IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Mofeta & Jerre - Kalifornien (videa, feat. Leo Ontario + Promoe)

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:29:49 -0700

New all-star Swedish hip-hop from Mofeta & Jerre featuring guest spots from Leo Ontario (Fattaru) and Promoe (Looptroop Rockers).

Mofeta & Jerre - Kalifornien (feat. Leo Ontario & Promoe)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:37:03 -0700

New from Mofeta & Jerre and featuring guest spots from Promoe (Looptroop Rockers) and Leo Ontario (Fattaru). Look for the album "Briljanter & smaragder" to be released on December 7 via Pumpa Records.

Marcus Price & Carli - Mat bira kvinnor weed (video)

Wed, 19 May 2010 15:31:52 -0700

Get past the intro and you'll be rewarded with a great track. I'm terrible with keeping track of names, especially people who use a lot of various aliases, but Marcus Price is from Fattaru/Basutbudet if that helps. Direct link: http://vimeo.com/11854807
More at Palms Out Sounds: http://palmsout.net/2010/marcus-price-carli-mat-bira-kvinnor-weed-out-now-pos015/

MP3: Paragon - Aavisst

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today's mp3 post belongs to contributor Simon Tagestam:

Swedish hip-hop is rapidly getting better and better. Soon you might even be able to compile a great mix CD with songs from the last few years (no more than one track per artist, of course). One of those tracks is by Paragon, who's been around for a while (he's released two albums already), but never really caught my attention until now. The song's called "Aavisst" and it's got similar beats to Adam Tensta but the lyrics are way more party / braggadocio than Tensta's semi-conscious ones. Paragon raps in Swedish and "Aavisst" reminds me a bit of Fattaru's smash hit (it was in Sweden, and in my life, at least) "Mina hundar" from 2001. The track is the first single from Paragon's upcoming album "Glöd". I'd be very surprised if the whole album will be as good as this song, but one can always hope there will be at least 3-4 songs as good.

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:25:38 -0700

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

01. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
02. TALK 1
03. Lapko - Dead disco
04. Gentle Touch - Once you used to
05. Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - Light of love
08. Pascal - Smärtsillande
09. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Weddings
10. TALK 3
11. Margaret Berger - Samantha
12. Doughnuts - Become one
13. Kusowsky - Jonny
14. NEI - The devil
15. TALK 4
16. Happiness - Loot at that rabbit go!
17. Firefox AK - Pushing
18. Fattaru - Hörde jag skål
19. TALK 5
20. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
21. Grizzly Twister - Black box
22. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
23. TALK 6
24. Montys Loco - Criminal
25. Fontän - Alla kan se dig
26. Animal Alpha - Pin you all
27. TALK 7
28. Astrid Swan - Spartan picnic
29. Barra Head - Undermine
30. Fun - 2:22men
31. TALK 8
32. Ted Gärdestad - Oh, vilken härlig dag
33. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
34. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
35. TALK 9
36. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
37. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
38. The Deer Tracks - YesThisIsMyBrokenShield
39. TALK 10
40. Entombed - Damn deal done

MP3: Looptroop Rockers - The building

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:31:45 -0700

Swedish hip-hop has been getting some international attention recently thanks to the likes of Adam Tensta and Lazee, but as is often the case, I don't believe that they represent the best Sweden has to offer. As far as pop music goes, it's fine, but it's lacking identity and meaning. Naah, I much rather listen to Fattaru or maybe Snook. But what I really like is stuff like Looptroop Rockers, one of Sweden's longest-running and most respected hip-hop groups. As with yesterday's post on Lack, the guiding principle of social consciousness is key. Not just good music, but music with purpose. And I have to say, their new single "The building" is great and that bodes extremely well, not only for the forthcoming album "Good things", but also for Swedish hip-hop in general. Not that I'm saying this should be a crossover success, but then again, maybe it could y'know? I wouldn't complain.

MP3: Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:39:57 -0800

I've decided to dedicate the last few Fridays of 2007 to tracks that I neglected to post earlier this year. Whether I decided to go with a different album track or missed the boat completely, I hope to rectify my neglect. For my first selection, I figure I'll continue on the same tangent I was on yesterday with something else from Flora & Fauna. Moder Jords Massiva are a collective of sorts, featuring a vast, revolving cast of members. My impression is that they are best experienced as a live act, but their albums are decent too. Still, as with Rigas (and maybe even moreso), there are definite standout tracks that rise above the rest. Their most recent album "Ren ondska" sat on my desk for a long, long time before I actually listened to it. And even once I did, it took me a while to wrap my head around it, leading us to where we are today, months after its initial release. I'm still not at a point where I feel comfortable passing final judgment on the album as a whole, but I know what I like and I love the track "Ingenting". The momentum of the beat and bassline reminds me a lot of Fattaru's "100:-", one of 2006's best singles. Some of those synth tones are kinda similar too. MJM's rapping can't compete, but the cadence possesses the same urgency and similarly revisits the songtitle at the end of each line. "Ingenting" has more of a bounce to it as well, with that steady four-on-the-floor kick and doubled-up hi-hat. Same dark club vibe too, but nowhere near as aggressive. That's important, 'cuz it makes it more dancefloor-friendly. Good stuff, too bad I didn't jump on it when it was new.

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

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

01. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
02. TALK 1
03. José González - Down the line
04. Anna Ternheim - Girl laying down
05. The Bear Quartet - The supremes
06. TALK 2
07. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
08. Commando M Pigg - Allt genast
09. Mikkel Metal - Bano
10. TALK 3
11. Johan Hedberg - Nygubbe4
12. Mikko Singh - Toisella puolella
13. Mimas - Thought discuss
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. TALK 4
16. Sista Sekunden - Jag är aldrig nöjd
17. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland
18. Syster Lycklig - Drömgränd
19. TALK 5
20. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
21. The Grizzly Twister - Tigers made of paper
22. Samuel Jackson Five - Easily misunderstood
23. Grande Roses - Dead town
24. TALK 6
25. Thomas Dybdahl - B A part
26. Njurmännen - Cold meat industry
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
28. TALK 7
29. David Sandström Overdrive - Here's for summer
30. Randy - Freedom song
31. Kalle J - Vart stack du?
32. The Flaming Sideburns - Bad trip
33. TALK 8
34. The Bell - I am history
35. Lack - Pessimist poetry
36. The State of Floral Beings - Andy
37. Fireside - Problem (to you)
38. TALK 9
39. Firefox AK - Love to run
40. Manes - Cinder alley
41. Lukestar - Untitled
42. TALK 10
43. Oskar Schönning - S

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Discobelle has a new track from Basutbudet, the "svensk bas" sideproject of Mackan Price from Fattaru: http://www.discobelle.net/2007/07/25/basutbudet/

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

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

01. TALK 1
02. Fattaru - Stila upp din skit
03. Samuraj Cities - Thxa1000000
04. The Fine Arts Showcase - I don't worry
05. TALK 2
06. Imagine I Had Hands - Captive
07. Scraps of Tape - Pickpockets vow
08. FAP - Jag drar till sjöss en sväng jag
09. TALK 3
10. Hello Saferide - I was definitely made for these times
11. Mainliners - Good storm
12. Breach - Gheeá
13. TALK 4
14. Him Kerosene - Neutrino
15. Familjen - Nu händer det igen
16. Sista Sekunden - D.I.We
17. Nine - Time has come
18. TALK 5
19. Emperor - Towards the pantheon
20. September - Can't get over (Long disco mix)
21. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
22. TALK 6
23. Camouflage - Syster sol
24. Lolita Pop - Salta diamanter
25. Leather Nun - Gimme gimme gimme
26. TALK 7
27. Superfamily - I could be a real winner
28. Juvelen - Hanna
29. The Book of Daniel - Death caps and moonshine
30. Monkeystrikes - Serial faller in lover
31. TALK 8
32. Torpedo - Hang me high
33. Erik Enocksson - The lingering procession
34. Hederos & Hellberg - No fun
35. TALK 9
36. Death By Kite - Himmelfahrtskommando
37. The Tough Alliance - Something special
38. Seance - Controlled bleeding
39. TALK 10
40. Shout Out Louds - Hard rain

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Last night's playlist for my show on Sirius Blog Radio:

01. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
02. TALK 1
03. Johndoe - Nattskift
04. Montys Loco - Wasteland
05. Once We Were - Cut corners
06. TALK 2
07. [ingenting] - Mycket vasen for ingenting
08. Margaret Berger - Robot song
09. Namur - Marching
10. Lampshade - New legs
11. TALK 3
12. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. Juvelen - Hanna
16. TALK 4
17. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
18. Sonores - 16th of June
19. Detektivbyrån - E18
20. TALK 5
21. At the Gates - The swarm
22. Barra Head - Kill the lights
23. TALK 6
24. The Tough Alliance - Leg 7
25. Torpedo - My evil twin
26. Alog - Catch that totem!
27. TALK 7
28. Valley Days - 10k angels
29. A-ha - Celice
30. Victims - Who the fuck are we?
31. TALK 8
32. The Vicious - Alienated
33. Viola - Unreal life
34. Zweizz - Nowadays the only boring everything is so frustrating
35. Viktor Sjöberg - Winter guitars
36. TALK 9
37. Closer - The talker
38. Aerial - My god, it's full of stars!
39. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
40. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
41. The Psyke Project - Panic
42. TALK 10
43. C.Aarmé - We are the world

Next week: expect lots more killer jams including totally a brand new track from Closer and maybe even a spotlight set on post-rock/ambient music. Good times!

