Tag: Mp3s
Not only has Adrian Recordings expanded beyond the confines of guitar-based indierock, but they've also broken free from the unwritten rules of nationalism. You'd think that with Malmö being so close to the Denmark, you'd see much more cross-collaboration, but no - it simply doesn't happen. Or maybe you haven't noticed how border-obsessed the world of Swedish indie music fandom is? Naturally there are exceptions, but I generally find the scene to be surprisingly unadventurous. Perhaps ARC's signing of Danish electronic act Printer will help change things. If you liked Familjen (this month's Record Club pick), then there's a really good chance you'll like this too. It has a bit of the same warmth, especially in the vocal delivery, but the music is far colder and darker. Comparisons could be made to The Knife, but this track in particular reminds me more of early Skinny Puppy. That is, until the distorted bass comes in with the treble lead/pentatonic blues-lick outro. That part is definitely not like Skinny Puppy, so yeah - don't be scared off thinking that these guys are industrial boogeymen. It still might be a bit much for tamer indiepop fans, but I think you should challenge yourself and investigate.
Buy Printer's new "Satisfaction" EP right here.
Printer - Satisfaction (radio edit)
Moneybrother's third album "Mount pleasure" is the last in his contract for Burning Heart and it sure feels like it. Not in the sense that it feels like a conclusive kiss-off, rather that it's a ragtag collection of mediocre, b-side quality tracks. Nothing says "contractual obligation" quite like that except maybe a live album or a "greatest hits" comp. Unlike a lot of people I know, I fully admit to being a fan of Moneybrother's last proper full-length "To die alone" and was looking forward to this one. I didn't have sky-high expectations, but I really thought it would be better. Today's mp3, the lead track "Just another summer" is one of the few standouts. As usual, it's got Anders Wendin doing his best Springsteen impression with a bit of a Clash-style breakdown thrown in for good measure. It's fine, but it's nothing we haven't heard from him many times before. It's certainly not enough to convert the skeptical, much less a proper big summer single as I'm sure was intended. Maybe next time?
Moneybrother - Just another summer
"Where do you put your hate?" Do you bury it deep inside? Or do you channel it into something else more useful? I know I used to put it into music. Still do sometimes, though now it's often not much more than the physical act of beating the drums. Whatever works, right? As long as I'm not taking it out on the undeserving. "The guilt and anger the boredom that's hard to shake?" How do you not let it consume you? I'm amazed that anyone makes it through highschool (relatively) unscathed. Not that it becomes any easier as you get older, especially since the stakes are often far, far higher. Somehow, we get by.
The Bear Quartet - Where do you put your hate?
I don't know much about the band featured in today's mp3 post except for one very important fact: I like it a lot. As for some background, here's everything I've managed to scrape together:
Swedish heavy rock trio. They came together in the suburbs of Stockholm in the late sixties (Snowy White had been an early member for some months). The group adopted their name after a very successful concert as support act for Fleetwood Mac in Göteborg on November 1, 1969. "En ny tid ar har", their debut album, is a heavy blues rock album with loads of guitar work inspired by Cream, Led Zeppelin and the like. November were among the first bands to use Swedish lyrics, sung in a very characteristic, moaning way by bassist/frontman Christer Stalbrandt, possibly influenced by Jack Bruce. "2:a November", their second album (and the album today's track comes from), was produced by Georg Wandenius (Made In Sweden) and showed a greater range; the music is heavier when guitarist Richard Rolf lets loose, but also softer in parts with piano and melancholic vocals. Stalbrandt later started the group Saga. Drummer Björn Inge became a member of heavy jazz-rockers Energy.
November - Men mitt hjärta ska vara gjort av sten
Finally, back to some new music. New Decade is a fairly typical melancholy rock quartet from Stockholm. You get your twin shimmering guitars, steady pulsing bass and impassioned, slightly buried vocals. They're not the first, they won't be the last, but they do it well. Sometimes that's enough. However, they do throw in enough subtle and unexpected melodic twists to elevate them above the rabble. Listen to the extended instrumental section at the end of this song to hear what I'm talking about. It's those slightly dissonant harmonies that help build tension and give it that Swedish sound. It's not quite enough to earn them a wholehearted recommendation, but it's decent enough for a debut.
New Decade - While tonight still is
The question that everyone wants to know: who was the best band at Way Out West? Sounds easy enough, but it's almost impossible to answer. How can you compare Woven Hand to Boredoms to The Hives? All were fantastic, albeit in totally different ways. However, it must be said that one of the most satisfying live experiences of the entire festival had to be Laakso. A small club show at Sticky Fingers was a perfect way to close out Friday night and easily one of the biggest highlights of my trip. It's funny - except for fellow IAT contributor Jonas Appelqvist, most everyone else I know in GBG could care less about the band, but we were both incredibly excited to see them. Not that I'm all that surprised though - I can totally understand why most Swedes would be bored with the big indie acts. On the other hand, everybody agrees that "Italy vs Helsinki" is a fantastic song. It's also unanimous that The Hives are one of the world's best live bands. Not that that fact should come as a surprise, but there you go. Anyhow, Laakso delivered the kind of show I was hoping for. Energetic, cathartic, glorious, beautiful.
Laakso - Worst case scenario
Back home, safe and sound. I hope to have a full festival report with pics and more in the next couple days, but until then, let me just say a huge thank-you to Björn Kleinhenz and everyone at Norrländska Generalkonsulatet for putting me up (and putting up with me), Chris Magnussen for helping me with phone issues and everyone else I had a chance to meet and hang out with - the list is long, but I'm gonna try and make sure I thank each and every one of you personally. I'm just sorry I didn't have more time! Well, except for Max from Cut City - fuck that guy! Doesn't he realize that my beer consumption and band-watching skills took years of specialized training? People, it's easier said than done - leave it to the pros.
