THE NEW SONG: Pray for the first time

Soda Fountain Rag - Pray for the first time by sodafountainrag

Rest in your arms tonight

The wind is cold and I forgot how to fight

Close the door then throw the key

I got food to keep me going in eternity

Stay inside

Stare out of the window

Run and hide from the cold eyes

Whisper low

No-one will come

Then you pray for the first time in years

Get lost, go on, be gone!

The thoughts you fear

The silence alone

Stretch your arms and legs out now

This was how they would be saved

A thousand years ago

Stay inside

Stare out of the window

Run and hide from the cold eyes

Whisper low

No-one will come

Then you pray for the first time

This is a song related to an old Nordic myth: From the night before the 13. of December and all through the Christmas holiday one had to be careful not to run into Åsgårdsreien (the Wild Hunt). This was a travelling group of witches and bad spirits, led by Guro Rysserova and Lussi. You were in big trouble if everything wasn’t ready for Christmas. If you were outside when Åsgårdsreien came, they would take your soul for a ride, and you would never be yourself again. A way to be saved was to lie down, and stretch your arms and legs out to shape a cross with your body.

Lussi and the saint Lucia has actually been mixed together to create the Nordic Lucia-celebration on the 13 (en artikkel på norsk). 

Here is the old photo of the kindergarden Lucia from 1987

Is it too sad if I say that this is one of the very great moments in my life?

Welhaven had some words to say about Åsgårdsreien also (maybe there's a translation somewhere out there?)

Lydt gjennem Luften i Natten farer

et Tog paa skummende sorte Heste.

I Stormgang drage de vilde Skarer.

de have kun Skyer til Fodefæste.

Det gaaer over Dal, over Vang og Hei,

gjennem Mulm og Veir; de endse det ei.

Vandreren kaster sig ræd paa Veien.

Hør hvilket Gny - det er Asgaardsreien! 

Part V: Sing Sing and A December Night

This is the other one from 2009, Sing Sing:

Soda Fountain Rag - Sing Sing by sodafountainrag

And the one from last year - a little short song made and recorded in Italy last December:

Soda Fountain Rag - A December Night by sodafountainrag

And tomorrow? THE NEW ONE!!!11 

Part IV: Jullåten 2007

Here is the song from 2007 - the title is of course an hommage to SKWBN's Jullåten 2004. The earmuffs in question was a gift from my grandmother the christmas of 1986, and I think it was the gift I wished for the most.

Soda Fountain Rag - Jullåten 2007 by sodafountainrag

Shortly before falling asleap?

Part III: The Christmas where it ends

I thought I could just keep going with the sad christmas songs (with stolen elements), and then we get the happy ones a little closer to christmas.
This one is from 2008, and written just after I finished my masters degree in philosophy. With my personality this was clearly not a wise choice of education, but who knows, it might come in handy one day (positive thinking...).
I'm kinda satisfied with the "fugue-ish" ending.

Soda Fountain Rag - the christmas where it ends by sodafountainrag

If you listen carefully, you can hear elements of this old childrens tv intro from the 80s.

Happy weekend all!

PS. I forgot to mention one thing about Snow will fall yesterday; I got a version of that song on my email one day, recorded on accordion. That's one of the greatest things I've ever rercieved!

Part II:Snow will fall

Hi!
This is one of the two songs from the christmas of 2009. None of you pointed out that you've heard the opening theme/chorus before, but I think you have:

Soda Fountain Rag - Snow will fall by sodafountainrag

The bus in question is Bergens line 2 - actually a trolleybus.

The Christmas Song Bonanza part I

Hi!
I thought I would "release" all of the old christmas songs on the blog this year. There will of course also be a brand new one - as soon as it's ready!

The first one is the oldest one - "Hang your stocking by the fire" from 2006. If I remember correctly there are 8 songs in total, so you have a lot to look forward to. I will write pointless and/or fun trivia about the songs that have such things attached. I don't really think there's anything interesting to say about this song, except the fact that I don't think any of my brothers have been in Japan (right?). I think the jingle bell-thingy i bought for this song is in all the other christmas songs also (you can contradict me when I've uploaded all of them).


Soda Fountain Rag - Hang Your Stocking by the Fire by sodafountainrag


Er den litt glad-kristen kanskje?

This one time, at bandcamp

Soda Fountain Rag is now featured at Bandcamp. If you want to buy the vinyl for yourself or your loved ones for christmas or hanukkah.

Oh oh

I made another song today. It's a grower. Still haven't found the pop filter...

Oh oh by sodafountainrag




Säkert! was great yesterday. I got a hug. I love her.

I'll fly away

While I'm waiting for Säkert! I made a tiny tiny song. Couldn't find the pop filter tho... oh who cares?

