Artist: KVLR
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My special guest on my radio show this week was Ola Frick of the Moonbabies. Here's what we played:
01. Johndoe - Kjøtere
02. TALK 1
03. Mixtapes & Cellmates - The better half of cynical boys
04. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
05. Breach - Lost crew
06. TALK 2
07. Silverbullit - Only gold
08. Lack - Primo Levi
09. Samuraj Cities - All along the shoreline
10. Rockettothesky - Barrie for Billy MacKenzie
11. TALK 3
12. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
13. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
14. Moonbabies - War on sound
15. TALK 4
16. Moonbabies - Cocobelle
17. TALK 5
18. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom (comp version)
19. Björn Kleinhenz - Pocket of gold
20. TALK 6
21. Loney, Dear - Saturday waits
22. Revolvo - Marmelade
23. TALK 7
24. Emerald Park - Open up
25. KVLR - Capitol city child
26. TALK 8
27. David & the Citizens - Are you in my blood?
28. TALK 9
29. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
30. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
31. TALK 10
32. Moonbabies - Sun A.M. (outtake version)
33. TALK 11
34. Moonbabies - Don't ya know?
Not only did Ola reveal that he used to be a member of the Mercyful Fate fanclub, but it also looks like he'll be recording the next David & the Citizens record. Excellent!
Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:
01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1
It was never a matter of if I was going to post something from Säkert!, the Swedish-language project of Annika Norlin aka Hello Saferide, only a matter of when. Naturally, I am predisposed to enjoy the record - how could I not? I'm obviously a big enough fan of Hello Saferide that I decided it was worth a couple thousand dollars to press her debut album on vinyl and promote it in the US. Factor in that Annika is backed on the record by some of Umeå's best musicians and I'm sold before I've heard a note. It's no secret that I hold Norrland's capital city near and dear to my heart - my label's first release was from KVLR, another band from that same city. So what do you get when you have Henrik Oja from The Spacious Mind plus Mats Hammarström and Daniel Berglund from Isolation Years all making music together? Hopefully you've heard the brilliant debut single "Vi kommer att dö samtidigt" already; if not please recitify that right away. Um, can you say pop hit of the year? It's good enough that it's already inspired an English cover version from The Animal Five. I'm a bit torn on which track is the runner-up - it was either "Allt som är ditt" or today's mp3 post "Sanningsdan". The former is a fantastic song, but it's also a bit more downbeat (it reminds me a lot of something from Johndoe's "Dødvinkel", one of my favorite albums from 2006), so I've gone with the latter. It's a duet with Martin Hanberg of Vapnet and it practically stands up and demands a video treatment. It also demands repeat plays with the way it stops, restarts and fades out. So infectious! I wish I could tell you what it's about, but I can't so I won't. Just enjoy the song.
Buy the self-titled album: [click here]
Säkert! - Sanningsdan (ft. Martin Hanberg)
8
There's a new batch of swedish indierockbands out there. The scene is very much alive and kicking, much thanks to bands like Seven Feet Four, Division of Laura Lee, KVLR, Alarma Man, Knife and Ape, LDOA and Logh. On this three track-EP, this Eskilstuna-based quintet deliver the kind of tunes that put them in the same league. I had often come to the conclusion that something was missing after hearing their previous recordings, but not anymore. This is well-played and tight indierock with hooks. Especially the title track that, if there's any justice in this world, should get more airtime and attention. It's about time these guys release another full-length.
- Jonas Appelqvist
One of the big things that got me deeper into Swedish/Scandinavian rock way back when was explosive, guitar-heavy indierock. Fireside, Starmarket, Him Kerosene, KVLR - these are the bands that caught my interest and had me pouring through liner notes looking for more names to track down. Sadly, that scene is nowhere near as strong these days though there are a few who keep the fire burning: The End Will Be Kicks, Seven Feet Four, Aerial Convoj plus young upstarts like Traktor and today's post subjects The Sound O.E. The band has been lurking in the shadows for a couple years now, but it wasn't until very recently that they seemed to rise above and the new three-song EP "Me and Laureline" proves it. The screechy sprechstimme delivery of the verses might be a bit much for some, but remember that what they're doing is essentially sloganeering - the words are meant to be heard loud and clear. It's call & response; a call to action. When the harmonies of the chorus come in, the intentions are indisputable. The Sound O.E know exactly what they're doing. I think the arrangement could still be tightened up a bit, but I like what they're doing and definitely look forward to hearing more.
