Labrador has updated their release schedule:
03/15 - The Radio Dept. - The worst taste in music CDS
04/01 - The Legends. - Play it for today CDS
04/12 - The Radio Dept. - Language CD
You can also download a few sample tracks from the new Acid House Kings karaoke disc "Everyone sings along with Acid House Kings": http://www.labrador.se/
Swedish label Friendly Noise has announced two new releases for February 1. First up is a comp entitled "Are You Scared To Get Happy?" which features music from the play of the same name and includes acts such as The Radio Dept., Erik De Vahl, Testbild!, Majessic Dreams, Action Biker and more. The second disc is the album "You in honey" from Swedish indiepop act Most Valuable Players. Full tracklist and details: http://www.friendlynoise.se/news.html
Daniel from The Radio Dept. interviews Isolée for DigFi: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=7314 (half-English/half-Swedish)
Better than Mando Diao, The Concretes and that Swedish guy from Placebo all mixed into one - here's The Radio Dept.! Not that it's too difficult to beat the previous mentioned trio, but what I'm trying to say is that Radio Dept. deserve to be famous, at least as famous as Abba were. This new EP once again proves how good Radio Dept. are, or actually, not only does it prove how good they are but it also shows how they amazingly enough have managed to become even better. I'm not the biggest shoegazing fan in the world, I admit, but Radio Dept. just makes my heart melt. This EP is a real treat and I pity the man who in 10 years time has to decide what songs to put on The Radio Dept. Greatest Hits album - will he choose all five songs on this EP? If not, what songs will he (sorry for my blatant sexism here) choose to discard? It's a shame though that every time I've seen Radio Dept. live they've always been a bit too shambolic and not really given their recorded material the proper treatment it deserves, but perhaps that has changed now.
- Simon Tagestam
At the moment, together with Service, Labrador is one of Sweden's most interesting labels. The bands on Service might be more exciting and they also cover a wider range of musical styles, but with such amazing bands such as [ingenting], The Radio Dept., and Suburban Kids with Biblical Names on their roster, every new Labrador release comes along with the promise of being tremendous. What we got here though is an extensive 25 track sampler that came out last year. Labrador has very successfully managed, like other great record labels, to create their own "sound" (which could be described as a bit poppy, shoegazing, and a lot twee), and most bands on this cd stay within this niche, but there are also a handful of songs that really stand out, such as Corduroy utd's "Daddy's boy" which is pure Dexy's. There are so many great songs on this disc that it's hard to say anything against it, but the fact that most of these songs are on other releases is a shame because then the compilation is really only interesting for people who haven't got too many Labrador releases. But all in all, this is an amazing bunch of songs, and a perfect introduction for anyone who wants to check out some great Swedish indie music that isn't garage rock.
- Simon Tagestam
Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:
01. (NY) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
02. (10) Bloc Party - "So Here We Are"
03. (15) Moneybrother - "They're Building Walls Around Us"
04. (06) Johnossi - "Man Must Dance"
05. (02) Bugz in the Attic - "Booty La La"
06. (NY) Stereo Total - "I am Naked"
07. (07) M83 - "Don't Save Us From the Flames"
08. (03) Kasabian - "Processed Beats"
09. (01) Håkan Hellström - "En midsommarnattsdröm"
10. (04) Deportees - "Champagne Eyes"
11. (NY) The Donnas - "I don't Want to Know (If You don't Want Me)"
12. (NY) New Order - "Krafty"
13. (08) Timbuktu - "Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö"
14. (NY) Sambassadeur - "Between the Lines"
15. (13) Sage Francis - "Sea Lion"
16. (11) Le Tigre - "TKO"
17. (NY) Kristoffer Åström & Hidden Truck - "The Good You Bring"
18. (09) Annie - "My Heartbeat"
19. (NY) Venue Kids - "Down & Out"
20. (NY) Miss Thing - "Jump Up & Rail"
Leaving the chart:
01. Doves - Black And White Town
02. Orishas - Naci Orishas
03. Acid House Kings - This Heart Is A Stone
04. The Radio Dept. - This Past Week
05. Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers
06. Hello Kinski - I've seen you around, what's your destination
07. Mr Jones Machine - Jaguar
08. The Chrysler - Blue Gold
That upcoming Firefox 7" on Labrador I mentioned last week is actually coming out on a new sublabel called Heartbeat. Heartbeat will be dedicated exclusively to releasing 7" singles. Firefox's "What’s that sound" comes out in February. Coming up after that will be "Watch my back" from Labrador-mainstays The Radio Dept. and then "Dead leaves" from recent signees Sambassadeur. More info: http://www.labrador.se/heartbeat.php3
The Radio Dept. on tour in the UK:
10/23 - Rock’n’roll soul @ The Legion, London
10/24 - The Social, Nottingham
10/25 - Chix Dig Jerks @ The Jug of Ale, Birmingham
10/26 - The Roadhouse, Manchester
10/27 - Oran Mor, Glasgow w/Eugene Kelly
10/28 - Moshimoshi, Barfly, London
Labrador Records has updated their release schedule. There's a new CD-EP due out from The Radio Dept. this summer (title tba) along with the "Kingsize Vol. 2" compilation. [ingenting]'s debut full-length album "Ingenting duger" has been set for an October release. More details as I get them.
