Streaming Playlist: Now playing

It's Chalksounds day here at It's a trap! Not only did I get a new shipment of new CDs from them for the mailorder department (including the new Ellis the Vacuumchild CD and restocks of The End Will Be Kicks and Carpet People), but I also got a new mp3 from Convoj. The debut EP from these guys is absolutely guaranteed to blow people away, it's just so good. They continue the fine Swedish indierock tradition pioneered by the likes of Bear Quartet, but with a rejuvenated sense of determination and vigor. Crashing guitars, impassioned vocals and chiming, twisting melodies - all the necessary ingredients required to achieve greatness are here. I've been listening to it non-stop ever since I got it. An instant classic.

Here's the tracklist for the debut EP from Convoj, coming soon from Chalksounds Records:

01. My timekeeping heart
02. My biggest loss
03. Glory Hole
04. Blue Mountains
05. RAMJAC

I've been fortunate enough to get a chance to hear it already and can confirm that it is indeed awesome, sure to rival Bear Quartet in the world of Swedish indierock. No foolin'. A video for the first single is in the works and samples should be online soon.

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Wilmer X - 13 Våningar Upp
02. Pain - Dancing with the dead
03. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
04. E.S.T. - Viaticum
05. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
06. The Ark - State of the Ark
07. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
08. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
09. Daniel Lindström - Daniel Lindström
10. Fernandoz - Minnenas allé
11. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
12. Backyard Babies - Live in paris
13. Dark Tranquility - Character
14. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin vol. 1
15. Lasse Stefanz - Röd Chevrolet
16. Melody Club - Face the Music
17. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
18. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
19. Barbados - Best of Barbados 1994-2004
20. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift

Niccokick, Existensminimum, Convoj and Band of Joy are among the first list of bands confirmed for this year's Emmabodafestivalen.

Chalksound's tentative release schedule for 2005:

01/28 - Ellis The Vacuumchild - Peace by extermination CD
02/21 - TEWBK - The end will be kicks CD
03/26 - Anna Leong - Fever 7"
03/?? - Moonbabies - TBA CDS
04/06 - Convoj - TBA CDEP
09/?? - Moonbabies - TBA CD
10/?? - Anna Leong - TBA CD

Top 10s for 2004: Magnus Öberg (Chalksounds/KVLR)

Chalksounds has confirmed the signing of hyped indie band Convoj and will be releasing the group's debut five-song EP early next year. The band consists of members from Cult of Luna and Park Hotell and is said to sound like a "unique mix or impossible marriage of pop in the vein of Bear Quartet and Interpol."

The list of unsigned bands confirmed for Rookiefest in Hultsfred has been announced:

Addeboy vs Cliff (Umeå)
Ambassadeurs (Malmö/Lund)
Beckster (Stockholm)
The Colombos (Västerås)
Convoj (Göteborg)
Crang (Göteborg)
The Dandelions (Stockholm)
Dog Almighty (Borås)
Dying on a Sunday (Hultsfred)
Edward (Göteborg)
Elias One Man Band (Falun)
Funka (Stockholm)
Gender (Göteborg)
Hospital (Malmö)
The Lancaster Orchestra (Malmö)
Marble (Sundsvall)
Mother Misery (Enköping)
Le Muhr (Stockholm)
Lethal Techniques (Umeå)
Nikka Blue (Malmö)
P.R.I.D.E. (Stockholm)
Random Hero (Göteborg)
Rentokiller (Borås)
Reverend Martin Savage & His Holy Rollers (Stockholm)
Rico Wondahman & obnoXiuz (Göteborg)
Shoot Charlie (Älmhult)
The Sound of O.E. (Eskilstuna)
The Third Try (Norrköping)
Tristes Tigres (Stockholm)

Full details here: http://www.rookierockparty.se/

Check out four demo tracks from the new, still-unsigned band Convoj: http://www.convoj.tk/
The band is based out of Göteborg and Luleå and features members from Park Hotell, Cult of Luna and Music 77.