MP3: A-ha - Celice

At the risk of losing whatever cred I've built up, I'm just gonna come right out and declare it: the new A-ha album "Analogue" is fantastic. It's exactly the kind of big, mature pop album that career bands of A-ha's status are supposed to make. Y'know, the kind of record that you'd expect from lifer acts such as REM or U2. The kind of record that bands like Kent so desperately want to make. Even if you haven't heard A-ha since "Take on me", their sound is instantly recognizable and oh-so catchy. It's also worth noting what it lacks - the pathetic pandering to younger audiences that so many older acts fall susceptible to. This is just A-ha doing what they do and doing it well. The darker-tinged melodies of the first track "Celice" are what hooked me in, but I'm finding that I'm loving the entire album the whole way through, moreso every time I listen anew. Along with Tiger Lou's "The loyal", this is one the best new records I've heard this fall.

A-ha - Celice

Tiger Lou
The loyal
Startracks

If you are in a band and you are reading this: You know when the label says we need a hit record? Well take heed - "The loyal" may be a blueprint for others to follow. Oh yeah, of course there's one modicum of criticism levied - let's just say the old maxim: If you are going to plagiarize, plagiarize with conviction. So to sound like Genesis with 'I'm still standing' on "All I have" matters not one iota. And "The loyal" is carried off so competently that even that modicum is delivered to positive effect. But screw it because TL swears on it, and vernacular is good over here. I like the word 'fuck' - think about it. We all do?! This album is shocking. Shockingly good. They say sometimes it has to hurt to enjoy. So any masochists out there can unite on this disc, at least via track 6, "Nixon". The Loyal conjures up images of "Blair Witch Project", a horror scene, the video could have been a torch lamp and a forest. There's some distortion for underlay, digital drums and a effects textured to the song swagger. Swagger is a theme throughout and a darker edge to this disc than "Is my head still on?" "Patterns" is a blast of 80's pop, a blast of the Mudd Club circa '87 – foot tappingly deft... and this is the continuum. Darker production, dance floor hits. Hits Hits Hits. If you missed the beauty of Tiger Lou, get this album, lock all the doors, stay up until 4am, put your headphones and be very frightened.s
- Troy Convers

IAT favorite Björn Kleinhenz is going on tour in Germany:

12/06 - Gleis 22, Münster w/Daniel Benjamin
12/07 - Merlin, Recklinghausen
12/08 - Juz, Leer w/Daylight Saving, Enno Bunger
12/09 - Jfz der Club, Haldensleben
12/10 - Projekt 7, Magdeburg w/Tiger Lou
12/11 - UT Connewitz, Leipzig
12/12 - NBI, Berlin w/Rainer Maria
12/13 - Gasthaus Vorstadt, Wien
12/15 - Südstadt, München
12/16 - salon elitaer, Kassel w/Daniel Benjamin
12/18 - Kuppel, Basel
12/19 - Club Carambolage, Karlsruhe

Don't forget you can download his free EP right here and you can also buy his records in the IAT webstore.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet U Look Good on the Dancefloor"
02. (03) Tiger Lou - "The Loyal"
03. (NY) Franz Ferdinand - "Walk Away"
04. (04) Christian Kjellvander - "Drunken Hands"
05. (01) Test Icicles - "Circle Square Triangle"
06. (07) Saïan Supa Crew - "La Patte"
07. (09) David Sandström Overdrive - "The Crotch of a Saturday"
08. (10) The Pipettes - "Dirty Mind"
09. (15) Kristian Antilla - "Paul Weller"
10. (16) The Sunshine - "Simon Le Bon"
11. (06) The Embassy - "It Pays to Belong"
12. (13) Röyksopp - "What Else is There?"
13. (14) Pharell - "Angel"
14. (20) Loveninjas - "Keep Your Love"
15. (NY) Le Sport - "Business Girls"
16. (NY) Karl Larsson - "Devil Strings"
17. (NY) Sophie Zelmani - "I Can't Change"
18. (18) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Is This Love?"
19. (ÅT) Bloc Party - "Two More Years"
20. (ÅT) Architecture in Helsinki - "Do the Whirlwind"

Leaving the chart: Katie Goes to Tokyo, Queens of the Stone Age, Randy, Sophie Rimheden, The Strokes and Willowtree.

This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. Death Cab for Cutie
02. Kent
03. Hello Saferide
04. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
05. The Cardigans
06. I'm from Barcelona
07. Franz Ferdinand
08. The Shins
09. The Arcade Fire
10. Coldplay
11. Jens Lekman
12. Iron & Wine
13. Laakso
14. The Decemberists
15. Bloc Party
16. Tiger Lou
17. Architecture in Helsinki
18. The Strokes
19. David Fridlund
20. Sigur Rós

Want to see your favorites listed here? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
02. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
03. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
04. Nanne - Alltid på väg
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Darin - Darin
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
09. ABBA - ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits - JTM
10. September - In Orbit
11. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
12. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad
13. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
14. Monica Zetterlund - Monicas bästa
15. Tiger Lou - The Loyal
16. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
17. Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
18. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
19. Sofia Karlsson - Svarta ballader (sjunger Dan Andersson)
20. Christer Sjögren - Love Me Tender

Hybris has posted new videos from Montt Mardié and Like Honey on their website: http://www.hybrism.com/video.php

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (03) Test Icicles - "Circle Square Triangle"
02. (08) Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet U Look Good on the Dancefloor"
03. (04) Tiger Lou - "The Loyal"
04. (05) Christian Kjellvander - "Drunken Hands"
05. (17) The Strokes - "Juicebox"
06. (NY) The Embassy - "It Pays to Belong"
07. (06) Saïan Supa Crew - "La Patte"
08. (04) Queens of the Stone Age - "Burn the Witch"
09. (07) David Sandström Overdrive - "The Crotch of a Saturday"
10. (NY) The Pipettes - "Dirty Mind"
11. (11) Katie Goes to Tokyo - "Moving From This Town"
12. (09) Willowtree - "Attention Ms"
13. (15) Röyksopp - "What Else is There?"
14. (NY) Pharrell - "Angel"
15. (01) Kristian Anttila - "Paul Weller"
16. (NY) The Sunshine - "Simon Le Bon"
17. (12) Sophie Rimheden - "Can You Save Me?"
18. (NY) Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah - "Is This Love?"
19. (18) Randy - "Razorblade"
20. (20) Loveninjas - "Keep Your Love"

Leaving the chart: Architecture in Helsinki, Bloc Party, Princess Superstar, Thåström and Tiga.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Kristian Anttila - "Paul Weller"
02. (05) Tiger Lou - "The Loyal"
03. (NY) Test Icicles - "Circle Square Triangle"
04. (NY) Queens of the Stone Age - " Burn the Witch"
05. (07) Christian Kjellvander - "Drunken Hands"
06. (14) Saian Supa Crew - "La Patte"
07. (04) David Sandström Overdrive - "The Crotch of a Saturday"
08. (NY) Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet U Look Good on the Dancefloor"
09. (03) Willowtree - "Attention Ms"
10. (05) Tiga - "You Gonna Want Me"
11. (06) Katie Goes to Tokyo - "Moving From This Town"
12. (19) Sophie Rimheden - "Can You Save Me"
13. (09) Bloc Party - "Two More Years"
14. (NY) Architecture in Helsinki - "Do the Whirlwind"
15. (12) Röyksopp - "What Else is There?"
16. (NY) Thåström - "Fanfanfan"
17. (NY) The Strokes - "Juicebox"
18. (ÅT) Randy - "Razorblade"
19. (15) Princess Superstar - "My Machine"
20. (11) Loveninjas - "Keep Your Love"

Leaving the chart: Acid House Kings, Brakes, CDOASS, Paris, Pharell, Pete Philly & Perquisite and The Rakes

The first truly great release of this fall season is Tiger Lou's "The loyal". The record is a bit darker in tone than his previous records, but as always, he just keeps getting better and better with each new release. The songwriting, the playing... everything is stepped up a notch. The only word I can think of to aptly describe it is "sublime". It doesn't hurt that Tiger Lou mainman Rasmus Kellerman is simply an excellent human being as well. Same goes for the rest of his bandmates (who are also in the band Torpedo). I love all you guys. Anytime any of you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, give me a call okay?

