Christian Kjellvander - Bad hurtn (video)
A new video from Christian Kjellvander, the 2nd off his latest album "The rough & rynge". Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gPpSuUbMQg/p>
MP3: Mary-Anne och Kalla Handen - Genom fingrarna
Mary-Anne och Kalla Handen is a new project from ex-The Kid vocalist Mary-Anne Norberg and David Sundqviist of The Kick and "Genom fingrarna" is their first publically-available track. Unlike their other bands, it's not electro at all, but that's not a bad thing, especially if they're still delivering strong hooks like this. Expect a new single and video to surface soon.
Tsukimono on Bandcamp
IAT.MP3 artist and dear friend Tsukimono is now on Bandcamp with a significant chunk of his discography available for cheap download and/or free streaming, including many long out-of-print releases: https://tsukimono.bandcamp.com/
Jonathan Johansson - Blommorna (video)
Jonathan Johansson's new single, and a great sounding one at that. Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty2se_-Z2B4
Kalligrammofon to release new Testbild! album
There will be a new Testbild! album on in May called "Barrikad" which will be quite different than anything they've done before; a) it is almost entirely acoustic and b) it is sung in Swedish. Preview here: https://kalligrammofon.com/barrikad/
Parker Lewis to Sellout!
will be releasing the vinyl edition of the new Parker Lewis album "Pengar & Leenden" in September in cooperation with Italian imprint .
Victims, behind the music
Read all about the origins of the songs on Victims' new album "A dissident" via guitarist Gareth Smith's blog: https://punkrockandcoffee.blogspot.com/2011/04/working-titles.html
There's also a new, in-depth interview with the band here: https://blowthescene.com/interviews/victims-interview.html
Uphill Racer wins The Brothel remix contest
Susanne Sundfør recently held a contest to remix "The brothel" and the winner has been announced as Uphill Racer. Listen here: https://www.susannesundfor.com/news/2011/4/12/the-brothel-remix-contest-weve-a-winner.html
Gatas Parlament loses member
Aslak is leaving Norwegian rap group Gatas Parlament: https://www.gatasp.no/aslak-gar-ut-av-gatas-parlament/
Victims on tour
Upcoming European dates for Victims:
05/12 - Occii, Amsterdam (NL)
05/13 - AJZ Bahndamm, Wermelskirchen (GER)
05/14 - G18, Bremen (GER)
06/16 - Crowbar, Groningen (NL)
06/17 - Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
06/18 - Zoro, Leipzig (GER)
07/21 - Black Fleck, Potsdam (GER)
07/22 - tba (GER)
07/23 - Fluff Fest, Rokycany (CZ)
08/12 - Ieperfest, Ieper (BEL)
US dates to be announced soon.
Plain Fade - Anthropogonia
This is a full stream of Plain Fade's awesome (emphasis on awe) new album "Anthropogonia", out now on . I've long thought the band was brilliant from the time I first heard them, but this is on a whole new level. Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/plainfade/sets/anthropogonia/
New music coming soon from Rigas, Rigas den Andre
Mr. Henrik von Euler reports that he will be releasing a new Rigas single on May 4 called "Make it rain" which will feature guest appearances from Baba Stiltz and Anna Maria Espinosa. The new Rigas full-length "Bring the dead" will then follow in September. As for Henrik's skweeee alias Rigas den Andre, he's got a new album coming as well -- it's called "Speed run" and it will be out in May.
Iamus LP coming via HoboRec
will be releasing the a new self-titled 12" from Swedish hardcore act Iamus in June. Hear some tunes at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/iamusband
Ólafur Arnalds
Live @ the Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA 04/13/2011
It's a bit intimidating to write a review about a classical musician when you yourself are not classically trained. Without the tools to fully express why the mechanics of the music engages emotions like a sack of bricks (or your other favorite blunt object of choice), the writer is left feeling not unlike Mary Beth Hurt's character in "Interiors" -- all emotion with no proper outlet for expression. And while this handicap hasn't deterred me from spilling a good deal of (virtual) ink in praise of Ólafur Arnalds' work, it does make me acutely aware of my own shortcomings.
The second of a three-night residency at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, Arnalds and his freshly assembled string quartet took the stage requesting that the people cloistered at the back of the room gather around them. A large portion of the audience did just that, creating an atmosphere that was not unlike an elementary school reading circle. (Perhaps the cliché is true and everyone really is looking for intimacy in LA?)
With the majority of material culled from last year's standout album "...And they have escaped the weight of darkness" and 2009's "Found songs", Arnalds literally and figuratively had the audience at his feet -- mixing minimalist piano refrains with densely layered strings, and hand-trigged samples. The result was a series melancholic, chillingly beautiful soundscapes removed from both place and time.
The transformative music was punctuated by brief interludes, where Arnalds, despite musing that the audience probably enjoyed his music more than his speaking (Don't sell your oration skills too short dude!), carefully set up each piece with a small (and often humorous) insight into the process. Creating a track that's "not dumb enough" ("Ljósið") can cost you a payday and a spot in a bathtub commercial -- but it can result in a sweet and gently moving song. It doesn't take a tragedy to write a sad song -- unless one is willing to count a bumpy, overnight ride on Eastern European roads, paired with too many nightcaps, as such. It is, however, very difficult to write under the Los Angeles sun when one is used to a rainy Reykjavik spring. Despite the burden of good weather, Arnalds did debut a piano-heavy piece titled "Los Angeles 2" -- penned a mere 24 hours before. While not necessarily an homage to the city (as Arnalds himself admits, it's a second attempt named after the place he was writing), it was a distinct pleasure to get a glimpse of the creative process, even when left unable to fully articulate ones' awe.
- Laura Studarus
PopMatters reviews Figurines
PopMatters reviews the latest album from Danish act Figurines: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/138424-figurines-figurines/