I don't listen to a lot of electronic music, so I have to admit that I really don't have much of a vocabulary to discuss it. But I know what I like and I like Folie (aka Stefan Thor) and his new album "Eyepennies". It's a bit more intricate and straightforward than most of the other glitch/click + cut style stuff I like, but still messed up enough to appeal to me. Hey, I like the sound of machines being broken and abused. Folie is also masterful at adding subtle little melodies to his pieces. They aren't necessarily the kinds of tunes that you'll hum along with, but they're nice just the same. Today's mp3 that I'm posting stands out from the rest of the songs on the record because it swings. Obviously it's not like the jazzy big-band stuff that Foetus sometimes does, but it's always good to hear something besides the usual 4/4.
Folie - Viskos
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This veteran group is currently in its second week atop the Swedish college radio charts [ed: as of last week when this review was written], and for good reason. "Sing along with..." is a set of finely crafted pop gems with earnest--sometimes painfully earnest--boy/girl vocals. There's a light-but-heartfelt quality to the proceedings, spurred on by romanticism in the style of 60s popular music, not current emo suburban angst. Although Belle and Sebastian comparisons are likely, Acid House Kings sound more like The Association or The Left Banke fronted by a girl next door (in this case Julia Lannerheim) with a voice similar to that of St. Etienne's Sarah Cracknell. The snappy "Tonight is forever" succeeds in its simplicity. Vocals on the chorus bounce between trumpets and violins: "We are the city life/tonight is forever/until the lights go out/I'm glad you're here with me/tonight." The slower, acoustic "Saturday train" benefits from Lannerheim's sleepy delivery, while "London school of economics" gets stuck in a plodding rut. The standout here is "This heart is a stone" which blends Lannerheim's sunny voice with tambourine, finger snaps and a xylophone, among other instruments. Lyrics about the heart that would come across as ridiculous or ironic in other hands sound absolutely genuine in this case. And the band takes the album title seriously; a karaoke DVD comes with the set, so you really can sing along with these Swedes. There's no doubt that the music of Acid House Kings is polarizing. Those turned off by too many handclaps, too many bittersweet choruses and too many frightfully innocent lyrics will not like this record. Anyone on the other side of that line, however (anyone who usually likes Labrador bands, frankly), should snap up this title immediately. Vocal and instrumental abilities aside, the group's best talent is in the creation of melodies so catchy you'll swear you've heard them before, and you'll hum them all day even after you realize you haven't.
- Matthew W. Smith
Female-fronted punk-rock from Northern Sweden with above-average vocal melodies and harmonies. The lyrical content relies almost completely on naive punk clichés which is a bit disappointing, but while the subject matter is a bit tired, it's not handled so terribly. I know I've heard far, far worse, so if you don't think too hard about it, it won't bother you. Not bad for a debut release, but they'll need to step it up to keep people's attention.
- Avi Roig
If you liked the EPs then you'll like this. Also, if you already heard the EPs, then you've already heard the album's best material. For those that haven't heard Eskju Divine before, the band is a piano/keyboard-based trio that plays epic melancholy rock. A dash of Coldplay here, a bit of the histrionics of Muse there, you know the drill. It's hard to muster enthusiasm when I'm already familiar with the highlights, but I will still designate this as a recommended release.
- Avi Roig
Fierce and "professional" hardcore – what a great way to wake up in the morning on the bus while rubbing shoulders with foul-smelling weirdos. If hardcore and Refused are your thing, then it's worth giving these Finnish dudes a closer look. Personally, I think the album wears a bit thin after the first 4 or 5 songs.
- Simon Tagestam
Swedish singer/songwriter José González's full-band project Junip isn't really all that different from his solo work. He tones down his fingerpicking to allow room the other musicians, but his voice and songwriting are the same as always. I'm already a fan, so I'm not complaining. On the other hand, people hoping for a different sort of listening experience might be disappointed. So whether or not you like Junip is mostly a matter of expectations. If this was some no-name act's first release I bet people would be a lot more excited about it, but I like it just fine anyway.
- Avi Roig
A bit too heavy on the house beats for my taste, but not bad. It's glitchy enough that I can kind of get into it, but it's definitely too dance-oriented for casual electronica listeners such as myself. I just can't hang with that constant pulsing kick drum.
- Avi Roig
Uncle's Institution is Ørsta, Norway's Egel Olsen and a rotating cast of musical characters, helping him fill out his songs. "Babe" is clavinet-driven funk, with lyrics that cross the line between humorous and ridiculously over the top: "She's mighty sexy/my personal whore/but not the kind you can buy at the store." It descends into endless repetition, hastily going from borderline funny to boring. Far more interesting is the b-side, "Everything is new". Focused on Olsen's acoustic guitar and falsetto vocals, it does reveal both his versatility and his aim of sounding a bit like a Norwegian Beck. Still, his versatility will shine only if his songcraft improves.
- Matthew W. Smith
There's been a lot of hype surrounding Vapnet (Swedish for "The Weapon") this year in Sweden. This made me a bit dubious about them when I went to see them play earlier this year (hype usually has this effect on me). After the gig I felt that I was right about mistrusting Vapnet's ability to deliver, but now after I've managed to listen properly to their debut EP, I've come to realize that the hype was actually justified – Vapnet are great. Their melodic twee-like music with cocky outsider lyrics is utterly appealing (there's something of a Christmas atmosphere all over this EP, especially on the last song "Tusen mot en"). I'm not sure why I didn't like them when I saw them at the Hultsfred Festival in June, perhaps I was in the wrong mood, or they might just have done a bad gig. Who knows? Anyhow, I now really want to see these guys play another show.
- Simon Tagestam
This week's Friday oldie post comes from Eucharist, yet another hidden gem of the NWOSBD (new wave of Swedish black/death) scene of the mid-90s. The band never really had much of a steady lineup - they reportedly broke up for the first time before their debut "A velvet creation" was released in 1994, but they came back together again in '97 for "Mirrorworlds", the album from which today's song originates. Besides the above-average melodic death-metal songwriting, what I really love about this record is the drumming of Daniel Erlandsson who later went on to fame and glory with Arch Enemy. His playing here is absolutely superb and reinforced by the uncharacteristically clean recording. Everything is so clean and natural sounding - no annoying triggers, no unnatural reverb. All the instruments are clearly audible and perfectly balanced in the mix. It wouldn't be so unusual, but metal so rarely sounds this good.
- Mirrorworld
This week's Friday oldie post comes from Eucharist, yet another hidden gem of the NWOSBD (new wave of Swedish black/death) scene of the mid-90s. The band never really had much of a steady lineup - they reportedly broke up for the first time before their debut "A velvet creation" was released in 1994, but they came back together again in '97 for "Mirrorworlds", the album from which today's song originates. Besides the above-average melodic death-metal songwriting, what I really love about this record is the drumming of Daniel Erlandsson who later went on to fame and glory with Arch Enemy. His playing here is absolutely superb and reinforced by the uncharacteristically clean recording. Everything is so clean and natural sounding - no annoying triggers, no unnatural reverb. All the instruments are clearly audible and perfectly balanced in the mix. It wouldn't be so unusual, but metal so rarely sounds this good.
Esteemed NY-based producer Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Manic Street Preachers, Kashmir and Raveonettes) has been enlisted to work with Halph on their next album "Ode to you". Their label PonyRec says the material represents a "seemingly new positive approach" for the band and should be ready for release early next year.
Frivolvol
Junip
Vapnet
