Danish act Kashmir will be releasing a new 12" EP entitled "Extraordinaire" in cooperation with Hi-Fi Klubben, the same Folks who apparently were responsible for the vinyl reissue of the band's entire back-catalogue. Said EP will feature "Zitilites" and "It's ok now" on the a-side with "Danger bear" and "Break of the avalanche" on the flip, the latter being the sole track previously unavailable on a physical format -- it was released as a short-lived digital download for Folks who preordered the album "Trespassers". For local Folks who are interested, there will be a limited occupancy listening session/meet & greet with the band available to Hi-Fi Klubben customer club members, which can be joined for free right here: http://www.hifiklubben.dk/kundeklub/velkommen
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Särkyneet - Huono nainen
02. TALK 1
03. Masshysteri - Masshysteri del två
04. Interment - Eternal darkness
05. Cut City - The sound and the sore
06. Fireside - Lovecar
07. TALK 2
08. Moto Boy - Early grave
09. V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble - Start at the finish
10. The Goner - Lost summer
11. TALK 3
12. The World - Roybgiv
13. Familjen - Det var jag
14. STYGG - Sleep
15. TALK 4
16. EL-SD - Hille
17. MenFolk - Column 79
18. Camouflage - La la la
19. Grande Roses - The astronaut
20. TALK 5
21. Donkeyboy - Ambitions
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.
(I'm Kingfisher/Thomas Denver Jonsson) has signed Swedish indie/Folk/roots act A Stoic Gone Bezerk. Listen to samples: http://www.myspace.com/astoicgoneberserk
Worth a listen methinks.
Far from Tellus' self-titled album is a swirling, cohesive, and, most importantly, damned entertaining effort, combining elements of Folk and blues, 70s rock and 80s pop, all on their own terms. Like some strange marriage between The Kinks and fellow Norwegians Superfamily, Far from Tellus ramble through decades of inspiration, tying these echoes together into seamless, layered, and often anthemic compositions. Also, like the aforementioned Kinks, Far from Tellus have a fine relationship with the poignant and the playful, never allowing the latter to overpower or besmirch the former: "Norwegian fairytale mix" blossoms to life with such swagger upon layers of guitar, piano, and banjo, only to transition into a gloriously simple and memorable chorus; "Mogens" opens with a strummed banjo and closes with enough rock organ to make any Zeppelin fan happy, its middle section reminiscent of the clever, driving compositions of Herr Nilsson, yet another Norwegian outfit (I'm sensing a theme here); and seven-minute closer "Bless our souls" builds beautifully to its wonderfully raucous ending, reminding me of Britpop acts like James throughout. "Far from Tellus" is an impressive display of talent and songwriting. I wouldn't be surprised to find it on my Best of 2010 list, even with almost half a year left to go. - Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Beautifully simple; simply beautiful. Everything a Folk duo should be, though not all can claim such eloquence. Pettersson & Fredriksson are the pairing of nyckelharpist Daniel Pettersson and mandola player Daniel Fredriksson of Umeå, Sweden where they have played together since high school and "Sotali" is their 3rd album and my first introduction to the group. I don't spend much (any) time chasing down new Folk music on my own despite my interest, so I'm always grateful when something this good drops in my lap and of course, am more than happy to share alike. I've spent a good deal of time listening to hardanger fiddle music this past year or so, but I must say that the buzzing of the nyckelharpa is more pleasing to my ears, 2nd only to the hurdy gurdy, to which is more closely related. The resonating effect of the sympathetic strings aptly fills the soundspace, likewise the double-strings of the mandola, so that the two are more than enough instrumentation on their own. Listen to "Brand", the first song on the album, and pay attention to the way they maintain space, consistently shifting and stepping aside to let small parts shine through. The track builds significantly as it progresses too, but they always hold back just enough so that it never gets overwhelming. Like I said, it all sounds so simple, so easy, but it is anything but. Listen to the rest of the album (or order a copy for yourself) at BandCamp: http://petfred.bandcamp.com/
I'm becoming increasingly obsessed with seeking out dystopian themes in music, and while that's usually the province of punk/hardcore/metal, it's not as if they have a monopoly. For example, Supersci's new single "Snap out of it" takes on the subject with a slightly more optimistic bent, kicking things off with a Folksy polska intro. Now I'm normally not all that into Swedish hip-hop in English since it's almost all garbage, but Supersci rises above with smarts and talent. Rapping about mortgages might seem like lamest thing ever on paper, but shit is serious and while I don't know how pervasive the burst housing bubble is abroad, it's an epidemic over here. I'm doing fine (thanks for asking), but foreclosures are bringing things down all around me. As for rallying against corporate infotainment, that's nothing new, but no less vital. The world is going down the drain, believe it -- now what are you going to do about it?
Far From Tellus - s/t 
mattg | Wed, Aug 25th, 2010 17:00:26