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"Among Us" is a fateful beautiful and moving album from Catbird, and the singers glowing, bleeding and self-sacrificing vocal, makes no doubt about, that she is the daughter of Annisette of Savage Rose. It's a searching and soulful work - a shimmering jazz noir of black-white intonations about the silent inner drama, that weighs, when life, death, love and longing overwhelms. The only second album from the duo, is an unheard perfect work of art which makes you goosey all over. An existential tour de force.
Aarhus Stiftstidende
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Exceptional beautiful music. The feeling of void is transformed into the best joie de vivre, on this lovely album. The whole album is swept in velvet-smooth and longing melancholy. Everything is acoustic based around Franks piano and Billies heartbreaking vocal.
And the result shows, that genious efforts of styleinventors like Jacques Brel and Tim Buckley, wasn't made in vain. Album of the week.
BT
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If Jean-Pierre Jeunet and David Lynch made a movie together, this could be the soundtrack. "Among Us" is excactly as magic and haunting as "The City Of Lost Children",and just as captivating and mystical as "Blue Velvet".
Leadsinger Billie Koppel has inherited her mothers fascinating and dreamy voice, that gently glides over piano, trombone, vibraphone and strings. The arrangements are pure acoustic, and it suits the fine songs. It's the perfect album for the late hours at night, or when the most grey autumn days needs a touch of magic.
Where2Go Magazine
It's in the harmonic beauty and gentle ornamentation, that elegant and oppressive warm songs as "How Long Must I Wait", "Keep Him Safe", "City Of Blue" and "Stranger" are created. It reminds me of Billie Holiday, Beth Gibbons, Françoise Hardy and Chris Isaak.
Information
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Billies voice is both strange, fantastic and earnestly, and makes the small hair rise all over. It's especially in songs like "Keep Him Safe" and "Yellow Moon", that Billie fold out her whole capacity. The music is quiet, melodious dream-pop. The term pop is actually too simple to use about Catbirds music, because all the songs has soul and claim their rights. "Among Us" is therefor not an album you put on as background-music, but is something you stay focused on, and fully enjoy.
Bazar Magazine
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Among Us is the album of the month.
The duo Catbird is the singer Billie Koppel and composer/musician Frank Hasselstroem. Billie sings - like her mom Annisette - with great authority, but still with a more airy and intimate voice. There is both dark gloomy hours at night, grand gesticulations and hopefull intensity on "Among Us", where an exceptional twin-peaks atmosphere are combined with strong melodies.
Costume Magazine
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Billie is a talented singer and songwriter, and in company with the skilled Frank, who master almost any instruments to perfection, there is only the sky above as the limit. "Among Us" is a fantastic and low-voiced album, that slowly crawls under your skin and stays there, with it's ingenious lyrics and dreamy expression. It's a differerent and exciting album, and you can't do anything but love it
GameReactor Magazine.
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Very expressive songs, which both are intense and dreamy.
The last thing you can accuse "Among Us" to be, is that it's trivial.
Woman Magazine
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Catbird tells stories and creates images, while they make a universe of mystical and dreamy spheres, with focus on strong melodies and exciting instrumentation. And the result is refreshingly unconventional and un-Danish. Catbird impresses. It's an eye-opener, that exudes of deep heartfelt creativity, that we really need here.
Denmarks Radio
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Sensitive and lovely album from Catbird. Catbird is a delicate and fragile band, that holds the beauty and a touch of the very rare. Billie sound dusty and lovely. Elegant flickering wings on the elastic arranged songs.
Politiken
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Catbird has this time turned their view inwards, with a organic and acoustic flavour, that puts Billies wistful and longing voice in center with great succes. Theres is no one like Billie in Denmark, and on "Among Us", she seriously opens up for the strong expressiveness.
She simply sings intoxicatingly beautiful and sensuous, and by that, she sure lives up to her first name, Billie!
Gaffa
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"Among Us" is musically landing soft and beautiful - like falling snowflakes on a frosty and cold decemberday. Hasselstroem's insight in elements from the classical music is well expressed in atmospheric songs, build upon cinematastic drama and lovely pop melodies.
Berlingske
BOOKING AGENCY DENMARK
UPFRONT MUSIC
Bredgade 71 A
1260 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
info@upfront.nu
TOUR MANAGER
SIMON TOFT
E-mail: simon@upfront.nu
phone (+45) 31 71 75 16
Influences
Tim Buckley - Morricone
Tom Waits - Goran Bregovic
Jeff Buckley - Billie Holiday
Federico Fellini - Charlie Chaplin
BILLIE KOPPEL
Billie Koppel was born in a music-family.
As daughter of Annisette & Thomas Koppel from The Savage Rose, she practically grew up on stage. She was always laying with her dog under her fathers piano, at concerts all around the world.
At one of these concerts with The savage Rose, the 5 year old Billie suddenly crawled out from her spot under the piano. She walked across the stage and pulled her mothers skirt, to tell her it was her turn to sing! And so she sang in front of a huge festival crowd. As a teenager Billie sang in the choir in her parents band, until she moved in front as a lead singer in her own projects. Billie has also been performing as a singer and dancer in various dance and theater plays.
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FRANK HASSELSTROEM
Frank Hasselstroem was almost the same age as Billie when he had his musical debut. He got in at the highly acclaimed Tivoli Boys Orchestra, where he from the age of 6-16 years old, played the drums, trombone and finally conducted the 50 boys in the harmonic orchestra. He toured all over the world with the orchestra.
Later Frank taught himself a bunch of other instruments like piano, guitar, bass and metalofon, played in various projects, but it was from early on the work as a composer and producing that had his interest. Frank studied at the music conservatory in Copenhagen, and has since been writting and producing divert music for film, theater and symphonic orchestras.
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CATBIRD HISTORY
Billie & Frank began working together in 2001 under the name CATBIRD. Their debut album "Sliding From The Moon" from 2003 was nominated for "Best Singer of The Year" (Billie) and "Best Producer Of The Year" (Frank) at the Danish Music Awards 2003. They were also nominated at the Danish Radios P3-prize for "Best New Act". They made the music for the ballet "Triumph Of The Death" at The Oestre Gasvark Theater. Now they're ready with their second album.
Here is the podcast of the tonight show, you can download it now : http://www.radiocampusangers.com/podcasts/boucheaoreille/boucheaoreille-11-12-2009.mp3
All the best !
Antoine and Fréd for Bouche A Oreille www.myspace.com/boucheaoreilleonair
"Among Us" is one of the richest albums I have ever had the immense pleasure to play over and over again for weeks. It is still growing, still expanding. It is a rich mystery, constantly re-shaping and re-appearing when I thought I had grasped it, or sought out it's boundaries. The lyrics are marvellous, and the performance, and arrangements, and the overall order they toghether make manifest and "solid". Very powerful. Is's a pity the concert in Tisvildeleje was cancelled, but I am confident there will be another chance to see this live (in the double meaning of that expression;) Grateful wishes, your true fan.
Hej, Please sign this, so we can stop the cruelty: http://www.animalsmatter.org/ and stop the animal cruelty in China. The fur industry is a cruel thing overall, but here it goes to another level with that fact that they remove the fur while the animal (such as cats, foxes, dogs..) is still alive.
Hello, Catbird-thanks a lot for the friendship and comment-your music is great-"keep him safe" our favourite- fantastic vocals -so fragile-- well done- cheers and best of luck from Munich- Vanilla Moon.
![Mankku [mancko]](http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/53/s_ad3032c8856c45abb47fc8d1730133c8.jpg)
