Check out an unofficial but Laakso-approved video for "Lack of blood", one of the b-sides from the new "Västerbron & campires" EP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNZXD3xInHE
Danish act Skywriter has posted the new video for the single "Craving utopia": https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3coez_skywriter-craving-utopia-music-vide_music
Check out a lengthy interview with Svein-Evil Hatlevik at the Avant-garde Metal site on the subject of pioneering Norwegian act Fleurety: https://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/stories2.php?id=24
IAT fave Tobias Hellkvist has posted a brand new track on myspace called "Vintervarm": https://www.myspace.com/tobiashellkvist
In case you missed it, you can listen to my interview on P3 Populär on-demand for the next 30 days from their website: https://www.sr.se/p3/popular/
On the other hand, if you did hear it and are now visiting this site for the first time: welcome! I hope you like what you find.
Favorita
s/t
Popsicle Recordings
Apparently "[falling] foul of record company politics" (according to Popsicle's webpage) in 1997, Favorita have only now had their album released, 12 years after its recording. I'm sure there are better and more accurate versions of this story on the Internet somewhere, but I'm not here to do an exposé on the cruel world of the music industry, rather to briefly blather on about Favorita's self-titled release. "Favorita" has more in common with the Manic Street Preachers' early efforts than with many of their Swedish contemporaries, and this is both a blessing and a curse. While the Brit-pop shimmer and Pavement-esque indie approach are competent and nostalgia-inducing, there is a slight lack of consistency on the album. Songs like "Seven comforts", "Well, it's only pain", and "Surprisingly cynical crossword" almost effortlessly remind us that the 90s were not some black hole for artistic and musical endeavors, but Favorita can't always keep up the pace. Had their career been allowed to flourish, I feel that "Favorita" would be that "fun first record" that friends would suggest I purchase after having already oriented myself with a stronger sophomore album. As it is, it's better than fine, and made more worthwhile knowing that you are "sticking it to The Man" and the record label who shot down Favorita all those years ago.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
02. TALK 1
03. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
04. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
05. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Bhf. Asta
08. The Alpine - Iceland
09. Pluxus - Bootstrap
10. TALK 3
11. Graveyard - Thin line
12. Hospital - Something in the water
13. Attrap - Just a word away
14. TALK 4
15. Jonna Lee - I wrote this song
16. Paper - My life is going under
17. Broder Daniel - You bury me
18. TALK 5
19. Radio LXMBRG - Score on the floor
20. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
21. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
22. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
23. TALK 6
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
26. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - If this is the way
27. Barra Head - Overseas
28. TALK 7
29. Superfamily - Warszawa
30. Oskar Schönning - S
31. Brick - Automen
32. TALK 8
33. Miss Li - Leave my man alone
34. Kasper Bjørke - Liquid propagnosia
35. Loveninjas - I wanna be like Johnny C
36. Anti Cimex - Only in dreams
37. TALK 9
38. Pan Sonic - Virta 1
José González
Live @ Babylon Berlin:Mitte, Berlin, 11/12/07
Having seen José once before as opening act for Logh in December 2004, I went into this concert with very high expectations. Roughly two years and a sharp rise in popularity later, he was now set to play an old cinema in Berlin-Mitte - a beautiful location, complete with plush curtains, balcony and mirror ball. José took the stage exactly on time (the concert was being broadcast live on the radio) and played an equal mix of older and newer tracks. Crowd responses grew more intense during current single "Down the line" and reached a peak in the brilliant encore of "Storm", "Hearbeats", "Crosses" and "Love will tear us apart". Generally, his guitar-playing seemed rougher and more aggressive than before, in line with the anger and darkness of the lyrics from current album "In our nature" (as well as with the closing Joy Division cover) and that made his performance all the more intense. Truly a memorable evening, although maybe a bit short - a second set had been scheduled for about an hour later due to huge demand for tickets.
- Arnulf Köhncke
MP3: The Bear Quartet - Needs vs. facts
"Needs vs. facts", doing what you have to as opposed to doing what you want. "To make my live liveable, understandable / more than a waste of time." We all have to work and earn a living so we can pay bills, the goal is to find work with meaning. Something that transcends the drudgery. Or maybe we settle for something that enables us to do what we want with the remainder of our time. As long as we have some sort of ultimate purpose, right? Now when it comes to love, that's far more difficult and elusive. "He woke up again though he actually swore / he'd wake up with someone or not anymore." That's a level of intense desperation that I can't quite relate to. Lonliness is much harder to conquer and being with someone who's good "enough" is not nearly the same as working a shit job so you can, say, bail and go on tour for a few months. The job might drive you crazy eventually, but it's the means to an end, not the end itself. Love is way more complicated and convoluted. I don't think you can merely settle.
The Bear Quartet - Needs vs. facts
New vinyl from Adrian Recordings just arrived today including both the new Familjen 7" and the Boeoes Kaelstigen 12" EP. If you are into modern Swedish techno/electronica, these records are essential - pricey, but oh so worth it!
Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim starts a new UK tour tonight as support for Joseph Arthur:
11/16 - Academy 2, Liverpool
11/17 - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
11/18 - Fibbers, York
11/19 - Academy 2, Birmingham
11/20 - Ulu, London
11/21 - 12 Bar, Swindon
11/22 - The Cube, Southampton
Swedish melodic punk act Smalltown has finished up the songwriting process for their next album and hopes to get it recorded for a release in the spring.
Watch Danish slowcore duo and "Reader's companion" alums Munck//Johnson perform "Lack of disguise": mms://WMS.dr.dk/storage/Ung/Boogie/Liga/lack_of_disguise.wmv
Check out Kalle J covering Broder Daniel: https://www.myspace.com/kallejswe
Danish punkrockers Gorilla Angreb are calling it quits. They'll release one last 7" as a split release between Hjernespind and Bad Afro Records. Also on the way from Hjernespind is a new 7" from fellow Danes Cola Freaks. Listen to those guys here: https://www.myspace.com/colafreaks