The Social Services = Tall Tales

The Social Services are now Tall Tales. And they're now also based in Glasgow which means I'm less likely to cover them, but that doesn't mean you should stop paying attention.

Sirius playlist week #31

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

01. Niels Nielsen - Dpend
02. TALK 1
03. Haleiwa - Pure vida dude
04. Óðmenn - Einn ég ræ
05. The Bear Quartet - Lovers goodbye
06. Night Minutes - Sweetheart at the funeral
07. TALK 2
08. A Swarm of the Sun - The worms are out
09. Logh - An alliance of hearts
10. Tomas Halberstad - I must be in love
11. TALK 3
12. Liechtenstein - On the tram
13. Scraps of Tape - Blindspot
14. Dear Euphoria - Coming down
15. Dyno - Emotional
16. TALK 4
17. Kvelertak - Ordsmedar av rang
18. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
19. Oriel Joans - Knuckles whiten
20. TALK 5
21. Ted Gärdestad - Oh, vilken härlig dag

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

Stereo Test Kit closes shop

Stereo Test Kit, the UK-based label who released many fine Swedish acts such as The Social Services, We Are Soliders We Have Guns and Dear Euphoria, has called it quits. Read their full statement and score deals on remaining stock: http://www.stereotestkit.com/

'Records make great pets - Volume 2' coming March 16

Stereo Test Kit has confirmed the tracklist for their upcoming "Records make great pets - Volume 2" compilation featuring 20 tracks from 20 Swedish indie artists: http://www.stereotestkit.com/pets.htm
Hard to pick specific highlights since the tracklist is incredibly strong, but some of the names are Alarma Man, Björn Kleinhenz, Convoj, Hajen, Lowood, Park Hotell, Rickard Jäverling, Scraps of Tape, The Social Services, Two White Horses and Winter Took His Life.

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

"Baltic Sea" by The Social Services is Indie MP3's #7 track of 2008: http://www.indie-mp3.co.uk/2008/12/tracks-of-year-7-baltic-sea.html

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.

MP3: The Social Services - Seven dwarves

Swedish/Glaswegian trio The Social Services impressed me from the moment I first heard them and now that their debut album "It's nothing personal, it's national security" is finally out, it's time for me to heap on more praise. Seriously, they're a great band and if you still haven't checked them out by now, it's time you got on it. Today's track is "Seven dwarves", a jaunty little pop song with an uplifting, esteem-boosting message. As the band themselves describe it:

An American indie blog once wrote a few lines about us and their interpretation of this particular song was that it was about 'jerks'. We're not entirely sure where they got that from.

To set the record straight, the song was lovingly written for and about Lucy's [Lucy Cathcart] five nieces and two nephews, aged 2-12. It's also especially designed for Lucy's mum who once put in a plaintive request for us to write 'some happy songs'. She finds our oeuvre somewhat depressing.

Depressing? Hardly! Okay, so maybe their version of "You are my sunshine" is a total downer, but it's well-balanced by pieces like this. And even tracks like "The Baltic Sea" have their silver lining if you're actually paying attention. Anyhow, I'm getting off point, but my message remains the same: The Social Services are a great band. Pay attention!

The Social Services - Seven dwarves

Stereo Test Kit just posted a new 10-minute preview collage to show off the new The Social Services album "It's nothing personal, it's national security": http://www.stereotestkit.com/

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

01. Mimas - Cats on fire
02. TALK 1
03. Martin Vogel - Pick A D
04. Jonna Lee - The light
05. Abalone Dots - Over Georgia
06. TALK 2
07. Tobias Hellkvist - Ships of the North Atlantic
08. Lapko - Killer whales
09. The Social Services - The Baltic Sea
10. TALK 3
11. Hello Saferide - I wonder who is like this one
12. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Cecta
13. C.Aarmé - Tu puta mi casa
14. TALK 4
15. Pay TV - Fashion report
16. The Goner - The last folk song
17. Tomas Halberstad - Travel as I wait
18. Darkthrone - Raised on rock
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Att kasta spjut

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

Stereo Test Kit has a new single from the excellent Swedish/Glaswegian pop act The Social Services posted for free download: http://www.stereotestkit.com/

Stereo Test Kit will be giving away a new single from excellent Swedish/Scottish act The Social Services on September 15: http://www.stereotestkit.com/tss

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

01. Anna Maria Espinosa - Everyday
02. TALK 1
03. Tobias Hellkvist - Vintervarm
04. The Bear Quartet - Needs vs. facts
05. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
06. TALK 2
07. Kristofer Åström - The dark
08. Honey Is Cool - You're a horse
09. Reeperbahn - Hjälte
10. Voices Break the Silence - The way
11. TALK 3
12. Hebosagil - River
13. Pan Sonic - Lähetys
14. Silverbullit - Only gold
15. TALK 4
16. Josè González - Down the line
17. Motorpsycho - Serpentine
18. NEI - Hello
19. Claws Costeau - Finnuggla
20. TALK 5
21. Hello Saferide - I thought you said summer is going to take the pain away

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

The Social Services, one of my favorite new Swedish pop acts, has signed with UK-based label Stereo Test Kit (Dear Euphoria, Band in Box, Audrey, etc.). Look for their debut single in July with a full-length album to follow in August.

Somehow I almost forgot to post this week's radio show playlist:

01. Bloodbath - Blasting the virginborn
02. TALK 1
03. Håkan Hellström - Långa vägar
04. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr. Happy
05. Victims - Bomben har fallit
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Sweet M
08. Ef - Thrills
09. The Bombhappies - Nothing at all
10. TALK 3
11. Motorpsycho - The alchemyst
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
13. TALK 4
14. In Flames - Moonshield
15. Maskinen - Alla som inte dansar (100dirty remix)
16. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
17. TALK 5
18. Peter Morén - Social competence
19. Lack - Bombing the moon
20. Dmitry Fydorov - Signal
21. TALK 6
22. Looptroop Rockers - The building
23. Six Guns - Think positive
24. Nybakat! - Limu limu lima
25. TALK 7
26. Saft - Sizzling
27. Electric Retard - Greenvalley High
28. Lukestar - The shade you hide
29. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
30. TALK 8
31. Bad Cash Quartet - Monday morning
32. Monkeystrikes - I'm sorry, but I'm very dramatic
33. Commando M Pigg - Shoeshine boy
34. Weeping Willows - Touch me
35. TALK 9
36. Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune