IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Peter Dolving - Meinhof

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:23:58 -0700

New Peter Dolving sounds like Silverbullit?

Silverbullit in the studio

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:54:18 -0800

At last: Silverbullit report that they are officially planning to record new material: https://www.facebook.com/silverbullitband/posts/10151027350235487

PSL gets the scoop on Silverbullit

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:00:23 -0700

PSL talks to Simon Ohlsson about the return of Silverbullit as well as his solo project Metatron: http://psl.svt.se/psl/2011/05/18/extra-extra-silverbullit-i-studion-ny-singel-pa-vag-men-vad-hander-med-simon-ohlssons-solokaraktar-metatron/ (in Swedish)

Silverbullit working on a new album, tour

Thu, 12 May 2011 13:23:15 -0700

Gaffa has confirmed that Silverbullit is indeed working on new music and will be touring: http://gaffa.se/nyhet/49333

Silverbullit to receive SKAP stipend

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:18:31 -0700

PSL reports that Silverbullit has been awarded a sizable stipend from SKAP despite the fact that the band has not been active in many years: http://psl.svt.se/psl/2011/05/11/extra-extra-silverbullit-far-pris-och-psl-ropar-hipp-hipp-hurra/
Perhaps it's a harbinger of things to come? I can only hope so, as they truly are one of Sweden's greatest rock bands and I've been eagerly awaiting their return.

MP3: The Janitors - Epileptic city

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:57:12 -0800

The Janitors aspired to Silverbullit-level greatness on their debut album and failed, but with their new release, "The sick state EP", they've come mighty close. We're still neck-deep in derivative works territory (see "Epileptic city" vs "Magnetic city") and the band's name is still forgettable at best, but there's a lot they're getting right: the steady motorik pulse, the layers of noise, the ominous vibe. Even if they don't have much personality of their own manufacture, I'll accept 'em as a solid Silverbullit tribute and will remain optimistic they'll push the envelope a bit further as time goes on.
Listen to "The sick state EP" here and keep an eye out for another three EPs to be released over the course of 2011 with an eventual LP compilation of the tracks coming at the close.

Flux interviews Andreas Nilsson

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:01:10 -0700

Flux interviews renown Swedish video director (Miike Snow, The Knife, etc.) and Silverbullit guitarist Andreas Nilsson: http://flux.net/who-is-andreas-nilsson

The Göteborg String Theory tracklist

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:07:46 -0700

Kning Disk has unveiled the full tracklist for the upcoming album from The Göteborg String Theory, featuring an all-star cast:

01. Ben Lauber - Sadludium
02. Warren Suicide - Fuck off, happy
03. Jmy Haze - Promise
04. Bow & Arrow - Higher
05. Silverbullit - Magnetic city
06. Pacific! feat. El Perro Del Mar - From lips divine
07. José González - Cycling trivialities
08. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - So soft so pink
09. Ebbot Lundberg - There's only one of us here
10. Jaqee - Kokoo girl
11. Fox Machine - Frank Lloyd was wright
12. Jaw Lesson - Rats and rifles
13. Midaircondo - Come with me
14. Studio - Out there
15. El Perro Del Mar - A better love

More info, including samples and preorder details are available here: http://www.kningdisk.com/index_tgst.htm

MP3: The Janitors - Run

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:36:34 -0700

The Janitors posit themselves to be the 2nd coming of Silverbullit. They are not; they are, at best, yet another in a long line of mediocre Jesus and Mary Chain rips. I doubt I'd be so down on them if they didn't have such outlandish delusions of grandeur, but they should know better than to claim to be as good as one of Sweden's absolute best bands. Compare their song "Run" with Silverbullit's and it's no contest.

Kning Disk presents The Göteborg String Theory

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:04:29 -0800

Kning Disk has announced they will be putting out a 2CD/2LP record from The Göteborg String Theory, an all-star collaboration of German classical composers and some of Göteborg, Sweden's finest musicians. In addition to the physical release (on April 17), there will also be a live concert at Göteborgs Konserthus featuring contributions from José González, Pacific!, El Perro Del Mar, Fox Machine, Silverbullit, Jaw Lesson, Anna von Hausswolff, Bow & Arrow, Warren Suicide, Jmy Haze, Daniel Gilbert, Ebbot Lundberg (The Soundtrack of our Lives), Ben Lauber, The Skull Defekts feat. Daniel Higgs, Jaqee and The Berlin/Göteborg String Theory orchestra. More info: http://tinyurl.com/y9wqffj

Sirius playlist week #50

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:35:11 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, 100% pre-millennium edition:

01. TALK 1
02. Honey Is Cool - Bolero
03. Beyond Dawn - Addictions are private
04. Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
05. TALK 2
06. Kent - If you were here
07. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
08. CMX - Ainomieli 97
09. Docent Död - Bensin i blodet
10. TALK 3
11. Bitch Boys - Automobile
12. Nicolai Dunger - This town
13. Broder Daniel - I'll be gone
14. Starmarket - Ten seconds
15. TALK 4
16. Madrugada - Beautyproof
17. Breach - Black sabbath
18. Silverbullit - Thank you Mr.
19. Camouflage - Syster sol
20. TALK 5
21. Entombed - Lights out

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. Next week's show will feature tunes from my top 10 albums of the year.

Top 10s for 2008: Daggan (Novoton)

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

01. Pascal - Galgberget
http://www.klicktrack.com/novoton/releases/pascal/galgberget
I know I work with the band, but even if I didn't an album like this would be number one on my list any day. Pascal are back with their sophomore album "Galgberget", and what a follow up it is. They have fine tuned their cave rock and are both heavier and noisier than ever. More anger and bitterness. More hate, longing and much much more love. Just as Pascal likes it.

02. Woven Hand - Ten stones
http://www.myspace.com/wovenhand
I've been a fan of Woven Hand since day one and I know that some older fans didn't like this album, but I love it. I like that there is a little more rawness and energy. It's a great album.

03. Norma - Book Of Norma
http://www.klicktrack.com/novoton/releases/norma/book-of-norma
Another one of my bands and what a debut album they made. They mix ambient, Kraut, noise, electronica, indie often with a strict, repetitive bass/drum pattern and a magnificent, wide and almost hypnotic sound. This is rich, panoramic music with a warmth that you don't hear often from other bands trying to do something in this genre. German Kraut is one obvious thing, but also the spacerock of Spiritualized and Spacemen3 comes to mind. Newer references may be Silverbullit, 120 Days, Serena Maneesh and The Lionheart Brothers. Check out the review here at It's a Trap! and you'll get how good it is.

04. Clinic - Do it
http://www.clinicvoot.org/
Britain's finest psych rock combo return with a great summer album which I listen to almost exclusively the whole summer, and still do. "Corpus Christi now you miss me."

05. Ultravox - Ultravox!, Ha! Ha! Ha!, Systems of romance
http://www.metamatic.com/

05. Gary Numan - Replicas
http://www.numan.co.uk/
Every year I seem to have a trip down the memory lane and this year it was both Ultravox three first albums with John Foxx (don't care much for the ones with Midge Ure though). Still fucking brilliant. Enough said. I also listened a lot to a almost perfect album by Gary Numan - Replicas. Check them all out, it's well worth it.

06. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr. Happy
http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/releases/montys-loco/farewell-mr-happy-2
Montys Loco are back with their forth album recorded in Namibia and Sweden. It explores organic sounds and electronic atmospheres created by Marie Eklund, Monty's guitarist and producer. PJ Harvey meets Suicide and Neubauten!

07. Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
http://www.myspace.com/spiritualized
"Songs in A&E" is a return to fantastic form by Spirtualized. All of Jason Pierce's fascinations of the past years appear here in a beautiful way. I'm always pleased to see old favourites release great albums.

08. Holiday For Strings - Upcoming second album
http://www.myspace.com/holidayforstrings
So it's not out yet but I got a CD with some of the new tracks which I absolutely loved. It's going to be a great album. Head over to their MySpace page and listen to them.

09. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
http://www.glasvegas.net/
I haven't really had time to get into it properly because I am always a little sceptic to bands that are hyped this much. However good music is good music even if it is being hyped, sometime it's hyped because it's good. I am sure this will be listened to a lot the next couple of months.

10. Fatboy - In my bones
http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/releases/fatboy/in-my-bones
And to end the list a little bit of Rockabilly from Sweden. Fatboy's second album is truly genuine. Something with a feel for history, but that is fashionably out of date. A combo that looks like it sounds, that isn't afraid to laugh in the face of expectation.

---------------------------
Daggan runs the label Novoton and is one of the founders of Klicktrack. Next year he is looking forward to release new albums by Antennas, Existensminimum and Pascal as well as a side project by Isak from Pascal.
www.novoton.se
www.klicktrack.com

On Volcano My sleep was filled with dreams self-released

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

On Volcano attempt to tread the ground between postrock inspired rock of Silverbullit and the female-fronted shoegaze of A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Opener "Ride the wolf" is the best product of this strange interlocution, both driving and atmospheric. The chanting in "Out of sight" renders the composition slightly forced, deviating quite a ways from their strengths. "Goodbye fireflies" is crafted wonderfully, but it's poppier focus gives the track a radio-friendly sheen that spoils the pleasure a bit. There is hope to be found in the closer, as "The blank page" approaches sonic chaos in a way that I can only really compare to Sonic Youth, though there is a pop finesse present that Sonic Youth has not embraced. There's potential within On Volcano, it's just a shame that evidence for it is only found on half the tracks of their debut EP. Worth keeping an eye on these Finns, though.

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:43:28 -0700

Silverbullit reportedly did a recording session at Svenska Grammofon in Gbg this month. No idea if/how/when it'll be released, but I am eternally optimistic for new material from them.

MP3: Prince of Assyria - What ever you want

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:10:22 -0700

Following up today on a recommendation I received from Silverbullit guitarist Andreas Nilsson in his interview not too long ago. Kite, the band I ended up posting, is actually someone I was already familiar with (I've played their single "Ways to dance" on my radio show), but Prince of Assyria was an entirely new name to me, so of course I had to investigate. Not that I discovered much so far to be honest, but his music is quite good from what I can tell, even if it isn't the sort of thing I normally associate with Gbg-based label Kning Disk. Along with iDEAL, Komplott and Compunctio, Kning Disk is one of Sweden's best labels for exciting, forward-thinking music though Prince of Assyria sounds downright contemporary compared to some of their other artists, such as The Skull Defekts or even Erik Enocksson. This is pure pop balladeering, anchored by a deep, rich voice and an expansive arrangement. However, though it might not be avant-garde, it's still exciting. As always, good music is good music. Definitely looking forward to hearing more when the full-length album is ready this fall.

