Tag: Mp3s
It's new release day here at It's a trap! I quietly added Tsukimono's excellent debut album "Née" to the webstore last week and today am happy to offer up new releases from Consequences, Once We Were and Plain Fade. The first two are preorder only right now (but in-stock, so all purchases will arrive on or before the actual day of release) and I'll be talking more about them later, so let's concentrate on the latter. Plain Fade has been one of my favorite Finnish acts ever since I first heard a demo track a few years ago. Their debut album "Lies, sanctions and cruise missiles" upped the ante even further, cementing them in my mind as one of best, most inventive post-rock acts of our time. Getting a track from them for "Reader's companion volume two" was a no-brainer. It simply had to be done. However, if you heard their contribution "Itä-Aure" you'd already know that the band has moved way far beyond what they were doing before. The band's new album "Aure" is largely improvisational and sounds totally unlike anything/anyone else. From slow-burning atmospheric pieces to loud outbursts of noise and even operatic singing, "Aure" runs through an impressive amount of sonic territory in its 40-minute runtime. One of 2006's best releases? Do you have to ask?
Plain Fade - Siikamo/Pikkusiikamo
I do love me some dreamy pop music. It should be obvious by now, but I'm gonna throw that declaration out there again just in case. Much of the best music I've heard this year has been of the dreampop variety and singer/songwriter Mikko Singh is another fine addition to the canon. From gentle fingerpicking accompanied by whispery vocals to drawn out atmospheric instrumentals with electronic beats, Mikko does it all, exceptionally well I might add. What's even more impressive is that his debut album "Näin elämän suuruuden" is a strictly DIY affair. The recording, the graphics, everything. Imagine if he actually had a budget to work with and you know the result would be amazing. Download the song I've posted today and listen to a few more at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/mikkosingh
Mikko Singh - Rauha
Before this morning, I knew next to nothing about Asha Ali. After reading her fact sheet, I still don't know that much, but I know her music and that is what's most important. "Warm fronts", her debut EP, was a bit of a sleeper in that I liked it whenever I put it on, but somehow it never stuck in my mind. Thankfully, that's been remedied with the release of her self-titled full-length, no doubt at least partially due to the inventive packaging: a stack of cards in a plastic case that can be laid out together to form a poster-sized liner sheet/album cover. Unfortunately, talking about it doesn't really convey how cool it is, so you'll have to take my word for it. Trust me, it's worth checking out. Now, the music! Asha Ali has an assuredly strong grip on the classic Swedish indie sound. You can hear the lineage of older acts such as Souls or Honey is Cool, as well as the modern-day sound of labelmates Montys Loco (I'm sure it helps that they also play on the record). However, what sets Asha apart is her earthiness. Informed by the past, but infused with something new. This is music that's good for the heart and soul. Listen to the song I've posted and let it fill you with its warmth.
Asha Ali - Fire, fire
I'm kinda bummed out by yesterday's news that the upcoming Entombed/Dismember/Grave tour has been cancelled. Consensus has it that Entombed is very much past their prime, but how can you pass up three of Swedish death-metal's forefathers on one bill? While I know that Entombed will never release another "Left hand path" or "Clandestine", their latest output has still been pretty damn solid, especially considering all the lineup difficulties they've gone through. Anyhow, that's not the band I want to talk about today - this week's Friday mp3 comes from Dismember off their landmark 1991 release "Like an everflowing stream". Entombed may be the band everyone thinks of first when they're talking about Swedish death-metal pioneers, but we cannot forget Dismember. They were just as important when it comes to that famous, instantly recognizable 'Sunlight studios sound.' New bands are still trying to rip it off, but no one can touch the original masters. That guitar tone is so thick, meaty and totally devastating. When I want to hear something heavy, that's what I have in mind.
Dismember - Override of the overture
It's hard to define exactly what it is that separates good drone music from bad. Melody? Rhythm? I'm not so sure. But I do know this: The Idealist is good drone. The opening track on his new album "I am the fire" fills the room with a warm glow as it ebbs and flows through its four-and-a-half minute course. This is not music for ambient background listening, this is something that demands to be cranked up loud enough so that it completely encapsulates your being. Headphones will do, but I think the speaker treatment works best as the bass is powerful enough to shake the room. This is music that's just as important to feel as it is to be heard. The listening experience should be just as physical as it is emotional. At full live volume, I bet it's absolutely transcendent.
