Been too long since I've posted some quality Scandinavian rock'n'roll, especially if it didn't come the label Transubstans. The Movements' name is forgettable (at best), but their new album "The world, the flesh and the devil" on Alleycat Records is totally solid the whole way through and there's a couple tracks towards the end that are certifiably great. "Save me" is one of them; its cascading riff reminds me of "Nevermore", my favorite song from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. The Movements have a murkier, more mourn-some atmosphere though, no doubt helped along by the gurgle of the organ. More of a fantastical comic book store vibe too, though I kind of dig that about them. The entrance of the strings doesn't quite do the duty of "Nevermore"'s ripping solo, but there is another thing that links the band back to TSOOL and that's producer Björn Olsson. Yes, I know Björn was no longer associated with TSOOL by "Behind the music", but in my due diligence I did discover that he shares a songwriting credit on the number in question. Surprise! I honestly had no idea until right this second. Anyhow, great songs; both of them.
Kning Disk grows as a label and so do its artists. Maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention, but prior to "The valleys" I had never considered Rickard Jäverling to be a folk artist. After all, my first introduction to his work was through his split 7" with Oskar Schönning & Co. on Jezebel Recordings, a recording that I guess could be considered postrock, though I suppose the barebones label of "instrumental" would be sufficient. Beyond that, I see his name in the credits on many records I love (David Åhlén and Johan Heltne, to name two artists he has worked with), but who knows how that reflects on the man's own work? And now, on his new record? His music still drifts with gradual crescendos, but now there are vocals and, yes, even a few small nods to pop convention. On some of the tracks at least; the folk tag is less troubadour than historian. Anyhow, he's still at his best in pure composer mode and this particular track I've got for you today is an absolutely gorgeous collaboration with fellow musical traveller Andreas Söderström (ASS). The mood is crucial, it's what ties him to the other artists I mentioned above and what sets them apart from their peers. Pastoral like labelmate Erik Enocksson can be, but hazy as if filtered through the memory of a dream. It's in the way the notes quiver and, even before the waves and seagulls come in, I see an ocean.
Kning Disk has long been one of Sweden's best, most interesting labels; Erik Enocksson is one of Sweden's best, most fascinating artists. It's a perfect match. My first introduction to Mr. Enocksson was his beautiful soundtrack to "Farväl Falkenberg", a delicate pastoral work grounded in folk; his new album "Man tänker sitt" is a Latin-language choral piece, a dark lullaby that, if my meager translations are correct, aims to sooth the dreamer that there are no wolves, no owls, no bears to be afraid of. Though divided into individual tracks/movements, it really is a single, cohesive work, so by providing you this mere glimpse I only hope to entice you to hear the whole thing. This particular section establishes the theme which is then reprised for the second half: looped whispers and breaths, piano, a choir. Alone in the dark night. Awaiting sleep? Hard to tell, but all the more intriguing.
One more dose of aural filth to close out the week! (see also here and here) Obliteration are a relatively young band from Norway with one album under their belt on Nocturnal Culto's Tyrant Syndicate label and a new one on the way at the end of the month from Fysisk Format, so that alone should already give you a decent idea of what they sound like. For those still in the dark, that means disgusting old-school death metal. Think Autopsy, Possessed, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Bathory, etc... you get the picture. Maybe not as much raw anger as those other tracks I posted earlier, but certainly just as ugly and brutal. "Ingesting death" is the first track from "Nekropsalms" -- play loud!
More Scandinavian ugliness, this time courtesy of Denmark and The Psyke Project. I've covered these guys in the past, but felt like they fell off a bit with 2007's "Apnea", so I didn't pick up on their latest release "Dead storm" as quickly as I should have. Now I'm playing catch-up and I'm happy to report they're back on track. There are few bands as relentlessly brutal as The Psyke Project, so it's not much of a surprise when I see their biggest, most oft-cited criticism is also their biggest virtue. No doubt, it is exhausting to sit through 50+ minutes of pummel, but trust me, it isn't all like this one track and the payoff is worth it. The band does dabble in bits of melody and dramatic postrock dynamics, but of course it's the endless breakdown that I want to focus on today. There's no hooks, no respite; just endless atonal riffing and screaming ala "Damaged I". Ugliness and anger; let me have it, let me feel it. "No one comes in" = "Leave me be". Broken.
I don't have money to burn, but if I did, I'd put out a comp with the best, most nihilistic, purely negative and dystopian-minded bands Scandinavia has to offer. And I don't know about how things look from where you sit, but I consider it to be the sound of our current zeitgeist and guess what? There are more than a few excellent specimens that fit the bill -- Haust and Hebosagil are two prime examples I've brought up in this context before; Frivolvol makes it a trinity. Listen, it takes a lot of effort to sound this ugly and it's obvious these dudes are pissed. Musically speaking, this is actually one of Frivolvol's more tamer moments (that instrumental section is almost... pretty), but those vocals sound like gargled glass; from the high-pitched screeches to the harsher, more forced low notes. His pain is yours to share. Unfortunately I wasn't provided a lyric sheet with my copy of their new album "Blades of steel", so I can't compare and contrast with the utter hopelessness expressed on previous record "Who needs maps when we got time", but my gut feeling is that things have not improved. All the better for us, the listeners, probably not so much for the guys in the band.
I eat seasonal food, I drink seasonal beer, I listen to seasonal music. Oriel Joans' new single "Knuckles whiten" is perfect autumnal melancholy, especially with that achingly sad melody tapped out on the glockenspiel in standard Swedish indie fashion. Cliché or not, it fits just right. Great vocal harmonies too; sure to appeal to everyone who bought into the Fleet Foxes hype (I remain ignorant, more or less). Or insert your favorite 60s folk-rock act, if you feel like it. I feel like I like this a lot.
Two of my biggest weaknesses: 1) well-played emo-pop and 2) songs that recall a certain (time and) place. "This city doesn't know me" could be about anywhere -- it's not specific at all -- but I find comfort in thinking that it's about The Gentle Act Incident's hometown of Göteborg. It's an age-old story, being lost in the urban wasteland, and one that I know well. I left, I'm much happier for it, but I do miss it. Spending last weekend in NYC for CMJ made me feel like a relapsed junkie. As for the emo-pop side of this, I hold all comers up to Jimmy Eat World's "Bleed American", a perfect example of emotional hardcore/pop music, and The Gentle Act Incident definitely swims in similar waters. The shadow of Sunny Day Real Estate is immediately apparently and further perusing of their influence list yields acts such as Last Days of April and Texas is the Reason; that seals the deal. There's no shame though, despite what you may think when you hear that 3-letter word, at least not in my world. I hear a bit of The Book of Daniel too, but that could also be geographical proximity rearing its head. Anyway, if you like hooky indierock, it all came from more or less the same place way back when. Draw lines, keep score, you'll figure it out. Besides, as I like to say, good music is good music and this is good music. Catchy melodies come in all sorts of packaging.
The Gentle Act Incident - This city doesn't know me
Where I grew up, we knew the night before Halloween as "Mischief Night". I've heard it called all sorts of other things, but y'know what? It's all a pack of lies. And if there's something musical befitting Mischief Night, it's the b-movie horror-inspired sounds of Notre Dame, the more-or-less solo act of oversized metal personality Snowy Shaw (ex-Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Dream Evil, etc.). As his resumé would suggest, Notre Dame plays heavy metal mixed with a touch of blackness and a hefty dose of camp, but on this particular track, it's pretty much all camp. How could you not love a song with such a punny title? It won't be the scariest thing you'll hear this year (for that, I recommend Australia's Portal, whose new album "Swarth" is truly disturbing), but it should hopefully help you get in the proper holiday mood.
As we count down the days until Halloween, it's only appropriate that I provide you with some music that befits the season. All you really need to know: Makthaverskan = GBG dödspop. Beyond that, here's the scoop: "Vi var människor från början" is the lead single from their forthcoming self-titled debut on Luxury and it's a harrowing death-rock ripper. "1-2-3-4! I declare war!" 'Nuff said.
I love hearing Finns try to recreate classic American rock'n'roll styles because it never comes out quite right. They nail every aspect on the surface -- the tones, the look, the style -- but there's always a stiff Eastern Bloc feel underneath, not to mention that oh-so-lovely Finnish accent. Listen to the vowels, especially the way Sweet Jeena pronounces the o's in "moon", and you'll understand. I'm wholeheartedly sincere about this too, I don't see it as a detriment at all; I think it's a charming, distinguishing feature! As Suomi cinephiles know, director Aki Kaurismäki exploits it to great effect. Besides, if they got everything 100% dead-on, you might as well listen to the real thing.
Aerial has evolved from one of Sweden's most interesting postrock acts to something that almost approximates verse/chorus/verse indierock, albeit filtered through their twisted sci-fi vision. Their new album "Put it this way in headlines" borrows the twin guitar stylings of Him Kerosene and drags it through the dirt, making the notes bend and scream. The structure of "I am TV" may be typical, but the music most certainly is not. Strings and noise, harmony and discordance: this is the sound of Swedish indie that I fell in love with. Welcome back!
When I first heard Asha Ali's "Hurricane" I was underwhelmed. It's a good song, but I expected something bigger and bolder, something more like "The time is now". But then I saw the video above and it clicked. The flatness imposed by the studio is obliterated on stage and she delivers each line with strength, feeling and a touch of desperation. Definitely a strong case for less is more, and hey, bonus points for Existensminimum on drums.
Dødpop, repping Norwegian Skweee worldwide. It's still a mostly instrumental sound, but up and comers are pushing the sound into new territories, new regions. Guest rhymes from Sadat X of Brand Nubian? Hell yeah, take it international; mix up the old-school and the new. I love the beat on this track, it's so sparse, dirty and slow. Sweden and Finland are still the big brothers of the scene, but Norway is pushing hard.
Hedmark - Put the world on it (feat. Sadat X + Twan)
The new Bröderna Lindgren album "Presenterar meningen med livet" is seriously good, way better than the debut even, despite the core group of guest vocalists remaining more or less the same. There's some fresh blood though and I think that's what takes it over the top: Firstly, we have Those Dancing Days singing on "Dom bästa"... pleasant enough, but not living up to the title. Secondly, we also have Hajen (now called Jaw Lesson) singing two songs -- I think she has a great voice with an intriguing rough edge, but she's yet to fully wow me and her songs are merely good, not great. Keep an eye on her though because she's definitely going places and if you don't believe me, listen to fellow bloggers Absolut Noise and Swedesplease because they are both big fans. No way can I deny her potential. However, by far the best contributor on this record would have to be Britta Persson. Her opening cut "Annan sort" is brilliant, perhaps even one of the best songs I've heard this year, twinkly harpsichord be damned! No matter what material she's dealing with, Britta always has a strong, instantly recognizable voice and she always sounds stunning. Even better, she continually challenges herself by taking on all sorts of different genres and styles and still continually improves on everything she's done before. So yeah, I'm quite impressed. Definitely recommended.
Bröderna Lindgren - Annan sort (feat. Britta Persson)