Posted today: Lars Garvey's second edition of his "Stockholm Perspectives" series highlighting up-and-coming young acts from Sweden's capitol city. The subject this time: New Decade. Check it out!
Lykke Li
Youth novels
LL Recordings
Before I listened to this album, I'd heard about three Lykke Li songs. Those tracks were all catchy and fantastic with great melodies, so I naturally expected her album to be more of the same. What a surprise I was in for! The album consists of a bunch of songs like those I've previously heard, but then there's a whole weirdness thing going on, a bit like Björk or perhaps more similar to those sounds Tom Waits has made his own. The album's quite spooky, and it's got a factory feel to it. The juxtaposition of spookiness with melodic choruses and such poppy devices such as handclaps work very well though. Li is the fortunate owner of a marvellous voice and on the slower tracks it reminds me of Stina Nordenstam. The parts I'm not particularly fond of are the ones where she talks more than sings, but even those ones manage to create an intimate atmosphere that draws you in. This album surprised me, but even though I'd accept twelve "Little bit"s with open arms, the songs on "Youth novels" make for a strong, interesting and intriguing debut album that incorporates many interesting elements without solely relying on them.
- Simon Tagestam
Swedish crusties Uncurbed will tour Italy in May to support the release of their new album on Italian label Agipunk Records. Full dates tbc.
Finnish industrial/darkwave label Some Place Else is launching a new digital download series: http://www.someplaceelse.net/current/2008/01/27/digital-download-series/
The first three releases are all long out-of-print short-run works from label boss Niko Skorpio including "Tower of silence", "Book of flies" and "To give light to that which is without".
Smalltown Superjazzz will be releasing a new boxset from jazz collective The Thing entitled "Now and forever" which will feature their first two out-of-print albums "The Thing" and "She says" plus a new improv session on an additional CD. There will also be a live DVD with a show recorded at Øya Festival featuring special guest Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth. Limited to 2000 copies, release date tba soon.
Watch the video for Hästpojken's new single "Caligula": http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=26900814
Swedish electronica artist and X-Dump Collective member Paza Rahm has a new CD out. Preview the entire thing at this microsite: http://gummiband.x-dump.com/
Norwegian indie act The Jessica Fletchers are doing a bunch of gigs around Austria in April:
04/03 - Rockhouse, Salzburg (AUS)
04/04 - Spielboden, Dornbirn (AUS)
04/05 - Höller, Spik Live, St. Peter / Wimberg (AUS)
04/06 - Kultna Scena, Varazdin (CRO)
04/09 - Flex, Wien (AUS)
04/16 - PPC, Graz (AUS)
04/17 - PMK Bögen, Innsbruck (AUS)
04/18 - Pankraz, Klagenfurt (AUS)
04/19 - Sublime, Aflenz (AUS)
Looptroop's new album "Good things" is done and ready to be mastered. No confirmed release date yet, but I'll keep you informed.
Kitty Litter Records has launched a new netlabel and their first release is a two-track single from Alvy Singer which includes a Tough Alliance remix: http://www.kittylittermp3.se/
The Bell was Spin's band of the day on Friday: http://www.spin.com/features/band_of_the_day/2008/01/080125_the_bell
Dead Frog Records has announced the signed of Neo Cartoon Lover, the duo of DJ/producer Marcus Ekholm and vocalist Henrik Berg. Look for the album "Input output" to be released this spring.
Adrian Recordings artists Boeoes Kaelstigen have posted their "Microsiervert" remix of the track "I swear" by labelmates Printer for free download: http://www.zshare.net/audio/6967612caffc6f/
Said track will be featured on the latter group's forthcoming international release, due out in February.