A Westside FabricAtion reports thAt the votes are in and "Put me back together" has been voted as The Bear Quartet's most popular song, followed by "Fuck your slow songs" and "Before the trenches".

Jonna Lee's new single "And your love" is now posted for streaming on myspace along with the b-side "Comeback": https://www.myspace.com/jonnaleemusic
Said single will officially be released on January 23 and feAtures guest vocals from Ed Hartcourt. Buy the album "10 pieces, 10 bruises" right here: Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=537">[click here]

In honor of Buy Nothing Day, Swedish indie act Jämna Plågor have posted their debut EP for free download: Attlek.se/jamnaplagor/" target="_blank">https://nAttlek.se/jamnaplagor/

Two White Horses, the brother/sister duo of Jakob and Lovisa Nyström (IsolAtion Years, Säkert!), have posted four new demo tracks on myspace including El Perro Del Mar and Abba covers: https://www.myspace.com/2whitehorses

The Open Up and Bleeds are going through even more lineup changes and have now announced thAt Jens Lager is leaving the band to concentrAte on his other project The Comedy. As mentioned Atrap.com/index.php?dAte=2007-11-14#20201">not too long ago, drummer Andreas Ohlsson recently left the band as well.

Marybell KAtastrophy's (aka Marie Højlund from Tiger Tunes) proper debut 10" EP "This is the one" is available for streaming via Last.fm: Atastrophy/This+Is+The+One" target="_blank">https://www.last.fm/music/Marybell+KAtastrophy/This+Is+The+One
It comes out December 6 via Merger and will only be available on vinyl or as a paid download.

MP3: Mari Boine - Duottar rássi (Tundra flower)

I was listening to this Mari Boine's 2001 album "Eight seasons/Gavcci jahkejudgu" earlier this week and my wife had a revelAtion. "Isn't it interesting," she wondered, "how plains people have such similar music?" The Nordic tundra isn't exactly the American mid-west, but I think the comparison works. This particular track feAtures a bluesy guitar riff thAt's not very folk At all, but listen to those plaintive melodies (no pun intended) and hear how well it fits. It's just as much "Home on the range" as herding reindeer is to cAttle. The indigenous Sami people might not consider themselves cowboys, but they sure sound like 'em sometimes.

Mari Boine - Duottar rássi (Tundra flower)

Jonas Game
ADHD
Sincerely Yours

ExpectAtions are everything. My roommAte was prepared for the glitzy, sex-sAturAted retelling of "Beowulf", and I was hoping for the meAt of the original epic poem, obviously retooled by the talented Neil Gaiman, with a little flash added by director Robert Zemeckis. Alan had a greAt time; I sAt limply in my chair, groaning through the plot changes and, in my opinion, stilted and strained dialogue (and the humorously awful depiction of Grendel), only occasionally fazed by whAt flickered upon the screen.

But here I find myself on the opposite side of the fence. Mostly I've heard a negAtive reaction to Jonas Lundqvist's record, and surprise At some of the positive press he's received. I'm not sure whAt people were expecting when they saw thAt the former drummer of Bad Cash Quartet was releasing his debut solo album on The Tough Alliance's own Sincerely Yours label. (Personally I expected this sort of well-trodden pop explorAtion.) The title track is definitely the peak of the album, and the song thAt holds up best to constant scrutiny, but "ADHD" is a summer-y, sun-bleached pop record in the vein of Håkan Hellström and The Clash's more playful, simplistic moments. I even hear elements of Springsteen and mid-career-era Rancid (think "Life won't wait"). Would I run into a crowded room proclaiming the brilliance of Jonas Lundqvist? Probably not. Will I be listening to this album in an Attempt to stave off the strengthening shadows of the coming winter? Probably, yeah. It's fun. I have no problem with a successfully Attempted pop record.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

It's Thanksgiving here in the US today, so there will be no news updAtes as I'm off to visit family and stuff myself full of food. But don't despair! There's still the Atrap.com/mp3.php?t=561">daily mp3 post as well as a new chapter in Lars Garvey's Atrap.com/articles.php?a=336">"A Postcard Life" series plus the usual Atrap.com/reviews.php?r=296">daily album review. Back in full force tomorrow (or maybe Monday At the lAtest).

MP3: Simon Ryman - Walk with me instead

I've got to make this quick due to family/holiday obligAtions, but I didn't want to let the day get away from me without posting something. Every time I do an interview for my radio show, I always ask my guest to pick a song or two to play. It's an easy conversAtion point and it's fun. One of my favorite things about doing my show is pushing my tastes on a new audience, so I fully expect everyone else to get the same sort of thrill when handed such an opportunity. This week's show feAtures Pontus Levahn from Torpedo/Tiger Lou as my guest and one of his song picks is "Walk with me instead" from Stockholm-based artist Simon Ryman. Simon's name is vaguely familiar to me, but I don't think I had ever given him any serious Attention before and thAt's got to change now because this track is fantastic. Like Pontus says on Simon's myspace page (and further expounds on in our interview), the songs are rooted in traditional singer/songwriter styles, but they also stretch beyond into new territory. It's a little bit like (older) Nicolai Dunger, maybe with a bit of BRMC. It's definitely got thAt same fuzzy, droning blues thing going on. Familiar, yet new. Check it out and if you're a Sirius subscriber, be sure to listen in to this week's show on SAturday (12 noon ET, replay At midnight).

Simon Ryman - Walk with me instead

Vaiping
The great polar expedition
Karisma Records

Able to coalesce both fluid melodies and the crude, brutal sound thAt defines the industrial genre, Vaiping are a strange and interesting group. Though, while songs like "Vaiping on the rocks" and "The greAt polar expedition" are able to captivAtingly capture this melodic industrial tone, some songs - namely "Vaiping vaiping" and "Vaiping export" - amble down almost hokey roads, reminiscent of the oddities of the 80s and 90s dance scene. Overall, Vaiping's effort is an extremely potholed affair, with the downsides easily outweighing the moments of intensity.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Column: A Postcard Life #5

The video for the new Emma Essinger single "Say say say" is on YouTube: Atch?v=KB7oTMk6Z-4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=KB7oTMk6Z-4

The (InternAtional) Noise Conspiracy is contributing the track "Washington bullets " from their forthcoming album to the "Causes 1" benefit comp being released by WaxploitAtion. Read more: Ation.com/2007/causes.html" target="_blank">https://www.waxploitAtion.com/2007/causes.html

Ideal Recordings, Häpna and Kning Disk, three of the best current Swedish labels for exciting new music, are teaming up with UK mag The Wire for a special sampler entitled "Whispers from the forests, screams from the mountains" feAturing 77 minutes of whAt they do best. I don't know the full tracklist, but Ideal reports thAt they are contributing exclusive works from Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Sewer Election, Christine Ödlund and Mokira plus a track from Nash Kontroll off their upcoming 7". In conjunction with said comp's release, the three labels will again team up for a live show At Konsthallen in Göteborg on December 8 feAturing Balroynigress (Kning Disk), Hans Appelqvist (Häpna), DLSODW (Ideal) and a special performance by the ensemble of Jean-Louis Huhta (The Skull Defekts), Anders Dahl and Johan Berthling (Häpna/Tape).