Check out Swedish artist Mats Lideborg performing the song "Your clown" featuring special guest Jonna Lee: http://www.myspace.com/yourwednesday
Swedish rockers Industri Royal are giving away their new single "Location location location" as a free download: http://www.industriroyal.com/
All the various remixes for the new Robyn single "Who's that girl" are streaming at myspace in a mashup: http://www.myspace.com/robynmyspace
Motorpsycho have revealed the tracklist for the new "Haircuts" DVD: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=52508595&blogID=385530998
MP3: Zeigeist - Bunny
Zeigeist will never be able to shake comparisons to The Knife, but they did kinda do it themselves by cleverly tacking the song "Tar heart" on early leaks of "Silent shout". And now, with the release of their debut full-length "The Jade Motel", they have a chance to really make a name for themselves and I think they've done an admiral job. Lead single "Bunny" is bouncy electro track, with a slight dark vibe that's far more Depeche Mode than The Knife, though of course the vocal timbres are far similar to the latter. On the other hand, Zeigeist is a far more extroverted act; their music, their style is very showy and well-suited for the stage. The Knife are introverts to the nth degree - they've got their insular little world and as such, it's much harder to penetrate/understand/sympathize. I appreciate the immediacy of "Bunny". It withstands intellectual crtitique, but it's also very physical. "You just bare your skin I will show you bunny as I dance."
Zeigeist - Bunny
Aversionline gives a tip of the hat to Gbg-based hardcore act The Eight Arms Around You: http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2008/04/27/awesome-band-needs-label-the-eight-arms-around-you/
Here is the It's a Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Radiohead
02. Håkan Hellström
03. Jens Lekman
04. Portishead
05. Lykke Li
05. M83
07. Feist
08. Shout Out Louds
09. Hot Chip
10. José González
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/
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Peter Morén - This is what I came for
02. TALK 1
03. Entombed - Hollowman
04. King Of All The Animals - Concrete skyline
05. Jettie - The lay up
06. TALK 2
07. Happy Trash Culture - Frisky pet
08. Josse - You had a plan
09. Ondo - Sleep
10. TALK 3
11. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - This room seems empty without you
12. Håkan Hellström - För sent för edelweiss
13. Marvins Revolt - Deliberate deeds
14. Marybell Katastrophy - Hey Frank
15. TALK 4
16. The Bear Quartet - Mvh contempt
17. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Snacka gär ju
18. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
19. TALK 5
20. September Malevolence - I shut doors and windows
21. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
22. Anna Leong - Battered, bruised and cold
23. TALK 6
24. Bright Oak - On the list
25. Tape - Moth wings
26. Axewitch - Hot lady
27. TALK 7
28. Nationalteatern - Jack the Ripper
29. Tsukimono - Heart beater
30. Zeigeist - Bunny
31. TALK 8
32. First Floor Power - The jacket (Karin Dreijer remix)
33. No Hope for the Kids - Angels of destruction
34. Docenterna - Popmusik
35. Vapnet - Skorpan
36. TALK 9
37. Björn Kleinhenz - Olis
38. Fireside - Ambulance
39. Looptroop Rockers - Living on a prayer
40. TALK 10
Peter Morén + Tobias Fröberg
Live @ Mercury Lounge, NYC, 4/21/08
Having arrived with Mr. Fröberg's set about half over (and being unfamiliar with his music), I had to summate what he was all about from an approximate 15-window. I found his (what I saw) of his set to be enjoyable, most notably the song "She is becoming her mother again" off his new album. However, Peter Morén was soon onstage opening the set with "The last tycoon"'s centerpiece "This is what I came for". From there we were treated to a set comprised of songs from said album ("Le petit coeur", "Social competence") as well as songs from his day-job ("Goodbye, again or", "Paris 2004"). The energy was very high considering his debut's more mellow outlook, and the songs really took a new life that should cast any doubters in his favor. The real highlight though, after giving a back story about how he began his music career, was a barn-burning rendition of the Buddy Holly masterpiece "Oh boy" -- and I left with that sentiment.
- Matt Giordano
Hiawata!
Blacks on blondes EP
SellOut! Music
This light, energetic release from Hiawata! is nothing if not fun and to the point. Layered harmonies and a love of percussion are noticeable throughout, and the whole thing is over sooner than expected. The premature ending is a shame too, as the songs sparkle with personality and humor. Kicking off with the gentle and energetic "Love you like an animal", the "Blacks on blondes" EP plays darker lyrical themes with dismissive, upbeat sounds. With convincing vocals and a bluesy rock feel, it could form the basis of a soundtrack to a coming-of-age surf movie set in the 80s. "Shake it off" is the final and stand-out track of this entirely too-short EP, leaving you wondering what else these boys could do if they were only given the chance.
- Rhiannon Elston
MP3: Viktor Sjöberg and Jonas Lindgren - Guldheden
If I had the time or money to put together a new compilation, chances are high it would look awfully similar to Fang Bomb's "Gothenburg 08". The particular scene it explores is one of big reasons I started this weekly Gbg-spotlight series, so naturally I'm very excited to have the opportunity to talk to label-head Peter Ottosson about the comp, among other relevant subjects. Read on!
So you're putting out this new compilation, "Gothenburg 08" - what's the inspiration? What is it about the current scene that merits this sort of documentation?
