M@tt He1geson's Thread of Self-Promotion (my band has a website now)

http://www.radiok.org

also, for locals we have a rare weekend gig, with two great bands:

Triple Rock Social Club
Cedar Ave, West Bank, Mpls
$8adv/$10 door
21+

Silkworm
Malachi Constant
Maps of Norway

should go on around 9:30 PM

...oh the anticipation!

Thursday, April 14th
The (Mike's Love) Hexagon Bar
South Mpls (by the Stardust Bowling alley north of Franklin and Minnehaha...north of The Underage Punk Venue That Cannot Be Named)

Swashbuckler (biker rocks with hott chix in pirate costumes!)
Eufio (great, Sleater Kinney influenced grrl punk)
Maps of Norway (minneapolis's least successful Altered Images rip-off band, or so I'm told)
Styrofoam Duck (good, strange indie by up and coming kidz)

9PM - FREE COVER!

Drink at the back bar by the bands, we get paid out of that!

Getting drunk is band charity.

Sat. April 23rd
7th St Entry
All Ages
5pm
$6

Belles of Skin City
STNNNG (aka The Stunning)
Maps of Norway

STNNNG's Digified Sissy is the best loud rock album this year, bar none....Bells of Skin City are utterly fucking original brilliant, EP coming soon....but don't take my word for it:

City Pages on stnnng;

http://www.eagle-sports.com/Photos/music/beck.jpg

City Pages on Belles of Skin City (scroll down, they were finishers in local critics best bands poll):

http://citypages.com/databank/25/1251/article12698.asp

Triple Rock Social Club
Monday, June 20th
21+/$6
10 pm

Matson Jones (Sympathy for the Record Industry artist...very cool, 2 cellos+ rock- www.matsonjones.net)

Maps of Norway (the band i'm in)

Lazer Forever (awesome)

show tonite

If I don't make it...well then, I guess I suck.

we have another show! we're going to play music at this show.

Wednesday, July 6th
Turf Club

Red Life (arty post whatever mathy stuff)

Angelic Animosity (fucking GREAT name, but sadly aren't Xian metal...I've heard "metal", "metalcore", and "They sound like Blink 182")

Maps of Norway (us)

The Voided (dude from Red Life conducting an improv noise rock arkestra!)

NO COVER

This, I guarantee, will be an interesting bill overall. I'll be there.

By the way, M@tt's band is really good, so if yer in the MPLS/STPL area, you should go and see them. So there.

did you work at Twin Town? Willie's?

we've got an exclusive headlining gig at the Turf Club, the hockey arena where the Minnesota Wild play! Due to scheduling conflicts, they'll actually be doing a skatearound during our set....we never thought the NHL lockout would get resolved in time for this show : (

Thursday, August 4th
Turf Club
corner of University and Snelling, Midway Hood, St. Paul Represent

Maps of Norway
Anchorage
Maiden Korea

I was in Midway on Saturday nite, checking out The Shut-Ins, Kontrol Panel, Tijuana Hercules (cool Spencer/Oblivions style blues rave ups by Ex-Mount Shasta dude), and Sicbay, and when I walked out to my car there was this HUGE crazy madness breaking out in front of the Trend Bar, cops all over and some dude walking his chick away from the scene, she looked too drunk or shook up to walk....like dozens of dudes out there....come for the bands, stay for the excitement!

actually : )

I'll be on vacation in Paris! Paris>punk rock!

Are you going to be in town?

ihttp://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=495287

anyway, this has been a pretty cool thing over the years, all ages, but oldsters can drink freely...

Sunday, August 28th
Dinkytowner
6 pm doors/7pm show (done by 10 pm)
$5

Maps of Norway
Divebomb Honey
Mercurial Rage

Divebomb Honey are one of my fav local bands...feat. ex members of Sweet J.A.P. and The Goochers, plus Mr. Ollie Stench, the legendary proprieter of Mpls's Ed Gein Fan Club, in Divebomb Honey he plays an old school Krumar analog synth...Divebomb is great, like a more punky early B-52s, really catchy great tag team boy n girl vox, great songs...

Mercurial Rage is some sort of dance-electro thing, supposed to be really cool...i think an ex-member of Hidden Chord....

http://www.drinkingwithian.com

It's pretty cool, like Conan except at the 7th St. Entry and everybody's wasted! We're appearaning with SOME BIG STARZ!!!!