MP3: Kite - My girl and I

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

I already posted a track from Silverbullit as part of our ongoing Göteborg Spotlight Series, but today I'm happy a present an interview with guitarist Andreas Nilsson, an artist who's also well known for his phenomenal video work. Madrugada, José González and The Knife are just a few of the names of artists he has collaborated with. Andreas may no longer be a Gbg resident, but his contributions to the city's music and art scene are numerous. Read on...

First off, my standard intro question: how long have you lived in Gbg? What brought you there and what keeps you in town?

I moved here at age 17 to go to artschool. Lived here for 17 years, so half my life... I live in another town now, but I miss the sort of underground musicscene that Koloni, Kning Disk and Ideal bring to Gothenburg. It's amazing that a town of Gbg's size has such a big scene for this kind of stuff.

You seem to be working more visually these days as opposed to sonically - which medium would you say is your strong point? How often do the two overlap? If someone asks "so, what do you do?" how do you answer?

The way that I work is a cluster of things that I barely understand the logic of myself. But I try to overlap as much as possible. It's an ok place to be in, the twilight zone.

If someone asks me what I do, I lie and tell them I'm a horsewhisperer or something.

How was Way Out West? Were you satisfied with Silverbullit's set? See anything of note?

Playing with Silverbullit again was great. Always fun to see Simon play keyboardsolo in his patented rapestyle and we were touched by all the people that showed up.

But I didn't have time to see much else at the festival. The Bug had a great stomach-turning bass. My big festival moment this year was My Bloody Valentine at Roskilde. It was so loud that I experienced a physical reaction in my nose that I had never experienced before. It was kind of buzzing and humming the day after, very strange.

I understand you managed to get Freddie Wadling to make a guest appearance - who's idea was that? Was it a matter of mutual appreciation or did it take more wrangling to get it together?

We've been working on a track that Freddie gave us as a demo. The idea of playing together came to us in a DHL-package.

What current projects are you working on? What can we expect to see/hear from you in the next six months or so? What are the chances of a new Silverbullit album?

Just finished a video for a British band called White Lies. The track is called "Death". Today I'm in Gothenburg working at the Stadsteatern. I'm working on a play called "Butterfly Kiss" together with director Malin Stenberg. A dark and surreal text about a dysfunctional family with an urge to kill. It premiered 19th Sep for all you culture vultures out there.

Finally, got a song you would like to share, either from one of your own bands or from a local act you admire? Tell me about it!

I think people should have a listen to the band Kite from Malmö. They have a beautiful song called "My girl and I". I also like Prince of Assyria who is releasing an album on Kning Disk this fall.

Both Kite and Prince of Assyria obliged by sending in tracks for posting, but since Andreas recommended a specific Kite track, that's the one I'm going with today. Stay tuned for more on The Prince- a recommendation from Andreas Nilsson does not go unnoticed!

MP3: Silverbullit - Only gold

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:19:50 -0700

Besides Broder Daniel, the one band I really would have wanted to see at Way Out West was Silverbullit. I've actually been fortunate enough to see them twice already, once when opening for The Soundtrack of Our Lives in SF and again at Umeå Open in 2005 when they so obviously blew away every other band. Even today, without a new album to support since 2004's "Arclight", I'd still rank them as one of Sweden's best bands. And now I read that they even got Freddie Wadling (Cortex, Blue for Two, etc.) to make a guest appearance? Gah! I should've been there! YouTube just ain't gonna cut it. Silverbullit's massive wall of sound simply doesn't translate to the small-screen format.

Still no word on whether there will ever be a new album, but at least we can still celebrate their back-catalog. Here is "Only gold" from the aforementioned "Arclight".

MP3: Division of Laura Lee - Central Park

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0700

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the new Division of Laura Lee single "Central Park". This is the first single from their forthcoming album "Violence is timeless", due out in limited vinyl format on August 15 with the CD version to follow on October 29. But that's not all! They've also enlisted the help of many friends and peers to create videos for each and every track and will be slowly releasing them to the public as we get closer to the album's release. Peep the first clip for "Central Park" right here, courtesy of UK-based animation team Man vs Machine: [click here]

Also, seeing as how a new DoLL single ties in nicely with my weekly Göteborg Spotlight Series, I decided to track down drummer Håkan Johansson to answer a few questions. Read on...

First, my standard question: how long have you lived in Gbg, what brought you there and what keeps you hanging around?

Per (Stålberg, vocals/gtr) and I had been talking for a while about moving the band to Gothenburg and try to make some kind of music career, but it wasn't until I got approved to artschool that I grabbed my stuff and left Vänersborg. This was in 2001. Gothenburg has pretty much everything you need. Great music and art scene, clubs, bars and most important all the friends I have made during the years here.

I hear a very strong DC influence on the new album - is that a conscious thing? Are you trying to separate yourselves from the Gbg sound? Does such a thing as a Gbg sound even exist? Or are you just hanging out with Shelby Cinca¹ too much?

We have never really aimed for a DC sound, but after growing up with the Discord catalog on our record shelves I think it was unavoidable. When we started this band we wanted to create the same vibe that the DC scene had, and this has followed us throughout the journey. Yeah, hanging with Shelby in DC a lot the last couple of years reminds me of this frequently. The Gothenburg sound... ah yes.. I see us more of the outsider in this bunch. We are a part of the Gothenburg scene, but I don't know if we are a part of the sound. To be honest with you Avi, I'm not sure this "sound" even exists.

Speaking of Shelby and DC, are you still active with Man and Wasp/Frantic Mantis or have you consigned yourself to doing locally-oriented sideprojects like the rest of your bandmates? Do you think there's anything particular about the Gbg scene that makes it easier for folks to collaborate? Also, how awesome is Repoman?

Frantic Mantis are on a hiatus. Man and Wasp is the main sideproject at the moment. We are working on an album that might or might not come out in one shape or the other next year. All the side projects I have been involved in have never been planned. We just had some extra time to jam, and the ability to record it. When playing with Shelby everything just turns into gold. I think there are so many projects around here in Gothenburg 'cause everybody knows everybody, and playing music with people other than your regular bandmates is a way to play other styles and develop as a musician. Yeah Repoman is awesome! I am still bummed I wasn't asked to play drums for them.

Does the same sort of collaborative/cooperative community exist in the Gbg art world as well? I know of a few other local Gbg musicians who double as artists and vice-versa besides yourself, but do you think there's much crossover overall? How would you say the two worlds are the same/different?

Music and art just goes hand in hand. Just look at iDEAL as a label and artcollective, and then Silverbullit with Jon and Andreas who're doing awesome music, videos, projections and art. Nowadays, and even 10 years ago, the DIY way was the way to do it. When a band or artist wanted to release a record, a record cover had to be done. Then you wanted to make some merchandise, a website etc., but there was no money to pay for it. You had to do it yourself. And I think this has grown stronger over the years. Personally, I think doing a record cover for a free dinner is way more fun than doing a company branding that pays your rent for a full year...

Who came up with the concept of getting friends to film videos for each song on the new album? How do you think the experiment came out? Any favorites we can look forward to?

This was something that I Made This came up with. We loved it the second we heard the idea. I won't spill too much, but I love the one Kristofer Åström did. And although I haven't seen them yet, I am especially excited about the ones Joe Lally from Fugazi and Jason Lytle from Grandaddy are putting together.

Tell us about the new single "Central Park"!

I will quote Jonas (Gustavsson, bass) on this one:

"Music is time consuming. Four years, we waited for this song. When it finally arrived, it was finished in four minutes. Four chords. It's yours for free, because some secrets are to reveal."

LINK: http://www.violenceistimeless.com/

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:07:55 -0700

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

01. Anna Maria Espinosa - Everyday
02. TALK 1
03. Tobias Hellkvist - Vintervarm
04. The Bear Quartet - Needs vs. facts
05. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
06. TALK 2
07. Kristofer Åström - The dark
08. Honey Is Cool - You're a horse
09. Reeperbahn - Hjälte
10. Voices Break the Silence - The way
11. TALK 3
12. Hebosagil - River
13. Pan Sonic - Lähetys
14. Silverbullit - Only gold
15. TALK 4
16. Josè González - Down the line
17. Motorpsycho - Serpentine
18. NEI - Hello
19. Claws Costeau - Finnuggla
20. TALK 5
21. Hello Saferide - I thought you said summer is going to take the pain away

Reminder: my show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday.

MP3: Cut City - Replacement

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As regular readers know, Saturdays in 2008 are devoted to the music of Göteborg. This week's guest: Max Hansson from Cut City/White Knives.

How long have you lived in Gbg? What brought you there and what keeps you hanging around?

During a drunken haze back in the year 2000 while stuck in my hometown, I threw a dart at a world map and figured that chance could have its way with me. Though aiming for internationally consensus-proven cool cities like New York, Berlin and Paris, I fell short and took the bus up to Gothenburg and started delivering mail with a disgruntled grin. In my bags I had a band lacking any basic nuance of ambition along with an appetite for spending more time on stage than off. It was an unhealthy equation, but by ditching (read: being ditched by) some of the members, I started Cut City with David Hagberg and it led me to fulfill some modest goals of mine. That was six years ago and though many of the people I know have since left town, I stay put. I'm too old to move and my wonderful girlfriend makes life tolerable here. Gothenburg can be quite abysmal at times, mostly during the fall, winter, spring and the majority of summer. There are things here that makes it worth living though: Koloni put on a whole lot of wonderful shows and pushes a healthy experimental climate; Release The Bats put out some amazing music as does Ideal Recordings. Without them, Gothenburg would have you jump for the Xanax bottle.

How do you deal with bandmates living in Malmö? Don't you know they barely speak Swedish down there? What's keeping you from ditching David and getting someone local? Or why don't you sell out Gbg and move south?

