Till grammisjuryn 2009:
Tack men nej tack, vi avsäger oss nomineringen, vi vill inte ha med Er att göra. Hoppas Ni respekterar detta. Vi tycker att en ursäkt vore på sin plats. Säg förlåt.
Vänligen,
The Bear Quartet
In case you missed it, The Bear Quartet were nominated for a Swedish Grammy and they have refused the "honor", issuing the statement above (translation here). It's not like it's the first time, so yeah, I'm not surprised. Still Sweden's best indie act and also the most contrary. Anyhow, it's not as if the prospect of BQ going up against the likes of Takida and Europe isn't ridiculous enough by itself, it hardly matters because you know that fucking Kent will win everything, whether you think they deserve it or not (I still haven't heard "Röd"; I'm sure it's fine, but I just don't care). So they are stepping aside and good for them. The Bear Quartet continues to do as they see fit.
On a similar token, the band has another new EP on the way to accompany the album "89" and of course it bares their willfully difficult streak. The song is "Carry your weight" and the EP comes with 3 b-side versions: a killer Spaghetti Western remix from Strange Maps aka Petter Granberg of Park Hotell, a psyched-out take by Malmö-based experimental artist VED and most importantly, the version I give to you today as performed by Finnish cult artist M.A. Numminen (performed together with longtime collaborator Pedro Hietanen on accordion). I can't remember where exactly I first heard of Numminen, but his intentionally annoying weirdness is a perfect match for BQ and yet another example of the band doing their best to aggravate their fans. Personally, I think it's hilarious, even if it's pure novelty. But most importantly, it makes perfect sense. The "Carry your weight" EP comes out December 11, the same day as The Bear Quartet's final concert of the year in their hometown Luleå where they will perform songs from "89" for the very last time.
M.A. Numminen - Carry your weight (The Bear Quartet cover)
Twiggy Frostbite has recorded a cover of the Tom Waits song "Little drop of poison" on the occasion of his 60th birthday on December 7, which also just happens to be the UK release of their album "Through fire" (which includes said track as a bonus). Listen at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oevml4oc2VI
has announced that Yamon Yamon's debut album "This wilderlessness" will be released on January 27 in Sweden, January 29 in Europe. Download the first single "The darker place" plus b-side "You are so clothes to my heart" over at Bandcamp: http://yamonyamon.bandcamp.com/
Isobel & November sent me an mp3 from their new album "The ghostwater gospel" and I'm happy to pass it along, not just because they're a good band, but because the track confounds my expectations. Judging by the demo stuff they had been posting I had expected a competent 16 Horsepower/Woven Hand knockoff which is fine because they never seemed to bite them too hard and frankly, those are bands we could use more copies of (though I'd say they broke the mold when they made David Eugene Edwards). Anyhow, like I said, modest expectations -- definitely not expecting a cavernous 15-minute epic. How big was the church they recorded in anyway? The video above doesn't really give us a good view of the complete space, but I expected a tiny Swedish farmhouse church. Y'know, like "Winter Light" sized. Moderate and Lutheran, not Catholic and booming. And the comparison acts I listed above, they are merely starting point; Isobel & November definitely veer off into their own thing on this one. That base is vital though, this would be nothing without that glory and grandeur, those two star qualities that can sometimes make rock music seem transcendent. Now I know I gotta hear the rest of the record.
