IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Kissing taste

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:14:09 -0800

Stereogum has the premiere of the new Lo-Fi-Fnk single "Kissing taste": http://stereogum.com/957291/lo-fi-fnk-kissing-taste-video-stereogum-premiere/video/

Lo-Fi-Fnk comfirm new single, album

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:29:34 -0700

Look for the new Lo-Fi-Fnk single "Boom!" to be released on June 27 with the album "Last summer" to follow in August. Preview here: http://soundcloud.com/gimme-indie/lo-fi-fnk-boom

Musik med Lo-Fi-Fnk

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:50:50 -0700

Live music at PSL featuring electro act Lo-Fi-Fnk performing their latest single "Sleepless": http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2010/10/01/musik-med-lo-fi-fnk/

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Sleepless (video)

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:34:19 -0700

Here's the video for the new Lo-Fi-Fnk single "Sleepless": http://vimeo.com/14612817

New Lo-Fi-Fnk 7" coming in September

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:25:04 -0700

Swedish electro act Lo-Fi-Fnk will release the new 7" single "Sleepless" on September via Moshi Moshi, their 2nd release for the hyped UK label. If anyone is looking for a copy of the first one ("Change channel"), chat me up -- I've got a mint unplayed copy to get rid of.

Lo-Fi-Fnk + I Made This

Tue, 04 May 2010 18:06:13 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk has officially joined the roster of I Made This.

Lo-Fi-Fnk in the Forkcast

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:44:26 -0800

Lo-Fi-Fnk in the Pitchfork Forkcast: http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/13843-marchin-in/

Sirius playlist week #6

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:30:28 -0800

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

01. TALK 1
02. Monument - Feel failure
03. Regulations - To be me
04. Du - Bring down a house
05. Tyrant - Go ahead raise the dead
06. TALK 2
07. Tobias Fröberg - When we go to war
08. Next Life - Anti matter
09. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Marchin' in
10. Boy Omega - Just a boy
11. TALK 3
12. The Bear Quartet - I was a weapon
13. I'm from Barcelona/David Ljung - Silence
14. Thee Gutted String - I've been to town
15. TALK 4
16. Paper - Before that day
17. The Goner - Bright and colossal (risen mind)
18. At the Gates - Suicide nation
19. TALK 5
20. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer

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.

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Marchin' in (video)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:24:40 -0800

In case you missed the Facebook unveiling, here's the new Lo-Fi-Fnk video for the single "Marchin' in": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPgkz4zAHM4&fmt=18

Lo-Fi-Fnk to unveil new music via Facebook

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:03:39 -0800

Lo-Fi-Fnk will be giving away a new song on February 1 via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253521906589&ref=mf

Lo-Fi-Fnk has a new website

Tue, 19 May 2009 13:20:20 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk let their old domain expire, but they set up a new website: http://www.lfforganization.com/

Festival report: by:Larm 2009 - Day 3

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:49:23 -0800

I suspect the Norwegian air had some strange (positive) effect on me, because on the morning of the third by:Larm day, I managed to get out of bed relatively early, have breakfast, do some work, then watch bands all day, without feeling too bad, which amazed me since I've only had about 2 hours sleep. It snowed even heavier on the Saturday, one of the outdoor tent venues seemed to have problems in the evening with all the snow that had accumulated on its roof (not a common problem at UK festivals). Inside this particular tent I saw the first band of the day – namely Sweden's First Aid Kit who are signed to The Knife's label Rabid Records. FAK are two young sisters who play Americana sounding songs, similar to those of Emmylou Harris. It's simple, great and their lyrics are quite engrossing. They got some attention in the UK for their cover Fleet Foxes' "Tiger mountain peasant song", and in Oslo they also did a cover of Johnny Cash's "Walk the line" (not really the most interesting choice). I prefer their own songs though, "Tangerine" and its lyrics about infidelity especially caught my fancy.

Next up was another young Swedish girl called Hajen. As far as I know she hasn't been around very long, but she's got a phenomenal voice that I'm sure will reach out beyond her native homeland. Unfortunately, her music is very bluesy and Bob Dylan-esque (she sang songs in both Swedish and English, interestingly enough), two flavours that I'm really not that into, but she nevertheless put on a marvellous show. One to keep an eye on!

It was a good slow start to the Saturday, I didn't have to see any hardcore or pumping electro, first FAK's lullabies (maybe that acronym is not preferable?), then Hajen's smooth performance, and after this I saw charming Solver Vermeer play a somewhat lacklustre set that now and then impressed me (when she sounded like Stina Nordenstam) in a room that looked like an University lecture hall.

Sweden's Joel Alme released a magnificent album last year called "Master of ceremonies". Alme has always struck me as a crooner, but his live show was more rock'n'roll and not too dissimilar to Bruce Springsteen (good stuff!). I thought it was fantastic, and standing at the front I could sigh with relief during the show when Alme repeatedly complained about the people standing at the back.

Not sure if the people standing at the back were gearing up for The Captain & Me's show that started immediately after Alme's show on the opposite stage, and if they were, they deserved all of Alme's scorn (in my humble, humble opinion). The Captain & Me play the kind of gypsy / Balkan-sounding music that I associate with Emir Kusturica films and red wine drinking high school poets. The Decemberists is as far as I'm willing to stretch when it comes to this kind of music, any further and it makes me nauseous (I'm not even into Beirut). Jovial chaps though.

After The Captain & Me I wasn't sure where to go, so I took a chance and went to check out Small from Denmark – and what a nice little surprise their set was! They play electro reminiscent of The Tough Alliance or Lo-Fi-Fnk but the Small's singer uses a Vocoder on his vocals and they also use a live band which I thought worked very well (the drums, especially, were ace). I will definitely check out their album (I wasn't familiar with them before this show). The sci-fi lighting really helped their set too.

The rest of the night was, unfortunately, not too spectacular. It started when Norma Sass put on a show that was charmingly performed (plastic flowers on the mic stands etc), but I just couldn't hear any good songs in there; it all sounded pretty similar. There was a big crowd there though who all seemed quite pleased.

And now onto "the worst show of by:Larm 2009", I bring you Swedish pop punkers Neverstore who are obviously heavily influenced by such top acts as Blink 182, Green Day and NOFX. No, I'm not ironic here, I love those three bands with all my heart and soul! Neverstore are a terrible offspring (no pun intended) of these bands though, and listening to them peddling their unoriginal songs made me quite depressed. I urge you, stay away from this band (they seem to have lots of teenage fans in Germany at the moment, any German mothers reading this know what to do).

Next up was another artist to fill an empty gap in my schedule. In a dark basement just around the corner Miss Harmonica, who is a Norwegian less raunchy version of Peaches or Uffie, played charming and puerile electropop. Her gig was uplifting, much better than I anticipated. If you're into cute and sexy electropop, I think you should seek Miss Harmonica out.

At by:Larm I spent a lot of time at the Oslo Congress Hall which looked like some kind of government building (it hosted about 4 different stages). On the Saturday I saw five bands there, and the fifth one was My Little Pony who, despite their awful band name, play super charming twee. They're twee nuts though, probably too much for most people. I don't mind this, I think they've managed to write songs that balance on the right side of "twee that makes you smile" and "twee so cute it makes you puke". It was a very jolly gig, this band sure wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Last band for me at by:Larm were The Megaponic Thrift who played a loud set with lots and lots of guitar in it. If I get another chance to see them, without feeling like a zombie I'd jump on it, despite the fact that at times I thought I was watching a Sonic Youth tribute band.

I'm quite surprised that I managed three days non-stop gig action (it always surprises me, even after 15 years of yearly festival visits). by:Larm was such a great festival, I'll try and return every year from now on. Despite a couple of hiccups with the program, I was deeply impressed with how well organized it all was, I don't think I saw a single band being more than 5 minutes late – everything was done with acute Scandinavian punctuality! Some artists seemed a bit stressed by the non-negotiable stage times, but for me who ran around trying to catch as many bands as possible, it was fantastic that no bands started late. I'm also a very big fan of shorter concerts, 30 minutes is in my book a perfect length for a gig. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood as well, all the Norwegians I talked to were very friendly. Who knows, next year I might even try some of that infamous brown cheese (probably not).

Words and pictures by Simon Tagestam

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:25:46 -0800

Lo-Fi-Fnk is streaming a new track at myspace called "Want U": http://www.myspace.com/lofifnksweden
Said track appears on the "Kitsuné Maison 6" comp and will also appear on the group's forthcoming album.

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:47:25 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk WTF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blEsBl0XeaY

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:49:35 -0700

Swedish electro act Lo-Fi-Fnk will play the Camden Crawl Festival in mid-April.

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:43:29 -0800

New American dates for Lo-Fi-Fnk:

02/28 - Le Cabaret, Montreal w/Fluokids
02/29 - Circa, Toronto w/Fluokids
03/01 - Highline Ballroom, NYC, NY w/Finger On the Pulse
03/04 - UCLA Kerckhoff Grand Salon, LA, CA
03/05 - Mezannine, San Francisco, CA w/Junior Boys
03/06 - The Bourbon, Vancouver BC
03/07 - La Santa, Guadalajara (MEX)
03/08 - MX Beat Festival, Mexico City (MEX)

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:39:40 -0800

Lo-Fi-Fnk will perform at the MX Beat Festival in Mexico City on March 8. They might do a few North American dates around that time as well, so stay tuned for details.

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:47:08 -0700

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

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Innan mörkret faller
02. TALK 1
03. TIAC - Boredom
04. Brainbombs - Who can you trust
05. Ted Gärdestad - Helena
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - China Blue
08. Viktor Sjöberg - The sensation of your head on my chest
09. Marvins Revolt - Deliberate deeds
10. TALK 3
11. Abalone Dots - Under the rain
12. The Bear Quartet - The lost kid office
13. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake up
14. Watain - Underneath the cenotaph
15. TALK 4
16. The Tiny - Closer
17. Supersilent - 8.4
18. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
19. TALK 5
20. The Skull Defekts - The secret
21. Lukestar - White shade
22. Pay TV - Fashion report
23. Wolfpack - Enter the gates
24. TALK 6
25. Tigerbombs - Shaking the tree
26. Familjen - Ivanhoe & Rebecca
27. Giant Robot - Public = shopping
28. Eskju Divine - Hold on
29. TALK 7
30. The Bell - On and on
31. DHG - The snuff dreams are made of
32. Trio Mediaeval - Det lisle bånet
33. TALK 8
34. Peter Bjorn and John - It beats me every time
35. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
36. Kaizers Orchestra - Kontroll på kontinentet
37. TALK 9
38. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D.

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:47:30 -0700

New North American dates for Lo-Fi-Fnk:

10/04 - PS14, Miami, FL
10/05 - TSI Jacksonville, FL
10/06 - Backbooth, Orlando, FL
10/08 - Sonar, Baltimore, MD
10/10 - Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
10/11 - The Gramercy Theatre, NYC, NY
10/12 - Studio B, NYC, NY
10/13 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
10/14 - The Tralf, Buffalo, NY
10/16 - Metro, Chicago, IL
10/18 - The Opera House, Toronto (CAN)
10/19 - La Tulipe, Montreal (CAN)
10/20 - tba, Montreal (CAN)

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the Lo-Fi-Fnk website for new dates in France and Russia: http://www.lo-fi-fnk.com/

Universal Poplab Uprising Wonderland Records

Wed, 30 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

If only the music was original it would make up for the very 2006/7 poor Euro beat and over styling. Universal Poplab are not kitsch enough to be camp, yet still manage to make bad rainbow pop. In fact, let's just lump them in with Slagsmålsklubban, Lo-fi-fnk (yes, darlings they may be) and invite them to start a study group researching Gunther & the Sunshine Girls because on this strength this record, Universal Poplab are out sailing (and those named are a smoke and mirrors). The lyrics are as infantile as this review: "very end is the beginning of a new beginning... end is near a new beginning and it's end, going on and on and on." Horrific.

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Discobelle has some exclusive new stuff from La Vida Locash, the label run by the people behind Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://www.discobelle.net/2007/04/10/la-vida-locash-exclusive/

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

To celebrate the 1-year anniversary of their album "On feel trips", Denmark's The Alpine has posted an entire remix album for free download: http://thealpine.mymusic.dk/diskografi/album.asp?id=761
Contributing artists include Lo-Fi-Fnk, Choreo and more.

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Updated Lo-Fi-Fnk tourdates:

02/16 - FABRIC, London (UK)
02/17 - Arches, Glasgow (UK)
02/18 - Medicine, Birmingham (UK)
02/20 - TBA, Doncaster (UK)
02/21 - Social Live Nation, London (UK)
02/22 - Roadhouse High Voltage, Manchester (UK)
02/23 - Charlotte, Leicester (UK)
02/24 - Pod, Dublin (UK)
03/02 - Debaser Medis, Stockholm (SWE) w/Simian Mobile Disco
03/06 - Safari Sams, LA, CA
03/07 - Beauty Bar, San Diego, CA
03/08 - Atlas, Seattle, WA
03/09 - Shine, Vancouver
03/10 - New Noise, Portland OR
03/11 - Indigo District, Eugene, OR
03/13 - Mezannine, San Francisco, CA w/Fujiyi & Miyaki
03/14 - Super! Alright!Space, Austin, TX
03/15 - Beauty Bar, Austin, TX
03/16 - Urban Outfitters (1 pm), Austin, TX
03/17 - Rock'n'Roll Hotel, Washington DC
03/18 - Sonar (tbc), Baltimore, MD
03/20 - Fit for Use, Charlotte, NC
03/21 - Kiss Atlanta event, Atlanta, GA
03/22 - Common Grounds, Gainsville, FL w/Pink Velveteen
03/23 - tba, Miami, FL
03/24 - Metro, Chicago, IL w/The Presets, Digitalism, Crystal Castles
03/27 - Drake Hotel, Toronto w/KIM Presets/Crystal Castles DJ set
03/28 - Club Lambi, Montreal
03/29 - Square, Boston, MA
03/30 - Making Time, Philadelphia, PA w/Datarock, The Presets
03/30 - RUFF Club, New York, NY
03/31 - Studio B, Brooklyn, NY
04/28 - Bergenfest Festival, Bergen (NOR)

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The winners of this year's Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative to the Grammis:

Hip-hop/R&B/soul: Ison & fille
Pop/rock: The Radio Dept.
Hard-rock/punk: Asta Kask
Folk/worldmusic: Ranarim
Singer/songwriter: Andreas Mattsson
Dance/house/techno: The Knife
Best newcomer: Lo-Fi-Fnk - Boylife
Digfipriset (best unsigned artist): The Wonderful Guinea Pigs
Postrock/electronica: Ebb
Jazz: Lennart Åberg with Peter Erskine - "Free Spirit"
Best live artist: The Knife

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the 2007 Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative to the Grammy:

Hip-hop/R&B/Soul:
Up Hygh! - Venus - The Album (Raw Fusion/Border)
Ison & Fille - Stolthet (Hemmalaget/V2/BAM)
Supersci - Pinetrees On The Pavement (Flyphonic/Lights Out/Border)
Lazee - It Is What It Is (Skrilla Music)
Promoe - The White Mans Burden (Burning Heart/BAM)
Electronica/Post-rock/Synth:
Covenant - Skyshaper (Subspace Communications/Playground Music)
Ebb - Loona (Gaymonkey Records/Border)
FAP - Malekasino Dondolo (Stupid Dream Records/Musicspot)
System - Sample And Hold (Progress Productions/Border)
The Idealist - I Am The Fire (AA/Nosordo/dotshop.se)
Pop/Rock:
The Radio Dept. - Pet grief (Labrador/Border)
Nicolas Makelberge - Dying in Africa (*Rico/Border)
Fibes, Oh Fibes! - Emotional (Pluxemburg/Playground Music)
The Concretes - In Colour (Licking Fingers/Playground Music)
Ebba Forsberg - Ebba Forsberg (EBOTH Production/BAM)
Jazz:
My Engström Renman - Abdominous (Footprint Records/CDA)
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Son of a Drummer (Moserobie/BAM)
Oddjob – Luma (Amigo/BAM)
Oskar Schönning - Happy Jazz, Please (Amigo/BAM)
Lennart Åberg with Peter Erskine - Free Spirit (Amigo/BAM)
Singer/Songwriter:
Andreas Mattsson - The Lawlessness Of The Ruling Classes (Hybris/Playground Music)
Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones And A Little Terrorist (Amigo/BAM)
The Lancaster Orchestra - Never Cried Once When I Could Have (Rootsy.nu/Border)
Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John Recordings/Dotshop.se)
Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jazzen (Amigo/BAM)
Dance/House/Techno:
The Knife - Silent Shout (Rabid Records/Border)
Unai - A Love Moderne (Force Tracks/Intergroove)
Dibaba - samlad produktion 2006 (Plong!/Kompakt mfl)
Pluxus - Solid State (Pluxemburg/Playground Music)
The Studio - West Coast (Information/Border)
Hard-rock/Punk:
In Flames - Come Clarity (Nuclear Blast/Sound Pollution)
Fingerspitzengefühl - Happy Doomsday (Kooljunk Communications/CDA)
Asta Kask - En För Alla Ingen För Nån (Burning Heart/BAM)
Wolverine - Still (Candlelight Records/Sound Pollution)
Memfis - The Wind-Up (Dental Records/TMC Nordic)
Folk/World/Reggae
Bosse Skoglund – Groovesopor (Rub-a-dub Records/Border)
Göran Månsson - Mon (Nordic Tunes/CDA)
Bebo Valdés – Bebo (Calle 54/BMG Dist)
Lena Willemark - Älvdalens elektriska (Amigo/BAM)
Ranarim - Morgonstjärna (Drone/CDA)
Best live act:
The Radio Dept.
Mapei
The Knife
The Je Ne Sais Quoi
Slagsmålsklubben
Best newcomer:
Vapnet - Jag Vet Hur Man Väntar (Hybris/Playground)
Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones And A Little Terrorist (Amigo/BAM)
The Kid - La Société Nouvelle (Hybris/Playground)
Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John Recordings/Dotshop.se)
Lo-Fi-Fnk - Boylife (La Vida Locash/dotshop.se)
Best unsigned act (Digfi Prize):
The Wonderful Guinea Pigs (Linköping)
Denver Mod (Jönköping)
The Open Up And Bleeds (Stockholm)
Trucker Cleavage (Stockholm)
Ikons (Göteborg)

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The new Music For Robots compilation features a track from Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001792.html

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

New tourdates for Lo-Fi-Fnk:

01/05 - Rote Sonne, München (GER)
01/06 - Laderaum/Badeschiff, Wien (AUS)
01/11 - Usva - Eurosonic Festival, Gronigen (NL)
01/12 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
01/13 - Hotel Shanghai, Essen (GER)
01/14 - Astra Strube, Hamburg (GER)
01/15 - Spandau, Hannover (GER)
01/16 - Cafe Cairo, Wurzburg (GER)
01/17 - Intro Intim, Köln (GER)
01/18 - Intro Intim, Berlin (GER)
01/19 - Radost FX, Prag (CZ)
01/20 - Glashause, Bayreuth (GER)
01/21 - Fri-Son, Fribourg (CH)
01/24 - Rotown, Rotterdam (NL)
01/25 - Poptrash @ Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
01/26 - Ekko, Utrecht (NL)
01/27 - De Nachten, Antwerpen (BEL)
02/03 - Kernfamiljen/Rust, Köpenhamn (DK)
02/09 - Bylarm, Trondheim (NOR)
02/10 - Bylarm, Trondheim (NOR)
02/13 - Barfly, York (UK)
02/14 - Barfly, Liverpool (UK)
02/15 - Barfly, Cardiff (UK)
02/16 - FABRIC, London (UK)
02/17 - Arches, Glasgow (UK)
02/18 - Medicine, Birmingham (UK)
02/20 - tba, Doncaster (UK)
02/21 - Social Live Nation, London (UK)
02/22 - Roadhouse High Voltage, Manchester (UK)
02/23 - Charlotte, Leicester (UK)
02/24 - Pod, Dublin (UK)

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

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

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

Jonas Appelqvist:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nancy Baym:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions:

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

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

Matt Giordano:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other:

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

Top three non-Scandinavian releases:

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

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

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

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

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

Kevin Renick, in alphabetical order:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simon Tagestam:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Some news from Lo-Fi-Fnk: Live bassist Nottee has parted ways with the group to "move on to greater things," but on the flipside of that, the band has added a live electronic drummer named Link. Also, look for extensive worldwide touring next year as well as new singles - first up will be "Change channel" which will get its first official European release on 12" with remixes from Jitset, Danton Eeprom and more.

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Dibaba has posted two remixes of his track "The truth blending consortium", one by Lo-Fi-Fnk and one by DJ Erase: http://www.dibaba.com/?p=104

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Microlips talks to Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://microlips.blogspot.com/2006/11/lo-fi-fnk-sweden_17.html

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Fader has 120 Days and Lo-Fi-Fnk perform live in the studio: http://www.thefader.com/blog/articles/2006/11/07/tv-party

Lo-Fi-Fnk Live at Galapagos, Brooklyn NY, 11/01/06

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

I had no idea I was attending this show until I walked up to the venue and saw the sign. I turned to my friend and said "Huh, no shit, we cover them at IAT!" and then I became even more interested in the music at the show. Unfamiliar with LFF other than seeing their name in the news posts courtesy of Avi, I had no idea what to expect. The band took the stage (a three piece live) and I assumed their collected age was 15, and laughed when one member was walking around the stage with a beer. The band played a fun set of dance-pop numbers that really got the crowd moving after they had been unresponsive to the DJ playing between sets. Everyone was enjoying the set thoroughly, and isn't that what live music is all about, just going out and having a great time? That's exactly what this was. And what was more humourous were the twenty-and-thirty-somethings dancing to the music made by musicians that looked half their age.

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Audio blog Headphone Sex has posted the Lo-Fi-Fnk remix of "Girl kills bear" by The Soft Lightes: http://www.headphonesex.co.uk/2006/10/so-i-can-say-whats-on-my-mind.html

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish electro hype act Lo-Fi-Fnk will contribute a remix to UK band The Feeling on their upcoming single "I love it when you call".

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

Lo-Fi-Fnk in the US:

11/01 - Awesome Inc., NYC w/CSS, more
11/02 - Grecoroman, NYC w/Hot Chip
11/03 - Brooklyn Vegan (Daytime show), NYC
11/03 - RVNG night, Philadelphia, PA w/Justice, Klaxons, Rapture, more

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk music featured on the program CSI? Yep, check it: http://www.lo-fi-fnk.com/media/csi2_0001.wmv

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Dibaba has a new website where you can hear his new single "The truth blending consortium": http://www.dibaba.com/
The single includes the b-side "Lose everything" as well as a remix of the title track by Anders Ilar. Look for a video and a Lo-Fi-Fnk remix soon.

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk will make an appearance in NYC in November. Details to come.

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

Updated tourdates for Lo-Fi-Fnk:

08/19 - Speak Your Mind, Skövde (SWE)
08/28 - Trash, London (UK)
09/02 - Sommarfesten, Hässleholm (SWE)
09/06 - Kalmar Nation, Uppsala (SWE)
09/08 - Bestival, Isle of Wight (UK)
09/11 - Moshi Night, Paris (FRA)
09/12 - Prime Club, Köln (GER) w/Hot Chip
09/15 - FABRICLIVE, London (UK) w/Justice, Para One, Alan Braxe, more
09/16 - Pop Bar, Razzmatazz Club, Barcelona (ESP)
09/19 - Lido, Berlin (GER) w/Hot Chip
09/20 - Übel & Gefährlich, Hamburg (GER) w/Hot Chip
09/21 - Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim (GER) w/Hot Chip
09/22 - Atomic Cafe, München (GER) w/Hot Chip
09/29 - Fanklub, Antwerpen (BEL)
10/27 - Le Nouveau Casinoparis, Paris (FRA)
10/28 - Elektroni[k] Festival, Rennes (FRA)

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

French music blog Fluo Kids interviews Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://fluokids.blogspot.com/2006/08/endors-toi-dans-leau.html (in English)

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk's album "Boylife" will be released in Europe on August 28 via Moshi Moshi/Coop. Look for the "Wake up" 12" single on August 8.

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

Lo-Fi-Fnk will play Trash in London on August 28.

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Stylus reviews the new album from Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/lo-fi-fnk/boylife.htm
I agree with Simon's review that the album is definitely a bit front-loaded, but it's still quite good and well worth listening to if you're into that electropop stuff.

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Download the Lo-Fi-Fnk remix of "Psykos" by Karin Ström: http://www.karinstrom.se/media/psykos_club.mp3

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

Lo-Fi-Fnk's new website is now online: http://www.lo-fi-fnk.com/

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk has posted a new video on their website: http://www.lo-fi-fnk.com/

Lo-Fi-Fnk Live @ The Old Blue Last, London, 05/31/06

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

It's strange, you love this album, and you somehow think that the people behind it will look like as the feeling that their music convey, but when you see them in real life it turns out that they look like your little brother's friends. Lo-Fi-Fnk have done one of the best albums of the year, in my opinion, and I was really looking forward to their gig tonight, even though I was tired as hell and they played at The Old Blue Last which means that most of the crowd will be people dying to be trendy. Fortunately, I stood in the front, so the crowd was beyond my jurisdiction and I could fully concentrate on the music. Now let's get to the point: I loved every minute of it, but the gig was way too short, only 7 or so songs were performed. They (Lo-Fi-Fnk that is) came on a bit late as well, which was annoying, but due to the quality of the performance, it was a night to remember. More please!

Mon, 08 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

75 or less on Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://75orless.com/?/archive/2006/05/lofifnk_boylife.php

Lo-Fi-Fnk Boylife La Vida Locash

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I have to be honest, I wasn't that keen on Lo-Fi-Fnk's debut EP "...and the JFG?" that came out last year. Amid brilliant releases from other Swedish "electro duos", such as The Tough Alliance, Three is a crowd, Cat5, and Le Sport (then known as Eurosport), Lo-Fi-Fnk just didn't cut it. Now, with no new TTA material around, a dissapointing album from TIAC, Cat5's album yet to be released, and an album from Le Sport that's got a lot of great songs although I've heard most of them before - "Boylife" comes as a true saviour. The first half of the album is superior to the second, but that's mainly due to starting off with the two magnificent tracks "City" and "Adore". If you're into any of the bands I mentioned above, you should check this one out as well; it's one of my favourites of the year so far.

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (04) SLS - "Get back"
03. (02) Laakso - "Never satisfied"
04. (03) Arctic Monkeys – "The view from the afternoon"
05. (15) Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
06. (05) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang bang you´re dead"
07. (08) Supersci ft. Chords - "On the grind"
08. (11) Justice vs. Simian - "We are your friends"
09. (10) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
10. (NY) I´m From Barcelona - "Collection of stamps"
11. (09) The Sounds - "Tony the beat"
12. (18) The Fine Arts Showcase – "The shoplifter’s union"
13. (07) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
14. (NY) The Pipettes – "Your kisses are wasted on me"
15. (06) Plan B – "No good"
16. (NY) Tiger Lou - "Nixon"
17. (19) Up Hygh ft. Little Brother - "Keep on"
18. (16) Johnossi - "Execution song"
19. (NY) Sambassadeur - "Kate"
20. (20) Sture Alléns Dansorkester – "Lita på mig"

Leaving the chart: Las Palmas - "Du har mail", Ghostface Killah ft. Ne-Yo – "Back like that", Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake up" and Mystery Jets - "The boy who ran away".

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I don't normally post about this sort of stuff, but Dúné (DK), Sex Beat (NOR) and Lo-Fi-FNK (SWE) are heading out on the road together as part of the ScandiRockTripleTour. Read more: http://www.scandirocktripletour.com/

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Shaktar has a new track from Lo-Fi-Fnk as their mp3 of the week: http://www.shaktar.nu/songs.php?id=46

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

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (04) Laakso - "Never satisfied"
03. (20) Arctic Monkeys - "The view from the afternoon"
04. (03) SLS - "Get back"
05. (08) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang bang you´re dead"
06. (05) Plan B - "No good"
07. (07) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
08. (05) Supersci ft. Chords - "On the grind"
09. (10) The Sounds - "Tony the beat"
10. (08) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
11. (NY) Justice vs. Simian - "We are your friends"
12. (14) Las Palmas - "Du har mail"
13. (ÅT) Ghostface Killah ft. Ne-Yo - "Back like that"
14. (15) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake up"
15. (19) Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
16. (NY) Johnossi - "Execution song"
17. (16) Mystery Jets - "The boy who ran away"
18. (13) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The shoplifter's union"
19. (12) Up Hygh ft. Little Brother - "Keep on"
20. (NY) Sture Alléns Dansorkester - "Lita på mig"

Leaving the chart: Matisyahu - "King without a crown", USCB Allstars - "Let's keep it on baby", Franz Ferdinand - "The fallen" and Sean Paul - "Temperature".

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (02) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang Bang You're Dead"
03. (03) SLS - "Get Back"
04. (07) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
05. (08) Plan B - "No Good"
06. (05) Supersci w/Chords - "On the Grind"
07. (09) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
08. (06) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
09. (20) Matisyahu - "King Without a Crown"
10. (NY) The Sounds - "Tony the Beat"
11. (04) USCB Allstars - "Let's Keep it on Baby"
12. (14) Up Hygh w/Little Brother - "Keep On"
13. (17) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The Shoplifter's Union"
14. (19) Las Palmas - "Du har mail"
15. (15) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake Up"
16. (16) Mystery Jets - "The Boy Who Ran Away"
17. (13) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
18. (10) Sean Paul - "Temperature"
19. (NY) Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
20. (NY) Arctic Monkeys - "The View From the Afternoon"

Leaving the chart: Jamie Foxx w/Ludacris - "Unpredictable", Ghostface Killah w/Ne-Yo - "Back Like That" and Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig".

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (NY) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang Bang You're Dead"
03. (17) SLS - "Get Back"
04. (03) USCB Allstars - "Let's Keep It on Baby"
05. (02) Supersci w/Chords - "On the Grind"
06. (16) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
07. (09) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
08. (NY) Plan B - "No Good"
09. (NY) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
10. (20) Sean Paul - "Temperature"
11. (07) Jamie Foxx w/Ludacris - "Unpredictable"
12. (12) Ghostface Killah med Ne-Yo "Back Like That"
13. (05) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
14. (NY) Up Hygh w/Little Brother - "Keep On"
15. (09) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake Up"
16. (14) Mystery Jets - "The Boy Who Ran Away"
17. (NY) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The Shoplifter's Union"
18. (18) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
19. (NY) Las Palmas - "Du har mail"
20. (ÅT) Matiyashu - "King Without Crown"

Leaving the chart: Ane Brun w/Teitur - "Rubber & Soul", Snook - "Snook, svett & tårar", Soviac - "Ogashaga", Vapnet - "Thoméegränd", Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me", The Streets - "When You Wasn't Famous", Damian Marley w/Bobby Brown - "Beautiful".

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Fluxblog has posted a new Lo-Fi-Fnk track: http://www.fluxblog.org/2006/04/nothings-going-to-change-if-you-keep.html

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish electropop act Lo-Fi-Fnk has posted a new remix track for download: http://www.lo-fi-fnk.com/media/Le_Tigre_-_After_Dark_[Lo-Fi-Fnk RMX].mp3
Look for the new single "Wake up" to be released soon.

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The label La Vida Locash has a new website: http://www.lavidalocash.com/
They report that the upcoming Lo-Fi-Fnk album "Boylife" is finished and will be ready for release soon and have also announced the signing of Swedish "rapclash" artist Kocky. You can also go to the website to download an exclusive radioshow mix of what the label considers to be exciting new music.

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Lo-Fi-Fnk reports that the debut full-length album is done and will be released in early 2006. More details soon.

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

New pics of Jens Lekman, Mattias Alkberg BD, El Perro Del Mar, Convoj and Lo-Fi-Fnk at http://www.photohenrik.com/

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

MI is reporting that hyped indie dance act Lo-Fi-Fnk has signed with Air Chrysalis Scandinavia.

Fri, 06 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Fluxblog reports back from the New Order show in NYC where Matthew was DJing and posts a track from Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://www.fluxblog.org/2005/05/please-dont-let-me-hit-ground-new.html

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

This week Musikbyrån features lofi electronic acts The Tough Alliance, Lo-Fi-Fnk, Similou and Three Is a Crowd: http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=33076

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Lo-Fi-Fnk - This sort of stuff really isn't my thing, so I never really got into it. I bet they'd be much better in a tightly packed club where you can get a much higher energy level.

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) K-OS - Crabbuckit
02. (02) De Stijl - Queen Midas
03. (06) Amerie - 1 Thing
04. (NY) Britta Persson - Found at Home
05. (NY) Faith Evans - Again
06. (15) The Similou - Ladykillers
07. (16) The Killers - Mr Brightside
08. (05) Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight
09. (NY) Gavin DeGraw - I Don´t Want To Be
10. (12) Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh
11. (19) Kleerup - Medication
12. (NY) Kaiser Chiefs - Oh My God
13. (10) Jenny Wilson - Summer Time
14. (11) Hello Kinski - My Baby Should Be Home By Now
15. (20) Diplo - Newsflash
16. (NY) Audioslave - Be yourself
17. (NY) The Raveonettes - Love In A Trashcan
18. (09) Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
19. (04) Lo-Fi-Fnk - ...And The JFG
20. (NY) Emiliana Torrini - Sunny Road

Leaving the chart: 22 Pistepirkko, Rilo Kiley, New Order, Stereophonics, Radio Luxemburg, Embee ft. José González and Millencolin

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Mp3 blog Uncritical has posted a track from Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://uncritical.blogspot.com/2005/03/help-wanted.html

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (10) K-Os - "Crabbuckit"
02. (01) De Stijl - "Queen Midas"
03. (02) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
04. (05) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... and the JFG"
05. (07) Hot Hot Heat - "Goodnight Goodnight"
06. (19) Amerie - "1 Thing"
07. (NY) Rilo Kiley - "It's a Hit"
08. (03) New Order - "Krafty"
09. (09) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"
10. (06) Jenny Wilson - "Summer Time"
11. (04) Hello Kinski - "My Baby Should Be Home By Now"
12. (11) Basement Jaxx - "Oh My Gosh"
13. (08) Stereophonics - "Dakota"
14. (ÅT) Radio Luxemburg - "It's Cruel Up North"
15. (NY) The Similou - "Ladykillers"
16. (NY) The Killers - "Mr Brightside"
17. (16) Embee med José González - "Send Someone Away"
18. (20) Millencolin - "Ray"
19. (NY) Kleerup - "Medication"
20. (18) Diplo - "Newsflash"

Leaving the chart: Psycho Sonic Cindy, Chick Habit, Moby, Kristofer Åstrom & Hidden Truck and Doves.

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (04) De Stijl - "Queen Midas"
02. (01) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
03. (19) New Order - "Krafty"
04. (NY) Hello Kinski - "My Baby Should Be Home By Now"
05. (02) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... and the JFG"
06. (08) Jenny Wilson - "Summer Time"
07. (05) Hot Hot Heat - "Goodnight Goodnight"
08. (ÅT) Stereophonics - "Dakota"
09. (07) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"
10. (NY) K-OS - "Crabbuckit"
11. (10) Basement Jaxx - "Oh My Gosh"
12. (NY) Psycho Candy Cindy - "Hey Hey Hey"
13. (NY) Chick Habit - "Rule the World"
14. (ÅT) Moby - "Lift Me Up"
15. (ÅT) Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - "The Good You Bring"
16. (09) Embee med José González - "Send Someone Away"
17. (ÅT) Doves - "Black and White Town"
18. (06) Diplo - "Newsflash"
19. (NY) Amerie - "1 Thing"
20. (NY) Millencolin - "Ray"

Leaving the chart: Timo Räisänen, Wolfmother, The Donnas, Estelle, The Postal Service, Radio Luxemburg, Logh, Beck, The Lovekins and Maxim.

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Finland's 22 Pistepirkko is still managing to hold onto the top spot on the Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (01) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
02. (02) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... and the JFG"
03. (05) Timo Räisinen - "Don't Let the Devil Ruin it All"
04. (04) De Stijl - "Queen Midas"
05. (06) Hot Hot Heat - "Goodnight Goodnight"
06. (ÅT) Diplo - "Newsflash"
07. (07) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"
08. (NY) Jenny Wilson - "Summer Time"
09. (15) Embee featuring José González - "Send Someone Away"
10. (19) Basement Jaxx - "Oh My Gosh"
11. (08) Wolfmother - "Woman"
12. (03) The Donnas - "I don't Want to Know (If You don't Want Me)"
13. (11) Estelle - "Go Gone"
14. (13) The Postal Service - "We Will Become Silhouettes"
15. (ÅT) Radio Luxemburg - "It's Cruel Up North"
16. (NY) Logh - "Destinymanifesto"
17. (12) Beck - "Epro"
18. (16) The Lovekins - "Happy Happy"
19. (17) New Order - "Krafty"
20. (NY) Maxim - "I don't care"

Leaving the chart: Stereophonics, Moby, Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck, Kent and Sambassadeur.

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

22 Pistepirkko still reigns supreme on the Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (01) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
02. (05) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... and the JFG"
03. (10) The Donnas - "I don't want to know (If you don't want me)"
04. (NY) De Stijl - "Queen Midas"
05. (02) Timo Räisinen - "Don't Let the Devil Ruin it All"
06. (NY) Hot Hot Heat - "Goodnight Goodnight"
07. (20) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"
08. (NY) Wolfmother - "Woman"
09. (07) Stereophonics - "Dakota"
10. (03) Moby - "Lift Me Up"
11. (NY) Estelle - "Go Gone"
12. (11) Beck - "Epro"
13. (NY) The Postal Service - "We Will Become Silhouettes"
14. (ÅT) Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - "The Good You Bring"
15. (04) Embee featuring José González - "Send Someone Away"
16. (NY) The Lovekevins - "Happy Happy"
17. (12) New Order - "Krafty"
18. (09) Kent - "Max 500"
19. (NY) Basement Jaxx - "Oh My Gosh"
20. (17) Sambassadeur - "Between the Lines"

Leaving the chart: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Radio Luxemburg, Little Barrie, Deportees, Diplo, Tweet featuring Missy Elliott, Razorlight and Roots Manuva.

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
02. (08) Timo Räisänen - "Don't Let the Devil Ruin It All"
03. (02) Moby - "Lift Me Up"
04. (03) Embee featuring José Gonzélez & Supreme - "Send Someone Away"
05. (04) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... And the JFG"
06. (05) The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - "Heading for a Breakdown"
07. (06) Stereophonics - "Dakota"
08. (14) Radio Luxemburg - "It's Cruel Up North"
09. (07) Kent - "Max 500"
10. (08) The Donnas - "I don't Want to Know (If You don't Want Me)"
11. (ÅT) Beck - "Epro"
12. (10) New Order - "Krafty"
13. (ÅT) Little Barrie - "Free Salute"
14. (20) Deportees - "Champagne Eyes"
15. (NY) Diplo - "Newsflash"
17. (12) Sambassadeur - "Between the Lines"
16. (NY) Tweet featuring Missy Elliott - "Turn Da Lights Off"
19. (13) Razorlight - "Golden Touch"
18. (NY) Roots Manuva - "Colossal Insight"
20. (15) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"

Leaving the chart: Håkan Hellström, Mando Diao, Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck, Stereo Total and Moneybrother.

Thu, 17 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) 22 Pistepirkko - "Rat King"
02. (05) Moby - "Lift Me Up"
03. (NY) Embee featuring José González & Supreme - "Send Someone Away"
04. (NY) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "... and the JFG"
05. (NY) The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Heading for a Breakdown"
06. (07) Stereophonics - "Dakota"
07. (NY) Kent - "Max 500"
08. (02) Timo Räisänen - "Don't Let the Devil Ruin it All"
08. (12) The Donnas - "I don't Want to Know (If You don't Want Me)"
10. (14) New Order - "Krafty"
11. (09) Håkan Hellström - "En midsommarnattsdröm"
12. (18) Sambassadeur - "Between the Lines"
13. (NY) Razorlight - "Golden Touch"
14. (NY) Radio LXMBRG - "It's Cruel Up North"
15. (NY) Maximo Park - "Apply Some Pressure
16. (16) Mando Diao - "Down in the Past"
17. (17) Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - "The Good You Bring"
18. (11) Stereo Total - "I am Naked", 3v
19. (06) Moneybrothers - "They're Building Walls Around Us"
20. (08) Deportees - "Champagne Eyes"

Leaving the chart: Annie, Beck, Bloc Party, Bugz in the Attic, Johnossi, Little Barrie and M83.

Mon, 19 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The latest playlist at Fat Planet has an mp3 from Swedish 'electro-camp' act Lo-Fi-Fnk: http://www.fatplanet.com.au/

Tue, 18 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Eighteen unsigned bands have been annouced for the Rookie-scenen at the Hultsfred Festival: 50 Hertz (Malmö), Nadie Affecta (Stockholm), A Good Name For A Band, (Karlstad), Avsmak (Falun), Crisp Und Steel (Göteborg), The Iskariots (Göteborg), LO-FI-FNK (Stockholm), Miss The Point (Falun), Ninja Massacre (Umeå), Ninsun Poli (Stockholm), Psyjuntan (Hultsfred), richard reagh&wwnb2 (Stockholm), Set My Path (Göteborg), Sambassadeur (Göteborg), Slackerville Zoo (Malmö/Lund), The Sunshine (Stockholm), Trendkill (Veddige) and Vicious Irene (Göteborg).

Mon, 23 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0800

The complete lineup for the Sonika electro festival at Kafé 44 in Stockholm on February 27-28: Bondage Fairies, Appareil, Nadie Affecta, Lo-Fi-Fnk, Komatrohn, Saralunden, the Penelopes (F), the Light Bulb Project, Hundarna från Söder, 1999, Viperas, Autohorse, System, Inkinen and Pavan. More info: http://www.sonika.tk/

Thu, 05 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Acts confirmed for the Sonika Festival in Stockholm on February 27-28: Appareil, Bondage Fairies, 1999, Saralunden, Lo-Fi-Fnk, Light Bulb Project, Penelopes, Ra-X, Nadie Affecta, Komatrohn and Hundarna från Söder. More info: http://www.metica.se/news/news_result.php?n_id=0216&page=0

Mon, 08 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Johnny Bråttom Records has changed the tracklist a bit on their upcoming "Vintervilla" CDR comp. Here's how it'll run now and it should be available next week:

01. Audrey - Scars in me
02. Ed Greene - Be patient
03. Lo-fi-fnk - Unighted
04. Love is All - Ageing had never been his friend
05. Holmes - Songs of ours
06. The Kid - On a hillside
07. Pete Thompson - Come on down
08. Sin Närmiljö & The Book of Daniel - Tourism