Cloudberry to release Nixon 7"
Swedish indiepop act Nixon will be doing a 4-song 7" EP with in the not-so-distant future.
Label: Cloudberry Records
Viewing posts 1-14 out of 14Youngfuck 7" in the works
will be putting out the debut 7" from Youngfuck in the not-so-distant future, maybe late summer or thereabouts.
Cloudberry presents "Do you think it will snow tonight?"
is putting out a new 5-song CD comp called "Do you think it will snow tonight?" featuring winter anthems from a number of international acts including Swedes The Garlands and Seapony, a non-Scandinavian band who recently relocated to Seattle and are worth noting because they are quite good. Anyhow, I don't see ordering details up yet, but keep an eye on the label site: http://www.cloudberryrecords.com/
Cloudberry to release 7" from Oh! Custer
will be releasing new 7" from Swedish indiepop act Oh! Custer in November: http://www.cloudberryrecords.com/
Cloudberry interviews The Merrymakers
The blog is back with a new interview with David Myhr of Ant-Mansson/The Merrymakers: http://www.cloudberryrecords.com/blog/?p=540
Copenhagen Popfest postmortem wrapup
Roque from interviews one of the organizers from Copenhagen Popfest: http://cloudberryrecords.com/blog/?p=1964
Cloudberry to release Oh! Custer 7"
Swedish act Oh! Custer will be releasing a 7" on in the not-so-distant future.
Cloudberry gives A Smile and A Ribbon 7" a release date
The upcoming A Smile and A Ribbon 7" on is officially confirmed for release on May 20. Featured tracks include "Den lille havfrue" b/w "Sommer".
Cloudberry to release A Smile and a Ribbon 7"
Swedish act A Smile and a Ribbon is next in line to release a 7" on .
Hari and Aino
A considerate kind of home b/w Maple 7"
Cloudberry Records
The band's self-titled full-length was just okay, but give me two all-star tracks with zero filler and you'll hear no complaints whatsoever. Once again, Hari and Aino play the kind of professional upbeat indiepop you should be familiar with from The Cardigans' early records, but never too sweet or cloying, nor too cute for its own good. What's left is what's most important; the strong, yet understated female vocals, the super-crisp rhythm section and the kind of guitar playing that perfectly suits each part, always with just the right amount of notes and not one iota more. The band's sole misstep is the keyboards on the flip, my pick for the single's best track and a totally unnecessary addition for an already effective arrangement. Beyond that, this is exactly the kind of pop I like to hear from a label like Cloudberry.
- Avi Roig
Signed Papercuts
Of my heart b/w Sound of silence pt. 2 7"
Cloudberry Records
Of all of Cloudberry's recent Scandinavian 7" releases, this is the only one where I thought the band wasn't quite ready for primetime, or perhaps better suited to one the label's CDr releases. Good instincts, but the band's driving, tweepop jangle ends up on the wrong side of stiff except on the all-too-brief moments they decide to cut loose and get loud. See: the coda of a-side "Of my heart" and the chorus of "Sound of silence pt. 2"; everything else sounds like a band having trouble keeping it together. Hard to pinpoint exactly where they go wrong, but the mix certainly isn't working in their favor with the drums sounding like they belong on a different record. Not a keeper.
- Avi Roig
Je Suis Animal
Painted in my face b/w Photograph 7"
Cloudberry Records
This is what well-executed tweepop should sound like: sweet and delicate with a soft, fuzzy coating. I've generally considered Norway's Je Suis Animal to be one of the finer current bands in this style currently going and this recent 7" of theirs does not disappoint. The a-side "Painted in my face" is an upbeat number full of clever melodic twists that give it a bittersweet edge. It's also as good, if not better than anything from their debut full-length "Self-taught magic from a book", promising proof that the band is moving forward onto bigger and better things. On the flip we're treated to "Photograph", a slightly slower, more extended track that trades guitar leads for the kind of vocal harmonies the also-rans are too scared to even try. While the first couple of Cloudberry vinyl releases more or less left me cold, this one is assured of repeated listens. Nicely done!
- Avi Roig
The Bridal Shop
In violation 7"
Cloudberry Records
I typically prefer my tweepop with female vocals since I could really care less about yet another dude trying out his best Morrissey impression, but this one breaks the mold by pairing a male and female vocalist on opposite sides with the man coming out far superior. Her pitch and timbre is good enough for this sort of C86 pop revival, but she's constantly pushing ahead of the beat and I simply can't hang at all. The song ("Coming real") isn't all that interesting either, but hey - it is a b-side, so I suppose I can't be that disappointed. As for the main attraction ("Violation"), it sounds like something Jens Lekman might do if he was spaced out on quaaludes with its soaring strings and soft synth tones, all swirling together in a dazed, shoegazey soup. And yes, he does try his best to channel everyone's favorite English fop, but at least it's buried in the mix. I can hang with that.
- Avi Roig
Twig
Ciao ciao bomb b/w Wentworth 7"
Cloudberry Records
This is indiepop music for indiepop people. Chances are high that if you're in the target audience for this record, you probably already know about it and have made up your mind about whether or not it will become part of your collection. For the rest of us, here's the scoop: this is the first vinyl 7" released by prolific singles-only label Cloudberry Records out of Florida. They've been putting out a small, but successful run of twee/C86-focused 3" CDRs (and other stuff) for awhile now, so it's only natural that they try their hand at something bigger. Does it succeed? Well sure, I guess so. That is, if you like the idea of Swedish boys crooning like Morrissey over shimmering guitars and drum machine beats. As for me, let me just say that I prefer "Wentworth" over the flipside and leave it at that.
- Avi Roig
