Racingpaperplanes, aka singer/songwriter/sometime IAT! contributor Richard Wilson, is releasing his new album "Four" track-by-track as a free download: http://racingpaperplanes.blogspot.com/
Don't forget to check out the single "The oars", released just last month via the IAT.MP3 netlabel: http://www.itsatrap.com/label.php?show=iatmp3010
Timbuktu is offering up his new single "Tack för kaffet" for free via The Pirate Bay: http://thepiratebay.org/special/timtack.php
Swedish post/art-rockers Norma have posted the new video for "Waste", the first single off their upcoming album "Book of Norma" due out November 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc_-9IBiPZs
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Hello Saferide
02. Anna Ternheim
03. Håkan Hellström
04. Detektivbyrån
05. Club 8
06. The Radio Dept.
07. Frida Hyvönen
08. Jens Lekman
09. The Tough Alliance
10. Shout Out Louds
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Interested in a copy of the new Pg.lost album "It's not me, it's you!"? Simply leave a comment on this thread and I'll pick a random winner on Wednesday morning. And don't forget to check out Lars' review today or my own take from a few weeks back.
MP3: Lassus - Tummen upp
"Har du hört den förut? 29 Svenska artister tolkar Förmögenhet" - 29 of Sweden's best underground artists paying tribute to a band you've never heard of. It's actually a fascinating, ballsy concept -- Förmögenhet has released a grand total of one 7" (that's 11 songs) and played maybe 3 shows, yet here they are, immortalized because they made it happen. I'd say that's near-genius. Even better: the music is great. In the same way that the "This is love" comp from a few years back showed how a multitude of artists (some of which reappear here actually) can reinterpret the same song in vastly different ways (it that case, it was all about Haddaway's "What is love"), it goes double here. The pool of songs is larger and so is the variation. For instance, "Tummen upp" appears seven times. Madamm and Other Brothers tackle it as lofi indierock while Ass, BJ Neilsen and Luva bring it into more abstract territory. However it's Lassus' version that's the standout - their languid postpunk take on the song is uniquely beautiful. It doesn't necessarily fit the lyrics most appropriately ("Tummen upp" = thumbs up), but it sounds the best to these ears.
Buy it: [click here]
Lassus - Tummen upp
Pg.lost
It's not me, it's you!
Black Star Foundation
Pg.lost's newest recording, "It's not me, it's you!", is almost double the length of their previous effort "Yes I am". The opener alone is nearly the duration of the previous record's first two tracks, though this space is well used: a slow, almost discordant swell bursts into a mass of distortion, a wave which breaks and allows for the tinkling of soft piano notes in its recession. The last few moments of "The day shift" are amazing: a lush, thick mingling of instruments in the final throes of a beautifully composed song, finally breaking down to the near inharmonious strains from which it began. Darker than "Yes I am", "It's not me, it's you!" takes a few more steps away from the 'big names' (if there can be such a thing in such a niche movement) of the post-rock genre. "Jonathan", my personal favorite, revels in deconstructing the rock guitar riff and Bloc Party-esque drum line, washing over these elements with beautiful delay-heavy guitar. "Maquina" is gorgeous and schizophrenic -- suddenly, though not jarringly, shifting from a soft, Explosions in the Sky-like vein into a violent accumulation of heavy guitars and drums -- further establishing the originality of Sweden's Pg.lost. While "It's not me, it's you!" is a fantastic record, something doesn't work quite as powerfully as it did on "Yes I am". At times, it feels as though they are trying to attempt to do with thick brush strokes what they were doing with finer detail on their previous outing. However, espite its faults, it is more than deserving of a place in your record collection.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
MP3: Extended Heads - Dear lucky winner
Not every worthwhile Göteborg-based artist is a well-known commodity. At least, not yet. This week's guest in our ongoing city spotlight series: Gustaf Malmros, ex-Instrumen, currently Extended Heads/The Extended Head/Spit Spat Black Cat.
You've lived a lot of different places, how did you end up in Göteborg? How is it different from other cities you've lived in?
My girlfriend started an education in Gbg, which made it a good spot. At first it was terrible and nothing but rain. Then the sun lit up the city and I found out it had more to offer. The Extended Head became plural with a drummer (Pontus Torstensson) and a bassplayer (Mikael Gustafsson). Extended Heads was born. Nothing but sunshine.
How does The Extended Head/Extended Heads fit in with the Gbg scene + sound, if at all?
I don't know the Gbg scene or sound, except that it has always been considered a rock town. Extended Heads' new wave / grunge sound has had a good response. And I've been to some good Gbg-shows myself.
What do you do when you're not playing music? Got any favorite hangouts? Where would you take a guest from out of town?
This fall I'm living in New York, but normally I work in a bar/café called Publik (Andra Långatan 20), and that's where I would take my guest from out of town. Best hangout, best discount.
Got any plans for the future? Any goals?
Future=? Goal is to get paid for my work.
Lastly, do you have a song to share? Tell us about it.
The song I would like to share is recorded by Extended Heads in Gbg at the end of July this year. It's called "Dear lucky winner", and is about a spam mail.
Extended Heads - Dear lucky winner
The White Noise netlabel has a new release from Kuken posted for download: http://chambrenoire.rohr.nu/wn/catalogue.html
Swedish shoegazers Blackstrap will finally be coming to the US for a few dates in October:
10/16 - Mercury Lounge, New York, NY w/Little Ones
10/17 - DC9/Liberation Party, Washington DC
10/19 - Garfield Artworks, Pittsburgh, PA
10/21 - Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH w/Asobi Seksu
10/22 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL w/Asobi Seksu
10/23 - Frankies, Toledo, OH
10/24 - WOXY Session, Cincinnati, OH
10/25 - Bell House/CMJ, Brooklyn, NY
10/26 - Bar, New Haven, CT
10/27 - TT The Bears, Cambridge, MA
Hello Saferide is coming to the US between the dates of October 19 and 26 and will be doing a few gigs up and down the East Coast. No details yet, but I'm sure there will be at least 1 CMJ appearance, if not more. Don't forget, the new album "More modern short stories from Hello Saferide" will be out September 24. It's easily a top 10 pick, believe me - it's been on steady repeat here all week.
Norwegian electronic act Frost will be putting out a remix collection sometime later this year, "before Christmas" they say.
Norwegian singer/songwriter Thomas Dybdahl will do a one-off full band show at Dingswall in London on October 23.
Live music with Dungen at PSL: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/09/19/musik-med-dungen/
I've been mostly ambivalent about his work before, but the new album "4" is surprisingly good. Easily his best work so far.
The Silent Ballet on Danish electronic act Rumpistol and their new album "Dynamo": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1788/Default.aspx