New stuff from Ikons off their forthcoming album "Life rhythm", due out in May via . Seems like they've officially abandoned their previously darker, more interesting and instrumental/Kraut-heavy sound for a lackluster baggy/Madchester sort of pop thing. Forgive me if I can't conceal my disappointment, but this isn't very good.
Via , here's a new track from Ikons which shows the band going in a far less dark direction than before: http://servicedecennium.tumblr.com/post/18553370783/ikons-free-spirit-on-all-three-albums-coming
Sometime IAT contributor Laura Studarus waxes rhapsodically on Mew for Under the Radar: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/blog/frengers_en_francais/
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Simian Ghost - Beat on the brat
02. TALK 1
03. End of All - Folkhemmet
04. In These Woods - Bear
05. The Bells - Outside
06. Britta Persson - Some girls some boys
07. TALK 2
08. Kråkesølv - Nordavind mot varme kinn
09. Tomas Halberstad - The pendulum swings again
10. WhoMadeWho - Left hand of the boxser
11. TALK 3
12. Säkert! - Köttet är svagt
13. Next Life - Battle tactics
14. Kaka - Candyman
15. The Fine Arts Showcase - Spanish kerosene
16. TALK 4
17. Kimono - Black
18. Axe - Up against common sense
19. NNDC - Mouthful of diamonds
20. Slöa Knivar - Anticimex
21. Enforcer - Take me to hell
22. TALK 5
23. Ikons - Imperiet
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. Sweatmaster - Turnover
02. TALK 1
03. Viola - Leave it all again (feat. Bääbs)
04. Regulations - Down the street
05. The Bear Quartet - Sweet beef
06. TALK 2
07. Mattias Alkberg - Lys upp mig en stjärna
08. Susanne Sundfør - Turkish delight
09. The Skull Defekts - Remain in cruxus (dub)
10. TALK 3
11. Obliteration - Ingesting death
12. Zombiekrig - Håll käften ge mig dina pengar
13. Grande Roses - The astronaut
14. Brutus - Solution
15. TALK 4
16. Ikons - Guns
17. Rising - Grail of bone
18. The Aches - Dancing syllables
19. TALK 5
20. Eskatol - Fane av løgner
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.
Fairtilizer interviews Swedish darkwave shoegazers Ikons: http://blog.fairtilizer.com/pop/ikons/
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Johan Heltne - Din alkoholism är ingen alkoholism
02. TALK 1
03. Per Egland - Merkurius brinner (Martin Senter remix)
04. Gösta Berlings Saga - Bergslagen
05. TALK 2
06. Moses - Warning
07. Repoman - Flock of jackdaws
08. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
09. TALK 3
10. Pallers - The kiss
11. Ikons - Slow light (Pistol Disco remix)
12. TALK 4
13. Herätys - Pelkkää pahoinvointia
14. Love Is All - Bigger bolder
15. Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
16. 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.
Download the Pistol Disco remix of Ikons' "Slow light": http://www.rcrdlbl.com/artists/IKONS/track/Slow_Light_Pistol_Disco_Remix
IkonsThere's nothing quite like the feeling induced by an airy, nostalgic collection of music that appeals to all the senses rather than simply landing on the ears and, well, sounding like the average album does. Thankfully, "Ikons" is not your average album. Simply listening to this results in a variety of sweeping images being projected into the mind's eye. For example, opener "Slow light" conjures up images of gliding through clear blue skies, ultimate freedom and joy at the forefront of the imagination. And maybe this isn't even the correct interpretation -- if there is one. That's one of the appeals of this album; the ability to induce imaginative visuals and for each listener to have his own ideas of what the music represents. Vocals are used very sparingly here, and when they do appear they offer a distinct '80s new-wave aura that fits perfectly with the rest of the music. "Ikons" is one of those albums that offers a wide variety of styles from song to song while remaining completely coherent as a single entity. There's the chill-out ambience of "Domine", the anthemic "Bye", the pure rock of "The hawk" and everything in between. The oblique return to "Slow light" for closer "Untitled" works unbelievably well in winding the album down on a positive note. While "Ikons" is a wonderful album sonically, it must surely come into its own in the live environment, since an integral part of the band's lineup is visual artist Patrik Johansson, who plies his trade onstage by creating stunning visual concepts to complement the music. They've been lauded for their live shows in the past and one can only imagine how sublime the coupling of the two artforms would work in that setting.
- John Norby
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Laakso - Worst case scenario
02. TALK 1
03. Du Pacque - Walk straight
04. Pascal - Tutti frutti
05. Nirvana 2002 - The awakening of...
06. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
07. TALK 2
08. The Floor is Made of Lava - The bigger picture
09. No Balls - Guilt blocker
10. Obliteration - Styxerian path (into darkness)
11. Next Life - Anti matter
12. TALK 3
13. Ikons - Imperiet
14. The Skull Defekts - Habit
15. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
16. TALK 4
17. Meleeh - Sun and moon
18. Kite - I give you the morning
19. Ef - 401 Lwa
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.
After banging my head against CSS coding problems for five or so hours yesterday, I need to hear something that adequately reflects the state of my brain. Something noisy and repetitive. Bonus that it fills the gap between this week's other postings of Monument and Du Pacque. That something: Ikons. Monotonik beats meet loud guitars under a black shroud of destructive noise. "The hawk" is way more Kraut than goth, but they have those tendencies, let me assure you. Keep on droning, let me forget my problems, clear my mind; melt away the cobwebs, the fuzz. Block/black out the world around me.
Ikons - The hawk
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Agent Side Grinder - The screams
02. TALK 1
03. Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
04. The Skull Defekts - Millions
05. Torpedo - Accelerate
06. TALK 2
07. Donkeyboy - Ambitions
08. Haust - Skate rock
09. Ikons - The hawk
10. Dyno - Deliverance
11. TALK 3
12. Monzano - Waterways and altitude
13. Moto Boy - The heart is a rebel
14. The Graviators - Back to the sabbath
15. Sonic Ritual - (Don't wanna) Feel alright
16. TALK 4
17. Oskar Schönning - Farsan
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.
The new Ikons album is now streaming at Service's website: http://www.srvc.se/
Scroll down for preorder details.