Rehearsing less than once a month is what we do and it's how we define work ethic. I've got a small studio (a grand euphemism for old computer) set up in a tiny walk-in closet and that's what keeps me sane. I'm from the south myself so the language barrier is easily broken down. I can't move to the south because I'm banned there and we can't give David the boot because he's a machine and we all know that machines will take over the world and we really, really want someone to be on our side when that day comes. To be honest, Sweden's such a small country that you run into friends pretty much without effort.

Do you feel any connection to the Swedish post-punk scene of yore or do you draw inspiration from elsewhere? Do you ever consider your city's musical heritage at all? Do you think there's any such thing as a Gbg sound?

I merely play the music I do because I lack the musical prowess to play metal. And that's the honest truth. When you read this I'm either at the Iron Maiden concert with 60,000 other heshers or discussing the grandeur of a mummified Eddie with everyone who failed to get a ticket. Post-punk is too broad of a term to stylistically distinguish band A from band B. But I do know what you mean my dear friend. I'll tell you this: my favorite guitarists among many are Roger Mcguinn, Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine - the triple R - and they inspire me in many ways. Trying to copy them while lacking the talent I make my style my own (oh, the hubris).
I moved here being totally oblivious to what this city had spawned band-wise and I knew next to nothing about what it had to offer with the exception of its metal scene and its very distinct Gbg sound. I would say I feel a whole lot more affiliated with the city now after befriending many of its contemporary musicians. I feel a kinship with the likes of Alarma Man, Silverbullit, Dieter Schöön and a slew of other bands that know better than to sing off-key.

How does the city inspire you? How does it stifle you? How do you think people could make it better?

I like to take long, long walks from one end of the city to the other and see how it transforms from big anxiety-provoking concrete blocks to huge beach mansions soon-to-be engulfed by the sea; from rich ghettos to poor ghettos. I like watching people hitting the bars on Avenyn; I like watching the young kids clubbing; I like seeing the contempt erupting from both sides of the coin. This city could mean everything to me and at the same time nothing. I can't say I could tell if it makes me or breaks me. I think people could make it better if they drank more. Juice.

Going to Way Out West this year? Anything in particular that you're looking forward to? Or dreading?

Yes. Deleted Art has two bands playing there this year: The Mae Shi and No Age. I'm amped up and ready to surf the crowd. Then there's Sonic Youth of course, as well as The National and they're both bands I love. Had only Journey been there playing the entire "Escape" album with Steve Perry holding the mic instead of some poor replaceable cover band member, I would literally be bawling. That's not going to happen though, so I might as well just sit back home watching "Frontiers and Beyond" or "Live in Houston". Dreading? I don't want to run my mouth off and take a piss on bands that probably deserves it because that would be rude and I'm not a rude person (Mando Diao). I dread queuing to the unsanitary toilets, shit and piss on the floors.

Lastly, got a song to share? Either from one of your own bands or another, it's all good. Tell me about it!

I don't know if copyright laws prohibits you from sharing "Bastards of young" by The Replacements with your frequent visitors. I would love for you to have that up there instead of being elaborate and unscrupulous enough to exploit this offer and have people listening to my own band. I know the answer to this and will offer you the second best thing to the Mats themselves: "Replacement". It's our own ode to Westerberg et al and a deliberate attempt at stealing the best things in music history.

Thanks!

No, thank you! Still they ride, on wheels of fire. They rule the night. Still they ride, the strong will survive. Chasing thunder.

Sun, 18 May 2008 11:55:24 -0700

Here's this week's radio show playlist:

01. Siena Root - Waiting for the sun
02. TALK 1
03. Cult of Luna - Eternal kingdom
04. Svartbag - Black Capricorn
05. Kite - Ways to dance
06. TALK 2
07. Eero Johannes - Finnrexin
08. Looptroop Rockers - The building
09. Holiday for Strings - Touch the tiger
10. TALK 3
11. Silverbullit - Magnetic city
12. Thomas Denver Jonsson - My wardrobe
13. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
14. Wolfbrigade - Feelings you don't want to feel
15. TALK 4
16. Johndoe - Piggtråd og piss
17. Sol Andersson - All is full of love
18. King of All the Animals - The snowflake song (I Was A Teenage Satan Worshipper remix)
19. TALK 5
20. Last Days of April - You don't believe me (Monster & Maskiner remix)
21. Pacta Sunt Servanda - To claim your prize
22. The Goner - Spirit round-up
23. TALK 6
24. Tape - Altamira
25. Letum - Tallriksis
26. Zeigeist - Black milk
27. TALK 7
28. Knife and Ape - Semiotic dysfunction
29. Terveet Kädet - Message
30. Giant Boar - Chronic date
31. The Lionheart Brothers - Time river floaty
32. TALK 8
33. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
34. Agent Side Grinder - Lashes of flashes
35. Skitsystem - Solidaritetens sista utpost
36. TALK 9
37. Final Exit - Punk enough

Reminder: my show on Sirius Blog Radio runs Saturdays at 12 noon and midnight ET on channel 26 (Left of Center). My show is being preempted this coming weekend (05/24) for a special Memorial Day Block Party special, but I'll be back in full effect on June 7.

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:11:51 -0700

Daaamn! Silverbullit is now confirmed for Way Out West: http://www.wayoutwest.se/nyheter/vi-ramlar-pa-med-fler-artister
It's been a long while since I've heard anything new from those guys. They're also an amazing live band.

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:48:04 -0700

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

01. Figurines - The wonder
02. TALK 1
03. CS Nielsen - Happy
04. Superfamily - Teens of the 70s
05. Winter Took His Life - Oh
06. TALK 2
07. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
08. Bogus Blimp - Untitled jazz no. 1
09. Firefox AK - Pushing
10. TALK 3
11. Disfear - Get it off
12. Biker Boy - March song (Kalle J remix)
13. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around
14. TALK 4
15. Dogday - New romance
16. Mew - Am I wry? No
17. Det Är Jag Som Är Döden - Hello!
18. TALK 5
19. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
20. Darkthrone - Skald av Satans sol
21. Caesars Palace - (I'm gonna) Kick you out
22. TALK 6
23. Lack - Behead
24. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty
25. Hebosagil - Old prophet
26. TIAC - OTW
27. TALK 7
28. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
29. Strip Music - Never die
30. The Social Services - Electric brae
31. TALK 8
32. At the Gates - All life ends (live)
33. Fireside - Jupiter
34. Ulver - Funebre
35. Paper - They're gonna keep me
36. TALK 9
37. Convoj - Cultural legacy
38. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
39. Silverbullit - Run
40. TALK 10
41. Massgrav - Vuxenliv

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:47:25 -0800

The playlist for this week's radio show, an all-winter theme:

01. Ricochets - Cold outside
02. TALK 1
03. Shining - Winterreise
04. Britta Persson - Winter tour
05. Svenson - In the snow
06. Weeping Willows - Christmas in prison
07. TALK 2
08. The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
09. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Blikktztunddonner
10. The Knife - Reindeer
11. TALK 3
12. Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
13. January Jaunt - Stuck in glaziers
14. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
15. TALK 4
16. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
17. E.S.T. - Strange place for snow
18. Sort Mel - Det grønne flesket
19. Notre Dame - A scrooge tale
20. TALK 5
21. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - Winter moment
22. Syster Lycklig - Bilden till snöstorm
23. The Book of Daniel - 3rd of December
24. TALK 6
25. Samuraj Cities - Cold feet
26. Amandine - Silver bells
27. Logcabin - View of frost
28. Silverbullit - Winter coat
29. TALK 7
30. In Flames - December flower
31. Viktor Sjöberg - On a winters day
32. The Bear Quartet - Blizzard
33. TALK 8
34. Brick - Gray day
35. Laakso - Merry Christmas
36. Strayfolk - Another year before the mast
37. TALK 9

Don't forget to vote for Sirius Blog Radio at the Plug Awards! Vote here: http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php
We are nominated under the category "Media (Obsessive) > Specialty Show Of The Year (Commercial Radio)".

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:21:28 -0700

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Beautiful as a person
02. TALK 1
03. Don't Be A Stranger - Perfect problem
04. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
05. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
06. TALK 2
07. Deathbed - When hope leaves a body
08. Closer - Sensing the wake
09. TALK 3
10. The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
11. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
12. Anna Järvinen - Götgatan
13. TALK 4
14. Eric Malmberg - Slutet på en epok
15. Mustasch - Bring me everyone
16. September - Until I die
17. TALK 5
18. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
19. Frode Haltli - The latter
20. Lykke Li - Little bit
21. TALK 6
22. Downstairs - Peephole city
23. The Cardigans - Don't blame your daughter (Diamonds)
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. TST - We are the kids
26. TALK 7
27. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
28. Mikko Singh - Palmun juurella
29. Audionom - Dc2
30. TALK 8
31. Ulver - Solitude
32. The Psyke Project - I get paralyzed
33. Silverbullit - Winter coat
34. TALK 9
35. Bodies Without Organs (BWO) - Let it rain
36. Icos - On my own
37. Torpedo - Hang me high
38. TALK 10
39. Graveyard - Satan's finest

FYI, in case you missed my announcement: next week will be a spooky Halloween-themed program.

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Columbos have posted the new track "Keep the message kill the messenger" (feating Simon Ohlsson of Silverbullit) for download/streaming: http://www.myspace.com/thecolombos

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for this week's all-GBG radio show:

01. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
02. TALK 1
03. Hemstad - Sommar i Göteborg
04. Division of Laura Lee - We are numbers
05. Håkan Hellström - Kom igen Lena!
06. TALK 2
07. In Flames - Everything counts
08. Pistol Disco - Walking with Jesus
09. Viktor Sjöberg - W/nothing
10. TALK 3
11. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
12. The Knife - Listen now
13. Broder Daniel - Dark heart
14. TALK 4
15. Samuraj Cities - All along the shoreline
16. MPTP - Jim Morrison
17. At the Gates - Cold
18. TALK 5
19. The Book of Daniel - The camels parade
20. Silverbullit - Magnetic city
21. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Nevermore
22. TALK 6
23. Nicolai Dunger - What tomorrow
24. The Kid - Portion control (Fatsuit haze/Zlatan wins the World Cup remix)
25. The Idealist - The knives are my eyes
26. C.Aarmé - Visions
27. TALK 7
28. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - I could have sworn I heard them SING
29. Junip - Official
30. Diabolique - Catholic
31. TALK 8
32. Convoj - My timekeeping heart
33. Tsukimono - Dear sister
34. Eric Beyond - Step off
35. TALK 9
36. Björn Kleinhenz - Out of style
37. Detektivbyrån - E18
38. TALK 10
39. Bad Cash Quartet - Too bored to die

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The tracklist from this week's radio show featuring special guest Magnus Bjerkert of Adrian Recordings:

01. TALK 1
02. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
03. Andreas Tilliander - Untitled
04. TALK 2
05. Printer - Minds Out
06. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
07. TALK 3
08. Björns vänner - Isoleringskvall
09. The Fine Arts Showcase - Chemical girl (Familjen remix)
10. Laakso - Truck Driver
11. TALK 4
12. Breach - Diablo
13. Kent - Ingenting någonsin
14. Stina Nordenstam - Crime
15. Stardog - Lack of time
16. TALK 5
17. Bob Hund - Förträngda problem
18. Den Svenska Tystnaden - Reaktor
19. Björk - Venus as a boy
20. TALK 6
21. Honey is Cool - If I go
22. The Knife - We share our mother's health (Trentemøller remix)
23. Silverbullit - Buddy
24. TALK 7
25. Sharif - E.A.A. (Eagerly awaiting anytime)
26. TALK 8
27. eMiL Jensen - Bud från April

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Death By Kite - Scared of heights
02. TALK 1
03. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Crakkin zombees...
04. Monomen - Asian spacestation
05. José González - Hints
06. TALK 2
07. I Am Bones - Backpackers
08. Ellen Beach - The widespread acclaim
09. Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting
10. TALK 3
11. Iisole - The words
12. Kornstad - Sweden
13. Cortex - Mind of darkness
14. TALK 4
15. Silverbullit - Run
16. [ingenting] - Hollywood dreams
17. In Flames - The jester race
18. TALK 5
19. Nicolai Dunger - Soul rush
20. Existensminimum - Changing lines
21. Echo Is Your Love - Peace song
22. TALK 6
23. Laakso - The death of us
24. Christian Kjellvander - Words in the wires
25. Mustasch - Double nature
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Tape - A spire
29. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
32. Susanne Sundfør - Walls
33. The Hellacopters - Like no other man
34. TALK 9
35. Aerial - You will all die, all things will

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

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

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

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

MP3: Blackstrap - To far gone

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

Blackstrap are a band I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about in the future as the powers-that-be are pushing them hard. They've got that fresh nü-gaze sound - not too dissimilar from Norwegian acts 120 Days or Serena Maneesh, but will less of the Krautrock drone and more melody. They've also got a much more pronounced rock'n'roll flair ala BRMC, but their Swedish flavor probably leans 'em more towards The Soundtrack of Our Lives. I like it, but there's a distinct lack of personality. It's hard not to listen to everything they do without comparing it to some other band, just as I've done. And I still think Silverbullit is the best band of this style - something that is all too apparent considering that this album starts out exactly the same as Silverbullit's "Arclight". Go find yourself an mp3 of "Run" and compare it to "Winning speech" on Blackstrap's myspace profile. It's ridiculous.

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

Loney, Dear's video for "I am John" is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA57ImfVqcE
The animated clip was done by Silverbullit guitarist Andreas Nilsson, a name many are now familiar with because of his work with The Knife.

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Absolut Noise talks to Andreas Nilsson, guitarist for Silverbullit and visual artist for The Knife: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2006/12/interview-andreas-nilsson.html

The Mary Onettes Lost EP Labrador

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

It's kind of ironic that the track which follows the Mary Onettes EP on my iTunes is "Primary", taken from The Cure's singles collection. Reason being that The Mary Onettes are another Swedish band painfully indebted to 80s English indie. It seems to be my luck right now that everything I review somehow falls into this genre. On the lead track "Lost", with its driving drums and cathartic vocal style, the band sound a hell of a lot like fellow Swedes Silverbullit. However, if you bear in mind that one of Silverbullit's main influences is Joy Division, I think you can see where The Mary Onettes are coming from. "Explosions" is pure Jesus and Mary Chain circa "Psychocandy". It's simple drumming, lolloping pace and vocals make it a close cousin of "Just like candy". What is a great shame about a lot of these 80s English influenced indie bands is that if they would have come out at the turn of the millennium, I could imagine some of them having some crossover success within the UK.

MP3: The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Nevermore

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Heed my battle cry: "Four more years! Four more years!" Yes, It's a trap! turns four tomorrow, thus making me somewhat of an elder statesman on the music blog scene. As I touched on last Friday, I've come a long way from my humble beginnings of sporadic updates and limited content to daily mp3s and news posts. One band that always got me excited back in those early days was The Soundtrack of Our Lives. It often seems like only the most mediocre acts become successful American imports, TSOOL was definitely an exception. They won over crowds not just with great music on record, but also by touring repeatedly and putting on an amazing show every time. The crowd was on the light side the first time they came through SF, but grew substantially on every return trip, a tribute to their effectiveness. Not only that, but they also brought over some great opening acts too: Caesars and Silverbullit. Not that many people cared besides me and a few expats, but I certainly appreciate the effort. Anyhow, one of my favorite TSOOL songs has always been "Nevermore" from 2001's "Behind the music". I just love that riff so much and the solo break is killer, especially when done live. So how about a new record guys?

MP3: 120 Days - Get away

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Contrarian that I am, I was immediately predisposed to skepticism concerning 120 Days. I can't help it. It happens automatically any time the vast machinery of the Vice hype juggernaut rolls into the effect, especially considering that their name was originally bandied about in conjunction with the vastly overrated Serena Maneesh (though the tides may be turning on them - see yesterday's video review at Pitchfork for proof). Truth be told, I want the hype to be true. I hold out hope that a new record will come along and change my life. Did 120 Days accomplish this? No, my hardened heart prevented it and let's face facts: bands that amazing don't come around too often. However, it was certainly good enough for me to not write it off from the get-go, so I've been listening regularly the last couple weeks and it's been growing on me ever since. No surprise really considering that their sound fits in quite well with a lot of the other stuff I've been recommending recently such as 1999 and The Kid - well enough that I threw a track into my most recent podcast mix. Steady, mechanical beats topped with dark and droning, blissed-out melodies; a balance of goth and Krautrock. Silverbullit still remains the best band in this field, but 120 Days is pretty darn good too, maybe even great. We'll have to see how the record holds up a few months from now. At the very least, I won't be disappointed if they catch on with the masses.

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Now that he's made a name for himself as the visual artist behind The Knife, Silverbullit guitarist Andreas Nilsson has now been hired to do the video for Depeche Mode's new single "Martyr".

Video mix: Acid House Kings, Hello Saferide, The Hives, Meshuggah, Randy, Rough Bunnies, more...

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Week #3 and still going strong...

Acid House Kings - 7 days
This pretty much sums up their live show. Fun, light-hearted and brilliant. (MG)

Laakso - Aussie girl
This is my favourite band to come out of Sweden in the last few years, and nothing they have done has disappointed me. Here's looking back to the first record in hopes that many, many more will come. (MG)

Hello Saferide - The quiz
Hello Saferide was always going be a hit for the heart for many with such songs as "Long lost penpal" and "San Fransisco" - but it took "The quiz" to really dispell any doubts there may have been: Hello Saferide is quality. The video is lo-fi - did MTV show it? Doubt it - hence why this is a smashing chance for you to enjoy. (JC)

The Hives - Main offender
Despite being considered by many to be hasbeens nowadays, I still believe The Hives are a great band and dammit, this is a great song. Oh, and a ridiculously good video, too. (AR)

Meshuggah - New millenium cyanide christ
Not all extreme metal bands take themselves 100% seriously. Despite making some of the most heavy, precise, intense music ever, Meshuggah still knows how to smile and laugh. The perfect low-budget video. (AR)

Randy - Shape up & Human atom bomb (live)
Dudes in skeleton suits bash out two great songs in under four minutes. Makes you understand why many consider 'em to be Sweden's greatest live band. The picture is pretty damn dark unfortunately, but the sound quality is pristine. (AR)

Rough Bunnies – Poppy Eye
This video could have been made by someone wanting to satirize Rough Bunnies being so lo-fi and twee, and the video is almost too cute and lo-fi, but I still love it. (ST)

Röyksopp - What else is there?
There is something in this decaying mess of a video that is just gorgeous. It just makes me want to daydream all day long. Here's to floating. (MG)

Sigur Rós - Untitled 1
This is the greatest music video of all time. Seriously, nothing can top this. It's the most purely beautiful thing I have ever seen in cinamatic form. (MG)

Silverbullit/Citizen Bird - Joy
Is it art? Or just an advert? Either way, it's still eye candy. (AR)

.:Who's who?

JC: Jason Christie
MG: Matt Giordano
AR: Avi Roig
ST: Simon Tagestam

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the Decoder Podcast for some new Hellsongs tracks and some other Scandinavian music gems such as Silverbullit, Stina Nordenstam and Jmyhaze Beatbox: http://decoder-radio.podspot.de/post/podcast-hellsongs/

MP3: Holiday For Strings - I got two hands

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Even though Holiday For Strings aren't purely an instrumental act, the vocals they do employ are most certainly not of the pop verse/chorus variety. Dub-by, spaced-out beats and droning guitars and repetitive, understated vocal lines - no, it's definitely not pop. Imagine Silverbullit on 'ludes and you'll get a better picture. The particular track I've posted today is especially great because of the way it builds off of the drum figure. The way the cymbal hits shimmer and distort is lovely and I really dig the way the melody builds and expands from the original rhythm. The guitars slowly open up with chiming, fingerpicked chords and become more and more insistent as they get busier and busier. The only downside is that the piece drifts into chattering noise without much of a resolution, but realize that in the context of the full album, it works perfectly.

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I don't know how I find the time, but my extra-curricular activities just keep growing. This week I was given the honor of contributing to a post on shoegaze at Mars Needs Guitars alongside many other esteemed music bloggers such as Frank from Chromewaves and David from Largehearted Boy. My contribution? Silverbullit, naturally. Read the whole piece: http://marsneedsguitars.blogspot.com/2006/06/for-love-of-shoegaze.html

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Silverbullit bassist Jukka will be collaborating with Gustav Nygren and Niklas Korssell (The Plan) on the music for a dance performance project called Apart happening at Kulturhuset in Stockholm on May 3-7. The choreography is by Helena Franzén and you can preview three tracks at Silverbullit's website: http://www.silverbullit.se/ (see 'Lyssna här' under the pic)

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

In Swedish, but still worth mentioning: the art blog Groupies interviews Andreas Nilsson, visual artist (The Knife, etc.) and guitarist for Silverbullit: http://groupies.plansanddesign.com/2006/02/intervju-med-andreas-nilsson.html

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The Knife is going on tour! Yep, it's actually happening. Video artist (and Silverbullit guitarist) Andreas Nilsson will accompany the duo and provide visuals. Dates booked so far:

03/30 - Berns, Stockholm (SWE)
03/31 - Mejeriet, Lund (SWE)
04/12 - Trädgår´n, Göteborg (SWE)

Look for shows in London, Berlin and Paris to be announced soon. Full press release and ticket details: http://www.luger.se/_nyheter.asp?PK_Id=504 (in Swedish)

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

The concept of the NONS "Jävla kritiker!" compilation is intriguing: gather up a number of renown critics and have them all write reviews for songs yet to be made. Then have the artists create the song to fit the review. Even though I knew the results would be mixed, I still was incredibly excited to hear it because the idea is just too good. The downside however, is that my Swedish language skills are just not good enough to understand all of the critical essays that are the foundation of the project. Oh well, at least I still have the music, right? Well, the results are uneven, just as I predicted. There are a few diamonds in the rough though - both Andreas Tilliander and Sophie Rimheden contribute nice dancey electronic numbers and Nicolai Dunger's instrumental track is quite good, as is Silverbullit's song. The highlight for me though, is Isolation Years. It's not all that surprising since they have long been one of my favorite bands, but what can I say? The truth is what it is. Read the review and go download the song.

MP3: Isolation Years - Minstrel

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

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Today's Friday track pick comes from one of my favorite bands: Silverbullit. Not only did they put on the best show I saw last year (at Umeå Open), but their most recent album "Arclight" from 2004 easily ranks as one of the top records of the new millennium. This song I'm posting today comes from their second album "Citizen bird", the name of which became their adopted moniker when they released the disc in the US. I saw, ahem, "Citizen Bird" open for The Soundtrack of Our Lives in SF way back when, but it was only me and a couple Swedish expats who were excited. It's a shame too because who knows if the band will ever make it back over here? Maybe guitarist Andreas Nilsson's video work (The Knife, etc.) will help the band get noticed. I hope so. If people want crazy art-rock walls-of-swirling-guitar-noise they need to forget about Serena Maneesh and get the real deal.

MP3: Silverbullit - Magnetic city

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Finally, a link to the video for the new Knife single "Silent shout": http://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/?id=1c4bba8a-2416-4e88-82c1-ae40b49e38c1&delivery=stream
The clip was directed by Andreas Nilsson, better known to some as the guitarist for the excellent band Silverbullit. If you think Serena Maneesh is good, you need to check those guys out right now.

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Svenska Kraftekvilibrister, aka experimental noise duo Henrik Rylander and Henrik Andersson, will be playing a special show at GUMP (Jazzhuset, Göteborg) on January 26 with guest guitarists Patrick Caganis (ex-Union Carbide Productions) and Andreas Nilsson (Silverbullit) that will recorded for release via Kning Disk.

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

This week's Friday pick comes from Swedish artrockers Svenson. I don't know what's up with the band these days, but the album "See you in earth" is something special. Drummer Anders Gustafsson (also in Silverbullit) provides a steady foundation while the rest of the guys do their best to mess things up in all the best possible ways. It's noisy and chaotic, but always fun. Unlike many similar-sounding acts, Svenson never succumbs to darkness or tries to act grim. Never underestimate the importance of a healthy sense of humor! Take pleasure in sonic destruction! Buy it here.

MP3: Svenson - Don't get lost

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Photo: Henrik has updated with new pics of Monkeystrikes, Silverbullit, Mattias Alkberg BD and Håkan Hellström: http://www.photohenrik.com/

Podcast: Build it up, break it down, mess it up

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 09.25.05
LENGTH : 53:48 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_09252005.mp3 (37.8mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. I'm from Barcelona - Treehouse
02. Det Gamla Landet - Utan precis som innan
03. Soviac - The halte jick
04. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Destrukkt (excerpt)
05. Seven Feet Four - Leave your cell
06. Firefox AK - Keep it up
07. Plain Fade - Chips falling where they may
08. Robyn - Robotboy
09. Silverbullit - Once upon a time
10. The Psyke Project - Fimbul
11. The Idealist - A single pistol shot VS. Pan Sonic - Puhdistus VS. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Dialears
12. Magyar Posse - Singlesparks are spectral fires
13. Fireside - Cisco heat
14. Viola - Kiss and break up (Verneri Lumi remix)
15. Bear Quartet - I have an itch
16. Junip - Turn to the assassin
17. David Sandström Overdrive - Leni Leni

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

The Kongelige Teater in Köpenhamn, Denmark will be using music from Sweden's Silverbullit in an upcoming ballet production entitled "To die for" which will premiere on October 8. It's not quite as awesome as Entombed's "Unreal estate" IMO, but still very cool.

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

"Jävla kritiker!" (Fuckin' critics!) is the name of an interesting new comp from NONS, due out January 18 next year. The idea for the record is backwards - first the critic writes the review and then the musician creates the song. Artists set to appear include IAT favorites Isolation Years and Silverbullit along with many other fine artists such as Sophie Rimheden, Andreas Tilliander, Nicolai Dunger, Håkan Libdo and more. More details: http://www.nons.se/javlakritiker/

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Umeå's Klubb Modos is hosting their most amazing night ever on November 12 with an extra-special NONS-tribute night at Scharinska Villan. Not only will Isolation Years and The Perishers be performing live, but Puffin, the band of label founder Per Helin will reunite! And the NONS record crew will be on-hand to DJ as well. Should be an amazing time, I'm sure. For those that are unaware, NONS (North of No South) is one of Sweden's premiere indie labels, releasing records from bands like Komeda, Dr. Kosmos, Ray Wonder, Silverbullit, Komeda and more.

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?

Wed, 04 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Damo Suzuki of Can has selected Silverbullit to be his backing band when he performs at Club Nefertiti in Göteborg on June 4. It should be interesting, as Damo is currently touring the world performing 100% improvised sets with different backing bands all over the world. Hopefully someone will be taping it.

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Silverbullit will be releasing a series of 12" remix singles starting with "Once upon a time" as done by Simeon of Silver Apples. More info to come.

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

Aftonbladet has the video for Silverbullit's "Only gold": http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/index.html?catID=29&clipID=501

Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Oh. My. God. That had to be the longest trip home ever. I left Umeå late Sunday to head back to Stockholm and then got about an hour sleep before I had to run back to Arlanda to catch my flight to Paris. As luck would have it, the flight to Paris was delayed just enough for me to miss my connection flight to San Francisco, leaving me standed in France for an additional 24hrs. Merde! Thankfully the airport put me up at a local hotel, but let me tell you - it's scary to be a vegetarian at a Parisian buffet when there's so many little googly eyes staring back at you. I didn't realize pork came in so many forms. So anyhow, I survived and finally made it back home yesterday only to discover that my computer was kaput. Awesome. Still, it's so nice to be back in my own house with my wife and dogs and to sleep in my own bed, especially after such a draining journey.

Okay, day three of Umeå Open. My talk went okay even though I imbibed quite a bit the night before and the audience was somewhat unresponsive in typical Norrlandic fashion. That's pretty much what I expected, so I can't really complain. I suspect I could've prepared a little better, but it's far too late for those kinds of thoughts now. The shows that night were fantastic. Cult of Luna kicked things off down in the basement and actually played slower live than on record. Good stuff. I ran out of there at just the right moment to find Isolation Years taking the stage upstairs at the main auditorium. Again, quite nice. Both bands suffered a bit from being the first ones out for the evening, but both the bands and the crowd warmed up nicely by the end of their sets. After that I sat for a bit and relaxed before heading off to see a bit of El Perro Del Mar who was much, much better than I expected. I've thought that her recordings were kind of mediocre, but she really had a great voice live. Then it was back downstairs for Silverbullit who were easily the highlight of the entire festival. Such an awesome band, both live and on record. I took it easy after that until Moneybrother closed the show with a fantastic performance with his full band, including strings. It's interesting to see how much more he talked and related to the audience in Sweden than when I saw him a few weeks ago in LA. Both were good shows, but Anders was obviously much more comfortable in his home country, using his own language.

Huge thanks to everyone who put me up and put up with me. Thanks to everyone at Umeå Open and ExMS for making my trip possible and I'll be trying my best to thank you all personally in the next few days as I catch up on email. I had an awesome time and met so, so many great people. Hopefully it won't be too long before I'll be back in Sweden once again. I just won't go through France next time. Pictures soon! Once my home computer gets fixed. Oh, and if anyone finds my address book, please send it back to me. I'll cover the postage.

Sat, 09 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Okay, I survived Umeå Open day two and actually managed to get up and give my seminar this afternoon at 1. There weren't a ton of people there, but I can't blame them considering how much beer was being consumed the night before. As I said, I barely made it there myself. Firefox played at the same time, too. I'm bummed I didn't get to see her.

Anyhow, the bands I got to see last night were all really, really good. The Tiny kicked things off perfectly and were followed by Tiger Lou. Having only seen Rasmus perform solo before, it was reelly exciting for me to finally hear him with a full band. They played my favorite song "The war between us" along with a couple new tracks, so I was 100% satisfied. I screwed up and totally missed the next few bands while I hung out with friends, but I made sure I got to see The Ark. What can I say? They were amazing. They better come back to the US. Soon.

Tonight I have see Cult of Luna, Isolation Years, Silverbullit and Moneybrother. So many great bands, all at the same fest. And Rasmus from TL is doing guest vocals with CoL, too. Can't wait!

