Montys Loco finally has a couple new tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/montysloco
Sounds awesome - very recommended!

The new Montys Loco album "Farewell Mr Happy" is done and sent off for mastering. Expect a January 2008 release.

This week's radio show is all women:

01. Hello Saferide - I was definitely made for these times
02. TALK 1
03. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
04. Sahara Hotnights - Drive dead slow
05. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - I will always be your soldier
08. El Perro Del Mar - Party
09. Octavia Sperati - As fire swept clean the earth
10. TALK 3
11. Robyn - Cobrastyle
12. Montys Loco - Man overboard
13. Honey Is Cool - Summer of men
14. TALK 4
15. Those Dancing Days - Hitten (demo version)
16. Christel Alsos - Come on
17. Red Moon - Landslide
18. TALK 5
19. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
20. Sanna Kurki-Suonio - Minne
21. Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Enjoy the silence
22. TALK 6
23. Otur - Overture
24. Midaircondo - Perfect spot
25. Doughnuts - Drowning
26. TALK 7
27. Fe-mail - Jacob's leketøy
28. September - Satellites
29. Gåte - Sjå attende
30. TALK 8
31. Maia Hirasawa - Mattis & Maia (ft. Miss Li)
32. Stina Nordenstam - Parliament square (The Knife remix)
33. Munck//Johnson - Slavesong
34. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
37. Asha Ali - A promise broken
38. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer
39. TALK 10
40. Anja Garbarek - The last trick

In case you missed it, the music summer camp for girls that Marit Bergman helped found is called Popkollo and you can find out more information here: http://www.popkollo.se/
Non-Swedish speakers, check the 'English' link on the bottom left for more details.

Also on the way from NONS is the new Montys Loco album "Namibiaalster" in November plus new singles from The Lionheart Brothers ("To make you love me"), Isolation Years ("Albino child") and Asha Ali ("A promise broken") in the near future.

Last night's playlist for my show on Sirius Blog Radio:

01. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
02. TALK 1
03. Johndoe - Nattskift
04. Montys Loco - Wasteland
05. Once We Were - Cut corners
06. TALK 2
07. [ingenting] - Mycket vasen for ingenting
08. Margaret Berger - Robot song
09. Namur - Marching
10. Lampshade - New legs
11. TALK 3
12. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. Juvelen - Hanna
16. TALK 4
17. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
18. Sonores - 16th of June
19. Detektivbyrån - E18
20. TALK 5
21. At the Gates - The swarm
22. Barra Head - Kill the lights
23. TALK 6
24. The Tough Alliance - Leg 7
25. Torpedo - My evil twin
26. Alog - Catch that totem!
27. TALK 7
28. Valley Days - 10k angels
29. A-ha - Celice
30. Victims - Who the fuck are we?
31. TALK 8
32. The Vicious - Alienated
33. Viola - Unreal life
34. Zweizz - Nowadays the only boring everything is so frustrating
35. Viktor Sjöberg - Winter guitars
36. TALK 9
37. Closer - The talker
38. Aerial - My god, it's full of stars!
39. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
40. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
41. The Psyke Project - Panic
42. TALK 10
43. C.Aarmé - We are the world

Next week: expect lots more killer jams including totally a brand new track from Closer and maybe even a spotlight set on post-rock/ambient music. Good times!

Montys Loco will be travelling to Namibia, Ondangwa with producer/engineer Patrik Bartosch to record their next album at a studio Patrik has built there.

Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

MP3: Asha Ali - Fire, fire

Before this morning, I knew next to nothing about Asha Ali. After reading her fact sheet, I still don't know that much, but I know her music and that is what's most important. "Warm fronts", her debut EP, was a bit of a sleeper in that I liked it whenever I put it on, but somehow it never stuck in my mind. Thankfully, that's been remedied with the release of her self-titled full-length, no doubt at least partially due to the inventive packaging: a stack of cards in a plastic case that can be laid out together to form a poster-sized liner sheet/album cover. Unfortunately, talking about it doesn't really convey how cool it is, so you'll have to take my word for it. Trust me, it's worth checking out. Now, the music! Asha Ali has an assuredly strong grip on the classic Swedish indie sound. You can hear the lineage of older acts such as Souls or Honey is Cool, as well as the modern-day sound of labelmates Montys Loco (I'm sure it helps that they also play on the record). However, what sets Asha apart is her earthiness. Informed by the past, but infused with something new. This is music that's good for the heart and soul. Listen to the song I've posted and let it fill you with its warmth.

Asha Ali - Fire, fire

Prolific Swedish singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger will release yet another new Swedish-language album early next year entitled "Rösten och Herren". Dunger produced it himself with assistance from Björn Yttling (PB&J, Montys Loco, etc.).

Check out some live video footage of Montys Loco: http://www.teaterscenario.com/video/musik/montysloco400.html

Marit Bergman's new album "I think it's a rainbow" will be released on September 6. The first single "No party" comes out July 31. The record was self-produced by Marit and longtime collaborator Åsa Jacobsson along with the always-fab Björn Yttling (Peter, Bjorn and John, Montys Loco, Caesars, etc.).

The video for the new Montys Loco single "Give me more" is on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/montysloco

Anja from Montys Loco broke her collarbone in a biking accident. Get well soon, ok?

The relatively new, but very good music blog The Katapult has posted an excellent summation of the new Montys Loco album: http://thekatapult.blogspot.com/2006/04/montys-loco-man-overboard-nons-2006.html
David's statement "It's a record that at first comes off as nothing special, but just as a seed takes its time to blossom into a wild colourful lovely flower." is dead-on.

Asha Ali
Warm fronts
NONS

Please someone pass me the bourbon to go with this record... oh and get me a cigar, book me into a New York City hotel, get me a seat by the window and let classically trained, north Stockholm resident Asha Ali be playing. Simplistic electric piano, plucked acoustic guitar, minimal backing harmonies and accompaniment is the recipe, deviated upon on one track "Just a light touch" which features some vibraphone/organ/accordion. She does the singer/songwriter thing, but with more instrumentation and sullen tones. Ali's pitches can at times reach The Tiny or Montys Loco quality, but cuts above as she manages not to warble or become too overly sentimental. An outstandingly worked EP that is sure to keep doing me in.
- Jason Christie