Agent Simple
I got mad at the kids
Bedroom Records
Lately I've heard so much mind-blowing Scandinavian music that every time I've reviewed something here, I've never slagged anything off but always sung songs of praise. This is not about to change now, with Agent Simple. I love these four songs, they're like a pair of new jeans that instantly fits perfectly without you having to wash or wear them even once – try to imagine that! If music could make your mouth taste like ice cream, Agent Simple's indiepop would surely perform this great little feat. Now Avi, please give me something rubbish to review so I can find tired mean metaphors, instead of this fluffy ice cream talk (I actually bought this EP with my hard-earned money, so Avi is not to "blame" for me admiring this).
- Simon Tagestam
Campsite
Names, dates & places
Sally Forth Records
The one thing I couldn't get over when listening to this Danish band's debut was how much their lead vocalist/guitarist Johannes Nidam sounds almost like a cross between Paul Banks of Interpol and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Campsite's music tends to be a mix of both bands. Twelve tracks of dance-y, electro-indie-rock/pop (or whatever it's being called these days) that kept me interested from the opening track "Pastime" to the pleading vocals of "Parade" and the delightful bounce of "Clean cut". The closer, "I collide", is the best closing track I've heard all year and ends the album on a good note.
- Navy Keophan
DK7
Disarmed
Output Recordings
One thing bothers me about this one - it's hard to admit, even to myself, to dig ANYTHING sounding like Depeche Mode. With that said, I was kinda skeptical about this one throughout the first listens. DK7 consists of maverick producers Mark O'Sullivan and Jesper Dahlbäck, and it seems like the golden hands of Dahlbäck have proven themselves yet again. This is the best electronic album from Sweden since... well, for quite some time anyway. So please, don't mind the similarity to the Kings Of Boredom, put on the should-be-hit-single "Where's the fun" and dance the night away. Oh, it's kinda cool that a couple of Swedes (well, Irish O'Sullivan counts as half a Swede) got signed by top top label Output.
- Johanna Smith
The Horror The Horror
Sounds of sirens
Tapete Records
Here's a nice little 7" that you should try and get hold of. The Horror The Horror sound like a less difficult Television (especially the guitar in "Twice in a lifetime"), and thus a bit like The Strokes. But don't let this scare you now, this is actually so good that I can see these guys becoming quite big, if they manage to keep on making tracks like these. It got that hipster rock sound about it that I never really associate with Sweden but rather Washington or Canada. Only bad thing about this 7" is that there are only two songs on it – I'd like some more fresh and appealing rock like this, please, as soon as possible.
- Simon Tagestam
Kaizers Orchestra
Maestro
Farmen Records/Universal
Well, after reading about Kaizers Orchestra for two years and desperately wanting to hear them, I finally had the opportunity to immerse myself in their third CD, "Maestro". And I'm pretty impressed overall. The band sings everything in their native Norwegian, which makes them pretty unique right there. But the way lead vocalist Janove Sjakalen enunciates and emotes, it's really not so crucial to know the words; the essence comes across, believe me. This band has a fire and energy that make for compelling music, even if you have to be pretty open-minded to follow the crazy zigs and zags of their sound. They have their own mutant brew: one minute you're hearing a kind of Eastern European traditional folk, the next, cinematic spaghetti western sounds, the next a crazy, funky Ween-style cartoonish exuberance. And then there's some almost straightforward Tin Pan Alley songcraft, although always adorned with odd production quirks. If the lyrics were in English, the indie rock rags would be all over Kaizers; that may happen anyway if enough open-minded listeners give this eccentric but purposeful sound a chance.
- Kevin Renick
Kent
The hjärta och smärta EP
RCA
If someone told me seven years ago that Kent had released an EP that contained a children choir on it I would surely wet my pants, since like most Swedish people my age, I was once crazy in love with Kent, but just like a lot of the initial fans, my adoration ceased quite some time ago. Although, compared to most people, I think I stuck with them quite a long time into their career, yes, I even thought 2002's "Vapen & ammunition" contained quite a few good tracks. But with their last album I finally decided to give up on them, and if I ever had got a Kent tattoo, I would now have spent my savings to remove it. Not even the children choir sounds any good (Kent manages to ruin this super safe device by overusing it). I wouldn't call the music on this EP (or Kent) horrible, but compared to their former self, I find this very difficult to appreciate.