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

Upcoming tourdates for Dungen:

04/15 - Jyrock 2005, Jyväskylä (FIN)
04/16 - Hapna Festivalen, Stockholm (SWE)
04/18 - Mosebacke, Stockholm (SWE)
04/29 - Lisebergshallen, Gothenburg (SWE) w/TSOOL, Silverbullit
05/06 - Zodiac, Oxford (UK) w/The Go! Team
05/08 - Academy 2, Birmingham (UK) w/The Go! Team
05/09 - Liquid Room, Edinburgh (UK) w/The Go! Team
05/11 - Waterfront, Norwich (UK) w/The Go! Team
05/12 - Electric Ballroom, London (UK) w/The Go! Team
05/13 - Barfly Club, London (UK)

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

New mp3 today from Strip Music, the synthpop group that rose from the ashes of Yyvonne. As Nick already stated in his review, the sound is melancholic, yet epic and uplifting- a description I agree with 100%. Unlike many other bands of their ilk (The Killers, The Bravery, etc.), Strip Music never comes off sounding too self-conscious or like they're trying too hard. It doesn't hurt they have a healthy appreciation of Einstürzende Neubauten either (they have a song entitled "Halber Mensch" fer crissakes, ring any bells?). Just like countrymates Silverbullit, they use the sounds that most people associate with the 80s, but you'd be hard-pressed to call the end result "retro". The song I've posted today is one of the record's mellower tunes. I love that the drummer doesn't play anything more than a steady kick thoughout the entire song. And check out those synths - they're so warm and fuzzy they envelope your brain like blanket. Fans of M83 take note and be sure to stick it out for the full outro.

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

The winners of the 2005 Manifest awards:

Pop/rock: Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
Hard-rock/punk: Haunted - rEVOLVEr
Hip-hop/r&b/soul: Ison & Fille - s/t
Post-rock/electronica: Andreas Tilliander - World Industries
Dance/house/techno: Andreas Tilliander - World Industries
Folk/worldmusic: Ale Möller Band Bodjal
Singer/songwriter: Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Visorna
Jazz: Peter Asplund Quartet - Lochiel's Warning
Best live: Silverbullit
Best newcomer: Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
Best music media: Rockfoto.nu

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Ark - State of the Ark
02. Daniel Lindström - Daniel Lindström
03. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
04. Lasse Stefanz - Röd Chevrolet
05. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
06. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
07. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
08. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
09. Arne Domnérus - Best of Dompan
10. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
11. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
12. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
13. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
14. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
15. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin vol. 1
16. Markoolio - Bäst off
17. Melody Club - Face the Music
18. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK
19. Blacknuss - Gold
20. Silverbullit - Arclight

PopMatters reviews the latest Amorphis album "Far from the sun": http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/amorphis-farfrom.shtml

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

The Soundtrack of Our Lives have rescheduled their UK dates:

02/21 - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (UK)
02/22 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (UK)
02/23 - King Tuts, Glasgow (UK)
02/24 - Liquid Room, Edinburgh (UK)
02/26 - Univ Stanley Theatre, Liverpool (UK)
02/27 - Cockpit, Leeds (UK)
02/28 - Concorde 2, Brighton (UK)

The new single "Heading for a Breakdown" comes out February 9 and an animated video from directors Andreas Nilsson and Johannes Holm (The Knife, The Plan, Hell On Wheels, Silverbullit) will be airing shortly.

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

Mando Diao, Sator and Silverbullit are the first bookings for this summer's Peace & Love Festival in Borlänge, Sweden on July 8 and 9.

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Ark - State of the Ark
02. Daniel Lindström - Daniel Lindström
03. Lasse Stefanz - Röd Chevrolet
04. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
05. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
06. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
07. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
08. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
09. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
10. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
11. Arne Domnérus - Best of Dompan
12. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
13. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
14. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin vol. 1
15. Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book
16. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
17. Markoolio - Bäst off
18. Peter Jöback - Storybook
19. Silverbullit - Arclight
20. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK

Danish folk/country duo Spildt Mælk have an album's worth of material available for download on their website: http://www.spildtmaelk.dk/
They plan to travel to Malmö to record their first proper record in March.

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the 2004 Manifest Awards have been announced. Here are a few of the categories:

Pop/rock:
David Sandström - "The Dominant Need of the Needy Soul Is to be Needed"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
Silverbullit - "Arclight"

Hardrock/punk:
C.Aarmé - "C.Aarmé"
Dismember - "When Iron Crosses Grow"
Haunted - "rEVOLVEr"
Koma - "Tsunami"
Totalt Jävla Mörker - "Människans ringa värde"

Hip-hop/R&B/soul:
Helt Off - "Helt Off"
Ison & Fille - "Ison & Fille"
Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
Snook - "Vi vet inte vart vi ska men vi ska komma dit"
Rico Wondahman - "Takin' Over"

Post-rock/electronica:
Backlash - "Heliotrop"
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Sophie Rimheden - "Miss"
Hans Appelqvist - "Bremort"
IC1 - "The Birth of Industrial Cool"

Dance/house/techno:
Quant - "Getting Out"
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Sophie Rimheden - "Miss"
Hird - "Moving On"
Ernesto's - "Album"

Solo/singer/songwriter:
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
Florence Valentin - "Johnny Drama"
Billie the Vision & The Dancers - "I Was So Unpopular in School"
Tobias Fröberg - "For Elisabeth Wherever She Is"
Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - "Visorna"

Best live:
Existensminimum
Mattias Alkberg
Silverbullit
Svenska Akademien
Jens Lekman

Best newcomer:
Tiger Lou - "Is My Head Still On?"
Nanook of the North - "The Täby Tapes"
Fatboy - "Steelhearted"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog"
Cirera - "Honestly, I Love You *Cough*"

The Manifest Awards are considered an alternative to the Swedish Grammy in the same way that the Alarm Prize is regarded in Norway. Winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held February 1 at Nalen in Stockholm. More info: http://www.som.a.se/manifest/index.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 10s for 2004: Mikael Månsson (Kasual Recordings)

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

Top 10 albums for 2004:

01. Khonnor - Handwriting

02. Silverbullit - Arclight

03. Stina Nordenstam - The World Is Saved

04. The Killers - Hot Fuss

05. Phoenix - Alphabetical

06. Stars – Set Yourself On Fire

07. Styrofoam - Nothing's Lost

08. The Go Find - Miami

09. Ed Harcourt - Strangers

10. Efterklang - Tripper

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

Mikael helps run Kasual Recordings, home of artists such as Jettie and Beezewax. Look for a new Ariel Kill Him EP from them in 2005.
www.kasualrec.com

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

New top 10 from Andreas Nilsson of Silverbullit. Be sure to check it out. Don't forget to listen to the live set I have posted from them, too.

Top 10s for 2004: Andreas Nilsson (Silverbullit)

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

01. The new small human race, homo floriensis, found in Indonesia.

02. The tiny elephant they found in the same cave

03. Kningdisk, kningdisk.com
new Gbg label that will give a new dimension to the word music.

04. Vincent Hamilton, vincenthamilton.com
the beauty of insanity

05. Snoppcity, come.to/snoppcity
examining the inner child

06. Fredrik Söderbergh, druidartist
political incorrect artist and DJ from Sthlm

07. Roland VG-88
according to Roland -"En dansbandsmusikers dröm"

08. F# F# F# F# E B
in tune

09. Service
for the energy

10. Carl Blom, Flagstone
bridge over troubled water

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

Andreas plays guitar with Silverbullit. Their most recent album "Arclight" is indisputably one of the best releases of 2004.
www.silverbullit.se

Top 10s for 2004: Robert Samsonowitz (Deleted Art/rbrt.org/The New Mess/Satanic Surfers)

Tue, 28 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

01. Big moments in Gothenburg #1: Lightning Bolt tear shit up at their one-only gig in Sweden! Amazing show by an outstanding band. Probably the hardest band I've seen since Slayer in Stockholm 1990.

02. Big moments in Gothenburg #2: meeting Blonde Redhead. Their show was truly amazing. I am still in love.

03. Satanic Surfers summer/fall tour. Never a dull moment.

04. Bistro (R.I.P.). The best hang-out for punks in Malmö.

05. The Office DVD box. David Brent for president!

06. Napoleon Dynamite. One of the best movies this year!

07. Great album releases this year: "Boredom and Terror" (The Intelligence), "RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta" (Dead Prez), "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" (Modest Mouse), "Zulu" (Wrangler Brutes), "Milk Man" (Deerhoof), "Samhällets Fiende Nummer Ett" (Dödsdömd), "Audit in Progress" (Hot Snakes), "The New Human is Illegal" (Man's Best Friend/Sole), "The Forcefield Kids" (Passage), "Chewing on Glass & Other Miracle Cures" (Sixtoo), "Uh Huh Her" (PJ Harvey), "Sonic Nurse" (Sonic Youth), "Misery is a Butterfly" (Blonde Redhead), "Das Oath" (Das Oath), "We Make Beginnings" (The Je Ne Sais Quoi), "Arclight" (Silverbullit).

08. Party songs this year: "The Rat" (The Walkmen), "Assassin" (Lightning Bolt), "Turn off the Radio" (Dead Prez), "1-10" (Japanther), "Melody Lee" (The Damned), "Enemyline" (kaitO), "The Sweat Descends" (Les Savy Fav), "I Hate My Fucking Job" (MOTO), "Who The Fuck" (PJ Harvey), "Crazy Love" (Colder), "Eight Miles High" (Hüsker Dü), "Win/Win" (Year Future), "Vårdad Klädsel" (Kriminella Gitarrer), "We Make Beginnings" (The Je Ne Sais Quoi), "Float On" (Modest Mouse).

09. Making evil genius plans for Deleted Art. 2005 is ours.

10. Making new friends.

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

Jeez, where do I start? Robert works as a freelance graphic designer under the name rbrt.org and has probably designed quite a few of the websites you look at regularly, along with a number of album covers in your collection. He helps run the record label Deleted Art, whose catalogue includes releases from Hawnay Troof, Japanther, C.Aarmé, Threeminutepopsongs and his own band The New Mess. Besides that, he can also sometimes be found behind the drumkit with Satanic Surfers, too. What's he got planned for 2005? Who knows?
www.deletedart.org / rbrt.org / www.deletedart.org/newmess / www.badtasterecords.se/satanic

Top 10s for 2004: It's a trap!

Fri, 24 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Top 10 albums of 2004 (in alphabetical order):

There has been a tremendous glut of fantastic music in 2004; too bad I never got a chance to hear it all. I've got a long list of acclaimed albums that I've yet to sink my teeth into and I have no doubt that this would turn out quite differently had I the time and opportunity to investigate them. So, keeping that in mind, here's my top picks for the year. Hope you like it!

01. Kristofer Åström - Loupita (Startracks)
Have I beaten this horse to death yet? Acoustic albums are inherently risky because your flaws and weaknesses are left totally exposed and that's exactly why this album works so well. There's nowhere to hide and Kristofer never falters: great songs and superb performances. The outstanding vocal work of up-and-coming singer/songwriter Britta Persson seals the deal. Absolutely sublime.
[purchase album]

02. Marit Bergman - Baby dry your eye (BMG)
There's a reason this is ending up on so many year-end lists: it's far and away the best pop album released in 2004. There's something so endearing and charming about Marit that she's just irresistible. And I'll be damned if "Adios Amigos" isn't one of the year's best singles.

03. C.Aarmé - s/t (Burning Heart/Carcrash/Epitaph)
Sharp and fierce, like a knife. No frills, just fury.

04. The End Will Be Kicks - If you see them tell them I love them (Chalksounds)
Mid-90s Norrland guitar rock resurrected! Dense melodies and brilliant guitar interplay are what make this one of the most immediate debuts in recent memory. There's more greatness in these four songs than in many band's whole discographies.

05. Fun - Szklarska poreba (If Society)
Sure, it's derivative of classic Chicago rock like Jesus Lizard/Rapeman/Big Black/etc., but those bands are gone now and nobody has come close to stepping up and taking their place. Until Fun. I knew these guys were awesome the moment I heard the first song I downloaded from their website.

06. Gåte - Iselilja (Warner Norway)
It's music like this that reminds me of why I started Itsatrap. Nordic folk is naturally heavy and powerful when electrified and Gåte knows how to achieve the perfect balance between the old and the new.

07. Peter, Bjorn and John - Falling out (Planekonomi)
This record caught me a bit off-guard by being much more of a downer than their self-titled debut. I was expecting power-pop anthems, but instead I got a somber, thoughtful concept album. The hooks are still huge and plentiful; they're just smarter and more mature. That also means they are not quite so immediate, however it makes them stronger and more satisfying in the end.
[purchase album]

08. Silverbullit - Arclight (NEG/BAM)
Thank goodness- a hugely anticipated album that not only meets expectations, but also exceeds them. This record took way too long to come out, but oh man, was it worth it. The sounds are rooted in 80s retro, but the overall feeling is anything but.

09. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin I (Telegram/Warner)
Album #4 and they're still going strong. This is classic rock, emphasis on classic.

10. Sophie Zelmani - Love affair (Columbia)
Such a great example of how music can be subdued and fragile, but still remain evocative and powerful. Think Emmylou Harris crossed with Stina Nordenstam.

Honorable mentions (Scandinavian):
01. Cult of Luna - Salvation (Earache)
02. Division of Laura Lee - Das not compute (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
03. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around (Imperial)
04. Giant Robot - Domesticity (Stupido)
05. José González - Stay in the shade (Imperial)
06. Sivert Høyem - Ladies and gentlemen of the opposition (Virgin Norway)
07. Koma - Tsunami (Blackstarfoundation/Fullsteam Recordings)
08. Meshuggah - I (Fractured Transmitter Records)
09. Stina Nordenstam - The world is saved (A Walk in the Park/V2)
10. Pan Sonic - Kesto (Mute)
11. David Sandström - The dominant need of the needy is to be needed (Mofab Teg)
12. The Solution - Communicate! (Wild Kingdom)
13. Tiger Lou - Is my head still on? (Startracks)
14. The Tiny - Close enough (Determine Records/Eyeball Records)
15. WE - Smugglers (Nun Music)

Honorable mentions (other):
01. Ben Christophers - The spaces in between (Cooking Vinyl)
02. Converge - You fail me (Epitaph)
03. Mare - s/t (Hydrahead)
04. The Paper Chase - God bless your black heart (Kill Rock Stars)
05. Woven Hand - Consider the birds (Glitterhouse/Sounds Familyre)

Top 10s for 2004: Thomas Kågström (Planekonomi)

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Ten things I liked 2004, as always in no particular order:

01. Silverbullit

02. Accelerator the big one

03. Pet sounds

04. Dotshop.se

05. The re-issues of Arthur Russell

06. The Service releases

07. Knugen Faller

08. My new apartment in Vasastan

09. Itsatrap.com

10. Stefan & the Problematix

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

Thomas runs Planekonomi, arguably one of Sweden's best indie labels. Look for them to release new stuff from Action Biker, Park Hotell, Paddington DC and Mattias Alkberg BD in 2005.
www.planekonomi.com

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

New live pics of Silverbullit now up at Rockfoto: http://www.rockfoto.nu/intSpelning/205/intBand/133

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the 2004 Swedish Grammy awards have been announced. Here's most of em:

Best newcomer:
Ana Johnsson - "The Way I Am"
Anna Ternheim - "Somebody Outside""
Deportees - "All Prayed Up"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog"
Raymond & Maria - "Vi ska bara leva klart"

Best album:
Christian Walz - "Paint By Numbers"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best artist:
Gyllene Tider - "Finn 5 Fel!"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best song:
Raymond & Maria - "Ingen vill veta vart du köpt din tröja"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont"
Nic & The Family - "Hej Hej Monika"
Gyllene Tider - "Tuffa tider/Sten vid en sjö i en skog"
Shirley Clamp - "Min kärlek"

Best pop (female):
Anna Ternheim - "Somebody Outside"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
Sophie Zelmani - "Love Affair"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"

Best pop (male):
Christian Walz - "Paint By Numbers"
Di Leva - "Tiden faller"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog"
Mattias Alkberg BD - "Tunaskolan"
Tomas Andersson Wij - "Stjärnorna i oss"

Best pop group:
Alcazar - "Dancefloor - Deluxe"
Deportees - "All Prayed Up"
Gyllene Tider - "Finn 5 Fel!"
Melody Club - "Face The Music"
Raymond & Maria - "Vi ska bara leva klart"

Best rock album (solo):
Kristofer Åström - "Loupita"
Lars Winnerbäck - "Vatten under broarna"
Nicolai Dunger - "Here's My Song You Can Have It..."
Stefan Sundström - "Hjärtats melodi"
Ulf Lundell - "Ok Baby Ok"

Best rock group:
Sahara Hotnights - "Kiss & Tell"
Silverbullit - "Arclight"
Teddybears Sthlm - "Fresh!"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best songwriter:
Anna Ternheim
Christian Walz & Ollie Olson
Marit Bergman
Per Gessle
Stina Nordenstam

Best lyrics:
Anna Ternheim
Jens Lekman
Lars Winnerbäck
Marit Bergman
Tomas Andersson Wij

Best producer:
Christian Walz
Johan Forsman & The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Lars Halapi
Pelle Gunnerfeldt & The Hives
Teddybears Sthlm & Phat Fabe

Best hip-hop/soul:
Damn! - "Youth Style"
Embee - "Tellings From Solitaria"
Infinite Mass - "1991"
Ison & Fille - "Ison & Fille"
Promoe - "The Long Distance Runner"

Best hard-rock/metal:
Dismember - "Where Ironcrosses Grow"
Entombed - "Unreal Estate"
Europe - "Start From The Dark"
In Flames - "Soundtrack To Your Escape"
The Hellacopters - "Strikes Like Lightning"

Best club/dance:
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Da Buzz - "Dangerous - The Album"
Guidelines - Must Be The Music"
Hird - "Moving On"
Stonebridge - "Can't Get Enough"

Best jazz:
Goran Kajfes - "Headspin"
Kullrusk - "Kullrusk"
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - "We Will Always Be Together"
Rigmor Gustafsson And The Jacky Terrasson Trio - "Close To You"
The Torbjörn Zetterberg Hot Five - "Förtjänar mer uppmärksamhet"

Open category:
Alice Babs & Nisse Linds Hottrio - "Alice Babs & Nisse Linds Hot-Trio"
Anders F Rönnblom - "F-Box"
Blacknuss - "Gold"
Stefan Nilsson - "Så som i himmelen"
Titiyo - "Best of Titiyo"

Check out the full list here: http://www.ifpi.se/02.images/01.top/02.subnav_pdf/08.grammis/pdf/Grammisnomineringar_2004.pdf

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

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

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

02. Chalksounds relocates to Scharinska Villan

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

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

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

06. Joel Borg

07. Kenny vs Spenny, TV at it´s best

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

09. Chalksounds Xmas Party

10. Snow, makes everything brighter

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

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

Top 10s for 2004: Daggan (Novoton)

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

01. Starting my own label again (Novoton)
And finding three great bands (Black Belt, Novak and Existensminimum) to work with

02. "This Is For Real" - Pink Grease
Glam slamming neo punks with just a touch of B52's. It's raw, wild and fresh.

03. "Arclight" - Silverbullit
One of the best Swedish bands right now. It's dark and utterly beautiful.

04. "Headspin" - Goran Kajfes
Vibrating mix of electronic and acoustic jazz, brilliant and innovative.

05. "This Is It!" - The Baboon Show
High energy punk the way it should be. Reminds me of Buzzcocks, Poly Styrene and Blondie. This EP was basicly the only thing i played this summer (together with Pink Grease).

06. "i" - The Magnetic Fields
Another great pop album by Stephin Merritt.

07. Power Out - Electrelane
Very ambitious album with one foot in the "krautscene".

08. "Go to War" (song) - Martin Chandra
A 7" single which made me very very happy. A massive "wall of sound" with beautiful harmonies.

09. "For the PC/Traveller/Art Boy" (song) - Kids Of The Ranch
Unfortunately this song is all i've heard by this group but i'm sure if won't be the only one for long.