Oh, and here's one last GBG song for you - "Nevermore" by The Soundtrack of Our Lives, probably my favorite TSOOL track. Regular updates to resume... soon? Today is all about clearing out the inbox.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Nevermore
Bad Cash Quartet - another obvious choice to represent GBG. Nobody does snotty indierock quite as well as them and the song that best personifies them is definitely "Too bored to die". "So come on come on, please shake me / something's got to make me move" the song beckons. Any impetus at all will do, anything to conquer the ennui. Like Broder Daniel, BCQ creates a perfect soundtrack for teen angst, though they are not nearly as consumed by a sense of defeat, nor are they nearly as dark. You still get that feeling of loneliness and isolation though - that's universal. And the waiting, that too is a common theme. It's such a helpless feeling when you're young and have no control over your own destiny.
Bad Cash Quartet - Too bored to die
A Bear Quartet post in the middle of a Gothenburg spotlight? What to do? Perhaps you were expecting the Bad Cash Quartet cover of "Put me back together"? No such luck! I won't take the easy way out with a mere cover song. Nosiree! Instead of posting some random GBG covering BQ, I bring you BQ live in GBG with the classic tune "Mom and dad". Enjoy!
The Bear Quartet - Mom and dad (Live in GBG)
The one thing that got me interested in Swedish music in the first place was the mid-90s Gothenburg metal scene. I don't remember exactly what year it was, but I picked up a copy of "Terminal spirit disease" by At the Gates on a whim and my life was forever changed. I brought the disc home and must've listened to it at least 3x in a row. It wasn't long before I was fervently reading liner notes, seeking out as many other new bands as I could. Of course, one of the first I discovered was In Flames. I haven't followed them so much in recent years, especially as the lines blur between them and what they do and the legions of shitty metalcore bands out there in the world, but I must say that "The jester race" is an unfuckwithable classic. This is what got me into the scene - the melodies of Iron Maiden, but played with the intensity and heaviness of death metal. The sound is totally played out nowadays, but you have to remember how fresh and inspiring it was when it was new. I certainly do.
In Flames - The jester race
The darker side of GBG is best represented by Broder Daniel, yet another classic act that captures the spirit of the city in an entirely different way. On the other hand, the thing that makes BD so fantastic is their ability to capture the anytime/anywhere feeling of overwhelming suburban teen angst so perfectly. Few tracks convey that as well as "Shoreline" (especially the Anna Ternheim version), but I've decided to dig a bit deeper with "Dark heart" from 1998's "Broder Daniel forever".
Waiting in line / On the underground
I want to be / A part of life
But the heart is too dark / It bears your mark
The heart is too dark / It bears your mark
I hear the call of that wind-tunnel guitar tone, those unmistakable leads and Henrik Berggren's unique voice and I'm transported back to high school. The feelings on unrequited love and social anxiety come back to me, but it's alright - because Broder Daniel makes you feel less alone and alienated. If I had actually heard them at such a young, formidable age, I bet that BD would have been my favorite band.
Broder Daniel - Dark heart
You can't talk about music from Gothenburg without mentioning Håkan Hellström and his landmark album "Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg". So exuberant and full of life! No translation required, though you'd be hard-pressed to miss the call of "Dans! Dans! Dans!" in today's mp3 pick "Ramlar". Seriously, there is no other record that captures such an unbridled sense of euphoria as this. Even the slowest moments are bursting with joy, not that you'll find any here on this track. When I imagine summetime in GBG, this is my soundtrack.
Håkan Hellström - Ramlar
I'm off to Göteborg today, so for the rest of the week I'm posting nothing but GBG-related music. I'll be covering some classics later on, but first I've got a repost of Maia Hirasawa's "Gothenburg". It's a great song that's made even better by the oh-so-charming video. I don't share Maia's apprehension about the city, in fact it's quite the opposite. I couldn't be more excited for my visit and anticipate only greatness. Good people, good music... really, what else do I need? Back with regular updates next week.
Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
I actually had high hopes for The Perishers' new record. I may have been derisive in the past, often writing them off as mediocre, but time has been kind to them and they've slowly grown on me. "Victorious", in my mind, was their chance to come out blazing, ready to grasp the success they've been teetering on the verge of. I really wanted to like this record a lot and I'd even say that my first impression of the lead single "Carefee" was quite positive. At least I think that's the lead single - it's certainly the biggest standout track on the record. Problem is, I keep listening to it, waiting for some sort of transcendent moment and it never quite happens. The chorus comes and goes, the melody gets layered on repeatedly, yet I'm left still feeling empty. When I listen to other melancholic pop of this ilk such as, say, Travis, I feel genuinely moved by their climatic moments. Even Coldplay, who I usually find to be dreadfully boring, sometimes gets it right. Older Perishers standouts have it too. But here? Nope, nada. The jury's not out completely though - I've still got another month of listening before the proper album release. My mind could still change, though I'm doubtful.
The Perishers - Carefree
The Bear Quartet's most recent album "Eternity now" picks up close to where the weirdo electro of "Saturday night" left off and then quickly takes it deeper into darker, far stranger territories. Opening track "Battle hymn" sets the stage. Explosions in the distance? The hiss of heavy machinery? Or is that a gas leak? And then comes the metallic throb, stuttering along at a not-so-steady pace. As for melodies, nothing sounds quite right. The keyboards are reduced to a cavernous howl and the guitars struggle with tuning. The effect however, is complete. Are you prepared for battle?
The Bear Quartet - Battle hymn