonna end up in the hospital again
And this time it won’t be for the Ritalin binge
Forget them other men, girl pay them little atten-tion
A little did I mention, that Jennifer's in-
Love with me John Mayer so sit on the bench
Man I swear them other guys you give ‘em an inch
They take a mile, they got style, but it isn't Slim

Verse Three:
And that’s why… my love
You'll never live without,
I know you want me girl cause I can see you checking me out
And baby, you know, you know you want me too
Don’t try to deny it baby, I’m the only one for you
(Fart)
Damn girl I’m beginning to sprout an Alfalfa
Why should I wash my filthy mouth out
You think that’s bad you should hear the rest of my album
Never has there been such finesse and nostalgia
Man Cash, I don’t mean to mess up your gal but
Jessica Alba put a breast in my mouth (brrp)
Wowzers, I just made a mess of my trousers
And they wonder why I keep dressing like Elvis
Lord help us he's back in his pink Alf shirt
Looking like someone shrinked his outfit
I think he’s about to flip
Jessica rest assure, Superman’s here to rescue ya
Can you blame me?
You’re my Amy, I’m your Blake
Matter fact make me a birthday cake
With a saw blade in it to make my jail break
Baby, I think you just met your soul mate
(Now break it down girl)

Danish X-Factor: The winner Linda and the best performances

2009-03-28T12:47:00.008+01:00

The winner of the Danish X-Factor 2009 was Linda Andrews. A 35 year old woman with a great voice, who managed to tell her story and get people involved in her private struggles against cruel people and comforteating.
She sort of made a symbol out of herself of overcoming and not-putting-up-with-the-cruel-world - OMG, she pulled an Obama on us!

As Linda writes on her Myspace (translated version):

"A voice can tell many things. About pain, the joy and variety of other emotions, but to communicate through song, it is rarely credible and genuine unless you have some stories and experiences you are willing to share with the world."

Bah.

Blachman, the transgressive judge, commented on her suffering story on and off the show that "this is not Oprah Winfrey ffs"! But maybe they should change it to the Oprah Winfrey-Factor show!?

This was her final performance:

Well well well... Ok, so she got a million kroner record deal. And congratulations.
Update: article and discussion at pol.dk about DR not mentioning that Linda already was a semi-pro singer before the contest. (translated)

These are the 3 most viewed videos on Youtube from X-Factor 2009 in Denmark:
1. Lucas - Tainted Love (show 2)

2. Alien Beat Club - Warwick Avenue

3. Mohamed - One thing

Alien Beat Clubs (second, with 2 percent less votes than Linda) performance in the final:

Thanks to all the performers and judges for great family entertainment you can trust - see you next year!

Guide: A day in Odense - 5 things to do

2009-03-21T11:10:00.006+01:00

Great guide to Odense - a day is enough, Saturday, baby!

2 bad (out of many) Facebook design changes

2009-03-19T11:41:00.010+01:00

Over at the AllFacebook blog Nick O'Neill got me answering a question about the new Facebook design:

Have you found the new design easy to use?

Well, here's my answer:

I don’t think it is a question about whether the new design is easy to use or not. It’s a question about the new design and feed algorithms impairing what was good about Facebook.

My two examples:

Applications you have not added can post feeds on your Wall!! (I just got an application feed on my wall from Friends For Sale! - An app I would never add and don’t want to pollute my pages)

Applications appear more in the News Feed / Live Feed and the only way to opt-out is by hiding your friends using the apps. With the old design you could hide the applications (I don’t want to hide interesting friends just because they got a fling with some stupid app. I want the good old fb algorithm to know that I hate apps, just like it used to know.)

Well, at least I see an upside to this bad change of design:

I’m from Denmark where Facebook is huge (more than 1/3 is on) and Twitter so far has only been for the really net-savvy.
But since the new Facebook came on, it seems the early adopters and the early majority is being pushed over to Twitter (people following me, and asking in their fb status updates who is on Twitter!). This is good news for Danish information seekers and Twitter, but a bad move for Facebook the company because they are pushing people to Twitter - not the opposite.

Follow Keeplefty on Twitter

I wonder, is Facebook in the closings of acquiring Twitter??

Bon Iver - Woods vs. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek

2009-03-16T10:19:00.005+01:00

Woods...

...reminds you of Hide and Seek?

Pete Doherty is 30 (stream him!)

2009-03-12T12:44:00.008+01:00

Celebrating it with 12 new songs free for you to stream.

It may be his best ever.

Great sir, great!

Bon Iver - Brackett, WI (lyrics + stream)

2009-03-11T13:46:00.013+01:00

Bon Iver - Brackett, WI - lyrics

An easy swing had its time shouldered
-slow bending axe.
now it's a photo framed.
the swing hasn't had it.

and here we are rebuilding roads
right by roosting towns.
it's just like the love
-the one that's never been enough.

so I’m counting on your fingers
cause you've reattached the twitch
and if you want opinion,
I will die along the ditches.

and every summer is a hot token
to the cold, cold take of lust.
and every autumn singes
with the business of sadness.

friend, how the grown May sing:
"honey let it burn"
and the curve in the county
is ??? ????????

so I’m counting on your fingers
cause you've reattached the twitch
and if you want opinion,
I will die along the ditches.

-------------------------------------------------

From a Red Hot compilation: Dark was the night. Also listen to "Cello Song"!

Bonus info: Revenue from the compilation will benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture.

Other Bon Iver posts
Other Bon Iver lyrics

How to stop the drug wars

2009-03-08T12:48:00.019+01:00

100 years of prohibition has failed; legalisation is the least bad solution, The Economist writes in a leader from 5/3-09.

I agree that legalisation seems to be the best solution to a global crisis on the rise.

There's something rotten... globally!
In Denmark we are in the midst of what Danish media and politicians has named "the Gang War" (bandekrigen). Drug cartels are fighting about the Danish drug market in a more and more fiercely manner. Since August 2008 the drug war has resulted in around 50 shootings and 5 killings.

These numbers are shocking in Denmark, but they are nothing compared to other countries. From August-December there has been 2540 drug war related deaths in Mexico and more than 800 policemen and soldiers have been killed since December 2006. Gangsters are ruining the Mexican economy. In Afghanistan the drug cartels has already ruined the economy.

Honduras suffers 5-7 drug related murders a day, which led President Manuel Zelaya to call on the United States to legalize drugs. Clearly this issue is global and only a global solution is possible. A solution which forces us to rethink the criminalization of drugs, but which will have immense positive spill-over effects on troubled countries.

A public health issue, not a criminal issue
The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy has made some recommendations to President Barack Obama to consider new policies, such as decriminalization of cannabis and to treat drug use as a public health problem and not as a security problem.
The Netherlands has had a pragmatic policy of treating drug use as a public health problem and not a criminal issue through partial legalisation of soft drugs (cannabis) for some years now.