10. "Ultravisitor" - Squarepusher
After almost 10 years Tom Jenkinson has no intention of getting mellow. Modern, dirty and jazzy beats run through a very inventive brain. Respect!

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

As mentioned above, Daggan is the guy behind Novoton Records. Novak and Black Belt both put out albums on the label earlier this year and Existensminimum is scheduled for a spring 2005 release. www.novoton.se

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

The rest of those Silverbullit live mp3s are up. If you haven't already checked out their new album "Arclight" you're making a huge mistake.

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the Swedish radio P3 Gold awards have been announced:

Best female artist:
Ayesha - Jade Fever
Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
Stina Nordenstam - The World Is Saved
Marit Bergman - Baby Dry Your Eye
Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan

Best male artists:
Promoe - The Long Distance Runner
Christian Walz - Paint By Numbers
Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
Alf - Augustibrev
Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog

Best group:
Teddybears STHLM - Fresh
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Origin Vol 1
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
Silverbullit - Arclight
Sahara Hotnights - Kiss & Tell

Best newcomer:
Raymond & Maria
Tough Alliance
Fibes, Oh Fibes!
Anna Ternheim
Jens Lekman

Best song:
Call on me - Eric Prydz
Mr Cool - Snook
Det gör ont - Lena Philipsson
Hey Boy - Teddybears STHLM feat. Swing Fly
Ingen vill veta var du köpt din tröja - Raymond & Maria

Guldmicken (best live):
Marit Bergman
Svenska Akademien
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
Infinite Mass
In Flames

Best rock/metal:
Nasum - Shift
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
In Flames - Soundtrack To Your Escape
The Haunted - rEVOLVEr
Cult of Luna - Salvation

Best hip-hop/soul:
Embee - Tellings From Solitaria
Ison & Fille - Ison & Fille
Promoe - The Long Distance Runner
Natalie Gardiner - Natalie Gardiner
Ayesha - Jade Fever

Best dance:
Hird - Moving On
Cari Lekebusch - The Architect
Andreas Tilliander - World Industries
Eric Prydz - Samlad produktion 2004
Stonebridge - Can't Get Enough

Best pop:
Mattias Alkberg BD - Tunaskolan
Stina Nordenstam - The World Is Saved
Testbild! - The Inexplicable Feeling Of September
Hans Appelqvist - Bremort
Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog

Vote here: http://www.sr.se/p3/p3guld/

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
02. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
03. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
04. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
05. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
06. Lasse Berghagen - Jul i vårt hus
07. Peter Jöback - Storybook
08. Markoolio - Bäst off
09. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
10. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
11. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK
12. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
13. Stefan Nilsson - Så som i himmelen
14. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
15. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
16. Titiyo - Best of
17. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
18. The Refreshments - Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down
19. Silverbullit - Arclight
20. Gyllene Tider - GT25 live

DigitalMetal reviews the new album from Finnish doom act Shape of Despair: http://www.digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=6153

Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
02. Lasse Berghagen - Jul i vårt hus
03. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
04. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
05. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
06. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK
07. Peter Jöback - Storybook
08. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
09. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
10. Silverbullit - Arclight
11. Markoolio - Bäst off
12. Stefan Nilsson - Så som i himmelen
13. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
14. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
15. Gyllene Tider - GT25 live
16. The Refreshments - Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down
17. Titiyo - Best of
18. The Refreshments - Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down
19. Rigmor Gustafsson and the Jacky Terrasson Trio - Close to You
20. Lisa Ekdahl - Olyckssyster

Wilmer X will be releasing a new album called "13 våningar upp" on January 26. The first single "God god lust" is due out later this month.

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Just so aren't totally overloaded with Kristofer Åström stuff, I've taken down that old live set and put up the first half of a short live set from Silverbullit. I originally wanted to post a track from the brilliant new album "Arclight", but since I'm such a nice guy, I asked for permission first and was turned down. Boo! So we're going with the next best thing. Enjoy!

Streaming playlist: In rotation

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

DATE ADDED : 11.28.04
LAUNCH : Real / Windows

Tracklist:
01. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
02. The Solution - Would you change your mind?
03. Peter, Bjorn and John - Tailormade
04. Desert Planet - Shadow of the assassin
05. Henrik Levy - The teacher
06. The Tiny - Closer
07. Kashmir - The aftermath
08. The Lionheart Brothers - The sun in my eyes
09. Wild Evil Entertainment Dept. - Nosebleed
10. Gåte - Rike rodenigår
11. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Transcendental suicide
12. Silverbullit - Only gold
13. C.Aarmé - You're a dead box
14. WE - Smugglers

Silverbullit Arclight NEG

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

After years of rumors and speculation about its existence, I was very excited to finally hear this damn thing, to say the least. The possibility that the label almost shelved this album just boggles by mind because it's so obviously great. "Arclight" is the perfect culmination of Silverbullit's previous two albums. They bring back the raw power of their self-titled debut, but never lose the sonic experimentation that made "Citizen bird" so amazing. The sound is thick and lush and of course merits the obvious My Bloody Valentine comparisons, but I also hear tones and melodies that remind me of other 80s rock like Sisters of Mercy, early Cure, Jesus and Mary Chain, Killing Joke and New Order. Unlike a lot of bands mining similar influences however, Silverbullit never comes off sounding retro. Rather, they rise above the mere tribute bands and wannabees and create a sound of their own. Highly recommended, definitely a best-of 2004 contender.

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Today it is my great honor and privilege to bring you and exclusive mp3 of the brand new Isolation Years single "Nurse hands". The single will be officially released on November 24 via NONS/Network Entertainment Group and will be accompanied by a video from director Andreas Nilsson of the band Silverbullit. Check out the artwork here. As mentioned before, the new full-length album is still being mixed and should be out in February. IY has long been one of my favorite bands, so I am obviously very excited to bring you this new song. Huge thanks to everyone behind-the-scenes who made this possible! Don't forget, IY is also touring Scandinavia later this month with the UK's Grand Drive:

11/24 - KB, Malmö
11/25 - Herrgår'n, Linköping
11/26 - Sticky Fingers, Göteborg
11/27 - Nalen, Stockholm
11/28 - Klubb Söndag @ Strömpis, Örebro

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Speaking of the aforementioned Silverbullit, their new track from the Sonic Magazine "Sonically Speaking Vol. 19" comp is absolutely amazing. Can't wait to hear the new album.

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Isolation Years will soon be releasing a brand new single entitled "Nurse Hands" on November 24, the first from what will be the group's eagerly awaited third album. A video is in production with director Andreas from Silverbullit who also did worked on clips for TSOOL and The Knife. The still-untitled full-length has a tentative release date set for February next year, but they're still busy mixing it, so anything could happen. Look for samples and new press pics and so forth soon. Otherwise the guys will be hitting the road in November for a few dates around Sweden alongside Grand Drive from the UK. Dates:

11/24 - KB, Malmö
11/25 - Herrgår'n, Linköping
11/26 - Sticky Fingers, Göteborg
11/27 - Nalen, Stockholm
11/28 - Klubb Söndag @ Strömpis, Örebro

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Silverbullit and Dreamboy have been added to Sweden's Rookie Festival lineup.

Streaming playlist: Old stuff

Sun, 15 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 08.16.04
LAUNCH : Real / Windows

Tracklist:
01. Honey is Cool - Bolero
02. Amorphis - My kantele (acoustic reprise)
03. Broder Daniel - Dark heart
04. The Hellacopters - Soulseller
05. Nicolai Dunger - What tomorrow
06. Him Kerosene - Whatever gets you by
07. In Flames - Moonshield
08. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
09. Madrugada - Salt
10. Nine - Getting it out
11. Motorpsycho - Blindfolded
12. Silverbullit/Citizen Bird - Magnetic city
13. Giant Robot - S M L XL
14. Starmarket - You can't come
15. The Plan - Let's leave
16. Souls - Cello (where you were)
17. At the Gates - Cold
18. Weeping Willows - Louisa
19. The Motorhomes - Love
20. Bear Quartet - What I hate

Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

New bands confirmed for the dates on the Accelerator tour: Dialog Cet, Silverbullit, Paddington D.C. and Hal (IRL).

Tue, 15 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Push Music Group Sweden has purchased the record label MNW, as well as s56. Cripes! Whether or not all current bands on these label's rosters will stay remains to be seen, but I suspect that blood will be shed. Will somebody just release that new Silverbullit record already? Read more: http://www.musikindustrin.nu/mi/smpage.fwx?page=198&NYHETER=4691 (in Swedish)

Mon, 31 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Division of Laura Lee - Das Not Compute (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
After the break-through release of "Black City", I'm glad to report that DoLL have managed to craft a more-than-worthy follow-up. They enlisted the production assistance of Kalle from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and it paid off. His sonic influence is obvious and goes beyond the requisite guest appearances from fellow TSOOL members Mattias Bärjed and Martin Hederos. It sounds like the band took a lot of time experiment with different tones and the end result is a strongly varied sonic palette. Taking cues from bands like Silverbullit, "Das Not Compute" also cranks up the fuzz-factor to 10 and layers it on thick. There's a couple tracks here and there that don't really go anywhere, but the stuff's that's good (such as the single "Dirty Love" and the epic "Breathe Breathe") more than makes up for it.

Division of Laura Lee Das not compute Burning Heart Records

Mon, 31 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

After the break-through release of "Black city", I'm glad to report that DoLL have managed to craft a more-than-worthy follow-up. They enlisted the production assistance of Kalle from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and it paid off. His sonic influence is obvious and goes beyond the requisite guest appearances from fellow TSOOL members Mattias Bärjed and Martin Hederos. It sounds like the band took a lot of time experiment with different tones and the end result is a strongly varied sonic palette. Taking cues from bands like Silverbullit, "Das not compute" also cranks up the fuzz-factor to 10 and layers it on thick. There's a couple tracks here and there that don't really go anywhere, but the stuff's that's good (such as the single "Dirty love" and the epic "Breathe breathe") more than makes up for it.

Wed, 12 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Some updated London gig info for Laakso:

05/25 - Carling Academy Islington, London w/Bearsuit
05/26 - Archway Tavern/Club Fandango, London w/Costar
05/27 - Club Echo, Gossips, Club Fandango, London w/Nebraska
05/28 - Barfly Camden, London w/David & the Citizens, Silverbullit