The Lionheart Brothers - The desert
The Lionheart Brothers' latest single "The desert" is available as a free download via RCRD LBL: https://rcrdlbl.com/artists/The_Lionheart_Brothers/track/The_Desert
Alcoholic Faith Mission - My eyes to see (video)
Danish act Alcoholic Faith Mission have a new video for the song "My eyes to see": https://www.vimeo.com/17991064
Dead Letters unveils final recordings
Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words has unveiled his final two tracks which will be included on a bonus 7" that comes with the upcoming "Dreadcade" LP collection. I preordered mine, did you?
Timo works for the electric company
Timo Räisänen has composed a song for Swedish power company Göteborg Energi. Read more, see the commercial at Gaffa: https://gaffa.se/nyhet/45889
MP3: Iceage - White rune
Today is the release of Iceage's debut full-length "New brigade", available on vinyl via and CD/digital via , is the first great new release of 2011. Knowing that Peter Peter of The Sods/Sort Sol produced their self-titled 7" and that it was subsequently picked up by MRR as a band-to-watch should give you a good idea of where these kids are coming from, but just in case, let me elaborate: Iceage are a group of Danish kids in their late teens playing tense postpunk as if the last 30 years of music never happened. There's no "tryhard" feeling to it either, it really does sound like these dudes naively picked up instruments and the sounds you hear are exactly what came out. No false affection, no retro posturing, all natural rock'n'roll. "White rune" is my favorite tune from said album, but there's plenty more where that came from.
Magnus Ekelund & Stålet - Stállu (video)
Magnus Ekelund of Elmo has a new band and a new video and it sounds great! Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGSO-jd14pc
Kriget post album for free
Drums, bass and sax = Kriget, a new combo featuring Per Nordmark (Fireside, Britta Persson, etc.), Crille Roth (Monster, Hets) and Gustav Bendt (Moneybrother, Club Killers) respectively. Download the band's debut record "What a day" for free/donation: https://www.kriget.com/
New Galento in March
Look for Swedish instrumental act Galento to release the new album "Urskogen" in March.
Lykke Li - I follow rivers
Check out a new Lykke Li tune over at Klubb Ace's website: https://klubbace.se/2011/01/lykke-li-i-follow-rivers/
Looks like they've got a new one from Peter Bjorn and John as well: https://klubbace.se/2011/01/peter-bjorn-john-dig-a-little-deeper/
The Ark - Breaking up with god
Aftonbladet is offering a streaming preview of The Ark's mediocre new (final) single "Breaking up with god": https://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/noje/article8379665.ab
Lukestar - Flying canoes
This is Lukestar's new video for "Flying canoes", the first single off their forthcoming album "Taiga", one of my most anticipated releases of 2011. Download the track in exchange for an email at the band's website: https://www.lukestar.com/
The official release date of said album is February 28.
Palpitation - In five years (video)
A new video for Swedish indiepop act Palpitation. Grab a couple remix cuts here: https://www.hybrism.com/news/hybris-gives-back-to-society/
PopMatters reviews Dungen
PopMatters reviews the latest Dungen record "Skit i allt": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134795-dungen-skit-i-allt/
The Tallest Man on Earth
Sometimes the blues is just a passing bird
Dead Oceans
When I first heard "Shallow grave", a part of me was glad that many of my friends either don't much care for Bob Dylan or were more into the electronica-tinged indie-rock/pop that was (and still is) coming out -- without trying to keep The Tallest Man on Earth my little secret, I was one of the few people I knew who really enjoyed Kristian Matsson's music. Visiting Stockholm the summer after "Shallow grave" was released, Matsson played an outdoor show at Debaser. Refusing to pay the entrance fee, my friends and I sat on the stairs nearby. Those that didn't know of his music beforehand were converted, those of us who liked the self-titled EP and "Shallow grave" were awestruck. A few years later, Pitchfork and others have called Matsson's sophomore effort "The wild hunt" one of the best records of 2010, and, despite my mixed feelings regarding certain popular music sites, good on them: It's nice to see some light shone on a talent like The Tallest Man on Earth and, despite not making my Top 10 (a rather distressing oversight, to be honest), "The wild hunt" truly deserves to be recognized as one of the finest efforts of the year.
"Sometimes the blues is just a passing bird" is a fitting addition to Matsson's catalogue. Taking advantage of the EP format, the songs don't necessarily feel as strongly connected as the tracklists of "Shallow grave" and "The wild hunt", but this does little harm to the record's content. There are a few small departures from the usual 'a man and his acoustic guitar'-approach of previous recordings: the clean electric guitar and subtle overdubbing on "The dreamer" are wonderful, as is the piano in "Like the wheel". The lyrics are once again so good that it begs the question why someone whose first language is Swedish can write circles around most lyricists whose mother tongue is English -- "And I said, 'Oh my Lord, why am I not strong like the branch that keeps hangmen hanging on?'" Hopefully Matsson's creative output in 2011 will mirror that of 2010 -- I can't think of too many artists I would prefer new material from than The Tallest Man on Earth.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
MP3: Mechanical Bird - Eternity and such
Mechanical Bird are a great, low-key Danish act who fall under the radar far too easily, despite my admiration of them in the past. They released a new EP back in late October, yet here I am only now just getting around to talking about it. January is supposed to be a quiet month, but no, I keep finding myself buried in more and more work, getting further behind. Anyhow, "Eternity and such" is a highlight of said EP, anchored by gently plucked banjo and metaphysical queries. The first note of the vocals always has me thinking that they'll go into some Simon & Garfunkel-style harmonies, but when the chorus actually does come in, the gentle female backing vox (by Sarah Hepburn?) give it a different feeling entirely, something a bit more twee. Otherwise, the song builds with a subtle kitchen sink approach, layering in additional little oddities with every iteration until the gathered multitudes applaud themselves at the end. Low-key for sure, but not worth passing up entirely.