Tag: Mp3s
There's so much good music coming out right now, I don't even have time to listen to it all. Sad, right? I feel sorry for me too. One of the latest additions to my collection is the new album "Crooked life/Straight world" from Swedish hardcore act Trapdoor Fucking Exit. I know I've posted stuff from these guys before on numerous occasions (and even had an exclusive first-listen to the song "Ride your pig" from this new album), but I still don't feel like they're getting the attention they deserve. The sound of the new record is unmistakably TFE. Less bluesy than the last album "Be not content", but with way more intricate riffs and longer, more developed songs. I think it results in a way more satisfying listen, especially in terms of the album as a whole. Listen for yourself, you'll see. Now howabout a US tour?
Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Cardiac arrest
Contrary to what Simon Thibaudeau has to say about it, I actually dig the new Martin McFaul album "Pop mansion". It's got a great 60s psych/folk vibe which reminds me of The Soundtrack of Our Lives' second album "Extended revelation" - mellow, but with a touch of darkness. And besides, I'm a sucker for sweet, fingerpicked guitar. Lucky for you dear readers, you don't need to pick sides. Download today's mp3 and decide for yourself.
Martin McFaul - Homecoming
It's funny how a vacation can somehow make you more tired than when you left. Maybe it's the cold I seem to have caught or maybe it's the hour-delayed flight or maybe it's the unexpected 4am wake-up call from work. All I know is that I'm beat. But I did promise new music and I'm determined to deliver. Underprepared, but not undeterred. So here's the title track from Two Times the Trauma and their newest album "I fell in love with an ocean". TTtT is essentially the solo project of singer/songwriter Mattias Eriksson, but the invaluable production and instrumental assistance of Mattias Olsson must not go unmentioned. If you're even remotely familiar with any of Olsson's other work, you'll know that he loves vintage keyboards and the whole album is absolutely bathed in them. On this song however, it's the drumming that really get me. So understated, but still quite powerful and perfect for the song. And then when the chorus comes in towards the end, it's just so fitting. Really nice.
Two Times the Trauma - I fell in love with an ocean
Warning: Do not download today's new song. It will haunt you. You will wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night with the lyrics of the chorus screaming in your brain. It's already too late for me, but you - you still have time. Beware!
The Alpine - No I in team
New mp3 today from Motorpsycho, one of Norway's greatest rock bands, if not the greatest. Word on the street is that the band's new double album "Black hole black canvas" is the band's best work in many, many years and you know what? It's true. For many people, the term "prog-rock" conjures up images of bands like Rush or some other sort of noodly wanker with stupid hair, but when I apply it to Motorpsycho, I'm using it as it was originally intended. Motorpsycho is progressive - they stretch the boundaries of genre to create something amazing. In the same way that many 70s classic rock acts used to evade pigeonholing, "Black hole black canvas" is all over the map musically, but always grounded and held together by the band's amazing sense of melody. It's distinctive and immediately recognizable. This particular song that I've posted today is the album's first single "Hyena". It's a powerful pop song with a grandiose, soaring quality that I just love. Recommend listening? Hell yes.
Motorpsycho - Hyena
The weather last night was far from perfect, but I still made the long drive up to Seattle to see Figurines. Kira and one of the Kindred Spirits had visa issues, so no other Danish acts made the bill though the remainder of the band was still in attendance. After a shambling, mediocre set from locals The Elephants, Figurines took the stage and did their thing. Let me tell you, that band is a well-oiled machine. They are a great example of what a tight band should sound like. After quietly opening with "Back in the day", they set into "The wonder" (today's mp3) and were off and running. Drummer Kristian Volden laid down a strong four-on-the-floor backbeat and joyfully sang along to himself with every song while frontman Christian Hjelm proved to be a manic, energetic frontman. The other two guys in the band (guitarist Claus Johansen and bassist Andreas Toft) were much more nondescript, but they did their job and did it well. I'm a little disappointed they had an extra musician on stage playing guitar, keyboard and percussion to help them perfectly replicate their album, but since he didn't distract from the overall experience, it's kind of a moot point. I feel that a rawer live sound would have benefitted them. Anyhow, it was a very good set and I think the audience appreciated it. A few of the midtempo songs dragged a bit due to the crowd's lack of familiarity with the material, but the fast songs caught their attention and the two slower numbers ("Silver ponds" and "Rivalry") were very engaging. The band plays Portland tonight, goes back to Seattle this weekend for a radio appearance and an in-store then travels to LA and SXSW. Look for them to be back this summer. My short interview with Christian should hopefully be online sometime this weekend.
Figurines - The wonder
Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde. It's a ballsy move to knight yourself and name your backing band after an art movement. Especially for someone who sings so damn high. I've been waiting for Eric's debut full-length for awhile now and, while I understand that his music is not for everyone, I feel it is my duty to make everyone a convert. It's way more fey and twee than anything I'd normally listen to, but it's also silly, playful and much smarter than first impressions let on. I know I probably sound like hypocrite having criticized The Concretes for their amateurism earlier this week, but that aesthetic can work if done right. The difference is that The Concretes are trying to be better than their abilities permit and Eric Beyond, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care so much about getting things right as much as having the proper feel and feeling. The funny falsetto is a red herring - listen more carefully and you'll get it.
Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-garde - Born by the bible
Early consensus on the new Concretes album "In colour" seems to be as follows: if you liked the first album, you probably won't like the new one as much, but if you didn't like it, you'll think the new one is better. I think both responses are for the same reason, too. The naive, childlike qualities that endeared fans of twee music to the debut are largely absent from the follow-up and for people like me who tend to associate those qualities with an inate inability to perform (or, in other words: sucking), the new record is a step in the right direction. "In colour" is much more confident, more produced. I'm still not close to falling in love with the band, but I see it as a huge improvement. More importantly, they let Maria Eriksson sing lead on a song instead of regular frontwoman Victoria Bergman. I'm sorry, but I simply cannot hang with Victoria's droll, nasal voice. Maria however, sings beautifully - something she proved long ago with her work in Heikki. Today's mp3 is the song she sings lead on: "Grey days". That's my pick for the album's highlight.
The Concretes - Grey days
It took a lot longer than I expected to figure out what song I wanted to post from "Radiola", the new album from The Fine Arts Showcase. The trouble is that I have a hard time breaking up what I consider to be such a strong, cohesive piece of work. When all the songs work in concert to create something greater, it's impossible to pull one aside and say that is the essence, the epitome of what this record is about. It can't be done, but I still hold out hope that you find today's mp3 post to be enlightening. "Radiola" is not only better than the debut album "The electric pavilion", but also one of the best new releases I've heard so far in 2006. TFAS mainman and singer/songwriter Gustaf Kjellvander burns with passion and vigor. There's a level of intensity to his performance and craft that's rarely heard. And speaking of rarely heard, "Radiola" has to have the most drug references on a Swedish pop record outside of the stereotypical rock'n'roll/gangsta clichés. Is everything okay Gustaf?
The Fine Arts Showcase - Brother in black
I'm not sure what my problem is, but I've only just recently started to really dig into the Morningside Records catalogue. I've known about the label for awhile now, but never bothered getting a hold of any of their releases until Figurines started to get international attention. Lame, I know. However, I'm not going to talk about Figurines today (I'll wait until after I see them in Seattle next week). The Morningside artist that has impressed me the most so far is Jomi Massage, so that's who I'm posting an mp3 from today. The most obvious point of reference for JM is "Dry"-era PJ Harvey. You know the sound: caterwauling vocals and noisy, lurching rock interspersed with quieter, more tender moments. But JM trumps PJ by incorporating a much diverse and layered melodic sensibility. I like older PJ stuff a lot, but there's something more interesting going on here that's also, most importantly, much more consistent. This particular track that I've posted today starts off with a droning melody and then explodes into a fireball of white noise which keeps burning furiously until a sudden stop at the end. It's a total cliffhanger of a song, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Jomi Massage - Journal June II
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Lampshade - Fjäril
Okay, I'm back after spending some 20+ hours in a car with my four dogs this past weekend. That's probably the last time I'll be doing that for a loooong time, god willing. New mp3 today from Montys Loco off their new album "Man overboard", out now on NONS. I posted the first single "Wasteland" awhile ago and was pretty darn stoked on it, but the full record is even better than I expected. I love the stripped-down arrangements and Björn Yttling's superb production. Take today's track "Give me more" for instance - the rhythm section is barely more than a floor tom, some percussion and a dirty fuzz bass. It shouldn't sound so complete, but it does. That's the just the tip of the iceberg, too: The whole record is full of unexpected moments of brilliance, one right after another. A definite gem of a disc - proof positive that less is often more.
Montys Loco - Give me more
I know it's only Thursday, but I'm going to post a new mp3 anyways. I'm doing it because I'm taking a four-day weekend and won't be posting new content tomorrow or Monday, but also because I've got a glut of great music that I want to share. Denmark's The Alpine has a bit of that hip post-punk-disco thing akin to Franz Ferdinand and the like, but with more of a glam touch ala The Killers or maybe even The Ark. It's not the kind of thing you listen to for intellectual stimulation, but if you heard on the radio or at a party, you'd probably find yourself smiling and singing along. I've only given the new full-length "On feel trips" (out in Denmark on Feb. 27, Germany on Mar. 31) a couple spins so far, but the single "Mondays look the same" is firmly embedded in my brain after a week of listening. That chorus is just so huge! And who doesn't relate to the lyrics? That's pop gold, lemme tell ya. I can easily see The Alpine being this year's summer jam.
The Alpine - Mondays look the same
New mp3 today from Firefox AK off her new album "Madame, madame!". For those of you who have never heard her before, you might recognize her from her duet with Hello Saferide on "Long lost penpal". Or maybe you know her as the wife of Rasmus Kellerman aka Tiger Lou. But I think that's all about to change because this record proves that she can stand just fine on her own. The "What's that sound" EP showed potential, but as American Idol's Randy Jackson would say, this time she really brought it. The songs, the sounds, the vocals - everything is stepped up. This particular track is actually a cover of a song by Assid, one of the many promising young Swedish acts doing new things with old house beats. Good stuff and, as always, if you like it you should buy it. Preorder before March 1 and save a buck - the price goes up on the release date.
Firefox AK - Habibi
Not only do we have a new interview today with The Horror The Horror, but we've also got an mp3 of their single "Sound of sirens" for your downloading pleasure. IAT contributor Matthew Smith provides the details:
2006 is shaping up to be a big year for The Horror The Horror. The Stockholm quintet just released its debut album on Tapete Records and its second single "I blame the sun". But the song that really got things started for THTH is today's new mp3, "Sound of sirens". The song highlights the best elements of the full album: the jangly, twinned guitars of Mattias Axelsson and Johan Jansson, the crisp, unobtrusive rhythm section of Patrik Thorngren and Jakob Frodell, and the dynamic, urgent vocals of Joel Lindström. The straightforward verses only hint at the hook in the chorus, which makes "Sound of sirens" one of the catchiest things you'll hear. This song has made it to #11 in the FM4 chart in Austria, and expect to hear more from The Horror The Horror as the album gets wider release in the next few months.
The Horror The Horror - Sound of sirens