I am a big appreciator of the large gesture. Pixie Carnation and We are the Storm are two fine examples of contemporary Swedish acts achieving epic indie rock grandeur; Another Nation's National Anthem is another. The band's new EP "Conscious castle" is a concept work that flows steadily from track to track, from one climatic moment to the next; in between are moments of refined melancholy that remind me of Tiger Lou, especially on the two-part "Hold, stranger". The band's own descriptor of "massive" implies a heaviness that they lack, but they got the size part right on. Many acts have been following similar paths in the wake of Arcade Fire, most of them falling far short; ANNA succeeds with their restrained bombast and a balanced fragility/woundedness. They could probably still do more to differentiate themselves from the rabble, but I can't begrudge a song like "About your fathers" when it does it so well.
Another Nation's National Anthem - About your fathers
01. Bo Kaspers Orkester - New Orleans
02. Håkan Hellström - 2 steg från paradise
03. Sanna Shirley Sonja - Vår Jul
04. The Playtones - Rock'n'roll Christmas party
05. Jill Johnson - The well-known and some other favourite stories
06. Sarah Dawn Finer - Winterland
07. Caroline af Ugglas - Vad var det jag sa
08. Flamingokvintetten - Tack & förlåt
09. Christian Kjellvander - The rough and rynge
10. Amy Diamond - Greatest hits
11. Tove Styrke - Tove Styrke
12. Daniel Adams-Ray - Svart vitt och allt däremellan
13. Robyn - Body talk pt.2
14. Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet - Echoes
15. Sven Zetterberg - Grounded in reality
16. Nanne - En rastlös själ
17. Oskar Linnros - Vilja bli
18. Eldkvarn - Kärlekens väg - en mässa
19. Kent - En plats i solen
20. Fatboy - Overdrive
Speaking of Dadde, he also sends word that Wolfbrigade are currently in pre-production for their 8th album which will be recorded at Studio Fredman, their first time there since 1997. And as for Asta Kask, the band will be releasing a split 7" with Japanese act Crispy Nuts and will also be touring their with them over in their part of the world this coming February. They're also working on their very first US tour which should happen around May or June, I'm presuming to coincide with Chaos in Tejas which will be June 2-5 this coming year.
Soma is a Stockholm-based band featuring members from Wolfbrigade, Shades of Grey and Dollhouse that has existed since 2007, but is only now getting out of the rehearsal space for their very first gigs:
11/20 - Kafé 44, Stockholm (SWE)
11/26 - LiWi, Liepzig (GER) w/Saviours
11/27 - Scharni28, Berlin (GER)
As for the sound, drummer Dadde describes it as follows: "The music is heavy, metallic and complex yet there's plenty of melodies and from time to time our roots in the crustpunk-movement shine through, but the use of samplers and keyboards make a big difference from our past bands, and the result is an experimental pedal-driven stonerrock/death metal/hardcorepunk with samplers, keyboards and influences from world music." The band plans to record their debut album "The dark chapters" this coming spring.
It's that time of year when my work schedule is absolutely manic, so of course that means I've taken on a couple freelance jobs in addition to all the usual BS I'm usually paid to do. And as for things I'm not paid to do such as this site and that one, well... they tend to slip amongst my top priorities. So yeah, that's my ongoing excuse for a severe lack of mp3 posts and other feature-length content. Still trying to figure out a proper balance so I can work as much as I need to and still enjoy life, but in the mean time, here's a track from the very great Swedish indie throwbacks Life Before Man. You like classic Swindie? Do you get nostalgic for the sound of the early 90s? Maybe you appreciate your indiepop to have a touch of anger? Good! Enjoy this demo track from a 12-year old band that never recorded anything until very, very recently.
Apparently Fever Ray/Karin Dreijer Andersson will be making a cameo in the forthcoming movie "Red riding hood", in addition to providing music. Look for it to be released next spring from "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke: http://pitchfork.com/news/40754-fever-ray-to-appear-in-ired-riding-hoodi/
Check out the new video for "Last kiss" from Swedish electro act LCTRISC: http://vimeo.com/16694922
My wife walked by my office as I was watching and commented that it sounds like "Night at the Roxbury" music which I don't necessarily think is such a bad thing.
I could easily sum this review up in one sentence: Robert Svensson has crafted the best record of 2010.
As I sneak up on thirty, I worry, much more so than in my younger years, that whatever visceral, overpowering connection I once had with music is slipping -- the records that were going to tear right into me have already done so; everything else is going to be an echo of those experiences. "You're a wasteland, honey", however, tore right into me. Listening to the record, I couldn't help but remember falling in love with Bruce Springsteen's "Born to run" in the mid-'90s while my peers at British boarding school were enraptured by Brit Pop, though this parallels my experience with Robert Svensson's most recent offering, it doesn't mock the occasion.
While I enjoyed Svensson's "Beat EP", I worried that it signaled his future trajectory, with bands such as Bloc Party already demonstrating how the allure of electronic music can unravel even the most talented of musicians. "You're a wasteland, honey", thankfully, is the fitting follow up to Svensson's fantastic debut, "Young punks are on the never-never". Everything I enjoyed about that first record is improved upon with "...wasteland". It's been a while since the release of a record that after the fifth or sixth listen I am not just skipping to my favorite tracks, often leaving more than half of the album behind; there is nothing to leave behind here. The record is effortlessly brilliant throughout, demonstrating how Svensson's many strengths and talents have developed since his gorgeous "Young punks..". Hands down, this is the record of the year, and the first in a while, perhaps since Laakso's "My gods" or Shout Out Louds' "Our ill wills", that has made such a profound impact on me. - Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Robert Svensson