The Sound O.E - New bankruptcy
KVLR has started to track guitars on their new album: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr
Not only is it Friday, but it's also the fall equinox and the Jewish New Year. The end of the summer and the end of the year, but the start of many new things. Hard to believe that It's a trap! will be four years old next week. When I look back, I'm amazed at how much I've accomplished over the years. I've gone from irregularly posting quips whenever I found some factoid I thought was interesting enough to share to daily news updates with mp3 posts and a weekly newsletter. Somewhere in there I also decided that it would be a good idea to start a record label (one of the very first music blogs to do so, I might add) and now have four releases to my name with more to come. The band that started it off: KVLR. It started off so innocently - all I did was ask them for an interview and before I knew it, I was booking them a week-long tour to get them to SXSW and back. Things went so well between us, I ended up doing the US release of their next album. However, the album that drew me to the band was 2003's "The great collapse", still one of my favorite records to this day. It achieves the perfect balance of melody, dissonance and heaviness - huge interweaving guitar lines set against a pounding rhythm section. The band is pretty much just a studio project these days, but there is new material on the way, so I'm excited. They might even play a hometown gig in Umeå, you never know! I'll be sure to keep you informed.
KVLR - Capitol city child
KVLR, the first band I ever released on the IAT label, report that they have finished recording bass tracks for their new album and will soon be starting on guitars. Can't wait to hear it!
Not only do I have a new interview with Marit Bergman posted today, but I've also got an mp3 of her latest single for download. You excited? I sure am! I've been a fan of Marit for a long time now, ever since her first solo album "3.00 am serenades" from 2002. As I've reminisced here many times, our paths crossed briefly when I was on tour with KVLR at SXSW in 2003, but I never got the opportunity to see her play. This site was still in its infancy back then, so I was just some nobody trying to play the part of a tour manager. So enough nostalgia - let's talk about "No party", the single. It's a bit more downbeat in tone than I expected, but just as hooky as ever. Even though I might've been looking forward to something more bright and cheery, I suppose this probably works even better for the season as summer is ending and we'll soon be slipping into fall. The annual series of festivals is wrapping up, so it won't be long until there really are no more big parties to go to, right? I can certainly relate - it's been just over a year since I've relocated here to Oly and I still don't know that many people. It's liberating in some ways, but also lonely at times. No doubt most people have been there at one point or another. Let all gather 'round the stereo and sing along with the bittersweet chorus, shall we?
Marit Bergman - No party
Today's the day! The new Tiger Lou 7" is available for ordering and I'm offering up the a-side "Until I'm there" as a free download. I had absolutely no expectations when I first started the label component of the It's a trap! empire back in 2004 with the release of KVLR's self-titled album, but here I am with release #4, my very first 7". Forget about all the various sound quality arguments, there's nothing like the touch and smell of fresh vinyl. Listening to record is a way more visceral experience than simply sliding a CD into a changer - you've got to pull it out of it's sleeve, find the proper side to listen to and set it on the turntable before firing it up and setting the needle in the groove to create sound. It's ritualistic and satisfying in a way that digital media can never compare to. I am incredibly honored and humbled to be working with a great talent such as Rasmus Kellerman and Tiger Lou. He's been one of my favorite artists for awhile now and he only gets better with each new release. So enjoy the mp3 and, if you like it, buy the record.
Tiger Lou - Until I'm there
Norrland indierockers KVLR are done with basic tracks on their new album: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr
No one's sure about a release date yet, but I'm talking with the guys about doing a netrelease EP with some of the songs.
My pals KVLR will be releasing their next album as a free download: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr