IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Top 10s for 2005: Matthew W. Smith

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Nordic Top 10 of 2005 (with apologies to Iceland, the only Nordic country not represented on my list this year):

01. The Cardigans - "Super extra gravity" isn't quite as good as its predecessor, but that doesn't stop it from topping my list. Sonically, lyrically... the Cardies are on a roll. "I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer" was the perfect single to kick things off.

02. 22-Pistepirkko - "Drops & kicks" is a fine record by the veteran Finns, with "Not so good at school" the rave-up of the year. The production by Kalle Gustafsson is spot on, as are quirky vocals by P.K. Keränen.

03. The Lionheart Brothers - With a re-release of "White angel black apple" that included the EP "Colour contrast context", this Norwegian band showed off both melancholy symphonic pop and plugged-in, spacey rock on the same excellent disc.

04. The Horror, The Horror - A Stockholm band to keep an eye on, THTH contributed "Sound of sirens" to a small compilation and then re-recorded it for its debut release on Tapete Records. "I blame the sun" is the next single.

05. Kings of Convenience - I saw them on a snowy February night in Virginia and a sunny June evening in Italy, a perfect juxtaposition. Eirik and Erlend put on two sterling performances for respectful crowds. Quiet is still the new loud.

06. The Raveonettes - I love the album they released in 2005 ("Pretty in black"), with its blissful Ronnie Spector collaboration ("Ode to L.A.") and typical fuzzy fury ("Somewhere in Texas"). In concert in Washington, the Danes' newly expanded lineup pounded eardrums into submission with an effective set.

07. Annie - A guilty pleasure for some and a plain pop masterpiece for others, Annie's "Anniemal" album deserved the attention it received for its sugary sweet blending of electronica and pop. I like "Me plus one" better than the hyped "Heartbeat."

08. Sharif - "Lost causes, causes lost" was a welcome comeback for this Malmö band. Its fragile feeling and simple arrangements combined to make this one of the most consistent records I heard all year.

09. Loopy - This Copenhagen-based quartet got "Smile back home" released both in Europe and the USA, the latter courtesy of Zip. "Never loud" is a catchy single made of both shoegazer and pop, and I'm hoping the group will play some shows in North America in 2006.

10. The Blue Van - Sure, most people have had their fill of garage rock over the last few years, but "The art of rolling" shows that rural Danes influenced by The Pretty Things can stomp them out with vintage gear with the best of them. Soren Christensen's organ fills really make the album kick.

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

Besides being a regular IAT contributor, Matthew W. Smith is a writer/editor based in Richmond, VA, and currently freezing on vacation in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Top fives: 2005 so far

Thu, 09 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Avi Roig's top five across the board, plus one more for good measure:

01. Three EPs that prove Swedish indierock is still as strong as ever:
Convoj - s/t
Seven Feet Four - To kill is easy
Torpedo - Declare despair

02. Best single, hands down:
C.Aarmé - We are the world
Don't you know who we are? You do now.

03. The two best live sets I saw:
Silverbullit @ Umeå Open - Absolutely transcendent. Not only did the band give it their best, but the crowd was amped too.
The Ark @ The Troubadour in LA (ExMS Swedish Showcase) - Where did all those gayboy Ark fans come from? I was probably just as shocked as the band. Well worth the six hour drive each way.

04. The top four albums I can't stop listening to:
Isolation Years - Cover the distance
Logh - A sunset panorama
Desert Planet - Mario built my hot rod
Det Gamla Landet - s/t

05. Three reasons to keep an eye on Denmark:
Lack, The Psyke Project and The First Miles
I don't know why, but those Danes kick ass when it comes to both hardcore and Americana.

06. Two best non-Scandinavian albums:
Dredg - Catch without arms
Jesu - s/t
Two amazing albums from two of the world's best intelligent heavy rock acts.

Simon Tagestam:

01. Randy – Beware (song)
If the forthcoming album is as good as this (I doubt they got Fat Mike on any of the songs though), I'll forgive them for their last album (their only non-amazing release to date, according to me).

02. Robyn – Robyn
How would have thought it? An ex-soulpop girl making an album better than anything that inspired her to make it (i.e. The Knife, Kate Bush etc)

03. Frida Hyvönen – Until death comes
A colleague of mine thinks Frida can't sing and tries to get me into Joni Mitchell. Unfortunately Joni will never appeal to me as much as "Until Death Comes" does.

04. Mattias Alkberg BD – Jag ska bli en bättre vän
I haven't had this album too long, but at the moment it feels as it might be a contender for "album of the year"! That's right!

05. The Tough Alliance – The new school
This was not as good as I wanted it to be, but it's still crammed with excellent songs.

Navy Keophan's top five injuries sustained at shows for the first half of 2005:

01. Broken glasses, Millencolin show May 21: My eyesight is pretty bad (apparently, even worse than I thought) so when I took a hit from some crowd surfer that knocked them off my head, I was surprised I even made from Hollywood back to Long Beach safely.

02. Bruised shins, The Chinese Stars @ Koo's Feb. 6: Being in the front to take semi-decent pictures of one of your favorite bands = good. Having the crowd behind you push you into the shin-high stage for over 30 minutes = bad.

03. Bruised shins (again), Death From Above 1979 March 26: Again, much like the CS show, I was up front. Combine the thing that happened at that show with unexplainable moshing, another two weeks of pants-wearing.