Musical Guests:
Maps of Norway

Die Electric! (features Dave Gardner of Selby Tigers, Produced Hold Steady's record)

Thunder in the Valley (local folk punk waltz glam, old tyme shizz..it's cool)

Interview Guests:

Gerard Boissy - guitarist for the legendary Mpls punker Rifle Sport (Shellac's Todd Trainer was in that band)..now a respected chef around town, will talk music, food

Paul Tompkins - national comedian, Mr. Show cast member, sometimes on Daily Show, Bill Maher...bit part in Magnolia

Zak Sally - Low bassist, will talk about his new underground comic books he's writing, plus Low stuff

Should be sweet.

Sunday October 2nd
7th St. Entry
8 PM DOORS

Uptown Bar
Thursday Oct. 6th

Huge Rat Attacks
Casantra
Maps of Norway
Weller

we go on at 10pm sharp.

Triple Rock Social Club
Thurs, Nov 10th
9PM
$6 adv/$8 door

Tristeza
Last Legs
Maps of Norway

sweet.

http://www.myspace.com/mapsofnorway

thx guys. this is prolly our most "punk" song....me and mike wisti (the guys who's producing it) tried and sorta succeeded at getting the "stranglers" type bass tone on this one....

fyi, for ILM Finn nerds...Wisti is the guy that recorded "Half Dead and Dynamite" by ILM favs Lifter Puller....

for No1ze boys, he did the excellent first Vaz record....Demonstrations in Micronesia....is also currently doing the Seawhores' (freddy votel ex of the Cows new band) new record, which he's played for me and I can safely say will rip all yr faces off.

ihttp://img287.imageshack.us/my.php?image=babysnakesmaller21jl.jpg

maps of norway
lonely assassins club
the deaf
lazer forever

8pm doors/9pm show
21+
$5

all the bands we're playing with are really great for real.

Where?

good eye, John, I'm not a pro at this concert promotion game....rookie mistake.

The Whole Music Club
University of MN East Bank Campus (in Coffman Union)

Faux Jean
Maps of Norway
White Light Riot

7:30 pm doors..we go on promptly at 8 pm.

http://www.myspace.com/americanaltitude

http://myspace-522.vo.llnwd.net/00171/22/57/171537522_l.jpg

Anyway...for Mpls people that have cable...our Drinking With Ian episode is running this Thursday night/Friday morning on the cable access channel MCN 6..

..it airs at 12:30 AM...We're the musical guest and Zak Sally from Low is the interview, talking about his comic books that he writes...

http://www.drinkingwithian.com

The Divebomb Honey
Maps of Norway
The Chambermaids (amazing band, just released great s/t new disc....if you dig stuff like Adverts and the Wipers, you'll love it....)

how did the 400 bar go? bummed i couldn't make it.

7th St. Entry
8pm doors
21+
$6

Maps of Norway
Spider Fighter (Arzu of Selby Tigers and Staroke fame's new band, sounds like the Muffs, I hears)
The Haves Have It (not familiar, heard they are good)
Baby Guts (saw them recent, great spazzola punk inna germs stylee...did scratch acid cover!)

http://blogs.citypages.com/jwalsh/

We're also on a hott bill at the Hexxxagon.

Thursday, Feb. 23rd
The Hexagon Bar, Southside Mpls.
9pm

Maps of Norway
Digitata
Tight Pants

FREE (just drink from the back bar that's how we get paid)

Fine Line
Thursday, March 2nd
8pm Doors
$7.70 or FREE with Radio K Music Lover's Card

Tapes n' Tapes (read the review on P-Fork here http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/t/tapes-n-tapes/loon.shtml)

Cecil Otter and Dessa of Doomtree (hott local rappers)

Maps of Norway

Andrew Broder (main man behind The Fog and Hymie's Basement, people in Europe know who he is.)

we go on at 9:45 sharp.

We're signed to a major label!

You can download our new single here:

http://www.guiltriddenpop.com/artists/mapsofnorway/index.php

Monday, April 10th
Memory Lanes Bowling Alley (formerly the Stardust Lanes)

The Deaf
Maps of Norway
Show Me the Pink (outta towners)

FREE...CHEAP PABST ALL NITE....DRINK SPECIALS...BOWLING SPECIALS!

Thursday April 13th
Turf Club, St. Paul
9PM, $5, 21+

Sicbay (ex-Collosamite, Dazzling Killmen Nick Sakes' project, 54-40 or Fight Records)
Self-Evident
Maps of Norway

even better: we get paid $100 per band plus a case of Pabst to take home for each group!

Maps of Norway - "Sister Stations" CD Release Party
Friday August 11th
7th St. Entry
21+ late show

Maps of Norway
Spider Fighter
Mercurial Rage
Lazer Forever

album out soon on Guilt Ridden Pop. Turned out pretty well, all things considered.

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4172/mapscoverhires5ub.jpg

Reminds me of TMBG's Apollo 18, kinda.

