Though Ex Norwegian's last release was called House Music, the Miami Beach band definitely doesn't make the kind of house music that induces you to pop a molly and sweat. Though you might jump around a bit to their indie pop, their sound is better suited for the live stage than the uhntz of tha club.
The group has been through a series of lineup changes, but the core members remain. Frontman Roger Houdaille, also of Ed Hale and the Transcendence, Michelle Grand, and Giuseppe Rodriguez very recently released a new LP, Crash, on the Broward-to-Miami Limited Fanfare Records. They're representing the label at tomorrow's musical blowout Block x Blog at Revolution Live.
Music is like crack, but we also know that it's hard to continue to stay pumped about making it, day in and day out. So we asked the members of Ex Norwegian to give us a list of songs that psych them to keep writing, strumming, and singing.
Roger Houdaille, guitar and vocals
"Here's a couple songs that have recently kept me from throwing in the towel -- which incidentally happens every couple months, if not weeks."
R. Stevie Moore - "Sort of Way"
"I just discovered R. Stevie Moore with this song, and boy did it kick my ass."
Cold Sun - "Here in the Year"
"This is something from an obscure Texas band Cold Sun. They were a psych band in 1969 when it was not cool to be a psych band anymore, so their album remained unreleased till the '80s. It's quite a beautiful trip!"
Michelle Grand, vocals
Uncle Luke - "Hydraulics"
"Uncle Luke influences my twerk, which in turn helps me with rhythm."
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - "Sleep"
"Godspeed is so instrumentally beautiful, I'm already mindfucked thinking about their 20 minute songs and various movements within, that I'm not even sure as to the influence I draw from them because I always become vegetative when listening to them."
Giuseppe Rodriguez, bass
The Beatles - "All You Need Is Love"
"Two of my biggest inspirations: Paul and sugar!"
Celia Cruz - "La Negra Tiene Tumbao"
Block x Blog. With Ex Norwegian, Holy Ghost!, Afrobeta, Jacuzzi Boys, MillionYoung, and others. 8 p.m., Saturday, April 20, at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Visit subculture.us or jointherevolution.net for tickets.
Visit exnorwegian.com, follow them on Facebook, and Twitter. Download Crack here.
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