Check out the new video for "Can I" from Swedish rap artist Henok Achido: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apePZsrVnCo
The Silent Ballet reviews the new album "Celebrating life" from Icelandic artist Borko: http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1302/Default.aspx
OT: I already knew it, but now Swedish scientists have confirmed it- drummers are smarter than the average bloke: http://www.thelocal.se/11186/20080417/
PopMatters on the US debut of Norwegian AOR act Big Bang: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/big-bang-wild-bird/
Hey look, a new official video for the Lykke Li single "I'm good, I'm gone": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngd45o-M_M4
I'm still kinda so-so on her record as a whole, but this song is great.
Musique Machine reviews the new release "DFX" from prolific Swedish noise/experimental act The Skull Defekts, out now via Cut Hands and limited to 100 copies: http://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1698
Danish singer/songwriter-focused label Songcrafter Music (Tobias Stenkjær, Amalie Riis, CS Nielsen) has signed a new agreement with Rootsy in Sweden to arrange for full European distribution.
The new Lindstrøm album "Where you go I go too" is now confirmed for release on August 18 via Smalltown Supersound/Feedelity.
Danish artist A Kid Hereafter will be putting together a special "Symphony" performance for this year's Roskilde Festival featuring help from Jakob Skjoldborg of Windemere plus guest vocal spots from fellow Danes Lise Westzynthius, Jacob Bellens and Marie Key. Read more: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=57510878&blogID=380768246
Check out a Digfi session (interview + 2 songs) featuring Umeå-based artist Cocoanut Groove: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=11745
Swedish act Emerald Park will contribute the song "A higher loss" to a new compilation coming out May 27 on US label 272 Records entitled "Riot on sunset". They'll also have the track "Lights of Sunday" included on the label's "Acoustica 11" comp, due out June 10. In other news, German label AF-Music will release the aforementioned "A higher loss" as a digital single on May 23, making it available at many mp3 retailers worldwide.
The Confusions have a new video for "The plan" as directed by Örjan Markusson: http://www.vimeo.com/846228
MP3: Lögnhalsmottagningen - Snacka gär ju
I tried to tip you off on Lögnhalsmottagningen back in late February on one of my MyFriends posts, but now that their debut 7" "Öron näsa EP" is out, it's time to pay them another visit. The improbable duo features Stewart Anderson from Boyracer laying down the tracks at home in Flagstaff, AZ and then shipping 'em off to Sweden (figuratively, I presume) for Martin Cannert from The Faintest Ideas/Javelins to lay down vocals. However, if you were expecting twee indiepop akin to those dude's other bands, this may disappoint as the true purpose of this project is to revisit the frantic sound of early 80s Swedish punk, both in song and fidelity. Martin sounds shrill and out of breath as he tries to keep up and the band doesn't fare much better - if I didn't know that this was one guy laying everything down via multitrack, I'd imagine the drummer setting the tempo and setting off with everyone else trying to hold on for dear life. And the recording? Harsh perfection, just like all the old, faceless 7"s I used to pick up before home studios could match pro audio quality. It's trebly and annoying, but that's exactly the point; give it a few listens, you might start to like it too. 7 songs in 8 minutes, so not quite a total rager, but close enough. Now let's just hope this isn't some one-off thing.
Lögnhalsmottagningen - Snacka gär ju
The Social Services, one of my favorite new Swedish pop acts, has signed with UK-based label Stereo Test Kit (Dear Euphoria, Band in Box, Audrey, etc.). Look for their debut single in July with a full-length album to follow in August.
Jan Johansson
Piano
Heptagon
This is a collection of piano works from the late, great Jan Johansson. Spanning 1960 to 1968 the works go from straight bop to post-bop while touching on the free jazz that began to emerge during the period. Johansson's melodic playing is particularly of note, as he goes from slow bop to free improvisation with almost the same melodic ease. While there are a few flow problems with the collection, which is understandable, it removes something from the overall enjoyment of the whole record. Being totally ignorant of Johansson before, I thought this was a great introduction to a mostly unknown jazz great on these shores and that it compels me to investigate more. Perhaps the most interesting songs on here are Johansson's exploration of Swedish folk songs in jazz contexts, which are simply awesome for the ignorants like me. Definitely a record to consider if you are Johansson fans as well as curious bebop, post-bop and hard-bop enthusiasts.
- Simon Thibaudeau
