Under Byen

Under Byen (translated: Below the City) is the Danish answer to rock and roll, as interpreted through orchestral arrangements of non-traditional rock and roll instrumentation and Bjork-esque vocals. Imagine the Icelandic pop icon fronting Blonde Redhead without guitars and you’re getting warmer.

They have at one time or another (2003) been called the best band in the world (by none other than Rolling Stone’s David Fricke), but it’s hard to imaging singing along with this particular group of Danes. It might be that most people in the world don’t speak a word of Danish, or that most aren’t particularly fond of this brand of the avant-garde.

But leave it to the critics to pick an obscure band from an obscure country and heap on the praise and accolades without knowing what the fuck is being said. (Please note that I can’t even figure out how to pronounce one of the symbols used in a song title below.)

Still, spend some time with this band and these songs, and you may just be convinced that Denmark is a place worth checking out for ethereal, Bjork-type brood rock. (This I predict may become their chief export, right after Hans Christian Andersen and Lars von Trier, so time to invest in Under Byen futures.)

Under Byen play the Knitting Factory on July 9, with the Album Leaf.

Under Byen – Af Samme Stof Som Stof

Listen: “Hjertebarn” , “Plantage” ; “Af Samme Stof Som Stof” , “Den her sang handler om at få det bedste ud af det“

http://www.underbyen.dk/