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/7935/mapsnorwaysisterscdrelgm3.jpg

(actually the things off the side of the ferris wheel do kinda look like the corkscrew)

(i've not actually been to valleyfair for like 10 years.

they were okay.

honestly, they had van problems, so they didn't even get going until like 1:15 (on a monday), so i was a bit tired and grumpy at that point.

oddly, they seemed to have a big following among the Black Label Bike club gutter punk dudes and dudettes.

hows the all-ages scene out there? the drummer in my band an old buddy of the dudes from the plastic constellations, we might come out there and see if we can play a show or 2 w/ them

they just did a show last weekend w/tapes n tapes, kill the vulture, and stnnng that sold out the mainroom.

all-ages scene is okay, (to be honest i don't go to a ton)...indie early shows at clubs can be spotty...i get the sense that the best all-ages scene is for hardcore-ish type bands at punk houses and illegal type venues....but if you played w/someone like the constellations or any of the bands on afternoon records (they have a website), you'd be cool

what kind of stuff do you play?

our stuff is kinda pixies/wire/dinosaur jr-ish, i guess. we've actually had people mention a similarity to tapes n tapes after they came out. (probably the pixies thing that they do too)
http://www.myspace.com/tolchocktrio

;_;

regardless, I like the drawing on the myspace with the girl and the hair, my computer has shit speakers right now so I couldn't listen

best of luck!
which one are you in the pictures?

late breaking news:

We've been tapped to replace indie rock heroes Tapes n' Tapes, who cancelled their opening slot on the Futureheads show...should be fun. I like the Futureheads.

info as follows:

Sunday July 30th
Varsity Theater
$15
7pm doors

Futureheads
Maps of Norway

we play from 8-8:45.

pretty big show by our standards, should be kool.

http://www.howwastheshow.com/reviews-2006/futureheads-07-30-06.html

http://www.citypages.com/alist/detail.asp?EID=140272

(btw, I'm gonna be around Labor Day weekend, plz to schedule a show then)

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mapsofnorway2

the blurb was written by my friend chris, it was really good but somehow got butchered on CD baby....

Friday, Sept. 8th
Turf Club
Midway St. Paul
$4

Maps of Norway
Bridge Club
Toma the 3rd

rock.

http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/playlists/

i used to be in a band called unbelieveable jolly machine...that ring a bell?

http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/playlists/

Saturday Oct. 14th
Uptown Bar, MPLS
$5, 21 to party

Belles of Skin City (amazing band)
Maps of Norway
Company, Inc. (ex-vox vermillion folx)

album in stores...upcoming performance interview on the Current radio station in st.paul......

Couple of songs for sale on Emusic and Itunes, full album soon hopefully..

you should come!

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/6311/maps-of-norway-sister-stations

Sheela's Awesome Birthday Spectacular
Featuring Performances by:

The Deaf
Maps of Norway
Holy Ghostriders
& Special Guest Appearances by members of Lili's Burlesque (sexxxy)

Saturday October 28th
Turf Club
St. Paul
$5

if you want to hear us do three songs live and be awkward in an interview, you can listen to an archive of 89.3 The Current's Local Show w/Chris Roberts here:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/local_show/

Other than that, we up in the club again.

Saturday November 11th
Big Vs
9pm
$5
21+

Maps of Norway
His Mischief
Poison Control Center (Ames, IA)
Secret Panels

November 18th
Saturday
the Hexagon Bar
FREE

Maps of Norway
Rank Strangers
Viceburgh
The Sleaze

the sleaze is awesome, check out "smokin' fuckin' cigs" on their myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/thesleaze666

but yep keepin on keepin on in 07. 2 hot shows this weekend. friday nite is picked 2 click.

Friday, Jan 26
Turf Club
Radio K Presents: The Deaf "This Bunny Bites" CD Release Show

The Deaf (review of new CD here
Blind Shake (this band rips it up)
Maps of Norway
His Mischief

$5, 21 to party

AND!

Saturday, Jan 27th
The Hexagon Bar
FREE FREE FREE

The Mood Swings (dude from Polara's g-friend!)
Mercurial Rage (synth pop!)
Maps of Norway
The Haves Have It

big weekend!

future gigs:
2/17 - AA/Triple Rock w/STNNNG, Shoe Shiners, Baby Guts
3/24 - Big Humane Society Benefit show @ Turf, w/Kid Dakota, Luke's Angels, Story of the Sea, Ice Palace, others....

IN OTHER NEWS

we got reviewed in Punk Planet #77...nice one.

