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Posts about Benni Hemm Hemm

concert review July 6, 2007

Benni Hemm Hemm, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone played Mercury Lounge

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Benni Hemm Hemm’s music might be a wistful exploration of the understated, but it requires quite a bit of horn players. At Mercury Lounge there were five of them (switching between at least two trumpets, two trombones, a French horn and a sousaphone). As they waited by the steps leading to the tiny stage, they felt no less than men readying for war. Except, there was no war: as Benni explained some of his Icelandic songs to an English-speaking audience, they were mostly about snow, hills and things they intend to never do, such as (1) make a promise and (2) betray. This the American audience found funny, and Benni smiled along.

Download “Graceland” (from Graceland EP)

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Playing before them were Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. When I got there, singer Owen Ashworth was huddled over his electronics, singing heartbreaking tunes by himself. His four-piece band (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards) joined for the rest, though they were barely able to pollute the melancholy in Owen’s raspy voice. His personality (translated superbly into a band name) leads to the kind of songwriting that feels quintessentially American. To top it off, there was an excellent cover of Paul Simon’s Graceland.

More after the jump.

posted by sarahana

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playing soon, share mp3s May 17, 2007

Favorite song of the week: "Snjor ljos snjor" by Benni Hemm Hemm

Download “Snjor ljos snjor” (from Kajak)
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An early posting for this week’s favorite tune, and there are several reasons. Iceland’s Benni Hemm Hemm and gang (we hope at least eleven of the seventeen) will be heading to the US for the very first time, including a July 5 stop at Mercury Lounge. Icelandic, even in Sigur Ros’ gibberish installment of it, sounds extremely adorable- we can confirm this is true at least when one doesn’t understand the meaning behind these prancing syllables. The song has a really earthy feel to it, and perhaps it is the quality of Benni’s voice that matches the soft horns. The melodies are repetitious but they add to a tune both jubilant and sorrowful without being too obvious. I think Benni’s good for spring!

“Snjor ljos snjor” is from Benni’s second album Kajak, which was recorded by an ensemble of eleven musicians in four days at the same studio used by Sigur Ros. Morr Music label will put it out in the US on May 22.

Translation of the lyrics after the jump.

posted by sarahana

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