I'll fly away by sodafountainrag

Here's a picture of the author

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue - 4 songs for the weekend

Old song from 2007: The Heart Thief

The heart thief by sodafountainrag

Slightly newer song: The early 90s

Early90s by sodafountainrag

A borrowed song: 1000 plommer (1000 plums)

SFR - tusen plommer by sodafountainrag

And a blue song: The Fall

Soda Fountain Rag - The Fall by sodafountainrag

A song, poems and books

I just keep on "releasing" unmixed songs here, because it's boring to keep them hidden, and I'm not really sure they will ever be mixed. I know some of you might like the songs anyway - you may think of it as going back to the old school Soda Fountain Rag.

The other side (demo) by sodafountainrag


I'm spending quite a lot of time at the library these days. Trying to write about modalities/possible worlds. For those of you interested in modal realism and/or poetry, there actually exists a book with poems about/inspired by Lewis' possible worlds:

I don't know if Roubaud is finding some support in the idea of the modal realism - I think this book was written after his wife's death. Sadly, even if it was true, it wouldn't help, maybe just ease the pain a little.


I also found a nice poem by Hjalmar Gullberg (yes, it's in Swedish, so you have to make an extra special effort... The title is "A clown who died")

En gycklare som dog

Ett sminkat ögonlock sig öppnar tungt och sakta.

Skall iris och pupill snart finnas att betrakta?

O skådespelare i färdigmålat skick,

vad festligt äventyr skall stråla ur din blick?

Ett sminkat ögonblick sig öppnar tungt och sakta…

Så öppnar sig ridån med ögonlock av sammet

för sorgespelet och det yra luspelsglammet

på regmbågshinnan som teatern är en stund:

ett öga, vaknande ur dröm och nattlig blund…

Tills slutridån blir fälld med ögonlock av sammet.

Åt namnet på en grav som blev med marken jämnad,

åt blott en gycklare som dog är sången ämnad.

Försvunnen är han själv och allt han innebar.

Vad återstår för oss, publiken som dröjt kvar?

Blott namnet på en grav som blev med marken jämnad.

Men bort från tiljorna som föreställer världen,

blev han av skuggor följd på sista avskedsfärden.

Hans färja gider mot sitt mål på glömskans flod,

fylld av gestalter som har fått hans hjärteblod

en gång på tiljorna som föreställde världen.

Hans död blev döden för ett skugglikt mänskomyller.

En massgrav är den grav han med sin aska fyller:

där vilar konungar och trasmän mask vid mask.

Vem varhan riddaren av smink och puderask,

vars död blev döden för ett skugglikt människomyller?

Ett sminkat ögonblick sig sluter tungt och sakta.

Färjkarlen lär ej snart hans like överfrakta.

Här blir han gömd. Vi har ett namn blott i behåll

- och måste tänka på vår egen lilla roll.

Ett sminkat ögonlock sig sluter tungt och sakta…

Reminds me of my favourite childrens book. 

U7 and 8 demo

Hello! In the hope that your weekend will be better than mine. Here's a quick demo for you. Last time in Berlin I promised a song about the u-bahn. This song is about the lines U7 and U8. As you probably can hear it's recorded with a sore throat and not at all mixed, but I need to get some stuff out.

U7 and 8 demo by sodafountainrag


Lyrics:

U7 and 8

Take the stairs – go down with me!

Take my hand

I'll let you see

Pay your way

Now close your eyes

It's OK!

I would surely go with you

Smell your air

Your colour's blue

Just like me

You tend to be

On your own

Who would take the city bus?

The car, the tram

With all it's fuss?

The score is clear

I let you know that you won

And then I say I love you too

But most of all

I love the blue

I hide my head

I never want to go home!

I'm going under!

I don't see the sun

But the endless black tunnells

Won't leave me alone

Keep me safe

Keep me hidden

U7 and 8

From the monsters that I do create

Sometimes you ask me

Oh, what are you for?

That's when I fall to pieces

I'm closing the door

Going down

Going under

U7 and 8

From the darkness that I do create

New earrings

I made these today. Hopefully people from Hamburg will like them.

A Weekend in Germany

Back in the Bergen rain after a nice weekend in Hamburg and Berlin. Here are some words 'n' pictures 'n' videos 'n' stuff.

We got up at 4am and travelled with KLM, my favourite airline. Berlin was hot on Friday – but not too hot for Curry Wurst (it apparently never is). Slept in Silke Bauer's apartment – she gave us the keys for the whole weekend. I love the level of trust in the indiepop scene. Taz.de atually wrote an article about this, you can read it here (if you know how to read german).

