Artist: Mattias Alkberg
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Of all the people who regularly pass along musical recommendations, I am most deeply indebted to Mattias Alkberg for his consistent, spot-on advice. I may not be crazy about the new Mogwai (I find that Helms Alee is a far more exciting band in that vein) and Chad VanGaalen is a bit of an uphill climb (I'm working on it), but as for his insistence I check out early Danish postpunk act Sods/Sort Sol, I'm all about it. Upon given the choice of the band's first four albums, I ask where to start. He says, "all of them" and of course he is 100% right. From the band's early roots as a more straight-ahead punk act under their first moniker to their later, more gothic leanings as "Black Sun", they created a consistently killer discography that was completely unknown to me until now. Whether you like tightly wound, frenetic punk ala "Pink flag"-era Wire or darker, more art-damaged rock with hints of Gun Club type melodrama, there is something for you here. Seriously, I am blown away. I am infatuated. Like Mattias says, there's really no perfect place to start, but since "White shirt" from 1983's "Dagger & guitar" is one of the first tracks I heard when I threw the tracks on shuffle, that's the song you get today. Sweetly sinister, devilish and beautiful; that's what it's all about. Tack igen Mattias!
Read more about Sort Sol/Sods at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sort_Sol
Sort Sol - White shirt
Mattias Alkberg reports back with how he spent his summer vacation: http://www.mabd.se/?p=91
It seems a record deal with Razzia was in the making, but it didn't work out due to a number of reasons. No hard feelings it seems, that's just the way the biz goes sometimes.
Worlds collide! Besides Broder Daniel and maybe Håkan Hellström, Bad Cash Quartet is the preeminent band that defines the classic Göteborg sound with their slightly shambolic yet anthemic pop music and snotty, out-of-key vocals. They became a bit more polished (and boring) towards the end, but I'll always hold their sophomore album "Outcast" as a classic. I strongly considered posting from that album, but in the end decided to say screw it and went with this, their cover of The Bear Quartet's "Put me back together". Besides, I've already talked about "Too bored to die" more than once. Anyhow, this song is from BCQ's later, more lackluster period and it really doesn't stand a chance at competing with the original, but at least they try to put their own spin on it. I just don't think that sucking all the energy out of it was the best way to go about it. Mattias Alkberg's vocals on the original get more and more manic as the calamities pile on, Martin Elisson plays it closer to the chest. And no one can compete with Jari Haapalainen's explosive leads. Still, it remains a great song. There's not much shame in admitting defeat before the mighty BQ.
Semi-related to this whole weekly Gbg nonsense: who's going to Way Out West? What bands are you looking forward to seeing?
Bad Cash Quartet - Put me back together
I went through my day yesterday thinking it was Thursday and then woke up this morning dismayed to discover I'd have to go through it all again. Summer cannot come soon enough, amirite? Alright, so anyhow- I know it might seem incongruous, but the reason I bring it up is because I was all set to post my interview with Mattias Alkberg of MABD/The Bear Quartet and was thinking that an old MABD track would be the perfect Friday accompanyment. But it's not Friday, it's Thursday and just because people say that Thursday is the new Friday doesn't make it true. Well, I decided to go with it anyway and let Matti decide on which song would be most appropriate:
Below my post on the MABD web site there is an unreleased track, "Allting är drömt", did you notice that? Not a lot of people have, not yet anyway. It's a live demo from the the Easter holidays this year, our final rehearsals and I think it's one of the best things we ever did.
But if I were to choose, it would have to be this one: one of the songs from the "Ragnar EP": "Jag vill inte förstå". It might be a bit hard to decipher, but I sing about Tomas Tranströmer and the art of not understanding. It's not very representative of the band, but it's very representative of me to pick it.
Enjoy the track and be sure to read the interview.
MABD - Jag vill inte förstå
Mattias Alkberg has laid MABD to rest, but has also assured his fans that he will continue making music in many, many forms: http://www.mabd.se/?p=87
Hardcore, orchestral pop, whatever... wait and see!
Now posted on the MABD website: three old tracks from Joon Erektion, Mattias Alkberg's teenage oi!/hardcore act from '83: http://www.mabd.se/?p=82
Act fast, 'cuz these tracks won't stay up forever.
6
"Vuxen barnmusik!" is an all-star collaboration album of sorts, featuring a slew of Sweden's most popular singers contributing at least one song, many with two. Sonically, the album is mostly a mixture of the textures of mid-70s classic rock and mid-90s alt-country, and, for the most part, it matches that vocally as well. To my ears, Caroline Wennergren contributes the strongest melodies of the album on her tracks "Eld i baken" and "Flyg iväg". In the second tier, one finds the familiarly loved Asha Ali, Mattias Alkberg and Kristofer Åström all taking what could be a slow record and pushing it up quite enjoyably. However, the strongest song on the album is its closer, the gorgeous "Finns det någon där" with Nina Ramsby and Martin Hederos performing a soft piano ballad with a light electric guitar playing in the background. The rest of the tracks though, did not do much for me, especially the faux-reggae "Välkommen til djungeln" which I've found to be completely unbearable. In the end, "Vuxen barnmusik!" is a decent album with a light-hearted feel, but can occasionally stray to the boring.
