Simon Says No!
Oslo, Oslo County, Norway | INDIE
Music
Press
”Nu-gaze that has heard and likes its Slowdive, and with ”Midnight Romance” have made a beautiful wall of noise and melody that you rarly find on NRK P3s Urørt. " - Jørgen Hegstad, NRK P3/Spirit Magasin
- NRK P3 / Norway’s leading radio-station.
"You got to say yes to a band as Simon Says No! On Garage last wednesday they showed off a noise-psycadelia that brought your thoughts to both Serena Maneesh and 120 Days.
But even if they got their own expression. Expect the band as hot export in near future!" Einar Engelstad, BT 20.03.07 - Bergens Tidende (Leading newspaper in Bergen, Norway)
Sorry, in norwegian only: http://www.side2.no/musikk/article2303565.ece - www.side2.no, TV2 (Norways biggest TV channel)
I make no secret that I was once a Refused loving post punk and hardcore kid growing up in Salt Lake City. It's actually something I consider a badge of honor. So when a few days ago my good friend Dany sent me music from Oslo, Norway's Simon Says No! and listed Refused as an influence my ears perked up.
The band recently made U.S. landfall at the CMJ Music Marathon and were met with rave reviews. With their epic psychedelic rock and soaring fuzz driven guitars I really don't see how that's not possible.
Upon first listen people could easily classify Simon Says No! as a shoegaze band. They would definitely fit well with the My Bloody Valentines of the world. There sound is definitely a lot more angular than the traditional powerhouses of the shoegaze era. This slightly left of center approach is what I think appeals to me most.
Download "Sleeping Heart" below and added to your latest "Across The Pond" mix. This is a definitely a band to watch in 2009. Be sure to catch them at SXSW next year.
- Rock Insider
Fancy some cobweb banishing audio? Well you’ve come to the right page because Simon Says No! don’t do quiet, unless you are sentence that reads quite fabulous. They don’t sound particularly Norwegian either for an Oslo band but then their influences come from a much more southerly direction. This type of fuzzy guitar bluster and thunderous marching beats will always find favour in my heart and it is assembled so well you’d almost imagine you were in the company of a set of veterans. As it is ‘Sleeping Heart’ is the work of 4 young bucks who wear their influences on their sleeves and their guitars in the tumble dryer. This is bold and quite brilliant and in many ways somewhat reassuring. The band's 'Ahoi De Angst' EP is out very soon. KD - Mp3 Hugger
DATELINE: OSLO It's like hearing a familiar voice from the past whisper your name and asking you to dance... It's about celebrating good music and better times. We gave one listen to Oslo's Simon Says No! and we were transported away to another place by the anthemic Sleeping Heart. I think it's a good indicator of what is to come!
HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Fresh off an impressive appearance in New York at the CMJ Music Festival, Simon Says No! (Rolf, Even, Simon, Ruben) is taking their post punk meanders and shoegaze past(think the rock fuzz of My Bloody Valentine dipped in modern indie and what you have is a starting point) to the masses. The most important thing right now for this talented little Norway band is to get the word out! This band appears ready for the next big stage! We will be watching.
- Ryans Smashing Life
Fresh on the heels of some pretty rave reviews at CMJ, Norwegian rockers, Simon Says No!, not only get a nod for having one of the more clever band names that's come across recently, but they also have several bloggers labeling them an emerging band to watch in 2009. And fittingly so; these guys are ferocious, loud, and energetic, yet they still manage to keep their music raw and interesting.
Inaugural single "Sleeping Heart" from their forthcoming debut EP, Ahoi de Angst (that's Norwegian in case you didn't catch it) opens with a cascading wall of guitars and a militaristic drum roll. With each new verse, a new element is added to the mix, whether it be the perfectly harmonized shoegazing vocals or a simple guitar line to offset the distortion and fuzz - they keep you guessing in the minimalist of ways, yet carry the maturity of a seasoned post-punk quartet.
- Filter Magazine
While at the Great Escape in Brighton earlier this year, I picked up an EP from Bergen, Norway group Simon Says No!, and I had this to say:
"If a band does not try to emulate their heroes, then something is very wrong. Rock n' roll should be about danger and passion and musicians are supposed to incite a desire to rebel and break the rules. While Norway may not be ground zero for the global music scene, there seems to be something pretty special going on there, which is apparent with the emergence of Simon Says No! This is a band that knows their strengths, things which they know how to get the most out of. Their raw sound recalls the glory days of Seattle grunge and the spirit of '77 in London, but the band is nuanced enough to flesh things out with a fuzziness that wouldn't seem out of place at a Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine gig. The interwebs has begun a love affair with these guys, most recently with a "Band of the Week" nod on Stranded in Stereo as well as some radio love from NRK P3, which is their home country's leading station. The band's current three song demo is everything you could ever want from a budding band -- it's both familiar and new, it pushes buttons and it gives you that feeling that you had the first time you disobeyed your parents."
The band will be making their Stateside debut during CMJ with three gigs, including one that I am sponsoring on Wednesday night 10/22 at Rehab. Let's hope I see you there.
- Exitfare
Someone Should Say 'Yes' to Simon Says No!
