Search: Melody
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Most guitar-based ambient artists seem intent on obscuring their sound source, not so with Finnish duo The Gentleman Losers. There's no mistaking the origin of these sounds, though they do indulge in heavy effects now and then. "Ballad of Sparrow Young" is typical of the group: circular guitar figures overlaid by a languid lead Melody along with a few other subtle accompanyments. Yes, they do stray towards the new-age end of the musical spectrum, but in typical Scandinavian fashion, feelings of melancholy erase any indications of "mere" peacefulness. And yes, I know it's also not exactly the sort of thing that will make you sit up and pay close attention, but listening does have its rewards.
The Gentleman Losers - Ballad of Sparrow Young
I'm a bit disappointed that Nitad didn't make it out west on their current US tour, but what can you do? Hopefully things went well enough for them that they'll make it back for another go and will play the one coast that actually matters. The rest of you out East better get yourselves in gear though 'cuz they've only got a few more dates left before they head back home to Sweden. And while you're at it, pick up me a t-shirt! Size M, please (seriously!). You will reimbursed in full. But let's get back to the music, shall we? Nitad are one my favorite current hardcore acts, besides maybe Fucked Up, a band who they get unfairly compared to all too often. I say: Whatever! Both are great, though punkrock purists and internet soapboxers love to complain. As it was, it always shall be. Anyhow, Nitad has just the right edge of anger and Melody, backed with a relentlessly driving energy level that can't be denied. "Rädslan" kicks off their debut full-length "Ibland kan man inte hindran sig själv" with a fierce four-on-the-floor beat, played at what I guess would be the band's midtempo velocity. So yeah, pretty raging one might say. You dig? I have CDs to give away -- all you gotta do is email nitad-contest@itsatrap.com with your details and I'll have Kranium Records send out discs to the first 10 respondents. Do it!
Nitad - Rädslan
Unsurprisingly, the new P3 Ström collection "Musiken vi hatar" ("Music we hate") isn't really good per se, as much as it is an interesting musical exercise. Really, what do you expect from a collection of artists covering the music they despise? There are limits to how much you can polish a turd and even then, it will never really shine. Of all the selections contained therein, Cilihili and DaBook's take on Enya's dreaded "Orinoco flow" is the one that made me most curious, besides maybe Andreas Tilliander's dubbed-out take on "All that she wants" by Ace of Base, yet another popular track that people love to hate. The latter of the two removes all the pep of the original, leaving nothing but suck, however the former is a stupendously fun reimagination of a much-reviled classic. Like many great covers, any adherence to the original is thrown out the window, so we the listener are instead treated to cut-up disco beats and a reinvigorated chorus Melody. Also: "What the fuck is 'Orinoco flow'? What does it mean?" Seriously!
Cilihili and DaBook - Orinoco flow
As I hinted at in my review, one of Turboweekend's strongest assets is their ability to take their songs into strange, unreal dimensions. On tracks like "Sweet Jezebel" it's subtle, but it's there: "I saw the rush hour stop for you / It didn't seem like it was new to you / My eyes touched your skin like dust and grime" I can see it play out in my mind; time stops when their eyes meet, but only for a moment. The sort of experience that later causes you to question if it was real. Furthermore: "In my dream I heard the word from you / Telling me exactly what to do / For you to turn back the clockworks of your mind" The spell is more than mere symbolism. The music is similarly evocative -- slow and languid, with a steady pulse and keening synths. As with everything they do, the sound is surprisingly minimal as well. Instrumentation is sparse, but thick with atmosphere which fills the gaps between the synth/bass/drums/vocals arrangement. Listen to how they twist the Melody towards the end, too. The vocals soar with the final, climatic chorus, but the harmonies moves in unexpected ways. It's a thing of subtle beauty.
