Maia Hirasawa has a nice new website: http://www.maiahirasawa.com/

MP3: Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg

Maia Hirasawa's debut single "And I found this boy" is classic indiepop through and through, right on down to the big dance number in the video. A little sugary sweet perhaps, but perfect for that transition from winter to spring. But what of the rest of the record? Thankfully, it's more than cutesy girlpop and songs about boys. There are moments of that, sure, but it's all very well-done and balanced with other, more introspective and contemplative material. In the same way that I suspect some people were turned off from Hello Saferide because of "the lesbian song" ("My best friend"), understand that there's much more to it. It's the non-single tracks that elevate the album as a whole. Take "Gothenburg" for example - a song about a very specific place and time. The music is totally different, but I can't help but be reminded of Jawbreaker's "West Bay invitational". That's a song that is even more time/place specific, but its essence - the power of capturing that singular moment - is what's important and what makes it so strong and memorable. This will be a song to revisit in years to come.

Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (07) Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm
02. (02) Asha Ali - Coward heart
03. (15) Kings of Leon - On call
04. (11) The Kooks - Ooh la
05. (NY) Vapnet med Jens Lekman - Håll ihop
06. (04) The Moonbabies - War on sound
07. (14) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
08. (NY) Maximo Park - Our velocity
09. (03) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
10. (01) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
11. (05) Lily Allen - Littlest things
12. (NY) Korn med Amy Lee - Freak on the leash
13. (12) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
14. (18) The Long Blondes - Giddy stratospeheres
15. (19) Jamie T - If you got the money
16. (08) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
17. (16) Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
18. (13) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
19. (NY) The Honeydrips - (Lack of) Love will tear us apart
20. (09) Joss Stone - Tell me about it

Leaving the chart:
Regina Spektor - Samson
The Shins - Phantom limb
Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
Amerie - Take control

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
02. (03) Asha Ali - Coward heart
03. (06) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
04. (05) The Moonbabies - War on sound
05. (01) Lily Allen - Littlest things
06. (07) Regina Spektor - Samson
07. (NY) Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm
08. (08) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
09. (09) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
10. (11) The Shins - Phantom limb
11. (10) The Kooks - Ooh la
12. (12) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
13. (04) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
14. (13) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
15. (NY) Kings of Leon - On call
16. (19) Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
17. (14) Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
18. (16) The Long Blondes - Giddy stratospheres
19. (NY) Jamie T - If you got the money
20. (15) Amerie - Take control

Leaving the chart:
The Mary Onettes - Void
Grinderman - No pussy blues
Marit Bergman - Mama I remember you now

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Lily Allen - Littlest things
02. (03) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
03. (05) Asha Ali - Coward heart
04. (02) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
05. (06) The Moonbabies - War on sound
06. (07) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
07. (04) Regina Spektor - Samson
08. (08) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
09. (09) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
10. (12) The Kooks - Ooh la
11. (11) The Shins - Phantom limb
12. (14) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
13. (NY) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
14. (18) Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
15. (15) Amerie - Take control
16. (NY) The Long Blondes - Giddy stratospheres
17. (NY) The Mary Onettes - Void
18. (NY) Grinderman - No pussy blues
19. (NY) Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
20. (ÅT) Marit Bergman - Mama I remember you now

Leaving the chart:
The Pipettes - Judy
The Concretes - Oh no
Koop - I see a different you
Kleerup w/Robyn - With every heartbeat
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Desecration smile
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan said dance

The video for Maia Hirasawa's new single "And I found this boy" is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIyb8Sqol8
Very cute.

Maia Hirasawa has a Swedish tour lined up as well as a couple UK dates:

03/09 - Studenternas Hus/Kulturfestivalen Equalizer, Eskilstuna (SWE)
03/10 - Satin/Klubb Smart, Örebro (SWE)
03/29 - Umeå Open, Umeå (SWE)
03/30 - Storan, Göteborg (SWE)
04/11 - Skylten, Linköping (SWE)
04/12 - Cresendo/Konsert Republik, Norrköping (SWE)
04/25 - Smålands Nation, Lund (SWE)
04/26 - Dunkers Kulturhus, Helsingborg (SWE)
05/08 - Pusterviksbaren, Göteborg (SWE)
05/10 - Södra Teatern, Stockholm (SWE)
05/14 - Water Rats, London (UK) w/Hello Saferide
05/15 - Water Rats, London (UK) w/Hello Saferide
05/18 - Folkets Park/Åsiktsfestivalen Urix, Linköping (SWE)
06/28 - Peace & Love, Borlänge (SWE)

Her new album "Though, I'm just me" comes out April 4 via Razzia.

Maia Hirasawa's new single "And I found this boy" is now up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/maiahirasawa

Razzia has confirmed the release date for Maia Hirasawa's new album "Though, I'm just me" to March 21. The first single "And I found this boy" comes out March 7. They've also pushed back the date of They Live By Night's new album "Art and wealth" to March 28. The first single "Factory" comes out February 28 and can be previewed here: http://www.myspace.com/theylivebynight

Not a big suprise: Razzia has officially signed Maia Hirasawa, a name you might recognize from her work as part of Hello Saferide's band. Look for her debut album in March 2007. Read my profile piece on her right here: [click here]

Maia Hirasawa's contribution to the "Oh no, it's Christmas!" comp is now on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/maiahirasawa

The tracklist for Razzia's "Oh no, it's Christmas" compilation has been finalized:

01. Konie - "Oh yeah, it's Christmas"
02. Hello Saferide - "iPod X-mas"
03. Kristofer Åström - "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus"
04. Laakso - "Merry Christmas"
05. The Thousand Dollar Playboys - "A very sepcial Christmas"
06. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Jingle Hell (stuck in the chimney)"
07. Dreamboy - "Christmas kisses"
08. South Ambulance - "Hangin' in a tie"
09. Firefox AK & Tiger Lou - "Christmas eve"
10. Friska Viljor - "Oh no, this is what I feared all along"
11. Maia Hirasawa - "You were all there"
12. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - "Jullåten 2004"
13. The Tiny - "No money (for X-mas)"
14. Grande Roses - "To bring back Christmas this year"
15. The Perishers - "Blue Christmas"
16. They Live By Night - "Lucia (I deserve some candles in my hair)"
17. Dogday - "Santa will never get here"
18. The Consequences - "Some kind of magic"
19. Indiekören - "Last Christmas"

Y'know that upcoming Christmas comp that Razzia is putting together? I've got a preview of the tracklist:

Firefox AK & Tiger Lou - Christmas Eve
Friska Viljor - Oh no! This is what I feared all along
Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
South Ambulance - Hangin' in a tie
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Jullåten 2004
Laakso - Merry Christmas
The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
Maia Hirasawa - You were all there
The Perishers - Blue Christmas
The Soundtrack of our lives - Jingle Hell (stuck in the chimney)
Consequences - Some kind of magic
Grande Roses - To bring X-mas back this year
Konie - Oh, yeah...it's christmas!
Dogday - Santa will never get there
Indiekören - Last Christmas
They Live By Night - Lucia (I deserve candles in my hair)
Dreamboy - Christmas kisses
Kristofer Åström - I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus

As you can see, some of these tracks are old and previously released (TSOOL for instance), but most are new and exclusive to this release. The exact order is still TBD and a few more tracks are due for submission, but I'll definitely be carrying it in the webstore when it's released on November 15.

Maia Hirasawa does a session with Digfi: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=9635

Swedish singer/songwriter Maia Hirasawa (as profiled here recently) just posted a new song on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/maiahirasawa