IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

MP3: Siena Root - Time will tell

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:55:31 -0400

Siena Root is the kind of band that forces me to involuntarily break into air guitar heroics every time I hear them. I swear that I try my best to remain skeptical of retro rock like this, but I can't help it. Shit is irresistible! They bust out mad pentatonics ala Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, but instead of the doom and gloom most people (wrongly) associate with that band, the music is incredibly catchy and even kinda glorious when you get down to it. It manages to tap into this weird false nostalgia for a time I never lived, yet somehow that doesn't bother me. I just want to turn it up and rock out. Screw over-analyzing it, grab your favorite mind-altering substance and enjoy.
If you dug that Graveyard track I posted awhile back, you'll love this.

MP3: Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:54:06 -0400

"Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva"? Why yes, they do, er did. I really appreciate the conceit of giving every single track on the new album "Hallå?" a self-referential song title. Plan a media strategy, write some songs, play some shows and yes, even hold a dreaded band meeting. But it's the act of putting out a record that serves as my favorite track. Normally I'd say that embracing a late 80s postpunk sound (funk bass and all, although not on this track) is a bad move, but they pull it off. It works especially well here since they manage to keep things on the straight and narrow pop tip. Phaser on the acoustic guitar? Wacky slapback on the snare? Sure! Why not? Small risks in terms of the big picture. Good times!

MP3: Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:47:38 -0400

More Jesus rock today, except that Johan Heltne doesn't exactly rock. And I'm also not sure how religious he is, though he does say that his album "Vetenskapliga bevis för att Jesus lever" ("Scientific proof that Jesus is alive") was informed by religious experience, in a way. It's a fascinating work, made that much better by the fact that I can barely wrap my head around it. From the lush string arrangements on songs such as the one I've posted today to soft indiepop ala Vapnet, Heltne and his friends have put together quite a record. There's magic in the mystery, that's for sure. This track also has me thinking that more musicians should try to forgo classic rock instrumentation. I still love guitars, but there seems to be so much more subtlety and nuance here, especially when compared to the more traditional "indie" numbers he does. Regardless, it's all good, just don't let this one pass you by. It's got underrated hit written all over it.

MP3: Namur - Draw us near

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:09:52 -0400

The best religious music is ostensibly about struggle. Not just the struggle between good and evil/heaven and hell, but the struggle of faith. Remember, the name Israel (as given to Jacob) literally means "to wrestle with angels" or, to extrapolate further, to wrestle with God or even to wrestle with the idea of God itself. The music of Namur possesses a yearning quality that exemplifies this, the struggle to put faith into song, to cleave to God in a meaningful way. There's no hokey sentimentalism, rather there is honest feeling and emotion. You'd never know it from the sound of most contemporary "worship music", but faith is not necesarily an easy thing. Heartfelt platitudes, however well-intentioned, don't do it justice. When faith is challenged and those challenges overcome, only then can be considered strong. Namur is sacred music, but not in the way you might expect, but in a way that I find eminently satisfying. It's glorious, but it is not so easily accessible. The title itself, "Draw us near", suggests an absence or a distance to be traversed. By burying his vocals deep in the mix, David Åhlén further muddles the contention of the subject matter. We struggle to do good, to be closer to God, but it is not easy. Or, to flip the biblical decree that "God made us in His image" on its head, perhaps we struggle to be more like God ourselves (if this is the case, may your God be benevolent and kind as opposed to angry and full of wrath). Essentially, an unsurmountable task; a job that will never be truly finished. I hear this music as a way of reaching out and it moves me, even though we don't share the same faith. It's Namur's passion that is most important and, on this track, that passion is unmistakable.

