01. Håkan Hellström - 2 steg från paradise
I like all of Hellström's albums but his previous one had about 3-4 songs that I loved, so I was a but surprised that "2 steg..." turned out to be his best album of his career.

02. Masshysteri - Masshysteri
Pure melodic punk perfection. A darn shame they've split up.

03. Robyn - Body talk
A bit disappointing that all the talk of 3 albums turned out to be 15 new songs in total, but thankfully some of the songs were killer ones!

04. Monty - 2010
A great album that I believe didn't get the attention it deserved. Montt Mardié in Swedish sounded excellent.

05. Johan Heltne - Sara,
This is what Kent would sound if they were still good (plus if they were a bit more into jazz).

06. CEO - White magic
With no new The Tough Alliance we had to do with CEO, which was just fine, just fine.

07. jj - jj n° 3
A lot of people weren't that keen on jj's second album but I really liked it. Shame they're so terrible live though.

08. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a scheme
Another boring live band, although I don't care as long as they release albums as brilliant as this.

09. Ludwig Bell - Jag har försökt förklara
Some of it a bit too cheesy perhaps, but some of the songs on Bell's album are pure pop masterpieces.

10. Orup - Född i november
The big Swedish comeback of the year? Orup delivered a great personal album, oddly enough with lyrics not written by him.

Fantastic songs in no particular order

Supergruppen - Farsta centrum by night
Ludwig Bell - Silvertejp
Oskar Linnros - Ack, Sundbyberg
Masshysteri - Dom kan inte höra musiken
Robyn - Dancing on my own
Håkan Hellström - Man måste dö några gånger innan man kan leva
Museum of Bella Arts - Who do you love
Säkert! - Dansa, fastän

Best cover of the year:
jj - My life

Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Albums (in no particular order, except for "You're a wasteland...""):

"You're a wasteland, honey" Robert Svensson (my album of the year)

"Let this be the last night we care" Alcoholic Faith Mission (my only other 10/10)

"Trilogi" Fredrik

"This wilderlessness" Yamon Yamon

"In never out" Pg.lost

"Conscious castle" Another Nation's National Anthem

"s/t" EP, Night Minutes

"Dada bandits" Rubik

"White mountain" Kiki Pau

"Clinging to a scheme" The Radio Dept.

mp3:
"The sound and the sore" Cut City

Laura Studarus

Jónsi: Go -- Not just my top Scandinavian album, but my top album of the year. Period. There's so much emotion in this one that the first time I heard it (a lo-bit stream over crappy computer speakers) I cried. The fact I also happen to be a noted wimp should in no way stop you from checking this out.

Club 8: The people's record -- Yet another in a long string of reasons why Johan Angergård (Club 8/Legends/Pallers/Acid House Kings) should continue on his quest for world domination. (Or failing that, musical domination.) So many bands lose their way after so many albums -- their attempts to infuse their sound with new elements as convincing as a child's Halloween "scary" costume. And then there's Club 8 -- who has mixed afro/Cuban beats in with their sweet pop, and created a delicious hybrid beast...all without sacrificing an iota of their identity along the way.

Jens Lekman: Sure he didn't put an album out this year, but he played a one-off gig in Los Angeles that had everyone swooning. One of the best performers working today. Full stop.

Ólafur Arnalds: ...And they have escaped the weight of darkness -- Second in emotional resonance only to Go. It can be difficult to write about experimental instrumentals without sounding foolish -- so at the risk of sounding increasingly stupid, this album will recalibrate your perception of beauty.

The Radio Dept.: Clinging to a scheme -- It's about time! Back and better than ever. Welcome.

Casiokids: Topp stemning på lokal bar -- Are these "kids" playing near you? (Given their touring schedule it's a real possibility.) Go! Go! Go! Are you currently at a Casiokids concert? Dance! Dance! Dance!

Seabear: We built a fire -- Another gloriously dreamy album from the Icelandic collective. This is nostalgic chamber pop ready to soundtrack new memories.

Kaskas: In the meanwhile -- Finland's Yo La Tengo blending influences and styles with grace. A side-project that -- if the world is just and good -- will become a full-time gig.

Söder tea: If this were music, it would be a perfect ten. I'm starting to feel like a junkie asking my friends in Sweden to hook me up. No I can't quit any time I want, and of course, I don't have a problem.

