IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

First Love, Last Rites s/t Nomethod

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:44:13 -0800

I've been waiting for a band like this from Umeå for a long time. Seems like good indie bands were all over the place in Norrland about 15 years ago and then just disappeared. I like the emotional content here, the refrain for the first song, "Always too late", is sooo good. I knew they were gonna do something good after "Slow wind", I was surprised they were so quick to get an album out. Sundsvallstidsningen thought the record sounds like it's out of phase. I thought that was really funny. There was a lot of moments like that in the music press around the indie wave of the 90s. Some Lundell-nut at DN had to review the first Brick record and struggled to reference Sebadoh, and then struggled to reference 'country' when he has to review the new Sebadoh. As a teenage indie-geekasaurus, there was the sense that the adults were blowing it. Now the kids are blowing it instead. Anyway this is a brilliant pop-record which has a lot of great great moments, my particular faves being the opening track, "Slow wind" and the title track, a moody instrumental that builds. And no, the record is not out of phase. In fact, it sounds perfect.

Sirius playlist week #35

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:06:56 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Bastard Priest - Power of death
02. TALK 1
03. Mindy Misty - Dead pan frenzy
04. Mother of the Forest - Kingdom
05. Säkert! - Fredrik
06. TALK 2
07. Pistol Disco - Pool
08. Obstacles - Rorschach
09. Radar - Paradigm shift
10. TALK 3
11. The Bear Quartet - Fist or hand
12. Niels Nielsen - Dpend
13. Adam Tensta - Young black boy
14. TALK 4
15. I'm Kingfisher - Willing night plants
16. Joel Alme - No class
17. Dear Euphoria - Coming down
18. The Genuine Fakes - When reality hits you
19. TALK 5
20. Brick - Call Batman

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Bleed like there was no other flood (video)

Wed, 12 May 2010 14:05:45 -0700

A new Wildbirds & Peacedrums video, directed by Patrik Instedt (NEI, Brick). Still not all that into this band, but their new choral-enhanced stuff is a step up.

Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSI0Jf7sg60

MP3: Brick - I

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:34:48 -0700

Culkin played an extra special show at Club Probation/Snövit in Stockholm on Friday and you missed it. I would've been there for sure if I wasn't halfway around the world, but hey, that's life -- at least I had the honor of second-handedly providing guest vocalist Nandor Hegedüs a mp3 of his old band's song so he could refresh his memory before hitting the stage. That's the kind of odd international world we live in now.

Axe, EL-SD & Karpis Live @ Snövit, Stockholm, 10/24/09

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:32:19 -0700

There's a nice noise-hardcore-scene vibe going around Stockholm with some amazing bands gigging in basements and bars and such, under the radar of -- or underestimated by -- the established clubs; these bands are getting their gigs by themselves and getting together a group of friends in a hole in the ground serving beer. Anyone paying attention will recognize that most members tonite are the usual suspects and this one featured, among others, members of Traktor, Emerson Fittipaldi, Seven Feet Four and Bruce Banner, on stage and in the audience.

Axe kicked off the night with some ferocious hardcore-noise-punk in the vein of Brick and that old hardcore band from Sigtuna that I can't remember the name of right now. They were really cool. They've got hooks! Check out their myspace and you'll see what I mean (the song "Firmafest" is an amazing stand-out!). They also are not afraid to go mid-tempo for some noise-intensity. The live-experience was great, yet lacking some volume and conviction, but hopefully they'll iron this out. If they do, this band will be a force to be reckoned with.

EL-SD were a bit more heady, recalling early Unwound, Sonic Youth, even early Quagmire (!) as well as sporting "Yank crime"-era Drive Like Jehu song lengths. I was blissing out ofc, with the amazing gzzz-ing and no-wave picking guitars of David Fried right in front of me and bumping into Frippe going crazy wielding the bass. Good shit, this.

