Håkan Lidbo and the folks behind Swedish Radio electronic music program Ström have put together a collection of new music for national mourning, sent music into space and now they've gathered a crew of some of Sweden's finest electronic artists to cover the music they hate. Instead of paraphrasing, let's cut + paste:
In 2009, the radio show Ström gave an assignment to Swedish artists that make electronic music.; to make an interpretation of a song that they really do not like, sometimes even hate. The purpose was some sort of musical regression therapy. By making a cover of a song they dislike and make it into their own, the artists could get in touch with their musical origin, the place in their soul where the creativitiy is coming from. And by doing so, get a deeper understanding of themselves as humans - and as artists. The influential songs are easy to point out, and easy to cover, but the hated ones can be shameful and hard to confront. Sometimes those can partly explain why the artist sound the way he or she does.
The result: "Musiken vi hatar", due out June 10. Tracklist:
01. Fever Ray - Here Before (Vashti Bunyan)
02. Roos - Polly (Nirvana)
03. Andreas Tilliander - Dub that she wants/All That She Wants (Ace Of Base)
04. Familjen - Mine Øyne De Ska Se (Lis Sørensen)
05. Little Jinder - Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground)
06. Cilihili & DaBook - Orinoco Flow (Enya)
07. Ebb - Trash (Suede)
08. Trig - Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice)
09. Lisa Nordström - LIke To Get To Know You Well (Howard Jones)
10. Håkan Lidbo - Born In The USA (Bruce Springsteen)
11. Alf Tumble - Klubbland (Håkan Hellström)
12. Vaerelsen - Diska!/Washing Up (Tomas Andersson)
13. Den Finska Nikotintanten - 122 Hours Of Fear (The Screamers)
14. Roll the Dice - Motorcycle Emptiness (Manic Street Preachers)
See the comments area for a track-by-track breakdown of why each artist chose the song they did.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives' latest album "Communion" will receive a UK release on August 24 so they're building up to the event by giving away a new single on the third Sunday of every month until the big day. Read more and download the first track "Ra 88" at the band's website: http://www.tsool.net/
The people behind the Øya Festival and the new Norwegian fanzine "Fan" have put together a comp of Norwegian indierock for free download: http://www.oyafestivalen.com/pages/nor/365-fansampler_tilgjengelig_naa
P.Trash Records will be releasing the debut LP from Agro Jive, the new band of Kasper Maarbjerg from No Hope for the Kids. Hear some demo tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/agrojive
Danish act Late Night Venture are streaming a bunch of new demo tracks on myspace along with their upcoming 4-track EP "Illuminations", which is due for release soon: http://www.myspace.com/latenightventure
Swedish rapper Lazee has a new video for the track "Pusherman": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6J0skyXtEg&fmt=18
Lasse Passage sings for the children, the ones with wanderlust in their eyes and their hearts on their sleeves, the optimists and the dreamers. If you're old and jaded, working a soul-crushing job and had your dreams dashed, your hopes pushed aside for "realistic" and/or "adult" expectations; stay far away. This kid will only make you angry. Youth! They are infuriating in their bright-eyed naivety, but don't worry -- they'll get theirs in the end. If anyone needs me, I'll listening to my Deathcage records, communing with the Nazi dolphin.
Lasse Passage - What have I done
Swedish indie/experimental label Release the Bats! are closing up their mailorder and throwing a huge sale: http://www.releasethebats.com/rtb.html
Can't say I blame 'em -- I'm in pretty much the same situation myself with my own mailorder. People keep releasing great music, but there's just not as many people buying. Or at least, not from me/us. Ever-climbing shipping fees don't help either.
Dusted reviews the new Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas collaboration "II": http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5000
More developments in The Pirate Bay case as the labels move to gag the defendents: http://www.thelocal.se/19544/20090519/
Check out Addeboy vs. Cliff's new video for "Beep my beep", featuring guest vocals from David Sandström and Erika Moeld (Nadie Affecta): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmqJNnWh13Q&fmt=18
Progress Productions has announced the signing of Swedish EBM duo Dupont and will be releasing their new album "Entering the ice age" on August 19. Samples and more details at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dupontsweden