Brothers of End continue on their path of understated soft-rock melancholia with their sophomore album "Mount inside", due out April 13, with single "Stare at the sun" leading the way. Aside from the lack of Nina Persson's vocals, this tune isn't too far off from the (latter-era) balladeering of the members' other band The Cardigans. Which of course is no bad thing, just don't expect them to indulge in other similar 70s-rock tropes elsewhere on the record. I think I'm also hearing some late-90s Britpop here too, peak-era Travis perhaps? Again, not a bad thing at all as far as I'm concerned. Brothers of End keep things chill and it works, though I fear it may lead to them being unfairly passed over. As much as I enjoy gentle bum-out music, I get the feeling the sentiment is not widely shared these days.

The Sounds played a set, including material from their as-yet-unnamed forthcoming album, at the Relentless Energy Sessions Festival at London's Relentless Garage on October 21, 2010. The band gave IAT this interview before the show.

How has 2010 been treating with you?

Felix: Good!

Maja: Really good!

Felix: We've been writing new material for our new album, we did a tour the whole summer in Europe and parts of the States, and now we're recording a new album. It's going really well. This time we're in control of pretty much everything. We're producing it ourselves, we have our own studio, and I guess we have more fun in the studio. You're not afraid to have fun, you just record what's inside you.

Will it be the famous 'The Sounds' sound?!

Maja: I think that's the thing about this new record. According to me -- I'm only saying from my own personal experience recording the album -- I think this album is more like the good old Sounds. I think that the last album was really great, and we needed to do that album just to experiment a bit and break new ground and just to do something a little bit different. I think this fourth album is a lot more like 'old school Sounds' -- even though it's so much better, the songs are better, the recording is better, it has more fine detail. I don't know how to explain it. But the songs are very basic, they're super-straight: great chords, great hook, great production. It's just really really cool to be able to be part of this record. I think it's going to be one of the best ones we've ever put out.

Do you think the success that you have had since forming in 1999 helped pave the way for other bands, and helped to create a climate where British and American music fans look to Scandinavia for new music?

Felix: Maybe...

Maja: That's very flattering of you to say that, even if it's only a question.

Felix: In a way it probably has.

Maja: Probably, yeah.

Felix: Because if you're a band from Sweden, which is not the biggest country in the world, and as we are we've been touring pretty much the whole word, I guess that opens the door for other bands to realise that they can also do it. Because that's what it did for us.

Maja: Exactly. That's what The Cardigans did for us. Those guys in that band are really cool and super-great and I'm actually quite close to come of them. I only met them in the last couple of years, never during their big success. That's exactly what they did for us. They showed young kids like us, when we were in high school, that you can come from Sweden and actually become quite famous and tour the world and do US tours and all that cool stuff. So maybe, 12 years later, maybe that's what we're doing for other Swedish acts. Yeah. Maybe you're right!

How has the experience of being in the band changed?

Maja: The band hasn't changed but the business is different. I think that's the only thing that's the same, is the band itself.

Felix: The business side is different. We've been together for 12 years and we've always had our vision and no one has ever told us what to do, but the more you work with this industry, the more you realise what you can do yourself and that you don't need other people's input sometimes. Sometimes it's good to have, but with this new album for example, we know how we want to sound, how we want to write, how we want it produced, and everything. So the band is aways going to be the same when it comes to that. It's just that the business side has become more of our world now than it was before.

Do you have a title for the new album?

Maja: I think it's up to the drummer. He is usually the guy who comes up with the great titles for everything. I'm going to tell him to think of something.

Felix: He has some ideas, but we're still waiting.

What can people expect from your set tonight?

Maja: Tonight I have no expectations myself!

Felix: We haven't rehearsed! It might be the best show of the year, it might be the worst, but I think everyone's gonna leave here with a smile on their face. Either laughing at us or just "Fuck, I really love that band." I think everyone's gonna have a good time though.

So expect the unexpected?

Maja: Yeah! I mean I'm not nervous, but I'm scared I'm going to forget the lyrics and everything tonight. It will be fine. Right? Right?!

Interview by Sophy Grimshaw. Photo by Dan Medhurst.

01. Joensuu 1685 - I'm on fire
02. TALK 1
03. Boy Omega - Dinosaur drugs
04. Katatonia - Forsaker
05. Moloken - Die fear will
06. TALK 2
07. Rising - Dead kings
08. The Cardigans - Erase/rewind
09. The Amazing - Dragon
10. TALK 3
11. The First Miles - Black heart
12. [ingenting] - Medan vi sov
13. Skriet - Kärlekens land
14. TALK 4
15. Abandon - It's all gone

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.

The name A Camp might not necessarily sound that familiar but their singer definitely does. She's no other than Nina Persson, the instantly recognizable voice of one of Sweden's most successful bands, The Cardigans. Along with her American husband Nathan Larson, a film music composer and member of 90's alternative band Shudder To Think, they joined forces with Atomic Swing founder Niclas Frisk. Together they make up a very interesting offering that evidently departs from The Cardigans sound, moving towards more traditional, Bowie-esque soundscapes. Eight years after their debut, A Camp are back with a second album called "Colonia" which contains guest appearances by ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Joan As Police Woman and Swedish singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger. It's a Trap! met up with the trio in Antwerp and had a long chat about music, politics, the US, and maple syrup.

Nina, you met Niclas about 12 years ago. How did that happen?

Nina Persson: Yeah, that was in 1997.

