Astrid Swan - Your bitches

Finnish artist Astrid Swan has a new song called "Your bitches" streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/astridswan

PopMatters reviews Astrid Swan

PopMatters reviews Astrid Swan's "Spartan picnic": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/69060-astrid-swan-spartan-picnic

King of All the Animals
Paper beats rock
Pyramid

I've always held a soft spot in my heart for Tigerbombs, mostly as a damned fun summer band, though Pepe Trouble's solo act took me by surprise: not only in solidifying his songwriting amongst the strongest summer-pop work out there, but also by branching out his pop craftsmanship along more serious avenues. With a truly all-star Scandinavian cast, including Astrid Swan, Samae Koskinen (of Sister Flo), and Sweden's The Mopeds, amongst many, many others, King of All the Animals is a talented collection of tried and tested musicians, and "Paper beats rocks" is even further testament to this statement. Instead of the Caesars (Palace)-like tact that Tigerbombs adopt -- chock full of rock organ hooks and fills -- King of All the Animals is a much more typically Scandinavian pop group. "1000-mile-heartache" feels like it fell straight out of a 80s coming-of-age film, a Modern English vibe wrapped around an almost Shout Out Louds-type delivery. "Everything burns red" bristles with perfect guitar hooks and the layered, saturated approach that Moonbabies have perfected. There are a few stumbles on the record, all of which are easily forgiven (and almost more easily forgotten as one become more familiar with the album), and none of which even mildly threaten to derail this proficient and entertaining work. Listen to "The Cologne beat" and you'll know exactly where all my excitement for "Paper beats rock" comes from.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Finnish artist Astrid Swan has started a blog, beginning with a recount of her experience at London's Great Escape festival: http://astridswan.blogspot.com/

Finnish indiepop act Regina has signed with Johanna Kustannus (Astrid Swan, Tigerbombs) and will be releasing a new album early next year with a single to precede it sometime before the end of 2008.

Marybell Katastrophy
You are the two
Merger

Building off the demented amalgamation of space-rock, Björk, and industrial-tinged electronica that was present on "This is the one", Danish oddity Marybell Katastrophy has crafted another challenging, yet abundantly rewarding EP. "You are the two" is as difficult to portray with language as its predecessor, if not more so, lavishly borrowing vehicles of expression from almost every popular contemporary genre: electronic arrangements that amble along like Four Tet and other times prowl despondently, evoking early the Cooper Temple Clause; songwriting that at times feels akin to the masterfully bizarre work that Astrid Swan accomplished on "Spartan picnic" - see: "Nightwalk" - only later to feel more like a dangerously unhinged, "Amnesiac"-era experiment - see: "Silence"; even the stand-out track "Hidden agenda" seems indebted not only to the strength of Marybell Katastrophy's songwriting, but Czech electronic artists Khoiba and British prodigy Patrick Wolf's ability to congregate darkness with pop sensibility. Out of all of these myriad approaches and sounds, Marybell Katastrophy brings a powerful sense of coherence and lucidity, similar to the way the Notwist and Slaraffenland are able to explore numerous avenues without making their albums feel like a series of detours. If "This is the one" put Marybell Katastrophy on my radar, "You are the two" finds me pleading for a full-length effort to place high up within my Best of 2008 list.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Astrid Swan
Spartan picnic
Pyramid

Like a dizzying, drunken sprawl across the deck of a flailing sea vessel, "Spartan picnic" gives you little time to get your bearings before bombarding you with a varied range of genre choices and idiosyncratic deliveries. Astrid Swan seems just as comfortable in the 4/4, straight-forward chorus of the title track of her album as she does with the stuttering, shifting landscape of the rest of the song - and this extends throughout the record. "For those who drown" is a Billy Joel-esque anthem that was directed drastically off course, slipping through the electronica of the 80s and the kitsch of 70s rock ballads, and somehow coming out a winner... don't ask me how. The waltzing "Kinda joke" plays up the burlesque feel of "Spartan picnic", allying these theatrics with an almost "Sgt. Pepper's..." circus of oddities and the current trend towards quirky indie-rock. "What does the pink mean" has slowly become one of my favorite songs released this year: at first masquerading as a calmer, more accessible singer-songwriter's composition, but building itself up through so many torn shrouds of layered instrumentation that it becomes hard to call this track, or any of Astrid Swan's songs, a normal expedition. This album, rather obviously, is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It is however, in this reviewer's humble opinion, a bizarre vehicle that is well worth its blessed confusion.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

