MP3: Moto Boy - Ave Maria

This song has been the bane of my existence for nearly as long as I can remember, but I most distinctly remember my middle school teacher music teacher Kirk Wetterholm (who looked/looks? quite a bit like Gov. Blagojevich, come to think of it) singing it to me on the regular. He made puns on many kids' names, but I got the aria. Thanks a lot!

Of course, none of my many music teachers (+ others) over the years can compete with Moto Boy's rendition. His new EP of classically-inspired works ("For Martha") is just that: inspired. In the long run, I rather listen to his original torch songs, but since my wife has had this on steady repeat ever since it showed up a week ago, I'm happy to listen again and again. Despite the annoyance this piece has played in my life, it's strongly recommended.

Moto Boy - Ave Maria

This week's radio show playlist

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

01. Eric Beyond - Step off
02. TALK 1
03. Hanna Hirsch - Ingen kommer sakna oss
04. Francis - Bad to the bone
05. KA SO RE - Dramatically keep you
06. Susanna - Jailbreak (ft. Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
07. TALK 2
08. Love Is All - Give it back
09. Agent Side Grinder - Lashes of flashes
10. Parker Lewis - Bash the cynicals
11. TALK 3
12. Moto Boy - Pie Jesu
13. Down In June - The enemy within
14. Masshysteri - Tvivel
15. Underwater Sleeping Society - Saw you at my funeral
16. TALK 4
17. Viola - We owe love
18. Convoj - The shovel
19. Celestial - Crystal heights
20. TALK 5
21. The Deer Tracks - Yes, this is my broken shield

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XM U. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Top 10s for 2008: It's a Trap! (albums)

Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:

01. Hello Saferide
02. Anna Ternheim
03. Kleerup
04. Moto Boy
05. El Perro del Mar
06. Loney, Dear
07. Club 8
08. Håkan Hellström
09. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
10. Glasvegas

Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

See the video for the new Moto Boy track "Pie Jesu": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGzsvOx87nQ&fmt=18
Said track comes from Moto Boy's new covers EP "For Martha", due out December 3 via Songs I Wish I Had Written. Full tracklist:

01. Pie Jesu (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
02. Cigánské melodie (Antonín Dvorák)
03. A room without you (Oskar Humlebo)
04. Ave Maria (Vladimir Vavilov)
05. Suo Gân (traditional)

Swedish indie troubadour Moto Boy will be releasing a new EP on December 3 via Songs I Wish I Had Written.

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

01. Firefox AK - Techno tears
02. TALK 1
03. Hello Saferide - Anna
04. Sods - Copenhagen
05. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
06. TALK 2
07. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
08. Parker Lewis - Heart rate hill
09. Tiger Lou - Crushed by a crowd
10. Juvelen - Don't mess
11. TALK 3
12. Katzenjammer - Le pop
13. Passiv Dödshjälp - Exorcism i beslagtagen kropp
14. The Goner - Haven
15. The Social Services - Seven dwarfs
16. TALK 4
17. The Skull Defekts - Waving
18. Moto Boy - Ride my wild heart
19. Oskar Schönning - Faustine
20. David Sandström Overdrive - Songs that maybe won't be forgotten
21. TALK 5
22. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks

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

Songs I Wish I Had Written is giving away the new Moto Boy single "What is was like to be with you" as a free summer download: http://www.songsiwish.com/motoboy-whatitwas.mp3
Check out the new video too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5UgtJbOBXA

Watch video footage of Moto Boy charming crowds in London this past weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYSdikYoei4

Moto Boy
s/t
Songs I Wish I Had Written

By his own admission, Moto Boy sets out to redefine your perception of what one man can do with a guitar. With an impressive and androgynous vocal range, he does indeed push the envelope, embarking on some surprising twists and turns as he navigates the length of the album. Dreamy at times, defiant at others, the songs sometimes fall into a self-indulgent experimental style that are testing for both the artist and the listener. For the most part though, the songs are curious, well crafted and caressing. "I miss you baby" and "Blue motorbike" are both rhythmically strong, pop focused and radio worthy. The oddly named "U" is a striking and beautiful addition. For an artist reported to take the stage dressed in drag with a nasty black metal guitar, this album is unexpectedly gimmick-free, demonstrating the full force of talent behind the act.
- Rhiannon Elston

