PopMatters likes Little Dragon
PopMatters reviews the recent Little Dragon album "Machine dreams": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/121962-little-dragon-machine-dreams/
Country: Sweden
The Ark confirm new album, single
The Ark's new album "In Full Regalia" has been confirmed for release on April 26 with the lead single "Superstar" coming on March 29.
MP3: Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
I came to the point a few years ago when I finally realized I was a bona fide adult. It was kind of a "holy shit" moment because it's not as if I had it planned it or had any big aspirations or anything, but I could no longer ignore the symptoms: career, mortgage, wife, kids (well, actually dogs, but same difference as far as I'm concerned), 401k, yadda yadda. Big "R" responsibilities and with that comes new gravity, new concerns. Do you ever think about what you want to be doing five years from now? What about 10 or even 20? I actually sat down with a financial planner the other day and faced up to those questions. Which is not to say that Rasmus Kellerman is facing similar circumstances, but I wouldn't doubt it. Recording under his own given name without the anchor of a backing band says something to me about newfound confidence and maturity. It's a scary feeling stepping off on your own like that, but also very exciting. Closing doors, opening new ones you couldn't fit through before.
If you've ever had the pleasure of seeing Rasmus perform solo, this won't sound unfamiliar. Tiger Lou was always essentially his project, as least in the studio, but there's no hiding it here. There's nothing to hide behind.
Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
Elias & the Wizzkids - Crooked road (live video)
Check out a live video of Elias & the Wizzkids performing "Crooked roads" with an old church organ in Luleå: http://www.eliasandthewizzkids.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/crooked_lulte%C3%A52.mov
Surrounded at SXSW, more
Swedish act Surrounded will be playing a few shows at SXSW this week:
03/17 - Dominican Joes, Austin, TX
03/18 - Victorian Room @ The Driskill, Austin, TX
03/21 - The Ghost Room, Austin, TX
Preview a few tracks from their forthcoming album "Oppenheimer and Woodstock" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/surrounded
No release date yet, but it was mixed by Tony Doogan (Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Snow Patrol), Bill Racine (The Flaming Lips, Mates of State, Sparklehorse) and Paul Mahajan (TV on the Radio, The National, Liars) and will be put out by .
This Is Head - 0007
is giving away the new This Is Head single "0007" as a free download: http://www.adrianfiles.com/2.0007.mp3
Sirius playlist week #11
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Laakso - Worst case scenario
02. TALK 1
03. Du Pacque - Walk straight
04. Pascal - Tutti frutti
05. Nirvana 2002 - The awakening of...
06. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
07. TALK 2
08. The Floor is Made of Lava - The bigger picture
09. No Balls - Guilt blocker
10. Obliteration - Styxerian path (into darkness)
11. Next Life - Anti matter
12. TALK 3
13. Ikons - Imperiet
14. The Skull Defekts - Habit
15. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
16. TALK 4
17. Meleeh - Sun and moon
18. Kite - I give you the morning
19. Ef - 401 Lwa
20. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Karin Ström
Fantomhalvan
Datadamen Records
Like the patron saint of the 1980s, Karin Ström brilliantly recasts generic synths into fairly intriguing electropop instrumentals. However, despite creating engaging a backing for her poppy crystalline vocals, the two never jell, making new album "Fantomhalvan" more an exercise in Eurovision Song Competition showmanship then cohesive music-making. Tracks such as "Hackney Downs" and "Tills fulheten stillar vårt blod" momentarily spark a bit of playfulness, but overall the listener is left wonder how Ström's misguided attempt at self-production actually happened.
Admittedly, my inability to attach to Ström's work could be due in part to my inability to speak Swedish. While she is kind enough to provide linguistically handicapped listeners with translations on her website, something -- quite literally -- is lost in translation. Content without form, we get an endless parade of jilted lovers, bitter memories, and nights spent alone. Reading, rather than hearing, the deluge of half-baked metaphors is not unlike taking an illicit peak into a friend's secret poetry notebook -- sure you feel for the girl, but ultimately, it's a bit too embarrassing to acknowledge.
- Laura Studarus
Mailorder is back
I took a few months off to think about the future of my mailorder distro, but I'm back now and ready to do business again: http://www.itsatrap.com/store/
Expect many of the CD titles to be marked down in coming days as I'm still trying to clear out old stock, so if you see something you like, don't be scared by the price. Let's make a deal! Email mailorder@itsatrap.com for all inquiries.
Johnossi - What's the point (video)
Expressen is streaming the new Johnossi video "What's the point": http://tv.expressen.se/noje/1.1914422/johnossi-what-s-the-point
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. The Playtones - Rock'n roll dance party
02. Björn Skifs - Da capo
03. Sophie Zelmani - I'm the rain
04. Amanda Jenssen - Happyland
05. Kent - Röd
06. Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig
07. Rigmor Gustafsson & Radio String Quartet Vienna - Calling you
08. Torgny Melin - Dansbandsnatt
09. Erik Grönwall - Erik Grönwall
10. Tomas Andersson Wij - Spår
11. Moto Boy - Lost in the call
12. Zekes - En sån natt
13. Shout Out Louds - Work
14. Dark Tranquillity - We are the void
15. Calle Kristiansson - Calle Kristiansson
16. Nordman - Korsväg
17. Mando Diao - Give me fire!
18. Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen
19. Nikola Sarcevic - Nikola & Fattiglapparna
20. Freda' - Ett mysterium
A Smile and a Ribbon coming to NYC Popfest, more
Swedish indiepop act A Smile and a Ribbon are coming to the US in May:
05/23 - Littlefield, NYC, NY (NYC Popfest w/The Embassy, etc.)
05/25 - Lizard Lounge, Boston, MA
05/29 - The Monkey House, Winooski/Burlington, VT
05/30 - Le Divan Orange, Quebec
MP3: Patrik Andersson & Vegar Vårdal - Gråtaren
"In the large deserted woods on both sides of the Swedish-Norwegian border, Finnish people settled down in the 15th- and 16th century. These areas are now called "Finnskogen", the Finnish woods. The settlers came from difficult times in Finland, and burned down forest to cultivate rye in the ashes. In these vast forests it was hard to tell if you were in Sweden or Norway. Culture does not know borders either, and the music is a common Swedish- Norwegian tradition.
So reads the intro text on "Finnskogen brinner", the collaboration between Swedish fiddle artist Patrik Andersson and his Norwegian counterpart Vegar Vårdal. I am by no means attuned to the many regional differences in Scandinavian folk tradition, so I can't begin to explain how the music of Finnskogen, but these gentlemen play beautifully together. Some of the more minimal folk records I've been listening to as part of my "Listen to Norway" exploration (this is #5) can get grating, especially with the uncertain harmonies of the Hardanger Fiddle, but this one never falters. Two players and their instruments, maybe a little foot-tapping; that's all you need. "Dette var sagt at når Halteguten, Ola Porkkala, spilte denne valsen kunne ikke folk la vaere å gråte."
My apologies for not keeping up with weekly posts in this series, but my dayjob workload has been astounding. Rest assured, there will be lots more music (folk and otherwise) posted in weeks to come.
Patrik Andersson & Vegar Vårdal - Gråtaren
Kleinhenz tour blog
Björn Kleinhenz will be blogging his upcoming tour adventures at this location: http://kleinhenz-tour.blogspot.com/
Fredrik - Milo (video)
Fredrik have a new video for the track "Milo": http://vimeo.com/9786275