Got a new track for you today from Austisterna, a Göteborg-based act named after Stig Larsson's debut novel. Though I have been bestowed with the exclusive privilege of posting said track by label , I wouldn't be doing so if it wasn't good and so logically it follows that yes, it is indeed a fine piece of work and one well worth checking out. Fit for this grey season too, not just because I'd rather be hibernating as the song title suggests ("Sov" = "Sleep"), but also because the band's violinist provides an extra little heart-tug with her languid melody line laying over the delicate tinkling of piano, a melancholy sound that's perfect for these short, dark days. It's been three years since the band's debut "Sista scenen" and now the follow-up "Legender", recorded once again with producer Mattias Glavå (Håkan Hellström, Broder Daniel, Franke, Sambassadeur etc.), is finally ready and will be released on March 2 on both CD and LP, as well as digital. "Sov" is merely a taste though; the first proper single "Rachael Ray" doesn't come out until January 10 and I'm sure that if it's anything as good as this, we can look forward to a fantastic record.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Champagne Riot - THe champagne anthem
02. TALK 1
03. C.Aarmé - Bodybuilding
04. Mattias Alkberg - Andra känner
05. Asha Ali - The time is now
06. Karin Ström - Hon som älskade dig
07. TALK 2
08. Masquer - Bang bang
09. Mikkel Meyer - Tartar
10. Rising - Grail of bone
11. TALK 3
12. Sambassadeur - Days
13. Tortyr - Joag
14. Franke - Exil riktas inåt
15. Madamm - Lately I've been so blue
16. TALK 4
17. Taggarna Ut - The secretary
18. José González - In our nature
19. Moloken - Followers
20. Kitty & the K - Iamamf
21. Joel Alme - You will only get it once
22. TALK 5
23. The Movements - Going to your house
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Absolut Noise has a track from the upcoming Mattias Alkberg solo album "Nerverna": http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-solo-record-of.html
I too spent some time listening to it over the weekend and yes, it is in fact a rockabilly record. Sort of. Somewhere between the dad-rock of Nisse Hellberg (who I really do actually enjoy) and the greaser cool of Franke, but also something else entirely. Give me more time to digest.
Luxury (Samtidigt Som, Franke) has signed up-and-coming Gbg-based postpunk act Makthaverskan and will be releasing a mini-album from them in July/August.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Franke - Exil riktas inåt
02. TALK
03. Cut City - Ulyssian widow
04. Montt Mardié - Names not forgotten
05. Strayfolk - I thought I had it down
06. TALK
07. Halph - New money
08. Kaizers Orchestra - Kontroll på kontinentet
09. Wardruna - Kauna
10. TALK
11. Dieter Schöön - Mary Jane
12. Holiday For Strings - Two of you
13. Menfolk - One is all
14. Lama - Raha
15. TALK
16. Bitch Boys - Sighsten H.
17. Regina - Saanko jäädä yöksi
18. Entombed - Parasight
19. Gåte - Snåle mi jente
20. TALK
21. Dyno - Emotional
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Aside from being twice as long as it should be, "Skinnad" is proof positive that Franke's return comes with a bang, not a whimper. The swagger and the attitude are of primary importance and thank goodness those qualities have been retained. And there's far less self-conscious brooding. Instead, we get sunglasses and leather jackets. But what I love most has to be the trashy cymbal abuse and the gratuitous reverb. If you're gonna go for that, go whole-hog and oh, they do. But five full minutes? Please. Thankfully none of the other songs on the album make the same mistake.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. C.Aarmé - M.P.P.
02. TALK 1
03. Existensminimum - Fuglesang
04. The Animation - Overboard
05. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
06. TALK 2
07. AlabamicA - You can't save the world
08. Franke - Skinnad
09. October Falls - III
10. TALK 3
11. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - 1999
12. Wolfbrigade - Barren dreams
13. Viisikko - Vapaus valita
14. Culkin - Payperfist
15. TALK 4
16. Lowood - Crash
17. Cut City - Departure in particular
18. Wardruna - Dagr
19. Laakso - In my blood
20. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
2009's Handen på Hjärtat rotating festival tour lineup will consist of The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Franke, Deportees and Jonathan Johansson. Dates and details: http://www.handenpahjartat.se/
Luxury has signed legendary Gbg-based indie act Franke and will be releasing a new 7" from the band in December with a new full-length to follow on January 14. Whether they'll live up to expectations remains to be seen, all I know is that they were awful at Way Out West two years ago. Take that with a grain of salt though - my understanding is that they've always been a bad live act, so maybe the music will still be alright.
I considered saving this one for the weekly Gbg Spotlight, but I figure I might as well run with it. The Greencoats are a psych-pop-rock band featuring members from many, many other notable acts such as Franke, Bolywool and Douglas Heart along with guest appearances from Malin Dahlberg (We Are Soldiers We Have Guns) and Jonas Odhner (Sonores), among others, the latter being credited with both percussion and engineering duties (often that's just as important as playing an instrument). Of those acts, Franke is probably the best reference point as they definitely have a lot of the same shambolic rock'n'roll vibe and devil-may-care attitude, though The Greencoats go for a far more retro feel. For instance, check out those excessive drum fills and tell me you don't think of Keith Moon. And that organ tone, too 0- total 60s rock. I dig this.
01. Franke - Jag älskar dig
02. TALK 1
03. White Knives - Welcome transplants
04. Bobby and Blumm - Drow a bow
05. Anna Leong - Guillotine
06. TALK 2
07. Juvelen - Don't mess
08. Eucharist - The Eucharist
09. Sophie Rimheden - Go away (ft. Aaron Phiri)
10. TALK 3
11. Form One - Money (ft. Vincent)
12. Tape - Augustan chateau
13. Moneybrother - They're building walls around us
14. TALK 4
15. Lapko - Killer whales
16. The State of Floral Beings - Bad broker
17. Opération Zéro - Grand Pere
18. TALK 5
19. Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune
20. Kusowsky - Jonny
21. Motorhomes - Into the night
22. TALK 6
23. They Live By Night - Endless summer
24. Cleaning Women - Clean up your body
25. Kaka - What a frame
26. Gorgoroth - Krig
27. TALK 7
28. Markus Krunegård - Samma nätter väntar alla
29. Snöleoparden - Waterpuppet theatre
30. Oskar Schönning - Stoner
31. TALK 8
32. Tellu - Tuulet
33. Convoj - Cultural legacy
34. Lukestar - White shade
35. Silver - The personal decay
36. TALK 9
37. Brick - Labrador
38. Callisto - Anastasis
39. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - When she's GONE
40. TALK 10
41. Magyar Posse - Singlesparks are spectral fires