MP3: Kallioinia - Making out

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

I've been wanting to post some skweee, but since it exists solely in vinyl format for the time being, this might be as close as we're gonna get for now. One of these days I'll hook my turntable up to my computer again so I can rip and encode some records, but until that time comes, we'll just have to make do. Kallionia is the duo of Matti and Simon Kallioinen. Sister Julia contributes to a song as well. But the thing that got my attention was that production duties were shared by Pavan. Perhaps you remember that Fattaru track "100:-" that I posted awhile back? Well, that was also a Pavan production and probably one of the best songs I posted last year. Kallioinia doesn't quite bring the funk like Fattaru, but I do love the squiggly bassline on the track I've posted today. The goofy Peter Frampton ripoff vocals are fun too. Actually, "goofy" and "fun" are probably the two best adjectives to describe these guys. This isn't music that requires much thought - it's pure silly enjoyment and sometimes that's all I need, especially on a Monday morning.

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Not everyone was able to get their lists in on time, but I think you'll find more than enough titles here well-worth investigating, whatever your tastes may be. Enjoy!

Jonas Appelqvist:

01. The Fine Arts Showcase – Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
When Christian released a kinda mediocre record, Gustav stepped up, delivered and restored the honour of the Kjellvander brothers.

02. C.Aarmé – Vita (Burning Heart)
Music for the gut, not the brain. Göteborg's finest punks just recently split up, it's a pity.

03. Hets – s/t (V2/Etikett: Hets)
I was a bit hesitative when I heard that members from Laakso, Fireside and Moneybrother formed a band. They proved me wrong.

04. Raised Fist – The sound of the republic (Burning Heart Records)
This long awaited full-length proved to be exactly what I hoped for. Uncompromising hardcore, this time with hooks!

05. Insurgent Kid – Paranoia (Wasted Sounds)
Just recently released and it went straight into this list. The punkrock on this disc is, in fact, all I ever need.

06. Khoma – The second wave (Roadrunner)
I always knew something good would come out of Plastic Pride.

07. Aerial – Black rain from the nombing (Nomethod)
Epic and almost instrumental post-rock from Sandviken that moved me big time.

08. Tar... Feathers – Make way for the ocean floor to fall to the surface (Release the Bats!)
Self-willed indiepop that sounds like Modest Mouse mixed with Xiu Xiu at times.

09. Darkthrone – The cult is alive (Peaceville)
Pioneers that released their most interesting record since "Total Death". Black-metal with one hell of a punkrockattitude!

10. Cult of Luna – Somewhere along the highway (Earache)
One of the records I've listened to the most in 2006 and it's still intriguing.

Top 3 non-scandinavian records of 2006:
Converge – No heroes (Epitaph)
Electric President – s/t (Morr Music)
Cursive – Happy hollow (Saddle Creek)

Nancy Baym:

01. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris/PlayRec)
It's catchy, it's quirky, it's consistently strong. And it's interesting too.

02. Skywriter - Where both worlds never meet (Iceberg Records)
The slow ones drag a bit, but the fast songs are a sublime mix of sexy, cool, driving and restrained.

03. Consequences - s/t (BOW/Groover Recordings)
Puts the "infection" in infectious pop. I can't stop listening to it and really don't want to either.

04. Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's block (V2/Wichita)
Not as good as last year's "Falling out", but an okay Peter Bjorn and John record is still better than most.

05. Pelle Carlberg - Everything. Now! (Labrador)
He's thoughtful, he's sensitive, he's twee, but most of all he's the perfect mix of soothing and beautiful. Frazzled nerves be gone!

06. The Phonies - Gran tourettes (Money Laundry Records)
Inconsistent record from Finland's Phonies, but it's best songs are exhuberant enough to carry the rest.

07. Billie the Vision & the Dancers - The world according to Pablo (self-released)
While I'm From Barcelona gets all the buzz, I prefer this. It's kind of mellow, a little dark, sort of conceptual if you bother to figure it out, but most of all, it just sounds good.

08. David & the Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
David Fridlund's a melodic genius and the music may be better than ever, but Fridlund's angst runs too close to whining too much of the time.

09. Starflower - Moment in the sun (Music Is My Girlfriend)
Tranquil and poppy, youthful and tuneful, it's a gentle little debut from a band I hope will diversify its sound in releases to come.

10. The Charade - Real Life Drama (Skipping Stones)
Half of this is too sweet for me, but the rest is charming as all get out, and "September" easily wins the award for catchiest sugar pop song of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Sivert Høyem and the Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
It's not out yet and I've only heard 2 songs, but given his track record with Madrugada and his last solo record, it's guaranteed a spot in my top 10 when I do get to hear the rest.

Tiger Lou - The loyal (Startracks)
It came out in 2005 but now I've finally heard this record. It's got such a cool consistent vibe, such a unique sound, and I'm under it's spell completely.

Matt Giordano:

01. Peter Bjorn and John - Writers block (V2/Wichita)
After last years excellent "Falling out" I expected a great album, but this release just floored me.

02. Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John)
Yes, this is technically a re-release, and yes, it's that good.

03. The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian)
This is the new album I listened to most this year, and a it was quite a leap artistically for Mr. Kjellvander.

04. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris)
This one sat in my room for about a month until one day I brought it in the car with me, and to say the least, I was impressed.

05. Vapnet - Jag vet hur man väntar (Hybris)
"Thoméegränd" instantly hit me with pure pop genuis, and this album is so textured and deep, it has yet to be fully realised.

06. Firefox AK - Madame, madame! (Razzia)
It took me a while, but I have finally realised how genius this album is.

07. Nicolai Dunger - Sjunger Edith Södergran (EMI)
I believe this is Mr. Dunger's most cohesive album to date, and perhaps his most intimate.

08. Sibiria - Inom familjen (Hybris)
Martin A and Martin H put out two stellar albums in one year. Gorgeous.

09. The Knife - Silent shout (Rabid)
This album is both bleak and enchanting.

10. David & The Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
This album is so solid, and it should silence all of the naysayers.

Other:

Best 2005 release of 2006:
El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar (Memphis Industries/The Control Group)
Gorgeous, that is the only way to describe the songwriting of Sarah Assbring, and it's good to see the rest of the world catching on.

Top three non-Scandinavian releases:

Tom Waits - Orphans (Anti)
This is absolutely essential.

Nobody & Mystic Chords Of Memory - Tree colored see (Mush)
Another post-Beachwood Sparks work of excellence, now I'm only wishing for Beachwood Sparks to reunite.

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos (RCA)
America's best current live band, and this is their document.

Top ten songs of 2006*
01. Montt Mardié - "My girlfriend is in the Grand Prix finals" from "Science" (Hybris)
02. Peter Bjorn and John - "Paris 2004" from "Writers block" (V2)
03. Kristofer Åström - "So much for staying alive" from "Black Valley" (Startracks)
04. Loney, Dear - "The city, the airport" from "Sologne" (Dear John)
05. Tom Waits - "Bottom of the world" from "Orphans" (Anti)
06. Vapnet - "Thoméegränd" from "Jag vet hur man väntar" (Hybris)
07. The Velvet Teen - "Gyzmkid" from "Cum laude" (Slowdance)
08. Nicolai Dunger - "Lyckokatt" from "Sjunger Edith Södergran" (Dolores)
09. Loose Fur - "The ruling class" from "Born again in the USA" (Drag City)
10. Islands - "Don't call me Whitney, Bobby" from "Return to the sea" (Equator)

*These songs, as well as 31 others appear on my "Best of 2006" mix, which I have made 20 copies of as a double-disc set to give away to the readers of It's A Trap! Here's the deal, the first twenty people to email me at matthew dot giordano at macys dot com with their name and postal address will receive a copy (as well as tracklisting) in the mail. Enjoy.

Kevin Renick, in alphabetical order:

01. Ampop - My delusions (Dennis Records)
Balancing the epic and the emotive is an increasingly dicey proposition as more and more groups on both sides of the Atlantic sacrifice one or the other in the process. Iceland's Ampop gets the blend just right with these 11 surgingly powerful, yet fragile tunes. .

02. El Perro Del Mar - s/t (Memphis Industries)
Possibly the most bubbly, infectious, melodically rich, beautifully sung sad album ever made.

03. Sofia Hardig - The need to destroy (Filthy Records)
An adventurous electronica foray in which Sofia makes an art out of distorted vocals that are nonetheless emotionally wrenching. Dark, machine-laden grooves that grip the soul.

04. The Knife - Silent shout (Brille Records)
By any standard, one of the year's boldest and most significant records, especially for a spooked, tech-savvy, mask-wearin', brother-sister dance-tronica act.

05. Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
The sophomore release by this fabulous Swedish/Danish group is just as good as the debut; RebekkaMaria and company fuse primal rock and Scandi sensuality together in a thoroughly compelling manner.

06. Mew - And the glass-handed kites (Sony BMG Music)
A continuously flowing, continuously melodic and dazzling production that got many satisfying spins on my car stereo in 2006.

07. Monty's Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
Take a female vocalist who's like a tougher Emiliana Torrini, add equal parts acoustic/electronic instrumentation, throw in a few dollops of inspired weirdness and mix/produce well. Result: a grabber of an album that tickles the sonic taste buds..

08. Britta Persson - Top quality bones and a little terrorist (Amigo)
I like my Scandinavian music to be a little tart. Britta's debut CD is positively lemony from start to finish, a real standout in a year filled with great records by Scandi girls.

09. Patrik Skantze and the Free Souls Society - Fiction at first view (Mimo Sound)
A master class in inspired prog songcraft, superb guitar playing and the art of channeling diverse influences into your own lovingly prepared recipe.

