The flipside track to the new The Fine Arts Showcase single "Danish light" is the song "Modern love", the very first taste of what's to come from the new TFAS album "The Fine Arts Showcase Sings the Rough Bunnies" which is just that - an album-length tribute to the Swedish lofi indie act. Look for it to be released early next year.

Tickets for the October 16 Tack! Tack! Tack! show with The Tough Alliance and The Fine Arts Showcase are now on sale: [click here]

Look to the right and you'll see that this fall's debut Tack! Tack! Tack! show in October will feature return guests The Fine Arts Showcase along with The Tough Alliance. Look for special guest DJs and presale ticket info to be announced soon. In related news, the IAT DJs will be spinning at the Sweden Made Me two-year anniversary party on September 30.

The Fine Arts Showcase will support Cursive on tour in Germany for a few dates:

08/28 - Knust, Hamburg
08/29 - Knaack, Berlin
08/30 - Free & Easy Festival, Munich
08/31 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden

MP3: Ellen Beach - Roaring fields

Ellen Beach is the kind of band that totally frustrates me. The band is capable of writing some brilliant songs, but they need more discipline and self-awareness. Their self-released album "Yaw / Yawn" (or double-EP, if you will) features quite a few inspired gems, but it also padded with enough filler to almost kill my enthusiasm. Thankfully for them, it's just "almost," not "completely." Take the song I've posted today for example: the lead melody has hooks for days and is absolutely dripping with the kind of heartfelt, yearning qualities I love to hear in my melancholic pop. The way the guitar takes over the lead vocal line on the final chorus is a perfect conclusion to the song, but then they add a few final measures of a coda afterwards. It doesn't ruin the song, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. If they culled a few of the weaker songs and tightened up the arrangements, "Yaw / Yawn" would be a winner f'sure. The band's potential is ridiculously high, so let's hope they can live up to it. One last additional note: Ellen Beach is especially recommended for anyone into The Fine Arts Showcase. The bands share a similar, complimentary sound.

Ellen Beach - Roaring fields

The Fine Arts Showcase's excellent most recent album "Radiola" will receive a proper European release on August 25 via Stickman Records. It was originally released early this year on Adrian Recordings and is available for purchase from IAT right here: [click here]

Gustaf Kjellvander of The Fine Arts Showcase reports that he has recorded a Rough Bunnies tribute album entitled, appropriately enough, "TFAS sings the Rough Bunnies". No word yet on how/when it'll be released, but I'll keep you posted.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) The Pipettes - "Your kisses are wasted on me"
02. (02) Arctic Monkeys - "The view from the afternoon"
03. (NY) Dub Sweden - "On your telly"
04. (09) Primal Scream - "Country girl"
05. (06) Supersci ft. Chords - "On the grind"
06. (08) Christian Falk w/Robyn and Ola Salo - "Dream on"
07. (04) The Sounds - "Tony the beat"
08. (12) Justice vs. Simian - "We are your friends"
09. (03) SLS - "Get back"
10. (NY) Archie Bronson Outfit - "Dead funny"
11. (NY) SwingFly - "Save the trees"
12. (05) The Raconteurs - "Steady as she goes"
13. (07) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
14. (14) Tiger Lou - "Nixon"
15. (NY) David & The Citizens - "Are you in my blood"
16. (NY) Hot Chip - "Boy from school"
17. (11) I'm From Barcelona - "Collection of stamps"
18. (13) Laakso - "Never satisfied"
19. (17) Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"

Leaving the chart: Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang bang you´re dead", Lil’ Kim - "Whoa", Up Hygh ft. Little Brother - "Keep on", Johnossi - "Execution song", The Fine Arts Showcase - "The shoplifter's union" and Sture Alléns Dansorkester - "Lita på mig".

German-based label Stickman Records (Motorpsycho, KVLR) has licensed The Fine Arts Showcase's most recent album "Radiola" for a wider release and will be putting it out on August 25.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

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

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

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

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

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

Podcast: Q1 highlights

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

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

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

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

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

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

Familjen's remix of "Chemical girl" by The Fine Arts Showcase is streaming on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/familjen