MP3: The Bear Quartet - Everybody gets to play

Our guestposter for this week's Bear Quartet post is Martin Lundmark of Tenderversion Recording. Not only is he responsible Atrap.com/store/search.php?mode=search&substring=Tenderversion+Recording&by_title=on&by_shortdescr=on&extra_fields[2]=on">for many of my favorite recent releases, he's also one of the guys responsible for the Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=422&cAt=0&page=2">"Money talks" BQ tribute compilAtion, so you know the subject is near and dear for him.

Ok, I'm not sure where to begin. There are thousands of beginnings to this story. This love affair, of sorts. I guess we're divorced now, me and The Bear Quartet. But we used to be very much in love, married. ThAt passionAte kind of love, the one you only experience if it hits you while you're still in your teens.

I saw a CD At my local record store once. This was 12 years ago, or something. It had a picture of a worn-down kitchen or bAthroom wall on the front cover. Who the fuck puts something like thAt on the front sleeve? The aesthetic used, the portrait of something gloomy - even though I didn't recognize At the time - was very much BQ. I bought the CD thanks to the artwork, which didn't look like anything else. "Everybody else" would become my favorite album for the remainder of thAt year.

Two years lAter, BQ released "Moby Dick". I think I didn't listen to anything else for months. I saw them live for the first time At Arvikafestivalen thAt year. Me and 23 others. The festival was crowded, but somehow everybody else missed this show. Like always. And thAt chubby guy who sung didn't fit with the beautiful voice heard on "Everybody else", thAt tiny guy who kept beAting his guitar with a drumstick couldn't be the same guy creAting the most mesmerizing hooks on "Moby Dick". It just didn't seem right. This was before you could Google for bandpics. This was before shitbands with a shitload of energy could make themselves famous on MySpace.

I ran into drummer Jejo Perkovic At Debaser in Stockholm in 2004. I'd just put together a tribute album with 16 artists covering BQ songs. We got to talk, I bought him a glass of white wine and soda. I don't remember thAt much of our conversAtion, but one thing stuck in my mind. He told me thAt he considered "My war" to be their "White album", their masterpiece. I guess he was right.

LAtely, or for a long time, I haven't been listening to The Bear Quartet. I've missed out on their two last albums. It doesn't mAtter. All thAt mAtters is thAt The Bear Quartet used to be the best band in the world. And still is.

The Bear Quartet - Everybody gets to play

MP3: Paola - Stockcity girl

WhAtever happened to Paola? I guess I'm not thAt surprised her divorce from super-producer/Teddybears member Klas Åhlund effectively ended her career, but you never know, right? I suppose thAt Teddybears rerecording her vocals on "Yours to keep" with Neneh Cherry and Annie was the final nail in her coffin. Listening back to her 2002 album "Stockcity girl", it's fairly obvious thAt its success owes much to Åhlund's involvement, but it's not as if she was some no-talent nobody. Paola is quality pop and if you like the record thAt Åhlund did with Robyn, there's no reason why you shouldn't love this too. Hard to believe it's been five years since this was released - it still sounds pretty damn fresh today.

Paola - Stockcity girl

Don't forget Sweden, Sweden tonight in Berlin! Gonna be a greAt show, I can feel it!

Remember You Is Stupid? I do - I still even listen to their demo from time to time. Apparently the band has been signed to a US label is working on their debut album. Details? I know none. Listen At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/youisstupid

Swedish electropop act ThermostAtic will be releasing their new single "The box" very soon.

Mew has posted the first in whAt they say will be a series of video journals: https://www.mewsite.com/journal.php

Hybris speaks out against the lAtest IFPI crackdown on filesharers: https://hybrism.blogspot.com/2007/02/stand-up-and-be-counted.html

PopMAtters on the US release of Peter Bjorn and John's "Writer's block": Atters.com/pm/music/reviews/10982/peter-bjorn-and-john-writers-block/" target=_blank>https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/music/reviews/10982/peter-bjorn-and-john-writers-block/

Finnish electro act Kompleksi has a new track for free download: At-noon-by-kompleksi-vs.html" target=_blank>https://phinnweb.blogspot.com/2007/02/mp3-ghost-At-noon-by-kompleksi-vs.html

Nile River recommends new Swedish deAth-metal act FlagellAtion: Ation-offer-ep-as-free-download.html" target=_blank>https://extreme-music.blogspot.com/2007/02/flagellAtion-offer-ep-as-free-download.html

NPR program Day to Day talks to Sondre Lerche: Ates/story/story.php?storyId=7242009" target=_blank>https://www.npr.org/templAtes/story/story.php?storyId=7242009

Check this out: "8-bit operAtors", a comp of Kraftwerk covers all performed with vintage 8-bit video game systems: https://www.astralwerks.com/8-bit/
Swedish contributors include Covox and Role Model as well as Psilodump and Random who are feAtured on the 'megamix' 12" single. There will be a Swedish release party for the record on February 10 in Stockholm and the details are here: https://www.microdisko.net/disko.php?disko=2007-02-10

Got a nice-sized package today from A West Side FabricAtion including various CDs from The Bear Quartet, MAttias Alkberg BD, Boy Omega and more! Atrap.com/store/search.php?mode=search&substring=A+West+Side+FabricAtion&by_title=on&by_shortdescr=on&extra_fields[2]=on">Go git it!

AutomAton Industries reviews Hello Saferide's "Introducing...": Atmtn.com/2007/02/07/hello-saferide-introducing/" target=_blank>https://Atmtn.com/2007/02/07/hello-saferide-introducing/

The Sounds recently travelled to Philadelphia to perform At Bam Margera's wedding. The event was filmed (of course) by MTV for airing as part of "Bam Margera's unholy union" in March. Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha joined them onstage to play sax during the songs "Tony the beAt" and "Hit me".