Turboweekend - Sweet Jezebel
I look at the ever-increasing piles of mediocre CDs crowding my desk and I can't help but feel defeated. There's a few gems in there to be sure, but I'm fully daunted. To say nothing of all the downloads in my incoming directory -- more often than not, I'd much rather listen to all the old-school death metal I've been gathering than some uninspiring no-name wannabees. Like I said though, it's not all bad. Only a few are truly awful, the overwhelming majority are merely forgettable. What's it take to stick? Name recognition helps. My God Damn Territory's bio mentions ex-ex-members from Blithe, Randy and Refused as well as Celestine and, even though I recognize none of the actual personnel names, I figure that at least earns them a cursory listen. Of course I wouldn't be telling you about them if they weren't good, so let me spell it out: My God Damn Territory are a solid band. They've got a ridiculously long roster of musicians who appear on their new self-released album "Between art and failure" and the record's widely varied sound reflects that, though the songwriting remains consistent. They cover a lot of ground from noisy 90s-style indie to postrock and beyond, but you can always tell it's the product of the same mind(s). "Used to be" stands out to me as one of the more driving numbers and the repetitive, overlapping vocal Melody is hard to forget, especially with those bendy guitar notes that bookend it. Best of all, it just sounds so different from anything else I've heard as of late. And the whole album is available as a free download. Good enough!
My God Damn Territory - Used to be
I get seriously bummed sorting through all the new Swedish hip-hop, hoping to find something good. For awhile it seemed like the forward-thinkers were taking charge and releasing great records, but now? I'm not so sure. So much of what's popular sounds like 3rd-rate garbage to me, lazy copies of American artists. Leave it to the standbys to keep up the quality then -- for example, not only has Promoe been putting up a ton of decent-to-better tracks for free download, but we've also got Ison & Fille's new single "Jag skrattar idag" to get us through. It's a fitting song for me today as well, since my workday was abysmal. What can you do but laugh it off? Especially when it starts off with a unnecessary 5am phonecall. "Jag skrattar idag" has a lazy, whistling Melody, but the kick and bass push the beat and keep things moving. Insistent in an underhanded way, I suppose you could say; it drives far harder than you might realize. Fits my mood and fits the season, too. And not to damn them by comparison, but you could certainly do far worse. Also, once again proving the best Swedish hip-hop is still done på Svenska.
Ison & Fille - Jag skrattar idag
Expressen is premiering Melody Club's new video for "The only ones": http://www.expressen.tv/1.1584210
I've been obsessed with this song recently and its triumphant resignation. Like many Broder Daniel anthems, the soaring Melody is at odds with the lyrical content and that makes me question its intentions and sincerity. Sometimes I hear it as a celebration: I love my dead-end town, it is my destiny. You know that any talk of "the grass is always greener..." is total bullshit anyway; why set yourself up for disappointment? There is power is knowing what you face, knowing your enemy. On the other hand, it's much more easily read strictly as a down-and-out heartbreaker: No initiative, no fun, no future. Living in this town is barely living at all. I go back and forth, but generally find myself siding with the former. I love my own small town. It's potential can seem stifling, so I understand why so many move on from here to other opportunities, but there are also plenty of possibilities open to those willing to take charge, take risks. In that spirit I hear this song as sarcasm -- yes, I know my city, sometimes all too well, but that's also why I love it.
Broder Daniel - Only life I know
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Thorleifs - Sweet kissin' in the moonlight
02. Caroline Af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen
03. Promoe - Kråksången
04. Larz Kristerz - Hem till dig
05. The Boppers - Vibrations
06. Veronica Maggio - Och vinnaren är...
07. E.M.D. - A state of mind - deluxe
08. Alcazar - Disco defenders
09. Måns Zelmerlöw - MZW
10. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
11. Lisa Ekdahl - Give me that slow knowing smile
12. Innocent Rosie - Bad habit romance
13. Melody Club - Goodbye to romance
14. Moneybrother - Real control
15. Malmö Opera Kör & Orkester - Jesus Christ superstar
16. Sofia Karlsson - Söder om kärleken
17. BWO - Big science
18. Bob Hund - Folkmusik för folk som inte kan bete sig som folk
19. Susanne Alfvengren - Bbortom tid och rum - det bästa
20. Shirley Clamp - För den som älskar...en samling
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Caroline Af Ugglas - Så gör jag det igen
