Melpo Mene - I can't stand

Listen to Swedish artist Melpo Mene covering Zola Jesus: http://soundcloud.com/melpomenemusic/melpo-mene-zola-jesus/s-tIB29

Best of Imperial Recordings

Imperial Recordings will celebrate 9 years as a label on March 1 with the release of a new digital-only 41-track greatest hits collection, simply titled "Best of". Featured artists include José González, Promise and the Monster, Zeigeist, Martin McFaul, Melpo Mene, Eskju Divine and Samuraj Cities.

Melpo Mene covers Gorillaz

Download an mp3 of Melpo Mene covering "Date" by Gorillaz: http://www.melpomene.se/Melpo.Mene.Gorillaz.Dare.Cover.mp3

Melpo Mene signs to Coppertree Records in the UK

UK-based label Coppertree Records has signed Swedish artist Melpo Mene and will be releasing his album "Bring the lions out" on 180g vinyl.

Manifest nominees are go

The nominees for the Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy, have been announced:

Synth:
Thermostatic - Humanizer (Wonderland Records)
Zeigeist - The Jade Motel (Spegel/Imperial Recordings/Playground)
Moonlight Cove - Orphans of the Storm (Kinetophone/Hot Stuff)
Elegant Machinery - A soft exchange (Out of Line/Hot Stuff)
Rhythm:
Movits - Äppelknyckarjazz (BD Pop/Universal)
Erici - Brasilicum (Erici Music/Dead Frog)
Saft Stockholm - Ordet (Saft Productions/Stockholm Electronica)
Kungers - Galaxen (Rätta Visan/Border)
Experimental:
Anders Dahl - Doorbells (Bombaxbombax)
Nina de Heyney, Charlotte Hug & Christian Jormin - Acoustic Electronic (LJ Records)
Pär Thörn - Schöneberg/Stammheim/Gärdet/Rågsved (Treffpunkt)
Anders Hultqvist - Traces (Chamber Sound)
Pop:
Frida Hyvönen - Silence Is Wild (Licking Fingers/Playground)
Hello Saferide - More modern short stories from... (Razzia/Bonnier Amigo)
Joel Alme - A Master Of Ceremonies (Sincerely Yours/Border)
Nordpolen - På Nordpolen (Sincerely Yours/Border)
Rock:
The Hellacopters - Head Off (Wild Kingdom/Sound Pollution)
Pascal - Galgberget (Novoton/Bonnier Amigo)
Fatboy - In My Bones (Fat State Production/Playground)
Manikins - Crocodiles (P.Trash Records)
Dance:
Pär Grindvik - Samlad årsproduktion (Stockholm LTD)
Anders Ilar - Sworn (Level Records 11)
Style of Eye - Duck cover and hold (Pieces of eight records)
Zoo Brazil - No Place Like Home (Gung Ho! Recordings)
Jazz:
Bobo Stenson Trio - Cantando (ECM/Naxos)
Nina Ramsby & Ludwig Berghe Trio - Du har blivit stor nu [En kamp!] (Moserobie/Bonnier Amigo)
e.s.t. - Leucocyte (ACT/Bonnier Amigo)
The Splendor - Sound of Splendor (HOOB/Border)
Punk/Hardcore:
Disco Volante - "We are forever" (Not enough)
Disfear - "Live the storm" (Relapse/Border)
Nitad - "Ibland kan man inte hindra sig själv" (Kranium)
Meanwhile - "Reality or nothing" (Feral Ward)
Hårdrock/Metal:
Burst - Lazarus Bird (Relapse/Border)
Dismember - Dismember (Regain/Sound Pollution)
Grand Magus - Iron Will (Rise above/Border)
Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner/Bonnier Amigo)
Hip-hop/R'n'B/Soul:
Chords - Things We Do For Things (Juju/Playground)
Afasi & Filthy – Fläcken (P.o.p.e./Playground)
Masse - Gott & Blandat Vol. 2
Allyawan - Blu Duk Mixtape Vol. 2
Folk/Ballad:
Gunnel Mauritzson Band - Det som sker...(Sandkvie Records/CDA)
Maria Hörnelius, Bernt Andersson & Kjell Jansson - En sång för Kent (Eld Records/Border)
Jonas Knutsson & Johan Norberg - Skaren - Norrland III (Act/BAM)
Bjernulf/Björklund/Lindh – Pål Olles väg (Courage)
Singer/Songwriter:
Melpo Mene - Bring the Lions Out (Imperial Recordings/Playground)
Hyacinth House - Black Crows Country (True Music Production/Glitterhouse)
First Aid Kit - Drunken Trees (Rabid Records/Border)
Olle Nyman - Venture (A West Side Fabrication/Border)
Live:
Detektivbyrån (Danarkia)
The Hellacopters (Psychout Records)
Lykke Li (LL Recordings)
Robyn (Konichiwa Records)
Myspace prize for best unsigned act:
Montauk
Hero in action
Miranda Gjerstad
Sci-Fi Hands
John F Karlsson
Dyno
Tim Schmidt
Nottee
The Bellevues
Diskoteket