Karpis went metal on me, taking noise-rock down drop-tuning with growling even. They were bringing it, but I was kind of done unfortunately, trying to flirt, drink beer and stuff instead. I'll catch more of your set next time guys, promise!

So, fellow travelers, when in Stockholm, I humbly suggest you forgo established venues, constantly applying the one-size-fits-all-indie-dancefloor after every damn concert, for the basement jovial hardcore-scene-experience. Get your promille up and cheer for your new-found favourite underground band! You can even pogo a bit if u'd like.

MP3: NEI - 40 rabbits

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:02:32 -0700

Flattery will get you everywhere: seeing my name (or even just It's a Trap!) in an album's thank-you list is a surefire way to put a smile on my face. So thank you to NEI for making my day a little brighter. However, it's not as if I'd be tempted otherwise; I've been looking forward to their album for a long, long time and can confidently say that they deliver as-expected. As said before, these guys make the sort of quality angular rock'n'roll that dudes like me in their 30s and above still recall with extreme fondness. Still, I have a friend complain that he thought NEI were a bit lazy sounding, especially when you consider that these dudes formerly played with monster acts such as Brick, Breach and Fireside. While I understand his point, let me counter with "40 rabbits": a rager of a track that recalls those bands' finer moments. Patrik Instedt's vocals are especially maniacal here as he recalls a story that's as confusing to his own (fictional) experience, as it is for the listening. Blood, rabbits, an empty room, the woods, an abandoned car...? It's a distressing portrait. I like it.

Sirius playlist week #38

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:16:11 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU featuring special guest Mathias Rask-Andersen from the band Culkin:

01. Culkin - Payperfist
02. TALK 1
03. Him Kerosene - Raceday
04. Park Hotell - Happy love
05. Neil Halstead - Paint a face
06. TALK 2
07. Culkin - Glow
08. Scraps of Tape - Drink forever
09. The Bear Quartet - Northern
10. KVLR - Capitol city child
11. TALK 3
12. Brick - I
13. Blithe - Allegiance
14. Giant Boar - Jessica Hell
15. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - Marry me
16. Popsicle - Not forever
17. TALK 4
18. Culkin - Insomniac

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:17:56 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Detektivbyrån - Partyland
02. TALK 1
03. Björn Kleinhenz - At night we die
04. Hjertestop - Illegalt signal
05. Idoru - Chase
06. TALK 2
07. Fever Ray - If I had a heart (instrumental edit)
08. Champagne Riot - Scandinavian warfare
09. Caesars Palace - Only you
10. José González - How low
11. TALK 3
12. Alarma Man - Nightwolf
13. Adolf Filter - 1982
14. Brick - Ha ha ha
15. TALK 4
16. Auton - El Dorado
17. Gutted String - Feeling small
18. The Bombettes - It ain't me babe
19. Tiger Lou - Trust falls
20. I'm from Barcelona - Headphones
21. TALK 5
22. Kite - Ways to dance

Reminder: my show airs on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time.

MP3: Him Kerosene - Whatever gets you by

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:48:43 -0700

I do believe I've covered all the new music I'm genuinely excited about, so I'm going to use today's mp3 post to promote my show on Sirius tonight (11pm ET, channel 26) since I'm doing a special guitar-rock feature. Now when I say "guitar-rock", bear in mind that I mean indie guitar-rock, not classic rock, or 80s rock or anything like that. Generally speaking, I'm talking about the kind of stuff that draws influence from bands such as Sonic Youth, Fugazi or even Quicksand, the kind of bands that Norrland pumped out in the 90s, bands like Starmarket, KVLR, Blithe, Fireside, Brick, The Bear Quartet... the list goes on and on. One of my absolute favorites though has got to be Him Kerosene. Niklas Quintana plays guitar like no other man except for those he inspired and his riffs are so amazing, so unique. The melodies are instantly recognizable and they point north -- there's no way this sound could originate anywhere other than northern Sweden.

