PopMatters on Foreign Slippers
PopMatters profiles obscure Swedish singer/songwriter Foreign Slippers: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/129230-walking-with-foreign-slippers/
Country: Sweden
Thieves Like Us
Again and again
Shelflife Records
As a fan of "Play music" [review here] and 's releases in general, I was very much looking forward to Thieves Like Us' newest offering. But where "Play music" reveled in its dark minimalism, "Again and again" is a mess of repetitive saccharine-sweet simplicity. The record starts off alright with the playful "Never known love", but quickly begins its downward spiral. There are moments of redemption -- the aforementioned "Never known love", "Lover lover", and a few hooks scattered sporadically through the album's tracklist -- but these moments are fleeting and far too few to make much of an impact against the record's overall negative impression. On any other album, "Lover lover" would be an 'okay song'; the fact that it is one of the highlights of "Again and again" speaks to its weaknesses. The record feels and sounds like something a few New Order fans cranked out over a weekend in an apartment studio, most of its hooks wasted on meandering compositions and its best efforts easily overshadowed by other New Order/Justice-inspired acts. It's not a total waste, but, sadly and surprisingly for a band of Thieves Like Us' caliber, it's not far off.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Presenting: Korova Station
Swedish noiserockers Korova Station (ex-Ellis the Vacuumchild, U.D.D.U.P., etc.) are streaming a whole bunch of new demo tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/korovastation
If you dig heavy Swedish noiserock like I do, you'll be way into this. Recommended!
Necronaut lineup revealed
Necronaut, the solo project of ex-Dismember drummer Fred Estby, has posted the complete guest lineup for his upcoming album: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=414772938&blogId=538096458
For those that aren't so good with names, the list includes members from Entombed, Death Breath, Autopsy, At the Gates, Watain, Graveyard and more.
MP3: Tiger Tape - Skanstull
I never paid too much attention to Moofish Catfish because, let's face it, that name is straight up unappealing. Good thing they changed it to Tiger Tape, I'm just sorry I didn't hear about it sooner because the album they put out in April ("I woke up in Hökarängen", released via /) is really really good, maybe even a little bit great. Time will tell, but I've been listening regularly for the past fews days and its luster has yet to fade. Also, considering that a good 98% of all indierock bores me to tears, it's worth noting that these ladies do not -- listen for yourself at Bandcamp: http://tigertape.bandcamp.com/
And for the xenoglossophobic, be aware that this is the only tack på Svenska. Tack igen Mathias for the recommendation!
Tiger Tape - Skanstull
New mp3s from Crawl Back In
Swedish doom act Crawl Back In have posted the tracks from their new split with Evolet as a free download: http://www.crawlbackin.com/
Detektivbyrån is done
Detektivbyrån, one of Sweden's best acts of the last decade IMHO, are sadly calling it quits: http://www.detektivbyran.net/
They will be missed.
Scandipop reviews "Body talk pt. 2"
Scandipop has posted a track-by-track take of Robyn's new record: http://www.scandipop.co.uk/?p=3071
Not to go out on a limb or anything, but it's kinda funny -- I love the songs they pan and am not so into the ones they love. Still, I agree with the overall assessment that it's a more cohesive record than "Pt. 1", though I'd go further to say that it's just a slight touch better.
New songs from Johan Heltne
Johan Heltne is streaming a couple new tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/johanheltne
Kinda weird and easy-listening sounding -- it'll be interesting to see how the material fits into the context of the new record.