Maps of Norway Sister Stations:
Pointing out the problems on Sister Stations is easy. To be clear, the record is not loaded with flubbed notes or smooth-jazz covers of Ramones songs. None of the songs are about thongs. None instruct listeners how to do a novelty dance. No, the flaws on this record are particularly evident because most of the album is quite good, and when an arrangement or line that does not match the quality of the rest of the album, it has nowhere to hide. In other words, the record is like an otherwise good apple with an ugly bruise showing through the skin. If pointing out the problems - some flat singing and the occasional resemblance to Interpol - is easy because they are so obvious, ignoring or forgiving them is just as easy because Maps of Norway gives listeners so much to like. In general, the band has not introduced any new styles. Instead, it studies post-punk and dance punk, two genres that have been en vogue for most of this decade. The band avoids completely cloning the usual suspects - Joy Division, New Order, and Gang of Four - by doing three things: It inserts abrupt shifts in the arrangements and atmospheric interludes, the rhythm section tries to hypnotize listeners with its grooves, and the band lets a woman sing for once. "Traffic" opens the album with white noise, scraped guitar strings, and Jeff Ball's adventurous drumming. The introduction is a preemptive measure that distracts the listener from bass player Matt Helgeson's impersonation of New Order's Peter Hook throughout the rest of the track. A somewhat experimental track, "4 Digit Six," breaks down and reloads with a wheezing keyboard line straight out of a Dr. Dre production. In "Manners," Ball and Helgeson's instruments summon Ian Curtis' spirit to dance maniacally in front of the stage. Then, Eric Hanson mechanically strums his guitar, and Rebecca Leigh sings like Patti Smith. Like "Traffic," "Matches" begins with solo drumming. The band sets aside the initial rhythm for a long verse of skipping rock. The chorus brings back the drum motif, but this time, it leads to a reverb-heavy guitar interlude, Leigh's careful vocals, and a less aggressive tempo. Finally, the band essentially combines all the separate sections of the song before repeating the main rhythm motif at the song's climax. during such moments, it seems that Maps of Norway has found the path to a find sound of its own. (JM)

here is the cmj top 20 add list:
Top 20 Adds:

1/ Apples In Stereo [Yep Roc] (202)

2/ Lily Allen [Capitol] (150)

3/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah [self-released] (116)

4/ Mew [Columbia] (108)

5/ Bayside [Victory] (88)

6/ Sondre Lerche [Astralwerks] (80)

7/ Alkaline Trio [Vagrant] (56)

7/ Loney, Dear [Sub Pop] (56)

9/ Arcade Fire [Merge] (45)

10/ Warm In The Wake [Livewire] (42)

11/ Maps Of Norway [Guilt Ridden Pop] (40)

12/ Ozomatli [Concord] (39)

13/ Madina Lake [Roadrunner] (37)

14/ Sophe Lux [Zacathustra] (35)

15/ The Woggles [Wicked Cool] (32)

16/ Omar Rodriuguz-Lopez & Damo Sukuki [GSL] (28)

16/ Eleni Mandell [Zedtone] (28)

18/ Tim Fite [self-released] (26)

19. Arizona [self-released] (24)

20/ Emilie Simon [Milan] (22)

Saturday Feb 17th
Triple Rock Social Club
5pm doors/ALL AGES

STNNNG
Maps of Norway
Shoe Shiners
Baby Guts

http://krlx.org/?section=mp3blog

i know some of you have been dying to know what's going on w/my band. well today is your lucky day!

big time rock show:

Wednesday, September 05
The Entry 8:00 PM / 21+
VHS OR BETA
with special guests WALTER MEEGO & MAPS OF NORWAY
$10.00 advance / $10.00 door

also have a date at the Nomad on the West Banke on Sept. 29th. Players to be named later.

got some new songs. one has one of those little synth box things in it, this proves we are not rockists we are with-it artists with an eye towards the future of music.

another song is a ballad. it's pretty. there's even chord changes and stuff. geir would approve. : )

Nomad World Pub
Saturday September 29th

Maps of Norway
Gospel Gossip
Togetherness
Wild Things

9PM, $5, 21+

hotttttttt

new songs, recording soon.

church.

Will be drinking along w/R Kelly magnum opus, can not attend :(

haha you having trapped in the closet party? i couldn't dream of competing with that!

I like the Nomad, except the money was kinda funny the last time w played there.

at this point i never expect to make any money, makes things easier.

Sorry, your band is a bit rubbish.

oh dear ;_;

called out by a britisher. it's all downhill from here.

"bit rubbish" is british for "hella wicked."