The Idealist - The knives are my eyes
Today's mp3 is a guestpost from contributor Nancy Baym:
This one may be a little post season now, but I've been listening to it for 3 months and still have to hit repeat every time it ends. The Charade's "September" from their recent record "A real life drama" is an upbeat pop song with great autumnal atmosphere, beautiful vocals, and a keyboard hook so catchy it ought to be illegal. The first day I listened to it I was literally kept up at night by the keyboard riff cycling through an unending loop in my brain. Yet I still love it. So listen at your own risk.
The Charade - September
The recent post-punk revival appears to be winding down, but there's still plenty of good music in that vein out there, waiting to be discovered. Thing is, a lot of the best stuff isn't coming from the new acts but from the overlooked originators and pioneers of the scene. The Tryghed & Tristesse remaster and reissue of early 80s Danish act De Må Være Belgiere's recordings only makes it more painfully obvious. Why even bother with the come-latelys when there's so many forgotten gems waiting to be discovered? Listen to the track I've posted today and I think you'll agree.
Hear three more songs here: https://www.myspace.com/demaringvaeligrebelgiere
Buy the CD: [click here]
De Må Være Belgiere - Cirkler
I've said before: I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, but I know what I like. And I'm definitely into this track from Fattaru. The minimalist production is hot and the rhymes come fast and furious. Non-Swedish speakers might be better off checking out the video to better grasp the lyrical context, but I don't think it really matters in the end 'cuz the song is just too good. As Simon already said in his review, the album as a whole is kinda spotty, so I can't totally recommend it, but I'm also into all the other tracks featuring production from Salla (probably known best as one half of legendary Swedish hip-hop crew The Latin Kings), especially "Stila upp din skit". Yeah, it sounds awfully similar to "100:-" (which was produced by Pavan aka Frans Carlqvist, the founder of the sound known as skweee) with its blips and beeps melody, but whatever - it's good, so I don't care.
Fattaru - 100:-
It was pretty exciting to see Katatonia for the first time last night in Seattle. Not only have they been one of my long-time most favorite bands, but they've also introduced me to tons of new music through the recommended listening lists they used to post on their website. Paatos, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Ben Christophers, 16 Horsepower... I could go on and on. Yes, the irony of a Swedish band introducing me to American music has been sorely noted. So while I was greatly looking forward to the show, I was also skeptical as I've heard plenty of bad things about their live show. Even the band themselves admitted that their initial US debut at Milwaukee Metalfest some years back was a disaster and best left forgotten. Good news: my fears were laid to rest as Katatonia proved themselves to be plenty capable of delivering a solid performance with a good balance between old and new material (and to all your kvlt old-school fans: no, they did not play anything pre-"Discouraged ones"). They also graciously avoided common live metal clichés, such as always referring to the audience by the name of the city ("Hello Seattle!") and announcing songs in the metal voice ("This next one is called grrgsdlgjsgdsg!"). While all that's fine and good every so often, it gets old pretty damn fast. While there's still definitely room for improvement, I still left happy and felt fulfilled. As for today's download, instead of offering up one of the band's many would-be hits, I'm throwing a bone to you indie rockers with a Will Oldham cover. Enjoy!
Katatonia - O how I enjoy the light
I rarely make any attempt to hide my disdain for all things Labrador. Their particular brand of precious twee indiepop just isn't my thing. It's not that I find it unappealing, I just think all sounds so boring and uninspired - something far worse than being polarizing like, say, The Tough Alliance. However, I still give them the benefit of the doubt with every new release, especially since they appear to be so highly regarded. I figure that there's always the chance I'm missing something, but more often than not, I find that my initial hesitations have proved correct. Of course there are exceptions: I've often expressed my respect for Pelle Carlberg and now we can add [ingenting] to list. Simon's review from the other day echoes my own sentiments fairly well, though I'd probably use different artists as reference points. The important points: the guitar work is fantastic and yes, this is truly Swedish indie at its best. And yes, "Hollywood dreams" really is the best song on the record.
[ingenting] - Hollywood dreams
Three months ago or so, back when it was first announced that SubPop had signed Swedish act Loney, Dear, I sent off a batch of questions to LD mainman Emil Svanängen. It took some time, but Emil finally got around to answering and here's what he had to say:
Tell me how the Sub Pop deal came about.
We played the SXSW in March 2006 and the rumours reached all the way to Seattle I guess.
I've been told a few of the details, but what should we expect from the new relationship?