Songs I Wish I Had Written has posted the video for the new Moto Boy single "Ride my wild heart": http://songsiwish.com/motoboy/ride/

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

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Worse than a girl
02. TALK 1
03. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
04. Deathbed - Neon light fantasy
05. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - I have an itch
08. C.Aarmé - Dustin
09. Noxagt - Wall's end
10. TALK 3
11. Menfolk - Hell is in Texas
12. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
13. Folk&Røvere - Solveigs sang
14. TALK 4
15. Bobby Baby - Goodbye love
16. Häive - Raina: Yömyrsky
17. Peter Bjorn and John - All those expectations
18. TALK 5
19. Meleeh - Vittra
20. Rigas - The hardest pocket to pick
21. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
22. TALK 6
23. Cortex - Warrior night
24. Tiger Lou - The war between us
25. Sophie Rimheden - Stay the night (ft. Adam Tensta)
26. TALK 7
27. Moto Boy - Beat heart
28. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Kanske jag kommer hem
29. September Malevolence - Who watches the watchmen?
30. TALK 8
31. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
32. Paper - Before that day
33. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
34. TALK 9
35. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
36. Stina Nordenstam - Trainsurfing
37. Red Moon - The height
38. TALK 10
39. Broder Daniel - When we were winning

Moto Boy will do a small run of London shows in May:

05/23 - Monto Water Rats, London
05/24 - The Barfly, Camden, London
05/25 - Monto Water Rats, London

Lamont
The golden daze
self-released

Distributed for (free) download on Swedish torrent site The Pirate Bay as well as the band's web site, "The golden daze" tries to be glam pop for the masses, crafted to capture the listener at first listen. Being Malmö based, the band emulates its more successful neighbors, namely The Ark and Melody Club. In this it is successful, but only as an emulation. Despite stabs at punk-laced electro and (oddly enough) swing on the title track, there's not enough originality here to distinguish the band from others. Forgettable as it may be, however, it can also be pretty fun. All tracks are very radio friendly, though none are likely to become radio hits. The production is the album's strongest suit. Aside from a great turn by The Ark's Ola Salo, who gives "Rather do it" (a minor hit in 2006) the kind of behemoth sound that we're used to from these sorts of bands, the rest of the album is produced by Oskar Humlebo (aka Moto Boy). He drenches the band in serpentine rhythms and new-wave synths, which helps to disguise the fact that you're not going to remember many of these songs in a few months. Still, for fans of the over-the-top Malmö based pop sound (like me), there's plenty to like here. Unfortunately, there's just not enough to love.
- Nick James

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

01. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
02. TALK 1
03. Karin Ström - Silent night
04. Camouflage - Syster sol
05. Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was
06. TALK 2
07. Juvelen - Don't mess
08. Invocator - Breed of sin
09. The Grand Opening - Secrets revealed
10. TALK 3
11. Motorpsycho - For free
12. Coldworker - Flammable
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Photo Jenny
14. TALK 4
15. Egil Olsen - Singer/songwriter
16. Last Days of April - Will the violins be playing?
17. Desert Planet - Riot sector 68
18. TALK 5
19. Printer - Satisfaction
20. Psyke Project - Physical romance
21. Promise and the Monster - Light reflecting papers
22. TALK 6
23. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
24. Pan Sonic - Johdin
25. Opération Zéro - Etude no. 1
26. TALK 7
27. Jonas Game - Nothing to lose
28. Mari Boine - Tundra flower
29. Vapnet - Plötsligt händer det inte
30. TALK 8
31. Moto Boy - Ride my wild heart
32. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
33. Gravy - Behind my walls
34. TALK 9
35. Looptroop Rockers - The building
36. Victims - Victims in blood #5
37. Anna Leong - Guillotine
38. Zeigeist - Humanitarianism
39. TALK 10
40. Ef - Appendix