</babelfish>

oh sweet, thx max! or...um...good on you, mate!

but honestly it's about time someone had the balls to take maps of norway down a peg, i gotta respect that.

we're doing a pretty cool show at this theater...erik the guy that set it up is from salamander and thunderbolt pagoda

Mutant Music presents:
- REDUKT -
Forward-Thinking Rock In A Theater Setting

The confines of dive bars and rock clubs are familiar and comfortable to us all, but not terribly conducive to creating the kind of atmosphere and vision that certain kinds of music require. The time has come to move forward; the time has come for distillation of the purest essence of rock in the setting it demands. To that end, REDUKT aims to present some of the Twin Cites' more expansively-minded acts in the more formal theater setting that their sound and scope call for. The recently-renovated Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis is an ideal venue for such a venture, being both beautiful and functional on many levels; the aesthetic at work is that of arrested decay combined with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art stage facilities, and gives a grandiose feeling while retaining the intimacy necessary for optimum impact. The music presented during these evenings will run the full dynamic spectrum from meditative ambience to full-on walls of volume and texture, and will aim simultaneously at the head and the viscera. All acts on display in this series have a commitment to their vision that is readily apparent and pays little attention to prevailing trends, and each demands to be seen in the kind of setting the Ritz Theater can provide. We hope you will feel the same.

This volume of Redukt occurs:
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis
7:30 PM doors, music starts promptly at 8:00 PM
All Ages
Adult beverages available with ID
$8.00

Featuring:
Maps Of Norway
http://mapsofnorway.net
Sarah Johnson
Cupid
Forgotten Works

Maps Of Norway are a four-piece group that made its live debut in 2004. Combining equal doses of postpunk bleakness and an infectious kinetic energy, their sound will be well-suited to the Ritz theater and we are very pleased to have them.

Sarah Johnson will be returning to the Ritz after their triumphant set at Heliotrope 4 this past summer, once again to unleash the power of the Id via sheer volume and the spastic energy of youth.

Cupid is the solo project of Jason Kesselring, known to some as the former guitarist and leader of such groups as Skye Klad, Blitzen and The Satyrswitch. For this installment of Redukt, Jason will be showcasing his rarely-performed epic piece for Kosmische solo electric guitar, "Metalgazer." Not to be missed.

Forgotten Works is the moniker of Erik Wivinus when working in a largely solo and usually acoustic capacity. These performances tend toward long-form, raga-tinged mystical improvisations for 6 and 12 string guitars, with the occasional foray into vocal territory. Electricity may be employed to a greater extent than usual for this performance.

haha i can't believe i ever was stupid ballsy to start this thread on ILM. were we ever that young?

but the main part about being in a rock band is having a bad idea and sticking to it, so let's not stop now.

anyway, Maps of Norway has a highly anticipated new album called "Die Off Songbird." It is coming out on October 10th on Guilt Ridden Pop, we will be having a CD release show at the Turf Club in St. Paul.

As of now there are 2 new songs available to listen to or download on our myspace. "The Runout" (kinda new wavey pop song) and "Strict Ritual" (8 minute repetitive droney thing, my fav on the album)

http://www.myspace.com/mapsofnorway

sounds good dude

(u should stop by the nomad tomorrow)

shit dude, you were in Unbelievable Jolly Machine?? When I was in middle school, my friend's older brothers had one of your seven inches, and we would wonder what the fuck it could possibly be, and yell "Unbelievable Jolly Machine!" a lot. I never did hear it.

new album on Guilt Ridden Pop (didn't know that still existed)? Show at the Turf Club?

You're giving me college flashbacks, Matt. Is Dwindle opening?

shit dude, you were in Unbelievable Jolly Machine?? When I was in middle school, my friend's older brothers had one of your seven inches, and we would wonder what the fuck it could possibly be, and yell "Unbelievable Jolly Machine!" a lot. I never did hear it.

-- BigLurks, Friday, August 22, 2008 5:27 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

haha yes i was. although, i might not have been on the particular 7 inch you saw. they had been a band for like 6-7 years before i joined for the last part of the band, was the third bassist they'd had.

new album on Guilt Ridden Pop (didn't know that still existed)? Show at the Turf Club?

You're giving me college flashbacks, Matt. Is Dwindle opening?

-- Hubie Brown, Friday, August 22, 2008 5:27 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

haha yeah for sure keith is still doing guilt ridden....dwindle is not opening but coincidentally these new songs were mastered by dwindle's mr. bro0ce temp1et0n, who you may know. br0oce and dav3 gardn3r do REALLY well now with their mastering business:

http://www.magnetomastering.com/

(jordan will def try have a big come to jesus home project going on but by later i should be done and hopefully not passed out)

oh wow -- had no idea bruce and dave were working together. PLEASE say hello to them both for me.

will do. they are like real "pros" now...dave in particular works on some kinda bigger stuff.

ok cool. we are cooking bbq chicken and corn for the audience btw.

cool! nomad has a nice vibe to it. i wish we played there more often.

our song "The Runout" is the Song of the day on 89.3 The Current, our local public radio music station...

