The tracks on the new Sophie Rimheden album with all the guest spots from Sweden's current crop of "hot" rappers (Adam Tensta, Form One, Aaron Phiri, etc.) only serve to distract from the better tracks on the album that are all her own. Actually, that's not 100% true as the lead single "Go away" is dece, but I really do like her own solo tracks best. Case in point: "Happy". Fun like a carnival, sharp like cheddar and, uh, infectious like a cold. Or something like that. Anyhow, it does what it needs to do which is attempt to reinforce Rimheden's place as Sweden's reigning electropop queen. A couple years ago she had that honor down solid, these days competition is fierce - Firefox AK and Karin Ström ain't no slouches. Watch your back!
Sophie Rimheden - Happy
National (Miss Li, The Tarantula Waltz) has announced the signing of young Swedish duo Little Marbles. Look for their debut single "Tappa solen i backen" to be released, but in the meantime, hear samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/littlemarbles
10
"Döda fallet" received mixed reviews in Sweden upon its release. Expressen (one of Sweden's biggest newspapers) gave it the rating two out of five and called it "unimaginative" and "colourless". Most of the reviewers seem to have liked Vapnet's previous album "Jag vet hur man väntar", but then failed to be impressed by "Döda fallet". This was my initial reaction too, I just couldn't get into the album and it kind of bummed me out since their previous releases are like children to me. But then after I've listened to it for a week, I came to realise that I really loved it (it was like slow and repetitive hypnotism). When I told a friend in Sweden about how great I think the album is, he turned up his nose and told me that "in Sweden only fourteen year old girls listen to Vapnet" (ouch!). I don't know what the general consensus is, but it's a shame that Vapnet aren't bigger than what they actually are in their native Sweden, since they're one of the best bands to surface in the last few years. "Döda fallet" contains a bunch of slower songs and quite a few poppy ones, and they're all brilliant with ace melodies. After I'd decided to give the album the above rating I made myself listen through it once more, just to see if there were any crap songs on it that I'd miss, but there weren't any. They're all top notch! I'm very relieved and glad to be able to say that Vapnet with "Döda fallet" are even better than before (and I feel sorry for above mentioned friend and all the other people who fail to see their greatness).
- Simon Tagestam
El Perro Del Mar and Lykke Li will play the UK in June:
06/02 - Night and Day, Manchester
06/03 - Hi-Fi Club, Leeds
06/06 - Prince Albert, Brighton
06/07 - Stealth, Nottingham
06/08 - King Tut's, Glasgow
06/10 - Jericho Tavern, Oxford
06/11 - ICA, London
Check out an e-card for the new Opeth album "Watershed": http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/watershed/
Swedish rapper Chords has a new website: http://www.chords.se/
I-Ration Records is offering up the new single "War times dub" from Swedish act Finn The Giant as a free download: http://www.i-ration.se/?p=netrelease
Swedish lounge-metal act Hellsongs have licensed their album "Hymns in the key of 666" for release in Japan on May 26 via Village Again Records.
I Scream Ice Cream, the solo act of Jesper Mortensen aka Junior from Junior Senior, will release his debut album "Me too" on May 26. The first single "Trust tissue" is out to radio now.
More new music from Cato up at Adrian Recordings today: http://www.adrianrecordings.com/default.asp?newsid=181
As mentioned before, ARC will be releasing new music from this mysterious artist every Wednesday through 'till April 1, 2009.
Enigmatic Swedish label Rico (Nicolas Makelberge) has two new releases from Hwasser on the way. Go to their website for a preview: http://www.ricorico.se/
UPDATE: It appears that I was premature with this news as the release was not supposed to be made public just yet. Says the label: "Information regarding Hwasser will be presented on www.ricorico.se when the time is right."
MIC Norway profiles skronk act Scorch Trio and their new album "Brolt!": http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008043017054678581826
Normally I'm not too big on guitar-based jazz, but I dig these guys quite a bit.
All About Jazz profiles Norwegian label Smalltown Superjazzz, the (free-)jazz imprint of Smalltown Supersound: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=28903
Check out the new video for "A kiss hello" from Norwegian act Pirate Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLbxXGIDuT0
Vapnet