The video for "Drowning margareta" from The End Will Be Kicks is now online: http://www.theendwillbekicks.com/drowningmargareta.wmv
Prepare yourself to be confused. Oh, and don't forget that the amazing new album is available for purchase as an mp3 download right here.

This is a week chock full of exclusives! Besides giving you the very first taste of the new The End Will Be Kicks album and offering it up for sale on mp3 waaaaay before it's available anywhere else, I've got yet another treat for you today! When I first heard that Björn Yttling had a jazz album in the works, I was naturally quite curious. Many people now recognize him as a member of the excellent Peter Bjorn and John, but I first became aquainted with his music through his extensive work as a producer. Many fine records in my collection are adorned with his name on the credits. So not only do I have a brand new track from his upcoming album today, but I was also afforded the opportunity to ask Björn a few questions about his work.

AR: Why a jazz album? What was the inspiration for the project?

BY: I've always listened to jazz (stuff like Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Ellington and of course Coltrane and Charlie Parker) and ten years ago I also played it. But the jazz scene can be very very boring with people just playing standards in predictable ways, so I kind of slipped away from it. I was still writing jazz songs though, and spurred by saxophone player Jonas Kullhammar I started thinking of making a jazz record.

AR: Is there a lot of difference in the way you work when you are composing jazz charts as opposed to when you are doing arrangements for pop music?

BY: No not really. The biggest different is that (my) jazz music is instrumental and pop music often isn't. Of course with jazz tunes you can leave the forms more open for improvising. I recorded this record in a day, and pop albums always take at least two.

AR: What other current producers do you admire right now?

BY:I really don't keep track on foreign producers that much, but there are many Swedes that I really like. Björn Olsson, Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Jari Haapalainen of course, but don't forget Jocke Åhlund from Caesars and Calle Olsson from Bear Quartet.

AR: So what's next for you then?

BY: I'm doing/planning a few records right now. Montys Loco, Elias & The Wizzkids, The Charm, Pueblo and we're almost done with the new Peter Bjorn And John album. What I really looking forward to do now is a record with Joakim Åhlund, and we're gonna start next week.

Björn's new jazz album with Yttling Jazz is called "Oh Lord, why can't I keep my big mouth shut". It comes out November 21 via Headspin Recordings.

MP3: Yttling Jazz - Tokyo Hyatt

This is a week chock full of exclusives! Besides giving you the very first taste of the new The End Will Be Kicks album and offering it up for sale on mp3 waaaaay before it's available anywhere else, I've got yet another treat for you today! When I first heard that Björn Yttling had a jazz album in the works, I was naturally quite curious. Many people now recognize him as a member of the excellent Peter Bjorn and John, but I first became aquainted with his music through his extensive work as a producer. Many fine records in my collection are adorned with his name on the credits. So not only do I have a brand new track from his upcoming album today, but I was also afforded the opportunity to ask Björn a few questions about his work.

AR: Why a jazz album? What was the inspiration for the project?

BY: I've always listened to jazz (stuff like Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Ellington and of course Coltrane and Charlie Parker) and ten years ago I also played it. But the jazz scene can be very very boring with people just playing standards in predictable ways, so I kind of slipped away from it. I was still writing jazz songs though, and spurred by saxophone player Jonas Kullhammar I started thinking of making a jazz record.

AR: Is there a lot of difference in the way you work when you are composing jazz charts as opposed to when you are doing arrangements for pop music?

BY: No not really. The biggest different is that (my) jazz music is instrumental and pop music often isn't. Of course with jazz tunes you can leave the forms more open for improvising. I recorded this record in a day, and pop albums always take at least two.

AR: What other current producers do you admire right now?

BY:I really don't keep track on foreign producers that much, but there are many Swedes that I really like. Björn Olsson, Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Jari Haapalainen of course, but don't forget Jocke Åhlund from Caesars and Calle Olsson from Bear Quartet.

AR: So what's next for you then?

BY: I'm doing/planning a few records right now. Montys Loco, Elias & The Wizzkids, The Charm, Pueblo and we're almost done with the new Peter Bjorn And John album. What I really looking forward to do now is a record with Joakim Åhlund, and we're gonna start next week.

Björn's new jazz album with Yttling Jazz is called "Oh Lord, why can't I keep my big mouth shut". It comes out November 21 via Headspin Recordings.

Yttling Jazz - Tokyo Hyatt

November's album of the month is Seven Feet Four. Along with The End Will Be Kicks who I posted a track from yesterday, these dudes are Sweden's leading purveyors of noisy, energetic indierock. It's available in both CD and mp3 format at a nice price, so check that shit out, okay?

After what seemed like an eternity of starts and stops, it's finally here. The deubt self-titled album from The End Will Be Kicks is finished and it's a monster. This has been my most anticipated release for a loooong time and I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. As mentioned before numerous times, TEWBK is the new project of ex Him Kerosene frontman Niklas Quintana and drummer Tomas Turunen. The sound is still steeped in the trademarks of Norrland heavy indie rock - noisy guitars and thick, dissonant melodies - but twisted in a way that is unique and new. Just listen to the guitar bzzzz and hum on the opening - that's hardly a riff, that's a swarm of locusts ready to attack. And then the chorus hits and the whole thing opens up like a flower to reveal something even more beautiful. As great as this record is, it's also bittersweet because it's the end of the line for Chalksounds Records. It's wonderful to wrap things up on such a high note, but the current record biz climate is just too much for most indies to take. It's one thing to put out a few records as a hobby, but if you need to rely on that income, chances are it ain't gonna be easy. But let's not get off track here! Listen to the song!