01. Thåström - Be-bop-a-lula hela jävla dan (1989-2009)
02. Kent - Röd
03. Carola - Christmas in Bethlehem
04. Jill Johnson - Music row II
05. Jessica Andersson - Wake up
06. Amanda Jenssen - Happyland
07. Lotta Engberg - Jul hos mig
08. Streaplers - Eett år i taget
09. stefan Sundström - Ingenting har hänt
10. Jessica Andersson - Wake up
11. Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig
12. Martin Stenmarck - Septemberland
13. Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen
14. Sanna, Shirley, Sonja - Our Christmas
15. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Samling
16. Amy Diamond - Swings and roundabouts
17. Takida - The darker instinct
18. Hellfueled - Emission of sins
19. Sofia Karlsson - Det allra bästa 1999-2009
20. Peter Lemarc - Klassiker
Here you go, the (almost) full list of nominees for the 2010 Swedish Grammis:
Album: A Camp - Colonia Agnes - Dace love pop - The love love love edition Amanda Jenssen - Happyland Caroline af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen Erik Hassle - Hassle Kent - Röd Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen Mando Diao - Give me fire! Takida - The darker instinct Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
Folk music/ballad: Cajsastina Åkerström - Sånger om dej och mej Esbjörn Hazelius - Blunda och du ska få se Miriam Aida - Letras ao Brasil Olle Adolphson - Tystnaden smyger som en katt... 1956-2004 Sofia Jannok - Åssogáttis - By the embers Sofia Karlsson - Den allra båsta (1999-2009) Sofia Karlsson - Söder om kärleken Stefan Sundström - Ingenting har hänt Taken By Trees - East of Eden Väsen - Väsen Street
Hard rock: Candlemass - Death magic doom Crucified Barbara - 'Til death do us party Dead By April - Dead By April Hammerfall - No sacrifice, no victory Hardcore Superstar - Beg for it Lillasyster - Det här är inte musik, det här är kärlek Mustasch - Mustasch Raised Fist - Veil of ignorance Renegade Five - Undergrounded universe Wolf - Ravenous
Jazz: Alice Babs - As time goes by Bengt Berger - Beches brew Georg Wadenius/Arild Jensen - Jul på Svenska Jan Lundgren Trio - European standards Jeanette Lindström - Attitude and orbit control Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - The half naked truth Lina Nyberg - The snow Lisa Ekdahl - Give me that slow knowing smile Magnus Lindgren - Batucada jazz Trummor & Orgel - Visions
Club/Hip-hop: Andreas Tilliander - Show J-Son - Never half stepping Ken Ring - Hip hop Lorentz & M Sakarias - Vi mot världen Mange Schmidt - Odenplan Stockholm 1988 Maskinen - Boys II men Mohammed Ali - Processen Näääk - Näääk vem? Promoe - Kråksången Swingfly - God bless the IRS
Composer: Amanda Jenssen & Pär Wiksten - Happyland Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen Christian Walz - The corner Deportees - Under the pavement - the beach El Perro Del Mar - Love is not pop Joakim Berg & Martin Sköld (Kent) - Röd Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen Nina Persson, Niclas Frisk, Nathan Larsson (A Camp) - Colonia Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
Female artist: Agnes - Dace love pop - The love love love edition Amanda Jenssen - Happyland Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen Caroline af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen Jenny Wilson - Hardships! Laleh - Me and Simon Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig Miss Li - Dancing the whole way home Pernilla Andersson - Ashbury apples Sarah Dawn Finer - Moving on
Male artist: Christian Walz - The corner Erik Hassle - Hassle Freddie Wadling - The dark flower (Den mörka blomman) John Me - I am John Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen Markus Krunegård - Lev som en gris dö som en hund Olle Ljungström - Sju Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut Thåström - Kärlek är för dom Tingsek - Restless soul
Newcomer: Adiam Dymott - Adiam Dymott Dead By April - Dead By April Erik Hassle - Hassle John Me - I am John Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen Larz Kristerz - Hem till dig Lorentz & M.Sakarias - Vi mot världen Maskinen - Boys II men Miike Snow - Miike Snow Name The Pet - Name the Pet
Pop: A Camp - Colonia Asha Ali - Hurricane BWO - Big science Calaisa - Grafton Street El Perro Del Mar - Love is not pop Fibes, Oh Fibes! - 1987 Jill Johnson - Music row II Melody Club - Goodbye to romance Miike Snow - Miike Snow Peter Bjorn And John - Living thing
Producer: A Camp - Colonia Amanda Jenssen & Pär Wiksten - Happyland Bloodshy & Avant (Miike Snow) - Miike Snow El Perro Del Mar & Rasmus Hägg - Love is not pop Goran Kajfes (Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet) - Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet Jenny Wilson - Hardships! Kent & Joshua - Röd Laleh - Me and Simon Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut Thomas Rusiak (Adiam Dymott) - Adiam Dymott
Rock: [Ingenting] - Tomhet, idel tomhet Bob Hund - Folkmusik för folk som inte kan bete sig som folk Deportees - Under the pavement - the beach Dundertåget - Skaffa ny frisyr Europe - Last look at Eden Florence Valentin - Spring Ricco Kent - Röd Mando Diao - Give me fire! Takida - The darker instinct The Bear Quartet - 89
Lyrics: Amanda Jenssen - Happyland Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen Caroline af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen El Perro Del Mar - Love is not pop Joakim Berg (Kent) - Röd Laleh - Me and Simon Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen Louise Hoffsten/Peter Lemarc - På andra siden vättern Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
Here's the new video for the Name the Pet single "American boys": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hudOo_PRG7g
Apparently her album is also out now in the US via , but I haven't heard a peep about it. Can't say I've seen much Swedish press either.
The nominees for the Swedish Grammis have been announced: http://www.grammis.se/
I'd copy and paste the list for you, but the website is one of the worst flash disasters I've seen in years.
The Bombhappies will be heading off to the legendary Silence Studios in Koppom, Sweden next week to begin work on their next album, which of course is way out in the boonies of Värmland. Expect a summer 2010 release, assuming all goes according to plan.