Aversionline on the new discog collection by Norwegian grindsters Parlamentarisk Sodomi: http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2008/07/21/parlamentarisk-sodomi-har-du-sagt-a-far-du-si-nal-cd/
Norwegian avant-metal act Solefald is contemplating the release of a 6-LP boxset compiling the group's entire discography with a book detailing their history. Naturally the project will be very expensive, so the band is measuring fan interest before undertaking any action - see myspace for more: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=124946742&blogID=416498614
Ida Maria will be doing a free in-store signing/performance at Fopp in Covent Garden, London on July 28 to celebrate the release of her new record "Fortress round my heart".
Familjen is heading to Australia for a few (Modular sponsored?) dates in September:
09/27 - Parklife Festival, Adelaide
09/28 - Parklife Festival, Melbourne
09/29 - Metro, Sydney w/Ladytron
09/30 - Metro, Sydney w/Ladytron
MP3: Agent Side Grinder - Lashes of flashes
I've mentioned Swedish minimal synth/industrial act Agent Side Grinder a few times in passing, most prominently in the very first edition of the MyFriends column series, but now that I've got a few copies of their self-titled LP in the distro, I figure it's time for a proper mp3 post. For genre aficionados, you know the drill - this is classic industrial pop the way it used to be played: purely manual. No laptops or fancy sequencers, rather they use real tape loops and analog synths working together in concert, in real time. If you dig stuff like Suicide or DAF or even newcomers such as Pistol Disco, you know what I'm talking about. It's cold and repetitive, dark and dreary in the best possible way. "Lashes of flashes" has it all, including the heavy, clattering percussion that makes it dancefloor-friendly to boot. If I had a DJ night somewhere, you know I'd be spinning that one for sure. So yeah, check it out! Hopefully I'm not the only one excited about getting a copy of this vinyl-only release on import.
Agent Side Grinder - Lashes of flashes
Bootleg Booze has announced that they'll be putting out a new EP from all-star punk-rock tribute act Midlife Crisis. The band features Urrke T (Maryslim), Dregen (Backyard Babies), Måns M (The Maggots), and Robban (The Hellacopters) and their repertoire consists of classic punk covers and on this record, their second EP, they cover the tracks "Cranked up really high", "Raggare", "Vital hours" and "I need nothing". I'd tell you the original artists for those songs, but honestly, I'm not 100% sure on the lot. Anyhow, the record comes out August 15 and will be issued in a pressing of 1190 copies; 580 on yellow, 380 on black and 230 club member-only black/yellow swirled.
Utilizing new Last.fm technology, here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Juvelen
02. Laakso
03. Kleerup
04. Pelle Carlberg
05. Håkan Hellström
06. Audrey
07. Fleet Foxes
08. Jens Lekman
09. Detektivbyrån
10. Christian Kjellvander
See, now that's more like what I would expect! 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/
Ólafur Arnalds
Live @ Café 939, Boston, 07/08/08
The Boston night of Ólafur Arnalds' first American tour at Berklee student-run venue Café 939 was poised to go off without a hitch. The laid-back atmosphere of its new concert space complemented Ólafur's introductory request for the crowd to be seated. So with the hundred-strong crowd sitting and silent, Ólafur began, quickly settling into that particular orchestral noodling that made half of his debut album "Eulogy for evolution" colossally boring. The occasional sequence of the cello, alone, bearing two notes for five "pensive" minutes only served to annoy other seated concertgoers -- including headliner Gregor Samsa's fans -- who were beginning to cramp.
At one point Ólafur acknowledged Berklee's reputation by exclaiming "It was always my dream to come to Berklee to study drums under Mike Mangini." It's not a surprise, then, that the computerized drum sequences were the highlight of the show, rarities where the strings were allowed some breathing room away from the tepid pulse of Ólafur's piano.
Though the introductory titter of Ólafur's synth high-hat was the only thing that inspired real confidence in me, it's there that he lost his. Perhaps understanding album standout "3055" was to be the highlight of his show, he faltered, missing some cues and frantically tapping away at his synthesizer, leaving the song piano-less at its most important moment.
After apologizing, he settled into the closing song, which ill-advisedly incorporated prominent Icelandic avant-garde clichés, trying on Johan Johannson's computerized voice and Sigur Rós' projected-dove backdrop -- leaving us with a much poorer taste in our mouths than the end of "Eulogy" did, with a return to the soft, aimless plodding that colored the night.
