Hello Saferide
Introducing...
Razzia Records

If you've heard other Swedish female artists such as Britta Persson, El Perro Del Mar, Frida Hyvönen or even Anna Ternheim (for a non-Swedish example, let's use Joanna Newsom) and found them too edgy and/or leftfield, I think you should welcome Hello Saferide with open arms. She got that chart-topping MOR thing going on, that is both radio friendly and not too shallow. What a disappointment this album was.
- Simon Tagestam

Download a new demo track from Swedish singer/songwriter Britta Persson called "The youth": http://brittapersson.com/mp3/britta_persson_-_the_youth.mp3

Swedish singer/songwriter Britta Persson has dropped the news that she is no longer signed to Startracks. Who's gonna step up to take their place?

Britta Persson
Found at home
Startracks

I got goose-pimples when I heard Britta perform at Vinterviken in '04, and still do every time "I search in you, you search in me" from "Demo 2" is played. So with great anticipation "Found at home" was initially welcomed here at review HQ. So lest not beat about the bush: much of Persson's attraction is her relationship to the KÅ/Hidden Truck/Fireside/Startracks family, and the natural interest which that brings. This is singer/songwriter Persson's first a "real" release. It has a fuller more complete sound, thanks perhaps largely to bedfellow Kristoffer Åström's backing vocals, production, and guitar playing. Åström guests from on "A dad for you" and again on track 4 "The past is not for real". This is a predominately two chord, slightly folkesque song (in her voice there is a Irish lilt, sometime shrill, in his a gruff hung over tone!). Neither a bad thing, because I want to rave about this release. But it is hard. Persson sounds like Cranberries singer O'Rioden or Sinead O'Conner (read again: Irish lilt) just a bit too often for my tastes. Sad, it would seem because Persson is definitely doing something... although the songs are lyrically naive. This EP somehow falls short of the virgin feeling created on her own self released EPs from 2004. The positive effect of considered production seems, in my ears, to detract from the former urgency held on the DIY demos. Next question: When will this singer try out a backing band? It might be the progressive step she needs.
- Troy Convers

The UK's Stereo Test Kit Records is starting a new compilation series called "Records Make Great Pets" in which each edition will highlight the scene from a particular country. The focus on volume one? Why, Sweden of course. The tracklist:

01. El Perro Del Mar - Dog
02. Heikki - Former hero
03. Audrey - Triumphal arch
04. Britta Persson - Defrag my heart
05. Laurel Music - The way love goes
06. Caroline Soul - People I know (don't want me)
07. Melpo Mene - Don't save me
08. Club 8 - Cold hearts
09. Sambassadeur - Between the lines
10. Chasing Dorotea - The anchor song
11. Björn Kleinhenz - Out of style
12. Speedmarket Avenue - He's a rebel
13. we are soldiers we have guns - Tourists in our hometown
14. Iamuse - Dullcity (just in time)
15. Music 77 - Juniper Leo

It comes out on July 4. More details here: http://www.stereotestkit.com/pets.htm

Streaming playlist: Spring is in the air

Here's this week's Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (01) The Tough Alliance - Keep It Pure
02. (05) Dreamboy - Dance With Me
03. (03) Eels - Hey Man (Now You´re Really Living)
04. (06) Weezer - Beverly Hills
05. (13) The Coral - In The Morning
06. (NY) Maxïmo - Park Graffiti
07. (08) Ane Brun feat. Ron Sexsmith - Song No. 6
08. (09) Stevie Wonder - So What the Fuss
09. (10) Hal - Play The Hits
10. (NY) Turbonegro - High On The Crime
11. (NY) Thievery Corporation - The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
12. (11) Prominent - Lets Talk It Over
13. (NY) Paris - 60 Minutes
14. (NY) Kent - Palace & Main
15. (ÅT) Faith Evans - Again
16. (14) The Bravery - An Honest Mistake
17. (17) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Funeral Face
18. (19) Lady Sovereign - Random
19. (15) Håkan Hellström - Dom Kommer Kliva På Dig Igen
20. (07) Handsome Boy Modeling School - The World's Gone Mad