Niclas Frisk: We were in different bands at the time. Nina was obviously with The Cardigans and I had a band called Atomic Swing. Actually the very first time we met was when I played a gig with Atomic Swing and there was this one girl standing in the front, pointing at me because my zipper was down. [Laughs] That was Nina Persson and that was the first time we met.

How old were you at the time?

NP: Eighteen. I was also messing with his guitar pedals, which I know now you should never do.

NF: And this is my revenge! Here I am messing up her performance every night! [Laughs]

[Elsewhere Nina has mentioned that she met Niclas again in a bar in Stockholm on a night when she was very frustrated with her life. They chatted about music, and soon realized they were into similar stuff and that they both needed a new outlet. Not long afterward they met up and started writing music.]

And how did Nathan join? Where you guys already a couple?

NP: No, we met a while after that, in 1998 or so. That's when we became a couple. We also made music together. Nathan's band, Shudder To Think, asked me to sing a song on a soundtrack they did for a movie called "First Love, Last Rites". And I said yes, so we did the recordings with Nathan in Sweden. But then afterwards he came to a Cardigans show in the US and introduced himself and asked me if I could marry him as well! I said, sure... [Laughs]

NP: I know. It was actually me who asked! [Laughs]

How did the idea behind "Colonia" emerge?

NP: Well I guess we started making songs and we talked a lot during the procedure. We were just hanging out and talking about different things and I guess at some point we realized that we were talking a lot about colonialism.

NF: Every time we get together we seem to philosophize a lot; having interesting conversations, lots of fun and making music. The older I get the more I realize that one way to hang out with friends is either make a record with them or go on tour. That's when you have time to hang out. And we wanted to hang out and socialize, I think it's a little bit of that; of course we want to make a good record as well.

NL: What we happened to be reading, the films, the books we were consuming, the kind of information that was coming in, the news, what was going on politically. I think we all filtered that through our brains and then it came out in a certain way.

NF: We get so excited by what we discover, so we want to show everybody.

You said in an interview that the album was inspired by a trip to Africa, colonialism and the decadence of old kings and queens. Does this have any contemporary references?

NL: Absolutely.

NF: What triggered it was the atmosphere in New York and what was happening.

What kind of atmosphere?

NL: The way we define ourselves as humans is constantly changing, we think that we are civilised, in the same way white people in the 1600's though were civilized. It's an illusion based on where the western mindset is at the moment. To some extent everybody who might be in power, the Americans and the Westerners, in the world contemporary scene is doing the same amount of damage and brutality to their fellow humans as they were in the 1600's. If that is an aspect of human nature, how do we make sure that we have the right people controlling the weaponry? How do we move forward, understanding that some people are controlled entirely by their reptile brains, and some people have a moral compass with which to control themselves?

NF: And some people alter between the two all the time.

You supported the Obama campaign. What is you relationship with politics?

NL: In a country like America you have to be involved politically because it's absolutely necessary. In a country like Sweden you are choosing between similar things. It's "a little bit of this and a little bit of that", whereas in America you're choosing between "a lot of this and a lot of that". You really have to fight and it affects the rest of the world in a really big way. So if you want to end a war somewhere, and if you feel that it's important to support a candidate -- let's see what he does! -- then you have to fight for it. That's my relationship with it. It's very personal. Nina understood that and I think she feels the same way. It's sort of a social thing too. In New York we have a group of friends. Nina is involved with the cabaret.

NP: It's called The Citizens Band. It's run by a friend of mine, this woman who is also active in the Obama campaign. It's started eight years ago and I've been part of for the last two years or so.

NL: It's like a song and dance thing in the tradition of Weimar Berlin, the 20's, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht etc. If you look at those old songs, they are about politics. This is why the Nazis hated them of course. They were about lesbianism and other taboo subjects. This is the sort of group of people that are our friends and they are also very involved with the campaign.

Coming back to the music. Who writes the lyrics?

NL: We all do. The way it actually worked on most of the songs is that Niclas would have the melody and then maybe only one line, or so. And then we take that and work on it together, or Nina will work on it alone for a while and then we all come together and develop it.

In what way is "Colonia" different to the first album?

NP: It's a lot newer.

NL: It's a lot less introverted.

NF: I think it's a little bit more for the mind than for the soul. Just like an urban environment is more for the mind than for the soul. The pace of the lyrics is quicker.

What does the name "A Camp" actually refer to?

NF: We just decided that we would go up to the woods and do some songs, do some drawings, bake some bread and record some music. At some point Nina said that we were having a camp in the woods. And at the same time we were shopping in a supermarket and saw this maple syrup with the name "Camp" on it and on the logo there is a small wooden house on it. It wasn't more than that, we decided; let's call it "A Camp".

How come James Iha is appearing on your album?

NL: He's an old friend. A great guy and a great supporter. He owns the studio were we recorded most of the record. And Niclas independently came to know him and worked with him.

NF: He is a mutual friend to all of us and in some way sort of a remote band member.

Why did you choose Nicolai Dunger to make a duet with?

NP: Nicolai is one of my old favourite male singers and I like his music a lot.

Did you know him personally before?

NP: No, I didn't know him personally before. I actually wrote the song with his voice in mind. We wrote his name in the song and then we had to ask him if he would actually do it. If he said no, we would actually have to rewrite the song. But he said yes.

How long have you been living in the US now?

NP: Well it has been on and off for as long as Nathan and I have been together: ten years. We actually bought a house in Harlem two years ago. So it's been two years more or less that I've been living permanently.

How does it feel to be a European living in the US? Have there been things so far that really struck you?