"Whatever gets you by" isn't quite a ballad, but it is one of the more downtempo tracks on their masterpiece album "Start. Stop." (1997/Telegram Records). As is typical for bands from the far north, the music is seeped in heavy melancholy and resignation, though the huge guitar melodies provide a triumphant counterpoint to the sadness. The way the guitar lines twist and turn around each other is absolutely incredible. And the rhythm section is sharp too, like the album title implies, starting and stopping on a dime. I actually have a different HK track lined up for tonight's show, but they're such an amazing band, I feel compelled to share more. Too bad Warner (Telegram's parent company) hasn't been interested in doing a reissue or keeping the album in print. It's a lost gem.

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:52:47 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Franke - Jag älskar dig
02. TALK 1
03. White Knives - Welcome transplants
04. Bobby and Blumm - Drow a bow
05. Anna Leong - Guillotine
06. TALK 2
07. Juvelen - Don't mess
08. Eucharist - The Eucharist
09. Sophie Rimheden - Go away (ft. Aaron Phiri)
10. TALK 3
11. Form One - Money (ft. Vincent)
12. Tape - Augustan chateau
13. Moneybrother - They're building walls around us
14. TALK 4
15. Lapko - Killer whales
16. The State of Floral Beings - Bad broker
17. Opération Zéro - Grand Pere
18. TALK 5
19. Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune
20. Kusowsky - Jonny
21. Motorhomes - Into the night
22. TALK 6
23. They Live By Night - Endless summer
24. Cleaning Women - Clean up your body
25. Kaka - What a frame
26. Gorgoroth - Krig
27. TALK 7
28. Markus Krunegård - Samma nätter väntar alla
29. Snöleoparden - Waterpuppet theatre
30. Oskar Schönning - Stoner
31. TALK 8
32. Tellu - Tuulet
33. Convoj - Cultural legacy
34. Lukestar - White shade
35. Silver - The personal decay
36. TALK 9
37. Brick - Labrador
38. Callisto - Anastasis
39. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - When she's GONE
40. TALK 10
41. Magyar Posse - Singlesparks are spectral fires

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:10:56 -0800

"Great Northern Recordings compilation nr. 3", the latest edition of the short-run comp series focusing on some of Sweden's best experimental indie acts, is confirmed for release on March 1. This new one features eight previously unreleased tracks from the bands Nei (members from Breach, Fireside, Brick, The End Will Be Kicks), Giant Boar (members from Seven Feet Four), White Knives (members from Skull Defekts, Cut City) and Happiness (members from Tar... Feathers, Fuglesang) and will be amazing, no doubt. Hand-numbered, 167 copies and yes, I'll definitely be getting a few for resale. Celebrate the release with Nei's debut show at Debaser Slussen in Stockholm on March 1.

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:30:39 -0800

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
02. TALK 1
03. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
04. Don't Be a Stranger - Mon-chi-chi
05. Audionom - In the streets
06. TALK 2
07. Elias and the Wizzkids - Fourth of July
08. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
09. Kasper Bjørke - Humming song
10. The Carny - Bestseller
11. TALK 3
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
13. Flyphonic - The truth is
14. Universal Poplab - Heart apart (Timo Räisänen acoustic remix)
15. TALK 4
16. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland (live)
17. Rigas - Dead like you
18. TALK 5
19. Bröderna Lindgren - En hund som jag
20. Springfactory - Swedish folk highschool
21. Loud Pipes - Don't you ever
22. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
23. TALK 6
24. The State of Floral Beings - Man you owe me
25. Caitlyn - Oh no!
26. The Bombhappies - And at Belle Bed Inn, I told you
27. TALK 7
28. Brick - Call Batman
29. Smalltown - What's going on?
30. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
31. TALK 8
32. Hedningarna - Neidon laulu
33. Dreamboy - What have I done
34. Captain Murphy - Sailor behaviour
35. TALK 9
36. Lemonator - Heart burns
37. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + evil = hurt
38. Johndoe - Rastløs rock'n'roll
39. Lukestar - Shade you hide
40. TALK 10
41. The Fine Arts Showcase - Teenage poetry

