Give me an epic indierock tune with expansive pop hooks and a masterful sense of dynamics and of course I'm going to be impressed. It's a formula that can be easily codified on paper, but that doesn't mean it's so easy to replicate, though plenty of Swedish artists -- Magnus Ekelund, We Are the Storm, Pixie Carnation to name a few -- have definitely hit the mark at least once. Now add Pretties for You to the list; the title track of their new EP "Silver lining", just released today via , is a sure-fire qualifier. They take their time getting to the chorus payoff, but it's worth it.
Swedish indie label mainstay is putting out a new comp at the end of the month (1/31) featuring a wide selection of tunes from their 25 years as a label plus four brand new ones written especially for this release. Full tracklist:
Oh My! - Fifteen minutes Heikki - Former hero Bedroom Eyes - Hand-in-hand grenade The Drowners - Summer break my fall Light Parade - Moonlight run Little Red Snapper - Call me on Tuesday Olle Nyman - Don't let those bastards reel you in Oscar & Ronja - Bad manners Amber Oak - Audrey (radio version) Wade - Freak or a star Music of Things - Self destructive Holiday With Maggie - Make it, don't break it Mufflon 5 - Waverer The Concretes - Just locals Tupelo Honeys - The return of the weeping man (autumn edit) The Bear Quartet - It only takes a flashlight to create a monster
"The first gray slushy snow has fallen over Pajala and the rest of Torne valley, the intoxicating dance of the summer is long gone and while the fingers slowly brace the pile of bills and debt collection on the table the eyes are melancholically fixed on the desolated world outside the kitchen window. A longing away. A new start. Gene Kelly. Leslie Caron. Paris."
A couple weeks ago I mentioned that had been putting out a number of solid releases lately, but then I neglected to follow up with anything to back up such claims. To remedy that, here's the latest single "Tornionlaakso" from Pajala Truck Co., a great pop band with two singers from way far up north near the Sweden/Finnish border. It's a great song with a great emphatic delivery and, like the quote above says, great music for welcoming fall. Reminds me a bit of Marit Bergman too, in that they in no way shy away from grandiose classic pop gestures and that's something I can always appreciate. Can't say I know much about the band beyond this song, but I'll certainly be doing my best to alleviate my ignorance as the day goes on.
continues to quietly release plenty of great music, regardless of whether or not anyone is paying attention, and they've been on a bit of a roll as of late. One such example would be "Sisters", a beautiful slice of pastoral pop from The Culture In Memoriam that brings to mind similar rustic works from the likes of ex-labelmates The Bear Quartet, Neil Young and so on. Usually I'm not so big on the gentle falsetto as it's often way too much of an affect for my tastes, but there are always exceptions to be made and TCIM fit the rule. The song gets better and better as it goes along too, adding more and more subtle layers of sound and orchestration. And the b-side "Vanilla wreck"? I think I might like that one even more.
We are the Storm have signed with and will be releasing their new single "Galileo" next week. The band's full-length debut "To the North-Pole" will follow later on down the road.
has confirmed that Popterror's sophomore EP "Nu som då" will be released on March 16 and will include four tracks including the radio single "Kanske är allt vi vet åt helvete". A remix EP will follow shortly thereafter.