When I first heard "Shallow grave", a part of me was glad that many of my friends either don't much care for Bob Dylan or were more into the electronica-tinged indie-rock/pop that was (and still is) coming out -- without trying to keep The Tallest Man on Earth my little secret, I was one of the few people I knew who really enjoyed Kristian Matsson's music. Visiting Stockholm the summer after "Shallow grave" was released, Matsson played an outdoor show at Debaser. Refusing to pay the entrance fee, my friends and I sat on the stairs nearby. Those that didn't know of his music beforehand were converted, those of us who liked the self-titled EP and "Shallow grave" were awestruck. A few years later, Pitchfork and others have called Matsson's sophomore effort "The wild Hunt" one of the best records of 2010, and, despite my mixed feelings regarding certain popular music sites, good on them: It's nice to see some light shone on a talent like The Tallest Man on Earth and, despite not making my Top 10 (a rather distressing oversight, to be honest), "The wild Hunt" truly deserves to be recognized as one of the finest efforts of the year.
"Sometimes the blues is just a passing bird" is a fitting addition to Matsson's catalogue. Taking advantage of the EP format, the songs don't necessarily feel as strongly connected as the tracklists of "Shallow grave" and "The wild Hunt", but this does little harm to the record's content. There are a few small departures from the usual 'a man and his acoustic guitar'-approach of previous recordings: the clean electric guitar and subtle overdubbing on "The dreamer" are wonderful, as is the piano in "Like the wheel". The lyrics are once again so good that it begs the question why someone whose first language is Swedish can write circles around most lyricists whose mother tongue is English -- "And I said, 'Oh my Lord, why am I not strong like the branch that keeps hangmen hanging on?'" Hopefully Matsson's creative output in 2011 will mirror that of 2010 -- I can't think of too many artists I would prefer new material from than The Tallest Man on Earth. - Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Norwegian drone/jazz act Huntsville has announced that their new album "For flowers, cars and merry wars" will be released this coming March via the imprint .
Best album: Håkan Hellström - 2 Steg Från Paradise Oskar Linnros - Vilja Bli Robyn - Body Talk Säkert! - Facit The Radio Dept. - Clinging To a Scheme
Best artist: Håkan Hellström Johnossi Oskar Linnros Petter Robyn
Best song: Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life Daniel Adams-Ray - Gubben I Lådan Eric Saade - Manboy Erik Grönwall - Higher Johnossi - What's The Point Mohombi - Bumpy Ride Oskar Linnros - Från Och Med Du Robyn - Dancing On my Own Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking Swedish House Mafia – One
Best group: Dungen - Skit I Allt Hästpojken - Från Där Jag Ropar Johnossi - Mavericks Kent - En Plats I Solen The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme
Best folk/visa: Blandade Artister - Sonja Åkesson Tolkad Av First Aid Kit - The Big Black & The Blue Jonas Knutsson - Blåslåtar Ola Magnell - Rolös Toni Holgersson - Ibland Kallar Jag Det Kärlek
Best hardrock/metal: Ghost - Opus Eponymous Khoma - A Final Storm Pascal - Orkanen Närmar Sig Sabaton - Coat Of Arms Watain - Lawless Darkness
Best jazz: Dan Berglunds Tonbruket - Tonbruket Goran Kajfes - X/Y Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet - Echoes Oddjob - Clint Peter Asplund Quartet - Asplund Meets Bernstein
Best songwriter: Annika Norlin & Henrik Oja - Facit Håkan Hellström - 2 Steg Från Paradise Klas Åhlund & Robyn - Body Talk Oskar Linnros - Vilja Bli Pernilla Andersson - Ö
Best female artist: Anna Von Hausswolff - Singing FromThe Grave Britta Persson - Current Affair Medium Rare Pernilla Andersson - Ö Robyn - Body Talk Säkert! - Facit
Best male artist: Daniel Adams-Ray - Svart Vitt Och Allt Däremellan Håkan Hellström - 2 Steg Från Paradise Oskar Linnros - Vilja Bli Salem Al Fakir - Ignore This The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
Best newcomer: Anna Von Hausswolff - Singing From The Grave Ceo - White Magic First Aid Kit - The Big Black & The Blue Oskar Linnros - Vilja Bli Swedish House Mafia - Until One
Best producer: Adrian Lux Joakim Åhlund & Håkan Hellström Klas Åhlund Max Martin Red One
Best international success: Dungen Max Martin Red One Robyn Swedish House Mafia
Best lyrics: Annika Norlin - Facit Håkan Hellström - 2 Steg Från Paradise Ola Magnell - Rolös Oskar Linnros - Vilja Bli Plura Jonsson - Kärlekens Väg - En Mässa
Best urban/dance: Boeoes Kaelstigen - Tanum Teleport Familjen - Mänskligheten Petter - En Räddare I Nöden PH3 - PH3 Löser Ett Fall Swedish House Mafia - Until One
Best Innovator: Johnossi Robyn Nomy Magnus Weideskog Iamamiwhoami
Winners will be announced at a ceremony at Kungliga Operan in Stockholm on January 17.