- Matt Giordano
It's the last Saturday of 2007, hence the last Bear Quartet post I'll do until their next album comes out. I asked Mattias Alkberg if he would contribute something this week, but he politely declined noting that it's a bit awkward to write about his own band like that, though quite flattering. Can't argue with that, so instead I've roped in Jim Kelly from Parasol once again. His pick: "Grammar" from 2003's "Angry brigade". He writes:
"Angry brigade" was The Bear Quartet's last true guitar-bass-n-drums rock/pop record, albeit sprinkled with inklings of the electro-tempest spawned on successive albums. Hot on the heels of the album's two singles, "Axe me don't ask me" and "All my life", the swaggering, cocksure, Clash-inspired "Grammar" is "Angry brigade"'s centerpiece, a bridge between the batch of luminous proto-popsongs in one hand and the sampledelic electro-punk squirming in the other. "Grammar" was a big tough rock song with big tough guitars, a song about righteous school-age badassess planning an assault on the neighborhood pedophile. But while the narrator and pals miss their chance, they hope that Hell awaits this person in some form. With sentiments like this, and mortality a common motif, "Angry brigade" ended up being the band's fiercest and most tightly-wound record since "Moby Dick", incorporating both the band's sublime pop sophistication and madcap punk/noise roots.
Download below, as always. As for next year's special Saturday post focus - wait and see!
The Bear Quartet - Grammar
Listen to Mattias Alkberg and Jonas Teglund perform "Soon after Christmas" by Stina Nordenstam: http://www.mabd.se/soon%20after%20christmas%20-%20mattias%20alkberg,%20jonas%20teglund.mp3
Lots more Mattias Alkberg/MABD/BQ news here, though I am not up to the task of translating it. Kind Swedes, please elaborate in the comments if you please.
I make no secret of my appreciation for children's music. "Bamses dunder hits!" still gets regular airplay in my house and no, I have no children of my own and my dogs hate singing and dancing so it's definitely not for their benefit. Naturally, when I heard about the new Bröderna Lindren record "Vuxen barnmusik!" ("Children's music for adults!"), I knew I needed to have it. Factor in the all-star cast of guest vocalists (Kristofer Åström, Ebbot Lundberg and Asha Ali, to name a few) and a backing band featuring drummer Fredrik Sandsten from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and I. If you're of a certain age (an adult?), you'll probably feel the same as it harkens back to the kind of songs I/we grew up on on Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, The Muppet Show and so on: classic rock/pop that's happy and easygoing with plenty of opportunities for singalongs. Now, as for the track I've selected today, it features Mattias Alkberg from The Bear Quartet/MABD and is one of the more balladesque numbers. Not only is it one of the best vocal performances I've heard from him in awhile, it's also about dogs (more or less), so I'm all about it. Enjoy!
Bröderna Lindgren - En hund som jag (ft. Mattias Alkberg)
I don't normally post about small tours in Sweden, but this one is a bit unusual: Mattias Alkberg (MABD, The Bear Quartet) and Ulf Stureson are teaming up for a half-acoustic Advent tour kicking off in Umeå on Thursday:
11/29 - Scharinska, Umeå
11/30 - Pinkerton, Skellefteå
12/01 - Norrbottensteatern, Luleå
12/02 - Debaser, Stockholm
12/04 - Debaser, Malmö
12/05 - Styrbord Babord, Göteborg
Jonas Teglund (Park Hotell) will accompany Matti on every date except the first (MABD will play) and Ulf will be joined by Johan Andersson (Björn Olsson).
The way Mattias Alkberg finishes each line of the verse makes "Walking out" sound like a song of resignation. He drops the pitch like an exasperated sigh while Jari Haapalainen plays the blues. However, the chorus gives a feeling of hope. The steadfast declaration of "I'm walking out" coupled with the airy keyboards gives the song a different atmosphere. It's like music that plays over closing credits to signify an untold new beginning, not closure. Because this is definitely not the end of the story, it's the start of something new, "a life that I have not entered yet."
The Bear Quartet - Walking out
Mattias Alkberg chats a bit about upcoming plans for the new albums from The Bear Quartet and Mattias Alkberg BD and more: http://www.mabd.se/?p=76
My Swedish skills suck (as always), but I can tell you that MABD is working on a double concept album with English lyrics.
Bröderna Lindgren