04. Sore shoulders, Millencolin show May 22: Fist-pumpin' fun equated to arm cramps for the entire week.

05. Sore elbow, Millencolin show May 21: Damn moshers.

Kevin Renick:

01. Ephemera - Monolove
Every music lover should have one band they worship, one band that truly makes a difference in their life. For me, it's Norway's girl-pop trio Ephemera. I regard them not as mere musicians, but absolute creative Goddesses.

02. Bol - Silver sun
This jazz-poptronica trio from Trondheim have made a masterpiece with their second CD, a formula-defying journey up a river of humanity where heartbroken souls line the shore. 47 minutes of incandescent musical brilliance.

03. Hanne Hukkelberg - Little things
What a stellar debut! Norway's brightest new chanteuse delivers a rhapsodic set of tunes with constantly surprising arrangements, sterling production and her delightfully exuberant, upfront singing-which seems to reflect not only a zest for life but a playful "I'll try anything" approach.

04. Schtimm - The alcoholovefi collection
Although "Featuring" is actually their 2005 release, "TAC" is probably the best album by this mysterious Norwegian band, and I only heard it recently. Something about their music makes me think of haunted houses, as if you got trapped in a spooky mansion but found that the spirits of the place were only too happy to make music for you.

05. Efterklang - Tripper
The cutting-edge electronica from this Danish band has earned them rave reviews. Technology makes their intricate music possible, but they aspire to such a heaven-bound sound that you end up not thinking about the glitchy, twitchy elements in the mix at all, only the reverence you feel for the emotionally stirring, organic flow. Efterklang are one of today's most important and distinctive new bands, showing the uninitiated that there are sparks of magic shooting through the skies of Scandinavia.

Honorable mention: The State of Floral Beings - We know you love us and that's why we do this

Matthew W. Smith:

01. The Lionheart Brothers - Colour contrast context EP
Understated, bittersweet symphonic pop from Norway, featured on the "It's a Trap! Reader's Companion Vol. 1"

02. Kings of Convenience live at the Iota in Arlington, Virginia, February 2005
A no-frills, quiet performance that showcased Eirik and Erlend's guitar plucking, tight harmonies and sense of humor in front of a packed, respectful Iota.

03. Sharif - Lost causes, causes lost
Melancholy in both mood and lyrics, this well-constructed album signals a welcome return for this Swedish quartet.

04. Loopy - Smile back home
Leiv Aasen's vocals and a subtle blend of guitar pop and shoegazer on this debut make this tri-national band one to watch.

05. The Raveonettes - live at the Black Cat in Washington, DC, May 2005
See my review for more details, but the Danish outfit oozed 50s cool and blasted supersonic levels of guitar fuzz; the cover of "My boyfriend's back" provided a nice contrast to "Attack of the ghost riders".

One wish:
- I hope that Jennie, Johanna, Maria and Josephine from Sahara Hotnights have already recovered their missing gear and guitars or will soon!

Five things to look forward to for the rest of the year
- A new album quite soon from Icelandic band Leaves.
- The third album from Norway's purveyors of lowdown garage rock, Cato Salsa Experience.
- A successful trip to Connecticut for Tiger Lou, who will mix his sophomore album there with Peter Katis (Interpol, Denali) and hopefully release the results in the fall.
- More Danish success in North America, as The Blue Van continue to tour and Loopy has its album released stateside.
- Another new record from the rejuvenated Cardigans, who have already finished recording the follow-up to the fantastic "Long gone before daylight".

Simon Thibaudeau's top Scandinavian five:

01. Det Gamla Landet

02. EST - Viaticum

03. The Now

04. Spacious Mind – Rotvalta

05. Sayyadina - Fear Gave Us Wings

Per Apelqvist:

01. Moving back to Europe after 11 wonderful years in the US

02. Moneybrother live at the Barfly

03. David Fridlund - Amaterasu

04. 2 friends turning 30 and inviting over a hundred people to High Chaparal, the country western theme park in Sweden

05. Kent - Klaparen

Jason Christie:

01. [ingenting] - Allting ni gör
By way of "Songs we have learned to sing". Quite clearly the best I have heard in an age – still to learn though...

02. Sharif – You don't know
This track arrived at a tricky time, and then time tunnelled me back to the Basement club, Brighton circa 1995. Trust, that’s enough.

03. Pelle Carlberg – Oh no! It's happening again
A great writer, great vocalist and father of 4!

04. Café Alhambra – Clapham Common, SW4
Serving some of the finest

05. Chelsea Football Club
Where were you when they were rubbish?

Loopy Smile back home EMI/Zip Records

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

Loopy is destined for the in-flight music program on Scandinavian Airlines. The Copenhagen-based group represents all of SAS's constituents: it features a Danish bassist and guitarist, a Swedish drummer and a Norwegian singer/guitarist. More importantly, the band has created a noteworthy debut album that blends UK-style guitar pop (think Snow Patrol) with some surprises. The melancholy title track meanders most of the way, before drummer Mathias Elovsson speeds up the tempo considerably and brings the song to a crashing halt. The top-notch "Never loud" is oh-so-minor key, showcasing soulful vocals from Leiv Aasen. A few songs get needlessly repetitive (like "Morning Star"), but the spacy "Silent Song" (which sounds a bit like Slowdive) makes up for it. The blend of shoegazer and pop on such well-constructed songs makes Loopy a band I'll have my eye on.

Fri, 04 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

San Francisco's own Zip Records will release new albums from Swedes Dorian Gray and Henrik Levy this coming October. Also in the works for early 2005 is an album from Denmark's Loopy called "Smile Back Home".