I never paid too much attention to Moofish Catfish because, let's face it, that name is straight up unappealing. Good thing they changed it to Tiger Tape, I'm just sorry I didn't hear about it sooner because the album they put out in April ("I woke up in Hökarängen", released via /) is really really good, maybe even a little bit great. Time will tell, but I've been listening regularly for the past fews days and its luster has yet to fade. Also, considering that a good 98% of all indierock bores me to tears, it's worth noting that these ladies do not -- listen for yourself at Bandcamp: http://tigertape.bandcamp.com/
And for the xenoglossophobic, be aware that this is the only tack på Svenska. Tack igen Mathias for the recommendation!
This, the four song debut EP of Suburban Kid Johan Hedberg[the Labrador licensed rerelease adds an extra track, hence the "5 spårs EP" -ed], I actually find more a logical step from the band's earlier EPs Nos. 1 & 2. The Caribbean beach style beats, horns, and mariachi leaning guitar strumming are all highly present, along with Hedberg's sad croon. The two major differences are that the vocals are in Swedish and that there is much better production. The latter actually makes this more enjoyable for repeat listens, especially on tracks like "Grammisgalan" and "Har du själ?". At four songs it's obviously a bit short, but with some acts, formats such as this prove to be a wise decision. - Matt Giordano
Bedroom pop, known for its simple charm and... high school-ish spirit, is done quite a bit of justice by this Swedish mystery-tet (who's in this band???). While the similarities to other fixtures of indiepop stardom such as Pipas or The Clientèle may be nearly crippling at various moments, "A short melodrama" is diverse, beautiful, executed well, and most certainly re-playable. Also involved are production values to rival Daniel Johnston, case in point; "Sweet Catrin Dannenmaier". Not a bad thing in either case. The collection includes a cover of Lily Allen's "Smile". I'd like to say this is what that song should have sounded like in the first place. Forget the original. The twee pop community will greet After-School Sports with open arms. - Paul Bredenberg
Johan Hedberg
After-School Sports