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:47:25 -0800

The playlist for this week's radio show, an all-winter theme:

01. Ricochets - Cold outside
02. TALK 1
03. Shining - Winterreise
04. Britta Persson - Winter tour
05. Svenson - In the snow
06. Weeping Willows - Christmas in prison
07. TALK 2
08. The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
09. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Blikktztunddonner
10. The Knife - Reindeer
11. TALK 3
12. Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
13. January Jaunt - Stuck in glaziers
14. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
15. TALK 4
16. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
17. E.S.T. - Strange place for snow
18. Sort Mel - Det grønne flesket
19. Notre Dame - A scrooge tale
20. TALK 5
21. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - Winter moment
22. Syster Lycklig - Bilden till snöstorm
23. The Book of Daniel - 3rd of December
24. TALK 6
25. Samuraj Cities - Cold feet
26. Amandine - Silver bells
27. Logcabin - View of frost
28. Silverbullit - Winter coat
29. TALK 7
30. In Flames - December flower
31. Viktor Sjöberg - On a winters day
32. The Bear Quartet - Blizzard
33. TALK 8
34. Brick - Gray day
35. Laakso - Merry Christmas
36. Strayfolk - Another year before the mast
37. TALK 9

Don't forget to vote for Sirius Blog Radio at the Plug Awards! Vote here: http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php
We are nominated under the category "Media (Obsessive) > Specialty Show Of The Year (Commercial Radio)".

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:30:32 -0800

Nomethod has confirmed that Aerial's new EP "The legion of dynamic dischord" for release on January 31. Go here for cover art and tracklist: http://www.nomethod.se/

Nomethod also reports that Mixtapes & Cellmates frontman Robert Svensson will re-enter the studio on December 19 to record a duet with Adam Olenius (Shout Out Louds) for his upcoming solo album. Said track is called "1987" and it will be the first single. Also featured on the track is drummer Jejo Perkovic (Bear Quartet, Brick, Infinite Mass, etc.). No release date yet, but expect the single around February.

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:51:08 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
02. TALK 1
03. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
04. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
05. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Bhf. Asta
08. The Alpine - Iceland
09. Pluxus - Bootstrap
10. TALK 3
11. Graveyard - Thin line
12. Hospital - Something in the water
13. Attrap - Just a word away
14. TALK 4
15. Jonna Lee - I wrote this song
16. Paper - My life is going under
17. Broder Daniel - You bury me
18. TALK 5
19. Radio LXMBRG - Score on the floor
20. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
21. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
22. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
23. TALK 6
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
26. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - If this is the way
27. Barra Head - Overseas
28. TALK 7
29. Superfamily - Warszawa
30. Oskar Schönning - S
31. Brick - Automen
32. TALK 8
33. Miss Li - Leave my man alone
34. Kasper Bjørke - Liquid propagnosia
35. Loveninjas - I wanna be like Johnny C
36. Anti Cimex - Only in dreams
37. TALK 9
38. Pan Sonic - Virta 1

MP3: NEI - City of gold

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

NEI is an all-star band of sorts and their mission is spelled out for you right in their myspace headline. Yes, they are indeed "redefining the old mans rock" and that suits me just fine. These despairing times call for harsh negative music and that's what they deliver, just like they were doing 10-15 years ago. NEI features members from two of my all-time favorite bands, Breach and Brick, though they sound much more like the latter than the former, no doubt due to Patrik Instedt's unmistakable vocals. Brick, for those who have missed my posts about them in the past or are otherwise unaware, were Norrland's answer to The Jesus Lizard. They never tried to match guitarist Duane Dennison's virtuosic chops, but more than made up for it with increased heaviness and a healthy touch of northern darkness. As for Breach, well let me just say that their final album "Kollapse" is easily one of the finest albums to ever come out of Sweden. They are the touchstone for all other bands that arrived in their wake to be forever compared to. Being a bit older now, NEI is leaner and more calculating, more focused. They never become self-indulgent and not a single note is wasted. Now the stupefying part: how can a band this good, with such an insane pedigree, remain unsigned? It makes no sense. I'd be honored to put it out myself, but I'm still paying off debts for my previous releases. Ridiculous!

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My playlist for this week's radio show on Sirius:

01. Bogus Blimp - By five o'clock tea
02. TALK 1
03. Sivert Høyem - Smalltown supersound
04. Pluxus - Kinoton
05. Brick - No names
06. TALK 2
07. Hebosagil - Let us go
08. Dialog Cet - Crocodile hunt
09. Hurdy Gurdy - Ynglingen
10. Anja Garbarek - The last trick
11. TALK 3
12. E.S.T. - When god created the coffee break
13. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
14. Afenginn - Ralli i d-mol
15. Magyar Posse - Whirlpool of terror and tension
16. TALK 4
17. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
18. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
19. Nisse Hellberg - Kärlekens express
20. TALK 5
21. The Spacious Mind - Rider of the woodlands
22. TALK 6
23. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
24. Svenson - Don't get lost
25. Namur - Marching
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Carpet People - A girl without a skin
29. Anna Ternheim - Lovers dream (feat. Fyfe Dangerfield)
30. Knife and Ape - No arms no legs
31. TALK 8
32. Brighter Death Now - American tale

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Yet another 'missing link' in the same vein as Neveres (see this post): http://www.myspace.com/neitheband
Per and Anders from Breach plus Patrik from Brick and Lars from The End Will Be Kicks. Picks up fairly close to where Brick left off I think. Look for their album "New agenda" to possibly be released this fall.

MP3: The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

1997's "Moby Dick" is considered by many to be The Bear Quartet's finest moment. It was certainly their most commercially successful, not to mention the most straightforward and rock'n'roll. As if it wasn't obvious from the Led Zeppelin homage of the title! It's not my own personal favorite, but it certainly ranks near the top. I like loud guitars, what can I say? Just listen to that opening drumfill! "Moby Dick" was Jejo Perkovic's debut with the band and he wastes no time proving his place. As evidenced with yesterday's Brick post, it's obvious that the man knows what he's doing.
I'm short on time and energy this week, so I'll have to let the music speak for itself beyond what I've just said. I really need more people to contribute to these weekly Bear Quartet tribute posts, so please please please email me if you're interested!

MP3: Brick - Hole digger

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

I've done a Friday post on Brick before, but it's been about two years, so I think they're due for revisiting. They also work well as a precursor to our weekly Bear Quartet post as drummer Jejo Perkovic played with Brick before he joined BQ. Some folks might recognize frontman Patrik Instedt's maniacal vocals from the final Breach album "Kollapse", one of my all-time favorites. Patrik was also the man behind the camera for Logh's "A sunset panorama" DVD. However, before all that, he led Brick - Sweden's leading Jesus Lizard imitators. It pains me to say it as I love both bands, but the influence is obvious. Things is, many have attempted the same and failed, but Brick somehow pulls it off. The jagged rhythms, the jabbering, unintelligible vocals, even the slide guitar riff on the track I've posted today - all totally derivative, but done incredibly well. Too close for comfort for you? Just remember that a 1st rate Jesus Lizard clone is still about 1000x better than most of what Touch & Go puts out today.

Video mix: Alarma Man, At the Gates, The Bear Quartet, Kings of Convenience, Montt Mardié, more...

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Entry #2 in our series highlighting some of Scandinavia's best video art. No theme, just good music with visuals to match.