MP3: The End Will Be Kicks - Always looking out

After what seemed like an eternity of starts and stops, it's finally here. The deubt self-titled album from The End Will Be Kicks is finished and it's a monster. This has been my most anticipated release for a loooong time and I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. As mentioned before numerous times, TEWBK is the new project of ex Him Kerosene frontman Niklas Quintana and drummer Tomas Turunen. The sound is still steeped in the trademarks of Norrland heavy indie rock - noisy guitars and thick, dissonant melodies - but twisted in a way that is unique and new. Just listen to the guitar bzzzz and hum on the opening - that's hardly a riff, that's a swarm of locusts ready to attack. And then the chorus hits and the whole thing opens up like a flower to reveal something even more beautiful. As great as this record is, it's also bittersweet because it's the end of the line for Chalksounds Records. It's wonderful to wrap things up on such a high note, but the current record biz climate is just too much for most indies to take. It's one thing to put out a few records as a hobby, but if you need to rely on that income, chances are it ain't gonna be easy. But let's not get off track here! Listen to the song!

The End Will Be Kicks - Always looking out

Check out an article from Västerbottens Folkblad on my friend Magnus and his new label Nomethod: http://www.folkbladet.nu/index.asp?vf=1&x=34605 (in Swedish)
If you remember from earlier this week, Magnus' old label Chalksounds is closing down after the release of The End Will Be Kicks and Nomethod is his new project. The first couple releases for Nomethod are almost 100% confirmed too, but I can't name names yet.

Chalksounds, one of my favorite labels, is drawing its final breath and has announced that The End Will Be Kicks will be their absolute final release. It's a bittersweet time, but as we all know, the record industry is in dire straits and many small indies are suffering badly. Read the full statement: http://www.chalksounds.com/shownews.php?show=71
The flipside of this is that label honcho Magnus is starting a new enterprise called (The Method of) No Method. I'll be sure to keep you posted on their progress.

Today's oldie classic comes from Him Kerosene, one of my all-time favorites. Seriously, this is the kind of stuff I live for: huge walls of discordant guitars, dissonant melodies and a heavy rhythm section. What more do you need? This is the post-hardcore/indierock sound that got me hooked on the Norrland scene. From early Fireside, Starmarket and Brick to other bands like KVLR, Breach, Convoj and Seven Feet Four (not from the North, I know), Him Kerosene helped define and establish what I consider to be my favorite sound. And let's not forget HK frontman Niklas Quintana's newest band The End Will Be Kicks, also featuring ex-HK drummer Tomas Turunen. Today's selection comes from the sadly out-of-print magnum opus "Start.Stop", first released back in 1997 on Telegram/Warner, but it must be said that all of their releases are brilliant and worth tracking down even if they aren't quite so readily available. It's worth it, trust me. You want to start a band that I'm enthusiastically endorse, here's your blueprint.

Chalksounds has finally confirmed that the long-awaited debut full-length from The End Will Be Kicks will be out on September 28. This record has been on my most-anticipated list for over a year now (!!!), so I'm stoked it'll finally be coming out.

Chalksounds has posted an update concerning the long wait for the upcoming debut album from The End Will Be Kicks: http://www.chalksounds.com/shownews.php?show=64
As someone with their own money-losing indie label, I can definitely commiserate with Magnus and his money woes. Shit ain't easy, I can assure you. But I can also assure you that this record, when it finally comes out, will kick your ass. The demos and rough mixes I've heard are amazing and it's still one of my most anticipated new releases for 2005.

The End Will Be Kicks have a new website: http://www.theendwillbekicks.com/

It's Chalksounds day here at It's a trap! Not only did I get a new shipment of new CDs from them for the mailorder department (including the new Ellis the Vacuumchild CD and restocks of The End Will Be Kicks and Carpet People), but I also got a new mp3 from Convoj. The debut EP from these guys is absolutely guaranteed to blow people away, it's just so good. They continue the fine Swedish indierock tradition pioneered by the likes of Bear Quartet, but with a rejuvenated sense of determination and vigor. Crashing guitars, impassioned vocals and chiming, twisting melodies - all the necessary ingredients required to achieve greatness are here. I've been listening to it non-stop ever since I got it. An instant classic.

Top 10s for 2004: It's a trap!

Not just one, but two new top 10 lists today! As always, be sure to check them out and keep on coming back for new ones.

New mp3 today from Brick, a band I really know nothing about except that they are awesome. This track comes from the band's 1996 debut album "Suomi" on Dolores Recordings and the sound is a perfect mix of huge discordant riffs and pounding rhythms. It captures everything I love about the mid-to-late 90s Swedish pop/hardcore crossover scene, epitomized by bands such as Him Kerosene, Starmarket and KVLR and carried on by more recent acts such as The End Will Be Kicks and Seven Feet Four. The melodies are strong, but there's still enough dissonance and heaviness to make it interesting. Who knows what these dudes are up to now? The world needs more bands like this.