Sambassadeur: European -- Classic pop with an orchestral flair. Why these guys haven't caught on stateside is one of life's great mysteries. (Then again, I'm from the country that just nominated Justin Bieber for a Grammy, so what do I know?)

10/16 - Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
10/18 - Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
10/19 - Kilby Court , Salt Lake City, UT
10/22 - Showbox, Seattle, WA
10/23 - Mississippi Studios , Portland, OR
10/25 - Independent, San Francisco. CA
10/26 - Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
10/27 - Casbah, San Diego, CA

01. The Bear Quartet
02. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
03. The Radio Dept.
04. Yeasayer
05. Loney, Dear
06. Håkan Hellström
07. Seabear
08. Markus Krunegård
09. Beach House
10. Jonathan Johansson

Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

Andreas Tylden (from JR Ewing) and Sten Ove Toft (Utarm, Ryfylke, Roggbif, etc.) have formed what Andreas describes as "an avant garde metal, post metal band", whose influences include Phillip Glass and John Cage. "We're a brand new band, we've only done five shows," he explains. That might explain why the crowd for the show was small, but everyone present -- include NME reporter Matt Wilkinson, and Edgar Smith of leading British indie mag Loud and Quiet -- instantly became a loyal fan.

Sten tells IAT: "it would be too easy to do nothing but noise, nothing but metal... but at its best, black metal is one of the most carefully composed musical genres, with great melodies, it's just that there's lots of noise around them."

So far, so civilised. They are even sharing their Tuborg with everybody -- nice guys. So Altaar aren't into burning down churches, then? "There are other ways to break down Christianity," muses Andreas. "If we burned down a church the state would have to pay for it and it would cost the tax payer money, so that's why we wouldn't want to do that." Sten adds: "Burning down churches makes the Christians feel stronger and makes them unite. It's better to ignore them." There were certainly enough candles on stage to fill any Catholic crypt, and it took the band some time to personally blow them all out before they left the stage.

Also getting a warm reception in frosty Oslo were Iceland's Seabear, who are playing again tonight. Initially a solo project by Sindri Mar Sigfuson -- who was once described by Rolling Stone as "the Icelandic Beck", the group from Reykjavik now has seven permanent members.

Tonight will see a repeat performance from Bergen's Social Suicide, too, whose set yesterday was arguably the festival's most exciting so far. Any New Yorker who hung out upstairs at Max's Kansas City in 1970s would, I imagine, have felt quite home here last night. The bigger name bands to have played so far include Casiokids and Oh No Ono, but many of us were far more taken by a group of Gothenburg Krautrockers called Fontän. Member Johan Melin tells IAT "I hope people hear us, like us and like the fact that something is going on in the psychedelic scene. We have a disco thing going on in Scandinavia right now. We're influenced by bands like Can but it's nice to merge different genres. We're trying to do it. I'm into drum and bass and electronic music, and when I was 15 I listened to a lot of British hip-hop like Killer Instinct, but you wouldn't guess that to listen to us... We listen to everything."

I'm going back into the conference now, but if anyone has any tips for bands I should check out while here, please drop me or Avi a line [or post a comment here -ed]. Apologies for my poorly articulated reporting, but I am very hung over.

Over and out for now Scandi-philes.
- Sophy Grimshaw

It is not a secret that Reykjavík, a town of 100,000 inhabitants, has a thriving music scene and is home to hundreds of local bands. Unannounced and impromptu gigs in small bars across the city centre are not an uncommon phenomenon, in a place where everybody knows everybody. It's a Trap! flew to Iceland recently and, apart from intensive gig-going, it handpicked a selection of the best new releases by Iceland's new music representatives.

FM Belfast - How to make friends (World Champion Records)
If Scissor Sisters were residing in 101 (Reykjavík's city centre) instead of New York and had an 80's rather than a 70's twist, they would sound close to FM Belfast. If you are on a mission to fill the dancefloor, this packed with great electro-pop tunes album won't disappoint you.
LINK: http://www.fmbelfast.com/
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/fmbelfast

Sudden Weather Change - Stop! Handgrenade in the name of crib death 'nderstand? (Kimi Records)
This bunch of young Icelanders play straightforward and honest alternative rock. Their references hail from the 90's US-alternative scene and the likes of Sonic Youth and Pavement. Their music might lack some originality, but this doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve your unspoiled attention.
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/suddenweatherchange

Rökkurró - Það kólnar í kvöld... (12 Tónar)
There is a deep melancholy to this album. Hildur Stefánsdóttir's voice is charismatic and fragile and Rökkurró's melodies haunting and well-developed. "Það kólnar í kvöld..." (Icelandic for "It's getting colder tonight") is a bit raw in some production/arrangement aspects but nonetheless it is great debut from a band that has got lots to offer. I am massively looking forward to the follow-up.
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/rokkurro

Reykjavík! - The blood (Kimi Records)
After having attended a smashing live-set by these guys, the last thing I can do is to be objective. I feel compelled to praise this album. In you face, intense punk rock, combined with ridiculously catchy melodic lines and raw guitar power. There's a reason why Reykjavík! are one of the frontrunners of the new Icelandic music scene and "The blood" is the proof for this. Ones to watch!
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/reykjaviktheband

Agent Fresco - Lightbulb universe (Kimi Records)
With a voice resembling in its low passages Thom Yorke and a drummer trying to catch up with Mike Portnoy's complex beats, Agent Fresco make up a very interesting offering. Although math rock is not for all times of the day, if you do happen to be in the mood, Agent Fresco will do the trick really well.
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/agentfresco

Sing Fang Bous - Clangour (Kimi Records)
Sing Fang Bous is the solo project of Sindri Már Sigfússon from folk-pop outfit Seabear. This time around Sindri introduces more electronic and experimental elements, without excluding the folksy ones. The outcome is an inspired album full of beautiful soundscapes and tender melodies.
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/sinfangbous

All CDs can be purchased from:
12 Tónar
Kimi Records
Smekkleysa

Words and picture by Vasilis Panagiotopoulos

10. Various Artists - Ny musik för landssorg (Container Recordings)
Exceptionally moving. A high-concept work of art.

09. Repoman - s/t (Monument)
Fierce, unrepentent hardcore. I can only imagine how good this must sound live.

08. Tobias Hellkvist - Transports (self-released)
Beautiful, blissed-out drone. Pure aural sunshine.

07. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle (Adrian Recordings/Hybris)
The perfect response for anyone put off by the coldness of The Knife. Familjen is destined for greatness.

06. Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm just me (Razzia)
Cute without being too cloying, sweet without being too twee. The best indiepop album of the year.

05. Susanne Sundfør - s/t (MBN)
A tremendously talented young lady from Norway who's probably only just getting started.

04. Aerial - The sentinel (Nomethod/Tangled Up!)
I knew this was top 10 material the first time I heard it. Nobody does epic noiserock better.

03. Laakso - Mother, am I good looking? (V2)
The easy consensus pick. Uneven overall, but forgivable when you consider that this record contains more than a handful of the year's best songs.

02. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Fall, fall, falling (Kalligrammofon)
The yin to Tobias Hellkvist's yang. Where Hellkvist's music makes me want to stand with arms outstretched, ready to embrace the world, Dead Letters makes me want to curl up in a fetal position in a dark corner. I never realized how profoundly moving drone could be until I heard this.

01. Kristofer Åström - RainawayTown (Startracks)
Far and away the album I listened to the most this year and the one I know I'll hold dear for years to come. From tender ballads ("Fallen") to raucous rock'n'roll ("A little out of tune"), this record covers the full spectrum of human experience and puts it into song.

Jonas Appelqvist

10. The Fine Arts Showcase - Sings Rough Bunnies (Adrian Recordings)
A cover album strictly consisting of songs from obscure indie duo Rough Bunnies is commercial suicide. But Gustaf Kjellvander's craftsmanship is so honest and true, it's impossible not to capitulate.

09. Knugen Faller – Lugna favoriter (Cage Match Federation/Ny Våg)
Fans of Buzzcocks, Gorilla Angreb and X should immediately go get a copy of this one!

08. The Lionheart Brothers – Dizzy kiss (Racing Junior/NONS)
Psychedelic rock in the vein of fellow countrymen Euroboys.

07. Moonbabies – At the ballroom (Startracks)
The duo of Ola Frick and Carina Johansson left their more experimental side at home, recorded and released a wonderful pop oriented full-length album and it is infectious.

06. Repoman – s/t (Monument)
The ferocity in Repoman's music is breathtaking. Hardcore resembling Converge is always welcome in my book.

05. My Midnight Creeps – Histamin (Dead Moose/EMI)
In the absence of new material from The Soundtrack of Our Lives, this is where to go. Primal rock at its best suffered a huge loss with the death of guitarist Robert Burås. He will be missed. RIP.

04. Aerial – The sentinel (Nomethod/Tangled Up!)
These guys go from strength to strength. "Black rain from the bombing" gave us a hint on what was coming. This is headstrong indierock that has no intention to rub the right way. Kudos to that!

03. MABD – Ditt hjärta är en stjärna (A West Side Fabrication)
I adored "Tunaskolan" when it came out. This is an even better record. Cynical lyrics, Springsteen-ish vibes and punk rock mixed with Matti Alkberg's unmistakable voice. Magic!

02. Laakso – Mother, am I good looking? (V2)
There's not a chance to defend you from the attack that is this record. And really, why should you? Surrender to Sweden's finest pop combo!

01. Logh – North (Bad Taste Records)
Having released several wonderful records, this is the culmination of their career thus far. Indierock has never sounded this beautiful.

Nancy Baym

10. Pelle Carlberg - In a nutshell (Labrador/Twentyseven Records)
I still feel like he's falling short of his potential, but even a so-so Pelle Carlberg record has enough outstanding moments to carry the day.

09. Vapnet - Något dålight nytt har hänt (Hybris)
Who was it that said they like this band more than ice-cream? Tasty bouncy sweets.

08. Thirdimension - Before the end begins (Hidden Agenda)
A quiet acoustic live performance lets the strength of the songs shine through.

07. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle (Adrian Recordings/Hybris)
I am no fan of electronica, but this record's got too much pop sensibility to ignore.

06. Les Issambres - Late fairytales (Fifth Week Records)
This surprise little record out of nowhere enchanted me with its sister/brother vocal arrangements, simple but compelling songs, and non-pretentious flute.

05. Isolation Years - Sign, sign (NONS)
Their most consistent record to date has some great songs, and no duds, but doesn't have the outstanding highlights of some of their previous efforts.

04. Sambassadeur - Migration (Labrador)
The word "lush" is getting tossed about a lot in reference to this record, and indeed, it shimmers and shines. Very nice second record sees them grow in new directions.

03. Club 8 - The boy who couldn't stop dreaming (Labrador)
Soft, seductive, and beautifully performed, the sixth record from Club 8 is easily their best, despite a couple of dull moments.

02. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin (Dead Moose/EMI)
Robert Burås' far-too-early death this year was a heartbreaking loss, but this last offering wonderfully showcases the magnitude of his epic guitar playing genius.

01. The Fine Arts Showcase - Sings Rough Bunnies (Adrian Recordings)
Gustaf Kjellvander transforms lofi seeds of great ideas into ultracatchy pop brilliance. Easily got more playtime out of me than anything else this year.

Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

10. The Mary Onettes – s/t (Labrador)
80s throwback bands may have finally been forced to take a backseat this year, but The Mary Onettes celebrate that strange and influential era of music in a way that few bands could ever claim to.

09. Seabear – The ghost that carried us away (Morr Music)
Seabear exude a delightful warmth into their compositions: something lost, almost nostalgia inducing, foreign without being unfamiliar, and altogether wonderful.

08. Jens Lekman – Night falls over Kortedala (Service/Secretly Canadian)
Darling of every blogger and hype-generating music website the world over, Jens Lekman did indeed make his mark upon 2007.

07. CS Nielsen – Against the dying of the light (Songcrafter Music)
In September, I wrote that CS Nielsen had crafted one of the greatest albums of the year. I stand by that statement.

06. Anna Järvinen – Jag fick feeling (Häpna)
"Jag fick feeling" will, for the foreseeable future, be one of the first albums I run to as the leaves sicken, bleed out their autumn hues, and gracefully descend to the ground below.

05. Immanu El – They'll come, they come (And the Sound)
As I wrote in my review of this album, Immanu El's "They'll come, they come" is unquestionably a forceful and substantial album; an effort that probes sections of our musical consciousness that have fallen into shadow and been ignored too long.

04. The Chrysler – The Benelux years (Flora & Fauna)
Dropping one spot since the June round up, "The Benelux years" still surprises me with new layers every time I listen to it. The Chrysler are one of the most underrated bands of all time.

03. Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden (SME)
Kent have absolutely nothing to prove anymore - they are arguably one of the best Swedish bands of all time - and yet they continue to prove themselves, over and over and over again. It's frightening.

02. Shout Out Louds – Our ill wills (Bud Fox/Merge)
Another album whose position was solidified earlier in the year, "Our ill wills" is still one of the best sophomore albums I have ever heard.

01. Aerial – The sentinel (Nomethod/Tangled Up!)
I fell in love with this album in January, continued to proclaim its brilliance in June, and, a few hours from December, crown "The sentinel" the best album of 2007. Absolutely brilliant.

Matt Giordano

10. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Fall, fall, falling (Kalligrammofon)
Beautifully subtle and understated noise.

09. The Chrysler - The Benelux years (Flora & Fauna)
The Chrysler upped the tempo on their third album, and it's easily their best.

08. Christian Kjellvander - I saw her from here/I saw here from her (Startracks)
On his third, and best album, the arrangements have finally acted on the ideas.

07. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Pan European (Adrian Recordings)
Brilliant electronica from this Swedish duo.

06. Montt Mardié - Clocks/Pretender (Hybris)
This second album sees big band and swing return to the musical landscape.

05. The Fine Arts Showcase - Sings Rough Bunnies (Adrian Recordings)
Gustaf reinterprets the Rough Bunnies to gorgeous results.

04. Juvelen - s/t (Hybris)
Hot and sweaty pop music has returned!

03. The Tough Alliance - A new chance (Sincerely Yours)
Göteborg's best have honed their sound into hedonistic pop bliss.

02. Laakso - Mother, am I good looking? (V2)
Sweden's best band delivered its third album in such a fashion only they could - with "Italy vs. Helsinki".

01. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle (Adrian Recordings/Hybris)
Familjen's debut album is the best pure pop full-length I have heard all year.

Nick Levine

10. Ninja – I don't play guitar (Popyhtiö)
Finland's answer to Robyn. At the forefront of Finnish pop music. This record has some serious crossover potential.

09. Billie the Vision & The Dancers – Where the ocean meets my hand (Love Will Pay the Bills)
Not a radical departure from previous releases. But hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

08. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle (Adrian/Hybris)
Zeitgeist-defining record. Sweden's answer to new rave?

07. Jens Lekman - Night falls over Kortedala (Service/Secretly Canadian)
More upbeat than Jen's previous efforts. Is this mellowing due to his recent engagement?

06. Boat Club – Caught the breeze (Luxury)
Atmospheric shoegaze and Balearic-lite prog pop.

05. Laakso – Mother, am I good looking? (V2)
The most commercially successful release from Laakso thus far.

04. Studio – West Coast (Information)
I'm counting this as it only got a UK release this year. Credit must also be given for some of Studio's superb remixes for the likes of Shout Out Louds and Rubies.

03. Those Dancing Days - s/t (V2)
Undoubtedly the biggest Swedish buzz band of the year. Helped in no small part by It's a Trap.

02. The Tough Alliance – A new chance (Sincerely Yours)
Stunning comeback record, after the experimentation of 2006's "Escaping your ambitions".

01. Shout Out Louds – Our ill wills (Bud Fox/Merge)
This records features the best use of cowbell in 2007.

Christian Stenbacke

10. Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden (SME)
The journey back into the dark electronical realms of the 80's might not have been the perfect career move, but on the other hand, since when has Kent ever cared about such a petty thing?

09. Sällskapet – s/t (Universal)
Cold and dark and damp - Pelle Ossler vs. Joakim Thåström - Life drained from the body, machines in control, the last thing leaving mankind is hope. Are you ready to enter room 212?

08. Kristofer Åström – RainawayTown (Startracks)
There is something special about Kristofer Åström. He has the ability to get to the things that really matter with small words and measures.

07. Bloodlights – s/t (Playground Music)
All things have to come to and end, Glucifer is no more, but the Captain lives on. Bloodlights is cock rock at its best.

06. The Mary Onettes – s/t (Labrador)
It's so obvious and it's so perfect. The Mary Onettes hardly try to hide their Anglophile influences and why should they?

05. Christian Kjellvander – I saw her from her/I saw here from her (Startracks)
Christian Kjellvander is a man of quality; every song sung from his lips is of highest standard.

04. José González – In our nature (Imperial/Mute)
The man is just marvelous; catching every single raw emotion there is with his incredible guitar work and simple, yet direct, voice.

03. The Raveonettes – Lust lust lust (Border Music/Vice)
Finally back to basics; the magic of Sune Wagner and Sharin Foo's voices bound together and the bleak Jesus & Mary Chain meets 50s surf music is a fascinating combination.

02. Logh – North (Bad Taste Records)
Instead of calling it quits, Logh decided to pull it together and release a new album, the best decision ever made.

01. Sound Like Violence – With blood on my hands (Burning Heart)
What is Niccokick compared to this? This is the best album this year by far; the impact of every song is overwhelming.

Simon Tagestam

10. The Hives – The black and white album (Interscope)
Not as good as I wanted it to be, but The Hives manage to deliver a bunch of great songs.

09. Shout Out Louds – Our ill wills (Bud Fox/Merge)
A strong and solid second album from Shout Out Louds.

08. Frida Hyvönen – Pudel (Licking Fingers)
A mini album that has given me very high hopes for Hyvönen's second proper full-length.

07. Anna Järvinen – Jag fick feeling (Häpna)
It took me some time to warm to this Järvinen's solo debut, but now I find it really cosy and pleasant, it's a great album for cold winter nights.

06. Jonas Game – ADHD (Sincerely Yours)
Bad Cash Quartet's drummer managed to make a very personal and intriguing album full of hits.

05. The Tough Alliance – A new chance (Sincerely Yours)
Nice to see TTA back on track after last year's weird ambient album.

04. The Lovekevins – Vs the snow (Songs I Wish I Had Written)
I knew that The LKs were good, but I didn't think they could be this good!

03. Alexis Weak – Välkommen till Gullmarsplan (La Vida Locash)
Ok, it's only a half an hour (free!) mixtape, but I got really addicted to Alexis Weak's personal rapping style in 2007.

02. Säkert! – s/t (Razzia)
It was nice to see the Swedish public embracing Annika Norlin's side project and making her the star she deserves to be.

01. Jens Lekman – Nights falls over Kortedala (Service/Secretly Canadian)
Ah, the King of Sweden! Or, at least he should be. Lekman is the greatest.

]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 articles top10s http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20341 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20341 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/20341#comments PSL has Icelandic act Seabear performing live for them: http://svt-psl.colo.netstar.se/default.aspx?entryID=300]]> Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:23:45 -0800 news multimedia http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26094-various-artists-a-number-of-small-things-a-collection-of-morr-music-singles-from-2001-2007-morr-music http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26094-various-artists-a-number-of-small-things-a-collection-of-morr-music-singles-from-2001-2007-morr-music http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26094-various-artists-a-number-of-small-things-a-collection-of-morr-music-singles-from-2001-2007-morr-music#comments Múm's debut album) the generally excellent contributions oscillate between finely-crafted indie-pop, IDM, and electronica. Between other big names (like Markus Acher of The Notwist, Valerie Trebeljahr of Lali Puna or Simon Scott of Slowdive), Scandinavian highlights include Seabear covering The Undertones' "Teenage kicks" and, most of all, Benni Hemm Hemm's stripped-down collaboration with Jens Lekman on "Aldrei". All in all, this CD or any of the corresponding seven-inches could make for a great musical present this year - trust me, I've tried it before.]]> Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 reviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26048-seabear-the-ghost-that-carried-us-away-morr-music http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26048-seabear-the-ghost-that-carried-us-away-morr-music http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26048-seabear-the-ghost-that-carried-us-away-morr-music#comments CS Nielsen, Aerial, Immanu El, the new Shout Out Louds, amongst numerous other releases - and this is limiting myself to Scandinavian bands. Seabear are now firmly in the running for the best effort of 2007 with their wonderful "The ghost that carried us away". Just as many were wondering if Sigur Rós would be the defining watermark of Icelandic music for the foreseeable future, especially given the lukewarm reception to Benni Hemm Hemm's most recent work, Seabear powerfully demonstrate that there is life outside of Sigur Rós and Björk, and that Icelanders have just as much control over warm, acoustic numbers just as powerfully as arctic, sweeping efforts. "I sing I swim" is by far the best number on the record, and amongst the best songs I've heard this year. "Lost watch" displays that Seabear's talents aren't merely limited to the warm and present, but also to detached and ambling explorations. Overall, "The ghost that carried us away" is more than ample evidence that the contemporary music scene is far from stagnant or inadequate, and that Icelanders don't need to play electric guitars with bows or have a voice as powerful as an avalanche to create exceptional pieces of music. It's an exceptional album, and worth parting yourself from a few dollars to own.]]> Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 reviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19681 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19681 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19681#comments Music (for Robots) on Icelandic act Seabear: http://music.for-robots.com/archives/002222.html]]> Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:23:01 -0700 news general