The Economist leader elaborates on the legalisation issue:

"Legalisation would not only drive away the gangsters; it would transform drugs from a law-and-order problem into a public-health problem, which is how they ought to be treated. Governments would tax and regulate the drug trade, and use the funds raised (and the billions saved on law-enforcement) to educate the public about the risks of drug-taking and to treat addiction. The sale of drugs to minors should remain banned. Different drugs would command different levels of taxation and regulation. This system would be fiddly and imperfect, requiring constant monitoring and hard-to-measure trade-offs. Post-tax prices should be set at a level that would strike a balance between damping down use on the one hand, and discouraging a black market and the desperate acts of theft and prostitution to which addicts now resort to feed their habits.

Selling even this flawed system to people in producer countries, where organised crime is the central political issue, is fairly easy. The tough part comes in the consumer countries, where addiction is the main political battle. Plenty of American parents might accept that legalisation would be the right answer for the people of Latin America, Asia and Africa; they might even see its usefulness in the fight against terrorism. But their immediate fear would be for their own children."

In Denmark parents are fearing for their children too - that they might be the next (innocent) victims of the ongoing drug war.
Decriminalisation of drugs is not an easy issue and it would certainly have to be carried out with great care, but with more and more drug-related murders all over the world, can we afford not trying the least bad solution!??

Links:
Twitter wox-pop on: "legalise drugs"
Klaus Bondam, Assistant Mayor of Copenhagen: Decriminalize cannabis - and get the drug gangs off the streets
The Economist leader: How to stop the drug wars
Wikipedia: Drugs prohibition
La Times on the Mexican drug war
Drug war has Juárez, Mexico, on verge of humanitarian crisis

California Assemblyman Introduces Bill to Legalize Pot, not with a global outlook, but as a way of raising money to the cash-strapped state:

Going to London tips

2009-02-21T13:24:00.018+01:00

Sleeping
Finding an inexpensive hotel in London is impossible. We paid £82 a night for a Double Room at Rosecourt Hotel by Marble Arch Station. Decent location, free wireless internet connection, but £82!!?

You might want to go to a hostel and save a lot of money. From £7.99 a night you can stay at the Smart Russell Square Hostel. The location is spot on, and they also got other locations if you prefer another part of the city.

Transporting
Get an Oyster Card. Top it up with some money and go as you like.
Arriving at Heathrow Airport we bought an Oyster Card and paid £2.2 to go to London. Leaving London you get back whatever’s on your card plus the deposit.
Public transport in London is really world class! The mix of buses going every minute and the complex Tube system is simply unrivalled in any European city. The politicians have succeeded in keeping the car drivers out of London because they have to pay a high congestion charge to drive in central London.
Maximum price with the Oyster Card is around £7 in weekdays and £5 in the weekends (off peak days).

If you are sound, you don’t bike in London!! Being a Copenhagener this will be a great loss if/when I’ll be moving to London…
A vid of winter biking in Copenhagen - sorry about the shitty music, it's Swedish;)

Eating
I fell in love with Pret a Manger which does for a happy love affair in London since they practically are at every other corner. Healthy, preservative-free, tasty sandwiches to-go or to stay at reasonable prices. Another great London concept with around 10 outlets is Spaghetti House which I really recommend trying.
Otherwise you might want to look for something special in East London (get off at Liverpool Street Station).

Going Out
Saturday night we went to meet some London friends at The Old Queens Head at 44 Essex Road east of Camden in Islington. Hip, anti-hip and basic Londoners in their twenties dancing and chatting while the DJ’s were mixing new and classic London music. I drank Bulmers Cider all night at £3.5 for 660ml. Who told me London was expensive!!??
Get off at Angel Station and find The Old Queens Head or stumble into one of many other venues. When we had enough we stumbled out and jumped onto the Night bus going 4 times an hour all the way to Marble Arch.

Actually we were supposed to go to Quinn's at 65 Kentish Town Road in Camden. I’ll have to go there next time.

Being tourist
Take the famous London red double-decker bus. Choose for instance line 15, get a seat upstairs by the front windows and enjoy the great view. For £1 (the bus trip price) you can see Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and a lot more.
Get off by Sct. Paul’s Cathedral and stroll along Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern (free admission like the other museums).
View from British Museum at Trafalgar Square:

Shopping
Go to Primark at Oxford Street by Marble Arch. That’s it.

Cody - Comfort and Rage (Lyrics and stream)

2009-02-20T12:55:00.006+01:00

Cody - Comfort and Rage - Lyrics:

You’ve got it in you
Yes, I know you can
Try to convince him
Choose your words
He is a simple man
Which makes it harder
You don’t really understand

And there is comfort and there’s rage
And yet you don’t know what it takes

You got it in you
What you say is not the truth
And what you don’t say
Is what prevents you from being fooled
I don’t know
It seems like you’re hiding from the truth

And there is comfort and there’s rage
And yet you don’t know what it takes

And it really really worries me,
Is there some comfort in this rage?
Now you’re really losing what
You had planned and dreamt about
Will you be (…)
And then there’s (…)
---------------------------------------------

The development of the theme and structure of the song is actually great.

Leave a comment, if you know the words of the last two lines...

Cody - Comfort and Rage (video):

Cody Myspace

Kaiser Chiefs at Vega, Copenhagen

2009-02-13T16:56:00.006+01:00

Stars: 5/6

It was a great show and a hell of a party. One reason why I'm not giving it 6 stars is because Broken Foot only would give it 4.
I shot a vid while Wilson went out among the crowd - I was a bit late to recognise where he was since Broken Foot and I maybe had one too many Tuborg Golden Ladies:

The set list (one of many girls waiting outside for Wilson let me take a picture of it):

2009 Grammy Award Winners - List and music links

2009-02-09T10:15:00.007+01:00

2009 Grammy Award nominees and winners:

Record of the Year
Please Read the Letter, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Chasing Pavements, Adele
Viva La Vida, Coldplay
Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis
Paper Planes, M.I.A.

