Wadling, Freddie Wadling

Freddie Wadling (Cortex, Blue for Two, etc.) will release his new album "With a License to Kill", a collection of James Bond soundtrack songs and other secret agent tunes, on November 9. I hesitate to say that I'm excited to hear it, but I am definitely curious.

Slaktattack - The freaks (Cortex cover)

Slaktattack have posted their cover of the Swedish postpunk classic "The freaks" by Cortex for streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/slaktattack

Sirius playlist week #43

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, a special pre-Halloween edition:

01. TALK 1
02. Switchblade - 1815
03. TALK 2
04. Abandon - In reality suffer
05. Raison d'Etre - Metamorphyses phase III
06. TALK 3
07. Notre Dame - Le theatre du vampire
08. Mercyful Fate - Desecration of souls
09. Cortex - Warrior night
10. TALK 4
11. Immortal - All shall fail

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.

Sirius playlist week #35

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

01. Elmo - Blind heart
02. TALK 1
03. Moritz von Oswald Trio - Pattern 3
04. Carpet People - All that ails must pass
05. Fronda - Andas
06. TALK 2
07. Siena Root - Time will tell
08. Cortex - No connections
09. Kornstad - Oslo
10. TALK 3
11. The Silent Section - In snow forever
12. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
13. Band in Box - B33
14. TALK 4
15. The Bear Quartet - Northern

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.

Cortex - Shark boys die hard

Question: Is the "Popular Searches" list at the bottom of the page self-perpetuating or does it realistically reflect current artist popularity? Do people click out of curiosity or are the results more organic? I'm really not sure. I know Moto Boy rose through the ranks the day his music box was announced. And Anna Ternheim's recent Grammy wins are good reason to be popular. But what about some of the others? WE? Haven't heard much from them in quite some time. But I am stoked to see Cortex in the list, though a bit confused. Are people as into the band as me? Or are they curious about Freddie Wadling's forthcoming solo joint? What's the deal? But while we're on the subject, I might as well brag that I finally scored a copy of their 1986 LP "You can't kill the boogeyman". It's some weird Euro pressing and the sleeve is not in perfect shape, but the vinyl is good and that's really all that matters. Oh, and it wasn't that expensive either - another bonus. Now I just need some charitable soul to sell me an affordable copy of "Spinal injuries" and I'll be set. Help me out people! In the meantime, here's a track from "You can't kill...". Perhaps not their strongest work, but still quite good.

MP3: Cortex - Shark boys die hard

The dark flower preview

Freddie Wadling (Cortex, Blue for Two, etc.) is streaming a few sample tunes from his forthcoming double album "Den mörka blomman/The dark flower" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/freddiewadling
Guests vocalists on said album include Stina Nordenstam, Peter LeMarc, Anna Ternheim and Tomas Andersson Wij and the song selection includes covers of "Jennifer" (Faust), "In heaven (Lady in the radiator song)" (David Lynch & Peter Ivers) and "Cafe Cosmopolite" (Imperiet). The official release date is January 28.

Sirius playlist week #52

Here's the playlist for last week's radio show on 12/28, a special all-jazz program to close out the year:

01. TALK 1
02. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
03. Saft - Marching for no. 1
04. Auton - El Dorado
05. TALK 2
06. The Splendor - Canary Islands
07. Kornstad/Opsvik - Happy house (live)
08. TALK 3
09. Yttling Jazz - Konstant krease
10. Jonas Knutsson - Glaciär
11. Moha! - Teknosangen
12. Oskar Schönning - Faustine
13. TALK 4
14. E.S.T. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) - Leucocyte (ad initio)

And in case you happened to catch it, here also is my Sirius XMU top 10 most important albums of 2008 playlist:

#10 - Fucked Up - Days of last
#09 - Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
BEST COVER SONG - The Kid - Mayhem troopers (Cortex)
#08 - Katzenjammer - Le pop
#07 - Tobias Hellkvist - Wintervarm
#06 - The Goner - Field ceremony
BEST REMIX OF 2008 - Firefox AK vs Laid - Once I was like you
#05 - Haust - Ugly fucking Oslo
#04 - Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Which way to go
#03 - Sort Sol - White shirt
BEST LIVE ACT OF 2008 - Sex Vid - Cleansing
#02 - Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
#01 - Lukestar - White shade

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.

Freddie Wadling (Cortex, et al) will release his new double solo album "Den mörka blomman/The dark flower" on January 28 and will spend the following month touring Sweden. Dates:

02/18 - Mariestads Teater, Mariestad
02/19 - Sigurdsgatan 25, Västerås
02/20 - Garden, Linköping
02/21 - Spegeln, Gävle
02/23 - Reginateatern, Uppsala
02/24 - Reginateatern, Uppsala
02/25 - Sagateatern, Borås
02/26 - Växjö Teater, Växjö
02/27 - Mejeriet, Lund
02/28 - Konserthuset, Göteborg
03/01 - Rival, Stockholm

The Kid - Transient blood
(Hybris)

After their raw, goth-encapsulated debut record, The Kid have returned with a very impressive follow-up. The production is fuller, the aura less dark, but what they have created here is a brooding, even industrial, dance-pop album. The hooks in "Transient dance" and "The shadow of a horse", combined with 80s-inspired beats, have a certain breathing room that is lacking from most dance records. The slow, plodding "Bluemoon" is foiled perfectly at the end of the album by their cover of Cortex's "Mayhem troopers". A great album that updates, instead of retreads, the genres to which The Kid obviously loves.
- Matt Giordano

Cortex - Safe in the dark

Thoughts on seeing "Let the right one in/Låt den rätte komma in" at the Olympia Film Festival this past weekend:

• It's lonely being a pre-teen misfit
• Being a vampire is far more lonely
• It takes a really creepy dude to live in servitude to an eternally 12 year-old vampire
• Stockholm suburbs haven't changed much in 26 years, at least in my (admittedly small) experience
• If someone hits you, hit back harder
• The previous is even better if a vampire's got your back
• Sewn-shut genitals are never a good look on anyone
• Everyone just wants to be understood

Since the film was set in 1982, here's a thematically appropriate track from the mighty Cortex recorded live the same year for the famed show "Ny våg" on Swedish Radio. Download more awesome live Cortex stuff at Tonkraft: http://tonkraft-sr.blogspot.com/

MP3: Cortex - Safe in the dark