They dont burn CDs and send them by the mailman when they get home from a tour. No, seriously, I think they seem to be great people and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll meet them for the first time when we play the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday. [that's tonight btw]
What makes you think you're a good fit for the label?
I think they pick up good music, with a twist. That might come in handy for us.
What else are you up to right now? What is currently inspiring you?
I'm remixing and re-recording some old records to get them out on distributors when the time is right for that. Doing some writing and recording for the coming up album "Dear John". I'm always inspired by great bass melodies.
Tell me about the future. Where do you see yourself one year from now? Are you trying to progress in any certain direction?
I hope towards even more full-colour swingy music. I guess you'll see us on tour!
Download "The city, the airport" on the right and buy the album "Sologne" right here: [click here]
Loney Dear - The city, the airport
The Tarantula Waltz may sound like a scary band name, but they really aren't scary at all. A little dark perhaps, but that's about it. If you were expecting Halloween frights, sorry - not gonna happen. The band, the brainchild of Swedish singer/songwriter Markus Svensson, recently completed work on their new album "A waltz" at Roth Händle Studio with producer/engineer Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, Pineforest Crunch, Nanook of the North, etc.) and is looking for a home. If you were blown away by Mattias' work on his own record as Two Times the Trauma like I was, you'll love this. It's just filled with all sorts of clever little details, absolutely begging for the headphone treatment. I've been fortunate enough to offer up this one track to you today, but you can also hear three more at myspace. Now who's gonna put it out?
The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
Returning to work on Monday after taking an extended 4-day weekend means it's time to play catch-up once again. To help with the transition, I'm letting Simon Tagestam handle today's mp3 post:
The Honeydrips' song production has been, to put it mildly, sporadic. Their one and only band member Mikael Carlsson is also part of Dorotea, who have at least released an album, along with some EPs. So far The Honeydrips have sung entirely in English, but this song (that can be found on their website) is in their native language (Swedish, that is). The Honeydrips have done some other great songs too, "The trouble with the Neo-Nazis" being a personal favourite, but "Ah Karolin" sounds so different from anything else that's on offer at the moment that I can't stop listening to it. It reminds me a bit of Monica Zetterlund or some other songs that take me back to my childhood. I guess it's not, but it really comes across as a cover of some nugget from the 70s. It's a super cosy song.
UPDATE: read the comments for more about this song and where it's from.
The Honeydrips - Ah Karolin
Despite their seemingly best effort at destroying their legacy, Sahara Hotnights' debut "C'mon let's pretend" still stands a fantastic album. Seriously, I cannot thing of another act with such a strong start whose career trajectory went totally downhill thereafter. For comparison, Weezer fell pretty damn far, but at least they released two fantastic albums first. Let's be honest: "Jennie bomb" is okay, but it is a picture-perfect sophomore slump. Anyhow, that's enough bad-mouthing. The band is still around and I'm holding onto the hope that they'll be able to turn it around with whatever they do next. Sahara Hotnights are one of the many bands I discovered during the heights of the Napster era, when every day meant being wowed by some new Swedish band. I was being turned on to so much good music at the time and spent a bundle importing CDs of all my favorites, SH ranking quite highly among them. Of course, I eventually started up this thing here and have been raking in the cash ever since (hah! yeah right!). Okay, back to the point: "C'mon let's pretend" is a great album, maybe even classic. Download "Oh darling!" and reminisce with me.
Sahara Hotnights - Oh Darling!
It's Thursday and I'm in NYC at this thing so your regularly scheduled news update has been preempted. No new video post either; deal with it. But! I do have an extra special guestpost from Teemu of Lupatarkastaja:
Today it would've been 15 years exactly from Mana Mana's singer/songwriter Jouni Mömmö's death. He died from a drug overdose at the age of 36 after years suffering from schizophrenia and depression. Mana Mana is a legendary Finnish band that has been cited as an influence by many later-day acts, mostly from music styles that require a certain dose of depression and anxiety.
Mömmö's earthly problems can be heard through his work in Mana Mana. The original line-up recorded only one full-length album in 1990. The track presented today, "Mikä on sun taivas?" (Finnish for "What is your heaven?"), is a typical Mana Mana track, with many guitar tracks provided by Otra Romppanen (Psychoplasma, Enter) and an overall dark feeling created by Mömmö's vocals. Finnish lyrics play a huge role, but still, I believe the atmosphere is universal.
Mana Mana - Mikä on sun taivas?