Alarma Man - Bird
Great indierock from Göteborg! This song is from the "Duets" 12"-split with Knife and Ape. Influences from the TV-show "24" makes the video even more fun to watch! (JA)

Kristofer Åström - All lover's hell (live)
This song is what made me love his solo material, and seeing this stripped down performance is an example of how great this song is. (MG)

At the Gates - Blinded by fear
Not much of a video by one of Sweden's finest. Just the band playing in some sort of a warehouse with lights blinking off and on. But the sound and the aggression! This is music at its best! The girl with the welder is pretty cool in the video though, makes me think of the girl in the "will it float?"-segment on Letterman. (JA)

The Bear Quartet - Ask me don't axe me
A charming video starring drummer Jejo Perkovic (also known from bands such as Brick, Infinite Mass and Breach) in every role. In times like these when the European Championships in athletics are held here in Sweden, it's always nice to see that not all of us can be athletes. (JA)

The Cardigans - Lovefool
Nina never looked better than in this video. Why on earth did she decide to ditch her blonde barnet, and go brunette? Like The Cardigans' change in sound, such a move was commercial suicide. (NL)

Kings of Convenience - I'd rather dance with you
I saw this video on M2 a couple of summers ago, and then I was in the record store a week or so later with a friend from Moss, Norway and he was surprised I knew who they were. I bought the album and this band has never ceased to amaze on each listen. (MG)

Logh - The smoke will lead you home
A band that needs more appreciation I think! This, the new video, is directed by Johannes Winkler and was shot in Malmö a few blocks from where I'm sitting right now. You gotta love the atmospheric and epic sound of these fine guys! (JA)

Loveninjas - I'm really sorry (that I killed you)
This video is a piece of lo-fi film at it's finest, and the man in heart suit dancing is priceless. (MG)

Montt Mardié - High school drama
It looks like Moneybrother finally has some solid competition for the most souful Swede of the early twenty-first century, and his name is Montt Mardié. And what's better than a song involving drama, The Beatles and pregnancy? (MG)

Tiger Lou - The loyal
As always, when it comes to Rasmus Kellerman and his craftmanship, the videos are works of completion. Especially this one. A dark and weary one that brings out the gloomy feeling the song is about. And, as a fan of horror movies I really like the "The Evil Dead"/"Blair Witch Project"-references. It kinda creeps me out a bit. In a good way! (JA)

.:Who's who?

JA: Jonas Appelqvist
MG: Matt Giordano
NL: Nick Levine

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Today's oldie classic comes from Him Kerosene, one of my all-time favorites. Seriously, this is the kind of stuff I live for: huge walls of discordant guitars, dissonant melodies and a heavy rhythm section. What more do you need? This is the post-hardcore/indierock sound that got me hooked on the Norrland scene. From early Fireside, Starmarket and Brick to other bands like KVLR, Breach, Convoj and Seven Feet Four (not from the North, I know), Him Kerosene helped define and establish what I consider to be my favorite sound. And let's not forget HK frontman Niklas Quintana's newest band The End Will Be Kicks, also featuring ex-HK drummer Tomas Turunen. Today's selection comes from the sadly out-of-print magnum opus "Start.Stop", first released back in 1997 on Telegram/Warner, but it must be said that all of their releases are brilliant and worth tracking down even if they aren't quite so readily available. It's worth it, trust me. You want to start a band that I'm enthusiastically endorse, here's your blueprint.

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Not just one, but two new top 10 lists today! As always, be sure to check them out and keep on coming back for new ones.

New mp3 today from Brick, a band I really know nothing about except that they are awesome. This track comes from the band's 1996 debut album "Suomi" on Dolores Recordings and the sound is a perfect mix of huge discordant riffs and pounding rhythms. It captures everything I love about the mid-to-late 90s Swedish pop/hardcore crossover scene, epitomized by bands such as Him Kerosene, Starmarket and KVLR and carried on by more recent acts such as The End Will Be Kicks and Seven Feet Four. The melodies are strong, but there's still enough dissonance and heaviness to make it interesting. Who knows what these dudes are up to now? The world needs more bands like this.