Artist: The Soundtrack of Our Lives

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Her Majesty
Memory and loss
Bittersweet Records

For me, "Her Majesty" is foremost one of my all-time favourite albums (by The Decemberists). Secondly, it's who James Bond works for. Thirdly, it's an uninteresting band out of southern Sweden whose past singles failed to impress me to such an extent that I'd rather cut off my hands just to prevent me from picking up any of their full length albums. "Memory and loss" is Her Majesty's third album, and perhaps they'll be third time lucky, but most likely I'm not the only one who's bored by this sleepy rock that makes The Soundtrack of Our Lives come across as the most subversive rock band on the planet. Yes, now and then Her Majesty sound like if TSOOL but minus whatever TSOOL have got that makes people like them. This is nothing but average dull rock - keep it away from the kids, if not we might end up with a handless generation.
- Simon Tagestam

Today's Friday track pick comes from one of my favorite bands: Silverbullit. Not only did they put on the best show I saw last year (at Umeå Open), but their most recent album "Arclight" from 2004 easily ranks as one of the top records of the new millennium. This song I'm posting today comes from their second album "Citizen bird", the name of which became their adopted moniker when they released the disc in the US. I saw, ahem, "Citizen Bird" open for The Soundtrack of Our Lives in SF way back when, but it was only me and a couple Swedish expats who were excited. It's a shame too because who knows if the band will ever make it back over here? Maybe guitarist Andreas Nilsson's video work (The Knife, etc.) will help the band get noticed. I hope so. If people want crazy art-rock walls-of-swirling-guitar-noise they need to forget about Serena Maneesh and get the real deal.

MP3: Silverbullit - Magnetic city

Today's Friday track pick comes from one of my favorite bands: Silverbullit. Not only did they put on the best show I saw last year (at Umeå Open), but their most recent album "Arclight" from 2004 easily ranks as one of the top records of the new millennium. This song I'm posting today comes from their second album "Citizen bird", the name of which became their adopted moniker when they released the disc in the US. I saw, ahem, "Citizen Bird" open for The Soundtrack of Our Lives in SF way back when, but it was only me and a couple Swedish expats who were excited. It's a shame too because who knows if the band will ever make it back over here? Maybe guitarist Andreas Nilsson's video work (The Knife, etc.) will help the band get noticed. I hope so. If people want crazy art-rock walls-of-swirling-guitar-noise they need to forget about Serena Maneesh and get the real deal.

Silverbullit - Magnetic city

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
03. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
04. Agnes - Agnes
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
09. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
10. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
11. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
12. Kent - Du & jag döden
13. Emilia De Poret - A lifetime in a moment
14. Darin - Darin
15. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
16. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
17. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
18. Ane Brun - Duets
19. Jan Johansson - Jazz på Svenska
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö

The Soundtrack of Our Lives
A present from the past
Universal

TSOOL are famously prolific, so no one's surprised that this b-sides/rarities compilation is a two-disc set (or that it was nominated for a Swedish Grammy). TSOOL are also famously talented, so there are songs here that other bands would love to have as a-sides or at least album tracks. B-sides often sound like afterthoughts, thrown together at the last minute. There are a few in that category on this release, like the sitar-noodling instrumentals "Playstation bordello" and "Cleaning session raga". But happily they're the exception, not the rule. Drawn-out rockers "Dow Jones syndrome" and "Galaxy gramophone" showcase frontman Ebbot Lundberg's ability to shift from a world-weary voice to a defiant yell and back as the songs dictate. I'm baffled as to how the brass-tinged epic "We're gonna get it right" wasn't/isn't a single, and the previously unreleased "Side effects" is a good softer, acoustic song with dreamlike synth playing from Martin Hederos. What's next from the group? "Origin, vol. 2", as originally intended? Hopefully something sooner rather than later.
- Matthew W. Smith

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart is exactly the same as last week:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

Believe it or not, long-running legendary Swedish grind act General Surgery has actually completed work on their debut full-length album. Read the press release over at DigitalMetal: http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=7025

Boba aka Anders Lindström of The Hellacopters will be doing a new project with Sulo from Diamond Dogs called The Bitter Twins and the Last of the Lovers to mark the occasion of 20 years playing together. Rounding out the band will be Anders Härnestam (Weeping Willows) on drums, Mattias Bärjed (The Soundtrack of Our Lives) on guitar and Stefan Björk (ex-Wilmer X) on the bass. The plan is record at the end of January with an eventual album release sometime around early Summer.

