IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Sirius playlist week #49

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:26 -0800

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

01. Interlace - Nemesis
02. TALK 1
03. Kråkesølv - Skredder
04. Mata de Leon - He's alright
05. Agent Side Grinder - 210-392
06. TALK 2
07. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Frivolvol - Blades of steel
10. Adam McCormack - Dead sailor
11. TALK 3
12. Marvins Revolt - Organize your arms
13. The Bear Quartet - Least loved (of the unloved)
14. Håkan Lidbo - Let's rock
15. TALK 4
16. Eskatol - Hevn
17. Elias & the Wizzkids - Oh these nights
18. Grande Roses - Factory
19. C.Aarmé - Assuan
20. TALK 5
21. Le Sport - Love in stereo

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.

MP3: Frivolvol - It smells like something died here

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:56:29 -0800

I don't have money to burn, but if I did, I'd put out a comp with the best, most nihilistic, purely negative and dystopian-minded bands Scandinavia has to offer. And I don't know about how things look from where you sit, but I consider it to be the sound of our current zeitgeist and guess what? There are more than a few excellent specimens that fit the bill -- Haust and Hebosagil are two prime examples I've brought up in this context before; Frivolvol makes it a trinity. Listen, it takes a lot of effort to sound this ugly and it's obvious these dudes are pissed. Musically speaking, this is actually one of Frivolvol's more tamer moments (that instrumental section is almost... pretty), but those vocals sound like gargled glass; from the high-pitched screeches to the harsher, more forced low notes. His pain is yours to share. Unfortunately I wasn't provided a lyric sheet with my copy of their new album "Blades of steel", so I can't compare and contrast with the utter hopelessness expressed on previous record "Who needs maps when we got time", but my gut feeling is that things have not improved. All the better for us, the listeners, probably not so much for the guys in the band.

Sirius playlist week #44

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:08:38 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's "Blog Radio" show on Sirius XMU:

01. Obliteration - Exterminate
02. TALK 1
03. Dmitry Fyodorov - Coconut office
04. Cut City - Replacement
05. High Hats - The end
06. TALK 2
07. The Skull Defekts - Millions
08. Marvins Revolt - Organize your arms
09. Interlace - Nemesis (Infect My Black Dub by Void)
10. Hearts No Static - Motif
11. TALK 3
12. We Live in Trenches - White knuckles
13. Makthaverskan - Vi var människor från början
14. Cilihili and DaBook - Orinoco flow
15. TALK 4
16. Frivolvol - It smells like something died in here
17. Björn Kleinhenz - I hate it when you go
18. Oriel Joans - Knuckles whiten
19. TALK 5
20. Bruket - Stockholm kaller

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.

New Frivolvol album preview

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:28:48 -0700

Rabbit Ilsn has started streaming new tracks from Finnish negative hardcore act Frivolvol at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rabbitilsn
New songs will be swapped out every couple days until the release of new album "Blades of steel" on November 2.

Frivolvol confirm album title

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:10:58 -0700

The new album from Finnish hardcore act Frivolvol will be called "Blades of steel". Yes, just like the classic hockey video game. Look for a preview on label Rabbit Ilsn's myspace to happen in September about the same time the record is released.

Frivolvol finnish new album

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:25:28 -0700

Finnish negative-punks Frivolvol report that their new record "Blades of steel" is finished and will be released via Rabbit Ilsn Records sometime... before the end of the year? Look for the band to tour their home country this summer with pals Sur-rur and Aortaorta and maybe Russia too.

New Frivolvol in spring

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:37:51 -0800

Finnish hardcore act Frivolvol has a new album in the works for release sometime around March or April. Their last album "Who needs maps when we got time?" was one of the most brutally negative records I've heard in a long time, so of course I'm really looking forward to what they do next.

