Vapnet is cooking up something new: http://vapnet.blogspot.com/2007/12/hej-det-var-inte-igr.html (in Swedish)

Top 10s for 2007: It's a Trap!

Podcast: Top Songs of 2007

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

01. Soviac - I got the ribbah
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Peephole city
04. Moonbabies - At the ballroom
05. Tar... Feathers - You are lucky to have nothing
06. TALK 2
07. Truckfighters - Atomic
08. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Corny waltz
09. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
10. TALK 3
11. Norma - The dark
12. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
13. Vapnet - Tjernobyl
14. TALK 4
15. Montt Mardié - The windmill turns all the same
16. Motorpsycho - Hyena
17. Musti Laiton - Tämän iltainen
18. Holiday Fun Club - Hamburg in the night
19. TALK 5
20. Rigas - It's a shame
21. Repoman - Jawbone night
22. Iisole - The words
23. TALK 6
24. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
25. Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
26. Promoe - Headache
27. TALK 7
28. Viola - Imaginary times
29. New Decade - While tonight still is
30. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
31. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Choking on teeth
32. TALK 8
33. Totalitär - Nej vi ska inte ha nåt
34. Him Kerosene - Whatever get you by
35. The Social Services - Up in arms
36. Jens Lekman - The opposite of hallelujah
37. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
38. TALK 9
39. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy

Vapnet has a new profile on myspace for remixes which includes a previously unreleased track for SLS (Swedish Love Story): http://www.myspace.com/remixedbyvapnet

Festival report: Arvika

There's a new Vapnet video for "Tar tillbaka det" just posted yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh4b144H3sI

For more Hybris-related goodness, check Ink19 for recent reviews of Vapnet and Juvelen: http://www.ink19.com/

More Hybris downloads! Get mp3s of new singles from Vapnet ("Tar tillbaka det") plus new singing Elias and the Wizzkids ("The dance").

Listmania! 2007 so far

Pitchfork has a nice review of the new Vapnet MCD "Något dåligt nytt har hänt": http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43160-ngot-dligt-nytt-har-hnt-ep

Montt Mardié
Clocks/Pretender
Hybris

One always hopes that the sophomore album is an improvement, a realisation, and when it is just that, the results can be glorious. Such is the case with the second proper full-length effort from Montt Mardié (and it's a double-disc nonetheless). With the two CDs clocking in at a hour combined, there is no filler attached, yet one can choose just thirty minutes of listening enjoyment at once should they desire. The first disc, "Clocks", is where David Pagmar's vision of everything swinging is pulled off properly, with the instrumentation and vocals working so well. Take note of the pitch-perfect harmonies on "Birthday Boy (drama)", the sad spoken word of "Set sail tomorrow (strings)", and the stellar minimal instrumentation of "Travellers". Disc two, conversely, is comprised of collaborations, and harkens more to the 80s in its sound. Montt Mardié not only delivers ballads ("Surprised" with Andreas Mattsson and "Pretenders" with Hello Saferide), dance numbers ("Metropolis" with Fredrik Hellström of Le Sport and "My girlfriend is in the Grand Prix finals" with Mr. Suitcase) and even one in his native Swedish with the always-stellar Vapnet ("När ni gett dom våld ska vi ge er kärlek"). "Clocks/Pretender" is the sound of a matured Montt Mardié, and this album floored me with how much every single thing has been improved. Lastly, I'd recommend picking up a physical copy of this, as the packaging amazing.
- Matt Giordano

Profile: Agent Simple

In case you didn't notice, new stuff from Hybris (Montt Mardié, Vapnet, Juvelen) just arrived in the webstore yesterday. Go get it!

Vapnet
Något dåligt nytt har hänt
Hybris

No rest for the wicked! After giving us the best album of last year ("Jag vet hur man väntar"), Vapnet have now "done an Arctic Monkeys" and released a mini-album (hopefully they will do another "Arctic Monkeys" and release their second full length album this year as well). There are five proper songs on the album - one The Avalanches-like number, and an instrumental outro (which I guess is a version of "Tjernobyl") There is also a song sung by Jens Lekman, which I didn't like at first, but has started to grow on me. The other four songs are of the highest quality. "Tjernobyl" sounds like a song I would consider doing one of those audio tattoos of, in my ear, if those things existed. "Förtjäna mig själv" ("Deserve myself") is another knockout track, with classic Vapnet lyrics and a girl going "baa-ba-ba" in the background during the chorus. I think I love Vapnet more than ice cream.
- Simon Tagestam