Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Bleed like there was no other flood (video)

A new Wildbirds & Peacedrums video, directed by Patrik Instedt (NEI, Brick). Still not all that into this band, but their new choral-enhanced stuff is a step up.

Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSI0Jf7sg60

Sirius playlist week #17

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

01. Okkultokrati - Ragnarokian
02. TALK 1
03. Menfolk - Matador
04. Newkid - Gör det för
05. Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
06. TALK 2
07. The Tarantula Waltz - Synthetic sun (feat. Ebba Forsberg)
08. Kommun - Death of a CEO
09. Far from Tellus - Far from Tellus
10. TALK 3
11. Moddi - Stuck in the waltz
12. Faster Katt - Death song
13. Blowback - Fool
14. TALK 4
15. Nils Bech - Don't worry
16. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
17. Banjo - You and the sun
18. NEI - A wonderful day
19. TALK 5
20. Junip - Rope and summit

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.

NEI - New agenda
(National)

If System of a Down appeared in the '60s, prior to the invention of super-heavy distortion, this is probably what they would sound like. Swedish quartet NEI take that style and make it their own, offering an eccentric and upbeat collection of songs that envelops the sounds of the '60s in a pseudo-punk meets Queens Of The Stone Age infused veil. While this is far from a metal album, it's also quite reminiscent of Entombed's polarizing "Same difference" opus, the album that found the Swedish death metal stalwarts relinquish their characteristic grinding guitar tone in favor of a more alternative warmth. "New agenda" even offers whole chunks of music that wouldn't sound out of place on "SD" in terms of song construction and guitar sound -- take "The destroyer man" and "Hello" as prime examples. Variety comes in abundance on this album with a perfect amalgam of styles and a wealth of tempo changes, and it makes this one of the most enjoyable and exciting albums to emerge from Sweden in a long time. It must be said that it's a grower, though. First listen doesn't really make that much of an impression but on successive spins it gradually reveals its true genius. For the most part it's airy and driving with occasional pensive moments placed sparingly to inject a cool dynamic into the mix. A brilliant album indeed! One minor point, though: guys, what's with the 'cabaret-magician-meets-original-series-Star Trek' outfits? Jeez!
- John Norby

Sirius playlist week #2

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

01. November - En ny tid är här
02. TALK 1
03. Viola - 2010s (maybe the world won't end)
04. Love Is All - Kungen
05. Niels Nielsen - We are youth
06. NEI - 40 rabbits
07. TALK 2
08. Voices Break the Silence - Lost
09. Oriel Joans - Knuckles whiten
10. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Arms and legs together
11. David Åhlén - Great is thy faithfulness
12. TALK 3
13. Sambassadeur - Sandy dunes
14. Folkvang - Stugsista
15. Nirvana 2002 - Slumber
16. TALK 4
17. Obliteration - Exterminate
18. Java - Smokescreen
19. Thee Gutted String - White
20. TALK 5
21. Grande Roses - The farm

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.

"Bourgeois Shangri-La" to get single release, more

Miss Li's "Bourgeois Shangri-La", the song you hear on those new iPod ads including the one at Pitchfork, will be officially released as a single on December 15 via National Records. Also coming out that same day will be the singles "Voodoo doll" from Val and the Bitches and "Trip to Luleå" by NEI.

NEI - 40 rabbits

Flattery will get you everywhere: seeing my name (or even just It's a Trap!) in an album's thank-you list is a surefire way to put a smile on my face. So thank you to NEI for making my day a little brighter. However, it's not as if I'd be tempted otherwise; I've been looking forward to their album for a long, long time and can confidently say that they deliver as-expected. As said before, these guys make the sort of quality angular rock'n'roll that dudes like me in their 30s and above still recall with extreme fondness. Still, I have a friend complain that he thought NEI were a bit lazy sounding, especially when you consider that these dudes formerly played with monster acts such as Brick, Breach and Fireside. While I understand his point, let me counter with "40 rabbits": a rager of a track that recalls those bands' finer moments. Patrik Instedt's vocals are especially maniacal here as he recalls a story that's as confusing to his own (fictional) experience, as it is for the listening. Blood, rabbits, an empty room, the woods, an abandoned car...? It's a distressing portrait. I like it.

MP3: NEI - 40 rabbits

Sirius playlist week #40

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

01. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
02. TALK 1
03. NEI - Summertime
04. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Soon
05. Brothers of End - Wish
06. TALK 2
07. Tutankamon - Have you ever been in love?
08. C.Aarmé - British breakfast party
09. Okkultokrati - Hand of glory
10. Pintandwefall - Angus
11. TALK 3
12. Turboweekend - Something or nothing
13. Florence Valentin - Du kommer gå längt
14. Sofia Karlsson - Visa från Kåkbrinken
15. Melkeveien & Niño - Yo!
16. TALK 4
17. Beatbully - Buck Ferfen
18. Fontän - Neanderthaler
19. Bröderna Lindgren - Som raketer (feat. Mattias Alkberg)
20. TALK 5
21. Breach - Seven

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 #36

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

01. NEI - City of gold
02. TALK 1
03. Brothers of End - Why
04. Johndoe - Kvikkleire
05. Viola - Sea curtain
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - Höstvisa
08. Bad Hands - Bad hands (feat. Nina Kinert)
09. Aerial - I am TV
10. Tape - Brakes
11. TALK 3
12. Tsukimono - Mimilalanono
13. Superfamily - The songs of the weak will die
14. Unter den Linden - Motstånd i läder
15. TALK 4
16. The Bear Quartet - Carry your weight
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Show me love
18. Pets - Don't say your heart is broken (we know it's not)
19. 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.

National preps four debut albums

Swedish label National has a bunch of debut albums coming out this fall:

09/30 - Val and the Bitches - s/t
09/30 - NEI - New agenda
10/07 - Gaby & The Guns - Rygg mot rygg
10/14 - Skilla - To our mums and dads, brothers and sisters, friends and lovers

Sirius playlist week #28

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

01. Samtidigt Som - Vid min sida
02. TALK 1
03. Tortyr - Ingen anger
04. Tribulation - Beyond the horror
05. The Fine Arts Showcase - Lovesick
06. TALK 2 (Umeå Punk City set)
07. The Bombettes - Oh boy
08. Industri Royal - Location location location
09. Regulations - Different needs
10. Moloken - Followers
11. Inständg - Kött är mord
12. Knugen Faller - Jag vill inte vara med
13. The Rats - Everything is a trap
14. TALK 3
15. Elmo - Blind heart
16. Logh - Forest eyes (RBG version)
17. Shining - Plågoande O'Helga plågoande
18. TALK 4
19. NEI - City of gold
20. Svart - Honey, honey
21. Fare You Well - It's almost over
22. TALK 5
23. Samuraj Cities - 2 close 2 yr hrt

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.