From "The mellow turning moment", aka Embee makes an album of boring r&b that, despite the presence of many high quality guest vocalists such as Maia Hirasawa, absolutely cannot be saved. This is about as good as it gets and it's still not very good. File under: sleep aids.
Direct link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5DdTmdOJg8
Embee - Upside down (feat. Maia Hirasawa)
Can't say that Anna von Hausswolff's debut album "Singing from the grave" is hitting me as hard as I'd expected or hoped for, but this song, "Track of time", is a monster. It's a vicious gut-wrencher, much in the same way as The Tiny's "Last weekend"; it aims straight for the chest and claws on through, digging deeper with every swell, every anguished vocal tic. Pure manic devotion, not for the feint of heart.
Anna von Hausswolff - Track of time
Originalljudet means "original sound" which could mean all sorts of things, depending on how you want to interpret it. It is brand new or is it going back to the source? Or perhaps a little of both, as you'll hear on "Jennys polska". It's got the lilting melody of classic Jan Johansson, but the feel is more stiff-legged and monotonous, giving the piece a darker undercurrent. I can picture creepy, withered old dudes playing this sort of stuff on a cobblestone street corner or in some olde world European café, but it's nice to know that it's actually being made by fresh-faced young folks, young folks who are eager to twist old sounds and exploit them into something new.
Originalljudet - Jennys polska
Traktor are one of the proud few Swedish noiserock bands left carrying the torch in 2010 and "Where water goes" is their new single, the first from their forthcoming album due out this fall (via , I believe). As is so often par for the course, expect lots of subtely discordant melodies, sharp rhythmic turns, shouted vocals and, in Traktor's particular instance, a heavy reliance on single-note guitar lines. When they do break out the chords, it's well-employed for emphasis; otherwise the track is surprisingly spacious. It's that level of intricacy and attention to detail that makes this a decent listen, otherwise it's kind of lacking in dynamics and is most certainly way too long. Not sure the video adds much either, but it's worth a gander.
Direct link to the video: https://vimeo.com/11522336
Traktor - Where water goes
Two Grande Roses EPs in a single year? Amazing! Even more amazing, the band shows palpable growth between last year's "The farm" and their latest, "Say it to my fervent heart". A little darker around the edges, a little less overt twang... a little more "mature." I use quotes because the band has always had a bit of gravity to them, especially on songs like "Factory", but their approach was a bit more frantic and loose in the past. Now they're dialing down the tempos a bit further and chucking a few more shovel-loads of dirt onto their supposed punker past. A few more steps in that direction and I might start to tune out, but they've got a good balance going for the time being so I see no reason to withdraw my support. Especially if they keep on doing EPs; keeping things short-and-sweet suits them well, as it so often tends to do. 5 songs in 15 minutes is just about perfect.
Grande Roses - The astronaut
Careful, you're veering awfully close to funky jamband territory there and I doubt it'd take much to send y'all careening over the edge. Definitely picking up some early Red Hot Chili Peppers punk-funk vibes too, which I must admit, give me pause. Can't deny there's a proper time and place to bust out those sorta jams, though I'm not so sure that location exists in my life anymore. Still, despite "Protection" being merely a so-so track, I do actually like The Je Ne Sais Quoi's new record "Transparent for you all". Definitely rougher than 2007's "Rhythm" which I liked a lot; sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes not. I'd say it's a transitional work.
The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Protection
This track is an obvious ripper, but there are two highlights worth mentioning, both of which I presume were off the cuff. First, when D. Forn Bragman says "Do it!" coming back in from the guitar break, echoing the hidden command from the Judas Priest subliminal message trial. And then, before the solo -- one word: "hate!" It doesn't get much more metal than that.
This track comes from the band's split 12" with UK crust act Alehammer, released late last year via . Tyrant's 4 tracks are all worthy contributions to their discography; as for the flip, the slightly amusing title + cover art is as good as it gets.
Tyrant - Hell to pay
Timely, no? Kristofer's 2004 album "Loupita" remains an all-time fave and "Walpurgis night" is undoubtedly a highlight. Have a good time tonight and don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Kristofer Åström - Walpurgis night
Real Talk: Masshysteri's new self-titled record is the official album of spring 2010.
