The Drawbacks streaming new EP
Swedish indie/powerpop act The Drawbacks have a new 4-song EP streaming at myspace called "There are no brand new starts": http://www.myspace.com/wearethedrawbacks
Country: Sweden
Thomas Denver Jonsson - Svalbard
Thomas Denver Jonsson is streaming a new track at myspace from his forthcoming album "Arctic": http://www.myspace.com/thomasdenverjonsson
Agent Side Grinder
Irish recording tape
Enfant Terrible
This is one of a duo of albums released simultaneously by the Swedish new wave minimalists and it adheres to more conventional song structures than its companion "The transatlantic tape project". The album is firmly ensconced in the retro cyber-punk quirkiness of the 1980s and, through its idiosyncratic outlook, finds its niche in the Krautrock movement. There's plenty on offer here, from the uneasy industrial catatonia of opener "Pulse" to the pop-pogo beats of "Die to live" to the abstract happiness of "Eyes of the old". It's littered with a Cold War clinicism that keeps the album rooted in that era despite the fact that the world-at-large is years ahead of that age (or so we're led to believe). The likes of "The screams" and "Telefunk" wouldn't sound out of place on an early John Carpenter soundtrack (if the vocals were removed) and that's an added bonus in my book. I'll not say that Agent Side Grinder are doing anything new when it comes to a genre known for its penchant for innovation, but the fact that they've stripped things right back to their roots -- that they sound authentically old-school -- may well be their own form of experimentation. Far from unique but, surely, that's the point.
- John Norby
MP3: Björn Kleinhenz - Fårö
All we long for / is blissful living
Come hear the clarity / Of our whistling
The final track of Björn Kleinhenz's excellent "B.U.R.M.A." album, a succint examination of his time spent on the namesake island and also, in my opinion, one of the more beautiful songs I've heard this year. As I touched on in my top 10 list, Björn is a prolific songwriter of consistently high quality, but he far exceeded all expectations with the two albums he released this year and I couldn't be happier for him. I'm proud to be a supporter.
Björn Kleinhenz - Fårö
Avner - Besatt / Bed för mig (kjj edit)
There's a new Avner/jj video/remix thing at : http://www.sincerelyyours.se/video/yours0125.html
Also check out the new Avner video for "Besatt": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTY2ebXYqbQ
Project Hopeless is over
Project Hopeless are being laid to rest and will play their final show at Malmö Punkfest on January 29: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=62987085&blogId=523026978
Presenting: TOW (ex-Breach)
Ex-Breach vocalist Tomas Liljedahl has a new band: http://www.myspace.com/theoldwind
Viktor Sjöberg - Gläns över sjö och strand
The always-impressive Viktor Sjöberg has recorded a cover of his favorite Christmas evergreen "Gläns över sjö och strand" and is giving it away as a present: http://elefanten.blogspot.com/2009/12/god-jul.html
LoveIsNotMyOnlyCrime - The first time
LoveIsNotMyOnlyCrime are giving away a new track via Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/loveisnotmyonlycrime/01-the-first-time
Graveyard to release split 7" with Ancestors
Swedish hard-rockers Graveyard will be featured on a split 7" with Ancestors to be released via Volcom Records as part of their singles club: http://www.volcoment.com/ecom/details.asp?cid=8&sid=&pid=527
Their side will feature a live version of the song "As the years pass by, the hours bend".
Samuraj Citites - So sorry, so sorry, so sorry (video)
Samuraj Cities have a video for the song "So sorry, so sorry, so sorry": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykH2Obad7xg
New Kristofer Åström EP now streaming
Kristofer Åström is now streaming every track from his new "When her eyes turn blue" EP at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kastrom
And yes, I'm stoked to hear that "No government" is indeed a TST cover!
MP3: Isolation Years - Melting minds
Winter is here, but yes, the days are indeed getting longer. It's a bittersweet feeling, just like this song.
Isolation Years - Melting minds
Dansdepartementet reunion at Popadelica
Swedish postpunk act Dansdepartementet will reunite for a performance at the music fest Popadelica which happens on May 1 in Huskvarna Folkets Park.