02. E.M.D. - A state of mind - deluxe
03. Larz Kristerz - Hem till dig
04. Alcazar - Disco defenders
05. The Boppers - Vibrations
06. Veronica Maggio - Och vinnaren är...
07. Lisa Ekdahl - Give me that slow knowing smile
08. Malmö Opera Kör & Orkester - Jesus Christ superstar
09. Måns Zelmerlöw - MZW
10. Kevin Borg - The beginning
11. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
12. Moneybrother - Real control
13. Maia Hirasawa - GBGvsSTHLM
14. Melody Club - Goodbye to romance
15. Sofia Karlsson - Söder om kärleken
16. BWO - Big science
17. Pauline - Never said I was an angel
18. Miss Li - Dancing the whole way home
19. Magnus Lindberg - Ett eget liv
20. Stiko Per Larsson - Kap farväl
8
For acts like Robyn and Lykke Li, straddling the genres of pop and indie has been the key to critical acclaim and popularity abroad rarely seen by Swedish artists. However, the same balancing act has not worked so well for Melody Club. They're a big name act at home, but are otherwise largely unknown. There are too many guitars for them to catch on with the foreign fans of September or Alcazar, yet they're just not cool enough to attract the indie bloggerati. Sweden may be the go-to place for all your cheesy pop or quirky indie needs, but the focus on those particular genres by most Scandophiles means that some of Sweden's best bands escape their attention.
If you have, by some miracle, heard a Melody Club album before, you'll know exactly what to expect from "Goodbye to romance". Disregarding the current trend to do the opposite, Melody Club have moved away from their original electropop sound and added more guitars and a stronger 1960s influence, but are still unmistakeably Melody Club. The infectious choruses and entertaining lyrics the band are known for are present on every track. After just a few listens, I feel attached to all of them individually and find it difficult to choose a standout. "Oh Candy call me"'s brilliantly catchy riff made it an early favourite, while anthemic recent single "Girls don't always wanna have fun" has been the biggest grower. However, the track that never seems to leave my head is "Where do I belong", a song that would have fit perfectly on my favourite Melody Club album, "Face the music".
While "Goodbye to romance" doesn't quite match up to "Face the music", it's one of my favourite albums of 2009 so far and thoroughly recommended to anyone wishing to broaden their knowledge of the Swedish music scene.
- Jessica Popper
Halph is not like other guitar/drum duos. No garage-rock, no friend-rock, no empty spazzouts. "New money" presents them at their least subdued, but even then, they're still dark and drone-heavy with lots of loose open chords and a slightly atonal sense of Melody. It's taken me while to warm to their peculiar sound, but now with album #3 "The world is as you are", I think we've come to a place where we can connect better. They've figured out what works for them without sacrificing any of their weird deadpan vibe and I've since learned a better appreciation of rock minimalism. It's a good meeting point, everyone's happy.
Halph - New money
"Spirit fall" is about bringing God closer to earth, closer to the soul. "Draw us near" reflects a similar longing sentiment, but I find that this reflects a much deeper feeling of resignation, an acceptance of human imperfection, of spiritual impoverishment. Hence the sadness of the Melody -- the desire for connection is as strong as ever, but weakness prevails. "Heaven fall / Invade earth / Fill us up / With your heart / With your love" A step away from forlorn and forsaken, but not without hope.
David Åhlén's debut record "We sprout in thy soil", his first under his under his own name, is absolutely gorgeous. You don't need to share his beliefs to be touched; the beauty of his art come through regardless.
David Åhlén - Spirit fall
Melody Club has a new website that is surprisingly simple and effective: http://www.Melodyclub.com/
Melody Club's new album "Goodbye to romance" is streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/Melodyclub