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
As a long-time fan of both atmospheric ambient and mournful female vocals, this texturally absorbing disc had me at "eftermiddag".

Best EP: Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen (Danarkia)
Best CD to reevaluate your life to: Es - Sateenkkarisuudelma (K-RAA-K)
Best reasons to have faith that the spirit of weirdness lives on in Scandiland: The Bear Quartet, Sir Eric Beyond, and Tar...Feathers

Simon Tagestam:

01. Vapnet – Jag vet hur man väntar (album / Hybris)
Vapnet lived up to all my expectations and delivered a fantastic album

02. Moneybrother – De vet ingenting om oss (single / Hacka Skivindustri)
This song came totally unexpected and instantly floored me.

03. Lo-Fi-Fnk – Boylife (album / La Vida Loca)
Very exciting album from Sweden’s new dance kings, now TTA gone all new age.

04. Mattias Alkberg BD - Ditt hjärta är en stjärna (album / A West Side Fabrication)
Third and best album from this Bear Quartet member.

05. Taxi Taxi – Old big trees (song on myspace)
Killer song. Got high hopes for these young twins.

06. I'm From Barcelona - Let me introduce my friends (album / Dolores)
Hate them live, but still love their music.

07. Juni Järvi - Wherever thou art (album / Everlasting)
The surprise hit of the year, a collection of some magnificent songs.

08. [ingenting] - Mycket väsen för ingenting (album / Labrador)
An album that deserved much more attention and praise than it got.

09. Juvelen – Watch your step (song on myspace)
Sounds exactly like Prince when he was at his best. Pretty damn good that is!

10. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - s/t (album / Flora & Fauna)
Weirdest and most wonderful gig at Emmaboda this year where 'Sir Eric', even though he's Swedish, only talked in English in-between songs. He also released a fine record.

Three amazing songs from albums that I wasn't too keen on:
Fattaru – 100 spänn
Hello Saferide – The quiz
Peter Bjorn and John – Young folks

---------------------------

Jonas Appelqvist is in the works of completing the first fullengthrecord with Blinders On, indierock based in Malmö. The band is, as I write this, finished with the mixing and the mastering of the album entitled "Obsolete music", so we should expect a release in January. The 17th, to be precise. More on that after New Year's Eve.

Nancy Baym can be found happily blogging away at Online Fandom and digging music at Last.fm.

Matt Giordano wishes everyone safe, yet wine-filled holidays and New Year's celebrations, and hopes those who'll be getting his "Best of 2006 mix" enjoy them. He also hopes Arsenal can pick up the pace in the premier league and that Scandinavian bands continue to release the world's best music. Here are the new releases he's looking forward to in 2007: two Laakso records, Kristofer Åström, Shout Out Louds, Via Audio, Christian Kjellvander, Spoon, Tiger Lou (I can hope), My Morning Jacket (I can hope), Nick Cave (I think it's about time for another), Moonbabies, Nicolai Dunger, and all Hyrbis releases.

Kevin Renick is exhausted from trying to pare down the list of favorites from a really great year in music.

Simon Tagestam is a regular contributor to IAT and he doesn't really have any plans for 2007, except some vague ideas concerning a Nintendo Wii, his mother's 60th birthday, more tattoos, and badminton.

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for this year's Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best album:
Anna Ternheim - "Separation Road"
BWO - "Halcyon Days"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Changes"
Marit Bergman - "I Think It's A Rainbow"
The Knife - "Silent Shout"

Best hiphop/soul:
Fattaru - "Mina drömmars stad"
Ison & Fille - "Stolthet"
Mange Schmidt - "Samtidigt, i Stockholm"
Promoe - "White Man's Burden"
Snook - "Är"

Best club/dance:
Basshunter - "LOL <(^^,)>"
Christian Falk - "People Say"
SUMO - "The Danceband"
Sunblock - "I'll Be Ready"
The Attic - "The One"

Best jazz:
Anna Christoffersson & Steve Dobrogosz - "It's Always You"
e.s.t. - "Tuesday Wonderland"
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - "Son Of A Drummer"
Koop - "Koop Islands"
Oddjob - "Luma"

Best hardrock:
Backyard Babies - "People Like People Like People Like"
Europe - "Secret Society"
Hammerfall - "Threshold"
In Flames - "Come Clarity"
The Haunted - "The Dead Eye"

Best pop/rock female:
Anna Ternheim - "Separation Road"
Linda Sundblad - "Oh My God!"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Changes"
Marit Bergman - "I Think It's A Rainbow"
Veronica Maggio - "Vatten och bröd"

Best pop/rock male:
Andreas Johnson - "Mr Johnson, Your Room Is On Fire"
Darin - "Break The News"
Eric Gadd - "Eric Gadd"
Håkan Hellström - "Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått"
Timo Räisänen - "I'm Indian"