Top 10s for 2005: Navy Keophan

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

The nominees for the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best pop female:
Amy Diamond - This is me now
Ane Brun - A temporary dive
Frida Hyvönen - Until death comes
Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
Robyn - Robyn

Best pop male:
Darin - Darin
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
Son of a plumber - Son of a plumber

Best pop group:
Alcazar - Dancefloor deluxe
Bodies without organs - Prototype
CDOASS - Extra fingers
Doktor Kosmos - Ett enkelt svar
Suburban kids with biblical names - #3

Best rock album (solo):
Christian Kjellvander - Faya
Freddie Wadling - Jag är monstret
Moneybrother - To die alone
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209
Tomas Andersson Wij - Tomas Andersson Wij

Best rock group:
Kent - Du & jag döden
Soundtrack of our lives - A present from the past
The Ark - State of the Ark
The Cardigans - Super extra gravity
The Hellacopters - Rock & roll is dead

Best composer:
Anders Wedin (Moneybrother) - To die alone
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn/Klas Åhlund - Robyn
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best lyrics:
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Jason Diakité - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best proder:
Anders Hansson & Alexander Bard
Bloodshy/Avant
Klas Åhlund
Laleh
Lars Halapi

Best hip-hop/soul:
Hearin'aid - The Boom Lucy
Jaqee - Blaqalixious
Looptroop - Fort Europa
Masayah - p.s.
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best hard-rock:
Candlemass - Candlemass
Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, unbowed, unbroken
Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
Meshuggah - Catch thirtythree
Opeth - Ghost reveries

Best jazz:
Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian - Goodbye
e.s.t. - Viaticum
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Snake city north
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - An intimate salute to Frankie
Torbjörn Zetterberg - Krissvit

Best club/dance:
Arash - Arash - new version
v/a - Inside Scandinavia vol 2
Hundarna från söder - Troika
September - In orbit
Spånka Nkpg - The City of the golden king

Open category:
Allan Edwall - Alla Allans visor
v/a - Du Beppe, Beppe Wolgers mästerverk
Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
The Latin Kings - Familia Royale
Totta Näslund - Totta 8: Greatest hits!

Best newcomer:
Amy Diamond
Bodies Without Organs
Darin
Frida Hyvönen
Laleh

Best album:
Bodies without organs - Prototype
Kent - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn - Robyn
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best artist:
Kent
Laleh
Moneybrother
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best music dvd:
Abba - Abba the movie
Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis
Evergrey - A night to remember
Marit Bergman - Marit Bergman - Live at Rival
Timbuktu - Funken styr våra steg

Best song:
Amy Diamond - What's in it for me
Darin - Money for nothing
Kent - The hjärta & smärta ep
Robyn - Be mine
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Full list of every category here: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2198&a=503182

The Soundtrack of Our Lives are touring Spain in January:

01/20 - Viernes, Barcelona, Sala Apolo (SPA)
01/21 - Sabado, Sta Pola, Sala Camelot (SPA)
01/24 - Martes, Madrid, Sala Aqualung (SPA)
01/25 - Miercoles, Santoña, Sala Tropicana (SPA)
01/26 - Jueves, Santiago, Sala Capitol (SPA)
01/27 - Viernes, Bilbao, Sala Antozokia (SPA)
01/28 - Sabado, Zaragoza, Sala por Confirmar (SPA)

The Soundtrack of Our Lives has posted a new websingle for free download: http://www.tsool.com/

22-Pistepirkko
Drops & kicks
Bone Voyage

Originally from Utajärvi and now based in Helsinki, Finland, 22-Pistepirkko (22-spotted ladybug) has been around for almost a quarter of a century. Far from sounding like a record made by some old guys just going through the motions, "Drops & kicks" shows off an adventurous spirit captured ably by producer Kalle Gustafsson (best known as the bassist for The Soundtrack of Our Lives). Shifting with ease from epics with big choruses (opener "Mr. Twister") to sleepy acoustic ballads ("X-(wo)men") to fuzzed-out garage stomps ("Space riding"), the Finns continue with the eclecticism that's been a career hallmark. Asko Keränen and Espe Haverinen provide a suitable instrumental backdrop for the quirky, high-pitched vocals of P.K. Keränen. Sounding unique most of the time, Keränen does bring to mind Supergrass vocalist Gaz Coombes on the rave-up "Not so good at school". "Rat king" wouldn't be out of place on a Sparklehorse record, with its crunchy guitars and animal imagery. And don't miss the Suede-esque "Soul free" and the tempo-shifting "Sister May", with TSOOL's Ebbot Lundberg on backing vocals.
- Matthew W. Smith

The Soundtrack of Our Lives have posted a new websingle: http://www.tsool.com/

The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be releasing a new b-sides/extras comp in December entitled "A present from the past" collecting many of the band's harder-to-find tracks in one place alongside new, unreleased stuff from the "Origin I" sessions. Of course that means that "Origin II" is probably delayed until next fall, but that's not so terrible I think.

Better late than never, Splendid reviews the latest from The Soundtrack of Our Lives: http://www.splendidmagazine.com/review.html?reviewid=1123496721413678