MP3: Yttling Jazz - Tokyo Hyatt

This is a week chock full of exclusives! Besides giving you the very first taste of the new The End Will Be Kicks album and offering it up for sale on mp3 waaaaay before it's available anywhere else, I've got yet another treat for you today! When I first heard that Björn Yttling had a jazz album in the works, I was naturally quite curious. Many people now recognize him as a member of the excellent Peter Bjorn and John, but I first became aquainted with his music through his extensive work as a producer. Many fine records in my collection are adorned with his name on the credits. So not only do I have a brand new track from his upcoming album today, but I was also afforded the opportunity to ask Björn a few questions about his work.

AR: Why a jazz album? What was the inspiration for the project?

BY: I've always listened to jazz (stuff like Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Ellington and of course Coltrane and Charlie Parker) and ten years ago I also played it. But the jazz scene can be very very boring with people just playing standards in predictable ways, so I kind of slipped away from it. I was still writing jazz songs though, and spurred by saxophone player Jonas Kullhammar I started thinking of making a jazz record.

AR: Is there a lot of difference in the way you work when you are composing jazz charts as opposed to when you are doing arrangements for pop music?

BY: No not really. The biggest different is that (my) jazz music is instrumental and pop music often isn't. Of course with jazz tunes you can leave the forms more open for improvising. I recorded this record in a day, and pop albums always take at least two.

AR: What other current producers do you admire right now?

BY:I really don't keep track on foreign producers that much, but there are many Swedes that I really like. Björn Olsson, Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Jari Haapalainen of course, but don't forget Jocke Åhlund from Caesars and Calle Olsson from Bear Quartet.

AR: So what's next for you then?

BY: I'm doing/planning a few records right now. Montys Loco, Elias & The Wizzkids, The Charm, Pueblo and we're almost done with the new Peter Bjorn And John album. What I really looking forward to do now is a record with Joakim Åhlund, and we're gonna start next week.

Björn's new jazz album with Yttling Jazz is called "Oh Lord, why can't I keep my big mouth shut". It comes out November 21 via Headspin Recordings.

Yttling Jazz - Tokyo Hyatt

Laakso
My gods
V2

Even though Laakso's band biography involves several break ups and reunions, it's basically a nice story of Swedish music business success. Their newest album "My gods", a decent interplay of twelve churned up songs, proves this very well: Released by the big label V2, produced by a certain Jari Haapalainen (Yes, right, that's the same guy who has worked with Ed Harcourt, Moneybrother, Kristofer Åström and The Concretes) and including some backing vocals by a very certain Nicolai Dunger. Well, of course a record isn't just about some famous names written on the booklet's last page. But even just focusing the music, "My gods" turns out to be a pleasant piece of melodic art. OK, it's probably not the catchiest album that has been released in Sweden during the last months, but still it has everything a good pop CD needs to have: Emotional tunes, guts to try out something new and a stick-out hit song ("High drama"). Markus Krunegård's characteristic voice underlines brilliantly the intimate lyrics which are thematically ranging from self-pity drowned in fuel to an ironic view on the junk of the hearts. Summing it up, Laakso has created an interesting and good-sounding audio portrait of the variety of emotions circulating around the all-time number-one-topic also known as "love".
- Janis Meissner

Before there was The Knife, before Håkan Hellström embarked on a solo career or joined Broder Daniel, there was Honey Is Cool. Today's Flashback Friday mp3 is a Swedish indierock classic from the year 1999 off of HIC's second and final album "Early morning are you working?". Love it or hate it, Karin Dreijer's voice is unmistakable, no matter what band she's singing with. I had a bear of a time trying to decide what track to post today as the band's sound is all over the place, often within the same song. I figured I might as well go with the second album's lead single since it's a good introduction to band seeing as how it's probably the most polished thing they ever did, for better or worse. Well, they did have Pelle Gunnerfelt (Fireside) and Jari Haapalainen (Bear Quartet) working on the album, both producing and playing a little guitar. As always, very recommended. Especially if you're interested in hearing the roots of The Knife.

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

01. Kent - Du och jag döden
02. Moneybrother - To die alone
03. Christer Sjögren - Love Me Tender
04. Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
05. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
06. Håkan Hellström - Ett kölikbarns bekännelser
07. Darin - The anthem
08. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
09. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - So much for staying alive
10. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
11. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
12. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
13. Arash - Arash Arash
14. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
15. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
16. The Wallstones - Pleasure and pain
17. The Real Group - In the Middle of Life
18. Caesars - Paper Tigers
19. Ted Gärdestad - Sol vind & vatten - Det bästa
20. Stefan Nilsson - Så som i himmelen (filmmusik)

Eldkvarn have set April 20 as the release date of their new album "Atlantis" along with the first single "Konfettiregn". The record was produced by Bear Quartet guitarist Jari Haapalainen and features guest appearances from Christer Sjögren and Håkan Hellström.