- Nathan Keegan
MP3: The Kid - Bloodmoon
Saturdays in 2008 are devoted to the music of Göteborg. This week's guest: Patrik Bengtsson from The Kid. The band's new album "Transient blood" is out now on Hybris.
First off, the standard question: how long have you lived in Gbg, what brought you there and what keeps you around?
Johan is born here and the other three of us are from Småland and moved here to exchange the rich soil and the pine trees for education and nightlife. Then we found friends and love and decided to stay. Frida moved here in 1996 and me and Maja came in 2000.
I hear a strong lineage in The Kid's music that connects it to the Gbg post-punk scene of yore, bands such as Cortex (obviously), but it's more than that. Do you think that's an extension of living in the same city or is it more predetermined? Was that the sort of thing you grew up on or did you discover it later?
Freddie Wadling is an icon, all the things he has been involved in is great such as Blue for Two, Liket Lever, Lädernunnan, Rukorna and Fläskkvartetten, the original punkscene of Gbg was great with bands like Göteborg Sound and Slobobans Undergång. We were listening to punk and post-punk long before we moved to Gbg. The Swedish post-punk scene was great, with bands like Commando M Pigg, Brända Barn and Reeperbahn. As a new Gothenburger you become proud of Gbg when you understand what this town has giving the world in forms of music and bands, but our taste in music was already formed when we all moved here.
Do you think it's important to keep that musical heritage alive?
When it comes to pop music, no.
Putting aside nostalgia for the moment, how would you say The Kid looks toward the future? Are there any current movements/scenes/happenings in Gbg (or elsewhere) worth paying attention to, whether you are personally involved or not?
We will continue struggling with the band trying to combine the sound of the early 80-ies with the sound of the new new wave/the new new romantic. Make some shows and some new songs. No big plans, just nice to have the possibility to do this and get paid for it. We've been around for a couple of years now and we are quite bored playing for stiff students. It's time for the new Gbg-scene with people in their 20ies to do the studentclub-mayhem. I think the new Gbg pop-scene is some form of an antiscene. They frown at the old Service glory days. They spit on electronic stuff like laptops and iPods, they play instruments and wear hats and love Håkan Hellström instead of The Embassy and Claes Ohlson-stroboscope. And they've got authentic good self-esteem; that's good but it's the total opposite of the classic Gbg scene.
Don't think that I'm a silly old fart, I love changes. And some of these kid are guests at my monthly 77-punk club and they know the lyrics to all the old Gbg punk songs. So the future is saved. They know their heritage.
I understand that a number of you are involved in other art projects besides The Kid- what else are you currently working on?
We are constantly working with other art(y)/music projects.
You will find a couple of them on our myspace–site under top friends. Otherwise, we are still working as Artists and Architects, and when we run out of money we take care of old people, trees and flowers. You can also visit www.mermermer.com and click on Frida Sjöstam and www.patrikbengtsson.com for some aesthetic-experience.
Would you say that Gbg is an artist-friendly city?
I'm sure that Gbg is the best music-friendly town in Sweden. All the interesting bands from the last 10 years are from Gbg. And the mood between the bands is nice and friendly.
Lastly, have you got a song from the new album that you'd like to share?
I think "Let's go kid" or "Bloodmoon" are two nice songs, you could use one of them.
My personal preference is demonstrated below...
The Kid - Bloodmoon
Download The Second Band's new single "No song": http://www.orangegrammofon.se/no_song.zip
Danish rockers D.A.D. will release their 10th album "Monster philosophy" on November 10. Hear a rough mix of a new track at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thebanddad
Homeland, aka Mikael Carlsson (ex-David & the Citizens), has a brand new EP on the 23 Seconds netlabel now available for free download: http://www.23seconds.org/
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Espen Lind - Army of one
03. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
04. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
05. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
06. Vassendgutane - Xo
07. Too Far Gone - Livåt
08. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
09. Madrugada - Madrugada
10. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
11. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner
12. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold On Be Strong
13. Malin - Pang
14. Sogns - Det koster å vara kar
15. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
16. Svein Østvik - Kongen Av Mallorca
17. Morten Harket - Letter From Egypt
18. Åsmund Åmli Band - Panorama
19. Hovedøen Social Club - Que Viva Noruega
20. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons