Ambient/Shoegaze Duo NADJA Releases 'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV'

NEWS

Toronto-based ambient/shoegaze/drone duo NADJA released their new album, 'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV,' today. The album, which has been very well received by critics, features eights covers-- some more surprising than others-- of some of NADJA's favorite bands.

"Consider this album an exploration of the roots of Nadja," says founder Aidan Baker (guitars, vocals, drum programming). "Everyone compares us to My Bloody Valentine, so we had to cover them; Codeine and Swans were both bands exploring the heaviness of metal without actually being metal; The Cure have that lovely, bittersweet gloominess; Elliott Smith's 'Needle in the Hay' is simultaneously so simple and so devastating; no one believed us when we said we covered a song from The Kids in the Hall movie, a staple of our live set, so we had to get that one to tape; how could we resist the opportunity to cover A-ha's heaviest (but oh so catchy) tune? And Slayer is just Slayer. In an effort to illustrate our motivations behind this album, we asked our friend Mathew Smith to create a series of children's-storybook-like drawings to go with each song."

Two MP3s have been leaked from 'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV' so far. MTV's Headbangers Blog premiered "Dead Skin Mask" (Slayer), while Pitchfork released "Only Shallow" (My Bloody Valentine). Those MP3s are available at the following locations:

http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/12526-only-shallow-my-bloody-valentine-cover/

http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2009/03/16/exclusuve-mp3-downoad-nadja-cover-slayers-dead-skin-mask/

What the critics are saying...

"'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV' is more than a simple tribute album. It's one of the best Baker byproducts in years. [9/10]" - DECIBEL

"Nadja slows 'Only Shallow' down, bolts on monstrous guitars, and slathers everything in digital distortion. [...] With an ominous drone underneath, they're downright menacing. Nadja gets at the heart of the appeal of 'Only Shallow.' The song stuffs an oceanful of feeling into several minutes." - PITCHFORK

"If this was an experiment, it was a success, adding layers to already existing songs and proving you can rework your influences to make them look more like you. Love Nadja – it’s impossible not to. [9/10]" - BLISTERING.COM

"Nadja carve out great slabs of sound, throbbing and trudging to melodic resolution with incredible slowness, over an entire side of vinyl at a time; you want to say “tectonic” and “chthonian” but not “glacial” because the fuzz-bass is so warm, rising through your feet, and the layered drones are so disorienting. [8/10]" - DROWNED IN SOUND

"'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV' is perhaps the most approachable album Nadja has ever made" - METALSUCKS.NET

"Preexisting fans of Nadja and electro-noise dirge enthusiasts should both greatly enjoy this one." - ALARM

"When I See The Sun Always Shines On TV, a covers record that massively re-invents tracks by, amongst others, Slayer, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Swans, Elliot Smith and A-Ha (!) to inimitable effect, creating a collection that is as varied as it is darkly contemplative." - BRAVEWORDS.COM

"Nadja's fuzzed-out spin on MBV's 'Only Shallow' recalls the work of another artist who made the leap of faith from heavy to heady, namely Justin K. Broadrick, formerly of the pioneering industrial-metal project Godflesh and now the man behind oceanic drone-pop outfit Jesu. Translation: Get ready for a brain-grindingly beautiful slo-mo headbang sesh." - TIME OUT NEW YORK

CD | TE134 | The End | 4/28/09

'When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV' Tracklisting:

01. Only Shallow (My Bloody Valentine)
02. Pea (Codeine)
03. No Cure For The Lonely (Swans)
04. Dead Skin Mask (Slayer)
05. The Sun Always Shines On TV (A-ha)
06. Needle In The Hay (Elliott Smith)
07. Long Dark Twenties (Kids In The Hall)
08. Faith (The Cure)

NADJA is:

Aidan Baker (guitars, vocals, drums, etc.)
Leah Buckareff (bass, vocals)

NADJA on the web:

http://www.myspace.com/nadjaluv

Tweets!

Have you checked out @JulietteLewis's new music video for "Uh Huh" yet?? http://ping.fm/MIQIp

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