IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Presenting: The Violent Sea

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:04:24 -0700

At long last, brand new music out of Umeå featuring ex-KVLR frontman/guitarist Johan Sellman.

BCore to reissue Starmarket on vinyl for the first time

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:02:19 -0800

Spanish label BCore Disc is reissuing Starmarket's landmark "Five hours light" album on vinyl for the very first time in February, something that I suppose explains the reason the band will be performing said album down there on February 4. As with the folks at BCore, this record is a seminal piece of (Swedish) musical history to me, helping to bridge the gap between hardcore, post-hardcore and indie/noiserock -- it's the reason I discovered Kevlar/KVLR and subsequently took them on tour and put out their self-titled CD, which of course still stands as a crucial step in the evolution of this site. Read more/pre-order here: http://www.bcoredisc.com/ING/discoBD.php?id_disco=257

Presenting: The Violent Sea (ex-KVLR/Starmarket)

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:38:53 -0800

Check out The Violent Sea, a new Umeå-based act featuring ex-members of KVLR and Starmarket: http://www.myspace.com/violentseaswe

Musik med Nina Kinert, PSL i Umeå

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:39:40 -0800

Live music with Nina Kinert at PSL: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2010/11/19/musik-med-nina-kinert/
Also! PSL has been spending time in Umeå and they stopped by the new shop run by friend and "former Starmarket superstar" Magnus Öberg (Nomethod/KVLR): http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2010/11/19/our-favourite-shop-nomethod-butiken/

Life Before Man @ Absolut Noise

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:10:55 -0700

Absolut Noise has a new track up from Life Before Man, a long-running/never-documented Swedish indie act featuring my friend Mattias from Culkin/KVLR: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2010/11/internet-killed-tape-stars.html
If you dig noisy guitar-driven indie (such as Mattias' other/previous bands), you will dig this. I do.

MP3: Mindy Misty - Volcano sea

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:07:28 -0700

Yes, I am a total sucker for noisy indierock, especially if it has a distinct 90s bent, and Norway's Mindy Misty fit that bill to a tee. Not that I want to get all grumpy-old-man about it, but I like what I like and there's no getting around it and this stuff goes straight to the heart. Anyhow, they've apparently been kicking around for awhile already since the upcoming record "Generic communion" will be their 3rd release (due out September 6 via their own Handmade Records), but this is the first I've heard of them and I'm way, way into it. They've got tons of thick Sonic Youth-esque harmonies and when they combine it with that oh-so-Scandinavian sense of melody, they can't lose. Give me slightly buried vocals and a hard-driving rhythm section on top of that and I'm sold. Easy and done! So if you dig KVLR, early Motorpsycho, Unwound, Dinosaur Jr., etc etc... you will be into this. And you should.

The Holy Ghost - Daggers

Mon, 17 May 2010 11:44:17 -0700

The first rough cut from The Holy Ghost, aka the solo endeavor of Jens Åker (ex-Trapdoor Fucking Exit, Java, etc.), is now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theholyghoststhlm
RIYL Starmarket, KVLR, or any other Norrland indie.

MP3: Mixtapes & Cellmates - Soon

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:57:57 -0700

All hail the new indie rock'n'roll! I'm fine with their excursions into glitchy electronica, I really am, but Mixtapes & Cellmates sure sound best when they crank up their instruments and play as a band, complete with live drums and all the trimmings. "Soon" isn't exactly 90s Swindie revival, but it's got that spirit and takes me to that same place, the same same way bands like Starmarket and KVLR used to. Man, do I love those raucous drum fills and squeals of feedback! Haven't heard the full album yet (preview here), but if it's all like this, it's gonna be brilliant.

MP3: Breach - Seven

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:48:41 -0700

Hard to believe, but It's a Trap! turns seven years old today, an age that could be considered near-ancient in the context of this whole interweb doo-hickey. Yep, I've been slogging away at this thing all those years, slowly improving my foreign language skills, refining my tastes, fighting burnout and maybe even becoming a better writer along the way (not really). I've sent out over 300 weekly newsletters, posted nearly 32,000 news items, visited Sweden three times (with a short sidetrip to CPH once), listened to countless albums and have also had the great pleasure of meeting a ton of lovely people along the way. So a huge thanks to you, my readers and also to all of the great artists who inspire me to keep this thing going -- without you, I am nothing.

Breach's final album "Kollapse" came out in 2001 towards the end of a period when I was intensely seeking out Norrland indie/hardcore. I don't remember my first connection, but that's how I got into KVLR, Fireside, Him Kerosene, Starmarket, Carpet People, Isolation Years and many other neighboring acts. Many of those bands remain favorites today and Breach is definitely near the top of the list, with their swansong record being an absolute classic. Nothing sounds like it, not even any of the band's other records. As for posting it today, it's mere luck they happen to have a song with a title fit for the occasion.

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.

Sirius playlist week #10

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:26:51 -0700

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

01. KVLR - All there is to hiding out
02. TALK 1
03. The Rollstons - Defender of the frown
04. Turboweekend - Sweet Jezebel
05. Midaircondo - Serenade
06. TALK 2
07. Promoe - The logic of dreams
08. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
09. Karjalan Sissit - Kuolema tuiloo
10. Montt Mardié - Paraply
11. TALK 3
12. Mikko Singh - Laodi majra
13. Jonathan Johansson - All vill ha hela världen
14. My Darling You! - Dressed4success
15. Paris - Another Saturday night
16. TALK 4
17. Heroin and Your Veins - Intoxication
18. Quagmire - We know we don't know
19. Totalitär - Mer skit att välja
20. The Setting Son - Spring of hate
21. TALK 5

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.

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:16:54 -0800

Swedish noiserockers Giant Boar (ex-Seven Feet Four) have new music posted at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/giantboar
If you dig KVLR, you'll love this. I know I do.

Culkin Demo self-released

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The evidence of members of KVLR in Culkin is obvious as "Pay per fist" bursts alive in a chaotic display of Scandinavian indierock. And, as with many outstanding records, the lo-fi production adds a wonderfully human element to the compositions. This demo release almost perfectly encapsulates what has been left out of many of the recent advances into the rock genre: thick, jangled guitar lines blurring over one another to form a wall of melody; vocal lines that don't attempt to set themselves above the instrumental fray, but impose themselves directly into this skirmish; an undulating framework that allows the compositions to easily, seamlessly shift between bouts of melancholy into sections of outright triumph. Imagine elements of shoegaze and post-rock, a healthy study of 90s acts like Sonic Youth, and an outright appreciation for the Scandinavian bands who helped reshape this bastard brand of indierock (see: The End Will Be Kicks) and you get a pretty good idea of what Culkin's all about. If this demo is any indication of what's in store, Culkin have quite a future in front of them -- one that I'll be watching very closely.

MP3: Shredhead - Dork

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:18:10 -0700

For as much as I love to extol the virtues of 90s-era indierock, truth be told, it wasn't always golden. I should know, having grown up in the SF Bay Area, the epicenter of the thrash-funk scene. We had a lot of the big names, from Primus, Mr. Bungle and Faith No More to less well-known acts like Fungo Mungo, Psychefunkapus and so on. Slap-bass was everywhere, it permeated every genre, every scene. Sweden was of course, not immune. Before there was KVLR, there was Shredhead. Before there was Ray Wonder, there was Shredhead (but after Step Forward). Yep, top-secret Umeå all-stars playing thrash-funk. Or maybe not so secret? I'll mention no names myself, after all, I have my own thrash-funk past to keep buried. And honestly, this stuff really isn't all that embarrassing. It's merely a product of its time, a relic of an age since passed. Just wait until the inevitable revival, it's bound to happen someday.

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:42:16 -0700

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

01. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
02. TALK 1
03. Division of Laura Lee - Central Park
04. New Decade - While tonight still is
05. Abduktio - Uutisia rintamalta
06. TALK 2
07. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
08. Fireside - Silver muscle car
09. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
10. TALK 3
11. NEI - New morning
12. The Bear Quartet - All your life
13. Park Hotell - Dead ringers
14. KVLR - Spit
15. Electric Retard - Skate girl
16. TALK 4
17. Samuraj Cities - Ugly kids are alright
18. Barra Head - Iron to skin
19. Death By Kite - Himmelfahrtskommando
20. TALK 5
21. Blithe - Haven
22. Starmarket - You can't come
23. Lukestar - White shade
24. Monkeystrikes - Tahonga take away
25. TALK 6
26. Voices Break the Silence - This awful friend

Reminder: My show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays 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.

MP3: Culkin - Pay per fist

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:00:49 -0700

What do you get when two ex-bassists from KVLR form a new band together? Could it be noisy 90s-style indierock? Why, yes it could! Surprise! Seriously though, why aren't there more bands playing this kind of stuff? I do love big pop melodies buried in fuzz, especially when layered with huge effects-laden guitar hooks. And when they get that off-kilter, curved-air quality? Perfect! Don't let this sound die, people! It's not retro, it's just good. This is what I consider true (tr00?) indie rock. As a bonus for all you nerdy Swede-rock historians, they even cover "Allegiance" by Blithe - how cool is that? Download today's track and then head to myspace to hear more: http://www.myspace.com/culkin

Suburban Kids with Biblical Names + Jap Adaptors Live @ Gula Villan, 07/05/08

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

So the setup was a barbecue and some summer hanging out, then Suburban Kids and Jap Adaptors would play to support Half Handed Cloud and Lake from the States. We picked up some nice pre-marinated entrecôtes from Sabis, Jonas (UDDUP, Ellis) brought some porkchops that he'd marinated himself with his homemade marinade (there's Coca-Cola in it). I hadn't grilled anything in maybe 12 years. There's something about meat on a grill, it's some kind of guy-magnet. Before I knew it, we were four guys standing around the grill watching meat getting grilled, talking about tenderizing. The vegetarian grill, on the other hand, was totally lame.

We'd brought a Frisbee and started to throw, we soon had some folks playing. Johan Hedberg from SKwBN played with us and we were having alot of fun goofing of as the sun started to set. Joel (KVLR) was there, Matte (UDDUP, ELLIS) Pontus, Rickard... seemed like the entire Haninge-scene showed up. People were hanging out and it was cool.

SKwBN played a short set. I didn't recognize much, but it was really good. They're fun to watch. I think a lot were new songs. One song was in Swedish. Jap Adaptors were also really cool. I hadn't seen them before. They have a similar sound as SKwBN but also different. Great guitars. I was getting drunk.

Dinosaur Jr came on the stereo and me and Jonas played air guitar, mouthing the solos. "Take a run at the sun" is a really cool song. The clouds had parted earlier, so it was a bright northern summer night, kinda cold. and then we went home. Wish you'd been there.

MP3: The Sound O.E - Party at the moontower

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:41:56 -0700

In Malmö today with a side-trip to CPH on the itinerary to see some Norwegian bands. Viva la internationale!

Everybody always asks me- what is it about Swedish/Scandinavian music that you like so much, that makes it different? Now that's a very complicated question that deserves many hours/coffees/beers worth of discussion or maybe even a full book treatment (someday?), but the short answer is simple. I know what I like and I know it when I hear it. Yes, there is a lot of Scandinavian rock that is derivative of American or UK sounds, but there's also lots of stuff with its own identity. One such scene is Swedish noiserock, a sound I identify with bands like Starmarket and KVLR, bands who took the template of classic US indierock ala Sonic Youth/Hüsker Dü/etc. and added their own touch. The Sound O.E carries on that tradition, especially on songs like the epic album closer "Party at the moontower". You get that angular/syncopated heaviness, but it's tempered by a lovely lyricism and strong melodies. Other tracks on the album tend to be more choppy, more heavy and generally more hardcore and they're fine, but this is the stuff that really grabs me. Some bands did epic indie before Arcade Fire, believe it or not. This draws from that.

MyFriends: Atatlas, Clark Nova, Hymsk, Jong Pang, Lip Service, Suklaatehdas

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

New music, old music - there's an endless supply waiting to be discovered.

Atatlas
SOUNDS LIKE: The band's own description of "Washington DC" is apt, but I also hear strong elements of Swedish noiserock ala early KVLR, Fireside, The Price of Ink and so on. It's a shame if it's true that they've thrown in the towel, but hopefully we'll see them emerge again in similarly awesome new bands.
HIGHLIGHTS: Malthus dilemma, 4yearnightmare
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/atatlas

Clark Nova
SOUNDS LIKE: Loud instrumental rock with spacey, fuzzed-out, repetitive riffage. Stoned Krautrock, perhaps?.
HIGHLIGHTS: John Wayne, God for nothing, Timur lenk, Ourobouros - anything off their latest album essentially.
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/clarknovamyspace

Hymsk
SOUNDS LIKE: How can music be both simultaneously annoying and yet so intriguing? Like The Residents before them, this is art music made for (and by?) fringe weirdos.
HIGHLIGHTS: Both tracks are worth hearing
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/hymsk

Jong Pang
SOUNDS LIKE: Kitchen sink indie/electronica/whatever you wanna call it. Pop structures and melodies, but orchestrated in new, exciting ways.
HIGHLIGHTS: New order, Small cut sensations
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/jongpang

Lip Service
SOUNDS LIKE: Heavy, trance-inducing industrial/EBM. Alternates between the big beat of Nitzer Ebb and the dark pop of early Depeche Mode.
HIGHLIGHTS: Velvet machine, Two worlds collide, Trace the 14 lights
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/lipservicetheband

Suklaatehdas
SOUNDS LIKE: Finnish tango! Because myspace isn't all about cutting-edge indierock, y'know.
HIGHLIGHTS: Irma, Seireenni
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/suklaatehdas1

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:19:16 -0800

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

01. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
02. TALK 1
03. Death By Kite - Sweet M
04. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
05. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
06. TALK 2
07. Don Juan Dracula - Take me home (Johan Angebjörn remix feat. Sally Shapiro)
08. Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
09. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Dreams at the film club (feat. Nina Kinert)
10. TALK 3
11. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
12. Madrugada - Tonight I have no words for you
13. Majessic Dreams - Have to go
14. TALK 4
15. Pavan - The bird
16. Bröderna Lindgren - Om en guldfisk (feat. Kristofer Åström)
17. The Tarantula Waltz - Where I end and you begin
18. Adam Tensta - They wanna know
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Mot stjärnorna
21. Gravy - Rock scientists
22. Jonas Game - ADHD
23. TALK 6
24. Linus Larsson & John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
25. Idiot Kid - Go to sleep
26. Mats Öberg - Cool water - på Den Gyldene Freden
27. TALK 7
28. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
29. The Bear Quartet - I would be poor
30. Peloton - Aranburu
31. Royal Downfall - Lightning strikes twice
32. TALK 8
33. Made In Sweden - Winter's a bummer
34. Erik Enocksson - The state the sea left me in
35. Asha Ali - Coward heart
36. TALK 9
37. A-ha - Celice

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:28:49 -0800

Special offer for December! Buy one "It's a trap! Reader's companion", get the other for free! Or buy either of the Logh or Tiger Lou 7"s and get a dollar off each! Also note that I've lowered the price of the KVLR CD to a mere $4! Go shopping!

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:10:25 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Mattias Bärjed - 99 pounds
02. TALK 1
03. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
04. Hyacinth House - Swedish signs on Monkey Island
05. Aerial - Secret goddess
06. Icos - Fly away
07. TALK 2
08. Robyn - Konichiwa bitches (Trentemøller remix)
09. Folke Rabe - Argh!
10. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
11. TALK 3
12. Audionom - In the streets
13. The Alpine - Trigger
14. Immanu El - Astral days
15. TALK 4
16. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jag har en vän
17. Logh - Thieves in the palace
18. Galento - Gunnar Hardings paraply
19. TALK 5
20. Promise and the Monster - Antarkis
21. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Heroica
22. Anchor - In the throes of passion
23. TALK 6
24. Repoman - Valley of snakes
25. Ulver - Shadows of the sun
26. Bobby Baby - Do not twist
27. TALK 7
28. Superfamily - Warszawa
29. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
30. Sinikka Langeland - Sus i myrull
31. TALK 8
32. Graveyard - Thin line
33. Mai - Snowing downtown
34. KVLR - Abomination
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan

MP3: Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:59:22 -0700

Our usual Friday programming is being preempted this week because I've got an extra-special treat, Tobias Hellkvist performing a cover of "Abomination" by KVLR. What could be better than one of the current best up-and-coming acts covering one of my all-time favorites? Naturally, I think it's awesome, but then again, how could I not? It's almost as if it was tailormade just for me!
Tobias' version keeps the basic melody intact, but by stripping away the heavy drums (one of KVLR's main calling-cards), he gives the song a whole new feeling. Johan Sellman's original vocal is commanding and venomous while Tobias sings with something that's more akin to simmering resentment. There's a slight weariness that's at odds with the lyrics, but it works in the end, kinda in the same way that the new José González record does. You don't have to shout to show you're angry, y'know? It's the quiet ones that you really gotta watch out for.

Column: A Postcard Life #3

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Autumn is my favorite season, though it has not always been the kindest one. With the days growing shorter and colder, and with summer bleeding out so beautifully in the yellows, oranges, and reds of the decaying leaves, I often find myself looking inwards and backwards over the past year, examining its successes and failures, and tallying up all of those missed opportunities and regretted memories. Some years this is a more difficult process than others. The future seems much further off with scarves wrapped around our necks and layers of clothing attempting the stave off the sharp teeth of impending winter. These are the times when music becomes necessary for our mental stability and survival, and can assist in properly facilitating and strengthening those introspective rambles into the layers of experience that make us the individuals we are. The end of the year is indeed a good time to take stock of where we are. By doing so we increase the likelihood that once spring hits, we know where we want to go as the momentum of another year starts up. And what medium better to guide our hands than music, specifically creations from the Scandinavian states - a people who know all too well the darkness of autumn and winter.

While my first winters in Stockholm were difficult - those first days of near perpetual darkness, combined with the cold and quiet, the snow absorbing so much of life's clamor - they pale in the face of what the robust souls of Norrland face every year. This might be why there is such presence to their music in these festering months of a lost year.

The Bear Quartet have quite the catalog to peruse in these moments, though I'd probably fall into "Angry brigade" and "Personality crisis" at this early stage of the decay, saving "Gay icon" for when summer becomes something that is coming, not a string of events that have just passed. "Vi kommer att dï¿½ samtidigt" from Sï¿½kert!'s self-titled album will also help bridge that twilight period between autumn and winter.

The Perishers' "Let there be morning", and even this year's "Victorious", will funnel themselves into my headphones as October overtakes my present and the sun starts to ignore this northern hemisphere. "My heart" and "Come out of the shade" are near perfect examples of songs that traverse those strange corridors between hope lost and hope rediscovered. Compositions like these thrive as winter's influence starts to win out over the summer's optimism and as life slows to a less frantic pace. Upbeat melodies will fit certain days of chilly sunlight, but building landscapes of softer tones and less buoyant themes seem more apt as calendars reach the end of their tenure on our walls.

And while I am not as familiar with groups like KVLR, Isolation Years, Fireside, and Carpet People, the tracks I have heard present further evidence of Norrland's artists' ability to purposefully color the passing moments of autumn and winter. But, bands from Sweden's more populated south are not to be ignored.

"Howl howl gaff gaff" has a few tracks that fit the coming months, but the Shout Out Louds' sophomore effort "Our ill wills" has the malleability to be just as relevant in November as it was for me in May, and will easily survive in its relevance as 2008 comes more clearly into focus. "Normandie", "You are dreaming", and "Impossible" have risen to the upper echelons of my favorite Scandinavian compositions, exemplifying that strange exploration of loss and potential salvation that Scandinavian musicians have perfected over the past few decades.

While I enjoy this year's "Mother, am I good looking?", and agree that it has some of Laakso's best material to date (especially "Worst case scenario" and "Norrkï¿½ping"), it is "My gods" that is the more solid and focused record overall, a record that constantly unveils new strata, especially when viewed through the different lenses provided by shifting phases of the year, and thematically more compatible with the liminal period of cold and darkness before next year's thaw.

Kent have a plethora of songs that fit well into any autumn playlist, and their seventh studio album "Tillbaka till samtiden" is due out October 19. Jens Lekman's most recent effort will undeniably play some role in distracting me from the cooler temperatures and from my own pressing concerns. And pushing from Sweden into Denmark, The Kissaway Trail's striking debut album will gather some inertia as yellow and brown leaves cover the once green lawns of our neighborhoods, CS Nielsen's leading effort will take on a slightly heartbreaking tone, and I've never been one to dismiss Figurines' ability to bring a little cheer into the gloomiest moments.

This list could go on for quite some time, which quite succinctly sums up the state of Scandinavian music, especially compared to more populated countries such as America, Canada and Great Britain. I never even got to touch upon Norway's or Finland's musical contributions, and could probably create an entire column devoted to that one purpose alone, nor was I really able to go into much depth or cover all the bands I'd have liked to.

Many things become less cheerful as the year becomes less of a youthful cry and more of an echo, but there are soundtracks to elevate us above these dark currents, or allow us to plunge fully into them - and a sickening number of the most powerful of these are created in Scandinavia. There is a great deal of hope to be taken from that statement, more than enough to get me through until next spring.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:19:43 -0700

Check out The Rocket Bank, a new-ish Umeå-based act featuring members from KVLR/Kevlar, Puffin, Carpet People and more: http://www.myspace.com/therocketbank

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:58:00 -0700

Here's the playlist for my radio show on Saturday:

01. Ted Gärdestad - Räcker jag till
02. TALK 1
03. The Setting Son - In a certain way
04. Beyond Dawn - TRNQL
05. Miss Li - Let her go
06. TALK 2
07. Jonna Lee - Dried out eyes
08. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
09. The Motorhomes - I wanna make you sing
10. TALK 3
11. Printer - Minds out
12. Alarma Man - Sweden, Sweden
13. Pistol Disco - Radiation
14. TALK 4
15. Knugen Faller - Lugna favoriter
16. Scraps of Tape - Since all the birds are moving, shouldn't we
17. Carpet People - If I lose my voice
18. TALK 5
19. Asha Ali - A promise broken
20. Ingenting - Punkdrommar
21. Holiday for Strings - I got two hands
22. TALK 6
23. NEI - City of gold
24. FAP - Sjömannen
25. Monoton - Hours
26. TALK 7
27. Deathbed - Everyday heroin
28. Dibaba - Go marching in
29. Johnossi - Execution song
30. Sista Sekunden - Se opp
31. TALK 8
32. Laakso - Worse case scenario
33. Tiger Lou - Sell out
34. Peter Bjorn and John - Matchmaker
35. TALK 9
36. Johndoe - Hardt som faen
37. Espen Jørgensen - Move ahead - quickly
38. Säkert! - Och jag grät mig till sömns efter alla dar
39. TALK 10
40. KVLR - Slow clapping
41. Anna Leong - 61
42. Final Exit - Bent out of shape
43. TALK 11
44. The Bear Quartet - Lights out, sound off

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

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
02. TALK 1
03. Madrugada - Shine
04. My Midnight Creeps - Don't let 'em bring you down
05. TALK 2
06. Asha Ali - A promise broken
07. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
08. Pelle Carlberg - Clever girls like clever boys much more than clever boys like clever girls
09. TALK 3
10. Enslaved - 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)
11. TALK 4
12. Fare You Well - Take me away
13. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt
14. Emmon - Wake up time (Thermostatic remix)
15. TALK 5
16. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
17. Magnus Carlsson - Va med mig
18. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia
19. TALK 6
20. De Må Være Belgiere - Cirkler
21. Johndoe - Kjøtere
22. Manes - Deeprooted
23. TALK 7
24. Khoma - Stop making speeches
25. The Giant's Dream - Significant dawn
26. Las Puertas - The water
27. TALK 8
28. Lordi - The chainsaw buffet
29. Logh - A sunset knife fight
30. Lack - 5 o'clock in the evening
31. TALK 9
32. The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
33. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
34. TALK 10
35. Kashmir - The aftermath

MP3: Park Hotell - Born a thief

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Luleå-based indierockers Park Hotell managed to score a nice bit of publicity thanks to Mattias Alkberg's flattering one-sheet writeup. That's fine and good, but how about the music? Well, surprise surprise: they sound like a Norrland indierock band. Naturally, I think that's great - I'm a huge fan of that style and besides the mighty Bear Quartet, count many other peers as my favorites such as KVLR, Him Kerosene and Isolation Years. Park Hotell emphasizes the lighter, airier side of things though that looming presence of northern darkess always remains in the background. Otherwise, expect tons of twisted guitars and plenty of the sort of unique melodies that are a given for the genre. "Born a thief" is one of the more driving tracks on "The guest who stayed forever", the bands new double-EP (two short CDs packaged in a nice gatefold sleeve). It's probably the one song that reminds me the most of HK which is maybe why I like it so much. My only complaint: it's a shame we had to wait so long for this to finally come out.

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My good friends KVLR are back in the studio working on new material: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=60251497&blogID=268111610
They'll probably never tour again which is a shame, but at least we'll get more music at some point.

Sat, 19 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My special guest on my radio show this week was Ola Frick of the Moonbabies. Here's what we played:

01. Johndoe - Kjøtere
02. TALK 1
03. Mixtapes & Cellmates - The better half of cynical boys
04. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
05. Breach - Lost crew
06. TALK 2
07. Silverbullit - Only gold
08. Lack - Primo Levi
09. Samuraj Cities - All along the shoreline
10. Rockettothesky - Barrie for Billy MacKenzie
11. TALK 3
12. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
13. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
14. Moonbabies - War on sound
15. TALK 4
16. Moonbabies - Cocobelle
17. TALK 5
18. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom (comp version)
19. Björn Kleinhenz - Pocket of gold
20. TALK 6
21. Loney, Dear - Saturday waits
22. Revolvo - Marmelade
23. TALK 7
24. Emerald Park - Open up
25. KVLR - Capitol city child
26. TALK 8
27. David & the Citizens - Are you in my blood?
28. TALK 9
29. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
30. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
31. TALK 10
32. Moonbabies - Sun A.M. (outtake version)
33. TALK 11
34. Moonbabies - Don't ya know?

Not only did Ola reveal that he used to be a member of the Mercyful Fate fanclub, but it also looks like he'll be recording the next David & the Citizens record. Excellent!

Sat, 05 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

MP3: Säkert! - Sanningsdan

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

It was never a matter of if I was going to post something from Säkert!, the Swedish-language project of Annika Norlin aka Hello Saferide, only a matter of when. Naturally, I am predisposed to enjoy the record - how could I not? I'm obviously a big enough fan of Hello Saferide that I decided it was worth a couple thousand dollars to press her debut album on vinyl and promote it in the US. Factor in that Annika is backed on the record by some of Umeå's best musicians and I'm sold before I've heard a note. It's no secret that I hold Norrland's capital city near and dear to my heart - my label's first release was from KVLR, another band from that same city. So what do you get when you have Henrik Oja from The Spacious Mind plus Mats Hammarström and Daniel Berglund from Isolation Years all making music together? Hopefully you've heard the brilliant debut single "Vi kommer att dö samtidigt" already; if not please recitify that right away. Um, can you say pop hit of the year? It's good enough that it's already inspired an English cover version from The Animal Five. I'm a bit torn on which track is the runner-up - it was either "Allt som är ditt" or today's mp3 post "Sanningsdan". The former is a fantastic song, but it's also a bit more downbeat (it reminds me a lot of something from Johndoe's "Dødvinkel", one of my favorite albums from 2006), so I've gone with the latter. It's a duet with Martin Hanberg of Vapnet and it practically stands up and demands a video treatment. It also demands repeat plays with the way it stops, restarts and fades out. So infectious! I wish I could tell you what it's about, but I can't so I won't. Just enjoy the song.
Buy the self-titled album: [click here]

The Sound O.E Me and Laureline Cut n' Paste

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

There's a new batch of swedish indierockbands out there. The scene is very much alive and kicking, much thanks to bands like Seven Feet Four, Division of Laura Lee, KVLR, Alarma Man, Knife and Ape, LDOA and Logh. On this three track-EP, this Eskilstuna-based quintet deliver the kind of tunes that put them in the same league. I had often come to the conclusion that something was missing after hearing their previous recordings, but not anymore. This is well-played and tight indierock with hooks. Especially the title track that, if there's any justice in this world, should get more airtime and attention. It's about time these guys release another full-length.

MP3: The Sound O.E - New bankruptcy

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

One of the big things that got me deeper into Swedish/Scandinavian rock way back when was explosive, guitar-heavy indierock. Fireside, Starmarket, Him Kerosene, KVLR - these are the bands that caught my interest and had me pouring through liner notes looking for more names to track down. Sadly, that scene is nowhere near as strong these days though there are a few who keep the fire burning: The End Will Be Kicks, Seven Feet Four, Aerial Convoj plus young upstarts like Traktor and today's post subjects The Sound O.E. The band has been lurking in the shadows for a couple years now, but it wasn't until very recently that they seemed to rise above and the new three-song EP "Me and Laureline" proves it. The screechy sprechstimme delivery of the verses might be a bit much for some, but remember that what they're doing is essentially sloganeering - the words are meant to be heard loud and clear. It's call & response; a call to action. When the harmonies of the chorus come in, the intentions are indisputable. The Sound O.E know exactly what they're doing. I think the arrangement could still be tightened up a bit, but I like what they're doing and definitely look forward to hearing more.

Video mix: Peter Bjorn and John, The Lionheart Brothers, Kristofer Åström, Desert Planet, José González, Khoma, more...

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

All "Reader's companion volume one" edition.

Peter Bjorn and John - Young folks (live in Glasgow)
A great song, but I still think "It beats me every time" is better...

KVLR - Capitol city child live w/dancer
Since their only two 'real' videos were already posted recently, here's a silly tour film.

I couldn't find any videos on YouTube, so here's the top-rated search result for 'Fun' and 'Finland'.

The Lionheart Brothers - Time river floaty
Not the best video, but still a fantastic song.

Kristofer Åström - The wild
A super-creepy video for an amazingly beautiful song.

David & the Citizens - Greycoated morning
I was hoping to find the clip for "Big chill", but this track is pretty hot too.

Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
100% pure genius. 'Nuff said.

José González - Crosses
Still classic.

Opeth - Isolation years
Apparently Isolation Years doesn't have any videos on YouTube, so here's the Swedish band Opeth playing their song "Isolation years".

CDOASS - I Spy (Batman and Robin)
Hmmm... fan art.

Khoma - One of us must hang (live)
The sound quality is subpar, but the song is still great.

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR has started to track guitars on their new album: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr

Video mix: Promoe, Loosegoats, Hell On Wheels, The Fine Arts Showcase, Viktor Sjöberg, more...

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Featuring the Kjellvander brothers, both together and apart.

Promoe - Headache (embedding forbidden - click the link instead)
One of the best tracks from "White man's burden" and a good visual accompanyment too. I've been listening to Promoe non-stop all week. (AR)

Loosegoats - Slotmachines and broken dreams
Pavement anyone? A great song anyhow... (JA)

Hell On Wheels - Alexandr
A great song from a great album, one of this year's best. (MG)

KVLR - Slow clapping
Taken from KVLR's self-titled album. A gloomy, animated video which accompanies the song in a nice way. (JA)

Koop - Come to me
I'm not too keen on Koop's music, but this video is very enthralling and it makes me want to travel back in time and join one of those swinging parties. Need to learn the steps before I go though (how hard can it be?). (ST)

The Fine Arts Showcase - Hazel Ridge
One of the highlights from the "Electric Pavilion..." (MG)

Viktor Sjöberg - "A teenage love" live in Gothenburg
Big things are going on in Gbg these days. Pay attention! (AR)

Christian Kjellvander - Drag the dirt in (live)
Don't mind the wayward cameraman, the sound is really good. (MG)

C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
Quite possibly the greatest band of our time. (AR)

.:Who's who?

JA: Jonas Appelqvist
MG: Matt Giordano
AR: Avi Roig
ST: Simon Tagestam

MP3: KVLR - Capitol city child

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Not only is it Friday, but it's also the fall equinox and the Jewish New Year. The end of the summer and the end of the year, but the start of many new things. Hard to believe that It's a trap! will be four years old next week. When I look back, I'm amazed at how much I've accomplished over the years. I've gone from irregularly posting quips whenever I found some factoid I thought was interesting enough to share to daily news updates with mp3 posts and a weekly newsletter. Somewhere in there I also decided that it would be a good idea to start a record label (one of the very first music blogs to do so, I might add) and now have four releases to my name with more to come. The band that started it off: KVLR. It started off so innocently - all I did was ask them for an interview and before I knew it, I was booking them a week-long tour to get them to SXSW and back. Things went so well between us, I ended up doing the US release of their next album. However, the album that drew me to the band was 2003's "The great collapse", still one of my favorite records to this day. It achieves the perfect balance of melody, dissonance and heaviness - huge interweaving guitar lines set against a pounding rhythm section. The band is pretty much just a studio project these days, but there is new material on the way, so I'm excited. They might even play a hometown gig in Umeå, you never know! I'll be sure to keep you informed.

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR, the first band I ever released on the IAT label, report that they have finished recording bass tracks for their new album and will soon be starting on guitars. Can't wait to hear it!

Video mix: KVLR, El Perro Del Mar, Totalt Jävla Mörker, Entombed, Division of Laura Lee, Abhinanda, more...

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR - Birthcam
Nothing new under the sun in the directing of this video. Just the band playing the song in a room, a video that's been done so many times before. BUT the song itself makes this video a must-see. KVLR is a band more people should discover. (JA)

The Knife - Pass this on
Great Video and a great song. My girlfriend is convinced that is a transvestite singing. I really can't tell. Maybe my living situation has made me blind. Good thing I am off for some much needed vacation in... ehr, San Francisco. (PA)

El Perro Del Mar – Gods knows (you gotta give to get)
Twee animation here from El Perro Del Mar. Ambitious video, fantastic song. (ST)

Totalt Jävla Mörker - Kall värld
The new album by TJM may have more metal influences in it, but these guys still play hardcore as it's supposed to sound. And the refrain is a damn hit! Check out the new self-titled album out on Relapse. (JA)

Juli & The Monoliths - Itämaista Rakkautta
The lipsynch is terrible, but who could fault Nina Persson? Everything she does has her own attractive appeal. Ain't that so boys! In Finnish she is daft. (JC)

Entombed - Night of the vampire
Who doesn't love a good Swedish death-metal cover of Roky Erickson? Not me. I think I still have this 7" sitting around somewhere. (AR)

Division Of Laura Lee - Dirty Love
Features Nina Persson (The Cardigans, A Camp) on guest vocals. In my opinion, one of Swedens finest bands. Pretty cool video as well... (JA)

Jenny Wilson & Robyn – List of demands (Saul Williams cover)
Yes, two of Sweden's greatest female artists do a blinding cover of Saul Williams' hypnotic song. (ST)

Quit Your Dayjob - Vlado video
Just like one of my previous videopost for IAT (Logh - The smoke will lead you home), this video is shot just a few blocks from my apartment. In fact, in the videostore where I rent horrormovies when I'm in that mood! Low-budget and hilarious! (JA)

Abhinanda - City of hope
Yes! Classic Norrland sXe hardcore at its finest! This shows the beginnings of that classic discordant post-hardcore sound I hold so dear. (AR)

.:Who's who?

PA: Per Apelqvist
JA: Jonas Appelqvist
JC: Jason Christie
AR: Avi Roig
ST: Simon Tagestam

MP3: Marit Bergman - No party

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Not only do I have a new interview with Marit Bergman posted today, but I've also got an mp3 of her latest single for download. You excited? I sure am! I've been a fan of Marit for a long time now, ever since her first solo album "3.00 am serenades" from 2002. As I've reminisced here many times, our paths crossed briefly when I was on tour with KVLR at SXSW in 2003, but I never got the opportunity to see her play. This site was still in its infancy back then, so I was just some nobody trying to play the part of a tour manager. So enough nostalgia - let's talk about "No party", the single. It's a bit more downbeat in tone than I expected, but just as hooky as ever. Even though I might've been looking forward to something more bright and cheery, I suppose this probably works even better for the season as summer is ending and we'll soon be slipping into fall. The annual series of festivals is wrapping up, so it won't be long until there really are no more big parties to go to, right? I can certainly relate - it's been just over a year since I've relocated here to Oly and I still don't know that many people. It's liberating in some ways, but also lonely at times. No doubt most people have been there at one point or another. Let all gather 'round the stereo and sing along with the bittersweet chorus, shall we?

MP3: Tiger Lou - Until I'm there

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Today's the day! The new Tiger Lou 7" is available for ordering and I'm offering up the a-side "Until I'm there" as a free download. I had absolutely no expectations when I first started the label component of the It's a trap! empire back in 2004 with the release of KVLR's self-titled album, but here I am with release #4, my very first 7". Forget about all the various sound quality arguments, there's nothing like the touch and smell of fresh vinyl. Listening to record is a way more visceral experience than simply sliding a CD into a changer - you've got to pull it out of it's sleeve, find the proper side to listen to and set it on the turntable before firing it up and setting the needle in the groove to create sound. It's ritualistic and satisfying in a way that digital media can never compare to. I am incredibly honored and humbled to be working with a great talent such as Rasmus Kellerman and Tiger Lou. He's been one of my favorite artists for awhile now and he only gets better with each new release. So enjoy the mp3 and, if you like it, buy the record.

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Norrland indierockers KVLR are done with basic tracks on their new album: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr
No one's sure about a release date yet, but I'm talking with the guys about doing a netrelease EP with some of the songs.

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

My pals KVLR will be releasing their next album as a free download: http://blog.myspace.com/kvlr

Profile: Iisole

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Name: Iisole

From: Stockholm, Sweden

Sounds like: Melancholy post-hardcore. Not quite metal enough for doom, but definitely heavier than most indierock.

Listen: The words

Discography:
2006 - s/t EP (self-released)
2005 - s/t EP (self-released)

Links:
www.iisole.com
www.myspace.com/iisole

Iisole is a band that seems almost tailormade for my tastes. They have driving, noisy guitars like my mates KVLR, but they also indulge in gloomy post-rock ala Logh, another one of my most favorite acts. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than that in my book. So why are they still unsigned? It makes no sense. Explore the mystery!

Who are you and where are you from?

I am iisole. I consist of four individuals with their own agendas.
I try to make them move in the same direction, but most of the time they don't, just to piss me off.
I currently live in Stockholm but sometimes I need a break from the big city and then I go to small places that are surrounded by trees, mountains and weaponfactorys.

What makes you special and why should anyone care?

I got three nipples, a gay dad, a crooked nose and I´ve got a bastard child (love him). That's why.

The power of flight or invisibility - which do you choose and why?

I have to go with invisibility on this one. Then I could sneak on a plane and then I would both be flying and be invisible. And of course rob a bank, start a record label and hire a lot of important people to do all my dirty work.

Tell me about one of your favorite childhood memories.

I'm still a child.
- I was drunk on stage in Norway... "Norway sucks...buy a t-shirt". Never seen people shop away like that.
- When I stole my favourite drum beat...pi-zza ka-tong, ka-tong — ka-tong me pi-zza. That was a good one.
- When I got dismissed by a record label due to alleged attitude problems.
- When I performed in Umeå this dirty punk yelled out, during a slow part in a song, "play faster!". After the show I hated myself for not responding "dance slower".

What's your strongest vice?

Discovery channel, showers, drinking beer while showering, Russian literature, laziness, anything smokable, anything drinkable (green yellow), food magazines, Emmerdale, df, skunk.nu... and my own music.

Tell me about some of the other bands various Iisole members are involved with.

Vi - heavier and slower. (jhd)
Iskra - my ego, indiepop project. Started in a livingroom standard in minor. (Iisole members + a bunch more)
Deud - garagenoise duo (jhd, hmn)
Avsmak - gory horror hip-hop in swedish (iaeb)
Suffocate for Fuck Sake - Breach, Sigur Ros, Cult of Luna and Mogwai at the same time. (emm, jhd)

What does the future hold for Iisole?

Iisole will be appearing on a 12" compilation by Jezbel Recordings set to release in June. We will also appear in the June issue of a Swedish music magazine called Groove and have a song on their monthly cd.
We will do pretty much anything to get a record deal, it would be so fucking nice not having to burn our own cd's or pay for doing gigs.
Other than that, we'd like to play live as much as possible.
Om inget händer innan imorgon så kommer jag.

Thu, 18 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Nomethod has revealed that besides from new full-length albums and digital singles from both Mixtapes & Cellmates and Aerial, they'll be doing a comp this winter featuring a large cast of exciting Scandinavian artists. Names confirmed so far include Bobby Baby, Mixtapes & Cellmates, Kuryakin, Most Valuable Players, Aerial, Tar...Feathers, Echo Is Your Love, Cat Burglar, Penny Century, We Are Soldiers We Have Guns, Otur, Audrey and KVLR. More details to come!

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

My good friends, Umeå-based indierockers KVLR, will enter the studio next week to record basic tracks for the first three songs of their new album. They say the material is very varied and different, so expect greatness.

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

German-based label Stickman Records (Motorpsycho, KVLR) has licensed The Fine Arts Showcase's most recent album "Radiola" for a wider release and will be putting it out on August 25.

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

My boys KVLR are back! They had their first rehearsal in over a year today and finished two new songs with four more on the way. Look for them to record a new full-length at Arrowstreet in Umeå over the summer. Song titles so far include "Feel bad hit of the summer", "You caress the greedy hand", "Bad century dream" and "Enemy diary".

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

We continue our glut of great new music with another full week of daily tunes, 'cept this time it's all demo/self-released material. My first choice was easy - all of Iisole's previous material has been strong, but their latest demo is a stunner. The band has started to incorporate more post-rock tendencies into their noisy, guitar-heavy sound and the result is something like a cross between KVLR and Logh, two of my most favorite bands. How could I not love it? Hopefully you will too.

MP3: Iisole - The words

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

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

It's a trap! recording artist KVLR is now on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kvlr
The band is on permanent hiatus, but I hear that frontman Johan and drummer Magnus plan to record some new material this summer. Labels interested in giving them money to make sure it happens are encouraged to get in touch.

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish noiserockers Iisole will be going into the studio on February 23 to record some new songs and will also be playing a short tour in Sweden and Norway with When We Fall in mid-March. If you're into stuff like KVLR, be sure to check these guys out.

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

2006 release schedule for upstart indie label Nomethod:

01/10 - QGMR - No Language EP
01/31 - Aerial - Black rain from the bombing CD
02/27 - The giant's dream - Idiomatic allograph EP
03/13 - KVLR - Swan Songs EP
04/24 - v/a - It´s the method of Nomethod's Summer CD

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

It's a small, small world that we live in. About a week ago my wife went to a meeting of the local weavers guild where a woman was talking about her upcoming trip to the Swedish speaking region of Finland so of course my wife mentioned something about this site and my interest in such things and so forth. So then this other lady relates a tale from one of her ealier trips to Sweden years ago where she stayed with some friends who had a surly punk-rocker daughter who later became a pop star. And who would that daughter be? Why, Marit Bergman of course. I can only imagine that this must've been during the Candysuck days, but I don't know for sure as it's all second-hand. As for my own Marit Bergman story: we met very briefly at SXSW in Austin when I was on tour with KVLR. I was totally out of my head from driving all night and probably made no sense, but whatever - it was years ago. I'm over it. So Marit, should you ever read this, I hope you're enjoying your stay in NYC. Hopefully we'll get some new music from you in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, here's a live track from Popstad 2003.

MP3: Marit Bergman - I take my wings off you

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

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.

