Swedish artist/producer Andreas Söderlund (Niccokick, Sounds Like Violence, Hello Saferide, etc.) is working on a Swedish-language solo album for release later this year. Hear samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/andreassoderlund
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. The Bear Quartet
02. The Radio Dept.
03. Markus Krunegård
04. Shout Out Louds
05. Kent
06. Hello Saferide
07. Moto Boy
08. El Perro del Mar
09. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
10. Håkan Hellström
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, a special post-SXSW extra-mellow episode:
01. TALK 1
02. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Lost & losing
03. Raison d'Étre - Withstand the fire
04. The Bear Quartet - Carry your weight
05. TALK 2
06. Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
07. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Theme
08. Håkon Kornstad - Oslo
09. TALK 3
10. Patrik Andersson & Vegar Vårdal - Gråtaren
11. Folkvang - Myrmark
12. Hello Saferide - Arjeplog
13. David Åhlén - Great is thy faithfulness
14. TALK 4
15. Tsukimono - Gloomy Sunday
16. Hearts No Static - Happy holidays
17. Ted Gärdestad - Come give me love
18. 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.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Champagne Riot - The champagne anthem
02. TALK 1
03. The Late Parade - We will walk straight through this wall
04. Bolywool - Save my soul
05. Darkthrone - Eyes burst at dawn
06. Boy Omega - Follow the herd
07. TALK 2
08. Isobel & November - She came down the mountain
09. Dream Evil - Kill, burn, be evil
10. TALK 3
11. Martin Senter - Ingenting förlorat
12. Pascal - Tyst här i mörkret
13. Hello Saferide - Anna
14. Brothers of End - Big bird
15. TALK 4
16. Voices Break the Silence - Lost
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.
Hello Saferide will be playing the Matt Groening-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival in the UK this May: http://www.atpfestival.com/events/mattgroening/lineup.php
New Found LandIt's not the modest aesthetic of "We all die" that bothers me -- in fact, at times it's starkly beautiful -- it's more the anonymous approach that New Found Land employs to achieve it. First, Anna Roxenholt's vocals -- the obvious centerpiece of the album -- are hampered by an Aryan lilt that too closely matches her female superiors. Normally, that would be a compliment, but despite her best imitations, her wintry tones cannot carry the hackneyed minimalia of Karl Krook's guitar. Absent here are the petulant flourishes that buttress Lykke Li's sparser arrangements, or the intimate effervescence of Hello Saferide's empty-room canvas. Second, though "We all die" is focused in its attempt to create a certain atmosphere, I remain unconvinced by their tired glockenspiel-and-acoustics palette, a palette that's beginning to plague the whole of Nordic lo-fi. In fact, "We all die"'s the best moments are the subtle departures from these lo-fi doldrums, like the rollicking "Come to me" and the upbeat end of "All the nights". Ultimately, I could decry the unremarkable filler of Krook's backup vocals, or irrationally complain that a young songstress with the sultry voice of winter has yet to approximate the hallowed of Sweden's indie scene. But after repeated listens, I've found a certain solace in "We all die", an unmistakable beauty that seems to well up from its very core, spilling out onto the austere repetition of "I would, I would, I would" on "In colour", and tempering the melismatic "My love, my love" on "Come to me". Despite the shortcomings, it's these fleeting moments of sublime beauty that assure me: New Found Land has the perfection of their bedroom aesthetic in their sights. I'll ignore the impurities and wait for the follow-up.
- Nathan Keegan
Folkvang are an unsigned act from Umeå, Sweden who play folksy instrumental music, not too far off from the sounds of Björn Olsson, but with a distinct Norrland touch. In fact, I'd say that "Folkvangs första" could be an Isolation Years song sans vocals; it's got that same sort of loping, easy-going melancholy sound I associate with the quieter acts of the region. Anyhow, the band has an album in the can, recorded by Christian Gabel (Bob Hund, Thåström, Hello Saferide, etc.) and mastered by Oskar Sasndlund (David Sandström Overdrive), but no label to release it... perhaps you might be interested?
Folkvang - Folkvangs första
Swedish jazz bassist and band leader Oskar Schönning will release the new album "Belgrade tapes", his fourth, on March 1 via his own label. The album will feature live recordings from his band's trip to Serbia in August of 2007, as well as street recordings and other errata plus unsung lyrics composed by Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide, Säkert!). Says Oskar with regards to the words: "Jag har aldrig lyssnat på en låttext i hela mitt liv. Musiken dominerar texten på samma sätt som bilden dominerar musiken i film. Däremot har jag alltid lusläst booklets och låttexter. Särskilt Annika Norlins." (translate) Personally speaking, I completely relate. For locals, there will be a release party at Mosebacke in Stockholm on February 28.
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Håkan Hellström
02. Markus Krunegård
03. Yeasayer
04. Girls
05. Kent
06. Frida Hyvönen
07. Shout Out Louds
08. Hello Saferide
09. The Mary Onettes
10. Sambassadeur
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Local Natives
02. Kent
03. Jens Lekman
04. Hello Saferide
05. Håkan Hellström
06. Shout Out Louds
07. Sambassadeur
08. Bob Hund
09. El Perro del Mar
10. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Firstly, I've got a new item in stock: Undergången - An audio companion to the End-Tymes (CS)
Cassettes are the new black and none are more black than this, a 120-minute compilation of dark sounds compiled by Thomas Ekelund of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words. Limited to 100 copies, so don't be surprised if they disappear quick.
Second! There are still a few final sleeveless copies of Hello Saferide's "Introducing..." LP available. After that, they are gone forever. Buy now!
Third! Our ongoing CD clearance sale may be winding down and thinning out, but there are still plenty of deals to be had! Please, help me get rid of all these damn CDs!
Fourth, and finally, if you want any chance of your order making it to your house by Christmas, you absolutely have to get it in this week as I will be making my last pre-Xmas trip to the post office on Saturday, December 12. Wait too long and your package might not arrive until New Year's. And then in 2010 I'm shutting down for inventory and renovation, so if you've been considering a purchase, the clock is ticking..
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Kent
02. Hello Saferide
03. Local Natives
04. Håkan Hellström
05. Jens Lekman
06. Port O'Brien
07. Taken By Trees
08. Efterklang
09. Laakso
10. Phoenix
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
The more stuff I get rid of in my ongoing clearance sale, the more old stock I discover -- many titles once labelled out of stock from artists such as Firefox AK, Hello Saferide, The Je Ne Sais Quoi, David & the Citizens, Vapnet, El Perro Del Mar and others are now being relisted, some of them at new, lower prices. But! Bear in mind that many of these are limited to one or maybe two copies each, so you better act fast if you want one: [click here]
What's that even mean? But hey, if that's what it takes to move merch in these downtrodden financial times, then Cyber Monday it is! Of course our year-end CD clearance sale is still going strong, but don't forget that I've also marked down prices everywhere else as well. Even better, I've also dug out a few nearly-forgotten sleeveless copies of Hello Saferide vinyl and am offering 'em up for cheap! Buy the LP and make your own cover! Give it as a gift! Keep the economy rolling?
Swedish rapper Embee (Looptroop Rockers) has announced that his second solo album "The mellow turning moment" will be released on February 3, 2010 via Bad Taste Records and Looptroop's own label DVSG. The first single "A day at a time" (feat. Daniel Lemma) will be out later this month and other guests on the album include Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide/Säkert!), Maia Hirasawa, Nikola Sarcevic (Millencolin), Nina Ramsby, Mariam Wallentin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums), Håkan Svensson (Nationalteatern) and Fabian Kallerdahl (Music Music Music).