NP: Nothing ever shocks you really, because we grew up with American culture. All western kids did, with TV and the music. So for me coming to New York was like: Great, it looks exactly like I knew it would. That's the feeling. It's never really like a huge cultural clash. Maybe mentally. I am very Swedish mentally. In social situations I can be a very Swedish person, which means that I can be slightly quieter, more soft-spoken, it might be hard to believe [Laughs], but in an American context I actually am. But I love it, I felt really at home early on in New York. Of course, because I was with Nathan and his family. If I came on my own, it could have been a whole different situation.

Can you compare life in Malmö and New York?

NP: It's very different in a lot of ways. In New York you need to commute a lot. In NY you wake up by screaming kids, in Malmö you don't wake up at all. [Laughs] In NY we have a bunch of friends but it's a much bigger project hanging out with friends, so I guess in NY it's usually me and Nathan hanging out together. In Malmö you can't walk really far at all without running into a friend, which is great. I love both aspects of it. The logistics about New York are quite different, because in Malmö everything is within an arm's length.

Is there something you miss from Sweden and especially from Malmö?

NP: Just my friends, really. Also we do go back so often still, especially when we made this record, I never get to miss anything.

Your first single out of "Colonia" is called "Stronger than Jesus". What is your relation to religion?

NP: Well, none of us is an actual believer, but all of us have relations to religion. I have a strong relation to religion, because I grew up in religious places with an atheist family. [Laughs] I've been around with religious kids in my whole life. And Nathan is of very religious descent.

NL: Yeah, my grandparents and extended family are very religious in a very American way. There's a Mormon side of the family, there's a Baptist side. But then of course my parents grew out of that. The song bears no relationship with religion.

NP: I think Jesus would like that song.

NF: It's a song about love.

NL: That force is more powerful than any person.

Would you ever be tempted to do other things apart from music? You've been flirting with acting for instance. [Nina made her film-debut as a Finnish tango-blond in Amir Chamdin's "Om Gud Vill"]

NP: Yeah, maybe. One thing that I feel that I have not gathered enough outlet for in my life is that I am quite crafty and creative, physically. I make stuff, do the carpenter and so on. I would love to do more of that in my life.

Do you get lots of time off?

NP: Yeah, that's the good thing about this job.

Is it difficult to find work/life balance when you are in the same band with your husband/wife?

NL: For me, I also do film scores and so I am doing that all day and by the time I get home at night, the last thing I want to talk about is music, or listen to it.

Is it easier to express yourself artistically in a band of three rather than in a band of five?

NF: I think it's easier the less you are.

NP: We're much more mobile units now. But the democracy is quicker.

For what reason would you like people to remember you?

NP: I would like people to remember me for my music, especially because I also wrote music.

What are your immediate plans after this tour finishes?

NL: We don't know yet. We will do a US tour after this European tour and then we will do festivals. So it will be like the next fall when we will think about what to do next.

NF: Restoring domestic relations.

NL: I think me and Nina are very lucky in that respect.

Words and picture by Vasilis Panagiotopoulos

Having read that A Camp showed a darker side to Nina, I expected something much more serious, and perhaps even boring, than I actually found on "Colonia". In fact, it has more hooks than some of The Cardigans' recent albums. If I had been told it was their new release, I wouldn't have guessed otherwise.

The highlight for me is certainly "Golden teeth and silver medals", a charming duet with Nicolai Dunger with wonderfully poetic lyrics. Rousing lead single "Stronger than Jesus" is another favourite, along with tribal romp "Here are many wild animals". Contemplative ballads sit side by side with quirky pop songs on this album, which has already earned Nina the front cover of British broadsheet The Independent's Sunday supplement.

It seems an unfortunate irony that this side-project, intended to be a break from the limelight for Nina, is pushing her right back into it. Yet for fans of her work with The Cardigans, it's a lovely treat to find that the wait for their new album was not such a long one after all.]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:24:44 -0700 reviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25312-new-a-camp-to-get-us-release-in-april http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25312-new-a-camp-to-get-us-release-in-april http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25312-new-a-camp-to-get-us-release-in-april#comments A Camp, the solo project of Nina Persson from The Cardigans, will release their new album "Colonia" in the US/North American on April 28 via Nettwerk.

01. Ane Brun - Changing of the seasons
02. Nordman - Djävul eller gud
03. Amy Diamond - Music in motion
04. Sibel - The diving belle
05. Jill Johnson - Music Row
06. Takida - Bury the lies
07. Kikki Danielsson - Kikkis bästa
08. Meshuggah - Obzen
09. Fernandoz - Anders & Git - En helt ny dag
10. The Cardigans - Best of
11. Tomas Andersson Wij - En sommar på speed
12. Carola - Främling 25 år
14. Eskobar - Death in Athens
15. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
16. Lykke Li - Youth novels
17. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
18. Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm just me (new edition)
19. The Poodles - Sweet trade (new edition)
20. Tommy Körberg - Rakt upp och ner

01. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
02. Tomas Andersson Wij - En sommar på speed
03. Jill Johnson - Music Row
04. Carola - Främling 25 år
05. Neverstore - Heroes wanted
06. The Cardigans - Best of
07. Fernandoz - Anders & Git - En helt ny dag
08. Caesars - Strawberry weed
09. Kikki Danielsson - Kikkis bästa
10. Lykke Li - Youth novels
11. Takida - Bury the lies
12. Amy Diamond - Music in motion
14. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
15. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
16. Marie Picasso - The secret
17. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
18. Säkert! - Säkert!
19. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
20. Björn Skifs - I2I

01. Neverstore - Heroes wanted
02. Tomas Andersson Wij - En sommar på speed
03. Fernandoz - Anders & Git - En helt ny dag
04. Carola - Främling 25 år
05. The Cardigans - Best of
06. Lykke Li - Youth novels
07. Takida - Bury the lies
08. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
09. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
10. Majornas 3dje Rote - Majornas 3dje Rote med Tomas von Brömssen
11. Within Y - The cult
12. Kikki Danielsson - Kikkis bästa
14. Jill Johnson - Music Row
15. Hellsongs - Hymns in the key of 666
16. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
17. El Perro Del Mar - From the valley to the stars
18. Pacific! - Reveries
19. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
20. Säkert! - Säkert!

01. Carola - Främling 25 år
02. Fernandoz - Anders & Git - En helt ny dag
03. Jill Johnson - Music Row
04. Hellsongs - Hymns in the key of 666
05. The Cardigans - Best of
06. Lykke Li - Youth novels
07. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
08. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
09. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
10. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
11. Marie Picasso - The secret
12. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
14. Takida - Bury the lies
15. Säkert! - Säkert!
16. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
17. Andra Generationen - Extra allt
18. Nanne - Jag måste kyssa dig
19. Louise Hoffsten - Så speciell
20. Hoffmaestro & Chraa - The storm

01. Fernandoz - Anders & Git - En helt ny dag
02. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
03. Lykke Li - Youth novels
04. The Cardigans - Best of
05. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
06. Jill Johnson - Music Row
07. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
08. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
09. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
10. Marie Picasso - The secret
11. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
12. Säkert! - Säkert!
14. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
15. Louise Hoffsten - Så speciell
16. Takida - Bury the lies
17. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
18. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
19. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
20. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
02. The Cardigans - Best of
03. Lykke Li - Youth novels
04. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
05. Jill Johnson - Music Row
06. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
07. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
08. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
09. Säkert! - Säkert!
10. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
11. Hästpojken - Caligula
12. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
14. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
15. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
16. Björn Skifs - I2I
17. Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day
18. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
19. Marie Picasso - The secret
20. Takida - Bury the lies

01. Lykke Li - Youth novels
02. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
03. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
04. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
05. Jill Johnson - Music Row
06. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
07. The Cardigans - Best of
08. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
09. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
10. Hästpojken - Caligula
11. Säkert! - Säkert!
12. Marie Picasso - The secret
14. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
15. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
16. Björn Skifs - I2I
17. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
18. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
19. Peter Jöback - Människor som du och jag
20. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao 3

01. TALK 1
02. Entombed - Hollywood Babylon
03. ARM - Humming bug
04. Camouflage - Oktober
05. TALK 2
06. Notre Dame - Red Cross
07. Sanctum - Lie low
08. Bay Laurel - Pale colours
09. TALK 3
10. At the Gates - Blinded by fear
11. Frode Haltli - Lude
12. Brighter Death Now - Little baby
13. Death Breath - Lycanthropy
14. TALK 4
15. Breach - Mr. Marshall
16. The Skull Defekts - Carved in bones
17. The Cardigans - Mr. Crowley
18. TALK 5
19. Diabolique - Catholic
20. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Masks, walls and other ways to keep things out, to keep things in
21. The Bear Quartet - Broken heart
22. Mercyful Fate - Come to the Sabbath
23. TALK 6
24. Beyond Dawn - Cigarette
25. Pimentola - Heart's dementia (Phase I)
26. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
27. TALK 7
28. MZ412 - Infernal affairs II
29. Satyricon - Nemesis divina
30. Switchblade - Selfdestruct schematics / Open aftermath
31. TALK 8
32. Rasion D'etre - Metamorphyses Phase IV
33. Cortex - We are the dead
34. TALK 9
35. Emperor - I am the Black Wizards]]> Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:25:21 -0700 news sirius http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19877 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19877 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/19877#comments The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Beautiful as a person
02. TALK 1
03. Don't Be A Stranger - Perfect problem
04. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
05. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
06. TALK 2
07. Deathbed - When hope leaves a body
08. Closer - Sensing the wake
09. TALK 3
10. The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
11. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
12. Anna Järvinen - Götgatan
13. TALK 4
14. Eric Malmberg - Slutet på en epok
15. Mustasch - Bring me everyone
16. September - Until I die
17. TALK 5
18. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
19. Frode Haltli - The latter
20. Lykke Li - Little bit
21. TALK 6
22. Downstairs - Peephole city
23. The Cardigans - Don't blame your daughter (Diamonds)
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. TST - We are the kids
26. TALK 7
27. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
28. Mikko Singh - Palmun juurella
29. Audionom - Dc2
30. TALK 8
31. Ulver - Solitude
32. The Psyke Project - I get paralyzed
33. Silverbullit - Winter coat
34. TALK 9
35. Bodies Without Organs (BWO) - Let it rain
36. Icos - On my own
37. Torpedo - Hang me high
38. TALK 10
39. Graveyard - Satan's finest

FYI, in case you missed my announcement: next week will be a spooky Halloween-themed program.]]> Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:21:28 -0700 news sirius http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25811-oh-laura-a-song-inside-my-head-a-demon-in-my-bed-cosmos-records http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25811-oh-laura-a-song-inside-my-head-a-demon-in-my-bed-cosmos-records http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25811-oh-laura-a-song-inside-my-head-a-demon-in-my-bed-cosmos-records#comments Oh Laura, they're kind of waning in the middle, albeit achieving Swedish Chart success as of late. There's nothing unique about their country/soft-rock pop when compared to their peers. However, on the tracks "It ain't enough" and "Out of bounds" they peak at not only their most hook-laden, but also the most musically textured. I'm not condoning a whole album of tracks written from that ilk, but by using their quality as a base, Oh Laura's next album could then be propped alongside The Cardigans and Alison Krauss not only in terms of sheer pop-sensibility, but also in terms of audience.]]> Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 reviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/386 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/386 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/386#comments The Cardigans will release a new best-of/b-sides collection on November 5. Read more about it at their website in the 'ask the band' section: http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=qa&id=13]]> Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/413 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/413 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/413#comments This week's radio show is all women:

01. Hello Saferide - I was definitely made for these times
02. TALK 1
03. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
04. Sahara Hotnights - Drive dead slow
05. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - I will always be your soldier
08. El Perro Del Mar - Party
09. Octavia Sperati - As fire swept clean the earth
10. TALK 3
11. Robyn - Cobrastyle
12. Montys Loco - Man overboard
13. Honey Is Cool - Summer of men
14. TALK 4
15. Those Dancing Days - Hitten (demo version)
16. Christel Alsos - Come on
17. Red Moon - Landslide
18. TALK 5
19. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
20. Sanna Kurki-Suonio - Minne
21. Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Enjoy the silence
22. TALK 6
23. Otur - Overture
24. Midaircondo - Perfect spot
25. Doughnuts - Drowning
26. TALK 7
27. Fe-mail - Jacob's leketøy
28. September - Satellites
29. Gåte - Sjå attende
30. TALK 8
31. Maia Hirasawa - Mattis & Maia (ft. Miss Li)
32. Stina Nordenstam - Parliament square (The Knife remix)
33. Munck//Johnson - Slavesong
34. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
37. Asha Ali - A promise broken
38. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer
39. TALK 10
40. Anja Garbarek - The last trick

In case you missed it, the music summer camp for girls that Marit Bergman helped found is called Popkollo and you can find out more information here: http://www.popkollo.se/
Non-Swedish speakers, check the 'English' link on the bottom left for more details.]]> Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/732 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/732 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/732#comments A Camp, the solo act of Nina Persson from The Cardigans, is playing a couple shows in NYC in August:

08/06 - Union Hall, Brooklyn
08/08 - Knitting Factory, NYC]]> Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1033 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1033 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1033#comments The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Pistol Disco - Walking with Jesus
02. TALK 1
03. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
04. Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
05. Convoj - My timekeeping heart
06. TALK 2
07. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
08. A Perfect Friend - Rush hour
09. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
10. TALK 3
11. Fun - I've got a truck
12. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
13. The Perishers - When I fall
14. TALK 4
15. Regulations - Police siren
16. Viola - Ordinary teenage sensation
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Starlit queen
18. TALK 5
19. Gravy - Glory to our brilliant name
20. Hero Dishonest - Stalin vs Hank Hardy
21. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
22. Ulver - Capitel III: Graablick blev hun vaer
23. TALK 6
24. Håkan Hellström - Ramlar
25. Abhinanda - Highway tonight
26. Single Unit - Passion, pirates & parasites
27. TALK 7
28. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
29. The Tiny - Just like you
30. Death Breath - Death breath
31. TALK 8
32. Entombed - Serpent speech
33. The Cardigans - Marvel hill
34. Soviac - I got the ribbah
35. TALK 9
36. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
37. You Is Stupid - I am history
38. Paris - 60 minutes
39. The Process - Mot Sverige i tiden
40. TALK 10
41. Weeping Willows - I give you the morning]]> Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1491 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1491 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1491#comments The Cardigans website has an English translation of Nina Persson's recent DN interview discussing the new A Camp record, among other things: http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=article&pid=read&id=7011]]> Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1517 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1517 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/1517#comments While The Cardigans take a break, Nina Persson has decided to resurrect her solo project A Camp: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2198&a=648039]]> Wed, 09 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3709 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3709 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3709#comments Speaking of The Cardigans, PopMatters talks to Peter Svensson: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/7176/the-l-words-an-interview-with-the-cardigans/]]> Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3964 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3964 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/3964#comments The Cardigans will be playing one and only one US show this year at The Knitting Factory in NYC on October 31 with The Format and Dan Keyes (Young Love). It will be an acoustic set and they are scheduled to go on at 8:30pm.]]> Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25624-interview-terry-ericsson http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25624-interview-terry-ericsson http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25624-interview-terry-ericsson#comments To many people in Sweden, the name Terry Ericsson is not unfamiliar. He's long been synonymous with the indie scene over there, as you'll soon read. For us outside the country, know this: his influence cannot be understated. His curation of the compilation "Svensk indie 1988-2006 - En kärleks historia" is simply the latest of his endeavors. Terry was kind enough to answer a few questions about the project for us.

First off, tell us a little about yourself and your position in Swedish indierock history. What made you get interested in music in the first place and what is it about the indie scene that captures your attention?

I started the fanzine Sound Affects as far back as 1987. That zine did have quite a big influence on the Swedish indie scene, when we started there was absolutely no one that wrote about the kind of bands we liked. We started the zine with a trip to Great Britain and met all those bands we'd contact through letters, bands like McCarthy, Wedding Present, Pastels, etc. At that moment there really wasn't anything you can call a SWEDISH scene, the first band we put on the cover was Happydeadmen, which was the first band that actually sounded "indie", influnced as they were by bands like The Smiths.

