Imagine a car. A fat sports car. Have you ever seen the movie Death Proof? Imagine that car. And while we’re on the subject, imagine Kurt Russell as a hardass stuntman driving that car. What is he blasting on the car stereo while driving at a breakneck speed right into oncoming traffic? SHALLOW YELLOW!

Shallow Yellow is an explosion of energy and sound. One of the hottest live bands in Trondheim, they can blow the roof off any venue with their unique blend of high-energy proto-punk and classic rock, complete with vocal harmonies. Their sound is deeply rooted in the dirty New York rock clubs of the early 70s, and it’s easy to imagine them playing alongside The Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers or The Ramones at CBGB or Max’s Kansas City.

Shallow Yellow was formed in Trondheim in the mid-2000s and consists of Bjørn André Svela on drums and lead vocals, Thomas Tøkje on bass, and Mons A. Nyquist and Bjørn Eirik Benjaminsen on guitars. Their debut EP, “Free Fall” was by HEF Records 5 February 2011.

Shallow Yellow - Free Fall

With a sound steeped in classic psychedelia and rock riffage, Karnival Korpus is a band that takes you on a ride from the smoke-filled dive bars and festival tents of the 60s to the arenas and concert halls of the 70s. Their influences are both classic and modern, bands like Free, Faces, The Small Faces, Clutch, Soundgarden and The Mars Volta have all played a part in shaping the Karnival Korpus sound.

Karnival Korpus was formed in 2010 from the remains of folk-pop outfit Hogweed and consists of Harald on vocals, Lars Ivar Aarnes on guitar, Einar Aarnes on bass and Anders B. Blåsmo on drums. Their debut will be released by HEF Records early 2011.

Karnival Korpus - Trespassing Thoughts

Cue Decay is an indie rock band formed in 2008 in Trondheim, Norway. The band consists of Karl Arne Dalsaune on vocals and guitar, Simen Trovatten Taraldsen on bass and Frank Nordahl on drums. They play high-energy fuzz-rock, with elements from pop, punk and hard rock. Their main influences are classic rock and indie bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Dinosaur Jr, as well as the legendary Big Muff fuzz pedal. They have also been compared to The Doors and Big Star.

In 2009 the song “She Was the Girl” was recommended by NRK Urørt, Norway’s biggest demo competition, and the band was also selected to play the “Husbråk” concert series in Trondheim, arranged by Rockforum. 

Cue Decay’s debut EP, “Turbulence Ahead”, was released 28 June 2010 on HEF Records.

Cue Decay - Behind the Curtain

Explicit Licks are about as in-your-face as rock ‘n’ roll gets. Taking cues from the likes of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Wolfmother and the Hives, their blend of smooth blues licks and angry garage rock take you on a hazy trip from the early days of hard rock in the 60s and 70s, straight to the garage rock revival of the 2000s and beyond. This is the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that never gets old, complete with fuzz-drenched guitar riffs and loud, abrasive vocals.

Explicit Licks are a four-piece from Trondheim, who according to their own bio are “the band who kicks you in the sack and gives you a warm hug, gets you rocking and puts a big smile on your face”. The band was formed in 2004, and consists of brothers Andreas and Marius Aasarød on guitar/vocals and drums, Håkon Sundseth on guitar and Christian Bjørkhaug on bass. In 2010, they won third place in the World Final of Global Battle of the Bands in London, and self-released their first EP. In 2011 HEF Records reissued their first EP for wordwide digital distribution. The band has just recorded a new single, which will also be released on HEF Records.

Explicit Licks - Like This

From the upcoming Karnival Korpus EP "Glare of Neon Lights: Live at Café 3B"

Karnival Korpus - Don't Use Me (live)

After coming in third in the Global Battle of the Bands world final 2009, and self-releasing their debut EP in 2010, Explicit Licks are back with a brand new single released on HEF Records. Running Man literally opens with a bang, in a smashing drum intro by drummer Marius Aasarød. Bassist Christian Bjørkhaug and guitarist Håkon Sundseth deliver a down-and-dirty rock & roll-riff, that stops just in time for singer-guitarist Andreas Aasarød to spit the lyrics into the microphone. The call-and-response dynamic berween Andreas’ raw snarl and the rest of the band invokes images of street riots, broken bottles, and blood on wet concrete. This violence is only cut off by the chorus, which hints that the fight is not as serious as it sounds, but rather just some roughhousing between friends. The song is like a scene from Fight Club, it kicks you swiftly in the balls before giving you a warm hug.

Explicit Licks will take you in a smoky roadtrip through the hard rock of the 60s and 70s, before arriving smack in the middle of the garage rock revival of the 2000s. The Who and The Hives, AC/DC and Queens of the Stone Age, MC5 and WE are thrown together in catchy, in-your -face rock songs full of fist-pumping, fuzz and fucking in the streets!

The single Running Man is released August 8, and is a preview of Explicit Licks’ forthcoming debut album, which will be released summer 2012.

Get it in iTunes, Spotify, Wimp, Platekompaniet or the HEF Store (cheapest)!

Explicit Licks - Running Man

AD, AD - Crazy For You

DALSAUNE is a singer, musician, music nerd, coffee enthusiast, blogger and teacher from Trondheim, Norway who used to run the HEF Records label. HEF Records has now been retired, but you can still find info about all the HEF releases at http://hefrecs.tumblr.com/releases.

DALSAUNE

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