Go here for more: http://www.manifestgalan.se/

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

01. Small - Sunshine lover
02. TALK 1
03. Prince of Assyria - What ever you want
04. Necrovation - Putrid evocation
05. Division of Laura Lee - LAX
06. TALK 2
07. Tomas Halberstad - Travel as I wait
08. Sophie Zelmani - Yeah, okey
09. Kite - Ways to dance
10. TALK 3
11. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Light of love
12. The Tapirs - My violet you
13. E.S.T. - Leucocyte (Ad initio)
14. TALK 4
15. Enslaved - Vertebrae
16. Imagine I Had Hands - Hellbent on holding out
17. Melpo Mene - Kling klang clock
18. TALK 5
19. Puffin - A dream it seems

Reminder: My show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time.

MP3: Melpo Mene - Kling klang clock

Melpo Mene's gentle guitar plucking doesn't usually move me, though I do appreciate the quiet dreaminess of "Kling klang clock", a song that befits the title. No guitars until the end, just gentle harp-like pedal tones and subtly creepy xylophone, especially on the chorus. There's something in the melody of those ascending chimes that's totally unsettling; it's just the right balance of blue notes and pretty melody, like a pleasant dream about to turn nightmare. The key is that is never really does turn that corner though, it just leaves you with a vague suspicion that all is not well. All tension, no release; so much chromatic movement. A nice standout among the peaceful hippie vibes that permeate the rest of the album.

Melpo Mene - Kling klang clock

Check out the new Melpo Mene video for "I adore you": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTUjHpAgv_E
The new album "Bring the lions out" will be released on August 27 via Imperial Recordings.

Stream the new Melpo Mene album "Bring the lions out": http://www.myspace.com/melpomenemusic
It comes out on August 27 via Imperial Recordings.

Imperial Recordings will release the new singles "How low" by José González and "Snakes and lions" by Melpo Mene on June 18.

The new Zeigeist album "The jade motel" is confirmed for release on April 30 via Spegel/Imperial Recordings. THe new single "Bunny" b/w "Humanitarianism" is out now via digital download and will be issued on 12" vinyl later this spring.

In other Imperial-related news, the new Melpo Mene album "Bring the lions out" is scheduled for release on August 27. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/melpomenemusic

If you are curious about the new Volvo commercial featuring music from Melpo Mene, you can view one of them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytlM1zZe61I

Swedish artist Melpo Mene has licensed their new single "I adore you" for use in a Volvo commercial airing over here in the US. Stream it at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/melpomenemusic

Various Artists
Lesson no. 1
Imperial Recordings

For someone like me who's been following the Imperial label for awhile, this comp is fairly pointless. All of the tracks are previously released or will be featured on upcoming stuff, so it's redundant to my collection. However, if you're even the slightest bit curious about what Imperial has to offer beyond José González, there's tons of great contributions here to get acquainted with from acts such as Eskju Divine, Samuraj Cities, Melpo Mene, etc.
- Avi Roig

Imperial Recordings will be releasing a comp on April 26 entitled "Lesson No.1" featuring a selection of "highlights, rarities and previously unreleased tracks" from the label's vaults. Tracklist:

01. Samuraj Cities - Saturday Night
02. Eskju Divine - Struck By The Halo
03. Melpo Mene - Hello Benjamin
04. Martin McFaul - Boogie Dreamin
05. José González - Sensing Owls
06. TLS - Rising
07. Paperplane - Grow Young
08. Samuraj Cities - Hard Rain
09. Eskju Divine - Fears
10. Melpo Mene - Jedi
11. Martin McFaul - Train
12. TLS - A Song Left For You
13. José González - Hints