Rasmus Kellerman's new album is done
Rasmus Kellerman (Tiger Lou) reports from the studio that his new album "The 24th" is done and awaiting mixing: http://rasmuskellerman.com/?p=807
Country: Sweden
Tower of Foil - Driving north
Swedish lo-fi indie act Tower of Foil have a new song single they are offering for free download: http://www.toweroffoil.com/drivingnorthsingle.htm
New music from Dark Tranquility now streaming
Long-running Swedish metal act Dark Tranquility are streaming new material at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dtofficial
The Embassy - C'est la vie, c'est embassy (video)
Via Discobelle, here's something new from The Embassy: http://vimeo.com/8701563
Linda Ström from Cookies'n'Beans to release solo record
Linda Ström from Cookies'n'Beans is going solo and will be releasing her album "Utan skyddsnät, utan gud" on February 10. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lindastroem
Drowned in Sound's favorite Nordic releases of 2009
Drowned in Sound list their top 10 favorite Nordic albums of 2009: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4138867-the-view-from-the-north--ten-nordic-releases-from-2009
New album from The Goner out now
2008 IAT favorites The Goner have just released a new record entitled "Behold a new traveller" via . Listen to a sample tune and get more details here: http://www.dwacres.com/node/2477
I played that track a few times in a row last night and am eagerly awaiting the chance to hear more.
New music from Anna von Hausswolff
artist Anna von Hausswolff has posted a couple new tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/vonhausswolff
Her new 2x7" release "Track of time" comes out February 5.
New Regulations tracks now streaming
are streaming a whole slew of new tracks from the upcoming Regulations LP "To be me": http://www.myspace.com/derangedrecords
Skrammel announces Ignatius/The Nature split
, the new label founded by Makabert Fynd vocalist Mattis Ruwe, has announced that they will be releasing a split 7" featuring Ignatius and The Nature. Follow their top friends links at myspace for samples.
This week's Last.fm chart
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Håkan Hellström
02. El Perro del Mar
03. The Bear Quartet
04. jj
05. Jens Lekman
06. Beach House
07. Hot Chip
08. Kent
09. Midlake
10. Yeasayer
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Karin Ström - Hackney Downs (video)
The video for the new Karin Ström single "Hackney downs" is now on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw3LgnM6AfM
New Found Land
We all die
Fixe Records
It's not the modest aesthetic of "We all die" that bothers me -- in fact, at times it's starkly beautiful -- it's more the anonymous approach that New Found Land employs to achieve it. First, Anna Roxenholt's vocals -- the obvious centerpiece of the album -- are hampered by an Aryan lilt that too closely matches her female superiors. Normally, that would be a compliment, but despite her best imitations, her wintry tones cannot carry the hackneyed minimalia of Karl Krook's guitar. Absent here are the petulant flourishes that buttress Lykke Li's sparser arrangements, or the intimate effervescence of Hello Saferide's empty-room canvas. Second, though "We all die" is focused in its attempt to create a certain atmosphere, I remain unconvinced by their tired glockenspiel-and-acoustics palette, a palette that's beginning to plague the whole of Nordic lo-fi. In fact, "We all die"'s the best moments are the subtle departures from these lo-fi doldrums, like the rollicking "Come to me" and the upbeat end of "All the nights". Ultimately, I could decry the unremarkable filler of Krook's backup vocals, or irrationally complain that a young songstress with the sultry voice of winter has yet to approximate the hallowed of Sweden's indie scene. But after repeated listens, I've found a certain solace in "We all die", an unmistakable beauty that seems to well up from its very core, spilling out onto the austere repetition of "I would, I would, I would" on "In colour", and tempering the melismatic "My love, my love" on "Come to me". Despite the shortcomings, it's these fleeting moments of sublime beauty that assure me: New Found Land has the perfection of their bedroom aesthetic in their sights. I'll ignore the impurities and wait for the follow-up.
- Nathan Keegan
Two new tracks from The Eight Arms Around You
The Eight Arms Around You are streaming two new pre-production demos at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theeightarmsaroundyou
Pitchfork review Lindstrøm, jj
Pitchfork reviews the Lindstrøm & Christabelle collaboration "Real life is no cool": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13848-real-life-is-no-cool/
Also at Pitchfork, a surprisingly downbeat track review for jj: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11720-let-go/