Artist: Laakso
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The question that everyone wants to know: who was the best band at Way Out West? Sounds easy enough, but it's almost impossible to answer. How can you compare Woven Hand to Boredoms to The Hives? All were fantastic, albeit in totally different ways. However, it must be said that one of the most satisfying live experiences of the entire festival had to be Laakso. A small club show at Sticky Fingers was a perfect way to close out Friday night and easily one of the biggest highlights of my trip. It's funny - except for fellow IAT contributor Jonas Appelqvist, most everyone else I know in GBG could care less about the band, but we were both incredibly excited to see them. Not that I'm all that surprised though - I can totally understand why most Swedes would be bored with the big indie acts. On the other hand, everybody agrees that "Italy vs Helsinki" is a fantastic song. It's also unanimous that The Hives are one of the world's best live bands. Not that that fact should come as a surprise, but there you go. Anyhow, Laakso delivered the kind of show I was hoping for. Energetic, cathartic, glorious, beautiful.
Laakso - Worst case scenario
Fest update! Friday was great - Low exceeded expectations and Woven Hand was amazing. I couldn't get into Trail of Dead, but I did manage to catch Last Days of April to wrap up the evening and they were pretty damn good too. Saturday started nicely with a thunderous set from Boredoms followed by my first-ever in-person Hello Saferide show. Some folks tell me it wasn't their best, but I was more than happy. The Hellacopters and The Hives both brought the rawk like you would expect and after that I decided to bail early to Sticky Fingers so I could stake out a position for Laakso. It was obviously the right move 'cuz that place filled up mighty quick right after we got there. Seeing Juvelen open was bonus. As for Laakso, it was brilliant. Practically a greatest-hits set you could say. Oh, and Annika Norlin performed the "Italy v Helsinki" duet. Good times! Pictures to come as well.
This week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Interpol
02. Shout Out Louds
03. Architecture in Helsinki
04. The Shins
05. Bright Eyes
06. of Montreal
07. Stars
08. Laakso
09. Death Cab for Cutie
10. Belle and Sebastian
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
The tracklist from this week's radio show featuring special guest Magnus Bjerkert of Adrian Recordings:
01. TALK 1
02. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
03. Andreas Tilliander - Untitled
04. TALK 2
05. Printer - Minds Out
06. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
07. TALK 3
08. Björns vänner - Isoleringskvall
09. The Fine Arts Showcase - Chemical girl (Familjen remix)
10. Laakso - Truck Driver
11. TALK 4
12. Breach - Diablo
13. Kent - Ingenting någonsin
14. Stina Nordenstam - Crime
15. Stardog - Lack of time
16. TALK 5
17. Bob Hund - Förträngda problem
18. Den Svenska Tystnaden - Reaktor
19. Björk - Venus as a boy
20. TALK 6
21. Honey is Cool - If I go
22. The Knife - We share our mother's health (Trentemøller remix)
23. Silverbullit - Buddy
24. TALK 7
25. Sharif - E.A.A. (Eagerly awaiting anytime)
26. TALK 8
27. eMiL Jensen - Bud från April
Visual artist Ander Weberg has compiled all of the various music videos he did between 2003 and 2006 and has posted them here: http://recycled.se/mintv.htm
Artists featured include David & the Citizens, Folie, The Mo, Sophie Rimheden, Laakso and more.
Laakso has been added to the Way Out West lineup. Looks like I really did choose the one best festival to attend this year.
This week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Shout Out Louds
02. Interpol
03. Feist
04. Belle and Sebastian
05. The Smashing Pumpkins
06. Jens Lekman
07. Bloc Party
08. The White Stripes
09. Death Cab for Cutie
10. Laakso
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
The playlist for my radio show this week:
01. Death By Kite - Scared of heights
02. TALK 1
03. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Crakkin zombees...
04. Monomen - Asian spacestation
05. José González - Hints
06. TALK 2
07. I Am Bones - Backpackers
08. Ellen Beach - The widespread acclaim
09. Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting
10. TALK 3
11. Iisole - The words
12. Kornstad - Sweden
13. Cortex - Mind of darkness
14. TALK 4
15. Silverbullit - Run
16. [ingenting] - Hollywood dreams
17. In Flames - The jester race
18. TALK 5
19. Nicolai Dunger - Soul rush
20. Existensminimum - Changing lines
21. Echo Is Your Love - Peace song
22. TALK 6
23. Laakso - The death of us
24. Christian Kjellvander - Words in the wires
25. Mustasch - Double nature
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Tape - A spire
29. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
32. Susanne Sundfør - Walls
33. The Hellacopters - Like no other man
34. TALK 9
35. Aerial - You will all die, all things will
Luger has added Peter Bjorn and John to the lineup of Way Out West. Now if only they'll get Kristofer Åström, Laakso and/or Aerial and they'll have pretty much every decent-sized Swedish act I want to see in one event.