Album of the Year
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Year of the Gentleman, Ne-Yo
In Rainbows, Radiohead

Song of the Year
Viva La Vida, Coldplay
American Boy, Estelle feat. Kanye West
Chasing Pavements, Adele
I’m Yours, Jason Mraz
Love Song, Sarah Bareilles

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
John Mayer, Say
Kid Rock, All Summer Long
Paul McCartney, That Was Me
Jason Mraz, I’m Yours
Ne-Yo, Closer
James Taylor, Wichita Lineman

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Adele, Chasing Pavements
Sara Bareilles, Love Song
Duffy, Mercy
Leona Lewis, Bleeding Love
Katy Perry, I Kissed a Girl
Pink, So What

Best New Artist
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Pop Vocal Album
Rockferry, Duffy
Detours, Sheryl Crow
Long Road Out Of Eden, Eagles
Spirit, Leona Lewis
Covers, James Taylor

Best Rock Song
Girls in Their Summer Clothes, Bruce Springsteen
House Of Cards, Radiohead
I Will Possess Your Heart, Death Cab For Cutie
Sex On Fire, Kings of Leon
Violet Hill, Coldplay

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
Only By The Night, Kings of Leon
Death Magnetic, Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely, The Raconteurs

Best Alternative Music Album
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Modern Guilt, Beck
Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie
The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket

Best Rap Song
Lollipop, Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
Low, Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
Sexual Eruption, Snoop Dogg
Superstar, Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos
Swagga Like Us, Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne

Best Rap Album
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
American Gangster, Jay-Z
The Cool, Lupe Fiasco
Nas, Nas
Paper Trail, T.I.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Estelle feat. Kanye West, American Boy
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, Low
John Legend & Andre 3000, Green Light
Lil Wayne feat. T-Pain, Got Money
Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos, Superstar

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Chrisette Michele feat. will.i.am, Be OK
Kenna, Say Goodbye to Love
Maiysha, Wanna Be
Janelle Monae, Many Moons
Wayna feat. Kokayi, Lovin You (Music)

Best Dance Recording
Harder Better Faster Stronger, Daft Punk
Ready for the Flow, Hot Chip
Just Dance, Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis
Give It 2 Me, Madonna
Disturbia, Rihanna
Black & Gold, Sam Sparro

Best Electronic or Dance Album
Alive 2007, Daft Punk
New York City, Brazilian Girls
Bring Ya to the Brink, Cyndi Lauper
X, Kylie Minogue
Last Night, Moby
Robyn, Robyn

Comparing Bon Iver to Kanye West: Woods vs. Coldest Winter

2009-02-06T14:23:00.007+01:00

A commenter over at this post about Woods told another commenter not to compare Bon Iver to Kanye West. But why not?

They are singing about the same stuff or at least the same feelings. I bet they would even have some things in common to talk about if they met up – Basketball, for instance!

Just check out the thematic similarities between Woods and Coldest Winter. Both are about spending time alone contemplating - working on how and where to go from here:

Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics:

I'm up in the woods
I'm down on my mind

I'm building a still
to slow down the time
-----------------------------

Kanye West - Coldest Winter - Lyrics:

On lonely nights I start to fade
Her loves a 1000 miles away
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend, will I ever love again?
Memories made in the coldest winter

It's 4 a.m. and I can't sleep
Her love is all that I can see

If spring can take this snow away
Can it melt away all our mistakes?
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend I won't ever love again
Never again

Bon Iver Fan Demographic Statistics in USA

2009-02-05T09:48:00.014+01:00

My stats from Jan 5-Feb 4 on 2,014 American visitors - mainly on my Bon Iver lyrics and streams for the Blood Bank ep.

Map overlay - American Bon Iver fans on a map

Region visits - where the Bon Iver fans live

Browser stats - which browser Bon Iver fans use

I'm glad to see that most of you other fans are also browsing safely and quickly with Firefox:)

What surprises me is that about 1/4 of the Bon Iver fans apparently are Mac users (Safari)... or more if some of those Firefoxes are Macs too!?

Check out some more stats on Bon Iver on Google Trends (Wow!! Denmark is the third biggest (relatively) Bon Iver nation after Ireland and Australia...).

Warner Music and R.E.M. wrongfully accuses Danish band, Hej Matematik, of stealing song

2009-01-28T18:16:00.009+01:00

Warner Music keeps digging its own grave by wrongfully removing music on the internet. (Some of many youtube users protest videos.)
This time R.E.M. accuses Danish band, Hej Matematik, of stealing from the song Supernatural Superserious in their hit in Danish Walkmand. Hej Matematik's song has been removed from Youtube with the following message from Youtube:

A copyright owner has claimed it owns some or all of the audio content in your video "Walkmand - Hej Matematik". The audio content identified in your video is Supernatural Superserious by R.E.M.. We regret to inform you that your video has been blocked from playback due to a music rights issue.

Is it a deaf machine who has done this comparison??

Has this song... (Hej Matematik - Walkmand)

... stolen anything from this song? (R.E.M - Supernatural Superserious)

No, that is so far off!
In fact the chorus is taken from this old Danish song, Walk, mand, from 1981:

Wait, does this mean that REM actually has stolen from the old Michael Hardinger song? Sue them, Michael!

All in all, it's so sad, Warner Music, so sad!

Choir of Young Believers - Next Summer (lyrics and stream)

2009-01-25T14:16:00.010+01:00

Choir of Young Believers - Next Summer - Lyrics:

So dramatic when you called
So dramatic going down
So dramatic when you sang
It’s the best you ever get
Ever get

Next summer I will return
I’ll be back
I’ll break your heart
I’ll break your heart
When next summer starts

Next summer I will return
I’ll be back
You'll crash and burn
Now it's your turn
To crash and burn

And you’ll be just like a hurricane
Ruining everything

Great performance of Next Summer (song begins 0:40) last Friday from Danish Television music award show, P3 Guld.

Or the studio version of Next Summer:

Fever Ray full album stream

2009-01-21T13:52:00.005+01:00

Ok, this is very nice new tunes from Karin Dreijer (The Knife).

Fever Ray full album stream

Also check out the Familjen Remix of If I had a Heart at Fever Ray's Myspace. K-man doesn't like it, but what does he know... It's drums and bass!

Listen to the music and go to the concerts!! At Vega, Copenhagen.

Our Swedish neighbours are taking back the pole position of Scandinavian music...

Waiting for the man!

2009-01-20T16:26:00.003+01:00

It's gonna be a kleenex moment!!

Following the inauguration live at CNN with Facebook.

Solal: Luna's Song (Lyrics and video) from The Moonshine Sessions

2009-01-14T10:02:00.008+01:00

Solal - Luna's Song - Lyrics:
It’s past the time we up and leave
All this concrete and this steel
Be where my mind can really breathe
Be where my heart can really feel

You can take me to the mountains
You can take me to the hills
This city’s dying by the day
And you know it always will

Momma, i wanna live where i can see the stars
I’m tired, uninspired and the country isn’t all that far

If you listen to the earth
You can hear as she weeps
Dig your hands down in the dirt
You can hold her as she sleeps

Momma, i wanna live where i can see the stars
I’m tired, uninspired and the country isn’t all that far
-----------------------------

The co-founder of Gotan Project, $olal, has done this great but very different act.
Listen to Luna's Song:

A quote from The Moonshine Sessions Myspace:

Psycho travellers know no boundaries; they recognise no borders for them the journey is everything, the producer-songwriter performer $olal is one of them. He is drawn to the beats and rhythms, the stories and the truths that are revealed in the music of country folk as well as urban dwellers from the heat and dust of Latin America to the raw edges of angst that have emanated from Country music's capital city Nashville USA.