The idea of putting together a compilation with only Gothenburg based artists, was initially born from a feeling I had about what is going on in the city, the sense of something great happening, a unique scene that deserved to be compiled and documented. It's been growing for a number of years now, with a lot of great artists, labels such as iDEAL, Kning Disk, Release The Bats, and ourselves, galleries and vital concert bookers. It feels like Gothenburg has risen again, in a way. The cultural climate now quite similar to what was going on 20 or 25 years ago. Free, experimental, deep.
And that takes us to were I went to complete the concept. To 1984 to be specific, when Radium 226.05 released a compilation LP entitled "Gothenburg 84". This is now a legendary record, showcasing the fresh talent connected to the Radium organization at that time. CM von Hausswolff was on it, and so were Jean-Louis Huhta, Zbigniew Karkowski and Freddie Wadling - all of whom today are busy people, well respected and regarded as pioneers also from a worldwide perspective.
My conviction is that the Gothenburg scene once again allows for such a manifestation. And that is what "Gothenburg 08" is supposed to be.
Of the musicians you have selected, what is it that they have in common, beyond their chosen city of residence? A sound? An attitude? Can you put a label on it?
There is a sound and there is an attitude. But there is not only one style – rather, I think there is a kind of "anything is possible" approach going on here, and that can be heard in most of the recordings on "Gothenburg 08". For instance, when Anders Dahl mixes bird sounds with elements of noise, it fits! This attitude creates some unique artists. I guess we could call that attitude "punk", if the word hadn't already been used too much.
The thing is, many of the artists know each other well and have done so for a long time. They have collaborated, released records on each others labels, toured together, performed together. That binds it all together, that is what creates the "scene".
A number of the artists you are working with are active in other artistic endeavors, such as the visual arts- how much connection do you see between these various forms? Do you think that it's important for them to remain connected or can they each coexist on their own?
Man, you ask some tough questions ... No, I don't think that is necessary, even if they do feed off each other. But the same message can be encoded into either one of these media, and Thomas Ekelund of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, who is also a skilled art director and graphic artist, might be the perfect example. He does most of his own artwork (I think all of it, from now on) and he is incredibly stringent, faithful to his concept to the end. What you hear in his music, you can also see in his graphic art.
One thing that troubles me about the experimental/noise music scene, is that it tends to be very male dominated. Do you find this to be the case in Gbg? What do think can be done to address it?
It is, just as everywhere else. Right now, from the top of my head and keeping the local perspective, I can really only think of one female artist that would fit your genre description - Variam, the solo/side project of Mariam Wallentin of Wildbirds & Peacedrums. And if we want to go a little bit softer, there's always Midaircondo.
I'm not sure what to do about the situation. I guess men are generally more into the nerdier aspects of life, and at least one part of the experimental music scene is synonymous to stamp collecting– hunting for still sealed Industrial Recordings releases from 1979, and brand new releases limited to 8 copies that you buy but never play, that sort of thing... Not that there's anything wrong with that, I do it too.
Also, I suspect that for as long as there are no, or very few, women at concerts, the male-to-female artist ratio will remain virtually unchanged. If something can be done, I'm not sure what it is. Maybe as the industrial iconography develops, a lesser amount of skulls would be a good idea?
Is there a particular song you would like to share, either from 84 or 08? Tell me about it.
It's hard to pick one song to represent the entire "Gothenburg 08" CD - it develops from soft to loud, from noise to dense drones to tracks that are almost "modern classical" in nature - so I've decided to just go with the first one. The track, composed and performed by Viktor Sjöberg and Jonas Lindgren, is entitled "Guldheden", which is also the name of one of the burroughs of Gothenburg. It's a solemn, beautiful piece and unintentionally, at least I assume it is unintentionally, it manages to connect with the very start of electronic and experimental music in Gothenburg, the muffled voices in the background being a reminder of Rune Lindblad's "Party" from 1953, the first ever recording by the city's earliest shining star in the world experimental music. Enjoy!
Viktor Sjöberg and Jonas Lindgren - Guldheden
Pitchfork reports that The Field's backing band was denied entry to the US, forcing them to cancel their West Coast tour: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/50215-the-fields-band-gear-denied-entry-to-us-tour-nixed
Zeigeist's new album "The Jade Motel" is currently streaming in its entirety at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thezeigeist
Danish techno/experimental/electronic label Rump Recordings has signed Svartbag and will be releasing their self-titled debut album on May 26. Hear samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/svartbag
New American dates for José González:
06/13 - Bonnaro Music Festival
06/14 - Headliners, Lousville, KY
06/15 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC
06/16 - The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
06/17 - Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
06/18 - Museaum of Fine Art, Boston, MA
06/20 - Teatro Estudio Cavaret, Guadalajara (MEX)
06/21 - Lunario, Mexico City (MEX)
06/23 - Stone Church, Newmarket, NH
06/24 - Higher Ground, Burlington VT
06/25 - 400 Anniversary Festival, Quebec City (CAN)
06/26 - St. Matthew's Church, Halifax (CAN)
06/27 - Casbah, Hamilton (CAN)
06/28 - Sled Island Fest, Calgary (CAN)
06/30 - The Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon (CAN)
07/02 - The Park Theatre, Winnipeg (CAN)
07/03 - Bluesfest, Ottawa (CAN)