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/podcasts/song_of_the_day/

also we will be on the Current's Local Show with Chris Roberts this sunday from 5-6pm Central Standard Time. You can listen online.

Okay M@tt this is awesome

(thx dan!)

we're spearheading the nu-nu-wave scene

you can listen to us on the current's local show. you can hear me talk.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/local_show/

rad matt! that rules.

thx ian!

the city pages did an article on us you can read here:

http://www.citypages.com/2008-10-08/music/no-direction-from-home/

show tonite!!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 10TH
TURF CLUB
ST PAUL MN

Maps of Norway "Die Off Songbird" CD Release Party

Maps of Norway
Gospel Gossip
Unicorn Basement
Strut & Shock

show went great! had over 170 through the door and sold 41 CDs, which is great these days....

interview with yours truly in a local mpls zine called Rift:

http://www.riftmagazine.com/?p=294#more-294

and review in Lavender Magazine:

Die Off Songbird
Maps of Norway
The Twin Cities has many fine bands, but few evoke the feel of Minnesota like Maps of Norway. From icy synths to repetitive post-punk guitars, Die Off Songbird—the quartet’s sophomore release—feels like it comes from the local cold climes. It could be Mike Wisti’s spacious production, which gives the band plenty of room to explore. Or, it could be the players—Jeffrey Ball, Eric Hanson, and Matthew Helgeson—who lay down tracks that sound both energetic and distant, putting a layer of ice similar to past greats like The Cure and Siouxie and the Banshees. Or, it could be vocalist Rebecca Leigh, who gives angular tracks like “Cage the Lions” and “Tyranny is Over” an extra grace. Die Off Songbird is the sound of a band finding not just its way, but also its own singular groove in the crowded post-punk world. They’re coming to The Beat Coffeehouse in Minneapolis on November 1.

Friday Nov 14
Big Vs
$5/21+

The Beatifics
Revolver
Maps of Norway
Jindra

you should go. We play 2nd out of 4, so probably 10-10:30

also you can buy the CD at cdbaby now:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mapsofnorway3

this is the cover of the CD digipack thingy:

http://cdbaby.name/m/a/mapsofnorway3.jpg

i plan on being there

cool be there early i bet you will like jindra:

http://www.myspace.com/jindraestate

our record is officially better than goldfrapp, not as good as hercules and love affair

http://condemnedtorocknroll.blogspot.com/

^you can DL 2 songs off the record on the blog post you should do it

these sound great! any touring plans?

hopefully, but it would def be regional, midwest type thing, chicago, milkwaukee, madison, omaha etc

post when yr playing in chicago, i will try to make it out but am warning you in advance that i am borderline agoraphobic these days

well, try to make it to denver sometime! i could probably hook you up with a show ...

u playin in mpls anytime soon??

we are playing this saturday at the uptown bar!

thx tyler...a bunch of my bros have played denver and have had great times.

oh sweet i live three blocks away

cool we play at 10:30

Can i hijack this thread of self-promotion? my band is playing at moe's in denver on dec. 19. http://www.myspace.com/themagicmice ... is anybody here from Denver? I have no idea. We're an OK band!

why not!

your band sounds kinda "new zealand-y" i like it :)

thanks! yes, the NZ stuff is a big influence ... in fact our first show was opening for David Kilgour, so there ya go.

our album "die off songbird" is now available on itunes

new review:

http://www.spacecityrock.com/reviews/rev-0209.shtml

also we are breaking up.

For reals? Lame!

for reals and yes it is.

: (

sorry dude

RIP

ah shit dude that sucks

especially since i missed your show last night because i was watching lost and getting drunk at home

I did an interview with the City Pages blog Gimme Noise on the band coming to an end:

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/02/maps_of_norway_1.php#more

"Maps of Norway: They Always Showed Up On Time, Possibly Goth"

well done

haha -- vvvvv

p.s. thanks for the pdf

Big Takeover sez: Maps of Norway's METAL BOX!

maps of norway
die off songbird
(Guilt Ridden Pop)
Where Maps of Norway’s 2006 debut sizzled with a taut post-punk energy reminiscent of Pylon or Gang of Four, their follow-up is a more expansive, experimental affair. The lead track, a minute-and-a-half of mellow, static keyboards, sets the tone. That droning texture carries over into the album’s three lengthy centerpiece tracks (each over five minutes), which comprise roughly half the music here. More akin to krautrock exercises, they move with motorik precision, building interest through textural layers rather than riffs and refrains. While there are still shorter, faster-paced songs such as “Webs” and “The Runout” that sparkle with the intensity of old, in many ways Die is Maps’ Metal Box, a daring step forward that emphasizes mood over motion. (www.guiltriddenpop.com <http://www.guiltriddenpop.com>; )