It was to Nashville that the native Parisian travelled with his guitar to exorcise his personal demons...

European protesters: The good and the bad

2009-01-12T16:07:00.009+01:00

Good

Bad

Photos from Spiegel Online

New Eminem Single: Crack a bottle (stream, final version)

2009-01-09T13:04:00.005+01:00

Eminem: Crack a Bottle (ft. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent). Final version stream:

Hey, it's friday, so crack a bottle!

Dr. Dre's verse is king. Not that I sympathize with crashing cars (I don't even have one...), but you know, the flow, it's ace!

10 cool Things about Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)

2009-01-07T10:11:00.016+01:00

1. He recorded For Emma, Forever Ago in a cabin.

2. He told you to be patient… but still leaked the new Blood Bank ep for the fans to start talking.
We'll be holding all the tickets
And he'll be owning all the fines

3. You don’t have to open your media player to hear For Emma, Forever Ago – You just click this link ("ctrl + click" to keep reading while listening).

4. He just put his music out there and started touring the world. Or was it the other way around?! He’s still touring the world, with the tail tracing him ever growing.

5. He came to your favorite venue. You went there and he left you wanting more.

6. His songs make you dream – it’s enough.

7. He’s got a neat Myspace, where you right now can stream the new Blood Bank ep and download a very nice free ep live session with Myspace Transmissions.

8. Everybody else loves him – doesn’t make it worse. So join the community.

9. He also loves Basketball.
Bon Iver: "Oh man. Celtics. Love KG, love Ray Allen, unselfish AND astonishing. The best kind."

10. He makes you want to go to America.

Youtube finally in HD - basket clip

2009-01-02T00:50:00.003+01:00

Watch the video on Youtube for full HD.

Amazing street art video: Muto by BLU

2008-12-27T16:50:00.003+01:00

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

The same artist, Blu, also did this impressive wall painting in Berlin, oh, Berlin:

Listen: Silver Jews - Suffering Jukebox

2008-12-18T13:00:00.006+01:00

My favourite song from Silver Jews' 2008 album "Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea".

Silver Jews - Suffering Jukebox

I've been listening to this Nashville, Tennessee band ever since 2002 when a young punk performed a raw version of Smith and Jones Forever at a party at my long past residence in Aarhus, Konvolutfabrikken Royal.

Also check out this drunken singalong to scenes from Planet of the Apes:

Silver Jews - Punks In The Beerlight

Bon Iver - Beach Baby - Lyrics (+ Live Version stream)

2008-12-12T12:46:00.006+01:00

Bon Iver - Beach Baby - Lyrics:

When you're up
tell your lucky one
to know that you'll leave
don't you look when you're fleeing
and learn not to hear keys

Only hold 'till your coffee wounds
but don't hurry to speak
once a time put a tongue
in your ear on the beach
and you clutched clicking heels

-------------------
Bon Iver - Blood Bank - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Babys - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics

Actually not a bad song! Especially the studio version is great.

Bon Iver - Babys (Babies) - Lyrics (+ Live Version stream)

2008-12-12T12:42:00.004+01:00

Bon Iver - Babys - Lyrics:

Summer comes to multiply
to multiply you

And I, I'm the carnival with (peats)
and i'll probably start a fleet
with no apologies

I'm the carnival (you see)
it grows more and more appealing

my woman and I
know what we are for

Summer comes to multiply

------------------

Bon Iver - Blood Bank - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Beach Baby - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics

Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics (+ Studio Version stream)

2008-12-12T11:22:00.017+01:00

Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics:

I'm up in the woods
I'm down on my mind

I'm building a still
to slow down the time

---------------
Appeared on ‘Skins’ ep. 8

Bon Iver - Woods vs. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Bon Iver - Blood Bank - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Beach Baby - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Babys - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Brackett, WI (lyrics + stream)
Nephew - 007 is also gonna die - Lyrics
Jooks - Hun vil ha' en rapper - lyrics
The Streets - A Blip on a Screen - lyrics

crazy "song"...
hated it yesterday, love it today, dunno bout tomorrow...

Quote: Technological Development

2008-12-10T13:42:00.003+01:00

"One of the great irritations of modern technology is that when some new development has made my life palpably worse and is continuing to find new and different ways to bedevil it, I'm still allowed to complain for only a year or two before the peddlers of coolness start telling me to get over it already Grampaw--this is just the way life is now.

I'm not opposed to technological developments. Digital voice mail and caller ID, which together destroyed the tyranny of the ringing telephone, seem to me two of the truly great inventions of the late 20th century..."

Jonathan Franzen in Technology Review.

Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreak (stream full album)

2008-12-07T12:57:00.010+01:00

The full album:
http://www.deezer.com/#music/album/257435

I heard this talented artist at Roskilde Festival 2006 and fell asleep because it was so predictable (and for some other reasons... hey, it was late night!).
But his new album is very unpredictable. I like it!
Auto-tune wasn't invented in vain!

Discover Kanye West!

Best Danish Christmas Song...

2008-12-05T15:22:00.006+01:00

...and probably the world's best!?

The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song (unofficial video, I guess!):

Lyrics: The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

All the lights are comin’ on now
How I wish that it would snow now
I don’t feel like going home now
I wish that I could stay

All the trees are on display now
And it’s cold now
I don’t feel like going home now
I wish that I could stay

I wish that I could walk...
I wish that I could walk you home

All the lights are comin’ on now
How I wish that it would snow now
I don’t feel like going home now
I wish that I could stay

Santas coming to town
with a suitcase in his hand
Santas coming to town
with sequins in his hair

Night Music Gallery 08 - Jeg synes det vokser på mig det her

2008-11-29T09:21:00.010+01:00

My little mash-up video from Night Music Gallery at Statens Museum for Kunst (the Danish national gallery). With free admission like always, two bars like what up, and José González and the danish dj act Stella Polaris playing, this night of art and music was something to remember.