The Blackbirds - Getting close to you
Norwegian act The Blackbirds are streaming their new single "Getting close to you" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdsthe
Moneybrother to support Jesse Malin
Moneybrother will be supporting Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social for a full US tour starting next month:
09/08 - North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA
09/09 - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
09/10 - The Southern, Charlottesville, VA
09/12 - DC9, Washington, DC
09/14 - Le Belmont, Montreal, QC
09/15 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
09/16 - Club at Water Street, Rochester, NY
09/17 - Basement, Columbus, OH
09/18 - Subterranean, Chicago, IL
09/19 - Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
09/20 - Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
09/21 - Marquis Theater, Denver, CO
09/22 - The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
09/24 - Knotty Pine, Victor, ID
09/25 - The Reef, Boise, ID
09/26 - Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
09/27 - The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
09/29 - Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
09/30 - Viper Room, Los Angeles, CA
10/02 - Yucca Tap Room, Tempe, AZ
10/04 - Red 7, Austin, TX
10/05 - Vino's, Little Rock, AR
10/07 - Club Café, Pittsburgh, PA
10/08 - Bowery Electric, New York, NY
MP3: Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
I like this song a lot. It's really different from Andreas Söderlund's other bands (Niccokick/Sounds Like Violence) material in that it's very beat heavy and loaded with synths. Heavy 80s vibe too, especially with the over-the-top guitar solo ala "Beat it" (though Andreas doesn't milk it as much as I'd like). Curious to hear how the rest of the album stacks up, especially since title track "Daustralien" is more typical for him and far less exciting. I think the more he steps away from his over-emotive rock guy shtick, the better. A solo album is the perfect opportunity to indulge in indulgent sounds and with "Hawaii", he does it well.
Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
Laleh and Madcon to LA for Cuture Collide
Laleh and Madcon have been added to the lineup of the Culture Collide fest in LA: http://culturecollide.com/index.php/news/entry/second_wave_of_artists_announced_for_culture_collide
Watain
Lawless darkness
Season of Mist
The first thing you'll notice about this fourth studio full-length from the Swedish purveyors of stench-laden black metal is just how polished it is, at least in relation to anything they've previously vomited forth. It's a strange listen in that such a hefty production sounds great, even though it doesn't fully represent what was expected of the mighty Watain. The music itself is clearly representative of the Swedish horde though, with plenty of riffs that are instantly recognisable as Erik Danielsson and his cohorts, but there's something else in here. Other familiar black metal element has crept into the foray and, as much as some may try to deny it, it must be said that there's a slight tinge of Norway on "Lawless darkness". Or, to be more precise, there's a slight tinge of Dimmu Borgir on "Lawless darkness". Is that a bad thing? Well, yes and no. Dimmu Borgir is Dimmu Borgir and Watain is Watain. They're two definite entities that tread their own ground and pretty much do what's expected of them. For the Norwegians, it's black metal at its most polished, a big budget, high shine, mass appeal madness that works. For the Swedes, it's down and dirty, filth-ridden, black mass uneasiness. That works. Whether or not the high of their extreme cult status has now found Watain aspiring to the grander levels that Dimmu enjoys remains to be seen and, no doubt, will become clear with future releases. Listening to "Lawless darkness" though, it seems as if the journey may have already begun.
As a standalone black metal album this is damn fine stuff, standing head and shoulders above much of the material currently saturating the scene. As a Watain album it's... slightly unexpected. It's definitely a grower and it's definitely s(l)ick stuff, it just doesn't quite reek of the 666-year-old pig's blood that "Sworn to the dark" or "Casus luciferi" did. The sparse leads on the album, I don't think work. Most of the time they knock whatever true menace is currently growing off kilter and generally deaden the impact of the song. The most enigmatic of the tracks on offer is without a doubt the 14-minute closer, "Waters of ain". Throughout its duration it displays Watain at their most venomous, yet, equally, at their most mainstream. It's a great track. It's an odd track. Part of it is a Watain track. Part of it isn't. For the most part, "Lawless darkness" is a great album that I'll return to when I'm in the mood for some quality black metal, but If it's a true sense of impending doom I'm after, I'll just blast "Casus luciferi" instead.
- John Norby
Hoob presents The World
Swedish jazz label will be releasing the debut album "There is an ocean between us" from international three-piece act The World on September 10 and will be celebrating with a show at Mefertiti in Göteborg. They describe their music as "modern, innovative, sometimes dancable, sometimes grindingly suggestive, sometimes angrily improvisational piano trio music... this is Hoob Records' and The World's version of what jazz is about right now -- right into the future."