MP3: Paragon - Aavisst

Today's mp3 post belongs to contributor Simon Tagestam:

Swedish hip-hop is rapidly getting better and better. Soon you might even be able to compile a great mix CD with songs from the last few years (no more than one track per artist, of course). One of those tracks is by Paragon, who's been around for a while (he's released two albums already), but never really caught my attention until now. The song's called "Aavisst" and it's got similar beats to Adam Tensta but the lyrics are way more party / braggadocio than Tensta's semi-conscious ones. Paragon raps in Swedish and "Aavisst" reminds me a bit of Fattaru's smash hit (it was in Sweden, and in my life, at least) "Mina hundar" from 2001. The track is the first single from Paragon's upcoming album "Glöd". I'd be very surprised if the whole album will be as good as this song, but one can always hope there will be at least 3-4 songs as good.

Paragon - Aavisst

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Worse than a girl
02. TALK 1
03. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
04. Deathbed - Neon light fantasy
05. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - I have an itch
08. C.Aarmé - Dustin
09. Noxagt - Wall's end
10. TALK 3
11. Menfolk - Hell is in Texas
12. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
13. Folk&Røvere - Solveigs sang
14. TALK 4
15. Bobby Baby - Goodbye love
16. Häive - Raina: Yömyrsky
17. Peter Bjorn and John - All those expectations
18. TALK 5
19. Meleeh - Vittra
20. Rigas - The hardest pocket to pick
21. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
22. TALK 6
23. Cortex - Warrior night
24. Tiger Lou - The war between us
25. Sophie Rimheden - Stay the night (ft. Adam Tensta)
26. TALK 7
27. Moto Boy - Beat heart
28. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Kanske jag kommer hem
29. September Malevolence - Who watches the watchmen?
30. TALK 8
31. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
32. Paper - Before that day
33. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
34. TALK 9
35. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
36. Stina Nordenstam - Trainsurfing
37. Red Moon - The height
38. TALK 10
39. Broder Daniel - When we were winning

Check out the video for the new Adam Tensta single "Before U know it" right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wro1-dQPHIg

Nomethod reports that the solo debut "Young punks are on the never-never" from Mixtapes & Cellmates frontman Robert Svensson will be out in September. Look for a new single around the same time. In other label news, Matts Katt is working on beats for a new international version of the much-praised Adam Tensta album "It's a Tensta thing" and will have his own 12" EP out this fall. As for the eagerly awaited Markus Krunegård 7" "Jag är en vampyr", it's been sent off to get pressed and will be ready for shipping in late April though it's advised to preorder if you want to make sure you get a copy.

There's a new live performance from Adam Tensta at PSL: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/3/14/musik-med-adam-tensta/

MP3: Looptroop Rockers - The building

Swedish hip-hop has been getting some international attention recently thanks to the likes of Adam Tensta and Lazee, but as is often the case, I don't believe that they represent the best Sweden has to offer. As far as pop music goes, it's fine, but it's lacking identity and meaning. Naah, I much rather listen to Fattaru or maybe Snook. But what I really like is stuff like Looptroop Rockers, one of Sweden's longest-running and most respected hip-hop groups. As with yesterday's post on Lack, the guiding principle of social consciousness is key. Not just good music, but music with purpose. And I have to say, their new single "The building" is great and that bodes extremely well, not only for the forthcoming album "Good things", but also for Swedish hip-hop in general. Not that I'm saying this should be a crossover success, but then again, maybe it could y'know? I wouldn't complain.

Looptroop Rockers - The building

Digfi has a new track from hyped Swedish hip-hop artist Adam Tensta: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=11623

Adrian Recordings will release "Huvudet i sanden" as Familjen's next single as a special 12-track (!!!) special edition. Here's the tracklist:

01. Huvudet i sanden - album version
02. Huvudet i sanden - Kasper Bjørke remix
03. Feber - Krazy Fiesta remix
04. Huvudet i sanden - featuring Adam Tensta
05. Det snurrar i min skalle - Mike Downey remix
06. Huvudet i sanden - Perfume Uniform remix
07. Hög luft – The Field remix
08. Det snurrar i min skalle – Pluxus remix
09. Det snurrar i min skalle - Boeoes Kaelstigen's Tri Tub remix
10. Huvudet i sanden - Tomi Kiiosk remikksi
11. Feber - DJ Wool remix
12. Huvudet i sanden - Kid in the Air remix

Kasper Bjørke? Adam Tensta? The Field? Holy shit, that's a lineup! Look for the whole damn thing to be streaming on myspace beginning on February 27 and also keep an eye out for a new video from director Johan Söderberg.

Laakso frontman and soon-to-be solo artist Markus Krunegård is taking over Annika Norlin's (Hello Saferide, Säkert!) position as host of the Swedish Radio program P3 Live Session. His debut show will be February 20 with Swedish hip-hop artists Adam Tensta and Petter.

Perez Hilton likes Adam Tensta: http://perezhilton.com/2008-01-26-listen-to-this-hip-hop-all-over-the-world
Don't forget out own review of "It's a Tensta thing" right here.

Adam Tensta
It's a Tensta thing
K-Werks

This debut album from Adam Tensta won a Swedish Grammy the other day for best "dance/hip-hop/soul" album. Not sure if it was the best dance album, but it was definitely the best hip-hop album to come out of Sweden in 2007. That said, it's not that great, but quite average to be honest (even though there is hope for it, Swedish hiphop is currently a poor state of affairs). There are a handful of great tracks on here, the rest are fillers. By avoiding gangster rap lyrics (he wore a "close Guantanamo bay" t-shirt when picking up his Grammy), having quite dance orientated beats together with soulful hooks, and having a soft spot for neon colours, Adam Tensta comes across a bit like a Swedish Kanye West or Lupe Fiasco. "It's a Tensta thing" can be scaled down to a fantastic 6-track EP, but the 14 songs as a whole are quite derivative and not all that fresh. Also, if I listen to him too much I quite quickly tire of Tensta's über-American vernacular. Still, it's a very promising debut and it'll be interesting to see what he'll come up with for his second album. Hopefully his quick rise to fame won't affect him too much in a negative manner (like it did to Kanye).
- Simon Tagestam

The nominees for this year's Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy, have been announced:

Rhythm:
Kapten röd - Stjärnorna finns här (SwingKids/Border)
Million stylez - From a far (Bonnier Music/Bonnier Amigo)
Governor Andy – Underhållningsmaskinen (KBC Music/Border)
Livelihood - Sagans Sånger (SwingKids/Border)

Pop/Electronica:
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Service/Border)
The Honeydrips - Here Comes The Future (Sincerely Yours/Playground Music)
Erik de Vahl - Oh! My Spine
The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes (Labrador/Border)

Rock/Rockabilly/Blues/Garage:
Murder by Guitar - On Parade (Human audio recordings/Sounds of Subterrania)
Maharajas - In Pure Spite (Low Impact Recordings/Sound Pollution)
Alex Face - Smell Like A Woman (Alleycat/Sound Pollution)
High Hats - Too Much Is Never Enough (Alleycat/Sound Pollution)

Hardrock/Metal:
Arch Enemy - Rise of the tyrant (Century Media/EMI)
Dark Tranquillity - Fiction (Century Media/EMI)
Hardcore Superstar - Dreamin' in a casket (Gain/Sony BMG)
Watain - Sworn to the dark (Season Of Mist/Sound Pollution)

Hiphop/R&B/Soul:
Timbuktu - Oberoendeframkallande (Juju Records/Playground Music)
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing (K-Werks/Border)
Ken - Äntligen hemma (Pope/Playground Music)
Basutbudet - Startpaketet/Pluspaketet (Devrim/V2/Bonnier Amigo)

Experimental:
Jean-Louis Huhta - Halfway Between the World and Death (Slottet Records/Dotshop.se)
Mårten Falk - Eclectric Guitar Experience (dB Productions/CDA)
Rolf Enström - Quarks (Caprice Records/CDA)
Tape & Minamo - Birds of a Feather (Headz/Dotshop.se)

Dance:
Mikael Stavöstrand - Various productions 2007
The Field - From here we go sublime (Kompakt)
Minilogue – Orglar (Minilogue Rec)
Hug - Heroes (Kompakt)

Folk/Ballad:
Ale Möller Band - Djef Djel (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)
Various Artists - Poem, ballader och lite blues - Återbesöket (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)
Lisa Rydberg och Gunnar Idenstam - Bach på svenska (Gazell Records AB/Bonnier Amigo)
Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)

Jazz:
Ludvig Berghe Trio - An unplayed venue (Moserobie Music Production/Bonnier Amigo)
e.s.t. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) - e.s.t Live in Hamburg (ACT/Bonnier Amigo)
Adåker, Milder, Stenson, Danielsson, Öström - Miles by Five (Touché Music AB/CDA)
Lennart Åberg & Norrbotten Big Band - Up north (Caprice Records/CDA)

Synth:
Emmon - The art and the evil (Wonderland records)
Endless Shame - Price of Devotion (KTOWN Records/Misty Music)
Mr Jones Machine – Återvändsgränd (Progress Productions/Border Music)
Terror Punk Syndicate - Extended Playtime (Progress Productions/Border Music)

Punk/Hardcore:
Wolfbrigade - Prey to the world (Agipunk/Unrest/MCR/Sound Pollution)
The Accidents - Summer dreams (Burning Heart/Epitaph/Bonnier Amigo)
Auktion - Spader ess (Cage Match Federation/Border)
The Mockingbirds - Always late and not even close (HepTown Records/Sound Pollution)

Singer/Songwriter:
Christian Kjellvander - I Saw Her From Here/I Saw Here From Her (Startracks/V2/Bonnier Amigo)
Kristofer Åström - Rainaway Town (Startracks/V2/Bonnier Amigo)
José González - In Our Nature (Imperial/Playground Music)
Mattias Bärjed - Originalmusiken till Upp till kamp! (Razzia/Bonnier Amigo)

Best Live Artist:
Familjen
Säkert!
Maia Hirashawa
Laakso

Digfi-prize (unsigned act):
Cocoanut Groove (Umeå)
Emily McWilliam's Desert Soul (Stockholm)
Cartwall (Piteå)
Knivderby (Jönköping)

Read more: http://www.manifestgalan.se/122.aspx

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
02. TALK 1
03. Death By Kite - Sweet M
04. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
05. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
06. TALK 2
07. Don Juan Dracula - Take me home (Johan Angebjörn remix feat. Sally Shapiro)
08. Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
09. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Dreams at the film club (feat. Nina Kinert)
10. TALK 3
11. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
12. Madrugada - Tonight I have no words for you
13. Majessic Dreams - Have to go
14. TALK 4
15. Pavan - The bird
16. Bröderna Lindgren - Om en guldfisk (feat. Kristofer Åström)
17. The Tarantula Waltz - Where I end and you begin
18. Adam Tensta - They wanna know
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Mot stjärnorna
21. Gravy - Rock scientists
22. Jonas Game - ADHD
23. TALK 6
24. Linus Larsson & John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
25. Idiot Kid - Go to sleep
26. Mats Öberg - Cool water - på Den Gyldene Freden
27. TALK 7
28. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
29. The Bear Quartet - I would be poor
30. Peloton - Aranburu
31. Royal Downfall - Lightning strikes twice
32. TALK 8
33. Made In Sweden - Winter's a bummer
34. Erik Enocksson - The state the sea left me in
35. Asha Ali - Coward heart
36. TALK 9
37. A-ha - Celice