Delusions of Adequacy: NEIN! "Doesn't suck, lacks 'intangibles'"

Maps Of Norway - Die Off Songbird

March 9, 2009 by Matt Cohen
Category: Albums (and EPs)
Maps Of Norway - Die Off Songbird

Maps Of Norway - Die Off Songbird

The difference between a good album and a great album is headphones. If I feel compelled to put my headphones on and envelope myself in the sound, if I am convinced that there is something special hidden between the cracks of the guitar that deserves extra attention- that’s a great album. Loveless was like that for me. So was Mezzanine and Keep It Like A Secret and The Meadowlands. These records were impeccably produced masterpieces, musical shooting stars, packed with emotions that could never be properly conveyed in any other medium.

Die Off Songbird didn’t do that to me. It’s good, but it lacks the intangibles and intricacies that separates the cream of the crop from, well, the rest of the crop.

Maps of Norway sounds like Asobi Seksu and a primitive, raw Arcade Fire, and on paper, that’s a pretty good compliment. They just don’t come together in the way I’d like them to. The album gets off to a promising start, with the blaring, loopy epic “Cage The Lions”, but it’s a slow roll downhill from there. The problem is that Maps Of Norway really cannot sustain itself, and the record deflates and peters out by the second half. Maps Of Norway really hits the mark when given time to build and mold a groove—the shorter songs on the record don’t pack the same kind of punch as the sprawling, driving “Strict Ritual” and “The Lights”

I feel bad ragging on them, because they don’t suck, honest. There’s this moment on “Cage The Lions” where the guitars get really hypnotic and and the groove matures and I can close my eyes and I really begin to feel it. I had my Gradeos in my hands. But I’m not sure what stopped me. Intangibles, man. Sorry.

haha, every review should end with "Intangibles, man. Sorry."

he should have ending that review with "what happened? i am confused."

don't know if this guy writes a lot of reviews, but it is a losing game to go into every new album you hear thinking: "i hope this is as good as my favorite records of all time!"

it is hard to take criticism from someone who cant differentiate between "envelop" and "envelope".

I think he meant "envelope" there; he wants to mail himself to his favorite bands.

haha yeah i mean i dunno, maybe the album's not that great, not for me to say.

i would certainly never claim it was as good as keep it like a secret or loveless. i've never heard mezzanine....

what is "the meadowlands"?? it's weird i can't think of it if it's so canon

The thing that's dumb about that review is that it's largely positive! The negative part is, as tylerw points out, the fact that he didn't like your album as much as he likes his favorite albums.

google says the meadowlands is the wrens? never heard of them

oh yeah the wrens! they were some early days pitchfork bonerfest band...totally forgot they existed.

yeah it's a boring album by boring indie band "the wrens" who lots of people like for some reason

haha oh god it's this band

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E7D71E3FF934A35756C0A9609C8B63

sucks that this thread of self promotion is coming to an end! any new bands on the horizon? my band the magic mice is playing in Denver tomorrow with Broken West and Blind Pilot ... I dig Broken West and people seem to like Blind Pilot. let the self-promotion continue!

ps matt sorry about your band :(

what's next for u?

i dunno, i'm going to do a track for one level of a xbox live arcade game my friends are making, so that should be fun.

possible other band type stuff is possible, not sure how serious i want to be with a band right now though.

whatever happened to The Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments cover band I'm theoretically in is a GO!

haha...man...that was such a good idea...everyone got lazy. : (

Similar thing happened with my Gizmos cover band. Except it was only me.

since you won't have any gigs on the books, you can come to my show at the Nomad on the 21st :D

of this month?

it's all over tonight

wait do you have a show tonight or?

u playin?

mysterious

The Maps of Norway MySpace page says the band's last show is tonight in St. Paul. I assume/hope that's what M@tt's referring to (otherwise, it's kind of an ominous message!).