MP3: Unleashed - Before the creation of time

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:32:51 -0400

I'm not gonna lie, I was first drawn to Unleashed by the awesomeness that is their logo. Brutal, yet totally legible with a super-prominent upside-down cross. In a word: awesome. I came across the album "Where no life dwells" while browsing the CD racks and was instantly sold. As for the music, I didn't immediately appreciate their plodding, simplistic death-metal style on first listen, but it's grown on me over the years. Unlike other Swedish contemporaries, there's barely any guitar harmonies, the technically is kept at a minimum and the recording is clean and bare-bones (much thanks to esteemed producer Waldemar Sorychta). Instead, the emphasis is on groove and gloom. That's what makes them so damn heavy! That also means you really don't need more than one Unleashed album in your collection, but who cares -- they have an instantly recognizable sound that's all their own, a sound that's undeniably classic. Remember the mantra: keep it simple, stupid! Of those contemporaries from back in the early 90s, very few have aged nearly as well.

MP3: Sophie Rimheden - Happy

Thu, 01 May 2008 12:30:24 -0400

The tracks on the new Sophie Rimheden album with all the guest spots from Sweden's current crop of "hot" rappers (Adam Tensta, Form One, Aaron Phiri, etc.) only serve to distract from the better tracks on the album that are all her own. Actually, that's not 100% true as the lead single "Go away" is dece, but I really do like her own solo tracks best. Case in point: "Happy". Fun like a carnival, sharp like cheddar and, uh, infectious like a cold. Or something like that. Anyhow, it does what it needs to do which is attempt to reinforce Rimheden's place as Sweden's reigning electropop queen. A couple years ago she had that honor down solid, these days competition is fierce - Firefox AK and Karin Ström ain't no slouches. Watch your back!

MP3: Folk&Røvere - Epp

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:02:17 -0400

Perhaps the return of Portishead will have some spillover effect on Folk&Røvere. They do occupy a similar sonic space, after all. Dark and dubby, atmospheric. Funky enough to be called trip-hop, though the tag doesn't really do 'em justice. There's also a definite new age bent that kinda bugs me, but I've made peace with it. The soothing sounds that give you visions of massages, crystals and energy vortexes are counterbalanced by bits of unsettling creepiness. The background noise and chromatic melody of "Epp" demonstrates that dualism well. I see modern European architecture instead - sharp lines and negative space. A welcome contrast.

MP3: Paragon - Aavisst

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Today's mp3 post belongs to contributor Simon Tagestam:

Swedish hip-hop is rapidly getting better and better. Soon you might even be able to compile a great mix CD with songs from the last few years (no more than one track per artist, of course). One of those tracks is by Paragon, who's been around for a while (he's released two albums already), but never really caught my attention until now. The song's called "Aavisst" and it's got similar beats to Adam Tensta but the lyrics are way more party / braggadocio than Tensta's semi-conscious ones. Paragon raps in Swedish and "Aavisst" reminds me a bit of Fattaru's smash hit (it was in Sweden, and in my life, at least) "Mina hundar" from 2001. The track is the first single from Paragon's upcoming album "Glöd". I'd be very surprised if the whole album will be as good as this song, but one can always hope there will be at least 3-4 songs as good.

MP3: Zeigeist - Bunny

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:44:18 -0400

Zeigeist will never be able to shake comparisons to The Knife, but they did kinda do it themselves by cleverly tacking the song "Tar heart" on early leaks of "Silent shout". And now, with the release of their debut full-length "The Jade Motel", they have a chance to really make a name for themselves and I think they've done an admiral job. Lead single "Bunny" is bouncy electro track, with a slight dark vibe that's far more Depeche Mode than The Knife, though of course the vocal timbres are far similar to the latter. On the other hand, Zeigeist is a far more extroverted act; their music, their style is very showy and well-suited for the stage. The Knife are introverts to the nth degree - they've got their insular little world and as such, it's much harder to penetrate/understand/sympathize. I appreciate the immediacy of "Bunny". It withstands intellectual crtitique, but it's also very physical. "You just bare your skin I will show you bunny as I dance."