Well a little bird tells me - actually a young chap called Dany - that SSN! will have an EP out in '09 (probably on download). Young Dany (everyone is young compared to me - sob) tells me he is the UK and US manager for the bouncy young Norweigans, so more power to his elbow.
I mentioned earlier that they bring back memories of early Hawkwind ( which may or may not be good news for the guys) and listening again to their Myspace stuff I am still struck by this, especially 'Peak'. Not sure if its intentional but I find it all rather uplifting stuff, a bit like walking along a hill ridge in a strong wind - makes you want to take flight ... enough now... Suffice it to say their fuzzywuzzy wall of guitar sound and insistent drum work is doing it for me right now.
It appears that amongst other things Dany runs a blog called Exitfare andI imagine that anyone wishing to give these Oslovians (?) a leg up ( may be a little gig on Bristol would be nice, hint hint!) could contact him through that route. Mr D also seems to contribute to the intriguing Stranded in Stereo blog and their similarly named website - I imagine that the offer of a free CD/DV's is only limited to US subscribers which is a shame if entirely understandable.
- RHC Blog
«This unit stirs up a shoegaze (late '80s/early '90s alterna-grunge) cocktail of sonic moxie. The title "Sleeping Heart," from the Simon Says No! 2009 debut project Ahoi de Angst, is best served with the volume up.» - The Huffington Post
Discography
Ahoi de Angst - EP 2009
Simon Says No! (Selftitled) Album 2010
Photos
Bio
Just for the record Oslo-based band Simon Says No did not take their name from the popular children's game "Simon Says..." After messing around with different genres and bands, Ruben Nesse challenged his former band mate Simon to start a solo project. Simon’s answer was clear! “NO!” But having found a mutual fascination for the droning shoegaze, the guys couldn’t help taking that “No!” to the stage. But Instead of as a solo outfit the guys booked their first show as a two-piece. In the fall of 2006 Bergen got to meet Simon Says No! but it wouldn’t be for the last time.
The following year was one of peaks and valleys for the newly fit-and-fighting unit. They added a drummer and bassist, fooled around with a female vocalist live and released a couple of songs on cassette. One of the songs "Para Circus," was named "Song of the Month" on Norway’s biggest radio station, NRK P3’s, “Urørt" (untouched). It also made it’s way all to the "Song of the Year" finals in 2007. Other radio stations jumped on board spinning the single, and the band toured Norway to packed clubs.
Still searching for the right setup Ruben and Simon moved to Oslo in the summer of '08. Here they’d already hooked up with now permanent members Even Aarebrot (drums and backing vocals) and Rolf Helle Mathiesen (bass). The two created an instant synergy with the founders and took their sound to new dimensions, a synergy that was more the evident on the following Norwegian tour. According to the band, "Every concert is unique. We don't know what happens before it does. Bring your earplugs and join us in our voyage."
The crowds in Oslo became all too familiar with the band's live assaults, and it was this same process on stage that won them an entire new legion of fans at their US debut during October 2008's CMJ Music Marathon in New York.
In February 2009 the band released their debut EP “Ahoi de Angst”. The EP was met with rave reviews and took the band around Scandinavia and across the US. The EP cleary showd the bands potensial in their shoegaze fasination and hardcore-obsessed past. The way their classic songwriting fit’s in with the noisiness of the 90’s Camden and the kraut of the 60s/70s. The band stated; "Ahoi de Angst captures the essence of Simon Says No!, shaped through time, different band members, and cold dark winters."
Still being true to their shoegaze haratige, the band discovered that people was staring to lable them as a “Foo-Gaze” outfit during their US tour of 2009. The expression was first used by Rolf in New York as a joke, but was starting to stick with the band. Finding it true that their live set had gone a bit slower and havier, they started to grow fond of their new labled genre. In LA they recorded the first song for the new album with Michael Patterson. Solitary Rush, was recorded during four intesive days in a dark and dirty Hollywood studio. The song only confirming the new colours and shapes of their gaze.
Taking with them all the inpiration from the tours and the LA sessions, Simon Says No! continued to work on their first ful length album during the summer of 2009. New ideas emerge daily and songs was being shaped in great pace. At the same time Simon felt more and more disconetced from the band. He joined in on the first first studio sessions in Harrys Gym (Oslo), but struggeled to find his place in the new songs. He decided, half way through the recordings, to leave the band he named and formed three years earlier. The three remaining members finished the album with Bjarne Stensli and Nick Terry as their Co-producers. Recordning in Oslo and Aalesund, they opened the doors to friends and co-musicians to compliment their own strengths and weeknesses, and to fulfill their sonic visions for the record.
Simon Says No! Continued their collaboration with Nick Terry (Klaxons, Primal Scream, Serena Maneesh) as the album moved into mixing room. Spening twice as much time as predicted, the long days of perfection was spent on different locations around Norway. Terrys dedication was evident as he, nor the band, would settle at anything less then 100% satisfaction, adjusting and pushing the mixes to the max.
The selftitled album was released 13th September 2010 on Brilliance Records in Norway. Then on Cargo Records in UK in March and Germany in May.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvs8z9C5lPY
Contact:
Management:
ce(at)saturdayenterprise.com
Label/Booking:
ruben(at)brilliance.no
Links
