YOURS0170
has some new videos posted today, neither of which I have time to watch to figure out who/what they are: https://www.sincerelyyours.se/yours0170.php
Under the Radar reviews Little Dragon
Under the Radar reviews the new Little Dragon album "Ritual union": https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/ritual_union/
Oak
Demo
self-released
This down-tempo post-metal lark is really getting tired now. Mention of a new band in the genre always sparks a bit of interest in the hope that someone is going to bring something new and exciting to the table. That rarely happens, however, and the story is no different with Sweden's Oak. The four tracks on offer here are melodic, overdriven and ponderous with so little in the way of vocals that it could almost be classified as instrumental. Musically, it's well executed; creatively, it's not great at all. It's like Isis without the ingenuity, Switchblade without the dirt, and Red Sparowes without the atmosphere. In that respect, Oak find themselves well behind the times and, if they endeavour to make a mark in the scene, really need to rethink their strategy before releasing future material.
- John Norby
MP3: Execration - Ode to obscurity
Down with Norwegian right-wing extremists, up with Norwegian extreme death metal! It's impossible for me to articulate just how horrible last week's events make me feel. The best I can do is extend my deepest sympathies to the people of Norway along with everyone else affected by this tragedy.
As for Execration, there will not be a better death metal album released in 2011.
Pallers album preview
A video preivew for Swedish act Pallers' upcoming album "The sea of memories", due out September 27 via : https://youtu.be/98dqiyanxjQ
PB&J, Teddybears, Miike Snow launch label
Peter Bjorn and John, Miike Snow and Jocke Åhlund (Teddybears) have joined forces to start a new Stockholm-based label under the name : https://peterbjornandjohn.com/blog/2011/07/gimme-some-ingrid/
The Silent Section - The voice that got away
A new single from Danish act The Silent Section showcasing a new, bigger, melodramatic sound. Look for the band's new full-length album "Contour of a passing dream" to be released later this year via .
Kopfer Kat
Skrammelpop
Progress Productions
The label calls this "noise-driven club music" and that's the most accurate and succinct description there is of the twisted minds of Göteborg duo Michael Andresen and Jimmy Andersson. As a debut album, "Skrammelpop" is a double-edged sword. On a positive note it demonstrates the Kat's uncompromising attitude toward sonic oblivion. On the other hand, an album full of this material highlights the shortcomings of the style that's not otherwise evident on singles, EPs or remixes. These failings fall largely under the umbrella of variety -- or lack thereof -- throughout the recording. Yes, the style is known and loved for its repetition but, with almost three quarters of an hour of the same heavily distorted drum rhythms, "Skrammelpop" can become a bit wearisome. Its redeeming qualities are to be found in the nuances of the recordings; from the underlying samples through to the controlled-yet-seemingly-erratic beats, it's a lot more complex and organized than the untrained ear might imagine. This is industrial club noise for the clinically insane. And they'll love it! Most of the rest of the population won't give this a second thought.
- John Norby
The Book of Daniel - The newborn grass
At long last, new music from The Book of Daniel: https://thebookofdaniel.bandcamp.com/track/the-newborn-grass
Look for the new album "Visions of newborn grass" to be released later this year.
Magnus Ekelund + Jakob Hellman - Utan er (new live video)
Magnus Ekelund and Jakob Hellman performing live together in Stockholm. And guess what? Magnus' new album "Svart flagg" (out now via ) is even available via Spotify here in the US: https://open.spotify.com/album/4V1lliNkivN2XPOU5k7m8P
New music from James Ausfahrt
James Ausfahrt (aka Åke Strömer of Love is All) has a new solo album up on Bandcamp called "Emptying the fridge with friends and family": https://jamesausfahrt.bandcamp.com/album/emptying-the-fridge-with-friends-and-family
Stay safe Oslo
I hope that everyone is okay! A good summary article on today's bomb explosion can be found here.
Spotify in the US: first impressions
First of all, it sounds good and works more or less as-advertised aside from a few small hiccups. The ads are minimally intrusive and I can easily see how nice it would be on a mobile device, though I'm not a gadget guy by any stretch of the imagination. On the other hand, I find it incredibly annoying that I can't search by label. Unless there's something I'm missing? It's also annoying that a Sweden-based music service would be so lacking so much classic Swedish music (examples abound, but Ebba Grön is notably absent for one, along with much of Popsicle's discography), but of course that's the fault of short-sighted major labels, not the service itself. Overall I'd say the experience is good though, despite my complaints. The Bear Quartet's entire catalog is available along with most everything else from every other decent current Swedish indie label. Can't beat that. Will I shell out for the premium service? Eh, doubtful but we'll see.
Loney Dear - My heart
There's a brand new Loney Dear song streaming at Stereogum called "My heart": https://stereogum.com/763571/loney-dear-my-heart/mp3s/
Look for the new album "Hall music" to be released on October 4 via in US, in Europe.
Mange Makers - Fest hos mange (video)
Just in case you have set to subject yourself to Sweden's most potently annoying summer pop anthem of 2011. Required viewing!