Good luck at the show tonight.

yep last show tonight! should be fun didn't mean to be mysterious

jeez i forgot i didn't post the show in this thread! yikes that looks hella emo now...dumb

here's a youtube of one song from the last show....ending was sorta improved to a different rhythm than it is on record, but once we got going it's kinda funky

nice! why the heck are you breaking up?

ah nothing big, just some ppl didn't really want to do it anymore, weren't having fun anymore and we had said that we wouldn't go on w/o all the original members

i dunno...basically i think there's a point where every band hits where it's either A) you want to do it totally just as a "bowling night" kinda thing or B) you are actually making money and consistently having good shows

yeah that is true. my band's been going just about two years now and i think it's starting to fizzle, though we've been playing out more in the last few months. my wife is pregnant so that will probably be a tidy excuse to wrap it all up. maybe we'll do a little recording beforehand just to document the whole endeavor.

yeah we did two albums, played a lot of good shows...five years, so not a bad run. will miss it though.

dude i haven't been checking this thread enough...that song's really ace! you guys get/got a great sound. such a shame it's all coming to an end :(

coincidentally, my own band has its first practice session on wednesday...a sort of spiritual reawakening for the bassists of ILX, maybe? anyway, enough of that until we actually get some results...that video was obviously the result of long-strived-for understanding and groove

thx and good luck louis! bands are fun IMO.

though i've known it forever, i was recently reminded that a solid bass player is the most important thing for a band to have. My band is lacking in that department. It's the kind of thing that you think shouldn't be hard for someone to come in and pick up, but that has not been the case ...

cheers matt! this one should be good fun - the frontperson has already said "no verses or choruses"

and tylerw you words daunt me :-/ just gotta remember EABEEABEEABE *stares intently at drummer*

i think it's just having a good understanding of what a bass player's role is/what a good bass sound is for the kind of music you're playing. and stay locked in with the drummer. there are times when i want to tell my bass player "they call it a rhythm section for a reason!" i actually started out on bass, and back then I just picked three or four bass players who didn't sound super-virtuosic, but sounded good nonetheless. I think they were probably Doug Yule, Kim Deal, James McNew and bass players on Neil Young records. There are a million different levels you can get to, but those are probably decent starting points.

A) you want to do it totally just as a "bowling night" kinda thing or B) you are actually making money and consistently having good shows

that has been my experience with other bands, but with the brass band it's really both. there are periods where it's a once in awhile excuse to drink with friends and play weddings or whatever, and then there are periods with a lot of club shows, actual tours, etc. i feel like taking breaks is important, and being comfortable with the idea that we're never going to go full-time.

i think i want to split this conversation off into a separate IMM thread; i've been wanting to talk about motivations for a while, but obviously don't want to stop people from talking about it here also

well maps of norway has been done for awhile and now i'm playing bass in a backing band for a local hip hop group called unknown prophets...has been really fun so far and our first show is on friday!!!

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/89/l_06db50ad4fa04267a1dc46d9a1f28eef.jpg

sweet, i've always kinda harbored the desire to play in a live hip hop band situation. seems like it would be totally fun. it's not quite the same thing, but my band is playing a benefit this wknd put on by ... the Flobots, lol.

nice. i've always wanted to do this too, just haven't had the chance yet.

yah it's been super fun so far...just real simple, funky parts...some were hard to learn cuz the original basslines were played on a triton keyboard so they'll be like ascending G-A-D parts where the "high" note - D - is actually a drop D, so i gotta rewrite some stuff, so it's challenging in a different way.

practice last nite was fun! grieves is doing a guest verse on one song and last nite at practice we did an impromptu cover of "bow down" by westside connection : D

Are playing bass with live drums or a drum machine?

u

live drums (my friend greg who is in a great band called sicbay with nick the main dude from dazzling killmen)

Saturday
August
1
501 Club
501 Washington Avenue
FREE FREE FREE, 21+

Unknown Prophets

The Brokedowns (IL)

Double Bird (feat. peeps from Signal to Trust, Total Fucking Blood, Building Better Bombs, France Has the Bomb, Private Dancers, damn dudes are in a lot of bands)

also Bill Mike had a family thing so Adam from STNNNG is filling in on guitar

oh shit i better go fix your amp then

Double Bird (feat. peeps from Signal to Trust, Total Fucking Blood, Building Better Bombs, France Has the Bomb, Private Dancers, damn dudes are in a lot of bands)

haha ridiculous!

(it's basically just signal to trust minus one dude, but b3n the drummer plays in like every band and d@ve play bass for france has the bomb....there's probably a couple i'm missing)

yeah drummers are the belles of the ball aren't they

he's even in the fancy new POS video...was so sweet to see this video on MTV's site and see a Superhopper sticker on the drumset!!!

I put up my old-old (pre maps of norway) band Unbelievable Jolly Machine's last album (The Dangers of Free Parking) up on Bandcamp for free...i think it holds up pretty well for late 90s style indie stuff

http://unbelievablejollymachine.bandcamp.com/

all the maps of norway stuff is up on spotify

http://open.spotify.com/artist/6pWDEPYBDZvKV0oZ6NOxAo