Music
Rodney Graham - unknown
José González - Heartbeats

Art (from the exhibition Reality Check)
Rodney Graham - The Photokinetoscope (high on LSD)
Zoe Leonard - Mouth Open, Teeth Showing (an army of dolls)

José González live at Night Music Gallery

2008-11-24T01:31:00.010+01:00

Keeplefty was there. And so was his camera phone:

Teardrop

Heartbeats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHPfj1QV0tY

Listen: Mikael Simpson with Trentemøller and Vibskov

2008-11-13T18:56:00.005+01:00

Chech out Mikael Simpson, one of the finest artists of Denmark with his band Sølvstorm (including the international names: Trentemøller and Henrik Vibskov)

English translation of the song:

I see it, that you know it
Seen you in town
Seen you at job
Very rank back
And a suit that fits you well.
At Café Amazing
With Latte to Show
There are no places in this town
You haven’t went yet

And Simme recently posted what might be an international (!?) edition of this act which he calls Mikael Simpson Shreds:

Celebrating the Messiah...

2008-11-06T16:32:00.003+01:00

Listen to: The Streets - Everything is borrowed

2008-10-30T11:13:00.002+01:00

Everything is borrowed

Love you more

The Escapist

Back online and water skiing...

2008-10-24T12:44:00.006+02:00

Oi, Keeplefty has left you with no news for some weeks. Hope you can forgive!? Had a minor concussion which kept me offline, really offline, I mean really off every possible line! And afterwards I went a week to Bodrum, Turkey – lots of sun, swimming, go-carting etc....
In Bodrum I tried water skiing for the first time – great fun and very freaking hard!
Check it:

Dark October / bright Bongo Camping memories

2008-10-04T19:23:00.005+02:00

October - it's getting dark and cold.
Time to bring out the summer recordings from Tanzania and remember how the sun was shining.

Here is some footage from Bongo Camping - a project I am in the board of, where I have created awareness and raised money here in Denmark. They are doing so much good with the money and after only 1 year the camp site is almost self financed through tourist income!
Gotta love it!

The Motos in the video belong to "a couple of adventure motorcycle travellers who want to do our little part in saving lives from this ugly disease (ed. Malaria) that took my brothers life." They have travelled the worlds most distant areas for many years on Motos.
Support them here.

Bon Iver - Blood Bank (lyrics and stream)

2008-10-02T10:04:00.035+02:00

Bon Iver - Blood Bank - Lyrics:

Well i met you at the blood bank
we were looking at the bags
wondering if any of the colors
matched any of the names we knew on the tags

you said "see look at that's yours
stacked on top with your brother's
see how they resemble oneanother's
even in their plastic little covers"

well I said I know it well

that secret that you know
that you don't know how to tell

well it fucks with your honor
and it teases your head
but you know that its good girl
cos its running through you with thread

then the snow started falling
we were stuck out in your car
you were rubbing both my hands
chewing on a candy bar

You said “Ain't it just like a present
To be showing up like this?”
as the moon waned to crescent
we started to kiss

I said I know it well

that secret that you know
but you don't know how to tell
I'm in love with your honor
I'm in love with your cheeks
what's that noise up the stairs babe?
Is that Christmas morning creaks?
---------------------------------------------
Bon Iver - Beach Baby - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Babys - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Woods - Lyrics
Bon Iver - Brackett, WI (lyrics + stream)
Nephew - 007 is also gonna die - Lyrics

Bon Iver - Blood Bank (studio version):

I wonder if it's the final studio version of Blood Bank - it doesn't really match the concert version. Or maybe you just have to get used to this more quiet version. Probably, yes.
I recorded Blood Bank at Vega, Copenhagen:

Without the online crowd push he would never have gotten out to the world. No record label would have dared. No promoter would have known.

Now he is touring the whole world with his friends from some town in USA. At the concert in Copenhagen they told us they were happy and thrilled to be here and meet the Copenhagen people - that they were grateful to be able to see the world.
Indeed, they are lucky ones. And so are we!

Running against Nabil

2008-09-21T18:19:00.007+02:00

I had a dramatic 20 minutes run against Nabil today at the Genforeningspladsen stadium.
The game is simple: the winner is the guy in the lead after 20 minutes on the stadium clock.

Intro
Nabil took the lead with high speed in the first round. I kept his speed which gave me some serious side stitches. The next 4 rounds he lost speed while I had a hard time with my stomach's muscle spasms. Eventually they disappeared.

Fight of the lead
So at the sixth round I took the lead and got a good 30 meters gap on Nab. I thought this would break him. But I couldn't keep the speed and after some rounds he was back behind me. Then I had my worse rounds and now he won some meters on me. I really felt like giving in.
With 3 minutes left I had lost 50 meters. I had to escalate the speed but he still kept his lead over me.

Sprint
I really wanted to win this one and I knew from the Water Run last Sunday that I had a 400 meter sprint in me. So I started giving it everything with one minute to go and before running into the last curve I had minimized the gap to 20 meters. I guess there was about 30 seconds to go. In the curve I was at a Usain Bolt-like ravaging speed and even though Nabil was sprinting too I passed him by like he wasn't moving. He was so surprised to see me that it took away his power and his body terminated while I tried to keep the speed to avoid him getting back in the last seconds. Legendary - muhahaha!

4900 meter in 20 minutes. Close to my initial target of 5 km.

Become Legendary

2008-09-20T13:52:00.007+02:00

Voice of Jordan - the almighty MJ. He sure still got game!
But I'm a bit confused on the message here - what I gotta do to become legendary?
Work hard in the gym everyday or buy a pair of Air Jordans?

Are they educated because they search or do they search because they are educated?

2008-09-09T15:22:00.009+02:00

A survey conducted in May 2008 by Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that twice as many college graduates than high school graduates perform online search on a typical day:

College graduate 66%
Some college 49%
High school graduate 32%

Also differences in income affects the likelihood to use search on a typical day:

$75,000 + 62%
$50,000 – 74,999 56%
$30,000 – 49,999 34%
<$30,000 36%

The question is, do you become educated from searching or do you search because you are educated?

The genders also show different search behaviours:

Men 53%
Women 45%

Do men search more because they get better returns on searches or because they need more information to find their answers?

China in Africa - examples to follow?

2008-09-07T13:04:00.020+02:00

Since my last post on China in Africa, the comments kept me investigating the development of Africa. My practical experiences on African development is from the project Bongo Camping.

So this week I went to a guest lecture at Africa Studies at Copenhagen University with Fantu Cheru, Professor and Research Director at The Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala.

Fantu Cheru has a pro-active, but not naive, perspective on the development of Africa. This lecture was on the potential benefits and risks of the evolving China-Africa relations, and what Africa could learn from the Chinese development since 1980.
I just like to submit my notes on Cheru's findings:

China in a new global system
There has been a fundamental shift in the configuration of global power. The world is upside-down and talking about first, second and third world nations no longer make sense. China was once part of the periphery but is now driving changes in the center and turning globalization in its favor by governing the market and controlling the transition to a new system. China has developed through a strategic integration between experimenting and finding unorthodox solutions and still preserving national security and independence – for instance on subjects like the interest rate and the political space. China brings about an example to rethink the way of development studies.

