Music
Velvet Underground, R.E.M., Morrissey, Francoise Hardy, Nick Drake, Iggy, Belle & Sebastian, Scott Walker, T.Rex, Leonard Cohen, Bach + many of my friends, check them out!
Reading
Alberto Moravia, George Orwell, Charles Bukowski, Johan Borgen, Agnar Mykle, Evelyn Waugh, Ray Bradbury etc.
Movies
Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Fritz Lang, Woody Allen, Eric Rohmer and more...
Sounds Like
A mixture of my influences, let's call it nightrock
Carl Platou is the mystery man. He combines the nightrock a la' Velvet Undergound with the college-rock stylings of R.E.M and the result is, somehow, sublime. Carl is here to rock and poet it all over the place.
His debut album Frozen Eve is available now from Amazon.com and all good records stores.
The Press:
“Singer/songwriter Carl Platou describes his music as "dark pop," and while it's not a bad description, his album is definitely more infectious than you might expect. The darkness comes mostly from Platou's clever but somber songwriting and his voice, a deep and faintly raspy croon that's a bit reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, whose songwriting he also evokes on the melancholy "Memory Motel" and the lovely ballad, "I Go with the Sun." Overall, though, his music itself is less reminiscent of Cohen than of the jangly guitar pop of groups like R.E.M. or The Soft Boys, full of layered acoustic guitar strums and infectious melodies. "Sleeping Dancer" is clever with just a touch of strangeness, very much reminiscent of Robyn Hitchcock's less quirky acoustic material, and "Long Time Ago" is a wonderfully catchy Beatles-esque tune augmented by shimmery mandolin. "Winter Eve" is positively cheerful, if a touch drowsy, and "Sunday Morning" and "The Second Cold Winter" are such a perfect mix of bittersweet mood and accessibile pop instrumentation it's hard to understand why they haven't already become ubiquitous on NPR's morning music shows. For all his obvious pop and rock influences, it's also apparent that Platou is something of a country fan as well, as evidenced by the occasional presence of honky-tonk piano or twanging slide guitar. "Pearly Gate," in particular, has a stark fire and brimstone feel to it, complete with electric organs and reverberating church bells, that recalls the best of both Johnny Cash and Nick Cave, though "Happy," which follows it, provides a respite from the apocalypse with a sing-along chorus that belies the song's ironic title. Combining the best of clever, moody songwriting and perfect pop accessibility, Carl Platou's music is hard not to like, whether you appreciate it for its catchy hooks or its intelligent lyricism.”
Grave Concerns Ezine
“Carl Platou’s Frozen Eve full of warm emotions. The “dark” title he is given is prominent in his songs like, Pearly Gate, which begins with lone guitar picks taken straight from a spaghetti western movie like High Noon, as Platou delivers “Someday we’ll make it...open the pearly gates!” as bell chimes are played overhead. It’s really clever stuff.
I Go With the Sun, a power house of haunting guitars, piano, cello, and what sounds like a harpsichord. “I go with the sun by my side,” Platou moans, “I go with the sun.” When the song is finished, you’ll swear he has.”
Student Voice
”The beauty of Platou’s voice is its slow delivery, wide pronunciation, traces of a continental English accent, variation in timbre and his ability to use these elements to create a thrilling singing persona.”
The Oberlin Review
“Norwegian singer and songwriter Carl Platou shows promise in his debut album… with songs that deal with love and life in a poetic way”
The Arrow
"Platou sings about conventional things like parting loves, good wine to drink, smoking cigs, and having hot coffee to keep you warm and awake… Frozen Eve is full of delightful melodies and charming solos."
The Commuter
Hi stopping by to say Hi and invite you to a listen of my new minute long version of White Christmas.Thank you for your support and the Best To you always. tim
Hi carl platou Don't miss the opportunity to play at the world's biggest festival for upcoming bands! Play at the best and biggest venues in your country. Sign up your band today at www.emergenzanordic.com Hope to see your band ON stage! All the best Emergenza Festival
Wishing you good spirit and health this Memorial Day! I am enjoying this time off on Myspace! For some,this day is very hard,thats why I try to make my music to enlighten.My best to you and your's.
Joa. Det går bra med meg, den nye romanen trøkler seg framover, og jeg er blitt fotograf, ble tilbudt utstilling til høsten og skal få bilder trykket i et internasjonalt fotomag. TOTAL surprise! Og nå er det vår, til og med :)
Hi!<br /><br />Just letting you know that i have a private page.<br /><br />If you want to be a part of it, have a read on my profile to find out how you can get to it :)<br /><br />Wishing you well.<br /><br /><br />~J.<br /><br />-----><br />P.S. If you are already on my private page.<br /><br />Please disregard this message.
Hey, I just wanted to stop by and let you know that my debut album, Just a Lonely Heart is available now exclusively through Google Checkout. You can find the link to buy it on my page. Buy your own copy today! Don’t be a stranger. Stop by and let me know how life is going. Hope all is well! -Topher
