(Norra Kust, Magnus ekelund) has signed Maria Eriksson (The Concretes, Santa Maria, Heikki) and will be releasing her debut solo album på svenska "Stjäl det du behöver" early next year. Teg has also officially picked up Mattias Alkbergs Begravning, the new band from The Bear Quartet frontman, and will be releasing their new album next year as well.
A new video from Magnus ekelund & Stålet for a great track off his latest record "Det definitiva drevet".
Been meaning to get this written up for over a week now, but I haven't found the time and now that I'm about head out on vacation to Sweden for a couple weeks, I figure I need to get at least something up. So without further ado, here's my picks for the best releases of 2012 so far (in alphabetical order):
Agent Side Grinder - Hardware ()
Beastmilk - Use your deluge ()
Diskoteket - Det ska se ut som slutet ()
Magnus ekelund & Stålet - Supernova EP ()
Nitad - Rastlös & vild ()
Susanne Sundfør - The silicone veil ()
Tvärvägen - Staring directly into the sun ()
Vånna Inget - Jag ska fly tills jag hittar hem ()
On the cusp/too early to tell:
Anchorless - Every nook and cranny ()
Norra Kust - s/t ()
Westkust - Junk EP ()
Reissues:
Missbrukarna - Zooma in en zombie ()
Ratsia - Jäljet ()
Listen to a selection of these records below via Spotify:
Give me an epic indierock tune with expansive pop hooks and a masterful sense of dynamics and of course I'm going to be impressed. It's a formula that can be easily codified on paper, but that doesn't mean it's so easy to replicate, though plenty of Swedish artists -- Magnus ekelund, We Are the Storm, Pixie Carnation to name a few -- have definitely hit the mark at least once. Now add Pretties for You to the list; the title track of their new EP "Silver lining", just released today via , is a sure-fire qualifier. They take their time getting to the chorus payoff, but it's worth it.
Pretties For You - Silver lining
Infectious in the best possible way, not like a dreaded sommarplåga or a social disease. In fact, all three songs from the new single "Supernova", including brilliant b-side covers of Vapnet and Bingo, are phenomenal. Likewise, so is Magnus ekelund & Stålet's upcoming full-length "Det definitiva drevet". Same goes for labelmates Norra Kust, whose self-titled debut was just released today and is now on Spotify. Essential listening all around!
Magnus Ekelund & Stålet - Supernova
Brand new video from Magnus ekelund & Stålet for their superb single "Supernova", the first from the band's forthcoming album "Det definitiva drevet" which will be out on May 16 via /. Check out the full 3-track single via Spotify with b-side covers of Vapnet and Bingo -- you will not be disappointed!
Magnus ekelund (ex-Elmo) has a brand new digital-only 4-song EP out now called "Sameblod", released via .
Live music at PSL with Mattias Alkberg and Magnus ekelund. Required viewing, 'natch. Also at PSL, a brief chat with José González about how he's working on his third solo record: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2011/10/05/extra-extra-jose-gonzalez-spelar-in-nytt/
Shaky and low-budget, but I'm not one to complain. Charm comes in many forms and I appreciate the casual footage of Luleå, as captured by Magnus ekelund (the man behind the camera).
Magnus ekelund and Jakob Hellman performing live together in Stockholm. And guess what? Magnus' new album "Svart flagg" (out now via ) is even available via Spotify here in the US: http://open.spotify.com/album/4V1lliNkivN2XPOU5k7m8P
In case you missed the comment, Magnus ekelund and Jakob Hellman performed their new single recently for Stockholm Boat Sessions. Direct link: http://stockholmboatsessions.blogspot.com/2011/05/jakob-hellman-och-magnus-ekelund.html
It's Memorial Day here in the US and I don't have to do any "real" work so I'm not gonna spend any more time in front of the computer than I have to, but I am going to take the time to post a brand new single from ex-Elmo frontman Magnus ekelund recorded with new backing band Stålet along with a little help from once-reclusive Swedish pop icon Jakob Hellman. Yes, the news as reported back in February was true and now the final result is ready for release via , the label run by The Bells/Jonas Teglund, and will be followed by the full-length album "Svart flagg" ("Black flag") on July 6. The Swedish-literate can read more at Magnus' website, but I suggest just listening and letting the sound of his epic melancholy carry you away.
Magnus Ekelund & Stålet - Utan er (feat. Jakob Hellman)
Semi-reclusive Swedish music legend Jakob Hellman has recorded a new duet together with Magnus ekelund (ex-Elmo) this past weekend: http://www.nsd.se/noje/artikel.aspx?ArticleId=5993323 (in Swedish)
The track is called "Utan er" and it will be featured on Magnus' upcoming solo debut "Svart flagg" which he is currently working on for release this spring. I do believe this is Jakob's first new recording since he guested on "Du min vän" from Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos' 2006 album "Jazzen".
"Text & Musik" is the name of a new Swedish festival celebrating just that; two nights, two cities, twelve bands, including Mattias Alkberg, Kajsa Grytt, Pascal, Ulf Stureson, Conny Nimmersjö, Magnus ekelund, The Bells, Hospitalet and more. The first night will take place July 27 at Kägelbanan in Stockholm and from there it will move to Storsjöyran in Östersund way up north for the 29th. Full details at Mattias Alkberg's website: http://www.mabd.se/?p=700