China in Africa
China has always been in Africa but with the the rise of the east their level of engagement has grown widely - also as part of the wider globalization plan for China.
The research on China in Africa is divided between paranoia:
The Chinese are coming! (taking Africa's oil that the West needs)
and naivety:
China is going to save Africa! (the next sexy thing after democracy and development).
But what is actually going on in the relations between China and Africa?

The Chinese Africa-strategy
China has an African policy while Africa does not have a Chinese policy. So it is a big challenge for the African countries to come together and formulate a regional approach through NEPAD.
The Chinese government strategy supports investment in Africa with:
investment promotion: offices helping Chinese investments all over Africa
bilateral agreements: double taxation treaty
interest free loans: little conditions, debt relief
intense diplomatic efforts: China-Africa cooperation forum

The tensions between the Chinese and the Africans
China has a supply chain cost advantage because of cooperation between Chinese firms (insourcing). But there is an unwillingness to subcontract to African companies which is bringing tension to the relationship between China and Africa. Also the dumping of cheap Chinese products on the African market is hard competition for the African manufacturing sector. Also culturally, the Chinese establishment of sub-societies and resistance to integration is bringing out angry African voices.
Nevertheless China has brought an opportunity and a threat to Africa – and Africa has an active role in deciding the outcome.

The hope for Africa
The African economies are too small to control international relations on their own which is why the avenue to a sustainable African growth lies in the regional integration. The African countries simply have too little negotiation power when doing bilateral agreements.

NEPAD can provide a way to deal with the world giving Africa:
- a stronger platform
- a common regional framework on industrialization
- a common framework on resource exploration
- a regional strategy
- common regulations on investment
- trade as opposed to bilateral agreements

The African leaders must push and be pushed towards these goals by a major mobilization of the people and the private sector in Africa.

Google Chrome enters the battle of the browsers...

2008-09-03T22:23:00.012+02:00

...in a clumsy way, but with a faster and cooler browser than Firefox and Explorer. (Actually Chrome has some baby flaws - it is really only a beta version!)
(Update: check the comments)

It seems like a very nice browser and when Chrome was launched yesterday two of my Messenger buddies instantly recommended it. I was very impressed and considered making it my standard browser, but now I am glad I didn't.

Some guy actually read and understood the Terms of Service (sic!!) which basically gives Google every rights to use and monetize anything you post through their browser.

The text goes under paragraph 11. Content license from you: “By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.”

Google hasn't yet responded to the worrying critics of their Terms of Service.

Until they change it I won't use the Chrome browser any more after this post, which google can happily distribute if they wish...

Jægersborggade at Nørrebro: trendy shopping street

2008-08-30T20:42:00.010+02:00

A few blocks from my street you find Jægersborggade - a little street with many small shops and cool cafés. Two years ago Jægersborggade was nothing but the street to buy weed. Then the residents decided to give the street a makeover going green and innovative. Since then 30 mini-shops have arisen.
Now you can go shopping in Jægersborggade - for cool stuff and for hash.

Pictures from Jægersborggade (after closing time):

Kisamakibo - Rap shake dance

2008-08-26T13:52:00.006+02:00

When I was at Bongo Camping in Tukuyu I shot this video with two of the members of Kisamakibo (artists from Bongo Camping) who are playing at events all around Mbeya Region in English and Swahili.
They are right now doing recordings of their Swahili songs which I am looking forward to hear!

I really dugg the song and I still do digg it, but tell me, honestly, how does it sound when you don't hear it in the karma-loaded hide-out of Bongo Camping??
Please leave a comment

Kisamakibo - Rap shake dance (opens in youtube)

Kisamakibo - Rap shake dance
Dance oho dance I am dancing all alone
Shake oho shake I am shaking all alone
Rap oho rap I am rapping all alone
Rap shake dance
The guys are getting up.

1. verse
If art's your dear
the field is here
I love you teens
I also love you greens.
Art to me
Is not only funny
When I cultivate
Art is in my head
When I play football
I shake them all
When I go out
Down I fall.
La la la la la Down I fall.

2. verse
When troubles come to you
And you dont know what to do
how to make them go away
Is to watch people play
A football match
The fans they watch
People playing pool
They feel so cool
And the boxing man
Puts a glove on his hand
la la la la la on his hand.

3. verse
When the young are partying
and they dont have a thing
Hands they fling
everybody in a ring.
We are leading
on the streets
we are leading
on the beat
Young hot stream
dont think it is a dream!
young hot motion
we are on the ocean.
la la la la la on the ocean.

Obama vs McCain

2008-08-22T11:25:00.005+02:00

Obama speaking in Berlin, Germany

McCain about the president of Germany, Putin!??!

Running: no medal, but an olympic feeling

2008-08-20T22:37:00.008+02:00

Just ran another 20 minutes run with Kristian and Andreas from the basket courts. I reached 4350 meters – a 150 meters improvement.

20/Aug/08 Run: 4350 m
13/Aug/08 Run: 4200 m
06/Aug/08 Run: 4150 m

Talked to Kristian about how we hated running. It's nothing but pain. But we could agree that it felt really good – afterwards! And it's a victory every time you don't give up. The devil inside always want you to stop, telling you things like “ohhh, does it hurt a lot?? you have run 2000 meters, great job, better than laying in the couch, really, don't you feel hungry and all proud. stop now, you can run again tomorrow...” and so on, but you have to tell that little devil to zip it because you have to accomplish your goal right now. You set a personal goal for yourself and by making it and succeeding you show that you can accomplish – even when it hurts.

So every time you run you can win. You just need to set a goal and get motivated. Remember Pacino's motivation speech from Any Given Sunday?
"I'll tell you this, in any fight it's the guy who's willing to die who's gonna win that inch... now, what are you gonna do?"

4 Pics: Nansensgade Streetparty 2008

2008-08-17T14:01:00.008+02:00

The residents of Nansensgade held a streetparty yesterday. What a cool street!! Me and Jones went bananas with the Nightshot Portrait of my Casio EX-S10. We also pimped the bikes of some lucky girls.

4 Pics: Gam3 Copenhagen at Rådhuspladsen

2008-08-15T10:59:00.003+02:00

Running at Genforeningspladsen Stadium

2008-08-13T21:09:00.014+02:00

I am trying to run 5 km in 20 minutes. At my first run I did 4150 metres and 4200 at my second. Yes, I am no athlete!! (Though, I still hold the high jump record at my gymnasium: 1,75 meter...)