Magic Marker Records will be releasing Heikki's latest album "2" in the US on February 15 in a new special edition with two bonus cover tunes, one by the Triffids and one by This Perfect Day. To refresh your memory, Heikki is the sideproject of Concretes guitarist Maria Eriksson and esteemed producer/Bear Quartet guitarist Jari Haapalainen.

Nicolai Dunger will play the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada on July 8-9. Otherwise, he'll be recording his next album with producer Jari Haapalainen (Bear Quartet) this coming spring for release sometime around the fall.

Drummer Lisa Millberg of The Concretes talks to Canada's National Post: http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?id=4c0dfc67-2dee-47da-8103-d5790c9d5aa4
Anyone know if Jari Haapalainen is touring with them over here in the US?

As my friends already know, I'm not much of a fan of the much-hyped Concretes. However, I do enjoy the sideproject Heikki featuring Concretes guitarist Maria Eriksson and producer/Bear Quartet guitarist Jari Haapalainen. Of course, I prefer BQ more than both of them, but that's another story. Anyhow, there's a new mp3 from Heikki available for download on the right.

Also from Planekonomi comes word that they have signed Stockholm-based electronic pop artist Action Biker aka Sarah Nyberg Pergament. A 8-track MCD will be released this coming fall. For soundclips and more info, go here: http://www.actionbiker.tk/

And lastly, in other Planekonomi news, Stella Rocket's next single will be for the song "Regret" and it will be out in September. The Jari Haapalainen-produced full length drops a month later in October.

Heikki - Heikki 2 (A West Side Fabrication)
Imagine if Neko Case took on a more active roll with the New Pornographers and they might sound a bit like Heikki. Think power-pop with a distinct country influence and huge hooks throughout. In case you are unaware, Heikki is the side project of Maria Eriksson from The Concretes together with Jari Haapalainen from Bear Quartet. I actually like them quite a bit more than the former's main act, as the songs seems more developed, the playing and singing is stronger and the production is tighter. I'd prefer it if there were a few more uptempo tracks on the album, but there's still plenty to enjoy as is.

Heikki
2
A West Side Fabrication

Imagine if Neko Case took on a more active roll with the New Pornographers and they might sound a bit like Heikki. Think power-pop with a distinct country influence and huge hooks throughout. In case you are unaware, Heikki is the side project of Maria Eriksson from The Concretes together with Jari Haapalainen from The Bear Quartet. I actually like them quite a bit more than the former's main act, as the songs seems more developed, the playing and singing is stronger and the production is tighter. I'd prefer it if there were a few more uptempo tracks on the album, but there's still plenty to enjoy as is.
- Avi Roig

Heikki, the group featuring Jari Haapalainen from Bear Quartet and Maria Eriksson of The Concretes are doing a few dates in Sweden:

05/21 - Debaser, Stockholm
05/27 - KB, Malmö
05/28 - Playground/Pusterviksbaren, Göteborg
05/29 - Rock Sensation @ Herrgår'n, Linköping

Hemmalaget now has the track "Ny dag samma skit" (even with my rudimentary Swedish skills I know that's "new day, same shit") from Sabo Hoosam Gurmo's new mix CD "Radio 127" up for download: http://www.hemmalaget.nu/music/ny_dag_samma_skit.mp3

Some news from A West Side Fabrication: http://www.cabal.se/westside/news/index.htm
Most importantly, the new single from Heikki (feat. Jari Haapalainen from The Bear Quartet and Maria Eriksson from The Concretes) is called "Former Hero" and will be out March 31. The new album "Heikki 2" comes out soon, too.

Jari Haapalainen of the Bear Quartet is working as producer on the next album for British singer/songwriter Ed Harcourt. It comes out sometime this summer.

A bit of Planekonomi news...

Monkeystrikes is getting ready to shoot a video for the first single "Lost on the Lawn" from their debut EP "Angry Knees". Henry Moore Selder (The Hives, The Knife, Jimi Tenor) will direct. Also, on the same day the EP is released on March 31, the band will hit the road for a couple weeks. Dates and details soon.

The next Mattias Alkberg BD single from his album "Tunaskolan" will be "Don Quixote" and it will be released in April. As for the album track "Levande Begravd" ("buried alive"), look for a special limited edition 7" of that coming soon from Hot Stuff. It's a cover of Swedish punk legends Liket Lever just in case you were unaware (like me).

Lastly, the label would like to welcome Stockholm-based band Stella Rocket to the family. Their debut album was produced by the ever-talented Jari Haapalainen of Bear Quartet and will be out soon. In case you didn't know, Jari's previous credits include bands such as The Concretes, Laakso and Moneybrother.