Marit Bergman's latest single "Were you ever really mine" is now streaming on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/maritbergman
MP3: Bonnie & Clyde - I guess there's no one
It's Saturday, the final day of Hultsfred, but I won't let that stop me from posting a new entry in our Göteborg Spotlight Series. This week's guest: Erik Londré from Bonnie & Clyde and The Spurts.
First off, the standard question: how long have you lived in Gbg? Where did you move from and what keeps you there?
I have lived in Gothenburg all my life except for short stints as a chef in France and a mod in London. Now I got myself so tangled up in everything it would be impossible for me to move or even take a vacation. At least that's how it feels like.
I play bass with Bonnie & Clyde and The Spurts. I run my own managing company No Good Productions who take care of both my bands as well as the best band in the world; Ram Di Dam. I organise club nights and gigs under the name No Good Club. Now I'm planning on starting a record label as well that would be called No Good Records surprisingly enough.
I tend to keep busy.
How healthy do you think the local Gbg indie scene is nowadays? Good bands? Good venues? Is there enough diversity? How do you think it compares to the scene of 5/10+ years ago?
The Gbg indie scene in is dead! Long live the Gbg indie scene!
It's brilliant right now and it's getting better! There is a new scene on the rise with a couple of bands that I'm pretty sure will make it big. Bands without any ironic touch, silly gimmicks or iPods on stage. Bands that really know how to play and write fantastic music: The Fume, Bye Bye Bicycle, Ram Di Dam and I really hope for B&C and The Spurts as well of course.
There you got it! Gothenburg's soon-to-be legendary new indie scene. Remember where you heard it first!
Speaking of diversity, how much crossover do you see happening between various music scenes? Or does everyone stick to their own niche, more or less?
Well, basically none. It might sound harsh, but right now we are not so interested in what's happening on the other scenes around the city or anywhere else. We are to busy doing our thing. Or inventing it more or less.
What does Gbg have to offer that no other Swedish city can compete with? On the flipside, is there anything it lacks?
My father, who is musician as well, has written a song where the lyrics, translated from Swedish, go: This town is too small to live in but much too big to leave. Thats pretty much how it is and not even Henrik Berggren could have said it better.
We love our city as much as we hate it. It feeds us as much as it feeds on us. It's not always a healthy relationship but we like it that way.
Since you play in both the Spurts and Bonnie & Clyde, this may be difficult, but here's the deal: pick a favorite, give me a song to post and tell me how you came to your decision.
Bonnie & Clyde - I guess there's no one
It's the first track on our brand new EP ("The great tram robbery") and I'm really proud to be a part of it because I think its a great song. We had our release party yesterday (7/6), it was fantastic! Lots of sparkling wine!
Right now I am waiting for the painkiller to kick in so I can go buy some breakfast. I hope I made my point?
Bonnie & Clyde - I guess there's no one
Pitchfork reviews Lukestar and Truls and the Trees: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/51003-lake-toba-ailanthus
Too bad they got it mixed up; I still think that Lukestar album is one of 2008's best releases. Truls and the Trees, not so much.
Malmö-based act Garmisch (nee Garmisch Partenkirchen) has a new website where they've posted a few new tracks for free download along with their old EPs from the GoJukebox netlabel: http://www.garmisch.se/
More media coverage of my current trip to Sweden: http://www.metro.se/se/article/2008/06/12/21/5054-45/index.xml
September Malevolence
After this darkness, there's a next
A Tenderversion Recording
Listening to "...accidents happen so fast", I can't help but wonder at how brilliant an Aerial and September Malevolence show would be. The two acts share a lot in common, but as both bands are within the post-rock genre, there's plenty of terrain to be explored without encroaching too terribly into another's territory. September Malevolence lean more towards an organic examination -- "A notion, I can't shake...", which sets the scene for "...accidents happen so fast", is almost entirely an acoustic number, lacking any of the post-rock beauty that explodes into being with "...accidents"; and "Brandskär" is a gorgeous piano interlude. The group also maintains a beautiful optimism throughout their work, much like Explosions in the Sky, not stumbling down darker, more melancholy avenues such as contemporaries Aerial and Mogwai. Even "I shut doors and windows", which feels like it might succumb to the shadows never quite allows itself to drown, teetering precariously on the edge at times, but never falling. "After this darkness, there's a next" is a gorgeous album, definitely already a contender for high placement in my Best of 2008 list.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Division of Laura Lee is now signed to I Made This and will be releasing their new album "Violence is timeless" on October 29. More info very, very soon (official press release goes out Monday, or so I'm told).
