PopMatters on the Swede-heavy indiepop comp "The kids at the club": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/5565/various-artists-the-kids-at-the-club-an-indiepop-compilation/
The Finnish Music Information Centre on Negative's new album and forthcoming tour of Japan and GAS: https://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/news/C166D634EB547226C22572050026A3EA!opendocument
Y'know that upcoming Christmas comp that Razzia is putting together? I've got a preview of the tracklist:
Firefox AK & Tiger Lou - Christmas Eve
Friska Viljor - Oh no! This is what I feared all along
Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
South Ambulance - Hangin' in a tie
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Jullåten 2004
Laakso - Merry Christmas
The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
Maia Hirasawa - You were all there
The Perishers - Blue Christmas
The Soundtrack of our lives - Jingle Hell (stuck in the chimney)
Consequences - Some kind of magic
Grande Roses - To bring X-mas back this year
Konie - Oh, yeah...it's christmas!
Dogday - Santa will never get there
Indiekören - Last Christmas
They Live By Night - Lucia (I deserve candles in my hair)
Dreamboy - Christmas kisses
Kristofer Åström - I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus
As you can see, some of these tracks are old and previously released (TSOOL for instance), but most are new and exclusive to this release. The exact order is still TBD and a few more tracks are due for submission, but I'll definitely be carrying it in the webstore when it's released on November 15.
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Lisa Nilsson - Hotel Vermont 609
02. Anna Ternheim - Separation road
03. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Hund
04. Vikingarna - Bästa
05. Peter Jöback - Flera sidor av samma man
06. Nisse Hellberg - Snackbar blues
07. Lisa Miskovsky - Changes
08. Mats Bergmans - Den stora dagen
09. Koop - Koop islands
10. Marit Bergman - I think it's a rainbow
11. Christian Falk - People say
12. Anne Sofie von Otter - I let the music speak
14. Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Tuesday wonderland
15. Di Leva - Hoppets röst
16. Mando Diao - Ode to ochrasy
17. Rydell & Quick - Rockoholic
18. Viktoria Tolstoy - Pictures of me
19. Patrik Isaksson - Patrik Isaksson
20. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
Pitchfork adds Frida Hyvönen to their so-called Infinite Mixtape: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/39094/Infinite_Mixtape_49_Frida_Hyv%C3%B6nen_I_Drive_My_F#39094
I really have a hard time understanding what people find so special about her. It's not bad or anything, but I am definitely not moved.
Norway's 120 Days were NPR's song of the day yesterday: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6249187
And photos of the band from the Numusic Festival: https://www.christopherporter.com/2006/10/120-days-at-numusic-2006.html
Check out Republic, a new Norwegian band featuring Erlend Mokkelbost (JR Ewing, Killl) and Anders Tjore (The Turns, The Pop): https://www.myspace.com/republicproject
The band is rounded out by Even Ormestad (Jaga Jazzist, Marit Larsen) on bass and Andreas Bye (Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conceptions Of Jazz) and drums. The sound? White-boy funk. I'm not so sure about it.
MP3: Deportees - Missing you, missing me
I don't know what's come over me! I love the new Deportees single "Missing you, missing me". Yes, the same Deportees that I openly mocked after seeing them in LA a few years ago. I dunno if it's the woo-woos! or that catchy call-and-response guitar lick, but the song is certifiably great. I'm still skeptical about checking out the rest of the album as I don't want to ruin the warm fuzzy feeling I currently have, so I remain blissfully ignorant. Maybe it's good? I don't know and I don't need to know. All that matters is "Missing you, missing me".
Deportees - Missing you, missing me
MP3: Fontän - You, me & a tree
The word that best describes Fontän is cinematic. It's an intriguing blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation painted with a broad emotional palette. Often playful, joyous even, but also languid and brooding as on the track I've posted today (which happens to feature guest vocals from Sarah Assbring aka El Perro Del Mar). What can I say? I like droning pop. But I also like how the album "Aktionskammarn" runs the gamut from happy to sad and back again, sometimes within the context of single track. The composition and arrangements are exceptional as well - Fontän shows deft control over their pieces despite the variety of sound. Again, it's this embrace of diversity that makes the music so strong. Cerebral, but not necessarily challenging if you catch my drift. Very recommended.
Fontän - You, me & a tree
Due to my preoccupation with other distractions I didn't get new reviews posted this weekend as I had originally promised in last week's newsletter, but I'm making up for it with a huge batch that I've posted today. Check it out - there's a lot of good recommendations to be had.
Swedish rockers Wired For Mono are currently experiencing some lineup difficulties, but are committed to persevere and will be recording a new album in November with Tomas Skogsberg (Hellacopters, Backyard Babies and endless Swedish death-metal acts recorded at Sunlight Studios). Read more: https://www.wiredformono.com/news.asp
We Are Soliders We Have Guns have posted the video for "This line is a dot to you": https://www.wearesoldiers.net/music.htm#video1
Check out an e-card for Tingsek and his new album "World of his own": https://www.musicbay.se/buy/index.asp?movie_id=1558&company_id=39
Little Big Adventure nee Penny Century has posted two new tracks on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/centurypenny
Look for a new 6-song EP sometime in November.