david byrne

 “Four ladies who thrash banjos, pluck fiddles, and bang marching drums, garbage cans, and cookie jars (!) like Appalachian witches drunk on White Lightning.”
– Spin.com

Norwegian all-female foursome Katzenjammer are set to release their debut album Le Pop in North America on May 4, 2010, with their new single “Tea With Cinnamon” out March 2.

Le Pop, which was produced by Kåre Westrheim and Mike Hartung (known for their work with notable Norwegian artists Marit Larsen and Superfamily), showcases the ladies eclectic blend of genres, which one Norwegian reviewer described as ”a mix between Eastern European folk music, B-52s, the sisters Kate & Anna McGarrigle, seasick bluegrass, country blues and a carnival orchestra on the run.” Le Pop not only earned Katzenjammer a nomination for “Newcomer of the Year” at the Norwegian Grammy Awards, but also the distinct honor of opening the show with their hit single “A Bar In Amsterdam.”

The quartet first stormed the States with their circus of a live show in Austin at SXSW last year, where they commanded the attention of industry types and music lovers alike with their raucous set consisting of the rotation of up to 29 instruments on which that the four women are self-taught, including the tuba, the balalaika bass, drums, harmonica, piano, banjo, accordion, mandolin, guitar, melodica and trumpet. They also caught the attention of David Byrne, who invited them to play his artist-curated stage at 2009’s Bonnaroo, alongside Santigold, the Dirty Projectors and Dave Byrne and Brian Eno, and ended their US run with a stop by Summerfest where they opened for Elvis Costello.

Norwegian all-female alt-folk band Katzenjammer have just released their first single, "A Bar In Amsterdam," from their forthcoming album on iTunes (download here).  The band, who have become known for their raucous live shows, grabbed the attention of festival goers at this year's SXSW and have since been added to some of the summer's biggest festivals, including Bonnaroo. 

David Byrne has assembed a number of performers, like Santigold and the Dirty Projectors, for the first artist-curated stage at Bonnaroo, and invited Katzenjammer to be part of the line-up -- which also includes Byrne performing the "Songs of David Byrn and Brian Eno" -- on Friday, June 12.