UPDATE: the limited-edition vinyl and iPod come out August 15 with the CD version (+2 bonus tracks) on October 29. See here: http://www.violenceistimeless.com/
Artpunks Knife and Ape are now working with new label Moptaco Dics. No idea when a new record will be out, but they are apparently working on a video for the track "Sexual tension" this weekend.
Swedish indierockers The Idle Hands are back with a new EP after some lineup changes and are offering a few tracks for streaming/download at Virb: http://www.virb.com/theidlehands
Juvelen will be hanging out in NYC later this month and will manage to squeeze in a few shows while he's here:
06/21 - Mercury Lounge
06/28 - Rockwood Music Hall
06/30 - The Annex
07/01 - Rehab
I know the idea of a dude playing guitar and strutting around to iPod backing tracks might not sound all that hot, but trust me, he really does put on a great show.
Check out a video of Swedish act Surrounded performing an alternate version of the song "Bolder acrobat" live in the studio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKzDMZzTnUM
MP3: Mist - Subjective love song
Leaving for Hultsfred today from Stockholm - be sure to check the msgboard for updates.
Jeff Buckley comparisons are so rarely applied to female vocalists even though they are much more capable of scaling the heights he achieved. Gbg-based act Mist earns the label, not just for the light and airy vocals of frontwoman Martha Brauer, but also because they get the music right as well. A little quirky, a little funky, with a touch of jazz and very pop in the end. It's been done enough now by other Buckley wannabees such as Belgium's Arid, but I think this is the first time I've heard it with a female touch and I have to say that I really enjoy it. It does sometimes push the boundaries of histrionics and they definitely lose me the more they lean on the soul/funk tip (see "My baby blue"), but tracks like "Subjective love song" are nothing but nice. All in all, a very pleasant surprise.
Mist - Subjective love song
Hi, I am currently being filmed by SVT and they want me to type something, so that's what I'm doing. Blogging is good times serious business, isn't it? Wait and see if this makes it onto Kultur Nyheterna when it airs.
UPDATE: The program airs tonight (6/11) at 7pm on SVT2 and again at 11 on SVT1. It is now available on-demand: http://svt.se/svt/play/video.jsp?a=73785 (advance about 10 minutes in)
Jettie
Kites for charity
Kasual Recordings/Eyeball Records
"Lush" appears to be my word of the month, but I can't find a better one for Jettie's newest effort. "Start/stop" is our introduction to "Kites for charity", and the composition exemplifies what Jettie are capable of at the top of their game: a driving, thickly melodic journey laden with warm synths, delay-heavy guitars, and a splendid voice settling perfectly into the mix. The energy of "Start/stop" is succinctly kept up by the following tracks, enamoring the listener even further with the act's capabilities and wondrous control of augmented pop melodies. Where previous album "Heading for mornings" had its beautiful, slower compositions, "Kites for charity" revels in its ability to keep a resilience in more up-tempo works, measuring itself only occasionally -- most notably in the gorgeously placid "Carraria Via", but the album quickly regains tempo with the following track, "The sky over Santa Rosa". Overall, "Kites for charity" is exactly what we've come to expect from Jettie -- layered, beautiful Scandinavian pop music with as much brains as it has heart.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
MP3: Pretty Whores of Manhattan - I hate the disco
File this one under 'trying too hard', as if it wasn't already self-evident from the name Pretty Whores of Manhattan. Still, it's hard to really find fault with these kids even if their brand of punk-rock is more fashion than passion, after all, they are just out of high school. They've got the chops, but the attitude is overblown and stunted by misogyny. Way more Hardcore Superstar than actual hardcore, y'know? Which is not to say their frustration and anger isn't real, it just comes off as misdirected and contrived. Focus, people! Work it out!
Pretty Whores of Manhattan - I hate the disco