Katzenjammer (band)
Encyclopedia
Katzenjammer is a Norwegian
band from Oslo
which was formed in 2005.
The band members are Anne Marit Bergheim, Marianne Sveen, Solveig Heilo and Turid Jørgensen. Their music mixes genres such as folk music
, pop
, rock
, country
and balkan music. Even though the members are from Norway
, their lyrics are in English
. The four members switch instruments often and have a stated goal of playing instruments they haven't played before. They play more than 25 different instruments, including some which are quite unusual in a band setting, such as accordion
, contrabass balalaika
, zither
, ukulele
and melodica
. The band collaborates with Mats Rybø who has written several of the band's songs.
The band cites many influences including Goran Bregović
, Danny Elfman
, Django Reinhardt
and Knutsen & Ludvigsen
. Also, the band states that they are not only inspired by folk but cartoons as well.
In 2008 the band was chosen as one of the finalists in NRK's yearly Urørt competition for unsigned artists, and got a third place for their song A Bar in Amsterdam. The music video
of the song was made by Youtube
celebrity Lasse Gjertsen
.
Their debut album Le pop was released in September 2008 to favourable reviews. The album was recorded at Propeller Recordings, and the band received a nomination in the newcomer of the year category in the Norwegian Grammy equivalent, Spellemannprisen
the same year. They also got nominated for Spellemannprisen
for "best debut album of the year" in 2008.
On August 4, 2008, they released their single "Play my darling, play". On March 2, 2010. They released their second single for their song "Tea With Cinnamon". Their other singles are "A bar in Amsterdam", "Demon Kitty Rag" and "Hey ho on the Devil's back".
The band entered the studio on September 18, 2010 to record their follow-up to Le Pop
. This came as a surprise announcement after their August and September shows were canceled due to illness. In August 2011 it was announced that the second Katzenjammer album will be called A Kiss Before You Go
, due to be released in September. It is preceded by the single I Will Dance (When I Walk Away).
The members chose their band's name to be 'Katzenjammer', after the Katzenjammer Kids
, which is the oldest comic strip continually in syndication. They chose this comic strip because they noticed that they resembled the characters in it.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
band from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
which was formed in 2005.
The band members are Anne Marit Bergheim, Marianne Sveen, Solveig Heilo and Turid Jørgensen. Their music mixes genres such as folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and balkan music. Even though the members are from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, their lyrics are in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The four members switch instruments often and have a stated goal of playing instruments they haven't played before. They play more than 25 different instruments, including some which are quite unusual in a band setting, such as accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, contrabass balalaika
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
, zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
. The band collaborates with Mats Rybø who has written several of the band's songs.
The band cites many influences including Goran Bregović
Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregović is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Balkans. He currently splits his time between Paris and Belgrade, where he settled down during the Yugoslav Wars.Bregović has composed for such varied artists as Iggy Pop and Cesária Évora...
, Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
, Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
and Knutsen & Ludvigsen
Knutsen & Ludvigsen
Knutsen & Ludvigsen was a Norwegian singing duo consisting of Øystein Dolmen and Gustav Lorentzen .Writing and performing various songs mostly aimed at children, they released seven albums, two of which received Spellemannprisen - the Norwegian Grammy. They had several #1 hits, including "Grevling...
. Also, the band states that they are not only inspired by folk but cartoons as well.
In 2008 the band was chosen as one of the finalists in NRK's yearly Urørt competition for unsigned artists, and got a third place for their song A Bar in Amsterdam. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
of the song was made by Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
celebrity Lasse Gjertsen
Lasse Gjertsen
Lasse Gjertsen is a Norwegian animator, musician, and videographer known on YouTube as lassegg. He is best known for his short pieces "Hyperactive" and "Amateur", which string together short clips of video to create a unique form of video akin to stop-motion animation...
.
Their debut album Le pop was released in September 2008 to favourable reviews. The album was recorded at Propeller Recordings, and the band received a nomination in the newcomer of the year category in the Norwegian Grammy equivalent, Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
the same year. They also got nominated for Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
for "best debut album of the year" in 2008.
On August 4, 2008, they released their single "Play my darling, play". On March 2, 2010. They released their second single for their song "Tea With Cinnamon". Their other singles are "A bar in Amsterdam", "Demon Kitty Rag" and "Hey ho on the Devil's back".
The band entered the studio on September 18, 2010 to record their follow-up to Le Pop
Le Pop
The album received generally favorable reviews. Adrien Begrand from PopMatters rated Le Pop eight out of ten stars and wrote that its "songs all play to [Katzenjammer's] strengths and, most importantly, are all instantly memorable." In an additional review for PopMatters, Mike Schiller called Le...
. This came as a surprise announcement after their August and September shows were canceled due to illness. In August 2011 it was announced that the second Katzenjammer album will be called A Kiss Before You Go
A Kiss Before You Go
A Kiss Before You Go is the second studio album by Norwegian band Katzenjammer. It was released on September 9, 2011 by Propeller Recordings.-Track listing:- Release history :...
, due to be released in September. It is preceded by the single I Will Dance (When I Walk Away).
Background
Anne Marit Bergheim, Solveig Heilo, and Turid Jørgensen studied together in a pop University. Solveig Heilo says that their music now has nothing to do with the school. Later, Anne Marit Bergheim asked the group if they would like to play instruments she found in the attic. They wanted to join her. That is how 'Katzenjammer' all started.The members chose their band's name to be 'Katzenjammer', after the Katzenjammer Kids
Katzenjammer Kids
The Katzenjammer Kids is an American comic strip created by the German immigrant Rudolph Dirks and drawn by Harold H. Knerr for 37 years...
, which is the oldest comic strip continually in syndication. They chose this comic strip because they noticed that they resembled the characters in it.