A couple of years later some of us from that zine and all the best writers started POP Magazine which had an even bigger influence on just about every kind of music in Sweden, indie as well as R&B and you name it... That magazine lasted from 1993 til 1999. During that time I was also involed in the Lollipop festival, easily the best festival ever in Sweden if you ask me! Just three great years and besides that, I've promoted lots of clubs, the latest being called Indierave. We usually attract around 1500 people, it's a monthly club. Also, I have been editor for a couple of web magazines, Bomben.se & thecricket.se.

Why this comp and why now?

Cause it was time someone took a wider grip on the Swedish indie scene, from the beginning and up until now. There's been lots of good compilations throughout the years, but no compilation that has covered all the years. And I personally think the scene since 2000 has been the most vital ever here in Sweden, with the electronic scene in the foreground, more variety, more WOMEN nowadays, just more great music than ever.

How did the song selection process work? What criteria did you use for choosing these tracks?

No criteria whatsoever! Well, it's very diffult, almost impossible to say what's indie these days. Just a gut feeling you have, wether the actual artist release the records on a small label or a big multinational one, for instance Cardigans & Kent are extremely succesful but in the beginning, we've picked their debut singles, they were definitely indie, even if they released the records through a multi. The Knife is definitely indie, have released their records through their own label and are possibly the biggest succes story of them all. Ten years ago people shouted "sell out" when a small indie band got succesful, that attitude has changed quite a lot even if there still are some indie talibans, as we call them, out there.

So what the heck does "indie" mean anyways, in your mind? Do you think it's a different definition in Sweden than in the UK or US - especially when taken in context of bands like Kent and the Cardigans still being considered indie?

An almost impossible question to answer. Indie means so many different things just in Sweden so I really don't know how people think of the term in the UK or US. For me it means an attitude, how the music sounds, which label they release the records on, even if that said there are a couple of major lable artist that still feels like indie for me. The term has almost killed itself.

What is it about Swedish indie music that's so special?

Oh, you tell me! Just good musicans, songwriters, singers, etc that has something to say or make music that makes you happy and have a sound of their own. Nowadays I think more bands here have their own identity more than what was common in the nineties, when most bands copied British/American bands. And also, you don't here the booooring typically British attitude that goes like "we're better than The Beatles, we're the best thing that's happened since they invented sliced bread, etc.." That attitude don't stand a chance here, which is good of course. Just get on with creating good music.

Besides what you already mentioned, how has the scene changed over the years? Is it all good or is there some bad? Anything you miss from the olden days?

I think it's better these days all over. Easier to get hold of the music, a friendlier attitude towards sharing the music, more women musicians, more varied music, so no, I don't anything from the old days, that's just nostalgia.

How has the Internet changed indie music? Do you see blogs and webzines as a continuation of fanzine culture or is it something totally different?

A continuation, they have more or less taken over from the old paper fanzines. The Internet has of course totally changed the whole music scene, for the better if you ask me. Everyone can get hold of just about everything, the days when we journos had exclusive promotional records are over and I don't feel sorry for that at all. It's more fun to share your personal favorites!

Where do you see Swedish indie going next? What would you like to see happen?

Oh, that's impossible to answer. If someone had asked the same question 1971 noone had answered "I think there will be a revolution against the rock dinosaurs in five years time, young "punk" bands will take over!". But I hope all the good underground/indie bands have the chance to live on their music in some sort of way, even if it's not through selling loads of records, cause the risk is pretty obvious that the young generation of today won't buy records in five-ten years time in the same way as say my generation did.

Lastly, let me ask the same question I posed to Emelie and Per: What's your favorite song on the comp and why is it important to you?

"Wrong heaven" Eggstone. Best pop song ever in Sweden, simple as that!

And one you feel was left out?

Oh, HARD question but Le Sport (formerly Eurosport) "Tell no one about tonight".

]]> Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 articles interviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25614-video-mix-kvlr-el-perro-del-mar-totalt-javla-morker-entombed-division-of-laura-lee-abhinanda-more http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25614-video-mix-kvlr-el-perro-del-mar-totalt-javla-morker-entombed-division-of-laura-lee-abhinanda-more http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25614-video-mix-kvlr-el-perro-del-mar-totalt-javla-morker-entombed-division-of-laura-lee-abhinanda-more#comments
KVLR - Birthcam
Nothing new under the sun in the directing of this video. Just the band playing the song in a room, a video that's been done so many times before. BUT the song itself makes this video a must-see. KVLR is a band more people should discover. (JA)

The Knife - Pass this on
Great Video and a great song. My girlfriend is convinced that is a transvestite singing. I really can't tell. Maybe my living situation has made me blind. Good thing I am off for some much needed vacation in... ehr, San Francisco. (PA)

El Perro Del Mar – Gods knows (you gotta give to get)
Twee animation here from El Perro Del Mar. Ambitious video, fantastic song. (ST)

Totalt Jävla Mörker - Kall värld
The new album by TJM may have more metal influences in it, but these guys still play hardcore as it's supposed to sound. And the refrain is a damn hit! Check out the new self-titled album out on Relapse. (JA)

Juli & The Monoliths - Itämaista Rakkautta
The lipsynch is terrible, but who could fault Nina Persson? Everything she does has her own attractive appeal. Ain't that so boys! In Finnish she is daft. (JC)

Entombed - Night of the vampire
Who doesn't love a good Swedish death-metal cover of Roky Erickson? Not me. I think I still have this 7" sitting around somewhere. (AR)

Division Of Laura Lee - Dirty Love
Features Nina Persson (The Cardigans, A Camp) on guest vocals. In my opinion, one of Swedens finest bands. Pretty cool video as well... (JA)

Jenny Wilson & Robyn – List of demands (Saul Williams cover)
Yes, two of Sweden's greatest female artists do a blinding cover of Saul Williams' hypnotic song. (ST)

Quit Your Dayjob - Vlado video
Just like one of my previous videopost for IAT (Logh - The smoke will lead you home), this video is shot just a few blocks from my apartment. In fact, in the videostore where I rent horrormovies when I'm in that mood! Low-budget and hilarious! (JA)


Abhinanda - City of hope
Yes! Classic Norrland sXe hardcore at its finest! This shows the beginnings of that classic discordant post-hardcore sound I hold so dear. (AR)

.:Who's who?