Swedish bands playing this year's We & You Festival in Malmö on July 23-24: The Radio Dept., Ambassadeurs, El Perro del Mar, Like Honey, Happy Go Lucky, The Light Bulb Project, Richard Reagh and Shade Tree.
Some of the bands confirmed for the Mitt Sista Liv Festival in Kalmar, Sweden on July 30-31: Jens Lekman, Crime Time, Most Valuable Players, The Radio Dept. More info: http://mittsistaliv.tk/
Lake of Tears will enter the studio on February 13 to begin work on their new album, tentatively titled "Black Brick Road". An August release on Noise Records is expected.
German radio show "45 minutes", broadcast every second sunday at 7.30 pm on Radio Blau Leipzig, recently published their best-of-the-year lists and they contain a ton of Nordic acts. Here's some highlights:
Top 100 LPs 2003
01. The Bear Quartet "angry brigade" (A West Side Fabrication)
03. David & The Citizens "until the sadness is gone" (Adrian)
05. The Legends "up against the legends" (Labrador)
06. The Radio Dept. "lesser matters" (Labrador)
08. The Embassy "futile crimes" (Service)
10. Wan Light "let's wake up somewhere else" (Labrador)
12. Mew "frengers" (Sony)
13. Monastir "the modern sound for a loser generation" (A West Side Fabrication)
16. Peter Bjorn And John "s/t" (Beat That!)
17. The Crystal Committee "forever overhead" (Chalksound)
18. Dub Sweden "welcome to our world" (Silence)
21. Franke "optimismens hån" (Service)
22. Club 8 "strangely beautiful" (Labrador)
23. Komeda "kokomemedada" (Sonet)
32. The Concretes "s/t" (Licking Fingers)
42. Broder Daniel "cruel town" (Dolores)
50. The Cardigans "long gone before daylight" (Stockholm)
57. Laakso "miss you, i'm pregnant" (Adrian)
58. The Raveonettes "chain gang of love" (Dragnet)
73. Paola "stockcity girl" (Dolores)
83. Burek V "s/t" (A West Side Fabrication)
85. Carpet People "more bad weather coming out of the rain" (Chalksound)
88. Isolation Years "it's golden" (Stickman)
89. Douglas Heart "douglas heart" (Labrador)
93. Mando Diao "bring 'em in" (Majesty)
94. The Knife "deep cuts" (Rabid)
97. Ariel Kill Him "in the pyramid" (Kasual)
99. Edson "every day, ervery second" (Labrador)
For the rest of the list, as well as their singles chart, go here: http://www.pop-on-paper.de/
By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:
01. (03) Bergman Rock "Help The Band"
02. (01) The Radio Dept. "Pulling Our Weight EP"
03. (NY) The Strokes "Reptilia"
04. (06) The White Stripes "The Hardest Button To Button"
05. (05) The Chemical Brothers "Get Yourself High"
06. (NY) Basement Jaxx "Good Luck"
07. (08) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "We're All In Love"
08. (09) Niccokick "Turn 27 EP"
09. (10) Dizzee Rascal "Jus'a Rascal"
10. (12) Bubba Sparxxx "Deliverence"
11. (04) Monastir "The Shape Up EP"
12. (NY) The Darkness "Christmas Time. (Don't Let The Bells End)"
13. (13) Chicks On Speed "Wordy Rappinghood"
14. (02) Essex Green "By The Sea"
15. (15) Chords Ft. Timbuktu And Miki "Wrap Your Chops"
16. (NY) José Gonzalez "Remain EP"
17. (14) The Knife "Handy-Man"
18. (17) Mew "She Came Home For Christmas"
19. (18) The Raveonettes "Heartbreak Stroll"
20. (NY) The Carnation "New Sensation"
Leaving the chart: 07. The Coral "Bill Mc Cai"
11. Holly Golightly "Walk A Mile"
16. The Mountain Goats "Palmcorder Yajna"
19. Timbuktu med Peps "Dynamit"
20. Alice In Videoland "Got To Go"
Dates have been confirmed for Opeth's 'Lamentations Over America Tour 2004'. Support will come from Moonspell and another as-yet-unnamed band, possibly Devildriver (ex-Coal Chamber). Details:
01/20 - Reds, Edmonton (CAN)
01/21 - MacEwan Hall, Calgary (CAN)
01/23 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver (CAN)
01/24 - Graceland, Seattle, WA
01/25 - Roseland, Portland, OR
01/27 - House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
01/28 - Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
01/29 - Canes Bar & Grill, San Diego, CA
01/30 - House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
01/31 - Avalon, San Francisco, CA
02/02 - Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
02/03 - Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
02/05 - Trees, Dallas, TX
02/06 - Backroom, Austin, TX
02/07 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
02/09 - Masquerade, Tampa, FL
02/10 - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL
02/11 - House of Blues, Orlando, FL
02/13 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
02/14 - Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
02/15 - 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
02/16 - Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
02/18 - Quest, Minneapolis, MN
02/19 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL
02/20 - Harpos, Detroit, MI
02/21 - Saratoga Winners, Latham, NY
02/22 - Club Soda, Montreal, CAN
02/24 - Opera House, Toronto, CAN
02/25 - Steel Music Hall, Rochester, NY
02/26 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
02/27 - Irving Plaza, New York, NY
02/28 - Palladium, Worcester, MA