MP3: Viktor Sjöberg & Jonas Lindgren - Guldheden

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If I had the time or money to put together a new compilation, chances are high it would look awfully similar to Fang Bomb's "Gothenburg 08". The particular scene it explores is one of big reasons I started this weekly Gbg-spotlight series, so naturally I'm very excited to have the opportunity to talk to label-head Peter Ottosson about the comp, among other relevant subjects. Read on!

So you're putting out this new compilation, "Gothenburg 08" - what's the inspiration? What is it about the current scene that merits this sort of documentation?

The idea of putting together a compilation with only Gothenburg based artists, was initially born from a feeling I had about what is going on in the city, the sense of something great happening, a unique scene that deserved to be compiled and documented. It's been growing for a number of years now, with a lot of great artists, labels such as iDEAL, Kning Disk, Release The Bats, and ourselves, galleries and vital concert bookers. It feels like Gothenburg has risen again, in a way. The cultural climate now quite similar to what was going on 20 or 25 years ago. Free, experimental, deep.

And that takes us to were I went to complete the concept. To 1984 to be specific, when Radium 226.05 released a compilation LP entitled "Gothenburg 84". This is now a legendary record, showcasing the fresh talent connected to the Radium organization at that time. CM von Hausswolff was on it, and so were Jean-Louis Huhta, Zbigniew Karkowski and Freddie Wadling - all of whom today are busy people, well respected and regarded as pioneers also from a worldwide perspective.

My conviction is that the Gothenburg scene once again allows for such a manifestation. And that is what "Gothenburg 08" is supposed to be.

Of the musicians you have selected, what is it that they have in common, beyond their chosen city of residence? A sound? An attitude? Can you put a label on it?

There is a sound and there is an attitude. But there is not only one style rather, I think there is a kind of "anything is possible" approach going on here, and that can be heard in most of the recordings on "Gothenburg 08". For instance, when Anders Dahl mixes bird sounds with elements of noise, it fits! This attitude creates some unique artists. I guess we could call that attitude "punk", if the word hadn't already been used too much.

The thing is, many of the artists know each other well and have done so for a long time. They have collaborated, released records on each others labels, toured together, performed together. That binds it all together, that is what creates the "scene".

A number of the artists you are working with are active in other artistic endeavors, such as the visual arts- how much connection do you see between these various forms? Do you think that it's important for them to remain connected or can they each coexist on their own?

Man, you ask some tough questions ... No, I don't think that is necessary, even if they do feed off each other. But the same message can be encoded into either one of these media, and Thomas Ekelund of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, who is also a skilled art director and graphic artist, might be the perfect example. He does most of his own artwork (I think all of it, from now on) and he is incredibly stringent, faithful to his concept to the end. What you hear in his music, you can also see in his graphic art.

One thing that troubles me about the experimental/noise music scene, is that it tends to be very male dominated. Do you find this to be the case in Gbg? What do think can be done to address it?

It is, just as everywhere else. Right now, from the top of my head and keeping the local perspective, I can really only think of one female artist that would fit your genre description - Variam, the solo/side project of Mariam Wallentin of Wildbirds & Peacedrums. And if we want to go a little bit softer, there's always Midaircondo.

I'm not sure what to do about the situation. I guess men are generally more into the nerdier aspects of life, and at least one part of the experimental music scene is synonymous to stamp collecting hunting for still sealed Industrial Recordings releases from 1979, and brand new releases limited to 8 copies that you buy but never play, that sort of thing... Not that there's anything wrong with that, I do it too.

Also, I suspect that for as long as there are no, or very few, women at concerts, the male-to-female artist ratio will remain virtually unchanged. If something can be done, I'm not sure what it is. Maybe as the industrial iconography develops, a lesser amount of skulls would be a good idea?

Is there a particular song you would like to share, either from 84 or 08? Tell me about it.

It's hard to pick one song to represent the entire "Gothenburg 08" CD - it develops from soft to loud, from noise to dense drones to tracks that are almost "modern classical" in nature - so I've decided to just go with the first one. The track, composed and performed by Viktor Sjöberg and Jonas Lindgren, is entitled "Guldheden", which is also the name of one of the burroughs of Gothenburg. It's a solemn, beautiful piece and unintentionally, at least I assume it is unintentionally, it manages to connect with the very start of electronic and experimental music in Gothenburg, the muffled voices in the background being a reminder of Rune Lindblad's "Party" from 1953, the first ever recording by the city's earliest shining star in the world experimental music. Enjoy!

MP3: Folke Rabe - Argh!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:53:23 -0400

Folke Rabe is a Swedish composer, probably best known for his piece "What??", an early example of modern drone/minimalism that premiered in 1967. I am not nearly as familiar with his oeuvre as I should be, but after seeing his name in the lineup for May's "Swedish Outsiders" festival in London, I wanted to revisit the one piece of his I do have, "Argh!" (1965). "Argh!" is a work of sound collage, created back in the time of analog tape manipulation. Even without that consideration, this is an amazing piece of editing and layering, long pre-dating the similar, infamous sound experiments performed by Negativland that gained them notoriety. Voices come and go, melodies slip in and out, but it holds your attention all the while. In some ways, I think it works even better now with the added layer of nostalgia as the sound sources are obviously from a bygone era. Also, it's important to remember that there were no sampling laws back then, so anything was fair game. Can you imagine negotiating the clearances on something like this now? No question about it, it just wouldn't happen. So, however you want to listen to this, be it for technical or aesthetic or even historical appreciation, I think all approaches work. It's a remarkable composition.

MP3: Happy Trash Culture - Frisky pet

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:23:35 -0400

As far as grunge revival acts go, Happy Trash Culture wins serious points for throwing in Wipers riffage on "Frisky pet", but I have to say that I Am Bones wins the war. I Am Bones uses the style more as a jumping off point while Happy Trash Culture is content with pure homage. It's pure contrivance. Even vocalist Martin Befve's terrific throat-shredding roar can't quite save 'em. They do what they do and they do it well, but c'mon, why bother?

MP3: Anders Persson och Carl Smith - Morgonsol i April

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:44:06 -0400

When people talk about 70s rock revival, they're usually talking about hard rock or prog or some other style in line with people's memory of 70s excess. They certainly don't mean wimpy AM gold like Anders Persson och Carl Smith (for non-Swedish speakers, och = and). But that's exactly what this is: a relic of another time. Soft fingerpicked guitars, wistful vocals and the kind of lazy afternoon vibe you just don't hear anymore. I know the whole Swedish ballad/visor tradition is still alive and well, but I can't remember any modern examples that have sounded so sweet except for maybe Sofia Karlsson, but I consider her to be more of a folk artist than anything else. Am I missing something? Let me know! File this one under pleasant surprises.

MP3: Bright Oak - On the list

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:46:10 -0400

When Closer first disbanded, the core membership went on to form The Goatboys, a short-lived project that was intended to be a stripped-down version of their previous act. Faster, shorter, less complicated; back to basics, if you will. Unfortunately, nothing really ever came of them except a few rough demos, but now those same guys have moved on yet again to form Bright Oak. I'm unaware if the guys had any high-minded intentions with this act, but I can tell you that the name "historically stands as a notable meeting place for wise and powerful people to share information and solve problems." Judging from that, I'd say that yes, they do have big plans, I'm just not privy to them yet. As for the music, the most important part, it's somewhere between The Goatboys and Closer. The first three songs they've recorded are definitely the most "mainstream" material I've heard from them so far. Not as raw as The Goatboys, neither are they as proggressive as Closer. The arrangements are verse/chorus oriented and none extend beyond 4:30 in length. They slip in a few tricks here and there, but it's very subtle -- an odd melody here and there, maybe a short rhythmic interlude. It is definitely pop music. The choruses are big, uplifting and immediate. Everything is clear and concise. I miss Closer's tendency towards secrecy and conceptualism because a higher barrier of entry often makes for an overall more rewarding listening experience, but I also understand the frustration of playing music like that without having people "get it". Bright Oak, for better or worse, plays music that is very easy to get. I look forward to hearing more.