Norwegian label is my favorite new label. Not my new favorite label, but you get the idea. Conceived as the sister label to to concentrate on new up-and-coming acts, they've got a surprisingly strong and diverse roster. I told you about Far From Tellus the other day, now here's a track from Kobert, the first act on the label to release an album. The two couldn't be more different -- whereas the former is folksy, upbeat pop, Kobert makes low-key, jazzy electronica. Inorganic sounds with an organic vibe; just listen to the way vocalist/sample-manipulator Ingrid Lode deftly navigates the narrow melody. What sounds simple is anything but. Sometimes the group does veer off towards trip-hop/adult contemporary territory at times, but the more I listen, the more I find them to be on the right side of tasteful/whitewashed. Still, would not be surprised to hear them in a Euro-style elixir bar, all white and metal and right-angles. I'd be okay with that.
Kobert - I have just
Faster Katt has been getting some well-deserved attention as of late, though it appears to be mostly attributable to their recently acquired star-power. It's the new music that interests me more than the personnel though, as I've been a fan ever since I first heard them and in the end, it's the music that matters most and their new 4-song demo kills. Everything is better this time out, from the clearer, darker recording, to the stronger, more concise songs and, best of all, the absolutely psychotic (psychoticer?) vocal performance. I thought they were twisted before, but they've reached new levels. Needless to say, I love it. I also love that they can throw in a Michael Wiehe cover and contort it as a natural fit to their sound. Peep the original below, check the Faster Katt version beyond.
Dayjob work is crushing my creative impulses, hence today's mp3 post comes from Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson:
Despite the brilliance that is "Dare", I found myself somewhat disappointed by "Islands". By no means is it a bad album -- and as it was crafted by The Mary Onettes it often exceeds even the near-triumphs of their contemporaries -- it just didn't deliver on the promise of the "Dare EP". I was expecting an album that would easily surpass their self-titled debut, and, for me at least, "Islands" failed to do that. "The night before the funeral" seems to fall somewhere between "Islands" and the band's lavish debut. The song's dour, sober theme is explored more along the lines of "Explosions" than "Cry for love", a track whose shifting, echoing chords move cleverly, yet fail to attain the engaging intimacy easily found on the debut. While "The night before the funeral" is unmistakably a Mary Onettes song, there is still something lacking -- its closing moments fade away, a fate that doesn't befall tracks like "Slow" or "The companion" whose climaxes exultantly resonate, almost refusing to be forgotten. It's that quality that was lost somewhat in the transition from the first to the second album, and also plagues "The night before the funeral". To be completely fair, I am being more critical of The Mary Onettes than I would of almost any other band, but only because they set such a high standard themselves. I've come to expect quite a bit from them, as they are a band who contributed heavily to the soundtrack of the last few years of my life, though when all said and done, "The night before the funeral" is a fine song. Did it fill me with the same emotions that a track like "Lost" or "Dare" does? Sadly, no, but it does more for me than most of the music I've heard recently.
The Mary Onettes - The night before the funeral
The new Masshysteri is the consensus release of spring among my circle of friends. The first album was pretty great, but this new self-titled release easily tops it by being way catchier than anything they've ever done before. Almost every single vocal line is sung in harmony and when they're not, there's usually a fantastic single-note guitar lead to take over. And sometimes, like on the chorus of "Dom kan inte höra musiken" ("They can't hear music"), you get both at once. Killer subtle guitar/sax solo too; blink and you'll miss it. I'm not sure when the domestic version on will be officially released, but it's on the top of my want-list for sure.
It's so nice to get an unsolicited CD in the mail where the one-sheet betrays nothing, yet the music astounds. Far From Tellus' self-titled debut is the first thing I've gotten in ages from a band I've never heard of that instantly won me over. Their happy, jangly folk-pop is a welcome tonic for the weary soul as we slowly drift towards summer and sunnier weather. If the considerably praise for the latest album from The Tallest Man on Earth has you convinced (I picked up the LP this weekend and am digging it), check these gents out as well because they're on a similar trip, albeit with a full band and a small dose of David Bowie/T. Rex glam to balance out any Dylan-esque troubadour vibes. Strongly recommended!
Far From Tellus - Norwegian fairytale mix
It too me an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out that Makthaverskan were singing the title of the song as the chorus with a soft Swedish 'G', but I suppose that's all a matter of expectations and perspective. It's still a good song regardless, as I tend to find those sorts of naive foibles more endearing than not. Likewise, it also reinforces how close they are to early Broder Daniel, back when BD were anxious misfit teens as opposed to the elegant misanthropes they eventually grew into. Not that I expect or even desire a similar evolution for Makthaverskan; I'm fine with the status quo teen angst they've got going right now.