Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

The Legends
Facts and figures
Labrador

"Facts and figures" sees Johan Angergård return to form after last year's disappointingly slow "Public radio". Whilst that record was fine in its own right, the loss of tempo from the band's debut caught me offguard. Luckily, the tempo is back. Always exploring various textures and aesthetics in his music, Angergård relies very heavily on synthesizers this time around and the result is great pop album that sounds as if it is from 1976 or 1986 as opposed to this year. Coupled with his trademark smooth vocals (and heavy effects), this is the soundtrack to a postmodern dance club in some old warehouse in the nefarious part of town. Top on that the aura of seediness and you have yourself one of the best dark pop records since The Bear Quartet's "Ny våg".
- Matt Giordano

Video mix: Alarma Man, At the Gates, The Bear Quartet, Kings of Convenience, Montt Mardié, more...

The Bear Quartet
Eternity now
A West Side Fabrication

I'm convinced that alien DNA has somehow gotten into a bunch of Swedish musicians recently, and they may not know it. The very odd sounds and arrangements being generated by bands like The State of Floral Beings, The Knife and The Bear Quartet just can't be explained merely by saying "they're hard-working musicians and they're looking for new sounds." I defy anyone who listens to "Eternity now", the brand-new Bear Quartet CD, not to tell me that something not quite of this realm is driving the band. Holy smoke, is this thing wild and uncategorizable. I chuckled at a description of these guys online as "Sweden's most legendary pop band." What you hear on this CD bears only a tangential relationship to traditional "pop." Let's start with the mindblowing 21-minute centerpiece "Bear Quartet International Airport". This is one crazily brilliant, jaw-dropping track that kept me up half the night in awe. It starts with a jagged, killer guitar riff that burrows into your brain, ferocious drumming and an overall sense of sonic abandon before zigging and zagging through uncharted musical terrain. There are tempo shifts, just a snatch of weird vocals and a beautiful section where all the music sounds bowed (even though it's probably done on a synth). Honestly, this piece sounds like it's attempting to reinvent prog rock for the new millennium, and I'm not gonna argue against that. Thrilling stuff. Elsewhere, the short "Broken heart" and ultra-strange "The repairing of the Red Sea" utilize innovative pitch-shifting on the vocals, a technique used by Ween and Iceland's Eberg, but still in its infancy as far as the creative possibilities. It's a delight to find Bear Quartet exploring this sort of terrain. "Sailors" has a fairly simple rhythm track and synth, but then proceeds to alienate the general listening public (although not ME) with a high, moaning vocal that is clearly NOT the work of a band with record sales as their top priority. And there are several percussion-heavy tracks like "Where I cried," as well as a spooky ambient instrumental called "Peders forlat," which goes even further in making this platter hard to summarize. You can almost hear them laughing at the listener's expectations. Bear Quartet have made a dozen CDs and umpteen EPs over the years; "Eternity now" is clearly one of their weirdest and most delerious. Yes, that's a thumbs up.
- Kevin Renick

Absolut Noise talks to Mattias Alkberg of The Bear Quartet/Mattias Alkberg BD: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2006/06/absinterview-mattias-alkberg.html

MP3: The Bear Quartet - Sailors

"Eternity now" is The Bear Quartet's 14th album and their second in less than eight months. Last year's release "Saturday night" was billed as BQ's most difficult work yet and "Eternity now" is not much of a departure. Again, they indulge in plenty of electronic eclecticism and, as they did with 2002's "Ny våg", a lot of the material is instrumental and abstract. People longing for a return to the folk/rock sound of albums like "Moby dick" or even "Angry brigade" will be disappointed, but those of us who like to be challenged will be rewarded greatly. There's a damn good reason why these guys are considered to be Sweden's best indierock band - it's 100% true. Who else has continued to be as innovative and relevant so far into their career? And with "Eternity now", they show no sign of slowing down.

The Bear Quartet - Sailors

It's not exactly on-topic, but in case you're curious to know: Jari Haapalainen of The Bear Quartet produced both Camera Obscura's new record "Let's get out of this country" and also Ed Harcourt's "The beautiful lie".

The Bear Quartet have posted a new live video for free download: http://www.thebearquartet.com/

Razzia is working hard to corner the market on ex-Broder Daniel bassists and has now signed Theodor Jensen's band The Plan. The band will record their third album this summer with producer Jari Haapalainen (The Bear Quartet) and will be releasing the first single "Walk for gold" in late August.

Absolut Noise talks to Mattias Alkberg of The Bear Quartet about their new album "Eternity now", his solo work with Mattias Alkberg BD and more: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2006/05/bear-quartet-interview-mattias-alkberg.html

The Bear Quartet's new album "Eternity now" will be released on May 24. Listen to the first single "The repairing of the Red Sea" here: http://www.klicktrack.com/shop/release.jsp?r=11052&tn=1&cp=26

The Bear Quartet has posted a tour diary from their recent German trip: http://www.thebearquartet.com/tour.htm
Swedish only, unfortunately.

I'm not posting a new mp3 today because I have something even better for you, the tracklist for "It's a trap! reader's companion volume two". Behold:

01. HELLO SAFERIDE - If I don't write this song, someone I love will die (SWE)
from the album "Introducing: Hello Saferide" (Razzia)
02. RICOCHETS - Cold outside (NOR)
from the album "Isolation" (KongTiki)
03. VIOLA - Invisible revolution (FIN)
from the album "Anyone can stop us" (If Society)
04. BJÖRN KLEINHENZ - Pocket of gold (SWE)
previously unreleased
05. PLAIN FADE - Itä-Aure (FIN)
previously unreleased
06. THE BEAR QUARTET - Birds are singing deep within the greenery (SWE)
from the album "Saturday night" (A West Side Fabrication)
07. MOONBABIES - Take me to the ballroom (SWE)
from the as-yet-untitled forthcoming third full-length album (Moonbabies Music)
08. MUNCK//JOHNSON - Slavesong (DK)
from the album "Count your blessings" (PonyRec)
09. PHONOPHANI - I.F.A. (NOR)
from the self-titled album (Biophan [1998]/Rune Grammofon [2006])
10. MONEY.PAPER.THEPOLICE - Jim Morrison (SWE)
previously unreleased
11. DET GAMLA LANDET - När vi vaknar (SWE)
previously unreleased
12. THE FIRST MILES - The best one around (DK)
from the album "Aim for the heart, go!" (Little Bad Bear)
13. PARIS - Captain Morgan (SWE)
from the album "Secrets on tape" (Parismusic/V2)
14. THE END WILL BE KICKS - Medicine and airbags (SWE)
previously unreleased
15. DON JUAN DRACULA - Run away with you (NOR)
from the album "Young debutantes II" (Switch Off)
16. TIGER LOU - Nixon (SWE)
from the album "The loyal" (Startracks)
17. THE GRAND OPENING - Slow motion (SWE)
previously unreleased

Artwork is still being finalized, but if you head over to my myspace page you can see the cover art and listen to Björn Kleinhenz's track. Exact release date is still tbc, but I expect CDs in-hand by early April.

Top 10s for 2005: Magnus Öberg (Chalksounds/Nomethod)

Top 10s for 2005: It's a trap!