MP3: Vapnet - Skorpan

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Back home after a week in SF doing dayjob-related stuff and it's snowing?! In mid-April? C'mon now, that ain't right. Oh, and then there's the cold I caught my very first day in the office which I happened to bring home as well. So yeah, back, but not what I'd call well rested. Thankfully, contributor Arnulf Koehncke has come through with today's mp3 post in my stead:

I was completely amazed when I first listened to "Skorpan" from Vapnet's new album "Doda fallet". For the first time, the band dares to not contrast their lyrical darkness with uplifting melodies, jangly guitars and schlager-inspired key-changes. Not that I'd ever disapprove of that. Instead, it's just a slow ballad carried by a piano, a few guitars and plugged trumpet. It's sad, maybe slightly cynical, but definitely not ironic, which just adds to the strength of the song. And best of all (though I'm not a native speaker, so you'll never know), the chorus finally reveals that it's inspired by one of my favorite children's books, "The Brothers Lionheart" by Astrid Lindgren. So maybe it's ironic then after all...

MP3: Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - This room seems empty without you

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:16:50 -0400

I was just about to check out of my hotel room and head to the airport when the answers to this week's Göteborg feature showed up in my inbox. This week's guest: Matthias Andersson from Release the Bats, one of Sweden's preeminent underground labels.

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

I moved here in summer 2003 so I have been living in GBG for close to 5 years now. I used to live in a small village in middle of the dark forests of the region Småland, later moved on to the nearest city and then spent one year in Jönköping. I guess I was longing for something more, something else, and eventually decided to go for GBG. In many ways there are only 3 options for young people in Sweden that want to escape the small town boredom: GBG, Stockholm and Malmö. Stockholm was never really an option for me for various reasons and Malmö always seemed a bit too small and boring. Since I already had friends and so on in GBG there wasn't really anywhere else to go at that point. 5 years later I have no intentions on leaving anytime soon, I love this city and for the moment I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I know you work with a lot of int'l acts, but you also seem to always have something going on w/the local scene. Do you see yourself as a regional label at all? How important do you think regional labels are in this day and age?

I actually really didn't release anything GBG-based until last year with the The Skull Defekts album ["Skkull"]. Ok, Tar... Feathers was kind of based in GBG for a while, but has to me always been more of a Stockholm-thing. I never really had the need to cover the music in this town before since other local labels like iDEAL and Kning Disk already did a very good job with that. But recently there has been sooo many amazing things happening here that it has been kind of impossible to not participate in one way or another! So yeah, RTB will definitely be exploring the current activities here a little bit more in the future than in the past with upcoming releases from Tsukimono, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, The Skull Defekts etc. Is it important with regional labels? Honestly I don't think labels are that important at all nowdays. Still I can see a purpose with regional labels, acting like some kind of centre of the scene with lots of things going on besides just releasing local acts (iDEAL being a way better example than RTB on that with club nights, festivals and so on).

Do you think there's a particular Gbg sound or attitude? Also, how do Gbg artists differ from those in other cities within Sweden?

GBG is known for having a very distinct sound when it comes to both Death Metal and Pop music for an example, but when it comes to the kind of music that RTB is releasing (whatever you want to call it, it's not like I even have a "typical" sound for the label...) I would say no. In that sense that I don't think anyone would be able to "hear" that a certain artist is from GBG when listening to it, just based on the actual sound. Attitude... I don't think this city differs from other Swedish towns really, but I know that outsiders tends to think that people in GBG are very open minded and easy to be around for some reason? If you should compare GBG to other Swedish towns when it comes to music and related activities, I think it's safe to say that no other town is even close to what's currently happening here! So many shows, new projects, new awesome releases and so on all the time! I also think musicians in GBG are usually a bit ahead of other places in Sweden, it seems like new impressions and ways to do things hits GBG first most of the time.

