Artist: Seven Feet Four
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"If these are the last days of summer, do you sleep or stay awake?" I didn't think it was possible to have a worse summer than last year, but we did and now it's over. A last-gasp week of warmth followed by rain and that unmistakable chill that signals the beginning of the end. Even year it comes like a lion, falling almost squarely on the autumnal equinox. I actually recently loaded Seven Feet Four's classic "Departure/Arrival" album onto my mp3 player, but this selection from their final EP "To kill is easy" far more befits the changing of the season. Hard to believe it's six years old already, especially considering that hardly anyone has stepped up in their wake to strive for Swedish noiserock perfection. That is, aside from bands featuring ex-members. Whatever, I guess I'm just getting old; time to go to sleep.
Seven Feet Four - Last days of summer
"This song is about..." Who cares! It's summer project time! Martin Senter (EL-SD, Seven Feet Four, etc.) started a new punk band "just for the fun of it," which really, is the only reason to do music in the first place. Anyhow, the band is just him playing all the instruments and Isabella Sundell screaming out the words and I think it sounds great. Certainly goes well with the new Lögnhalsmottagningen 7" that just showed up today. Hopefully he'll pull something together and will take it to the stage because that's, as much as love punk singles (not really), that's the best place to experience this kind of music.
Lågkonjunkturen - Den här låten handlar om...
9 out of 10 times I delete every remix track that hits my inbox before listening because they are almost always invariably: 1) worthless 2) boring 3) awful or 4) all of the above. I can't be bothered; I already spend way too much time listening to music I don't like and I honestly would rather listen to something that's obviously terrible than some mediocre retread of a song I didn't care about in the first place. At least then I have the good sense to turn it off 30 seconds in rather than wait fruitless in hopes it might get good. There are always exceptions though and this reworking of Per Egland's "Merkurius brinner" ("Mercury is burning") as done by Martin Senter (Seven Feet Four, EL-SD, Talking to Drake, etc.) works quite well because it completely reinvents the tune. Honestly, the original (listen at myspace) isn't all that; a fine, but ultimately unfulfilling upbeat dirge. Senter's take kicks the tempo way way up and turns it into something far closer to Gbg-style indiepop than I thought was possible. From bummer to summer, this is the way to do it.
Per Egland - Merkurius brinner (Martin Senter remix)
Martin Senter is a veteran of many bands - Seven Feet Four, EL-SD, Talking to Drake, maybe more -- but now he's decided to break out on his own and work on a solo EP. "Ingenting förlorat" is the first, fully realized sample of what he's done so far and it's pretty decent. Definitely in the vein of quirky guitar + electronics indie ala early Samuraj Cities (or maybe Niels Nielsen) with the added benefit of strong energy and a decent ear for clever vocal arrangements. The track does go on a little long however, but whatever, it's a demo. Gotta hear it back before you can work the quirks out. Hear some more stuff at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/martinsenter
Martin Senter - Ingenting förlorat
There's a nice noise-hardcore-scene vibe going around Stockholm with some amazing bands gigging in basements and bars and such, under the radar of -- or underestimated by -- the established clubs; these bands are getting their gigs by themselves and getting together a group of friends in a hole in the ground serving beer. Anyone paying attention will recognize that most members tonite are the usual suspects and this one featured, among others, members of Traktor, Emerson Fittipaldi, Seven Feet Four and Bruce Banner, on stage and in the audience.
Axe kicked off the night with some ferocious hardcore-noise-punk in the vein of Brick and that old hardcore band from Sigtuna that I can't remember the name of right now. They were really cool. They've got hooks! Check out their myspace and you'll see what I mean (the song "Firmafest" is an amazing stand-out!). They also are not afraid to go mid-tempo for some noise-intensity. The live-experience was great, yet lacking some volume and conviction, but hopefully they'll iron this out. If they do, this band will be a force to be reckoned with.
EL-SD were a bit more heady, recalling early Unwound, Sonic Youth, even early Quagmire (!) as well as sporting "Yank crime"-era Drive Like Jehu song lengths. I was blissing out ofc, with the amazing gzzz-ing and no-wave picking guitars of David Fried right in front of me and bumping into Frippe going crazy wielding the bass. Good shit, this.
Karpis went metal on me, taking noise-rock down drop-tuning with growling even. They were bringing it, but I was kind of done unfortunately, trying to flirt, drink beer and stuff instead. I'll catch more of your set next time guys, promise!
So, fellow travelers, when in Stockholm, I humbly suggest you forgo established venues, constantly applying the one-size-fits-all-indie-dancefloor after every damn concert, for the basement jovial hardcore-scene-experience. Get your promille up and cheer for your new-found favourite underground band! You can even pogo a bit if u'd like.
- Mathias Rask-Andersen
Swedish noiserockers Giant Boar (ex-Seven Feet Four) have new music posted at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/giantboar
If you dig KVLR, you'll love this. I know I do.
If you're into Integrity-style hardcore, you'll dig Dead Vows. Simple as that. It's heavy and metallic without ever really being metal and it's got chock-loads of chunky power-chord riffs to keep the floor moving. Plenty of evil, anti-xian lyrics too, not to mention the goathead man with batwings on the cover. I know a lot of people who'll be all over this.
On the other hand, I've never been an Integrity fan and while I appreciate what they did, I expected something more, something different from a band with members from Repoman and Seven Feet Four. They're going for the straight-ahead hardcore bruiser thing and I've gotta say, it's simply not my bag. The super clean and sterile recording doesn't help either. In fact, I'd bet they'd benefit from a filthier, Mötorhead-style approach. A few songs, sure, I'm all about it. I'd be stoked to see them live, too. But listening to a full album? I'm not interested. Discordant bits like on the chorus of "Off my chest" only serve to remind me how much I'd rather be listening to Repoman.