- Simon Tagestam
Paddington DC
The sun is down and the sky is grey
Lowlife Records
This is an album that picks you up when you're down, and punches you in the face. If there wasn't punk, this would be it. I've had this CD now for a few months and for a long time I couldn't listen to any other track than the first one ("Put things"), which is an absolutely fantastic song that goes on for 18 minutes, but only contains two lines that are repeated throughout. I'm usually a fan of 'less is more', but "Put things" is so ace that I almost wish it was twice as long. But like I said, after a few months I've finally managed to get past this track and discovered the rest of these brilliant songs. I'm not too sure how to describe the music, but calling it electro indie rock will have to suffice for now.
- Simon Tagestam
Satanic Surfers
Taste the poison
Bad Taste Records
With new releases this year from Millencolin, Randy and now Satanic Surfers, it feels like I'm 12 years old again. Fortunately, none of these bands sounds like they did in the beginning of their careers, which is cool since it means that I can think of myself as 'mature' instead of 'old' (I hope that makes sense; perhaps you need to be 25+ to understand). Anyhow, aging paranoia aside, Satanic Surfers' new album is not as emo, poppy, or sugary sweet as their last great album ("Unconsciously confined" from 2002), but it's still as good as Satanic Surfers always have been. If you've never heard SS, think of something like As Friends Rust at their best (early EPs), but less hardcore and more melodic (it's basically melodic punk rock). It's very comforting that that a lot of these Swedish (melodic-) punk veterans that I've sort of grown up with still got what it takes, without me having to shield myself behind some dire nostalgia while listening to them.
- Simon Tagestam
Have I never posted anything from Notre Dame before? I feel like the answer is no and that's a damn shame because they're an excellent act and seriously underappreciated. Band leader Snowy Shaw spent some time playing drums for King Diamond and Mercyful Fate some years back before getting frustrated that he wasn't able to contribute his own musical ideas to those projects, so he started Notre Dame, among many other sideprojects such as Memento Mori, Illwill and more recently, Dream Evil. I spent a good chunk of time yesterday listening to some of my old 'Fate records, so I thought why not post a cover tune by an ex-member? Or something like that. I guess I could've posted an actual Fate original since they are actually Danish, but King Diamond has lived in Texas so long it just doesn't seem right. It's almost like considering Metallica to be a Danish act since Lars was born there and we all know that just isn't right. So anyhow, there was a time in the late 90s when everyone seemed to be gung-ho about doing metal tribute albums. The Listenable Records tribute to Mercyful Fate is definitely not the best of the bunch (that title belongs to the first "Slaytanic slaughter" tribute to Slayer), but it's not bad. Pretty much every contribution is played straight-ahead except, that is, for Notre Dame. Snowy Shaw is actually all over this damn comp - he does vocals for Luciferion and also contributes a cover of "Evil" under his own name - but it's the final track "Into the coven" that stands out most. It takes the original song into a whole new dimension of grandeur and theatrics. What's also great about Snowy is that he doesn't take his work too seriously. His comic book-meets-metal vision is often light-hearted and fun, but it's definitely not the same as ironic detachment. This is not like whats-his-name from Pinback playing with Goblin Cock. There is no question that this is true metal. No sly winks or expensive "vintage" t-shirts. Be forewarned however, this is an epic track so that means an equally epic 16mb download. Enjoy!
Magnet's latest album "The tourniquet" will be available in the US via iTunes on November 15, in stores on February 7, 2006.
Moder Jords Massiva will be releasing an exclusive 3-track EP with AGS (Africa Groups of Sweden / Afrikagrupperna) entitled "A Luta Continua" as a benefit for development projects in Angola, Moçambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It will be released on December 1.
Finland's Endstand has signed with Lifeforce Records. The band plans to hit the studio after their upcoming European tour and should have a new record ready for a March release.
Emil Jensen is starting work on a new album. Read more: http://www.emiljensen.se/ (in Swedish)