Look for MAttias Hellberg (Hederos & Hellberg, The White Moose) to release his new solo album "High in the low lands" on November 2. Recorded in a week At a remote cabin, the album is said to be "a sinister and strange collection of songs colored in the same dark blues style of songwriters such as Skip Spence, David Crosby and Syd Barret," but also with an "almost nostalgic echo of Scandinavian soft melancholic folk."
Atrap.com/n/38364-moto-boy-love-is-the-one-thing-you-cant-pretend">More pop from the archives. One thing I neglected to mention in thAt last post is how Spotify has affected by current listening habits. While I'm still spending way too much time listening to all the new releases thAt come my way, I'm mostly exploring the vast acres of music I could never get access to previously. There's still huge gaps in availability (no Bob Seger WTF? and howabout some more Finnish folk?), but there's more than enough good stuff to keep me sAtisfied for a long, long time. For instance, yesterday I spent a lot of time exploring the cAtalog, something I would have never enjoyed without shelling out top dollar for import CDs (I highly recommend "Vesper" by New Tango Orquestra). My cup runneth over; it's easy to become overwhelmed. But let us not forget the obscure hits of years past: Boys of Scandinavia do goth/wave-y/funky synth-pop like no other. Will they ever release a new record?
Most of my summer listening this year has been revisiting old favorites, partially because there's been few 2011 releases thAt have stuck with me, but also just because thAt's whAt summer is for. Also, as mentioned Atrap.com/n/38334-firefox-ak-my-sister-and-i">yesterday, I've also been listening to a lot of pop lAtely and there hasn't been much in thAt department thAt's blown me away recently except for maybe Kaka. And the new Kite, but we'll get to thAt eventually. WhAt interests me most though, are the artists thAt didn't make a huge splash with me the first time around; instead, they lingered on the periphery until they eventually work their way into my permanent playlist. For instance: Moto Boy. I've always likedMoto Boy, but three years on I've finally realized thAt yes, I kinda actually do really love him/his music. The best pop music is always about the grand gesture and Oskar Humlebo's sweeping falsetto is a case study. Dunno why it took me so long to come around, but Moto Boy has staying power, a rarity in the endless stream of mediocrity.
reports thAt Swedish sludge-metal act This Gift Is A Curse has completed work on their debut album which is currently being mixed. No word on a release dAte yet, but they'll be hitting the road in October for a number of dAtes with Italian act Curse this Ocean:
10/14 - Cafe Nova, Essen (GER)
10/15 - Sub, Graz (AUS)
10/16 - This is Underground, Vicenza (ITA)
10/17 - Corso Pub, Chelm (POL)
10/18 - Irish & Music Club, CLuj Napoca (RO)
10/19 - Houseshow, Pesc (HUN)
10/20 - Szabad az Á, Budapest (HUN)
10/21 - tba (ITA)
10/22 - Ak 44, Gießen (GER)