Leaving the chart: K-OS, The Similou, Varano feat. Chords, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg and Britta Persson.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (03) The Tough Alliance - "Keep it Pure"
02. (01) K-OS - "Crabbuckit"
03. (NY) Eels - "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)"
04. (02) The Similou - "Ladykillers"
05. (NY) Dreamboy - "Dance With Me"
06. (13) Weezer - "Beverly Hills"
07. (04) Handsome Boy Modeling School - "The World's Gone Mad"
08. (06) Ane Brun med Ron Sexsmith - "Song no.6"
09. (05) Stevie Wonder - "So What the Fuss"
10. (NY) Hal - "Play the Hits"
11. (07) Prominent - "Let's Talk it Over"
12. (08) Varano med Chords - "Leaving My Troubles Behind"
13. (09) The Coral - "In the Morning"
14. (NY) The Bravery - "An Honest Mistake"
15. (19) Håkan Hellström - "Dom kommer kliva på dig igen"
16. (10) The Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc"
17. (NY) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - "Funeral Face"
18. (15) Snoop Dogg - "Signs"
19. (16) Lady Sovereign - "Random"
20. (18) Britta Persson - "Found at Home"

Leaving the chart: Faith Evans, Rilo Kiley, The Killers, Jenny Wilson and Hello Kinski.

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) K-OS - Crabbuckit
02. (02) De Stijl - Queen Midas
03. (06) Amerie - 1 Thing
04. (NY) Britta Persson - Found at Home
05. (NY) Faith Evans - Again
06. (15) The Similou - Ladykillers
07. (16) The Killers - Mr Brightside
08. (05) Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight
09. (NY) Gavin DeGraw - I Don´t Want To Be
10. (12) Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh
11. (19) Kleerup - Medication
12. (NY) Kaiser Chiefs - Oh My God
13. (10) Jenny Wilson - Summer Time
14. (11) Hello Kinski - My Baby Should Be Home By Now
15. (20) Diplo - Newsflash
16. (NY) Audioslave - Be yourself
17. (NY) The Raveonettes - Love In A Trashcan
18. (09) Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
19. (04) Lo-Fi-Fnk - ...And The JFG
20. (NY) Emiliana Torrini - Sunny Road

Leaving the chart: 22 Pistepirkko, Rilo Kiley, New Order, Stereophonics, Radio Luxemburg, Embee ft. José González and Millencolin

V2 has the new Britta Persson EP available for streaming: http://se.v2music.com/site/product.asp?ID=1137

Britta Persson reports that she recently completed work on a video for "Defrag my heart", a song that I presume will be the first single from her upcoming EP on Startracks. "If you like American cars and girls in bikini, this is the video for you!" she says.

The tracklist for Johnny Bråttom's upcoming "Svensk Populärmusik Volym Tre" compilation has been revealed:

01. Björn Kleinhenz - Better company
02. [brus] feat. Gisela - Long flowering day
03. Double-O - Call of a lifetime
04. CDOASS - The correct use of failure
05. The Tiny - Lake
06. Loney, Dear - A few good men
07. Slagsmålsklubben - Supermaskinen
08. Richard Reagh & wwnb2 - Friends
09. Memoplay - Words are small
10. Lassus - Sunshine
11. Soul Supreme - Hit and run
12. Boy Omega - By midnight we'll give it a go
13. Britta Persson - You are the best
14. Talking to Teapots - Waiting for it all to end
15. Kubot - Go west
16. 50 Hertz - Chansen finns men är försvinnande liten
17. Zacke feat. Johnny Redskin - I ain't lyin'
18. Niccokick - Some don't make it through the haze
19. Pete Thompson - Our roads
20. Hans Appelqvist - Godnatt Bremort

It comes out in April.

Britta Persson has a new website, now with news posted in English: http://brittapersson.com/

Kristofer Åström on tour with Britta Persson as support:

04/06 - KF Roxy, Visby (SWE)
04/08 - Mejeriet, Lund (SWE)
04/22 - Hugo, Norrköping (SWE)
04/23 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
04/29 - Nalen, Stockholm (SWE)
05/06 - Klubb Kaliber, Mariestad (SWE)
05/07 - Sticky Fingers, Göteborg (SWE)
05/10 - Logo, Hamburg (GER)
05/11 - De Helling, Utrecht (NL)
05/12 - Botanique, Brussels (BEL)
05/13 - Gebäude 9, Köln (GER)
05/14 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg (GER)
05/15 - Nachtleben, Frankfurt (GER)
05/16 - ISC, Bern (CH)
05/17 - BOA, Luzern (CH)
05/18 - Atomic Café, München (GER)
05/19 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
05/20 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
05/21 - The Tivoli, Helsingborg (SWE)

Startracks/V2 will release the proper debut EP from Britta Persson on March 23. After that, it's off on tour in Europe as support for labelmate and frequent duet partner Kristofer Åström. Dates soon.