German-based Scando-centric radio program '45minutes' has posted their top picks for 2005: http://www.pop-on-paper.de/03radio/charts.html
Finland's Kirlian Crossing has made another one of their "Acid test reels" available for free download: http://www.verdurarecords.com/kirliancrossing/acid.htm
Coalition Records will be releasing the picture-disc vinyl edition of JR Ewing's newest album "Maelstrom". It should be ready by February.
The latest issue of PlaybackSTL is online with a feature on the Shout Out Louds and the latest edition of IAT contributor Kevin Renick's "Norsecode" column: http://www.playbackstl.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1337&Itemid=38
Featured content includes reviews of Jomi Massage, Acid House Kings, Hera, Mum (reissue) and Plat as well as an interview with Iceland's Eberg.
Finland's 22-Pistepirkko is currently hard at work on the following:
01. 22-Pistepirkko re-releases with extra material
02. "Off Road Manual" DVD with loads of stuff
03. 22-Pistepirkko live album
If you have any live material (audio or video), the band would like to get a copy. Contact info is posted on their website: http://www.22-pistepirkko.net/
Swedish hip-hop site SVU is offering up a "best-of 2005" mixtape from Dj Akilles: http://www.svenskunderjord.com/default.asp?utbrytning=sant&url=/visaArtiklar.asp&QS=id=340&sortera=senaste
Dreamboat Music has announced that the new album "From the sea" from Swedish post-rock Galento will be available in a couple weeks.
Vote for your favorite albums of 2005 at Dagensskiva: http://dagensskiva.com/tavling/skivor2005/tavling2005.asp
Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen, better known to some as Finnish duo Pan Sonic, have collaborated with artist John Duncan on a new album entitled "Nine suggestions". Details: http://www.allquestions.net/orderinfo.html#AQ08
This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:
01. The Decemberists
02. Death Cab for Cutie
03. Bright Eyes
04. The Arcade Fire
05. Håkan Hellström
06. Laakso
07. Belle and Sebastian
08. Mew
09. Antony and the Johnsons
10. Jens Lekman
Top tracks:
01. Håkan Hellström - Klubbland
02. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
03. Laakso - High Drama
04. Cat Power - The Greatest
05. Death Cab for Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan
06. David Sandström Overdrive - Get on with your life
07. Håkan Hellström - Jag Vill Ha Allting
08. Håkan Hellström - Precis som Romeo
09. Antony and the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
10. Håkan Hellström - Augusti I Helvetet
Want to see your favorites listed here? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
MP3: Ane Brun - Rubber & soul
Of the many female singer/songwriters to make waves in Sweden this past year, Ane Brun never really captured my attention. Sure, I listened to her records in passing, but they never left any sort of lasting impression. That is, until "Duets" came out. I always like projects like this because they seem so fun for everyone involved. They are also a great excuse for an artist to stretch their repertoire and try new things without the pressures usually associated with an album release. Ane's voice really shines on this collection's song selection and bare-bones arrangements. There's an interesting variety of duet partners, too. Teitur's quiet, hesitant voice on the track I've selected for posting today is the perfect male counterpart for Ane's oohs and ahhs. Nice stuff.
Ane Brun - Rubber & soul (ft. Teitur)
Cake on Cake
Live @ Radio Cherokee, St. Louis, MO, 12/15/05
I was stunned when I learned that Sweden's Cake on Cake would be performing at a tiny coffeehouse here in St. Louis. Hey, it ain't cheap to fly newbie artists over from Scandinavia, and clearly, the profit margin won't be high playing at venues with a capacity of a mere coupla dozen enthusiasts. Nonetheless, Helena Sundin, who pretty much IS Cake on Cake (assisted by label boss and sideman Josh Penn onstage), was here in the flesh, and I couldn't have been more delighted. "I see no stars", Cake on Cake's debut, manages to be both lush and lo-fi at the same time: Sundin plays all manner of instruments on the disc, with piano, metallophone and melodica the prominent musical elements. Sundin overdubs harmonies, but for the live show, Penn sang the harmony parts (and a couple of tunes featured tape loops over which Sundin sang and played along). Early problems with mic feedback were handled deftly and charmingly by Sundin; she just patiently waited for Radio Cherokee's sound guys to get it right. The music was sweet, sincere and melodic. Sundin played about ten songs and her wispy, girlish vocals had the rapt attention of the small crowd. Highlights included "Pictures from 1964" (about "the time when my mom was young"), the curiously titled "Fell asleep like an acrobat, woke up like a rock" (which Sundin said was about going out to night clubs) and the sublime "Animals and humans", which was delightfully quirky and managed to make Sundin thoroughly compelling simply by doing an elementary rhythm part with an egg maraca. Sundin's cover of Mojave 3's "Tomorrow's taken" had an extra emotional edge, as she told everyone how much she liked the song, and clearly it had some deep personal connection for her. It's always amazing to me to see artists get a full piano sound out of a tiny onstage electronic keyboard, and Sundin made the most of hers, serving up one childlike little melody after another. She's a soft breeze of an artist, this woman, and despite the modest presentation of both her CD and her onstage performance, Sundin has a substantial, multi-faceted talent that is sure to only get more interesting as time goes on. I left utterly entranced.
- Kevin Renick