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I figure I might as well keep with the theme of the most recent podcast and post another fine track from Starmarket. I was considering trying to track down some Shredhead mp3s, but I get the feeling that those dudes probably don't want that stuff distributed online so prominently. Anyhow- Starmarket, as you can probably infer, are another fine band from Umeå in Northern Sweden. Their sound is part mid-90s noisepop mixed with a bit of post-hardcore, kinda like Fireside who I featured on a Friday classic post two weeks ago. This track happens to be one of the more tender numbers from the band's early period. It's incredibly melodic, but rhythm section keeps things heavy and powerful. The band is still kicking around nowadays, but they've gone through quite a few member changes over the years. Magnus and Johan went on to form KVLR (one of my absolute favorite bands), Patrik plays with Family Music and Fredrik also does The Crystal Committee. There's probably tons more too, but really - who needs to read through their entire incestous musical family tree? Not gonna happen. Just download the track whydoncha?

Podcast: The sound of Umeå

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

DATE ADDED : 08.04.05
LENGTH : 31:08 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_08042005.mp3 (21.9mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. Knugen Faller - Inte som ni
02. Refused - New noise
03. KVLR - Capitol city child
04. David Sandström Overdrive - Puppet arms
05. The Spacious Mind - Rotvälta 5
06. Meshuggah - Shed
07. Isolation Years - Cover the distance

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

HUGE congrats to Johan Sellman of KVLR who I just heard will be becoming a father in December! Awesome!

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish indierockers Iisole have posted some new tracks on their website: http://www.iisole.com/
Kinda reminds me of older KVLR stuff, so of course I like it.

Tue, 31 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Instead of picking a new album of the month for June, I'm offering special deals on all IAT titles! Both the "It's a trap! reader's companion" and self-titled KVLR album are marked down $2 cheaper so I'll have less stuff to pack when I move at the end of the month. Buy now!

Fri, 20 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

It's something I've already known for awhile, but now it's official: KVLR is on hiatus for the immediate future. Read the band's full statement: http://www.kvlr.net/
Frontman Johan Sellman and drummer Magnus Öberg still plan on making music together in the meantime, but it's just too difficult for the full band to be in the same place at the same time right now.

Mon, 09 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Speaking of mp3s on yonder playlist, if you dig that Cobolt track from Friday you might be happy to learn that the album "Spirit on parole" is on sale for $3.50 ppd from The First Time Records. Hard to find a better deal than that! They also have KVLR/Kevlar's first album "On planted streets" on sale for the same low price, so check it out.

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Well, the time has come and it's time for me to leave on my very first trip to Sweden. Can you believe it? It's funny, but it's true. Since I won't be posting any news for awhile I'm gonna leave you with two mp3s for the road, one from Isolation Years and one from KVLR. Both bands are from Umeå way up north in Norrland, my final destination after spending 48hrs or so in Stockholm. The KVLR track is an old tune from the "On planted streets" collection, my selection for April's album of the month. It's been over two years since we all went on tour to SXSW together and I can't wait to see tham all again. As for Isolation Years, this track is the band's bittersweet lovesong for their home country and, like everything else off their new album "Cover the distance", it is absolutely brilliant. There's been some good records released this year, but this one tops them all. Without a doubt, they are my favorite band right now. They keep getting better and better with every new album and I can't wait to see them play next week.

Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

KVLR's heartthrob bassist Joel will be filling in with Starmarket on their upcoming European tour. Watch out ladies!

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Hi, I'm like a million years behind the times, but I finally caved in and joined myspace: http://www.myspace.com/itsatrap
We're friends, right? Oh, and you can listen to a stream of that exclusive KVLR song from the IAT comp over there, too.

Top 10s for 2004: Niklas Åström (And the Sound)

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

10 best Swedish "music cities" and the bands that made it happen: (No specific order)

01. Göteborg - Silverbullit, Audrey, TSOOL, the Tough Alliance and a thousand of others showed the rest of Scandinavia which city that is the music city #1

02. Uppsala - Jeniferever, the bombastic beauty of music comes from these guys.

03. Malmö - Scraps of Tape, Swedish post rock may have a future.

04. Umeå - Isolation Years, KVLR, Koma, Cult of Luna - do I need to say more?

05. Västerås - Seven Feet Four - one of the most explosive live performances I saw this summer.

06. Haninge - Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Ellis the Vaccumchild and Tubular Bells all gave less or more to the Swedish indie scene.

07. Gränna - Patrik Torsson's "Kolvätesserenader" was the bomb! Now he's getting more explosives ready.

08. Stockholm - Tiger Lou, Tiger Lou, Tiger Lou - wherever we went this summer. And all the other singer & songwriters seem to be located in Sweden's main city.

09. Eskilstuna - Jettie "Heading for mornings" kept me warm.

10. Luleå - Mattias Alkberg BD, and Mattias the Bear Quartet - all time favorites! Park Hotell will also contribute

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

Niklas writes for the Swedish indie music webzine And the Sound.
www.andthesound.net

Top 10s for 2004: Markus Persson (Monstera)

Wed, 22 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Best concerts:

01. Totalt Jävla Mörker, Hultsfredsfestivalen
Without any doubt one of Sweden's best liveacts, true agony from Skellefteå.

02. The Bronx, Hultsfredsfestivalen
Insane

03. Teddybears STHLM, Gatufesten (Sundsvall)
I was kind of surprised, I'm not a huge fan of Teddybears, but their liveshow this summer was excellent, two drummers can never be wrong.....

04. Cult of Luna, Augustibuller (Lindesberg)
Another incredible band from the northern parts of Sweden

05. Seven Feet Four, Fritz's Corner @ Debaser
Still waiting for their breakthrough, great songs, great show, brilliant band.

Best things:

01. My soulmate Lina
No comments...

02. Timrå IK
Zetterberg, Kiprusoff, Berg, NHL-lockout rules.

03. Leif Karate
My band Leif Karate's debut album "Let's back the wrong band" will be out pretty soon, watch out!

Crappy stuff:

01. Raymond & Maria, concert @ The Rookie festival in Hultsfred.
Boring & ugly, nobody liked it either.

02. Winter in Stockholm
There is no winter in Stockholm.

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

Markus works for the Swedish booking agency Monstera, home of acts such as Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, KVLR, José González, CDOASS, Jettie, Last Days of April and more. And, as he said himself, he also plays drums in the 7-piece band Leif Karate who will release their debut album soon via Corruption Records.
www.monstera.se / www.leifkarate.com / www.corruptionrecords.com

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.

Top 10s for 2004: Magnus Öberg (Chalksounds/KVLR)

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

01. Inger Holmberg takes over Scharinska Villan in Umeå and suddenly Umeå becomes an even better city to live in than it was in 1995. Concerts at least 3 times/week.

02. Chalksounds relocates to Scharinska Villan

03. Silverbullit, Trail of Dead and Sonic Youth all release mindblowing albums

04. KVLR tours, always fun! except for the foodpoisoning incident in Frankfurt

05. Klubb Modos is doing great and Umeå's clubscene has never been better, Never.

06. Joel Borg

07. Kenny vs Spenny, TV at it´s best

08. Resturang Sesam, finally a great Vegan/Vegetarian resturant in Umeå

09. Chalksounds Xmas Party

10. Snow, makes everything brighter

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

Magnus is a busy guy! Not only does he run Chalksounds, but he also organizes Klubb Modos and plays drums for KVLR and a new, as-yet-unnamed band. 2005 promises to be the label's best year yet with new releases on the way from The End Will Be Kicks, Ellis the Vacuumchild, Convoj and much, much more.
www.chalksounds.com / www.kvlr.net

Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Chalksounds has posted a bunch of new mp3s on their site from artists such as The End Will Be Kicks, Ellis The Vacuumchild, KVLR and more: http://www.chalksounds.com/downloads.php

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Also posted today is a new mp3 from November's album of the month- KVLR's excellent 2002 release "The great collapse". It should go without saying by now that I absolutely love this band and every single thing they've ever done. If you like driving indierock that balances loud guitars with amazing melodies, do yourself a huge favor and buy all of their albums. You won't regret it.

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Be sure to tune in to P3 Live on Swedish radio on Monday to hear a live show from KVLR.

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Yes, that is a banner ad you see down there on the right. Help support my pal Jake and his site indieworkshop.com by checking out the comp he's putting out. KVLR is the only Scandinavian act involved, but that doesn't mean there aren't a ton of other great tracks on there.

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700

School is back in session and KVLR is starting to chart on some college radio stations: http://www.usm.edu/wusm/chart8262004.html
Be sure to call in and request more!

Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

I've already announced it to the mailing list and posted a few of the details on the message board, but I suppose it's time I made a formal announcement. As proven with the North American release of KVLR's self-titled CD earlier this year, It's a trap! is not content with simply being a webzine, albeit the best damn Scandinavian music news site in the world. The time has come for the next logical step in the evolution process. And with that, I am proud to present the "It's a trap! reader's companion volume one" compilation. Read more...

Any press people interested in receiving promo copies are encouraged to contact me to make sure you are on my list. If you think you might deserve a free copy for some other reason, go ahead and email me as well with your justification. Some of you more astute readers probably already noticed, but yes - this is merely volume one in what I hope will be a long series. Volume two is already being compiled and filling up fast. If you're involved with a band or label who might be interested in contributing, please get in touch as well.

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR scores as one of Indieworkshop's top picks of the year so far: http://indieworkshop.com/news/1845

Mon, 09 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Updated summer tourdates for KVLR:

08/19 - Debaser, Stockholm
08/23 - Cafe Genomfarten, Uppsala
08/24 - Kafé 44, Stockholm
08/28 - Hovstockfestivalen, Jönköping
08/28 - Sommarens sista suck, Eskilstuna
08/29 - Cafe String, Stockholm
08/30 - Kungen, Sandviken

If you can help out with additional dates, especially on the 20th or 26th, please please email and hook it up.

Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Okay, a couple site/label related items...

First off, KVLR has been sent out to US/Canadian college radio and has been getting added to a number of playlists. Please call or email your local station and request them! Some of places I've got confirmations for adds include WRGW in Washington DC, UIC Radio Chicago, WFRD at Dartmouth, CHRW at the University of Western Ontario, WRFL at the University of Kentucky, WRIU in Rhode Island and WMBR in Cambridge, MA. Hopefully this is just the beginning.

Next, let me remind y'all that all mailorder purchases will include free promo singles and comps by way of Startracks and V2. You buy something, you get something extra for free. How cool is that?

And lastly, you'll be happy to see that the last two tracks from that live Stina Nordenstam set have been added. Enjoy! Still very excited to hear the new record.

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

The last day of the For the Record Sunday shows in Stockholm at Café Strings is going to be extra special. It's now been confirmed that there will be four bands playing, including new additions Livid and my good pals KVLR. Be sure to go if you're in town and throw lots of money at them. Besides, what else you got to do on a Sunday? Unfortunately, due to Swedish alcohol laws being a pain-in-the-ass, if you want to check out the final two bands after 8pm you need to get on the FTR mailing list for an official 'invite'. That way it'll be considered a private party and the booze can flow freely. It's annoying, but not so hard to deal with. Sign up here: http://www.for-the-record.tk/

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

And speaking of KVLR, their album is today's top pick review over at Delusions of Adequacy: http://www.adequacy.net/review.php?reviewid=4523
"Forget The Hives. Swedish band KVLR rocks strong and precise while still being undeniably catchy and fun. Definitely one of my favorite rock albums of the year."

Fri, 30 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the poster for KVLR's upcoming Swedish tour: [click here]

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

My boys KVLR will be touring Sweden in late August for the first time since the release of their most recent album. Dates so far:

08/19 - Debaser, Stockholm
08/28 - Sommarens sista suck, Eskilstuna
08/29 - For the record, Stockholm
08/30 - Kungen, Sandviken

If you wanna help the guys out, contact magnus@chalksounds.com. And don't forget to check em out at Blowupapanda on August 1 as well!

Thu, 22 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR is getting played on the indie rock show on WBER in Western New York. Check it: http://summerschool.monroe.edu/wberweb/Wber/playlists.asp#theindie
Be sure to call or email to make sure they keep playing it!

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

It took a little while, but Splendid finally reviewed KVLR today: http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=108850417330329

Top ten: First half 2004

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The summer is here and the solstice has passed, leaving us smack dab in the middle of the calendar. 'Bout time we took a look back, right? Back at the beginning of 2004 I declared it to be the year of the singer/songwriter and whaddya know - they make up the majority of the lists you're about to read. Lists? As in plural? Yup, while I count up my top album picks for the year so far (+ one EP), colleague Jim Kelly of Parasol chimes in with his top EP picks. So let's get to it! In no particular order...

Avi's top 10 albums of the year so far:

01. Sophie Zelmani - Love affair (Columbia)
Okay, so this technically came out in the final week of 2003, but as far as I'm concerned, it might as well be from 2004. Who the heck puts out a new album at that time anyways? Regardless of release date, it's a great record - quiet and understated and full of sweetness and beauty. It never quite whallops you over the head with it's positive qualities either, rather it slowly unfurls them like tentacles, slithering them into your brain.

02. David Sandström - The dominant need of the needy is to be needed (Mofab Teg)
Part of this album's appeal lies in its element of surprise. It's nothing like any of David's previous work with Refused and it really isn't much like his first solo album either. In no way did I expect something as folky as this. We're talking clever lyrics and good songs, the kind of stuff you can imagine playing around a campfire. A solid piece of work the whole way through.

03. Kristofer Åström - Loupita (Startracks)
Kristofer's last couple EP releases were good, but I was definitely not ready for how amazing "Loupita" is. I can't quite put my finger on what makes it so special though. Is it Mattias Friberg's (Logh) production? Britta Persson's guest vocals? The song selection themselves? I'm not sure, but the end result is amazing. I have no doubt that this will remain as one of my favorite albums for the entire year.

04. Tiger Lou - Is my head still on? (Startracks)
Startracks scores with yet another up-and-coming singer/songwriter. Tiger's earlier EPs never completely blew me away, but then I saw him live and was mightily impressed. Only then was I able to go back and listen to the older stuff with newfound appreciation. Something about hearing him play solo made me better understand what he was was about. Then this debut full-length came out and knocked me slack-jawed. The talent that was only hinted at from before finally became realized. Everything about him was stepped up a notch, be it the songwriting, the playing or the vocals. If he continues on like this, I think it's just the first step of what could be quite a career.

05. Sivert Høyem - Ladies and gentlemen of the opposition (EMI Norway)
With this record, Sivert faced the difficult job of distinguishing himself as a solo performer apart from his main act Madrugada. With a voice as distinctive as his, that's no easy task. But you know what? He succeeds, even outdoing that other band's more recent work. The mood is lighter and the songwriting is breezier and I think the excitement of doing something a bit different shines through. One can't wallow in gloom all the time, y'know. And that's not to say it's all sunshine either, there's still plenty of emotional depth, it's just conveyed differently. I knew I liked this record as soon as I first heard it, but it's getting even better with repeated listens. End-of-year contender? Yep.

06. The End Will Be Kicks - If you see them tell them I love them EP (Chalksounds)
As yes, my one EP pick of the lot. Niklas Quintana from Him Kerosene/Breach strikes back with a new band and kicks out the motherfucking jams. We're talking about huge intertwining guitar melodies, all done in Niklas' distinctive and unique style. Can I say best debut of 2004? My only complaint: it's only four songs long. More!

07. C.Aarmé - s/t (Burning Heart/Carcrash/Epitaph)
This album is simply vicious. Never once do they let up the full-throttle attack, from the moment they start to the very bitter end. So amazingly tight and energetic. I'm glad Epitaph had the good sense to license this for a US release as hopefully that means I'll get a chance to see 'em play live on these shores. Make it happen, dammit! Just don't send 'em out on a lame package tour. I'd feel bad for other sorry bands that'll be forced to follow them on stage night after night.

08. Koma - Tsunami (Black Star Foundation/Fullsteam Records)
I feel like a broken record I've said it so many times already, but this record truly surprised me. At first I was just like "meh, more mid-tempo heavy melodic rock - I guess the Ozzfest crowd is still into this stuff," but then I made myself go back for repeated listens and was justly rewarded. This is good stuff: epic riffs, melodic vocals, good melodies, huge choruses and plenty of true heaviness. It's amazing that so many bands try to do this stuff (ahem, see anything recent from Roadrunner Records) and fail so miserably, but goshdarnit, Koma figured it out.

09. Marit Bergman - Baby dry your eye (BMG)
Marit creates perfect pop albums. She's got heartfelt ballads, goofy pop singalongs and everything in between. As always, a lot of her appeal for me lies in her straightforward accessibility and simplicity. There is just something so basic, honest, sweet and heartfelt about her. I'd even go as far to say there's something timeless about her. It's the kind of pop music that transcends the era in which it's created, as the sentiments and ideas are the sorts of things that will never sound dated. But is it a classic? Let's talk in another few years.

10. KVLR - s/t (Stickman/It's a trap!)
If I didn't love this album so much, I wouldn't have put it out. Simple as that. Just like TEWBK, it's got everything I look for in the music I love: loud guitars, complex, yet delicate melodies, and pounding drums. Perfect.

Jim's top 10 EPs of the year so far:

01. Jens Lekman - Maples Leaves EP (Secretly Canadian/Service)
02. Jens Lekman - Rocky Dennis EP (Secretly Canadian/Service)
Twenty-two-year-old wunderkind songwriter Jens Lekman, the artist formerly known as Rocky Dennis, is the Swedish Scott Walker, the Scandinavian Morrissey, a Nordic Stephin Merritt, and the Arctic's very own Divine Comedy... Lusciously lofi orchestral pop bliss combines late-60's soft pop, lotsa piano, sampled beats and a sweet voice full of camp and heartbreaking melancholy and distinctive turns of phrase, morose to the point of paralysis or catharsis he hasn't sorted out which.

03. Eskju Divine - Darkness All Around EP (Imperial Recordings)
Debut of melodramatic pop otherworldliness from Eskju Divine, who have chosen to eschew guitar and focus on piano, bass and drums. That said you will not believe the heights of anthemic grandeur the band can attain without the axe. Names are being dropped like Coldplay, Ben Folds, and even classic U2, along with being likened to 70s symphonic pop, but that doesn't begin to explain the overwhelming, incandescence beauty of ED's massive, melodious soundscapes balanced with timeless pop and beautiful voices, ambitious arrangements clothed in sweltering reverb. Out of all these EPs this is the strongest and most enticing, as I suspect the album will be even huger.

04. José González - Stay In The Shade EP (Imperial Recordings)
The newest EP from acclaimed Swedish/Argentine minstrel whose debut album, "Veneer", garnered José comparisons to Nick Drake, Mark Kozelek, Elliott Smith, and Father & Son Buckley. "Stay In The Shade" is taken from "Veneer", while the two new songs, "Down The Hillside" and "Sensing Owls" are among his very best tunes to date. Also included is a lovely cover of Kylie Minogue's "Hand On Your Heart" and a long lush instrumental. José's a total genius, there's no getting around it.

05. Pete Thompson - Self-Titled EP (Johnny Brattom)
Starkly psychedelic Nordic folkrock masquerading as melancholy Americana? Like British soft-popper John Cunningham with a Neil Young infatuation, Pete's voice is warm like the sun, blazing in fact, and backed strummy acoustic guitars and luminous harmonies. The highlight here is the simply described "Folk Song", with it's muted accordion lead and gloriously subdued falsetto harmonies on the chorus. This one is all about moonlight.

06. Rundfunk - Kings & Queens EP (A Westside Fabrication)
Stockholm's Rundfunk offers dizzying electro-pop and technofunk grooves bombarded with squiggly synths and guitar, shaded with hip-hop, house, Latin and 70s AM radio pop. The single "Kings & Queens" is a singalong psychedelic pomp-romp, rivaling the Elephant 6 and Kindercopre rosters for sheer opiate-ability, and kitchensinkness, plus there's even a bagpipe solo. Encompasses everything from Stones Roses to Pet Shop Boys to Avalanches to Magnetic Fields, with a mood-enhancing beatboxing loosey-goosey-ness.

07. Hip Whips - s/t EP (Dubious/S56)
Incredible debut from Scandinavian soul-pop-rock outfit Hip Whips, an organ-saturated riot! Songs range from pulse-racing rave-ups to eyelash-fluttering ballads to languid, luminous psychedelia? What propels The Hip Whips is The Holy Spirit of Rock 'n' Roll and Blue-Eyed Soul burning incandescently within the heart of mainman Markus Lindmark. Lindmark sings, possessed by phantoms of eras long past and kicks the Hammond organ-overdrive (actually a huge old wooden Korg) so hard you can hear the beast's veneers creaking and wheezing. while the rhythm section artfully swaggers or strolls, depending on their mood. Think Spencer Davis Group, ? And The Mysterians, The Stones, Procol Harum, Van Morrison. But what really sets Hip Whips apart is the most loving homage to late sixties recording values (or lack thereof?). It is such a freakin' timewarp, it is so very very very 1967 that it does not even qualify as "retro". A seance of classic rock, soul, and pop. Probably this came out in 2003, but new to me in 2004, and more likely qualifies as a mini-album with 9 tracks, although a couple are lovely little between-song interludes. But who cares?

08. Eric Beyond - Step Off EP (Flora & Fauna/Idiotwind)
Sir Eric Beyond redefines twee. Known as The Most Sensitive Guy In Stockholm, an eccentric singer-songwriter-nature-lover from Stockholm, has finally released his debut EP. Upon first listen there's no doubt Eric deserves the title. The four songs feature Eric's meek and moving, teensy tiny popsongs sung in his exquisitely squeaky falsetto (Beyond, indeed)? EP features guest appearances from Nina Persson (The Cardigans) and Ludvig Rylander (The Concretes, The Chrysler, Moder Jords Massiva), among others. The title track's chorus features one of the best listener double-takes of all time! Old highschool pal Nina Persson joins Eric for a duet on "Prom Night" and I had no idea Nina could sing so high! Or is that Eric?

09. David & The Citizens - Bill Chill EP (Adrian Recordings)
Bear Quartet vocalist Mattias Alkberg joins David & The Citizens for this brand new tune, "Big Chill", a guitar-pop romp with a rollicking punk edge. A great way for BQ fans to check out D+TC and vice versa. A mutual appreciation society might result. The EP also features an alternate version of "Let's Not Fall Apart" (with pal Sara Culler on background vocals), plus two exclusive tunes, both rather Belle & Sebastian-esque: "Everything You'll Never See" employs a dramatic trumpet while "Kellerman's Song" gently weeps. One of Sweden's best pop bands? Nifty fold out poster sleeve.

10. Monkeystrikes - Angry Knees EP (Planekonomi)
Simmering guitar-rock with a defiantly sultry swing from Stockholm's Monkeystrikes, like Blondie meets Babes In Toyland meets Bikini Kill, with some extremely feverish production. Monkeystrikes feature former members of The Souls, including vocalist-guitarist Cecelia Nordlund, who unveils an intensity bordering on immolation, what with her smoldering riffs and vocal pyrotechnics. For fans of high-octane action like Sahara Hotnights, the searing sensuality of The Cardigans, and fiery Pixies-styled riff-and-lick-blasts? "Lost On The Lawn" is my favorite here, and it, in keeping with the theme of heat and combustion, just explodes. Beautifully designed digipak...orange.

Mon, 14 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

In what's looking to be one of the best festival lineups in Sweden this summer (IMO, of course), the Blow Up a Panda Festival has now added [ingenting], The Baboon Show, Shout Out Louds, Unisex, Sons Of Cyrus and The Knife and Ape to the lineup. Other acts already confirmed include KVLR, Ellis the Vacuumchild, Tiger Lou, Last Days of April, Switchblade, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, The End Will Be Kicks, C.Aarmé and more. So who wants to fly me out? Details: http://www.blowupapanda.se/

Thu, 27 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

KVLR is now confirmed for the Blowupapanda Festival. They are also working on dates for the UK in August, but nothing has been confirmed quite yet. If you can help out, please be sure to get a hold of me.

Mon, 24 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

I am seriously stoked - radio station Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles played KVLR yesterday on the 'Dead Air' program alongside a ton of other highly respected artists like the Mountain Goats, Calexico and PJ Harvey. Not bad, eh? Now the thing to do would be to call or email the station to make sure they play it again. For info on the 'Dead Air' program, go here (full playlist should be posted soon). For contact/request info, go here.

Fri, 21 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Whoah! Komeda will be featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" on May 25. Hopefully they'll mention their work with KVLR besides just promoting their own record, but that's probably just wishful thinking on my part. More on ATC: http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/

Thu, 20 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Speaking of e-commerce, KVLR and Isolation Years are both now available for purchase from the Apple I-Tunes store! Huzzah!

Fri, 07 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Foxy Digitalis reviews KVLR: http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/kvlr_kvlr.html

Tue, 04 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Speaking of filming, KVLR will be doing a video for the song "Birthcam" tomorrow. It will be released as the second European single from the new self-titled album and like the first single "Slow Clapping", it also features the amazing vocal talents of Lena Karlsson from Komeda.

Mon, 26 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

My boys KVLR are now confirmed for the Kaktusfestivalen in Arboga, Sweden on July 23. Other bands playing include Charta 77, Coca Carola, Amino, Ticking Bombs, Odd Perspective, Praetorian Platoon, Bring Me The Fucking Riot... Man, Voice of a Generation, Logh, Nine, Dozer and Square. Full details: http://www.kaktusfestivalen.com/

Streaming playlist: Mailorder

Sat, 17 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 04.17.04
LAUNCH : [stream no longer available]

01. KVLR - Construction Work
02. Tiger Lou - The War Between Us
03. Kristofer Åström - One More Drink
04. Isolation Years - Hemisphere
05. Moonbabies - Forever Changes Everything Now
06. José González - Crosses
07. KVLR - Traitors and Thieves
08. The End Will Be Kicks - If You See Them Tell Them I Love Them
09. Hell On Wheels - Nothing is Left
10. Svenson - Howlong
11. Hederos & Hellberg - Been Smoking Too Long
12. Christian Kjellvander - Broken Wheels
13. Shout Out Louds - Very Loud
14. Dialog Cet - Buckfighter

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Muzic.se talks to KVLR: http://www.muzic.se/articles/interview/kvlr/email20040405/interview.htm (in Swedish)

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Head over to KVLR's website for a ton of amazing pics from their recent European tour adventure: http://www.kvlr.net/

Mon, 29 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0800

High Bias graces us with a short, but very sweet review of KVLR: http://highbias.com/reviews/20040328_short1.html#KVLR