Sirius playlist week #51

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:18:19 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's (all-punk/hardcore) radio show:

01. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks
02. TALK 1
03. Ebba Grön - Staten & kapitalet
04. Massgrav - Jävla fittor
05. Disfear - Live the storm
06. Samtidigt Som - För jag tror att ingen annan kan känna såhär för dig
07. TALK 2
08. We Live In Trenches - Autonomy clinic
09. MABD - Kom kom
10. Black Sheep - Crazy world
11. C.Aarmé - Ti ca tu a
12. Sods - Television sect
13. TALK 3
14. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
15. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
16. Hanna Hirsch - Ingen kommer sakna oss
17. Silver - Drenched in comfort
18. TALK 4
19. Randy - Win or lose
20. Victims - Your division
21. Smalltown - Warning
22. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Bodybuilder
23. M:40 - Sista tiden
24. TALK 5
25. Hebosagil - Cosmic

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XM U. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers. Next week's show (December 28/29) will be all jazz.

Podcast: 2008 ugliness

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:27:00 -0800

LENGTH : 36:19 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_12152008.mp3 (34.0mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. Disfear - Get it off
02. Nitad - Levande död
03. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
04. Montys Loco - Ages ago
05. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks
06. C.Aarmé - Rhythm
07. Haust - Ugly fucking Oslo
08. Silver - The white logic
09. Hebosagil - Cosmic
10. Brainbombs - Turn to shit

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:59:18 -0700

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

01. Suis La Lune - Förmögenhet
02. TALK 1
03. Dmitry Fyodorov - Leisure
04. M:40 - Konfrontation
05. Cola Freaks - Ingenting set
06. TALK 2
07. Sort Sol - Boy/Girl
08. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
09. Fy Fan - Arbetslos inte dum i huvdet
10. TALK 3
11. Those Dancing Days - Home sweet home
12. Viktor Sjöberg - Bostadsrätt
13. Frivolvol - And the youth of a nation sang
14. Jesper Norda - Tomorrow you'll be forgiven but tonight you will have your teeth knocked out
15. TALK 4
16. Norma - Waste
17. Häkan Lidbo - Mental hardcore
18. Celestial - Crystal heights
19. TALK 5
20. Mattias Alkberg BD - Här är ditt liv
21. Smalltown - The music
22. Audionom - Han gar och fiskar
23. Nitad - Rädslan
24. TALK 6
25. Broder Daniel - Underground

My show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time, but is pre-empted next week (10/12) by a Beck special.

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:21:11 -0700

Finnish indie/experimental label Rabbit Ilsn (Candy Cane, Cahier, Frivolvol, etc.) has started a blog: http://rabbitilsnrecords.blogspot.com/

MP3: On Volcano - Out of sight

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:35:34 -0700

Okay, time for one last mid-year highlight. On thinking about who to cover, I knew I had to do something non-Swedish since a lot of the higher rated stuff from thereabouts is rightfully getting the attention it deserves (and no, I'm not talking about Kleerup). So Finland it is! I was inclined to do another Frivolvol post¹, but I figure that would be too much negativity for one week. They are, after all, one of the most nihilistic/misanthropic bands I've heard in quite some time. Instead I give you another track from indierock shoegazers On Volcano. I know I only just got their debut EP "My sleep was filled with dreams" quite recently², but it's been on steady rotation ever since it arrived. Further proof of my devotion: I purchased a number of copies for resale knowing full well that they are an obscure act with no profile whatsoever. It's worth it to me, they are that good. As I said last time, the band started out doing postrock and you can still hear that in their sound, but they've honed and refined the approach to be more pop-oriented, much thanks to frontwoman Minna's prominent vocals. "Out of sight" is a perfect example as it starts off in dreampop land before getting direct and to-the-point on the chorus. Wait for the breakdown too- that's the best part! Totally unexpected, but absolutely perfect.

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:26:37 -0700

Here's this week's radio show playlist:

01. Desert Planet - Riot sector 68
02. TALK 1
03. Grande - We did it all
04. Sara Berg - Crawl back from under
05. Dialog Cet - Buckfighter
06. TALK 2
07. Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva
08. Halph - Weight
09. Bright Oak - The undertow
10. TALK 3
11. Juvelen - They don't love you
12. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
13. Little Jimmy Reeves - Sidetracked
14. TALK 4
15. Keith Canisius - Omorose
16. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
17. Lognhalsmottagningen - Bodybuilder
18. Markus Krunegård - Rocken spelar ingen roll längre
19. TALK 5
20. Firefox AK - Techno tears
21. Biker Boy - April song (Mr Bananas remix)
22. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Saved by the bell
23. TALK 6
24. Nina Kinert - Pets & friends
25. Familjen - Hög luft
26. Brainbombs - Down in the gutter
27. TALK 7
28. Anders Persson och Carl Smith - Morgonsol i April
29. Abduktio - Uutisia rintamalta
30. Nordvargr - Rektal B
31. Karin Holmberg + hab - Who we are
32. TALK 8
33. Lapko - Killer whales
34. Madrugada - Lift me
35. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - What I came here for
36. TALK 9
37. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
38. Dreamboy - What have I done
39. The Tough Alliance - Lucky
40. TALK 10
41. Logh - Saturday nightmares

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: Frivolvol - Out come the knives

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:55:18 -0700

Frivolvol's last album "Frivolous vol 2: The false security program" was good, but it was bit too busy and convoluted for my tastes. I appreciate the technical prowess it takes to create that sort of stuff, but I've never been a fan of the whole riff-salad approach that so many mathy hardcore bands use. No thank you, Dillinger Escape Plan. However, Frivolvol's new album "Who needs maps when we got time" remedies that completely by making things far less rhythmically complex. They still play totally discordant, fucked-up hardcore, but it's way more powerful when you don't have to wrap your head around so many tempo changes. Also, as someone who considers Die Kreuzen's self-titled debut one of the finest (and fiercest) hardcore records ever, I love the screechy double-tracked vocals and general aura of all-out misanthropic weirdness. Seriously, I don't think I've seen lyrics this dark and pissed in a long time:

From the ruins of my heart / From the ache of my skull
From the fire of my love / From the hate of this art
From the pain what's there without a reason / From the shame of being left out
From the obstacles laid in front of me / Out come the knives

And that's not even the bottom; witness the self-loathing of "Take it from the beginning" (download here) as well. A life of no salvation or hope? Is it really only one big mistake? In a world with so much mediocre music fighting for my attention, I really appreciate something so unhinged and fearsome. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is definitely art.

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:48:04 -0700

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

01. Figurines - The wonder
02. TALK 1
03. CS Nielsen - Happy
04. Superfamily - Teens of the 70s
05. Winter Took His Life - Oh
06. TALK 2
07. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
08. Bogus Blimp - Untitled jazz no. 1
09. Firefox AK - Pushing
10. TALK 3
11. Disfear - Get it off
12. Biker Boy - March song (Kalle J remix)
13. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around
14. TALK 4
15. Dogday - New romance
16. Mew - Am I wry? No
17. Det Är Jag Som Är Döden - Hello!
18. TALK 5
19. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
20. Darkthrone - Skald av Satans sol
21. Caesars Palace - (I'm gonna) Kick you out
22. TALK 6
23. Lack - Behead
24. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty
25. Hebosagil - Old prophet
26. TIAC - OTW
27. TALK 7
28. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
29. Strip Music - Never die
30. The Social Services - Electric brae
31. TALK 8
32. At the Gates - All life ends (live)
33. Fireside - Jupiter
34. Ulver - Funebre
35. Paper - They're gonna keep me
36. TALK 9
37. Convoj - Cultural legacy
38. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
39. Silverbullit - Run
40. TALK 10
41. Massgrav - Vuxenliv

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:34:15 -0800

Finnish hardcore acts Rites of the Youth and Frivolvol will tour Russia next week:

03/15 - Friday Club, St. Petersburg
03/16 - TIR Club, Pskov
03/17 - Plan B, Moscow

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:08:35 -0800

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

01. Disfear - Deadweight
02. TALK 1
03. The Social Services - Up in arms
04. Kaka - The hotspurs (the less know the faster we go)
05. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Manic panic
06. TALK 2
07. Tiger Lou - Patterns
08. Paper - My life is going under
09. Dreamboy - Stars
10. TALK 3
11. Lack - Watchmen
12. Don't Be A Stranger - Mon chi-chi
13. Ea Philippa - Heslenes sang
14. TALK 4
15. Ef - Thrills
16. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
17. Frivolvol - Satellite kids
18. TALK 5
19. Enslaved - Eld
20. The Grand Opening - Secrets revealed
21. Ultralyd - Comphonie V
22. TALK 8
23. Firefok AK - Techno tears
24. The Indecision Alarm - Alienation process
25. Looptroop Rockers - Marinate
26. TALK 7
27. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
28. The End Will Be Kicks - Exit ramps
29. Cadillac - Locomotive
30. TALK 8
31. Lukestar - Lake Toba
32. Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
33. Printer - Minds out
34. TALK 9
35. Seven Feet Four - Auto emotion
36. Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination
37. Barra Head - Undermine
38. TALK 10
39. Britta Persson - Happy hour
40. Anna Leong - Guillotine
41. Ted Gärdestad - Can't stop this train
42. TALK 11

