Three hot acts

The Øya Festival bill is filling up with hot acts from far and near. Among the bands making their album debut this week we find the Norwegian rockers Pirate Love and our new Swedish fave Lykke Li – and both bands are coming to Øya in August. They’ll be accompanied by Gerilja, this year’s winners of the Norwegian rock tournament Zoom. Our next artist release may prove to be right around the corner. Stay tuned!
NB! Day Passes for Friday Aug. 8, with i.a. My Bloody Valentine, are now available for purchase at Billettservice.no

PIRATE LOVE (N)
LYKKE LI (SE)
GERILJA (N)

PIRATE LOVE (N)
Anyone who loves dark and raw rock’n’roll will love Oslo rockers Pirate Love. Over the past few years they’ve appeared sporadically at different rock venues throughout the Norwegian capital. Their bio includes the single “Laughing Gas”, the EP ‘Death Surf Negro Spirituals’, and a performance at Øya’s Vika stage back in 2006. This week, this six-piece will make their album debut with ‘Black Vodoun Space Blues’ on top-notch label Kong Tiki. During the spring they’ll ravage venues across the nation, and in August they’ll yet again lay waste to the Medieval Park. Get ready for dirty, aggressive, high-voltage rock’n’roll that draws on the garage savagery of the 60s and the energy of punk.

LYKKE LI (SE)
Lykke Li from Stockholm, Sweden, grew up with parents that were musicians, and now, at the age of 21, she’s making her album debut. We had a small pretaste last year with the EP ‘Little Bit’, and now her first album, ‘Youth Novels’, is out. Lykke Li is regarded as one of the most exciting Scandinavian newcomers of 2008, and she can already put down on her musical resume that she has cooperated with Röyksopp.
Lykke Li mixes indie, pop, electro, and soul in a way that gives her a unique sound. On the album she’s been helped out by Björn Yttling, whom some might recognize from the successful trio Peter, Björn & John. He has previously acted as producer for i.a. Moneybrother, Caesar’s Palace, and our very own Madrugada. We’ve seen people refer to Jane Birkin, Joni Mitchell, and Coco Rosie in order to describe this young Swedish girl’s music, but we’re not sure that is sufficient to paint a clear picture of what it sounds like. The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter wrote “(…) that she herself likes any kind of music that has feeling, pain, and balls in it”, and that may have manifested itself in her songs. Lykke Li is an artist you’re sure to hear more about in the year to come. Don’t miss her performance at Øya!

GERILJA (N)
Gerilja looks and sounds like few other Norwegian bands. It seems like they’ve come straight out of some hot rock club in New York, only to suddenly find themselves on the streets of Oslo. The trio won rock tournament Zoom this fall, which means that they’ll go on a nationwide tour in the spring with Sigh & Explode (with whom they shared the victory).
Gerilja has been around a few years, but something has obviously changed lately. The guys themselves describe the development as follows: “Gerilja was in trouble. After a period of inner turmoil characterized by bloodshed and violence, the amazing Paus brothers and the dynamic Ottar came crawling out of the wreckage to make a fresh start. The paradigm shift was a fact.”
Gerilja’s songs consist of generous portions of riff rock, glam, and psychedelia. Alice Cooper has been mentioned as one inspirational source, referring first and foremost to his early and imaginary 70s albums. Gerilja is an exceptional power trio, with catchy songs and smart guitar licks. Their sassy material draws on the 70s, but still comes across as exciting, modern, surprising – and a long, long ways from straight, conventional rock.