On Saturday we took the train to Hamburg – Schönes Wochenende ticket – a concept that I love. I do not, however, love being exposed to shitty parenting on a crowded train for 1 ½ hour… Na ja.

Having played on a Hamburg riverboat before I knew what was waiting this time, but I also knew that we were going to play together with our friends Honeyheads. 

It’s a lot more fun to play when you’re sharing the show with great people. Personally I think the concert was better this time – and the weather too!

Anders and Stian on MS Claudia. 

We spent the night in a girls's apartment. While we were there I kept thinking how cool it would have been if norwegian apartments could look a little more like hers, and they probably could if norwegians hadn’t been so obsessed with redecorating their homes in ridiculously boring styles. It seems “being interested in interior design” means the same as being interested in painting one’s walls white. Na ja…

Then we took the posh train to Berlin.

Before the gig the boys in the band wanted to watch football, but I wasn’t in the mood, so I went for a walk and ended up in the Victoriapark. Fell in love with the place. "Climbed" the Kreuzberg (66 metres high). 

The View from the top. 

Some kids were exploring the art of the area. 

Here's the Wasserturm where the gig was - a really nice venue.

The Boys admiring the Turm

And me relaxing before the gig. 

There were lots of people at the show. Tandbergh, a fellow norwegian, made some videos:

Go!

Are Philosophers Lonely?

Berlinbeat did an interview before the show. 

For those of you who are overly interested in the bunkers I told you about on the boat, there are some pictures here. This was my playground as a kid - mentioned in the song "The Saddest Boy in Town". 

Back to Hamburg to play w/Honeyheads

I know what you get in a Hafen... INDIEPOP, apparently. No more than three weeks after our last Hamburg show, we return to play on the Elbe once again. 

Pictures from the Hamburg gig

Summer weather in Hamburg. Impressed that so many people showed up in this rainstorm!

Thank you Jens for sending us the pictures!

Don't Kill the Clowns from Hamburg

You should try it yourself - standing on one foot, drumming and singing on a moving boat. It'll make you feel alive! This is what it looked like when I tried

Paris/Limoges

Hi all!

This summer we've played two gigs in France and one in Germany.

Here are some pictures from the trip to France.

SFR - clearly much bigger there.

Me and Stian the Tourist in Paris

At the Père-Lachaise we had different people we wanted to visit.

For me Chopin was the most important one.

For Anders it was Proust, and Oscar Wilde of course.

Down in the Metro. Ah, underground transportation!

You shall not pass. Paris' most tired dog didn't move at all when he was stepped over time and time again.

Before the soundcheck in Limoges, where we played in a country side school at the Pop & Merguez festival. Really nice place - great people, great food, and absolutely super to finally meet Guillaume after all these years.

The Wendy Darlings on stage. They were the band I liked the most. Highly recommended!

Late night in Limoges

Me, Guillaume and Anders. We slept in Guillaume and his wife's beautiful house, and got a delicious breakfast the next morning in really nice surroundings. They even bought a Tour de France magazine for Stian. I love the fact that making music has given me the opportunity to meet great people all over Europe. People I had no idea of existed. People that let us sleep in their homes and make sure that we are well fed and get to the correct place on time. This summer we have met people like that in Paris and Limoges and in Hamburg. It makes a heart easily turned misanthropic a little lighter.

C ya! Will try to blog a bit more and a little more often. Other things have been occupying the mind these past weeks.

Be nice!

4. I Watch the Boats

And here is the final one.

Soda Fountain Rag - I Watch the Boats by sodafountainrag

I watch the Boats is a song about me and the view from the windows of my apartment (which I will move from shortly). I think it’s Bergens best view – and with the old borrowed binoculars I look at the boats going to and from Bergen harbour. The binoculars were once borrowed from our first bass player Lars (BinocuLars! nei?ikkje?), they were once his grandfather’s. 

I Watch the Boats

The summer night is friendly and warm

A pirate telescope (only on loan)

I watch the harbour

This boat is called “The Crystal”

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

I’ve waited long for my secret boat

It’s like the bus in Ghost World (only it floats)

And when I see it

I guess I’ll know for sure

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

Then sail away

Be gone one day

You never heard

I never said a word

When I am gone

Will you be mad?

I didn’t know

I used to make you feel glad

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

3. The Train to Heaven

03 - The Train to Heaven by sodafountainrag

The Train to Heaven is the title of a TV-series that I used to watch in the late 80s or early 90s, or rather it is the direct translation of the Norwegian title. The lyrics are not really related to this, but I think it was about an orphan boy in South America somewhere who wanted to take the train up to heaven to see his parents again. Does anyone else remember this series?

The Train to Heaven

He used to watch TV in the 80s

Dreaming everyday to do as they did

To take the train up to heaven

Or at least to Oslo, then to Madrid

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

He does believe he is not running away

He’ll tell you that he’s running towards!

