Keyboardist Jonas Wridt has left The Late Parade and Troelz Schmidt has been announced as his replacement. Fans of the band might know him as the director of the "Foul cheer" video.
Check out a Bandspotter special feature on multifaceted Danish act A Kid Hereafter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKZlawqM-8k
Finnish thrash act Where Victims Lie have created themselves a curious new website: http://www.wherevictimslie.com/
Not quite as inventive as Cadaver Inc's infamous site I'd say, but certainly with potential.
Swedish chamberpop act The Tiny will be recording a new album in August with producer Paul Webb (Talk Talk) behind the board.
Aftonbladet reports that Thorsten Flinck is releasing a duet with Lisa Ekdahl of "Where the wild roses go" ("Vildvuxna rosor" på Svenska), a song originally done by Kylie Minouge and Nick Cave. Lars Winnerbäck is producing.
MP3: The Tapirs - My violet you
Not all of the records I picked up during my Stockholm shopping extravaganza were guaranteed hits. Indeed, quite a few were quite dubious, but I figured what the heck, when else am I gonna come across something like Viking Truckers? How can I pass that up? It's not possible. Don't worry, I'll get scans and mp3s for that one eventually, but the record I want to talk about this week is The Tapirs, which is Swedish postpunks Camouflage singing på Engelska. I figured there was a pretty good chance it was gonna suck as some of the band's later material isn't so hot, but whatever, if I'm gonna pick up the rest of their discography (with some of the old postcards still in the sleeve too! awesome!), I might as well add it to the stack. Luckily, the gamble paid off as the record is actually the same old songs as before, just overdubbed with new vocals. In other words, the songs that were so-so to begin with are still generally so-so, but the best material is just as awesome as ever. Case in point: "My violet you", the new version of "Violetta du" off the band's self-titled debut album. For Swedish-deficient dummies like myself it's great to hear the song in a language I can understand, but what it really comes down to is that it's just a damn good song. I was concerned that vocalist Ola Jörhall's pronunciation might not be up to snuff, but he does the job just fine. I guess the goal of international success never panned out though, or I suppose I would've heard of this record by now. Anyhow, like I said, it's good stuff so check it out.
Note for the audiophiles/collectors: this vinyl rip ran a little hot, so if you're interested in getting more of the album, give me a holler and I'll redo it.
The Tapirs - My violet you
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Ola - Good enough - The feelgood edition
02. Patrik Isaksson - 10 år en snäll mans bekännelser
03. Lasse Stefanz - Rallarsväng
04. Takida - Bury the lies
05. Sten & Stanley - Det känns när det svänger
06. Brolle - Ett hjärta som glöder som en gång brann
07. Amanda Jenssen - Killing my darlings
08. The Refreshments - Jukebox - Refreshing classics
09. Nordman - Djävul eller gud
10. E.M.D. - A state of mind
11. Lisa Miskovsky - Last year's songs - Greatest hits
12. Evert Taube - Mästerverk!
13. Sanna Nielsen - Stronger
14. Robert Wells - The best of rhapsody 1998-2008
15. Rongedal - Rongedal
16. The Real Group - Håll musiken igång! The Real Group sjunger Povel
17. Hammerfall - Rebels with a cause
18. Miss Li - Best of 061122-071122
19. Kleerup - Kleerup
20. Håkan Hellström - För sent för Edelweiss
Swedish rockers The Facer are back together and have a new myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/thefacersweden
Look for new music from the band in a month or two?
The Violent Years
s/t
Playground
Mandal may be the southernmost town in Norway, but if this debut EP from The Violent Years is any indication, it still gets plenty dark there. The band has been compared to acts such as Willard Grant Conspiracy, 16 Horsepower and the obligatory Nick Cave, and with good reason. The five songs revel in a southern gothic atmosphere that would have made Flannery O'Connor proud. Songs start off with lines like: "Caroline was the oldest of three/she ruled the world/and then she blew her head off." Even when the guitars get boisterous, the mood is unflinchingly solemn. It's hard not to think of small towns, hot sticky nights, deranged characters, and overgrown vegetation.
All that can get a little heavy, and at times it does. For the most part, though, The Violent Years usually find a middle ground between over-the-top melodrama and dull gloom. They're particularly effective in their use of piano to add both lighthearted moments and drama. There are passages on here that are truly beautiful. All in all, it's a remarkably mature, confident and very impressive debut.
- Nancy Baym
Check out a video clip of Jonna Lee performing a new song in a London hotel room: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rytOznrTCQ
Vendlus now has cover art, details and samples posted for new releases from Sten Ove Toft (Ryfylke, etc.), Swarms (ft. Petter Berntsen from Virus, Audiopain) and Atomine Elektrine (aka Peter Andersson from Raison d’être, etc.). Go here: http://www.vendlus.com/?p=51
Blända's debut 7" single Lämna mig ifred" is confirmed for release in August via Fashionpolice/Bonnier Amigo. Preview at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blandaband
Finnish artists Ismo Alanko Teholla and Jonna Tervomaa have a new duet together called "2x1=1" which will be officially released on July 30 via Fullsteam Records as an MCD. Other tracks on said CD include two previously unreleased songs from Ismo as well as the "album version" of the title track and a live version of "Puupää". Listen at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ismoalanko
Scandinavian metal acts 1349 (NOR) and Rotten Sound (FIN) will be supporting reunited grindcore legends Carcass on their US tour. Dates:
09/05 - Palladium, Worcester MA
09/06 - Nokia Theater, New York NY
09/07 - Le Medley, Montreal QC
09/08 - Opera House, Toronto ON
09/09 - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ
09/10 - Sonar, Baltimore MD
09/19 - The Grand, San Francisco CA
Paper Thin Walls on "Blissful" by Tobias Fröberg: http://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1688