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

01. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
02. TALK 1
03. Lapko - Dead disco
04. Gentle Touch - Once you used to
05. Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - Light of love
08. Pascal - Smärtsillande
09. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Weddings
10. TALK 3
11. Margaret Berger - Samantha
12. Doughnuts - Become one
13. Kusowsky - Jonny
14. NEI - The devil
15. TALK 4
16. Happiness - Loot at that rabbit go!
17. Firefox AK - Pushing
18. Fattaru - Hörde jag skål
19. TALK 5
20. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
21. Grizzly Twister - Black box
22. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
23. TALK 6
24. Montys Loco - Criminal
25. Fontän - Alla kan se dig
26. Animal Alpha - Pin you all
27. TALK 7
28. Astrid Swan - Spartan picnic
29. Barra Head - Undermine
30. Fun - 2:22men
31. TALK 8
32. Ted Gärdestad - Oh, vilken härlig dag
33. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
34. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
35. TALK 9
36. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
37. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
38. The Deer Tracks - YesThisIsMyBrokenShield
39. TALK 10
40. Entombed - Damn deal done

MP3: Astrid Swan - Sea/e life

As if it wasn't totally obvious from the cover, Astrid Swan's new album "Spartan picnic" is far quirkier than her debut "Poverina". It looks like something I might expect from Stina Nordenstam, though the "Spartan" of the title is entirely misleading as Ms. Swan readily embraces a full, big-band sound. However, her quirk only extends so far. There's nothing here quite as out-there as Marybell Katastrophy or As In RebekkaMaria, especially not in lead single "Sea/e life". I like it a lot more than anything on the first album, but I'm having trouble finding a strong melody to hold on to. Elsewhere on the album she fares far better, such as on the bombastic title track, so despite my misgivings about this particular song, I wouldn't write her off. And don't forget her work with Treeball either (together with producer Nick Triani). It's kinda like how Neko Case is at her best when performing with New Pornographers, Astrid Swan can be the same way with her other band. All about context.

Astrid Swan - Sea/e life

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

01. Tiger Lou - The loyal
02. TALK 1
03. Karin Ström - Silent night
04. Saft - I do not smoke
05. Caesars - Strawberry weed
06. TALK 2
07. Meshuggah - Bleed
08. Pacific! - Number one
09. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
10. TALK 3
11. Logh - An alliance of hearts
12. Benea Reach - New waters
13. Astrid Swan - Sea/e life
14. TALK 4
15. Lykke Li - I'm good, I'm gone
16. The High Hats - Bitterswede
17. Lis Er Stille - Lorelei
18. TALK 5
19. The Tough Alliance - Leg 7
20. Cosmic Overdose - En av dom
21. The Second Band - The piano machine
22. TALK 6
23. De Stijl - Date times
24. Death Breath - Death breath
25. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
26. Randy - Freedom song
27. TALK 7
28. Jonas Knutsson & Horn Please! - Snygg Olles polska
29. Moonbabies - Forever changes everything now
30. Kristofer Åström - Conjure me
31. TALK 8
32. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Wedding
33. Anna Leong - Guillotine
34. Convoj - RAMJAC
35. TALK 9
36. Tsukimono - Gloomy Sunday

Finnish artist Astrid Swan is offering up a song for free download off her new album "Spartan picnic": http://www.astridswan.com/mp3/sea_e_%20life.mp3

The video for the new Astrid Swan single "As long as it's not you" can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvF7ONGldkE
Three tracks from her forthcoming album "Spartan picnic" are also now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/astridswan

Finnish singer/songwriter Astrid Swan will release her sophomore album "Spartan picnic" on February 27. The first single "As long as it's not you" will be out soon.

Finnish singer/songwriter Astrid Swan has signed a new deal with Johanna Kustannus, who will be releasing her new record "Spartan picnic" in Finland this coming February.

Ink19 reviews the US release of "Poverina" from Finnish artist Astrid Swan: http://www.ink19.com/issues/october2007/musicReviews/musicS/astridSwan.html