Best pop group:
Bo Kaspers Orkester - "Hund"
BWO - "Halcyon Days"
Fibes, Oh Fibes! - "Emotional"
Melody Club - "Scream"
The Knife - "Silent Shout"

Best rock group:
Atomic Swing - "The Broken Habanas"
Johnossi - "Johnossi - With 3 Bonus Tracks"
Mando Diao - "Ode To Ochrasy"
The Refreshments - "24-7"
Whyte Seeds - "Bold As Love"

Best newcomer:
Asha Ali - "Asha Ali"
Basshunter - "Boten Anna"
I'm From Barcelona - "Let me introduce my friends"
Sebastian - Sebastian
Veronica Maggio - "Vatten och bröd"

Best producer:
Anders Hansson & Alexander Bard - "Halcyon days"
Christian Falk - "People say"
Jara Haapalainen - "Brott & Straff Sånger från ett kvinnofängelse"
Joakim Berg & Simon Nordberg - "Changes"
Karin Drejer Andersson/Olof Drejer - "Silent shout"

MP3: Fattaru - 100:-

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

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 Min drömmars stad Redline Records

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I've been listening a lot to mediocre albums these days, and unfortunately Fattaru's latest album "Mina drömmars stad" adheres to this pattern. Their first album "Fatta eld" (released 2001) was an exercise in banging beats and hit-making, and one of my favourite hiphop albums ever (seriously). After that, Fattaru "matured" and released the jazzy and horrible "Jordnära" (2003) - an album that's best forgotten. For their third album they've gone back a bit to the more direct approach of making songs, but they've also kept a lot of their more "mature" influences, and taken some new ones on board (electro, grime, etc). All in all, it's a very diverse album that contains one fantastic song ("100 spänn"), some ok ones (e.g. "Ung snubbe", "Den där skiten"), and some other quite bad ones (e.g. "Sthlmsnatt"). If Fattaru had released another "Jordnära", I totally would have given up on them, but thanks to the better parts of "Mina drömmars stad", I'm interested to see what they've got to offer in the, hopefully not too far away, future.

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the e-card for Fattaru's new record "Mina drömmars stad": http://www.emi.se/artists/fattaru/mds/index.htm
Apparently the video for the new single"Hörde jag skål" features contributions from Martin Kellerman of "Rocky" cartoon fame? Anyhow, I did the minimalist sound of the production on the tracks featured at the above link.

Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (NY) Sugarplum Fairy - She
02. (05) Peter, Bjorn And John w/Victoria Bergsman - Young folks
03. (16) The Knife - We share our mothers' health
04. (09) Whyte Seeds - Back in town
05. (03) Dub Sweden - On your telly
06. (04) Christian Falk w/Robyn & Ola Salo - Dream on
07. (07) Archie Bronson Outfit - Dead funny
08. (01) The Pipettes - Your kisses are wasted on me
09. (NY) Juni Järvi - If we just want to
10. (NY) Whitest Boy Alive - Burning
11. (02) Primal Scream - Country girl
12. (10) Danko Jones - First date
13. (13) Supersci w/Remedeeh - Get!
14. (NY) Fattaru - 100:-
15. (NY) Editors - All sparks
16. (14) The Strokes - You only live once
17. (NY) Architecture In Helsinki - Wishbone
18. (17) Promoe med Capleton - Songs of joy
19. (19) Swingfly - Save the trees
20. (12) Sator - Angelina & Sister Ray

Leaving the chart:
The Sounds - Tony the beat
Arctic Monkeys - The view from the afternoon
David & The Citizens - Are you in my blood?
Tiger Lou - Nixon
Morrissey - The youngest was the most loved
Nathan Larson w/Nina Persson - Dead leaves and the dirty ground

Tue, 23 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The new three-song Fattaru EP "100:-" has been confirmed for a June 14 release. Details: http://www.emi.se/nyheter.aspx?ssoid=1985 (in Swedish)

Thu, 05 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Dogge (Latin Kings) and Gonza (Advance Patrol) are the hosts of the upcoming Swedish hip-hop gala happening on October 2 at Amiralen in Malmö. Artists scheduled to perform: Fjärde Världen, Advance Patrol, Fattaru, Afasi, Prominent, Lilleman, Honestly, Ayesha, Peshi and Don Diego. More info: http://www.svenskahiphopgalan.se/

Mon, 19 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish hip-hop artist Hamish has confirmed "För mkt Jävla..." as the first single from his upcoming album "En Bild Säger Mer Än Tusen Ord". Dogge from The Latin Kings makes a guest appearance on the track and a video is in the works with director Jan Vasquez (Fattaru, Masayah).

