This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. A Camp - Colonia
02. Anna Ternheim - Leaving on a mayday
03. Laleh - Me and Simon
04. Scotts - På vårt sätt
05. Mojje - Popcornfrisyr
06. Freddie Wadling - The dark flower (den mörka blomman)
07. Renegade Five - Undergrounded universe
08. Jill Johnson - Baby blue paper
09. Veronica Maggio - Och vinnaren är...
10. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Communion
11. Magnus Carlsson - Re:collection 93-08
12. Stockholm Stoner feat. Mats Ronander - Stockholm Stoner
13. Timo Räisänen - ...And then there was Timo
14. Takida - Bury the lies
15. Ulf Lundell - Omaha
16. Frida Hyvönen - Silence is wild
17. Deathstars - Night electric night
18. Zillah & Totte - Det låter apa
19. Kent - Kent box 1991-2008
20. Jonas & Jive - Ingen vind ingen våg
Pelle Carlberg will play a one-off London gig on February 26 at Jamm as part of the London Popfest.
Margaret Berger supposedly has a new album on the way, but it's okay if that never comes to fruition. 2006's "Pretty scary silver fairy" is still one of my favorite pop albums and it's gonna be a tough one to top. Part of me says "why bother trying?", yet I want more more more. Especially if the promise of a darker, more organic sound are true. A single was promised back in August and still... nothing. Please, don't disappoint.
Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
Good Tape Records has now confirmed that The Late Parade's full-length debut "In chase of red beads" will be released on May 11.
Norwegian sludgerockers Årabrot are starting to confirm US dates:
03/18 - Spiros (SXSW), Austin, TX
03/22 - need help
03/25 - Death By Audio, NYC, NY w/USA is a Monster
03/26 - Middle East Club, Cambridge, MA w/Ehnahre (ex-Kayo Dot)
03/28 - Bagel Czar, Richmond, VA w/Gangland Buries Its Own
8
Frida Hyvönen took the stage early on this wintery Saturday night, at least by Berlin standards. Still, the venue was well-filled with a mixed but enthusiastic crowd that included everything from the interested older couple to the younger first-row Swede complete with Frida-style oversized glasses. Ms. Hyvönen and her band won over the crowd quickly with powerful opener "Enemy within" from most recent album "Silence is wild". I had expected a more relaxed, musical-like performance but the band really went all out from the start. Together with cellist/bass-player Linnea Olsson and drummer Tammy Karlsson (both also played on "Silence is wild"; Tammy was a familiar face from Jens Lekman's band), Frida transformed her songs from cinemascope-powerpop to driving soul, even including the occasional be-my-baby drums. Think a Swedish all-girl Ben Folds Five with less punk and more Diana Ross. At the same time, quieter songs like "My cousin", "December" or "Why do you love me so much" were delivered with extra irony and humor -- I'm sure the ever-present champagne played its part as well -- and didn't seem out of place at all amidst all the powerpop. Even old gems from the first album were included ("Djuna" in a beat-centered new arrangement, as well as personal favorite "I drive my friend"), but couldn't outshine the brilliant newer tracks, especially the night's undeniable highlight "Dirty dancing". Finally, after two well-earned encores, "Scandinavian blonde" became fitting closer to a successful evening.
- Arnulf Köhncke
Via Doomsday Mag comes word that D-Takt & Råpunk Records will be releasing a new 12"/CD from Tortyr and a 7" from Warvictims in March/April. They'll also be handling the brand new Moderat Likvidation 12" "Mammutation" as well as a repress of the killer Loud Pipes album "The downhill blues" on vinyl. For more info, go here: http://dbeatrawpunk.blogspot.com/
Kid Down are offering a special Valentine's Day-themed single for free download: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=10958428&blogID=470439219
In other news, the band will do a few German dates supporting Fall Out Boy and The Sounds in March:
03/18 - Tonhalle, München
03/20 - Palladium, Köln
03/21 - Colombiahalle, Berlin
Swedish indierockers Sad Day for Puppets will be releasing a new 7" via UK-based label Sonic Cathedral featuring "Marble gods" b/w "Big waves". The official release date is March 2, but you can preorder now: http://www.soniccathedral.co.uk/shop.html
Adrian Recordings is offering the new The Fine Arts Showcase single "London, my town" as a free download: http://www.adrianfiles.com/London_My_Town.mp3
Very recommended! Look for the new album "Dolophine smile" on February 18.
Lampshade will be going on hiatus at the conclusion of their upcoming tour. Personally, I'm quite disappointed since I don't think any of their various sideprojects (As in RebekkaMaria, etc.) come anywhere close. So it goes...
Finally, the tracklist for Sahara Hotnights' new cover album "Sparks":
01. Wide river (Steve Miller Band)
02. In private (Dusty Springfield)
03. Big me (Foo Fighters)
04. Mess around (Redd Kross)
05. Japanese boy (Aneka)
06. City of brotherly love (Cass Mcombs)
07. Calm down (Birdy)
08. Love will never do without you (Janet Jackson)
09. If you can't give me love (Suzi Quattro)
10. Be forwarned (Pentagram)
Very weird for me to see them covering Cass - we grew up in the same town and has overlapping social circles.
This is the band that won the Manifest award for best punk/hardcore act? Really? Over Disfear, Nitad and Meanwhile? I think they're a decent band, but c'mon -- those Disfear and Nitad records are serious ragers, the latter especially. Meanwhile is a bit too by-the-books dis-core for my tastes, but that's beside the point. Disco Volante should've been way outmatched. Listen to the first minute of "It's your funeral" and tell me that doesn't sound like The Hellacopters. Another great band to be sure, but come on! Even though they pick it up for the rest of the track, it's lacking the roughness I expect from punk. I don't know; usually the Manifest is fairly right-on in their picks, but I think they might have blown it with this one.
Disco Volante - It's your funeral
Blistering Records is offering up the new single "Judas must die" from Swedish melodic metal act Lion's Share as a free download: http://www.blisteringrecords.se/downloads
Frida Hyvönen