8
Passiv Dödshjälp, completely out of the blue, blew me away with their debut CDr last year which clearly demonstrated that these Swedes were indeed able to write some 'catchy' crust tunes. Although you could clearly point out their influences, their songwriting ability and the way they incorporated dismal metallic tunes into traditional d-beat structures was simply captivating. Fast forward a couple of months, I got their new split 7" with Bergen, Norway's Livstid and I can safely say that Gävle's finest has managed to outstrip the quality of their debut. The record, which contains three songs from Passiv Dödshjälp and four from Livstid, is barely under 15 minutes and its length is perfect for those who prefer their crust punk as short and direct as possible. I don't want to downplay the caliber of the Livstid side (which is very good on its own terms), but the three Passiv Dödshjälp songs on this record superlatively fuse the ferocity of Swedish kängpunk luminaries with their contemporary, melody-instilled protégés. One of the most striking aspects of these new songs is that the band has managed to shape this integration in an almost seamless way, which in the end greatly strengthens the overall quality of their sound. The other participant of the split, Livstid has a similar game with their Swedish counterparts in terms of performing a cross-genre variant of hardcore/punk. Yet, Livstid embraces a faster approach with regularly bursting blastbeats and a discernible black metal vibe underneath a thick layer of fast-paced picking, obviously as a reflection of their hometown's grim legacy. This split 7" is a must-have for fans of Scandinavian hardcore/punk and for those who still regard vinyl as the ultimate medium to experience extreme music.
- Burak Tansel
Norwegian shoegazers Maribel will release their debut album "Aesthetics" on April 27 via Oslo Grammofon.
Juvelen will perform live in London at the Notting Hill Arts Club on May 7.
Cats On Fire will be doing a bunch of shows in London at the end of the month:
04/23 - Brixton Windmill (Fortuna Pop club night w/Je Suis Animal)
04/24 - Wilmington Arms (Goonite club night)
04/25 - The Camden Crawl (afternoon acoustic Show at the Bloody Awful Poetry event at the Lock Tavern)
04/25 - The Luminaire (How Does it Feel to be Loved? club night w/Butcher Boy)
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Röyksopp - Junior
02. BigBang - Edendale
03. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2009
04. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham County Line - Brother Of Song
05. CC Cowboys - Morgen & kveld
06. Sigvart Dagsland - Hymns
07. Marius Müllers Funhouse - Plugged 2 - Rett og slett
08. Steff Nevers - Closest to My Heart
09. Noora Noor - Soul Deep
10. deLillos - Huskeglemme
11. Silje Nergaard - A Thousand True Stories
12. Åge Aleksandersen - Åge 1
13. Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like the Day
14. Karpe Diem - Fire vegger
15. Elisabeth Andreassen - Spellemann
16. Kari Bremnes - Ly
17. Pegasus - Min første natt
18. Åge Aleksandersen - Åge 2
19. Sie Gubba - Hemafrå
20. Vestlandsfanden - Tipping & Trygd
Fibes, Oh Fibes! new single "Love child" is officially out and the band has a new website to match: http://www.fibesohfibes.com/
Swedish rapper Swingfly will finally release his proper debut album "God bless the IRS" on April 29. Thomas Rusiak, Kleerup and the brothers Åhlund (that's Klas and Jocke) produced.
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Caroline Af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen
02. E.M.D. - A state of mind - deluxe
03. Larz Kristerz - Hem till dig
04. Måns Zelmerlöw - MZW
05. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
06. Bob Hund - Folkmusik för folk som inte kan bete sig som folk
07. Alcazar - Disco defenders
08. Shirley Clamp - För den som älskar...en samling
09. Lili & Susie - Nu och då - Det bästa med Lili & Susie
10. Kevin Borg - The beginning
11. Maia Hirasawa - GBGvsSTHLM
12. Raubtier - Det finns bara krig
13. Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen
14. Marit Bergman - The tear collector
15. Salem - Astronaut
16. Sofia Karlsson - Söder om kärleken
17. Adiam Dymott - Adiam Dymott
18. Veronica Maggio - Och vinnaren är...
19. Christer Sjögren - Mitt sköna sextiotal
20. A Camp - Colonia
See Dada Life's bizarro new video for "Happy hands & happy feet", the first single off their forthcoming album "Do the Dada": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZcxJCgOW9w&fmt=18
Hardcore Superstar's new single "Beg for it" is now up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hcssgbg
Live music with mellow psych-rockers The Amazing at PSL: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2009/04/03/musik-med-the-amazing/
Finland's The Micragirls will be supporting Boss Hog (husband/wife John Spencer + Cristina Martinez) on tour in May:
05/14 - Hazelwood Yellow Stage, Frankfurt (GER)*
05/15 - St. Gervais, Bienne/Biel (CH)*
05/16 - Rote Fabrik, Zürich (CH)
05/17 - Spazio 211, Torino (ITA)
05/18 - Magnolia, Milano (ITA)
05/19 - New Age, Roncade (Treviso) (ITA)
05/20 - Circolo Degli Artisti, Romao (ITA)
05/21 - Locomotive, Bolognao (ITA)
05/22 - Cabaret Alèatoire Marseille (FRA)*
05/23 - Rocking Chair, Vevey (CH)
*Micragirls only
MI reports that Malmö-based music-site hosting company Mubito has declared bankruptcy: http://www.musikindustrin.se/artikel/697/Mubito_i_konkurs___men_artistsajterna_fortsatter_fungera.html (in Swedish)
Apparently service is supposed to continue as usual as new management takes over.
Dusted reviews the album "Hollywood" from prolific Finnish act Circle: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4890
The Chicago Reader profiles renown Norwegian jazz bassist Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten who is returning to the city for a series of gigs this week: http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/post-no-bills/2009/03/31/whole-lotta-haaker-flaten-going/
Passiv Dödshjälp/Livstid