Dead Vows - Off my chest
To be completely honest, I've always kinda Quagmire (nee QGMR) to be noiserock also-rans. They've had a few good moments, but they've always paled in comparison to the acts of the 1st tier. Until now, that is -- the band's new album "We know we don't know" is far and away the best thing they've done. Less pedantic noodling, more drive ala Drive Like Jehu. "Pre-emptive retaliation" buzzes and hums along, sounding not too unlike Division of Laura Lee, 'cept that Quagmire does better on the chorus by throwing in some excellent dual-guitar melodies that push them closer to Seven Feet Four territory. Above all, I'm just happy there's still bands out there making this kind of music and doing it well. Shame that they're still the same folks doing it as back in the day, but what can you do?
Quagmire - Pre-emptive retaliation
Swedish noiserockers Voices Break the Silence have a couple new tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/voicesbreakthesilence
If you miss Seven Feet Four, be sure to check these guys out.
Did I mention that Convoj is now signed to I Made This? Well, they are. Giant Boar (ex-Seven Feet Four) too.
Resale copies of the new Great Northern Recordings comp arrived yesterday and holy shit is it good! I mean, I knew it would be at least kinda good if only because it has two new NEI tracks plus new stuff from ex-Seven Feet Four act Giant Boar, but it exceeds expectations in every way. The biggest surprise: White Knives. Consisting of Cut City's rhythm section (that's David Hagberg on drums and Max J Hansson on bass/vox) plus Joachim Nordwall from Kid Commando/Skull Defekts/The Idealist on guitar/vox, they churn out an evil, dubbed-out postpunk dirge that's absolutely killer. "Welcome transplants" takes the sinister cyclical power of Lungfish, but replaces their poeticism and mechanical precision with something far more despondent, more broken. It really gets me excited to hear more, but for now, I'm stoked on the two songs on this comp.
White Knives - Welcome transplants
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Disfear - Deadweight
02. TALK 1
03. The Social Services - Up in arms
04. Kaka - The hotspurs (the less know the faster we go)
05. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Manic panic
06. TALK 2
07. Tiger Lou - Patterns
08. Paper - My life is going under
09. Dreamboy - Stars
10. TALK 3
11. Lack - Watchmen
12. Don't Be A Stranger - Mon chi-chi
13. Ea Philippa - Heslenes sang
14. TALK 4
15. Ef - Thrills
16. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
17. Frivolvol - Satellite kids
18. TALK 5
19. Enslaved - Eld
20. The Grand Opening - Secrets revealed
21. Ultralyd - Comphonie V
22. TALK 8
23. Firefok AK - Techno tears
24. The Indecision Alarm - Alienation process
25. Looptroop Rockers - Marinate
26. TALK 7
27. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
28. The End Will Be Kicks - Exit ramps
29. Cadillac - Locomotive
30. TALK 8
31. Lukestar - Lake Toba
32. Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
33. Printer - Minds out
34. TALK 9
35. Seven Feet Four - Auto emotion
36. Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination
37. Barra Head - Undermine
38. TALK 10
39. Britta Persson - Happy hour
40. Anna Leong - Guillotine
41. Ted Gärdestad - Can't stop this train
42. TALK 11
"Great Northern Recordings compilation nr. 3", the latest edition of the short-run comp series focusing on some of Sweden's best experimental indie acts, is confirmed for release on March 1. This new one features eight previously unreleased tracks from the bands Nei (members from Breach, Fireside, Brick, The End Will Be Kicks), Giant Boar (members from Seven Feet Four), White Knives (members from Skull Defekts, Cut City) and Happiness (members from Tar... Feathers, Fuglesang) and will be amazing, no doubt. Hand-numbered, 167 copies and yes, I'll definitely be getting a few for resale. Celebrate the release with Nei's debut show at Debaser Slussen in Stockholm on March 1.
9
Saturated with towering vocals that often exceed the normal male range, hook after marvelous hook, and drumming so fluid, present, and masterful that it is as fascinating to listen to as the vocal and guitar work, Lukestar may have crafted the best Scandinavian rock/pop album since Last Days of April's "Ascend to the stars". Continuing in that vein of music that was so crudely labeled 'emo', a sound mostly abandoned a few years back, Lukestar effortlessly combine aspects of LDoA with the more dynamic fluency of Mew's debut album. "Lake Toba" is a reminder of why bands like Seven Feet Four have been able to maintain their presence and importance, and an indication of the future of this genre (and, more importantly, that this sound actually has a future). While the musicianship is damned proficient, it's the songwriting that brings you back over and over, keeping the album remarkable and engaging after repeated listens, and allowing for the album to be enjoyed as a whole without skipping around the tracklist. Anthemic and vulnerable, hopeful yet cautious, "Lake Toba" is everything that rock record with serious pop sensibility should be. And with that voice, those drums, and a level of musical craftsmanship and consistency that has been lacking on far too many similar records, Lukestar's newest effort is in good position to be one of the best album of 2008.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
I've got an extremely fresh song for you today from Swedish shoegazers Talking to Drake, a track that was just finished this past weekend if what the band tells me is true. As to the story of Talking to Drake, I really don't know much of anything except that Martin Senter from Seven Feet Four plays drums and even that piece of knowledge is kinda useless since that band is a poor reference point for the music TTD make. TTD is much more akin to the languid dreaminess of Sonores, a slow-burning darkness that gradually unfolds and envelopes your senses. It's the kind of music that's best suited for headphones. In fact, for full appreciation, I suggest you block out the distractions of the outside world as much as possible - turn it up and close your eyes, let it carry you away.
Talking to Drake - I knew
Axe, EL-SD & Karpis
Lukestar
