Markus Krunegård
Prinsen av Peking / Lev som en gris dö som en hund
Universal

It's always very difficult to not gush and be objective when reviewing music by your favorite artists, and I have made no secret in the past with my adoration for the songs of Markus Krunegård. It's strange though, because I tend for myself to be skeptical of each new record of his, whether it be the solo material or with Laakso. Yet, each time I step back in awe after the albums have clicked. This year he has delivered two new albums on the same day, and I must admit, was a bit unsure when hearing a song here and there and yet, once again, this has changed after multiple listens. As each record passes, you become aware of how much he is improving lyrically -- they've become less direct, and more poetic -- an attribute one never really associates with modern pop music. Songs like "Prinsessan av Peking" and "Kär i en borderline" are glaring examples of the imagery he has been able to focus on, and the results speak for themselves. The arrangements are also top notch, once again mostly working with longtime comrade Jari Happalainen. Laakso fans will take note that "Dystra utsikter" is a re-appropriation of "Long Beach", yet with the sense of hopeful support shifting to that of desperation seeking relief; "Mitt kvarter" is an ode to his residence. I would be safe to say, that by now, Markus Krunegård has more than cemented his place as one of the top songwriters at the moment.
- Matt Giordano

This week's Last.fm chart

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/

Jari Haapalainen to produce Club 8

Club 8 has announced that they have hired The Bear Quartet's Jari Haapalainen to produce their next album, the first time the band has worked with an outside producer. Jari of course is very well-known for his production skills nowadays, having worked with artists such as The Concretes, Camera Obscura and Laakso.

Festival report: Emmaboda 2009

Two new Markus Krunegård albums this fall

Laakso frontman Markus Krunegård will be releasing two brand new solo albums on October 14. The first is called "Prinsen av Peking" and is said to be "more majestic" while the other one, "Lev som en gris, dö som en hun" ("Live like a pig, die like a dog"), is probably more typical for Markus' style if we are to go by the title.

Sirius playlist week #16

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

01. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
02. TALK 1
03. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
04. Elenette - Att göra en hit
05. Maskinen - Bränner
06. TALK 2
07. The Skull Defekts - Habit
08. Grave - Into the grave
09. Murmansk - Moth
10. TALK 3
11. Kite - My girl and I
12. Laakso - Worst case scenario
13. Samtidigt Som - Denna sida mot fienden
14. TALK 4
15. David Åhlén - We sprout in thy soil
16. Knife and Ape - Buck teeth
17. Existensminimum - 1993
18. Cut City - Departure in particular
19. TALK 5
20. Masquer - Hanging garden

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.

Musik med Peggy Lejonhjärta

Live music with Peggy Lejonhjärta at PSL, featuring guest appearances from Markus Krunegård (Laakso) and Therese Johansson (Lowood): http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2009/03/13/musik-med-peggy-lejonhjarta/

MP3: Ironville - Roses

Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby decree that Ironville's forthcoming album "Welcome to Ironville" to be 2009's second exceptional release, the first being Livaventura's "...And they slept with their eyes open" (see here). Keep in mind that order here is unimportant as that Livaventura record won't be out until April and Ironville's debut has no official release date yet (spring?), but I've heard them both and am confident in my appraisal. Hopefully you already saw the video for "Roses" as created by band member Henrik Öhberg (aka Tvärvägen) -- if not, please remedy that straightaway. And download the song, of course! The lyrics are full of neediness, but the delivery keeps the desperation at bay by being quirky, not cloying. It's a discussion, not an ultimatum, at least not yet. And the string-heavy arrangement is a welcome respite from all the generic guitar-based crap I sift through on a daily basis. Actually, that's one of Ironville's finest qualities -- it's not just a matter of having an armada of instruments at your disposal (which they do), it's about using them judiciously. I can't say for sure that it's the band's own doing or the invisible hand of producer Markus Krunegård (Laakso), but I don't really care because the result sounds so fantastic. Keep an eye on these guys for sure.

Ironville - Roses

Sirius playlist week #4

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

01. C.Aarmé - M.P.P.
02. TALK 1
03. Existensminimum - Fuglesang
04. The Animation - Overboard
05. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
06. TALK 2
07. AlabamicA - You can't save the world
08. Franke - Skinnad
09. October Falls - III
10. TALK 3
11. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - 1999
12. Wolfbrigade - Barren dreams
13. Viisikko - Vapaus valita
14. Culkin - Payperfist
15. TALK 4
16. Lowood - Crash
17. Cut City - Departure in particular
18. Wardruna - Dagr
19. Laakso - In my blood
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.

Antennas
Feeling feline tonight
Novoton

Antennas do not lend themselves easily to comparisons -- there are elements of the pop structures of Shout Out Louds, of the angular nature of Laakso's approach, among other such attempts to define their sound, but very few of these associations hold up as you move through the tracklist. "The collector" is kitschy-chic, like a Weeping Willows ballad hijacked by CDOASS; "Lies" has far more soul and funk in its composition than three Swedes should be able to manifest in song; "Youngbloods" channels a bit of Brit-rock suave before throwing itself recklessly down dance-punk avenues; "Upwardly mobile" could almost be a Hot Chip track... and yet "Feeling feline tonight" feels like a unified work, each track flowing easily into the next, despite the differences in tone and method. Novoton Records apparently can do absolutely no wrong: "Book of Norma" was my first 10 out of 10, postpunkers Paper and Pixies-style rockers Pascal both put out fantastic efforts in 2008, and "Feeling feline tonight", with its ability to combine 80s pop craftsmanship and angular indie rock with the interesting, reactionary elements of some 90s music (think Stone Roses and Pulp), only strengthens Novoton's position as one of the very best labels in Sweden. "Feeling feline tonight" is my first great surprise of the year.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

This week's Last.fm chart

Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:

01. The Bear Quartet
02. Håkan Hellström
03. Laakso
04. Marit Bergman
05. Anna Ternheim
06. Frida Hyvönen
07. Hello Saferide
08. Glasvegas
09. Markus Krunegård
10. Bon Iver

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/

Kleerup + Krunegård = ?

Kleerup is reportedly working together on a new project with Markus Krunegård of Laakso: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article4144423.ab (in Swedish)
I suspect it will fit the exact same formula as the rest of his vocal-based work, but who knows? Maybe he'll actually forgo the usual stringlines for once.

Markus + Jari = Fear of Love

PSL is reporting that Markus Krunegård (Laakso) has started a new band with Jari Haapalainen (The Bear Quartet) called Fear of Love. Expect an album this summer?

Top 10s for 2008: It's a Trap! (albums)

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

01. Familjen - Nu händer det igen
02. TALK 1
03. Murmansk - Pale
04. KTMK - Valaistu risti
05. Lapko - Hugging the phone
06. Hebosagil - Big sun
07. TALK 2
08. Samuraj Cities - Washed up!
09. Sad Day for Puppets - Marble gods
10. Logh - An alliance of hearts
11. Epidemics - Never grow up
12. TALK 3
13. Simon Says No! - Shiver
14. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
15. Spirits of the Dead - White lady/Black rave
16. TALK 4
17. Laakso - Hang me in the Christmas tree

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XM U. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and in my house, channel 831 on DirecTV.