I run 20 minutes everytime. It may not be best practice in reaching 5 km, but it is simple and motivating. No matter how much pain the running brings me, I always know it will only last 20 minutes.
Map (see you, guys!) to Genforeningspladsen and pictures of me strugling against the time:

Vis stort kort

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

2008-08-06T15:03:00.008+02:00

My friend, Broken Foot, told me to listen to this album, I think it was some weeks ago, and ever since I have been listening.
It's nothing special, really! I just can't stop putting it on...

Discover Bon Iver!

From Skinny Love (song 3):

Discover Bon Iver!

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different "kind"
I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

More Kajakpolo by Islands Brygge

2008-08-05T20:47:00.011+02:00

Sunday I played some more Kajakpolo with the great K-man and again we sweeped over our opponents and won another crushing victory, 10-2.
It was a bit windy so we jumped in the wetsuits. If you want to play Kajakpolo by Islands Brygge the price is 1.700 kr. pr hour for up to 12 persons. And if you want to challenge me and K-man, we will whoop your ass!!
Thanks to Ullams for the great pictures.

Can Europe learn from China in Africa??

2008-08-02T21:27:00.016+02:00

Well, I am no expert on China or Africa. But I've been to Tanzania twice and I've seen Chinese people constructing roads (at a fraction of the cost charged by Western companies) and doing all kinds of business there. China is really going all in on Africa.
In Europe there is a widespread suspicion that China must be up to no good, but I do think there are two sides to that picture. But like in any other Western coverage of China nowadays the media prefers to show us the ugly side.

Hong Kong-based researchers Barry Sautman and Yan Hairong argues about China:

“The Western characterisation of China as engaging in an amoral, neo-colonial scramble in Africa has developed out of the larger ‘China Threat’ discourse. The discrediting of China in Africa serves to contain a perceived strategic competitor and to negate the notion of a pluralism of paths of development. This new discourse also retroactively vindicates European colonialism in Africa and constructs the Western self-image as ‘promoters of democracy and good governance’ on the continent—despite US, UK and French continuing support for most of Africa’s authoritarian regimes.”

I believe in trade, business and infrastructure (physically and mentally) as the means to development in Africa. If Europe did not subsidize the farming we could buy cheaper agricultural products from Africa who in turn would have money to buy knowledge-based products from Europe. Instead African markets are flooded with excess EU produce at prices below that the African farmer can compete with.

United Nations acknowledges the steps taken between China and Africa for a liberalised trading partnership:

"More Ethiopian agricultural products would be allowed into China duty-free, he revealed, and China had pledged some $500 mn for various development projects in Ethiopia. “China is an inspiration for all of us,” he added. “What China shows to Africa is that it is indeed possible to turn the corner on economic development.”

I know that China, like USA and EU, are also supporting some terrible regimes in Africa. And this harms all the good development China is bringing to Africa. But I do believe that Beijing these days are choosing the right way. In the end the trading strategy that China is promoting in Africa would benefit more from stable economies than war and corruption. Because the economic relationship matters to China, its government has a vested interest in long-term stability, and China's current rhetoric suggests an understanding that this is best procured by “harmony” and the careful balancing of interests, not by force.

Now I hope that EU will learn from China's policies in Africa making it easier for the citizens of Europe to do business with Africa. Cut the toll barriers and scrap the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy). Let us through social entrepreneurship or just common import-export make money while we make up for our colonial debt to Africa. I got a lot of entrepreneurial friends in Tanzania who are impatiently waiting for the wall to fall.

But like the president of Senegal said at the EU-Africa summit December 2007: "Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa." It was the first EU-Africa summit since 2000 because of Europe's worries about human rights abuses, so it actually seems the EU is waking up. So Europe and Africa are talking again, but it has given no trade results yet, partly because Europe does not have one voice (some countries are still reluctant to engage in free-trade and to remove agricultural subsidies) and Africa now has greater negotiating power.

China Development Brief knows a lot more about this case than me, so I will let them say the last words here. A bit provocative, but it is still the bitter truth:

"Westerners typically believe that although China has the largest society in the world it has no civil society worth mentioning. But this is at least to some extent because China is not easily visible or comprehensible to Westerners, who have a long tradition of finding the Chinese “inscrutable”—a quality that, of course, depends on the cognitive powers of the observer, not the observed. Africans should not be so short sighted."

Diving and Kajakpolo in Copenhagen

2008-08-01T20:29:00.011+02:00

At Islands Brygge in the center of Copenhagen, we are doing free water activities this weekend. A concept called Kulturhavn (culture harbour). I played some Kajakpolo with K-man and Ullams. And we won a crushing 5-1 victory against three young guys!

We also did some swimming. The water was so nice. Uhhh, I feel fresh and young! (and thirsty for some wine)
K-man diving from trampoline

Ullams diving from trampoline

Pictures from a day at Nørrebro

2008-08-01T19:42:00.010+02:00

Shooting hoops with Jones

at Ravnsborggade banen

Nørrebro Rules street party in Nørrebroparken

New biking bridge connecting Nørrebro and Frederiksberg over Ågade

Graffiti from Nørrebro Rules

5 things to do in Tukuyu

2008-07-31T09:56:00.011+02:00

If you go to the South-West of Tanzania, be sure to visit Tukuyu! Google Map got some misspelling going on here, not me.

Vis stort kort

1. Learn Swahili for free at Bongo Camping
I learned Swahili at Bongo Camping together with other tourists and in exchange with the local people who are taking english courses at the NGO camp site. A Swahili speaking Dane, Kasper Gram-Hansen, was leading the teachings. It was really brilliant and I got some genuine friendships that made me feel at home in Tukuyu. We took a little group picture:

2. Eat at Ima's Kitchen

This local cafeteria serves local dishes to the price of 1 or 2 dollars. And for some cents you can get a delicious chai. It is the favourite place for both the locals and the tourists. If you are planning on renting a car, I would also recommend asking for Ima.

3. Climb Mount Rungwe

A challenging rain forest vulcano. We climbed it in one day. If you are not afraid of pain, I dare you!

4. Visit Kaporogwe Falls or Ngozi Crater See

Or any other of the great sights around Tukuyu. Bongo Camping or Rungwe Tea Tours can guide you. I would go with the Bongos!

5. Buy a dress / suit

My girlfriend got some high fashion dresses tailor sewn. 6 dollars each.

Copy-paste without text formatting

2008-07-29T00:20:00.007+02:00

Do you know the little brilliant application PureText helping you copy-paste? Steve Miller, the developer, explains what it does:

“Have you ever copied some text from a web page or a document and then wanted to paste it as simple text into another application without getting all the formatting from the original source? PureText makes this simple by adding a new Windows hot-key (default is WINDOWS+v) that allows you to paste text to any application without formatting.”

That is, press ctrl+c to copy the text and WINDOWS+v (instead of ctrl+v) to paste the text. Simple.
If you don't like short cuts you can also click the “PT” icon in the right bottom of the screen:

“After running PureText.exe, you will see a "PT" tray icon appear near the clock on your task bar. You can click on this icon to remove formatting from the text that is currently on the clipboard. You can right-click on the icon to display a menu with more options.”

Download PureText from Steve Millers website and unzip the file. Then double-click it and your one step closer to being the quickest editor in the office. If you right-click the “PT” icon you can get PureText to run each time you log on Windows.

Basketball at Odense Harbour

2008-07-27T12:15:00.002+02:00

So I went back to the place where I lived in 2001: Odense Harbour. I went to play basketball with a friend with whom I shared an apartment at the harbour before the revitalization when it still gave you this funny feeling of being in another era.

Now, like everywhere else in Denmark, the harbour is being reinvented from industrial port to a leisure area for the citizens. Modern apartments and office buildings rise between the old factories. At the entrance of the harbour the Government of Odense as part of the livable city strategy has made a great sport area – especially for Basketball and skating. The vision for the harbour is life, variation and quality and so far the unpredictable feedback from the public is that they will bring the most critical succes factor to the development of the harbour: life.
Later that night I overheard some guys (not joggers at all) at Café Smagløs talking about the place saying they wanted to buy some basket shoes. So it seems the demand for basket shoes in Odense will rise and maybe Odense Basketball Club finally can make it back to the top of Danish Basketball as in the golden nineties.

Buying a tailor sewn designer dress for only 6 dollars - cheap and easy

2008-07-22T14:04:00.002+02:00

One afternoon in Tukuyu I took my girlfriend out to spend a dress on her. Before going to Tanzania Nabil had showed us a nice suit he got made in Mbeya for 20 dollars, so we talked about making a copy of a high fashion dress.
In the Copenhagen airport my girl and my little sister bought 3 woman magazines. I didn't understand why they wanted to pay for 3 different ones when every woman magazine (in Denmark) are hopelessly similar. Anyway, of course they had a plan invisible from my male perspective.
When the day came in Tukuyu where my girl couldn't wait any longer to go to the tailor I realised that she was well prepared. She had chosen a dress from the fashion section of one magazine and made her own drawing of how she planned the back of the dress. It turned out that the tailor had a even better suggestion for the back.
We took a dalla dalla to Tukuyu. Jumping of the bus we met a guy, Jackson, that we previously had exchanged English and Swahili with at Bongo Camping. He was waiting for the bus to Songea where he would do some business. But instead of taking the bus he took us through the lividly market to the tailors of Tukuyu. There are about 10 tailor shops in the same street so I had imagined that we could easily check out which looked most appropriate for copying western fashion. It turned out that on the outside they all looked alike (like woman magazines) so how to find the tailor with the right competencies!?

Jackson had no doubt – he took us to a woman in her early twenties by the end of the tailor street. In no time she understood, with the translation of Jackson and by looking at the picture of the dress and my girls drawing, how to make the dress. We went out with her 50 meter to the fabrics street to buy the fabric that my girl wanted. Then she told us to come back kesho (tomorrow) and we payed half of the price of 6 dollars – all inclusive!!
Like that she was gone. I grabbed my girls arm: “hey, she didn't take your measures!!” But the tailor had taken the needed measures – apparently while we were trying to express how to make the dress. I was impressed so far. And my girl, all hyper, couldn't wait to see the result.
The result was brilliant I would say. And we went back to get some more made – also one for my sister. Beautiful dresses for beautiful girls. And, they say, highly fashionable anno 2008!

Kaporogwe Falls 10 km southwest of Tukuyu

2008-07-19T13:25:00.001+02:00

Kaporogwe Falls is a wonder of nature. You can experience this powerful waterfall from the front and from the back by going into a cave which in a mysterious way has been made behind the waterfall. I find it hard to describe how special this phenomen is, but I hope you get the picture.
Here is a little video from some guys going there with Bongo Camping:

From the cave you watch the water falling from the cliffs above with the beautiful view of mountains with tea fields and banana palms in the background.

We drove the bumpy way in a 4W drive with the safe guiding from Bongo Camping. I was behind the wheels zig-zaggin' on the challenging dirt road. Something about driving in Africa brings out the happy boy in me. In the back of the car some of my fellow riders were getting car sick, others were praising the nature and greeting both some of the poorer and richer villages in Rungwe.
Entering the falls you pay a fee of 3000 Shillings to the nearby village which is using the tourism income to build water pipes to this area that lacks water and electricity.

Climbing Mount Rungwe in one day

2008-07-14T12:29:00.004+02:00

We did it. Me and my girlfriend. We managed to hike/climb Mount Rungwe (2960 meter, by Tukuyu in Mbeya Region) to the top and down in one day. It took us 8 hours and 20 minutes (breaks inclusive). On our way we saw two monkey species: Black-white Colobus and Velvet Monkey.

„This is the toughest day of my life“ my girlfriend said as the taxi were driving us back to Bongo Camping. The hike is tough because the terrain changes many times along the way and you have to keep focus on every step in order to stay on your feet. Still watching the monkeys play and jump from tree to tree over your head makes you forget the pain as you fight your way up and down this sleeping vulcano. The terrain changes from jungle at the bottom to close bush to bamboon breath spots to the desert-like opening at the top, where the view is amazingly scenic.
Most people only make it to the view point as also I did two years ago when I visited Tukuyu for the first time. Mount Rungwe is not dangerous climbing, but it is a challenging struggle for your: knees, legs, heart and mind. We are certainly not experienced hikers (in fact we have never hiked before), we play basket every week to keep in shape but most of all we had the will to force this beast of a mountain!
Now everytime when we have a peep at the mountain peak it feels safi sana ("very nice") to have been there. But at the moment of action we questioned our own sanity.

Our timesheet climbing Mount Rungwe:

6.25: Leaving Bongo Camping
6.55: Dropped off by taxi
7.20: By the foot off the mountain – going in to the jungle
9.50: A plateau with a view point – eating and relaxing
10.15: Leaving the view point to the top
11.03: Out of the jungle – view
11.35: Top of Mount Rungwe – Top of the world!!
12.30: Going down from the top
13.30: Reaching the view point for a short break
13.45: Leaving the view point
15.42: Down again by the foot of Mount Rungwe

Some advices from my girlfriend:

- Bring at least 1,5 liters of water if you are aiming for the top
- The ground can be slippery, especially on the way down- trekking shoes are preferable, although we did it in running shoes.
- Bring suncreme – the last hour before the top you are exposed to the midday sun (auuuu...)
- Make sure you have both sweet and salt to consume on the way (but don't litter)
- You should wear long sleeves and trousers as a protection for leaves

More pictures from Mount Rungwe: