MyFriends: Axe, Cortina, KA SO RE, My Sweet Life, Palpitation, Ryerye

Birds on Holiday
In foreign countries
Sandbox Tree Records

Sweden's Birds on Holiday play sweet indie pop that sounds like Saturday Llooks Good to Me and they also make me think of a latter-day Popsicle (former Swedish indie stalwarts). They've got two lead singers - a man and woman - a combination that I am particularly fond of. It would be nicer with more duets though, instead of just letting them take turns singing songs. It's a neat little album, with some pretty melodies and the songs are surprisingly well-written and performed. The lyrics aren't that special though; in fact, that's where this album falls short. Some of the songs are also a tad repetitive and annoying. Yes, Birds on Holiday could do with more of the better songs, less of the dull ones, and a bit more finesse lyric-wise (there's nothing better than subversive twee, right?). I still think some of these songs are amazing though, so I'd recommend it to lovers of fluffy indie pop (like Belle & Sebastian et al).
- Simon Tagestam

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

01. C.Aarmé - Blodet
02. TALK 1
03. Kaka - The hotspurs (the less we know the faster we go)
04. Bitch Boys - Automobile
05. Benea Reach - Rejuvenate
06. TALK 2
07. The Second Band - The urgency of now
08. Breach - Murder
09. Montys Loco - Criminal
10. TALK 3
11. Det Gamla Landet - Krutrök
12. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Cardiac arrest
13. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
14. TALK 4
15. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer
16. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
17. When - The king
18. TALK 5
19. Beyond Dawn - Increasing the gravity
20. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Plokk
21. As In RebekkaMaria - She lion (Pato Sick Hangover remix)
22. TALK 6
23. Robert Svensson - 1987 (ft. Adam Olenius)
24. Paper - To her
25. Animal Alpha - Even when I'm wrong, I'm right
26. TALK 7
27. Niccokick - The poet
28. Asha Ali - Coward heart
29. Viola - I don't know how to party
30. TALK 8
31. Voices Break the Silence - No matter if it's now
32. Marybell Katastrophy - Red red lips
33. Anna Ternheim - Shoreline
34. TALK 9
35. Ulf Ljusberg - Here, me
36. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-garde - Democracy
37. Once We Were - Carnival
38. Birds On Holiday - I had a plan
39. TALK 10
40. Björn Kleinhenz - Tredje Långgatan 26

MP3: Birds on Holiday - I had a plan

I love the guitar tone on this song. It sounds like they ran an acoustic-electric through two different amps, but really, the technical considerations are unimportant. What matters is how big and nasty it sounds and I absolutely mean that in the best possible way. It's a good counterpoint to Birds On Holiday's tweeness, as it provides the necessary bite and drive the song needs to truly rock. Toss in a few handclaps and some farfisa and you're golden. It's a shame no other songs on the album manage to sound this fun, but hey- one great track is better than none.

Birds on Holiday - I had a plan