This week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Bloc Party
02. The Arcade Fire
03. Shout Out Louds
04. Modest Mouse
05. Bright Eyes
06. Arctic Monkeys
07. The Knife
08. Laakso
09. Björk
10. The Beatles
Again with The Beatles? Whatever. Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us! We've got 300 members now! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/
Pitchfork talks to Björk: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/42181-interview-bjrk
It's always thrilling hearing something that doesn't quite sound like anything else. Detektivbyrån are influenced by the folksier side of Sweden's musical heritage, but there's a sweet purity at work here that seems to have sprung right from nature. Indeed, in Avi's profile of the band awhile back, they said they were inspired by wildlife (wolves in particular) and the ocean. Although a couple of tracks offer soft, glowing keyboard work, the ones you'll most remember are like whirling, rustic little dances. The third track in particular is one of the most gorgeous, infectious instrumentals I've ever heard, taking everything Björk had in mind on "Vespertine" and consolidating it in three minutes. Warm, lovely and life-affirming, this disc is one of the nicest surprises to come out of Sweden in ages.
- Kevin Renick
Sublime Exile has announced the signing of Icelandic instrumental trio Pondus. The label describes the band as "an absolute smooth and chanting pop mixture with elements of dub and jazz reminding of Thievery Corporation, Locust, Massive Attack, Mike Oldfield and Morricone." Their album was recorded with Björk collaborator Valgeir Sigurdsson in Reykjavik and is set for a tentative August release.
For the stupid two language dude that I am, there is something inherently charming about a women singing in a Nordic tongue, must be Björk-envy. In any case, Under Byen singer Henriette Sennenvaldt sings in this dreamy whispery voice that is simply incredibly sexy, yet triste. The music underneath is post-rock in a similar fashion to Do Make Say Think, but with a more noisy aspect of raw percussion and field recordings. Under Byen also uses a lot of minimal arrangements to create a thin curtain behind Sennenvaldt, only to explode a few minutes later in an intense fury. Instrumentation is all over the place and adds to the overall brilliance. I have heard plenty of post-rock in the last few years, but this is amongst the best.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Both Kevin and Avi are all over this album, and to be completely honest: they are right to be. Lampshade create some beautiful music with intelligent arrangement and memorable melodies. Singer RebekkaMaria Andersson does, as Kevin mentioned, have a similar tone to Björk, but she is much more natural and fluid, albeit less powerful, than the Icelandic goddess. This is lovely pop and clever songwriting all combined with a taste for melancholy that is very pleasing. But, for some reason, I just can't get into it. It all seems a bit stiff and deliberate. I just can't seem to put the finger on why I feel like that because I should like this. In the words of the legendary George Costanza: "It's not you, it's me."
- Simon Thibaudeau
Montys LocoAn opening track strong enough to belt Tyson 'round the chops. "Man overboard" is produced by Björn Yttling to provide that "Swedish sound" mixed with a lot of Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette from the female duo. A folk hum, musical underlays, dubs and effects, plus mixed up quirky yet always emotive lyrics give the finese. Given the Cardigans unique early sound on "Emmerdale" and "Life!" albums, it is easy to see why Montys Loco are slated to support them on the band's Scandinavian tour (ahead of Anna Ternheim we hear). There's a warble lyric thing going on in places and if singer Anja Bigrell let herself go a bit she would be out into Björk wilderness - at least, that is, via the production - mind, there are artists out there falling into the same strength, one to start with is Sara Culler. And why do these sort of record stop short of hitting full wackiness a la Imogen Heap? Leaves one thinking only: radio. All told this album is WOW!
- Jason Christie
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Lampshade - Fjäril
Danish singer/songwriter Lise Westzynthius has announced that her new album "Rock, you can fly" will be released in the US on March 14 via Björk's label One Little Indian. It will also be available slightly earlier via both iTunes and eMusic. Listen to samples at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/lisewestzynthius
Ex-Gus Gus vocalist Daníel Ágúst has just released his first solo album "Swallowed a star" via fellow Icelander Björk's label One Little Indian. Check out the first single "If you leave me now" right here: https://www.icelandairwaves.com/artists.asp?pageID=18&artistID=208
Usually when I get a demo from an unsigned act, I keep my expectations fairly low. I try to just listen for the artist's POTENTIAL, and not concern myself much with the undeveloped ideas or primitive mixes I expect to hear. Imagine my surprise then, when I played this rapturous 4-song demo by Norway's Ingvild Hasund. These are immaculately crafted, exquisitely produced tracks that sound like the work of a veteran performer, NOT someone shyly offering their first demos. I'm just blown away by this girl, truly. Hasund's music falls into a sort of jazzy pop vein, with touches of textured electronica and a beguiling aura of romantic yearning. There's also a subtle theatrical flair to Hasund's delivery which makes it easy to imagine her onstage in a Broadway musical, one that would likely keep an audience enthralled. It's hard not to get overwhelmed by emotion listening to the surprisingly lush orchestration on "So much to say", on which Hasund's voice bears just a hint of a less hyper Björk. The knob marked MAGIC was clearly turned up to the HIGH position in the studio for the sweetly melodic "Little song" and "All on a normal day" is a beautiful collision between noirish trip hop and cinematic jazz. This demo is honestly one of the best things I've heard this year, and Hasund deserves a record contract from a major right this minute.
- Kevin Renick