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:33:26 -0800

If Society is offering up a couple new Frivolvol tracks for free download: http://www.ifsociety.com/news.php

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:46:05 -0800

Check out Frivolvol's brand new video for "No money, no worries": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5scFLnt0hV0
The Finnish hardcore band will release their new album "Who needs maps when we got time" on February 20 via If Society. This new track sound far less mathy and far more like early Die Kreuzen than their last album, so I'm excited.

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:03:03 -0800

If Society has announced that the new Frivolvol album "Who needs maps when we got time" will be out in February. As mentioned before, you can now preview a track at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/frivolvol

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:25:11 -0700

Finnish hardcore act Frivolvol has a new unmastered track up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/frivolvol

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out Finnish hardcore act Frivolvol's tour diary: http://www.frivolvol.com/tour06/tour01.htm
That's some fantastic photography.

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Finnish math/hardcore act Frivolvol has a new website: http://frivolvol.com/
The band recently went through some lineup changes and is working on two new as-yet-unnamed releases.

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Also from If Society today is the video for "The false security program" from Frivolvol: http://www.ifsociety.com/files/Frivolvol-False_Security_Program.avi
The clip was created by Finnish digital artist Heikki Sillanpää.

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Finnish indierockers The Romes have posted a new EP for free download: http://www.pyhpyh.com/theromes/
The band consists of members from Frivolvol, Candy Cane, The Odorants and The Prisondream.

Frivolvol Frivolous volume II: the false security program If Society

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Fierce and "professional" hardcore – what a great way to wake up in the morning on the bus while rubbing shoulders with foul-smelling weirdos. If hardcore and Refused are your thing, then it's worth giving these Finnish dudes a closer look. Personally, I think the album wears a bit thin after the first 4 or 5 songs.

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I totally blew it and mislabelled the Frivolvol mp3 I posted yesterday. It was the correct song I meant to post, I just had the name wrong. Whoops! The right and proper name for the song is "Where dismal used to live".

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

New mp3s today from Frivolvol, a band from Finland who just released their new album "Frivolous vol 2: The false security program" via If Society (available for mailorder right here). Don't be expecting sweet pop like that Robert Post track I put up Monday - nope, this is some seriously intense hardcore, chock-full of twisted, chaotic riffs and throat-shredding screams. And for as brutal and crazy as this track is, I think it's actually one of the more straight-forward pieces. They have the capability to craft some ridiculously complicated music, but they also seem to understand that it's necessary to sometimes leave notes hanging. It's amazing how few other mathcore don't grasp the concept of contrasts. Oh, and speaking of contrasts, be sure to listen through to the coda. What a perfect way to bring the song to provide release and bring the song to a close.

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Tons of new stuff added to mailorder department, including both albums from Danish hardcore act The Psyke Project and a huge selection of If Society's recent releases including records from Viola, Frivolvol, Echo Is Your Love, Fun and more. Start shopping!

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

If Society's release schedule for the rest of the year:

08/24 - Frivolvol - "Frivolous vol 2: The False Security Program" CD (IF-28)
09/28 - Red Carpet CD (IF-29)
11/02 - Boys of Scandinavia CD-single (IF-30)
11/23 - Boys of Scandinavia CD (IF-31)
11/23 - Viola CD (IF-32)

Mon, 02 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

If Society has announced that they'll be releasing the new album "Frivolous vol 2: The False Security Program" from "corkscrewcore weirdos extraordinaire" Frivolvol this coming August. Check out some samples:

01. Maybe This Is a Bit Rich, But
02. Repressed Memories of a Tragedy