To take the train up to heaven

Or to Barcelona or Camden

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

And if you see him:

He doesn’t want to be known

He doesn’t want to hear where you’re coming from

And if you see him

His wish is simple, so

Just ignore his face

Keep to your own place

And most important:

Shut up!

Dudududududududududududududu

Shut up!

Dudududududududududududududu

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

2. Ferry

02 - Ferry by sodafountainrag

Ferry is a song about my childhood trips to the cabin in the mountains. The big goal was to manage to get up early enough to catch the ferry from Kvalvåg to Kvisvik at 8.40 am. In 1992 this ferry was replaced by Krifast (two bridges and an underwater tunnel). There is one huge (deliberate) mistake in the lyrics: “cake” is not really cake – this would not be the proper thing to consume whilst on the ferry, but I couldn’t come up with a proper English word for Svele. 

Ferry

It’s summer time already

And vacation time already

And everyone should get into the car

The Orion is ready

And your dad is driving steady

And the town is shrinking fast somewhere behind

But almost before the trip really starts

There’s a pause that I really, really like

There’s coffee and there’s cake

We know how to spend this break

On this boat, on this ferry

What’s the time?

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

The most important part

Before a quest like this can start

Is to decide what to bring and what to leave

You have a little suitcase

That you pack in a slow pace

To ensure that all your stuff is there

The teddy bear of course

And a book and a pen

And some tapes that will drive your mother mad

You almost forgot

The game boy you borrowed from your neighbour

That would be really sad!

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

In 1992

The ferry was replaced by

Some bridges and a long, black

Underwater tunnel

No coffee is consumed

No cake is ever eaten

Except in secrecy

In the backseat of the cars, at

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

1. Go Bus Baby Go

01 - Go Bus Baby Go by sodafountainrag

Go Bus Baby Go

Surely you trapped her

She’s longing more and more to leave

And not with another

Solitude knocks out your company

But how do you leave

When you don’t want no one to follow?

Pay cash, and then let the driver take you

To a less crappy tomorrow

You want her to stay

To hide her away

I told her to go

But you do not know

You can search hi’

You can search lo’

She’s thinking

Go Bus Baby Go!

You want her to stay

To hold her hand

You’ll keep her safe

From all that you can

You can search hi’

You can search lo’

She’s saying

Go Bus Baby Go!

What an adventure!

Snow falls outside the window

And all the streetlights

Follows her on her flight

She reads books by Jim Carroll

And Frank Miller

She feels no sorrow

Leans back whilst the driver takes her

To a less crappy tomorrow

This first song, Go Bus Baby Go, is based on an idea I got when travelling on the bus from Lillehammer to Bergen one easter holiday. The title is an homage to one of the really early Manic Street Preachers demos – a song that later became Motorcycle Emptiness. Two people in the whole world have figured this out by themselves – good boys! 

Øst-vest Xpressen going between Lillehammer and Bergen. For those of you who enjoy the feeling of the ass going to sleep. The bus is clearly in need of romanticising. 

The Transport EP

So, here's the deal: do not try to buy the transport EP from the arctic nutter page. People have tried to order it, but get no response. I have tried to contact the guy, but no response. For Quite Some Time Now.
The solution is of course to upload it here, so I will do that shortly.

The Secret Gig

Hello all!

Last weekend Soda Fountain Rag played a secret gig in an apartment in Bergen. It was great fun, a lot of nice people and good feedback. Played with 3 other bands, among them these girls. Really hard name to remember, but they had organ riffs that reminded me of Murder City Devils. Also it was new bass player Stian's first gig - yeah!

Spending warm summer days indoors

It's surely been a while. One could think that the reason for the silence is the fact that not much is happening in the Soda camp, but things have sort of been starting to happen again, so I have no excuse except the sad fact that I haven't "felt like" writing anything.
So, what's new? We have (as I mentioned on twitter) a new bass player. Hurrah! A nice man called Stian will now join us for future gigs. There are some possibilities to see SFR this summer: in July we play in Paris on the 8th, and Limoges the 9th, and on the 6th of august we play on a boat in the harbour of Hamburg. I look forward to playing live again - for a while it seemed like the live playing days of Soda was over, and that made me sad.
Last night I started making a new song, and I think I've finished it (ish) today. I did the tambourine and such after waking up today, as it didn't seem proper to start doing tambuorine tracks at 1.45 am. Not even on a friday. I think it sounds nice, but I want to clean it up a bit before showing it to you.Here are a couple of pictures of me working:

If I get some help I might be able to mix a demo version of this song pretty soon! If the inspiration stays, that is...