Norwegian indie quintet Norma Sass have a new video for their new single "Robbery": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExesOa_2_J0
Look for the band's debut full-length "Hunting for treasures" to be released on January 24.
Gaffa Sweden's top Swedish album picks of 2010 out of their top 30:
01. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a scheme
03. Håkan Hellström - 2 steg från paradise
04. Masshysteri – Masshysteri
09. Säkert – Facit
11. Tallest Man on Earth - The wild Hunt
15. Robyn - Body talk part 1
20. JJ – n° 3
21. Anna von Hausswolff – Singing from the grave
26. The Bear Quartet – Monty Python
Apparently this is a big deal in Sweden right now and spreading, but it's been completely outside my radar until now. Very much not my thing, but anyhow, good luck to Tejbz in becoming the BassHunter of pop-punk. Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3JZjElZG2c
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. TALK 1
02. Robert Svensson - Runaway
03. My Poor Lover - Lovesick
04. Fun - Williams house
05. TALK 2
06. Hero Dishonest - Birth, Sports Illustrated, death
07. Hanna Hirsch - Framtid och besvär
08. Haleiwa - Observatorielunden
09. Pistol Disco - Pool
10. TALK 3
11. MF/MB/ - The grand chase
12. Ståålfågel - Stupet
13. The Nature - Northern lights
14. TALK 4
15. The Loveable Tulips - Fortune favours the brave
16. Anna von Hausswolff - Track of time
17. Hunt - Ashes of a secret heart
18. The Bells - No Waves
19. TALK 5
20. Makthaverskan - Know love
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.
01. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
02. Contrazt - Ser på verden
03. Alexander Rybak - No Boundaries
04. Aasmund Nordstoga - Friaren
05. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
06. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
07. Guren Hagen - Alle de beste
08. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
09. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og Deilig - Knutsen og Ludvigsen
10. Roy Lønhøiden - Tilbake i tid - de beste sangene
11. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
12. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
13. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
14. Madrugada - Industrial Silence
15. StMorritz - Tusenvis av ting
16. Diverse artister - Go'natt
17. Steff Nevers - Ain't no bad life
18. Celine - Jentekveld
19. Divin' Ducks - Best Of
20. A-ha - Hunting High And Low
01. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
02. Contrazt - Ser på verden
03. Alexander Rybak - No Boundaries
04. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
05. Aasmund Nordstoga - Friaren
06. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
07. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
08. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
09. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Knutsen & Ludvigsens beste
10. Madrugada - Industrial Silence
11. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
12. Divin' Ducks - Best Of
13. Steff Nevers - Ain't no bad life
14. Diverse artister - Go'natt
15. Celine - Jentekveld
16. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
17. Guren Hagen - Alle de beste
18. A-ha - Hunting High And Low
19. StMorritz - Tusenvis av ting
20. A-ha - 25
01. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
02. Contrazt - Ser på verden
03. Alexander Rybak - No Boundaries
04. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
05. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
06. Guren Hagen - Alle de beste
07. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
08. Aasmund Nordstoga - Friaren
09. Madrugada - Industrial Silence
10. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
11. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og Deilig - Knutsen og Ludvigsen
12. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
13. Gitarkameratene - Kanon! Gitarkameratenes aller beste
14. Celine - Jentekveld
15. Divin' Ducks - Best Of
16. Steff Nevers - Ain't no bad life
17. A-ha - Hunting High And Low
18. StMorritz - Tusenvis av ting
19. A-ha - Scoundrel Days
20. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Champagne Riot - A friend of a friend
02. TALK 1
03. Hur Högt - Hur högt
04. Karl X Johan - Flames
05. Nils Bech & Krazy Fiesta Arkestra - Drunk love
06. TALK 2
07. Håkan Lidbo - Zuzuvela
08. Jasmine Kara - Try my love again
09. Kaka - Below this sun
10. Viola - Neon lightning
11. TALK 3
12. Supersci - Snap out of it
13. Haleiwa - Vibraandaman
14. Korallreven - The truest faith
15. TALK 4
16. Robyn - Dancehall queen
17. Hunt - Ashes of a secret heart
18. Rasmus Kellerman - Where do you go at night
19. TALK 5
20. Tutankamon - Have you ever been in love?
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.
01. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
02. Madrugada - Industrial silence
03. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
04. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
05. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
06. Aasmund Nordstoga - Friaren
07. Tre Små Kinesere - Kjærlighet på tunga
08. Alexander Rybak - No Boundaries
09. Celine - Jentekveld
10. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
11. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
12. Gitarkameratene - Kanon! Gitarkameratenes aller beste
13. Liv Marit Wedvik - Solid Ground
14. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og Deilig - Knutsen og Ludvigsen
15. Venke Knutson - Smiles - The Very Best Of
16. A-ha - Hunting high and low
17. Steff Nevers - Ain't no bad life
18. Diverse artister - Go'natt
19. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
20. A-ha - Scoundrel days
The Tallest Man on Earth