MP3: Tiger Lou - The loyal

The first truly great release of this fall season is Tiger Lou's "The loyal". The record is a bit darker in tone than his previous records, but as always, he just keeps getting better and better with each new release. The songwriting, the playing... everything is stepped up a notch. The only word I can think of to aptly describe it is "sublime". It doesn't hurt that Tiger Lou mainman Rasmus Kellerman is simply an excellent human being as well. Same goes for the rest of his bandmates (who are also in the band Torpedo). I love all you guys. Anytime any of you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, give me a call okay?

Tiger Lou - The loyal (single edit)

Aftonbladet has the video for the new Tiger Lou single "The loyalist": http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/player.html?catID=2672&clipID=3512
I think I must've listened to the new album at least 3x today. So damn good.

Stream the new Tiger Lou single "The loyal": http://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/deliverMedia.asp?id=9ffd1efb-2002-4542-9784-6fe30b457fc5

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Kristian Anttila - "Paul Weller"
02. (02) Tiga - "You Gonna Want Me"
03. (07) Hard Fi - "Hard to Beat"
04. (03) Death Cab for Cutie - "Soul Meets Body"
05. (04) Bloc Party - "Two More Years"
06. (NY) Tiger Lou - "The Loyal"
07. (06) Röyksopp - "What Else is There?"
08. (NY) CDOASS - "A Fair Resort"
09. (09) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - "Loop Duplicate My Heart"
10. (NY) Princess Superstar - "My Machine"
11. (14) Pharrell - "Can I Have It Like That (med Gwen Stefani)"
12. (10) Kanye West - "Golddigger"
13. (11) Alf - "Sött/salt"
14. (12) Weeping Willows - "I'm Gonna Let Love Find Me"
15. (15) Audio Bullys - "I'm In Love"
16. (05) Acid House Kings - "Tonight is Forever"
17. (NY) System of a Down - "Question"
18. (NY) Paris - "Captain Morgan"
19. (NY) Lil' Kim - "Lighters Up"
20. (08) Svenska Akademien & Promoe - "En varning"

Leaving the chart: Franz Ferdinand, Jem, Panthers, Stars, Tegan and Sara and Turbonegro.

Check out Simon Envall Ryman, a Swedish singer/songwriter associated with the guys in Tiger Lou and Torpedo: http://www.myspace.com/simonenvallryman

New fall tourdates for Tiger Lou:

10/26 - Pet Sounds [18:30], Stockholm (SWE)
10/28 - Rookie Festivalen, Hultsfred (SWE)
10/29 - Bengans [13:30], Göteborg (SWE)
11/01 - 1000 Fryd, Aalborg (DK)
11/02 - Gleis 22, Münster (GER)
11/03 - Underground, Köln (GER)
11/04 - Forum [Visions Party], Bielefeld (GER)
11/05 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
11/06 - tba, Baden (SWI)
11/08 - tba, Basel (SWI)
11/09 - Circus Maximus, Koblenz (GER)
11/10 - Winston, Amsterdam (NL)
11/11 - Juz, Saarlouis (GER)
11/12 - Römer, Bremen (GER)
11/13 - Nexus, Braunschweig (GER)
11/16 - Katalin, Uppsala (SWE)
11/17 - Pustervik, Göteborg (SWE)
11/18 - Klubb Mogwai @ Hugos, Norrköping (SWE)
11/19 - Raw Power, Eskilstuna (SWE)
11/23 - Debaser, Stockholm (SWE)
11/24 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
11/25 - Garage, Oslo (NOR)
12/07 - Cafe Cairo, Würzburg (GER)
12/08 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
12/09 - Centrum Club, Erfurt (GER)
12/10 - Projekt 7, Magdeburg (GER)
12/11 - Molotow, Hamburg (GER)
12/12 - FZW, Dortmund (GER)
12/13 - Kult 41, Bonn (GER)
12/14 - Muk, Giessen (GER)
12/15 - E-Werk, Erlangen (GER)
12/16 - Stadtmitte, Karlsruhe (GER)
12/17 - Orangehouse, München (GER)
12/18 - tba (AUS)
12/19 - tba (AUS)