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's the tracklist for the new Paragon mix CD "Ni Borde Älska Mig":

01. Intro (w/Aleks from HighWon)
02. Ni borde älska mig (produced by Astma)
03. Frågor & Svar
04. Vårt liv med (w/Ison & Fille, prod. Astma)
05. Gonzarelli freestyle
06. Du vet var du kan hitta mig (w/Fjärde Världen and Mackan from Fattaru, prod. Sakis)
07. Låt mig va (prod. Michel Rocwell)
08. Basement freestyle
09. Livsmusik (prod. Michel Rocwell)
10. Sanningens Ord (w/Rico Wondahman)
11. Prinsen av stan
12. Du har lärt mig (w/Vendetta, prod. Charlie)
13. Frozen 04 (w/Ju-Mazz)
14. Va kan man göra (prod. Sekken Thautz)
15. Hunger (w/AFC, Sabo, Hoosam and Akem, prod. Astma)
16. Stadsbarn (prod. Sekken Thautz)

It should be out in two weeks and you can get more info here: http://www.hemmalaget.nu/nyheter.asp?nav=nyheter&ID=235 (in Swedish)

Mon, 15 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

The Hives will premiere their brand new single at the P3 Gold Awards on January 23 at Storan in Göteborg. Other acts set to play include Nicolai Dunger, Lisa Miskovsky, Patrik Isaksson, Elin Sigvardsson, Timbuktu, Broder Daniel and Soundtrack Of Our Lives. As for the awards themselves, here's the nominees:

Guldmicken (best live act):
José González
Moneybrother
Randy
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best song:
The Cardigans - "For What It's Worth"
Per Gessle - "Här Kommer Alla Känslorna (På En Och Samma Gång)"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Broder Daniel - "When We Were Winning"

Best group:
Alcazar - "Alcazarised"
Bad Cash Quartet - "Midnight Prayer"
Broder Daniel - "Cruel Town"
The Cardigans - "Long Gone Before Daylight"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"

Best male artist:
Per Gessle - "Mazarin"
José González - "Veneer"
Moneybrother - "Blood Panic"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Lars Winnerbäck - "Söndermarken"

Best female artist:
Lisa Miskovsky - "Fallingwater"
Miss Universum - "Selfelected"
Pauline - "Candy Rain"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Elin Sigvardsson - "Saturday Light Naïve"

Best newcomer:
José González
Miss Universum
Moneybrother
Pauline
Radio Dept.

Best rock:
Arch Enemy - "Anthems of Rebellion"
Cult Of Luna - "The Beyond"
Mörk Gryning - "Pieces of Primal Expressionism"
Nasum - "Helvete"
Satirnine - "Void of Value"

Best dance:
Jesper Dahlbäck - total production 2003
Eric Prydz - total production 2003
Forss - "Soulhack"
Hundarna från Söder - "Hundarna Från Söder"
Plej - "Electronic Music From The Swedish Leftcoast"

Best pop:
Franke - "Optimismens Hån"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"
Radio Dept. - "Lesser Matters"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Tape - "Milieu"

Best hip-hop/soul:
Advance Patrol - "Utskrivna"
Fattaru - "Jordnära"
Ken - "Det Bortglömda"
Latin Kings - "Omerta"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"

For more info, go to P3 Gold's website.

Wed, 10 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Listen to and vote for your favorite new Swedish Christmas song: http://www.sr.se/p3/morgon/jullatar.stm. Your options are Elin Sigvardsson, Wille Crafoord, Miss Universum, Nina & Kim, Paris and Fattaru.

Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
03. Mew - 156
04. The Rasmus - In My Life
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning
07. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
08. Lene - It´s Your Duty
09. Kamera - Fragile
10. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
11. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
12. Paperboys - On The Low
13. Mustasch - Black City
14. Killer - Naughty Boy
15. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
16. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
17. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
18. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
19. Fattaru - Bättre
20. Span - Papa

Challengers:
01. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
02. Redrama - Hang It Up
03. Turbonegro - Sell Your Body (To The Night)
04. Bosson - You Opened My Eyes
05. User - To Feel

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

UpSweden has announced the first acts to be confirmed for the fifth annual Digital Tone Festival at Corona, Umeå Campus on November 28-29. There will a total of three stages and over 20 bands at the two-day hip-hip, electronica and dance music event. Here's what I've got so far: Chris Clark, Håkan Lidbo, Fattaru, K-Pist, Mobbade Barn Med Automatvapen, The Livestyle Club, Ingrid Contardo, and Muslaban.

