artists AMATORSKIBALTHAZARBASKERYBOO!CASIO KIDSDAN MANGANDANIEL JOHNSTONDOUGLAS FIRSFINN.GEMMA RAYJACKIE LEVENJOHN PARISHKATZENJAMMERKID FEARKRAAK & SMAAK DJ'SKRAAK & SMAAK LIVEKRAUSELALALOVERLAURA JANSENLEFTIES SOUL CONNECTIONLENINGRAD COWBOYSLYENNMAMBO KURTMARIA TAYLORMARIANNE DISSARDMILOWMOTOWN - 50 YEARS AND MORE ...NEEKANEW COOL COLLECTIVE + JULES DEELDERNEW COOL COLLECTIVE BIG BANDNONA MEZOUR BROKEN GARDENREAL ONESSABRINA STARKESAYBIASEÑOR TORPEDOSIR YES SIRSIVERT HÖYEMTHE NATIONAL BANKTHOMAS DYBDAHLTIGER LILITOM VANSTIPHOUTTOMMIGUNUNDER BYENWILLIAM FITZSIMMONSZENDERZZZ

 

KATZENJAMMER

Nettwerk (NO)
www.katzenjammer.no/
www.myspace.com/katzenjammerne

biography

last update 06 05 09
The bugle call that signals the entrance of the all-female quartet Katzenjammer onto the
Norwegian stage, and now the international music scene, stems from the band’s first hit
single, the whirlwind song called ”A Bar in Amsterdam”. The trumpet fanfare is just one of
Katzenjammer’s vast array of instrumental hooks, just recently utilized to wake up the
audience at the opening of the Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian Grammy Awards.


Katzenjammer was nominated for the ”Newcomer of the Year” prize for their debut album,
titled Le Pop, but the fact that they were chosen to open the awards ceremony confirmed the
reputation the band has already established as the most entertaining new act on the(...) thriving
Norwegian music scene.

Katzenjammer consists of Solveig Heilo, Anne Marit Bergheim, Turid Jørgensen and
Marianne Sveen -- and between them they play the tuba, the balalaika bass, drums,
harmonica, piano, banjo, accordion, mandolin, guitar, melodica and, very efficiently, the
aforementioned trumpet. By the time you catch them live, they most likely will have added
some more oddball instruments to their repertoire.


On stage, Katzenjammer displays their own version of musical chairs, the various instruments
continuously circulating among the four musicians, adding a circus element to the show.
The music of Katzenjammer has been described as folk/country/ balkan/ gypsy/rickety-rock
pop, which strangely enough is not as confusing in reality as it sounds.
The album was produced by the team of Kåre Westrheim and Mike Hartung. The latter also
produced other notable Norwegian artists, including Marit Larsen, Superfamily and Hanne
Hukkelberg. Westrheim has also been instrumental to the big breakthrough of major
Norwegian singer/songwriter Odd Nordstoga.


The album was very well received in the Norwegian press upon release last autumn,
described by one writer 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”.

Katzenjammer’s ascent into the spotlightstarted at the beginning of 2008, when the band
blew away an audience of music biz people and journalists at the Scandinavian music
convention by:larm in Oslo. The performance catapulted Katzenjammer into the larger clubs
of Norway; just recently they have sold out Oslo’s 1,500-capacity venue Rockefeller twice in
a 90-day period. Last summer, Katzenjammer played a series of festivals, even before the
release of their first album.

This winter, they have brought their passport-free brand of musical mayhem to the Eurosonic
convention in the Netherlands, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and they have also
played two nights as special guests of the band Keane at the huge O2 Arena in London.
InAugust, Le Pop will be released internationally.


KATZENJAMMER live: August 9th - FOLKFESTIVAL DRANOUTER