PA: Per Apelqvist
JA: Jonas Appelqvist
JC: Jason Christie
AR: Avi Roig
ST: Simon Tagestam

]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 articles videos http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4379 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4379 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4379#comments PopMatters on the US release of the The Cardigans' latest album "Super extra gravity": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/5475/the-cardigans-super-extra-gravity/
Check out a new microsite for the album here: http://static.cardigans.com/microsites/super.extra.gravity/]]> Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25598-video-mix-alarma-man-at-the-gates-the-bear-quartet-kings-of-convenience-montt-mardie-more http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25598-video-mix-alarma-man-at-the-gates-the-bear-quartet-kings-of-convenience-montt-mardie-more http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25598-video-mix-alarma-man-at-the-gates-the-bear-quartet-kings-of-convenience-montt-mardie-more#comments Entry #2 in our series highlighting some of Scandinavia's best video art. No theme, just good music with visuals to match.

Alarma Man - Bird
Great indierock from Göteborg! This song is from the "Duets" 12"-split with Knife and Ape. Influences from the TV-show "24" makes the video even more fun to watch! (JA)

Kristofer Åström - All lover's hell (live)
This song is what made me love his solo material, and seeing this stripped down performance is an example of how great this song is. (MG)

At the Gates - Blinded by fear
Not much of a video by one of Sweden's finest. Just the band playing in some sort of a warehouse with lights blinking off and on. But the sound and the aggression! This is music at its best! The girl with the welder is pretty cool in the video though, makes me think of the girl in the "will it float?"-segment on Letterman. (JA)

The Bear Quartet - Ask me don't axe me
A charming video starring drummer Jejo Perkovic (also known from bands such as Brick, Infinite Mass and Breach) in every role. In times like these when the European Championships in athletics are held here in Sweden, it's always nice to see that not all of us can be athletes. (JA)

The Cardigans - Lovefool
Nina never looked better than in this video. Why on earth did she decide to ditch her blonde barnet, and go brunette? Like The Cardigans' change in sound, such a move was commercial suicide. (NL)

Kings of Convenience - I'd rather dance with you
I saw this video on M2 a couple of summers ago, and then I was in the record store a week or so later with a friend from Moss, Norway and he was surprised I knew who they were. I bought the album and this band has never ceased to amaze on each listen. (MG)

Logh - The smoke will lead you home
A band that needs more appreciation I think! This, the new video, is directed by Johannes Winkler and was shot in Malmö a few blocks from where I'm sitting right now. You gotta love the atmospheric and epic sound of these fine guys! (JA)

Loveninjas - I'm really sorry (that I killed you)
This video is a piece of lo-fi film at it's finest, and the man in heart suit dancing is priceless. (MG)

Montt Mardié - High school drama
It looks like Moneybrother finally has some solid competition for the most souful Swede of the early twenty-first century, and his name is Montt Mardié. And what's better than a song involving drama, The Beatles and pregnancy? (MG)

Tiger Lou - The loyal
As always, when it comes to Rasmus Kellerman and his craftmanship, the videos are works of completion. Especially this one. A dark and weary one that brings out the gloomy feeling the song is about. And, as a fan of horror movies I really like the "The Evil Dead"/"Blair Witch Project"-references. It kinda creeps me out a bit. In a good way! (JA)

.:Who's who?