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Nominees in the Swedish categories for the Swedish Hit Music Awards:

Best Swedish group:
Moneybrother
Alcazar
Robyn
A-Teens

Best Swedish Song:
Da Buzz - Alive
Per Gessle - Här kommer alla känslorna
Miio feat. Daddy Boastin' - När vi två blir en
Håkan Hellström - Kom igen Lena

Best Swedish hip-hop/r'n'b
Looptroop - Don't Hate The Player
Timbuktu - The botten is nådd
Advance Patrol - Min musik
Fattaru - Bättre

Best Swedish video
The Concretes - You Can't Hurry Love
The Knife - Heartbeats
José González - Crosses
The Cardigans - You're The Storm

Best Swedish rock
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
The Sounds - Living In America
Millencolin - E20 Norr

Best 'ZTV-färsking':
Satirnine - Hey No Hell
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Pauline - Runnin' Out Of Gaz
José González - Crosses

Winners be announced November 9 on ZTV. More info: http://www.ztv.se/shma/

Thu, 09 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Mew - 156
03. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
04. Lene - It´s Your Duty
05. The Rasmus - In My Life
06. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
07. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
08. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
09. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
10. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
11. Killer - Naughty Boy
12. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
13. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
14. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
15. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
16. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
17. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
18. Paragon - Lev Ditt Liv
19. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
20. Fattaru - Bättre

Challengers:
01. Mustasch - Black City
02. Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning
03. Paperboys - On The Low
04. AYA - Other Side
05. Kamera - Fragile

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 02 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
03. The Rasmus - In My Life
04. Mew - 156
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
07. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
08. Lene - It´s Your Duty
09. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
10. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
11. Killer - Naughty Boy
12. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
13. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
14. Fattaru - Bättre
15. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
16. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
17. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
18. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
19. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
20. Nu - Any Other Girl

Challengers:
01. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
02. Paragon - Lev Ditt Liv
03. Dub Sweden - Ice In My Fire
04. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
05. Racing Ape - Daddy's

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In My Life
02. Outlandish - Aicha
03. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
04. Killer - Naughty Boy
05. Mew - 156
06. Lene - It´s Your Duty
07. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
08. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
09. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
10. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
11. Darude - Next To You
12. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
13. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
14. Span - Found
15. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
16. Fattaru - Bättre
17. The Unisex - Take Me Higher
18. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
19. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
20. Kurt Nilsen - She´s So High

Challengers:
01. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
02. First Floor Power - Happy Endings
03. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
04. Laze - Steppin´ Out
05. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
02. Per Gessle - Mazarin
03. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
04. Fred Åkerström - Freds bästa
05. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
06. Robyn - Don't stop the music
07. Pauline - Candy rain
08. Lars Winnerbäck & Hovet - Söndermarken
09. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
10. David & the citizens - Until the sadness is gone
11. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight prayer
12. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
13. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
14. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
15. Da Buzz - More than alive
16. Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughs bästa
17. ABBA - ABBA Gold - greatest hits
18. Ola Magnell - Vallmoland
19. Fattaru - Jordnära
20. The bear quartet - Angry brigade

Hammerfall has posted an update on their website concerning details of the upcoming live CD/DVD and also special box set version.

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. The Rasmus - In My Life
03. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
04. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
05. Mew - 156
06. Killer - Naughty Boy
07. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
08. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
09. Lene - It´s Your Duty
10. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
11. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
12. Nu - Any Other Girl
13. Darude - Next To You
14. Span - Found
15. Kurt Nilsen - She´s So High
16. Fattaru - Bättre
17. The Unisex - Take Me Higher
18. Paperboys - What U Need
19. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
20. José Gonzales - Crosses

Challengers:
01. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
02. Zaki - Tonal
03. Racetrack Babies - It´s Ok
04. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Don Diego - Fagnani (Min Far)

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite. There's info about an Outlandish DVD contest at the top of the page, too.

Thu, 11 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. The Rasmus - In My Life
03. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
04. Lene - It´s Your Duty
05. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
06. Killer - Naughty Boy
07. Mew - 156
08. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
09. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
10. Paperboys - What U Need
11. Kurt Nilsen - She´s So High
12. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
13. Span - Found
14. Darude - Next To You
15. HIM - The Sacrament
16. Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd
17. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
18. Moneybrother - Stormy Weather
19. Nu - Any Other Girl
20. José Gonzales - Crosses

Challengers:
01. The Monotypes - Tonight
02. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
03. Paris - Disco Fever
04. Fattaru - Bättre
05. The Unisex - Take Me Higher

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 07 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Here's an e-card for Fattaru and their new single "Bättre" from "Jordnära", out September 10 on Virgin.

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Check out this press release on the new album "Jordnära" from Swedish hip-hop artists Fattaru (in Swedish). This record marks the long-awaited follow-up to 2001's "Mina Hundar" and features guest appearances from Fjärde Världen, Masayah, psyche-rockers Dungen, and Robert Athel. Look for it on September 10 from Virgin Records. The first single will be for the track with the single "Bättre".

Tue, 24 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Dagensskiva reports that Fattaru will be releasing a new album called "Jordnära" this coming fall on September 8. Masse, Salla, Chepe and Oskar Skarp lent their production skills to the record and Fjärde världen, Masayah and Dungen are said to be among the guests making appearances. Look for a single in August.