Johan Hedberg - Singalong

Check out this excellent new tune from indie/pop crooner Johan Hedberg of Suburban Kids with Biblical Names.

Johan Hedberg - Vårdbiträdesblues (Epikernas 1 maj remix)

Brand new sounds from Johan Hedberg of Suburban Kids with Biblical Names.

Interview: Suburban Kids with Biblical Names

Suburban Kids with Biblical Names + Jap Adaptors
Live @ Gula Villan, 07/05/08

So the setup was a barbecue and some summer hanging out, then Suburban Kids and Jap Adaptors would play to support Half Handed Cloud and Lake from the States. We picked up some nice pre-marinated entrecôtes from Sabis, Jonas (UDDUP, Ellis) brought some porkchops that he'd marinated himself with his homemade marinade (there's Coca-Cola in it). I hadn't grilled anything in maybe 12 years. There's something about meat on a grill, it's some kind of guy-magnet. Before I knew it, we were four guys standing around the grill watching meat getting grilled, talking about tenderizing. The vegetarian grill, on the other hand, was totally lame.

We'd brought a Frisbee and started to throw, we soon had some folks playing. Johan Hedberg from SKwBN played with us and we were having alot of fun goofing of as the sun started to set. Joel (KVLR) was there, Matte (UDDUP, ELLIS) Pontus, Rickard... seemed like the entire Haninge-scene showed up. People were hanging out and it was cool.

SKwBN played a short set. I didn't recognize much, but it was really good. They're fun to watch. I think a lot were new songs. One song was in Swedish. Jap Adaptors were also really cool. I hadn't seen them before. They have a similar sound as SKwBN but also different. Great guitars. I was getting drunk.

Dinosaur Jr came on the stereo and me and Jonas played air guitar, mouthing the solos. "Take a run at the sun" is a really cool song. The clouds had parted earlier, so it was a bright northern summer night, kinda cold. and then we went home. Wish you'd been there.
- Mathias Rask-Andersen

Listen to four tracks off the new Erik Halldén album "Memories, oh, the memories": http://www.myspace.com/erikhalldenmusic
It comes out July 12 via Cosy Recordings and will be celebrated with a release party at Sugar Bar in Stockholm along with Johan Hedberg.

Johan Hedberg
s/t
Cosy Recordings

This, the four song debut EP of Suburban Kid Johan Hedberg [the Labrador licensed rerelease adds an extra track, hence the "5 spårs EP" -ed], I actually find more a logical step from the band's earlier EPs Nos. 1 & 2. The Caribbean beach style beats, horns, and mariachi leaning guitar strumming are all highly present, along with Hedberg's sad croon. The two major differences are that the vocals are in Swedish and that there is much better production. The latter actually makes this more enjoyable for repeat listens, especially on tracks like "Grammisgalan" and "Har du själ?". At four songs it's obviously a bit short, but with some acts, formats such as this prove to be a wise decision.
- Matt Giordano

Check out a Digfi session with Johan Hedberg: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=11341

Labrador Records will be reissuing Johan Hedberg's (Suburban Kids with Biblical Names) self-titled solo debut EP on Cosy Den as a 10" vinyl EP with the song "Hurra för fredag fest och öl" tacked on as a bonus track.

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
02. TALK 1
03. José González - Down the line
04. Anna Ternheim - Girl laying down
05. The Bear Quartet - The supremes
06. TALK 2
07. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
08. Commando M Pigg - Allt genast
09. Mikkel Metal - Bano
10. TALK 3
11. Johan Hedberg - Nygubbe4
12. Mikko Singh - Toisella puolella
13. Mimas - Thought discuss
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. TALK 4
16. Sista Sekunden - Jag är aldrig nöjd
17. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland
18. Syster Lycklig - Drömgränd
19. TALK 5
20. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
21. The Grizzly Twister - Tigers made of paper
22. Samuel Jackson Five - Easily misunderstood
23. Grande Roses - Dead town
24. TALK 6
25. Thomas Dybdahl - B A part
26. Njurmännen - Cold meat industry
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
28. TALK 7
29. David Sandström Overdrive - Here's for summer
30. Randy - Freedom song
31. Kalle J - Vart stack du?
32. The Flaming Sideburns - Bad trip
33. TALK 8
34. The Bell - I am history
35. Lack - Pessimist poetry
36. The State of Floral Beings - Andy
37. Fireside - Problem (to you)
38. TALK 9
39. Firefox AK - Love to run
40. Manes - Cinder alley
41. Lukestar - Untitled
42. TALK 10
43. Oskar Schönning - S

The label offshoot of Cosy Den the clubnight has two new releases coming out on July 20. First up is a Swedish-language solo release from Johan Hedberg of Suburban Kids with Biblical Names. Next is After-School Sports, yet another lofi twee act. Naturally, there will be a release party that same evening at Landet in Stockholm. Samples plus more details: http://www.myspace.com/cosyrecordings

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
#1 EP
Labrador

Bouncing along whimsically, the "#1 EP" by Haninge, Sweden's Peter Gunnarsson and Johan Hedberg is smart pop that never takes itself too seriously. It's an impressively catchy four-song debut, especially considering the group started playing together a year ago this month. "Ba ba bas" are in abundance (especially on the harmony-driven "Trumpets and Violins"), matched splendidly with simple piano and acoustic guitar melodies. Against such a sugary backdrop, lyrics like "I notice she's been listening a lot to Joy Division lately/and I notice that darkness in her smile" and "I want to turn all the dance floors/into a burning inferno of ba-ba-ba" sound even funnier than they would otherwise. The closing track even brings Morrissey to mind. Sometimes the lead vocals are a little hard to hear, but then again the EP was recorded at the home of Peter's parents. With melodies that will stay in your head for days and enough zaniness to make you laugh, the young Suburban Kids with Biblical Names are off to a promising start. Labrador was wise to snatch them up.
- Matthew W. Smith