How's the health of the Gbg scene right now? Any particular artists that you're exciting about? What releases do you have planned? Also, anyone else you want to work with/wish you had signed?

Truly amazing things are happening here right now, I haven't been this excited about the local scene since I moved here, that's for sure. I don't know where to start... One of the best and most promising new acts is definitely the 3-piece Leafes. I put out a tape with them in December 2006 when they still lived in Jönköping and only had been a band for a few weeks. Then they put out a CD-R last year which is really, really good, moved to GBG and now they have just finished their debut album "Seedland" which will be put out on tape only! Kind of folky pretty song-based free jams for most of the time, usually arranged around acoustic instruments with a sparse use of electronics... In the vein of Sunburned Hand Of The Man and the likes, but with more melancholy. I really recommend everyone to check them out, and you will be hearing way more about them in the future for sure! Everything Dan of Sewer Election is doing is golden. Put out a Sewer Election/Altar Of Flies LP on RTB a few months ago. Another amazing project from Dan is White. Filthy lo-fi basement dwellings, disturbing shit. Modorra is great underground metal with my neighbour Jon on drums, haven't heard that much yet but it sure seems promising! Prostitute Finger is another new project, members from a few "famous" GBG acts. Rough feedback-mayhem, beautiful stuff. Relic was probably the most promising new band this town had seen in years but unfortunately it seems like they've just broke up? A damn shame if you ask me, the rehearsal tapes was some scary out there stuff and I could only imagine what this beast would have become in the future. Then there is the more well-known acts that is always doing brilliant stuff no matter what: Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Tsukimono, Viktor Sjöberg, Gloomy Sunday, The Skull Defekts and so on. Plus the whole DJ/club-scene with Studio, Tiedye etc. Current favorite local labels: Harsh Head Rituals and Pillowscars. Upcoming GBG-related releases on RTB this year: Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Lost in reflections LP + 7" (split release with iDEAL, Fang Bomb and When Skies Are Grey, a minor masterpiece!), The Skull Defekts - The drone drug CD (natural follow up to last years "Skkull", minamalistic and nasty drone-filth with an industrial edge, grim sounding stuff!) and the vinyl version of Tsukimono's stunning "Time Canvas" (originally released as a limited CD-R on Kning Disk last year). All these 3 releases will hopefully be ready early summer. Kind of happy with the current RTB release schedule I must say, but it would definitely be fun to do something more with Leafes in the future. While I'm at it, the label Fang Bomb is putting out a Gothenburg 2008 compilation soon with the The Skull Defekts, Anders Dahl, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Sewer Election, Viktor Sjöberg, Jasper TX etc...

Got a song to share to rep Gbg? Tell us about it.

It has to be "This room seems empty without you", the opening track from "Lost in reflections", the upcoming Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words album! A bit different from the rest of the album, and also a bit different from the previous DLSODW sound. Still one of the most underrated GBG-acts in my opinion, why last year's amazing "Fall, fall, falling" (Kalligrammofon) didn't get more attention is a mystery to me.

It's a mystery to me too, especially since I count it as one of my favorite albums of 2007. And now, listening to this, it looks like there's a strong chance of a repeat. Amazing stuff, to be sure...

