Timely, no? Kristofer's 2004 album "Loupita" remains an all-time fave and "Walpurgis night" is undoubtedly a highlight. Have a good time tonight and don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Kristofer Åström - Walpurgis night
The GAS release of Jennie Abrahamson's latest album "While the sun's still up and the sky is bright" has been postponed from May 7 to August 6.
Under the Radar interviews Swedish indie act Sambassadeur: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/sambassadeur/
Andreas Kleerup has started a band called Me and My Army, apparently borrowing quite a few members from Timo Räisänen. The full lineup: Patrik Herrström (Timo Räisänen, C.Aarmé), Joel Hammad Magnusson (Timo Räisänen, Roenik), Niels Nankler (Timo Räisänen, Roenik) and Skärgårds-John (Jarla?).
Recent signees Den Svenska Tystnaden have just released their debut EP "Större avstånd högre spänning" and are offering it for full preview at their website: http://densvenskatystnaden.se/
Look for two more EPs from the band to be released later this year.
Real Talk: Masshysteri's new self-titled record is the official album of spring 2010.
Masshysteri - Låt dom hata oss
Alcoholic Faith MissionMy first exposure to Alcoholic Faith Mission was quite pleasant, but, with the exception of a few tracks, it was not an enduring experience. Still, I knew there was something there, a delicate concept that had not fully formed on "421 Wythe Avenue". In my review I compared the group to acts such as Broken Social Scene and fellow Danes Slaraffenland, whose "Private cinema", while a far more ethereal work, is a kindred spirit of Alcoholic Faith Mission's gentle, yet driven take on pop music. I also noted that "There is a tragic beauty here, one that blends the emotional registers of Mixtapes & Cellmates and Moonbabies, yet remains quite distinctively an original construct, and it is this ingenuity that sets Alcoholic Faith Mission apart from many of their contemporaries." All of this remains true on "Let this be the last night we care", but the promising intimations are now fully realized -- while retaining the airy, spacious attributes of "421 Wythe Avenue", there is an anthemic, Arcade Fire-like quality permeating the compositions; for fear of waxing poetic, it is as though the intricate clouds of dust of their previous effort have found a way to manifest themselves in a more concrete fashion. "Let this be the last night we care" is brilliant -- engaging even at its most haunted and distraught moments, such as "Sobriety up and left"; moving even when playful; gorgeously layered and focused, all in the same breath. I have had the distinct pleasure of reviewing a number of very strong albums over the past few weeks, and still Alcoholic Faith Mission's stands out from the crowd. It's rare to stumble upon an album like this, one that is reminiscent enough of other acts as to be somewhat nostalgic and yet remains so markedly unique, capable of reminding us where we've been while concurrently functioning as our soundtrack to the present.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
It wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow (May 1st), but it appears that the new Anchorless (ex-Lack) EP is already available as a free download direct from the band and label : http://www.ponyrec.dk/music/download/ANCHORLESS_Anchorless.zip
To grab the vinyl (the only other available format), go here: http://www.ponyrec.dk/shop.php
Finnish act Rubik will be touring the US with Christian rockers mewithoutYou and David Bazan:
06/02 - Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO
06/03 - Granada, Lawrence, KS
06/04 - Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
06/05 - Murray Theater, Murray, UT
06/07 - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
06/08 - Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
06/10 - The Boardwalk, Orangevale, CA
06/11 - Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
06/12 - Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
06/13 - Martini Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
06/15 - Emo's, Austin, TX
06/16 - The Door, Dallas, TX
06/17 - Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK
06/18 - Outland Ballroom, Springfield, MO
06/19 - Juanita's, Little Rock, AR
06/20 - M-Lounge, Birmingham, AL
06/21 - Hi-Tone Cafe, Memphis, TN
06/22 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
06/24 - New Brookland Tavern, Columbia, SC
06/25 - The Square Room, Knoxville, TN
06/26 - The Madhatter, Covington, KY
06/27 - The Eagle Theater, Pontiac, MI
The Concretes have a brand new track entitled "Good evening" posted at Bandcamp for free download: http://theconcretes.bandcamp.com/
Apparently the group's new album "WYWH" will be out in October.
Norwegian label is my favorite new label. Not my new favorite label, but you get the idea. Conceived as the sister label to to concentrate on new up-and-coming acts, they've got a surprisingly strong and diverse roster. I told you about Far From Tellus the other day, now here's a track from Kobert, the first act on the label to release an album. The two couldn't be more different -- whereas the former is folksy, upbeat pop, Kobert makes low-key, jazzy electronica. Inorganic sounds with an organic vibe; just listen to the way vocalist/sample-manipulator Ingrid Lode deftly navigates the narrow melody. What sounds simple is anything but. Sometimes the group does veer off towards trip-hop/adult contemporary territory at times, but the more I listen, the more I find them to be on the right side of tasteful/whitewashed. Still, would not be surprised to hear them in a Euro-style elixir bar, all white and metal and right-angles. I'd be okay with that.
Kobert - I have just
Swedish blog Mind on the Run has a new, unreleased track from The Skull Defekts recorded with the five-man lineup including the illustrious Daniel Higgs (Lungfish): http://mindonrun.blogspot.com/2010/04/ny-lat-med-skull-defekts-och-kort-om.html
Swedish noiserockers EL-SD have recruited Fredrik Degerman aka Degis of The Sound O.E as their new guitarist. He will make his live debut with the band on May 5 at Lilla Hotellbaren in Stockholm where they will be playing with like-minded fellows Traktor.
The Howard Way, a long-running Americana act from Umeå, Sweden featuring Pelle Henricsson of the famed Tonteknik Studios on drums (he's probably recorded at least a dozen stone-cold classic Swedish records in your collection -- Fireside, Ray Wonder, Refused, Komeda, Starmarket, uh... pretty much every significant Norrland act and then some), will finally release their debut album "Never mind the country" on May 5 via Rootsy. Check out an e-card here: http://formton.se/thehowardway
The GraviatorsThree million! That answers the question: how many bands do The Graviators sound like? There's not really much else to say but, for the purpose of letting you all know exactly what you're getting, let's do a little exercise. By the end of this review you will know exactly what the The Graviators sound like, and I'm not even going to describe their music. Let's begin. Look at your CD collection. Check out all your treasured '70s-inspired doom/stoner albums, bookended with Black Sabbath and Pentagram. There's a load of them, right? A good percentage sound pretty similar, but there are a few in there who are doing something a little bit different. They've got the old-school fundamentals, yet they have an original, goosebump-inducing take on the style. They're awesome! They're constantly crumbling plaster off the ceiling. But the others are just good. They might get one listen a year, just for a wee change. But, not long in, you get a reminder as to why they only get one listen a year and you put something else on. As I sit here listening to The Graviators -- again -- I'm pretty sure it's not one I'll ever listen to again. I don't say that because it's a bad album; it's just that there's an abundance of better. Maybe I'll give it another spin in a year or so, just for a wee change.
- John Norby
