So, I have some interesting news. So I’m leaving my current job and joining another graphic department in two weeks time. I don’t know how busy it will be at the new place, if there will be time to update the blog at the pace I’m used to. It will just be a matter to adjust. I like posting the blog in the mornings, as it gets more views if I do it at that time. In the evening, after coming back home from work is never good. Most of the European people who read the blog are already going to bed or sleeping.

In any case these last few weeks at this place I’ve been writing about bands a lot. I have many drafts saved for obscure bands I want to feature. So there will be posts, for sure, even at the busiest times. The only thing that I do more or less at the time of posting are the five new indiepop finds on the web. Those have the be “new” right? And it is not like every day there are 10 or 20 new things to share with everyone! We’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, here are my newest finds over the weekend.

Rådjuret: the latest release by Rasmus’ label Luxury Records sounds ace! The self-titled album by Rådjuret is now available to stream and it is very limited, just 150 copies on vinyl LP. It will be released on September 7th and includes 10 songs of lovely female indiepop. It is the first time I’m listening to this band and I must say I’m impressed. Oh! and they sing in Swedish, and I like that!

Kassia Klein: another find on the Luxury bandcamp is this song called “Du Är Stormen” by Kassia Klein. I suppose a digital single. There is no physical release. This intimate-sounding song is also in Swedish. Even though I thought Kassia Klein was the name of the vocalist, it is not. It turns out they are a duo formed by Kåre Vernby and Maja Gödicke. On their Facebook it says an album is slated for release this September.

De Montevert: my friend Ellinor has been putting out great music under the name De Montevert for many years. But lately she has been kind of quiet. Until a few days ago when she unveiled a new song called “Jag Vet Inte” I hope this means that more new songs are coming up! Perhaps too a new release!

The Goon Sax: the brilliant Brisbane band shared a new song last week called “We Can’t Win”. It is an audio track on Youtube. This song will be included in their upcoming album “We’re Not Talking” that is to be released by Wichita Recordings and Chapter Music. It is great. The band will announce tour dates for the US soon too. I’m excited. I had such a good time at their gig last time in NYC. Even better chatting with them, even though I think I disappointed them as I went home early haha. I’m an old man these days! Maybe if they play on a weekend I can have a couple more beers and chat about obscure Australian bands. Don’t miss this album!

The Daysleepers: one of my favourite bands from Buffalo, NY, are returning after a 10 year break with the album “Creation”. Their dreamy and upbeat shoegaze sounds are back indeed! The band formed by Jeff Kandefer, Mario Gimbrone, Scott Beckstein and Elizabeth Kandefer are returning with a 9 song album and 4 of these songs are available to stream on their Bandcamp! Very exciting! Oddly enough it looks like the album is only available digitally at the moment. That can’t be! I hope there is a physical release. Crossing fingers!

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With the future “Leamington Spa” German compilation Firestation is preparing I’ve been wondering which bands will be featured. And what name will they give their compilation? “The Sound of…” what? Berlin? Probably not. Maybe some other town? Or maybe something totally different?

One of the bands I think would be great to include is Schade Schokolade, mostly because I know nothing much about them and some bio in a booklet would be greatly appreciated. That if I don’t get the chance to interview them before. I hope that happens.

It is true that the band didn’t release any proper records. They only contributed songs to compilations. According to Discogs just 4 compilations. The first one dates from 1992 and was on the “Wegweiser Durch’s Eiswürfelland” tape released by Eiswürfel Tonräger (EIS 2). I’ve mentioned this label in the past, especially when I interviewed the band Die Busfahrer. On this compilation, that has that cool artwork of what looks a superhero with a globe of the Earth as its head, the band contributed “Gute Laune” and “Liebe aus Der Dose”. Both songs are credited to Gelting.

The next year, in 1993, the band appears on yet another fine tape compilation that has been mentioned quite a few times on the blog, the “Frischer Morgentau” tape. This was released by Twee.net Peter Hahndorf’s brother Ulli’s label Steinpilz Tonträger (STEIN 1). On this tape the band appears with one song and was called “Ach Wär’ Doch Sommer”.

The band was to work again with Eiswürfel Tonträger on a CD compilation called “Die Schönste Platte Der Welt” (EIS 7). This compilation was released in 1994 and included many classic German bands. On this CD the band opens the album with “Sommerlied” and also includes a second song, “Tomatensuppe”. I’d love to have a copy of it!

Lastly there is a double CD compilation from 2002 called “Meet Me at Club 2 – A Benefit Farewell”. I suppose the band contributed a song from the early 90s, or did they reform to record a song? The band gave away “Die Szene Wird Dich Leben” for this comp and here we find a few credits. We see that this song was produced by Bernd Hartwich who had been in bands like Bish, Der Englische Garten, Merricks and Silow. Then we see that the track was written by Carl Oesterhelt and Jörg Prigge. Carl was the songwriter and drummer of F.S.K. and keyboardist in Merricks as well as being in bands like 3 Shades of Blues, The Johnsons, Tied & Tickled Trio and Ms. John Soda. I suppose at this point it is safe to assume that the band was based in Munich.

I find on Youtube a video of Schade Schokolade performing “Ach Wär Doch Sommer” or is it Der Ware Grand Prix playing that song? I don’t find it very clear on the Youtube description as it has names on the band lineup that are none of Gelting, Prigge or Oesterhelt.

There also used to be an old Myspace page where there were three songs to stream. Three songs that weren’t part of any compilations as far as I know, “Lang Nicht Gekuesst”, “Ich Will Die Sonne” and “Bleib Locker”.

Sadly there is not much more on the web about them. I wonder if there are more recordings. If there was ever a proper release. Who were the members? Did they play all over Germany? Was there any offers of labels to release their music? Maybe my München friends remember them?

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Listen
Schade Schokolade – Tomatensuppe