This week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Shout Out Louds
02. Interpol
03. Justice
04. Feist
05. The White Stripes
06. Jens Lekman
07. The Arcade Fire
08. Death Cab for Cutie
09. Laakso
10. Modest Mouse
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
This week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Shout Out Louds
02. Feist
03. The Arcade Fire
04. Laakso
05. Death Cab for Cutie
06. Justice
07. The Smiths
08. The White Stripes
09. Modest Mouse
10. Of Montreal
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
We're six months into 2007 and our halftime reports are now posted. There's been a good number of strong releases so far this year, Säkert! being a collective favorite and others such as Laakso, Shout Out Louds, Isolation Years, Aerial and Familjen making multiple lists. Whittling our individual picks to three each can be difficult, but I think it forces us to be more decisive and discerning.
One act that didn't make by list, but surely deserves a place is Closer. Problem is, their new EP "The 39" isn't officially released yet and I didn't want to be all, "this is the year's best record and no, you can't hear it." Actually, I did play the track "Sensing the wake" on my radio show a couple times, but I really have no idea how many people heard it. Well, those problems are now a thing of the past as the kind dudes of Closer have decided to let me offer up "Sensing the wake" as a free download. Still no word on an official release, but it'll come - just wait.
For those that have missed my description of the band in the past, Closer plays what I can only describe as intelligent rock music. It's heavy and dark, but not exactl metal and it has the intensity of hardcore without being, y'know, hardcore. The musicianship is stellar as well, but never too showy. Fellow musicians will pick up on it, but there's no conspicuous solos or anything else to draw attention to it. Thematically, the EP is a concept piece along the same lines of "Tokpela", their debut. This time, it's based on a linear story centered around a single person and a series of events. Various similar motifs are repeated throughout the record, tying it together as a whole. Vocalist Joachim Dahlberg describes "Sensing the wake" as part one, "where the sensing part is actually just the saxophone intro, the calm before the storm." Beyond that, you're on your own. Closer loves to be mysterious and is happy to let you draw your own conclusions.
Closer - Sensing the wake
The playlist for my radio show on Sirius this week:
01. Beyond Dawn - Far from showbiz
02. TALK 1
03. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
04. The Fine Arts Showcase - Dance with your shadow
05. Pan Sonic - Hinaaja / Tugboat
06. TALK 2
07. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Hold
08. The Bear Quartet - I don't wanna
09. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - When she's GONE
10. TALK 3
11. Laakso - High drama
12. Park Hotell - The guest who stayed forever
13. Fun - Hold it close
14. TALK 4
15. The Book of Daniel - Rabbit boy
16. Watain - Storm of the Antichrist
17. Viktor Sjöberg - w/Nothing
18. Kristofer Åström - Fallen
19. TALK 5
20. Mainliners - Olivia
21. Oddjob - Kings are walking out
22. Lemonator - Heart burns
23. TALK 6
24. Tobias Hellkvist - Slowly but surely
25. Attrap - Just a word away
26. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
27. TALK 7
28. The Leather Nun - No rule
29. Alog - Son of king
30. Thunder Express - Vegas
31. TALK 8
32. Closer - Sensing the wake
My radio show this week is all about good-time summer jams:
01. TALK 1
02. Junior Senior - Move your feet
03. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
04. Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt
05. TALK 2
06. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
07. Margaret Berger - Samantha
08. The Knife - Heartbeats
09. The Ark - The worrying kind
10. TALK 3
11. Bamse - Kapten Busters sång
12. Marit Bergman - Adios amigos
13. Last Days of April - Playerin
14. Nic & the Family - Hej Monika
15. TALK 4
16. Basshunter - Boten Anna
17. The Alpine - No I in team
18. Aqua - Barbie girl
19. TALK 5
20. I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse
21. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
22. Eric Prydz vs Floyd - Proper education
23. TALK 6
24. Children of Bodom - Oops, I did it again!
25. Whale - Hobo humpin' slobo babe
26. Kurt Nilsen - She's so high
27. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
28. TALK 7
29. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
30. Peter Bjorn and John - Young folks
31. September - Cry for you
32. TALK 8
33. Randy - Summer of bros
34. Ace of Base - All that she wants
35. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - Democracy
36. TALK 9
37. Håkan Hellström - Kann ingen sorg för mig Göteborg
38. Seven Feet Four - Last days of summer
39. Tiger Lou - The war between us (Rupesh Cartel remix)
40. Madrugada - The kids are on high street
41. TALK 10
42. Europe - The final countdown
Download the companion "Summer jam '07" podcast mix right here.