I received quite a bit of great new music in my inbox over the long weekend, so much so that I'm having a bit of trouble getting through it all. Thankfully, this new EP from Umeå tweepop act the belljars is short, sweet, easy to digest and very very easy to recommend. Great use of violin too, much like Ironville, another great Swedish pop act that doesn't get nearly enough attention.
It's Memorial Day here in the US and I don't have to do any "real" work so I'm not gonna spend any more time in front of the computer than I have to, but I am going to take the time to post a brand new single from ex-Elmo frontman Magnus Ekelund recorded with new backing band Stålet along with a little help from once-reclusive Swedish pop icon Jakob Hellman. Yes, the news as reported back in February was true and now the final result is ready for release via , the label run by the bells/Jonas Teglund, and will be followed by the full-length album "Svart flagg" ("Black flag") on July 6. The Swedish-literate can read more at Magnus' website, but I suggest just listening and letting the sound of his epic melancholy carry you away.
Magnus Ekelund & Stålet - Utan er (feat. Jakob Hellman)
A new video from Swedish indie/postpunk act the bell. Direct link: http://youtu.be/ZjM1aMkdOC8
I was just listening to the bell's debut "Make some quiet" this past weekend and was wondering what had happened to them and now, lo and behold, it appears that they have a new album out: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/138459-the-bell-great-heat/
Why was I not informed?
Watch as We Are the Storm perform "I woke up to the bells" for Kvalität. More pics here: http://www.kvalitat.com/2011/04/we-are-the-storm-i-woke-up-to-the-bells/
the bells (feat. members from The Bear Quartet, Park Hotell, etc.) have a brand new single called "We kick back" and you can hear it at their website: http://www.thebells.se/
The new Ticktock EP "In the belly of the whale #1" (remember?) is out now and can be previewed at Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/ticktockgoestheclock/sets/ticktock-in-the-belly-of-the-whale-1/
"Text & Musik" is the name of a new Swedish festival celebrating just that; two nights, two cities, twelve bands, including Mattias Alkberg, Kajsa Grytt, Pascal, Ulf Stureson, Conny Nimmersjö, Magnus Ekelund, the bells, Hospitalet and more. The first night will take place July 27 at Kägelbanan in Stockholm and from there it will move to Storsjöyran in Östersund way up north for the 29th. Full details at Mattias Alkberg's website: http://www.mabd.se/?p=700
is a new label out of Copenhagen, starting off a few digital EP releases this spring to be followed by vinyl later on down the road. Their first release: a stunner of a debut from electro artist Ticktock called "In the belly of the whale #1". Actually, I've only heard half of the release's 4 tracks, but I'm way way into it, so you get to grab one of them today and/or hit up Soundcloud for the other. I'm all about goth balladry as the sound of 2011, Ticktock fills that niche quite nicely. Get the rest on the official release date which is February 7.
Ticktock - Carnivala
Nöjesguiden's top 20 Swedish albums of 2010:
01. Robyn - Body talk, part 2
02. Håkan Hellström - 2 steg från paradise
03. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a scheme
04. Oskar Linnros - Vilja bli
05. The Bear Quartet - Monty Python
06. This is Head - 0001
07. Robyn - Body talk, part 1
08. Säkert! - Facit
09. Ludwig Bell - Jag har försökt förklara
10. Daniel Adams-Ray - Svart, vitt och allt däremellan
11. Britta Persson - Current affair medium rare
12. Moto Boy - Lost in the call
13. The Concretes - WYWH
14. Joel Alme - Waiting For the bells
15. Tove Styrke - Tove Styrke
16. Andreas Söderlund - Daustralien
17. Orup - Född i November
18. Embee - The mellow turning moment
19. Various Artists - Sonja Åkesson tolkad av
20. Bandjo - Bandjo
Link: http://nojesguiden.se/artiklar/arets-svenska-skivor-2010
The label website/webshop, home of new band the bells, is now open: http://www.tegpublishing.se/
Lots of related stuff for sale, including releases from Park Hotell, Convoj, Mattias Alkberg, Cult of Luna, etc.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. TALK 1
02. Robert Svensson - Runaway
03. My Poor Lover - Lovesick
04. Fun - Williams house
05. TALK 2
06. Hero Dishonest - Birth, Sports Illustrated, death
07. Hanna Hirsch - Framtid och besvär
08. Haleiwa - Observatorielunden
09. Pistol Disco - Pool
10. TALK 3
11. MF/MB/ - The grand chase
12. Ståålfågel - Stupet
13. The Nature - Northern lights
14. TALK 4
15. The Loveable Tulips - Fortune favours the brave
16. Anna von Hausswolff - Track of time
17. Hunt - Ashes of a secret heart
18. the bells - No Waves
19. TALK 5
20. Makthaverskan - Know love
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.
Stream the title track from New Found Land's upcoming record "the bell": http://soundcloud.com/fixerecords/the-bell
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Simian Ghost - Beat on the brat
02. TALK 1
03. End of All - Folkhemmet
04. In These Woods - Bear
05. the bells - Outside
06. Britta Persson - Some girls some boys
07. TALK 2
08. Kråkesølv - Nordavind mot varme kinn
09. Tomas Halberstad - The pendulum swings again
10. WhoMadeWho - Left hand of the boxser
11. TALK 3
12. Säkert! - Köttet är svagt
13. Next Life - Battle tactics
14. Kaka - Candyman
15. The Fine Arts Showcase - Spanish kerosene
16. TALK 4
17. Kimono - Black
18. Axe - Up against common sense
19. NNDC - Mouthful of diamonds
20. Slöa Knivar - Anticimex
21. Enforcer - Take me to hell
22. TALK 5
23. Ikons - Imperiet
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.