The winners of the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best Album: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Dance/Hip-Hop/Soul: Adam Tensta – It's a Tensta thing
Best Folk/Visa: Sofia Karlsson – Visor från vinden
Best Group: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Hard-rock: Mustasch – Latest version of the truth
Best Jazz: Rigmor Gustafsson – Alone with you
Best Songwriter: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Female Artist: Säkert! – Säkert!
Best Male Artist: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Live Act: The Hives
Best Song: Lars Winnerbäck w/Miss Li – Om du lämnade mig nu
Best Lyrics: Annika Norlin – Säkert!
Best Newcomer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Producer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
MTV-Prize for Best Video: Johan Söderberg (Familjen – Det snurrar I min skalle)
Export Prize: Bloodshy & Avant

Read more: http://www.grammis.se/?page=105

The final list of this year's Swedish Grammi nominees have been confirmed:

Best Album
Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Sahara Hotnights - What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Dance/Hip-Hop/Soul
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing
Familjen - Det Snurrar I Min Skalle
Ken - Äntligen Hemma
Mange Schmidt - Känslan Kommer Tillbaks
Petter - God Damn It

Best Folk/Country
Abalone Dots - From A Safe Distance
Ale Möller - Band Djef Djel
Lars Demian - Välkommen Hit
Sofia Karlsson - Visor Från Vinden
Sven-Bertil Taube - Alderville Road - Ord & Toner Av Evert Taube

Best Group
Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Mando Diao - Never Seen The Light Of Day
Sahara Hotnights - What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
The Ark - Prayer For The Weekend
The Hives - The Black And White Album

Best Hard-rock/Metal
Entombed - Serpent Saints
Hardcore Superstar - Dreamin' In A Casket
Lillasyster - Hjärndöd Musik För En Hjärndöd Generation
Mustasch - Latest Version Of The Truth
Takida - Bury The Lies

Best Jazz
Alice Babs Med Jan Johansson & Georg Riedels - Orkester Illusion
Bitter Funeral Beer Band W Don Cherry & K. Sridhar - Live In Frankfurt 82
E.S.T. - Live In Hamburg
Nils Landgren - Funk Unit Licence To Funk
Rigmor Gustafsson - Alone With You

Best Songwriter
Annika Norlin - Säkert!
Benny Andersson - Bao 3
Joakim Berg & Martin Sköld - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Ola Salo - Prayer For The Weekend
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

Best Female Artist
Anna Järvinen - Jag Fick Feeling
Laleh - Prinsessor
Miss Li - God Put A Rainbow In The Sky
Sonja Aldén - Till Dig
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Live Act
Lars Winnerbäck
Lena PH & Orup
Takida
The Hives
Timbuktu

Best Song
Lars Winnerbäck & Miss Li - Om Du Lämnade Mig Nu
Mange Schmidt Feat. Petter - Giftig
Sahara Hotnights - Cheek To Cheek
Salem Al Fakir - Good Song
The Ark - The Worrying Kind

Best Male Artist
Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Moneybrother - Mount Pleasure
Måns Zelmerlöw - Stand By For…
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Timbuktu - Oberoendeframkallande

Best Newcomer
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing
Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Oh Laura - A Song Inside My Head, A Demon In My Bed
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Producer
Benny Andersson - Bao 3
Björn Olsson - Never Seen The Light Of Day
Björn Yttling - Writer's Block & What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
Jon Joshua Schuman & Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

Best Lyrics
Annika Norlin - Säkert!
Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum Och Tång
Jason Diakité - Oberoendeframkallande
Joakim Berg - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

MTV-Prize for Best Video
Adam Tensta - My Cool (Dir: Marcus Lundin)
Familjen - Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (Dir: Johan Söderberg)
Kent - Ingenting (Dir: Mattias Montero/Adam Berg)
Slagsmålsklubben - Malmö Beach Night Party (Dir: Andreas Nilsson)
The Ark - Prayer For The Weekend (Dir: Magnus Renfors / Kindpeople)

Read more: http://www.grammis.se/?page=96