Sudd's mp3 focus this month is on Swedish pop act Leopold: https://www.sudd.org/focus.htm
The Monotonik netlabel has posted an interesting new release from Aleksi Eeben: https://www.mono211.com/content/releases/mtkmp169.html
Stylus reviews Mew's latest: https://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/mew/and-the-glass-handed-kites.htm
This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Radiohead
02. Kent
03. Sufjan Stevens
04. The Knife
05. Peter Bjorn and John
06. Franz Ferdinand
07. The Pipettes
08. The Smiths
09. Death Cab for Cutie
10. Mew
Top 10 tracks for the week:
01. Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks
02. Peter Bjorn and John – Let's call it off
03. Thom Yorke – And it rained all night
04. Tiger Lou – Nixon
05. Lily Allen – Smile
06. Peter Bjorn and John – Paris 2004
07. The Postal Service – Such Great Heights
08. Thom Yorke – The eraser
09. Thom Yorke – Analyse
10. Thom Yorke – The clock
Want to make your own playlist count? Join us! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/
US indiepop label Skipping Stones has signed Icelandic act Dýrðin and will be releasing their self-titled debut on October 3. Check the Indie mp3 blog for a couple new tracks: https://www.indie-mp3.co.uk/2006/08/drin-new-tracks.html
Songs I Wish I Had Written has posted an mp3 of the title track from the new EP by Finnish indiepop artists Regina: https://www.songsiwish.com/regina/MinuaOllaanVastassa.mp3
The Knife have announced their first-ever US shows:
11/01 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
11/03 - Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA
11/04 - El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Élodie's final EP "At the end of line" is out now via Jezebel Recordings/A West Side Fabrication/Music is My Girlfriend. The band's final show was a few weeks ago at Trästockfestivalen in their hometown of Skellefteå and this is their last recording. I'll be getting a few copies for mailorder soon, but here's a sample in the meantime: https://www.musicismygirlfriend.com/audio/elodie%20-%20be%20my%20ghost.mp3
Norwegian punk-rockers Johndoe have announced that their new album will be called "Dødvinkel". No release date yet, but the first single "Kjøtere" should be streaming online soon.
MP3: Magyar Posse - Popzag
First, the good news: Magyar Posse's latest album "Random avenger" is unmistakbly a Magyar Posse album. Their sound is so incredibly distinctive and well... Finnish. I don't know how else to describe it. When I talk about Finnish post-rock (which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should), this is what I'm referencing. I'm sure that band has competition beyond the very-awesome Plain Fade, but I have yet to hear it. Anyhow, I was kind of disappointed by the band's last record, 2004's sophomore slump "Kings of time", so I was really hoping to be wowed by this new one. The bad news: it didn't happen. Don't get me wrong, "Random avenger" is a good record, one that any band should be proud of, but it lacks the power of their debut "We will carry you over the mountains" - the yardstick to which they will forevermore be compared. I'm know I'm probably being unduly harsh, but I want Magyar Posse to blow me away. I think they're more than capable of it, too. They get so damn close and that makes it all the more frustrating. Okay, let's end with a bit more good news: one large improvement this new record has over "Kings of time" is that they've gotten much better with incorporating violin and wordless vocals into the instrumentation. Listen to the song I've posted today and you'll see what I mean.
Magyar Posse - Popzag
MP3: Kristofer Åström and Hidden Truck - Poor young man's heart
Hard to believe that Kristofer Åström's debut solo album "Go, went, gone" is already eight years old. It's funny how the years just seem to slip away like that. It remains to be seen whether Kris will keep pushing on with Fireside - I suspect we have yet to hear the last of them - but we can rest assured knowing that his solo career will continue to be fruitful for many years to come. From his humble start as a mopey boy with his heart on his sleeve (as in today's mp3 pick), to his more recent and much darker and deeper work (see the "Black valley" EP), Kristofer Åström has firmly established himself as one of Sweden's most accomplished singer/songwriters. I know it's probably brutally hot everywhere else in the world today, but this somber song works nicely with the cool grey morning we've got going up here in the Pacific Northwest. Don't worry - it sounds just as good in the sunshine too.
Buy Kristofer Åström CDs and mp3s: [click here]
Extra credit: new (old) Kristofer Åström videos just posted at myspace: [click here]
Kristofer Åström and Hidden Truck - Poor young man's heart
Contest reminder! I'm giving away random packages of promo CDs every Tuesday throughout the month of August. Click here to enter!
At last, another review of my "Reader's companion volume two" compilation: https://www.indieworkshop.com/music.php?id=2634
Reminder: IAT Tack!Tack!Tack! DJs are confirmed for the David and The Citizens tent at Emmaboda next weekend August 10-12
The dynamic duo of Jason Christie and Nick Levine (not me, I can't afford the trip) will curate three hours (5 - 8pm) and are to be joined by Pipettes founder/guitarist Monster Bobby and Brighton-based twee-starlets The Bobby McGees.
Looks like Dial Booking totally dropped the ball and fucked over Trapdoor Fucking Exit and their planned European tour: https://www.trapdoorfuckingexit.com/main.html