Fluid Radio on the new album "Owl splinters" from Norwegian experimental/noise duo Deaf Center: https://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/02/deaf-center-owl-splinters/
Definitely recommended listening! I should hopefully be gathering some thoughts for my own review/mp3 post in the not-so-distant future.
PopMatters reviews the new "Passive aggressive" singles collection from The Radio Dept.: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/136067-the-radio-dept.-passive-aggressive-singles-2002-2010/
Barbe-Q-BarbiesThis Finnish all-girl rock crew have it nailed -- almost -- when it comes to belting out a killer collection of punk-tinged hard rock that is so close to perfection, it's frustrating. The only thing really lacking here is a supercharged guitar sound. It's not that the guitars sound bad, rather they would completely transform this album if they rang out with the power of the likes of Skid Row or Mötley Crüe instead of the predominant AC/DC-like tone they currently have. Listening to the likes of "Rockstar" or "Escort" might be an enjoyable affair now, but it's hard not to think of how immense they would sound with a Dave Sabo-esque six-stringed savagery behind them. It would change "All over you" from a head-nodding, foot-tapping rock 'n' roll album into a fist-pounding, frenzy-inducing hard rock behemoth. I'm not talking about changing the riffs -- the songwriting is exceptional -- but rather giving the guitar that sound that forces gritted teeth, clenched fists and a cry of "Fuck yeah!" at the slightest hint of a chord being hit. The vocals are right up there with the best of rock's female screamers, the production borders on the perfect and, all-in-all, this is a stormer of a debut album that would get full marks if not for what I've just mentioned above. Just... please... floor us with that guitar next time!
- John Norby
PopMatters reviews Norwegian indie act I Was A King's latest record "Old friends": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134898-i-was-a-king-old-friends/
Pascal PinonIt's an exciting thing to witness a band's inception. While Pascal Pinon's self-titled debut album is far from perfect, it crackles with a rare, unfiltered emotional honesty -- the heart of their sweet, simple songs rising above lo-fi recordings and elementary musical knowledge.
Not unlike reading a teenage girl's diary (which this might be, given that founding twin sisters Jófríður and Ásthildur and their friends Halla and Kristin were only 14 at the time of the recording), the album drips with simple, deeply felt emotion, with lyrics delivered in both English and Icelandic. "You should listen to it, and the words that I say, it's all terrible shit, and least I know that today," the girls sing in unison in "I wrote a song". While the line hints at the promise of future cynicism to come, for now, the girls seem at peace with guitar strums, shaking bells, and recorder choirs. Pascal Pinon may have better music in their future as both technical proficiency and life experiences grow, but never again will they make anything this beautifully honest and real.
- Laura Studarus
Blood MortizedThe old-school Swedish sound made famous by Entombed and Dismember back in the day has come back with such force and in so many numbers of late that it's hardly fair to call it a revival. There's part of me that is wholeheartedly delighted to hear fresh songs surface with the HM-2 guitar buzz yet, with the vast amount of bands sporting the sound these days, there's another part of me that concedes the fact that nothing compares to the likes of "Left hand path" or "Like an everflowing stream" when it comes to the allied genius of that sound and song structure. Blood Mortized are one of the few modern bands that pretty much have both aspects nailed down. They have displayed in "Bestial" a thorough knowledge of what drove the scene and drew the masses into the hellish depths of Sweden's death metal darkside back in the late '80s and early '90s. It's a pity that there are only three tracks on offer here but, with this being a vast improvement on 2009's debut full-length, there's a glimmer of hope that their next full length will be a subhuman monster of an album.
- John Norby
Råd Kjetil Senza TestaThis collaborative debut from Sweden's Råd Kjetil & the Loving Eye of God and Orchestra Senza Testa is quite the enigmatic release given its unique perspective on the ambient genre. It's as if the creepy, digitized sounds of the early John Carpenter soundtracks found themselves mixed up with the earthy, natural sounds of Norway's Wardruna and somehow wound up as an otherworldly, out-of-body sonic experience. It's most evident on the first of the two tracks, "Flarkmyr'n" while second and final track "Orrvin över Nattmyrbäcken" offers a bleaker vision within the same realm. That said, the overall vibe of "Vinlinden" is one of an epic journey across vast expanses, where the natural sounds seem more implied rather than at the forefront of the compositions. This will appeal to anyone who likes to coil into their own headspace in order to travel to far off lands. Dark, ethereal ambience as nature wraps itself around the synthetic. An off-kilter bliss, almost.
- John Norby
The Silent Ballet reviews the latest Amiina album "Puzzle": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/3826/Default.aspx
PopMatters reviews the latest Dungen record "Skit i allt": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134795-dungen-skit-i-allt/
The Tallest Man on EarthWhen I first heard "Shallow grave", a part of me was glad that many of my friends either don't much care for Bob Dylan or were more into the electronica-tinged indie-rock/pop that was (and still is) coming out -- without trying to keep The Tallest Man on Earth my little secret, I was one of the few people I knew who really enjoyed Kristian Matsson's music. Visiting Stockholm the summer after "Shallow grave" was released, Matsson played an outdoor show at Debaser. Refusing to pay the entrance fee, my friends and I sat on the stairs nearby. Those that didn't know of his music beforehand were converted, those of us who liked the self-titled EP and "Shallow grave" were awestruck. A few years later, Pitchfork and others have called Matsson's sophomore effort "The wild hunt" one of the best records of 2010, and, despite my mixed feelings regarding certain popular music sites, good on them: It's nice to see some light shone on a talent like The Tallest Man on Earth and, despite not making my Top 10 (a rather distressing oversight, to be honest), "The wild hunt" truly deserves to be recognized as one of the finest efforts of the year.