MP3: Monkeystrikes - Tahonga take away

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:14:09 -0400

Cecilia Nordlund has been a prominent Swedish artist for a long time, dating back to the mid-90s and her bands Souls to Monkeystrikes in 2005 and (hopefully) her upcoming solo album. There's also that one song she did with Marit Bergman that ending up as sort of a minor international indie hit, but in leiu of new material to share, I'd rather focus on Monkeystikes. The band only released one record, but it's a great one. Songs such as opener "Tahonga take away" build on the heavier alt-rock sound of her previous act (think: Pixies, Breeders, etc.), tempering it with a more sophisticated lyrical approach. It's a busy song and they manage to fit a lot in these two short minutes. Surprisingly dynamic too- listen for the small nuances that differentiate the verses, taking it beyond the typical verse-chorus/soft-loud approach. Obviously, that aspect is still present, but it's less obvious/clichéd. Every time I hear this I think, "why don't I listen to Monkeystrikes more often?" So far the best answer I can come up with is that I'm a fool.

MP3: Lögnhalsmottagningen - Snacka gär ju

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:23:34 -0400

I tried to tip you off on Lögnhalsmottagningen back in late February on one of my MyFriends posts, but now that their debut 7" "Öron näsa EP" is out, it's time to pay them another visit. The improbable duo features Stewart Anderson from Boyracer laying down the tracks at home in Flagstaff, AZ and then shipping 'em off to Sweden (figuratively, I presume) for Martin Cannert from The Faintest Ideas/Javelins to lay down vocals. However, if you were expecting twee indiepop akin to those dude's other bands, this may disappoint as the true purpose of this project is to revisit the frantic sound of early 80s Swedish punk, both in song and fidelity. Martin sounds shrill and out of breath as he tries to keep up and the band doesn't fare much better - if I didn't know that this was one guy laying everything down via multitrack, I'd imagine the drummer setting the tempo and setting off with everyone else trying to hold on for dear life. And the recording? Harsh perfection, just like all the old, faceless 7"s I used to pick up before home studios could match pro audio quality. It's trebly and annoying, but that's exactly the point; give it a few listens, you might start to like it too. 7 songs in 8 minutes, so not quite a total rager, but close enough. Now let's just hope this isn't some one-off thing.

MP3: Thomas Denver Jonsson - Like friends falling in love

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:15:12 -0400

So, continuing off of yesrerday's post, let's talk about Thomas Denver Jonsson. I've been eagerly waiting to hear his latest record "The lake acts like an ocean" as his last album, 2005's "Barely touching it", was quite good. Thomas had also been telling me that a copy was on the way for a few months now, but due to various issues, he wasn't able to get me one until last week (also to coincide with the wider European release). Anyhow, the music here couldn't be more different than Ondo- Thomas plays country-rock in a slightly melancholy, shambolic way, not too far from Will Oldham, Songs:Ohia and the like. He's definitely got a bit of Oldham's warble; an odd mix of resignation and resolve, something that's especially apparent on tracks like "Like friends falling in love". Most of the material on the album features full-band instrumentation, but I'm drawn to this number because of its charming simplicity and sweet sentiment. It's the pure essence of TDJ. Not only that, it helps to express his oft-professed love for his friends. Whether it's singing ballads to them, working in collaborations (there's more than a few duets on the record, besides the aforementioned A Perfect Friend project w/Ondo) or interviewing them on the interweb, Thomas is a people person. He makes connection. I appreciate that.

MP3: Ondo - Sleep

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:15:52 -0400

In a feat of synchronicity, I received news albums from both Thomas Denver Jonsson and Ondo on the same day last week. The two are world's apart on the surface, but I know better as Ondo is the ambient/doom alias of C-J Larsgården from Pacta/Pacta Sunt Servanda and together with Jonsson, they perform as the duo A Perfect Friend. Considering how different their individual music is, it's amazing that they are able to find common ground, but certainly not unfathomable as I certainly enjoy both artists on their own. Ondo is easily the more difficult of the pair as his subterranean doom music lacks any sort of pop hooks. Instead, you get brooding darkness and evil; a beat-less, black cloud of ambiance. We've had some beautiful weather out here on the West Coast, especially here in SF where I'm situated this week, but Ondo sucks the light out of even the brightest day. To me, that's a high compliment. To conjure that level of heaviness with pure atmosphere is an intense achievement.