"Sometimes the blues is just a passing bird" is a fitting addition to Matsson's catalogue. Taking advantage of the EP format, the songs don't necessarily feel as strongly connected as the tracklists of "Shallow grave" and "The wild hunt", but this does little harm to the record's content. There are a few small departures from the usual 'a man and his acoustic guitar'-approach of previous recordings: the clean electric guitar and subtle overdubbing on "The dreamer" are wonderful, as is the piano in "Like the wheel". The lyrics are once again so good that it begs the question why someone whose first language is Swedish can write circles around most lyricists whose mother tongue is English -- "And I said, 'Oh my Lord, why am I not strong like the branch that keeps hangmen hanging on?'" Hopefully Matsson's creative output in 2011 will mirror that of 2010 -- I can't think of too many artists I would prefer new material from than The Tallest Man on Earth.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Pitchfork reviews the new JJ mixtape "Kills": https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14971-kills/
FredrikHaving blossomed into a three-piece, with Anna Moberg making her debut on "Origami", Fredrik's newest effort builds on the dreamscapes explored on the collected EPs of "Trilogi". The introduction of a new member often changes a group's sound, for the better in Fredrik's case, but it's subtle; the "Origami" EP could have been included alongside the three collected in "Trilogi" without feeling forced or tacked on. The same ethereal quality remains, but the first two tracks on "Origami", "Dance of the peacock phantom" and "White on white", feel more focused than many of the efforts on "Trilogi", all without seeming divorced from the contemplative nature of that record. The layering on these first two tracks is wonderful, creating a lush soundscape that doesn't feel rushed through despite the relatively short lengths of the songs, and yet unveils new aspects with each listen. Closer "ABC", clocking in at almost seven minutes, is gorgeous: meditative without meandering, the constant percussion driving the airy instrumentation along, giving a sense of tangibility to the abstract composition. If this is a taste of what's to come, I'm excited to see what Fredrik have planned for 2011.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Another Nation's National AnthemEPs are often mixed blessings: they can be all over the map with regards to quality, creative direction, and sound, and even the best EPs run the risk of getting overplayed, especially if the release precedes another recording by more than a few months. That said, Convoj's self-titled EP and Cut City's "Narcissus can wait" demonstrate that EPs, when handled correctly, can stand on their own and hold their ground, and to that list I add Another Nation's National Anthem's "Conscious castle". A week or so ago, I may not have made that claim, but ANNA grow on you and the contemplative periods in a few of the songs have since ceased feeling somewhat indulgent and now feel properly settled into the compositions. "Conscious castle" unfolds in a very pleasant way, each listening revealing a layer I missed on a previous occasion. Its sound reminds me at times of The Appleseed Cast (though this claim may hold more weight in nostalgia than in fact) and Tiger Lou (especially those opening notes of "Hold, stranger (of the north)"), though ultimately escapes pigeonholing through the strength of the songwriting. Seeing what ANNA can do with five tracks and 21 minutes, I'm very interested in this band's future.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Ljudbilden & Piloten/ViddernaCan't let this one slip through the cracks. , the newly relaunched version of the label , kicked things off in fine form with their debut release, a split 12" featuring Ljudbilden & Piloten and Vidderna. The former, the musical alias of artist/animator Kristofer Ström, is someone I was already familiar with, having been a fan of the 2008 album "One hundred fifty-five", and these new tracks don't stray too far from what came before. He's still very much in ambient guitar territory, layering looped figures on top of one another with additional light accompaniment and other subtle sound effects. It makes for a very pleasant, engaging listen, even if it is more or less interchangable with his other work. Vidderna, on the other hand, is definitely a highlight. Their mellow Planet Caravan jams are 100% on-point, anchored by solid, loping basslines and copious hand-percussion. So chill you may be at risk for catching Balearia, but tempered with a different kind of energy than the standard junk that falls under such banners. Think beach bonfires after dark, not beach basking in the sun.
281 copies in minimalist packaging; surprisingly and shamefully not yet sold out. That's near-criminal under-appreciation.
- Avi Roig
Galaxy SafariGalaxy Safari's latest ups the yeeaaah quotient and sands off all the rough edges to give you a polished arena-rock turd. I thought their last album was pretty decent despite a few missteps; this one is almost nothing but once you get past the first couple tunes. Hard to believe at this point that some of these dudes used to be in legit hardcore acts, but I guess we just have different ideas about what it means to grow old gracefully. As for me, I'm just stoked that in a few weeks I'll be spending my 33rd birthday recording 4-track demo tunes with my punk band in someone's basement. Likewise, I'm also stoked that I never have to listen to this ever again.
- Avi Roig