JA: Jonas Appelqvist
MG: Matt Giordano
NL: Nick Levine

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 articles videos http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4924 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4924 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/4924#comments The Cardigans maybe have cancelled their scheduled US tourdates in September, but they'll still be making it over to Brazil. Dates and details soon.]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5132 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5132 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5132#comments The Cardigans will finally be back in the US this September for some live dates - I see a confirmed show at the Paradise in Boston on September 15 and the First Unitarian Church in Philly announced for September 16. Their most recent album "Super extra gravity" finally gets a US release on September 19.]]> Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27962-mp3-nathan-larson-and-nina-persson-itamaista-rakkautta http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27962-mp3-nathan-larson-and-nina-persson-itamaista-rakkautta http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27962-mp3-nathan-larson-and-nina-persson-itamaista-rakkautta#comments I have yet to see "Om gud vill" ("God willing"), the big-screen acting debut of The Cardigans' Nina Persson, but I have been fortunate enough to have heard the soundtrack. A lot of people seemed quite excited to hear her take on "Dead leaves and dirty ground" by the White Stripes, but if you ask me, the highlight is Nina singing the Finnish tango classic "Itämaista rakkautta" ("Oriental love"). It's pretty amazing to hear how much Nina has progressed over the years - those first few Cardigans records are near and dear to my heart, but they are so far removed from what the band is capable of nowadays. Singing a White Stripes cover is slumming, plain and simple.]]> Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 mp3s http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5672 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5672 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5672#comments Stream the Led Zeppelin Polar Prize TV special from Sweden featuring The Soundtrack of Our Lives playing a few Zep classics with help from Nina Persson (The Cardigans) and Maja Ivarsson (The Sounds): http://www.tv4.se/player/categories.aspx?treeId=3013&pid=54314&more=1]]> Tue, 23 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5930 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5930 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/5930#comments Check out the video for "Sharks", the debut single from The Animal Five: http://qstream-rm.qbrick.com/ramgen/00307/TheAnimalFive/TheAnimalFive-Sharks-Broadband.rm
TA5 are the first new band signed to the recently relaunched Trampoline Records run by bassist Magnus Svenningsson of The Cardigans.]]> Fri, 05 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6359 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6359 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6359#comments The soundtrack for the movie "Om Gud Vill", y'know - the movie in which Nina Persson of The Cardigans makes her big screen debut, will be released on April 26. Nina's cover the The White Stripes' "Dead leaves and the dirty ground" is on it, along with four other tunes.]]> Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6476 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6476 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6476#comments Nina Persson's (The Cardigans) cover version of the White Stripes tune "Dead leaves and the dirty ground", as heard in her film debut on the soundtrack to "Om Gud Vill", will be including on the CD that comes with Groove Magazine in their next issue.]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6583 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6583 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6583#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Petter - P
02. Sebastian - Sebastian
03. Christer Sjögren - King creole
04. The Knife - Silent shout
05. Rigmore Gustafsson - On my way to you
06. Laleh - Laleh
07. Magnus Uggla - Ett bedårande barn av sin tid
08. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
09. Andreas Mattsson - The lawlessnes of the ruling classes
10. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
11. Sanna Nielsen - Nära mej - nära dej
12. Cue - Guide in blue
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. In Flames - Come clarity
17. Agnes - Agnes
18. Thåström - Solo vol 1
19. Darin - Darin
20. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber

The Village Voice covers the special Opeth show "Chronology MCMXCIV-MMV" in which they played rarely heard songs from the entire band's career: http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0611,bosler,72487,22.html]]> Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6623 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6623 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6623#comments All us folks in North America will have to wait until at least September for The Cardigans to come over in support of their newest album "Super extra gravity".]]> Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6694 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6694 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6694#comments music videos, via)]]> This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Sebastian - Sebastian
02. Christer Sjögren - King creole
03. The Knife - Silent shout
04. Magnus Uggla - Ett bedårande barn av sin tid
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Sanna Nielsen - Nära mej - nära dej
07. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
08. Andreas Mattsson - The lawlessnes of the ruling classes
09. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
10. In Flames - Come clarity
11. Thåström - Solo vol 1
12. Agnes - Agnes
13. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
14. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
15. Darin - Darin
16. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
17. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
18. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
19. Anna + Idde - Vägar hem
20. Robyn - Robyn

The Alligator Films website has Elvira Nikolaisen's video for "Love I can't defend" for streaming: http://www.alligatorfilm.no/ (under films->music videos, via)]]> Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6771 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6771 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6771#comments If you haven't checked Rockfoto.nu lately, I highly suggest it. Lots of great new pics from The Cardigans, Surferosa, Loney, Dear, Deltahead and more.]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6824 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6824 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6824#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Magnus Uggla - Ett bedårande barn av sin tid
02. The Knife - Silent shout
03. Christer Sjögren - King creole
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
06. In Flames - Come clarity
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
09. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
10. Sanna Nielsen - Nära mej - nära dej
11. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
12. Agnes - Agnes
13. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
14. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
15. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
16. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
17. Darin - Darin
18. Robyn - Robyn
19. Torgny Melins - Dansbander
20. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund

Pitchfork reviews Diskaholics Anonymous, the collaboration between Swedish sax player Mats Gustafsson with Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/d/diskaholics-anonymous-trio/weapons-of-ass-destruction-live-in-japan-v1.shtml]]> Thu, 02 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6895 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6895 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6895#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Knife - Silent shout
02. Laleh - Laleh
03. Christer Sjögren - King creole
04. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
05. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
06. In Flames - Come clarity
07. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
08. Sanna Nielsen - Nära mej - nära dej
09. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
10. Agnes - Agnes
11. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
12. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
13. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
14. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
15. Darin - Darin
16. Robyn - Robyn
17. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
18. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
19. Kent - Du & jag döden
20. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått

Aversionline on Norwegian black-metal act Ljå: http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2006/02/shame-and-indemnification.html (scroll down past Bleeding Through)]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6932 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6932 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/6932#comments The charts for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group are finally working again:

01. The Knife
02. Death Cab for Cutie
03. Belle and Sebastian
04. José González
05. The Cardigans
06. Radiohead
07. The Flaming Lips
08. The Postal Service
09. Bright Eyes
10. Arctic Monkeys

And the top 10 tracks for the week? It's all about The Knife:

01. The Knife - We share our mother's health
02. The Knife - Silent shout
03. The Knife - Neverland
04. The Knife - Marble house
05. The Knife - The captain
06. The Knife - Na na na
07. The Knife - Like a pen
08. The Knife - One hit
09. The Knife - Still light
10. The Knife - From off to on

Want to see your favorites listed here? Please join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26287-radio-lxmbrg-s-t-haha-fonogram http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26287-radio-lxmbrg-s-t-haha-fonogram http://www.itsatrap.com/n/26287-radio-lxmbrg-s-t-haha-fonogram#comments Radio LXMBRG kept up my interest with catchy, well-constructed pop songs. The Swedish six-piece glides with ease from dark indie pop to Saint Etienne-style lounge to synth-heavy pop that nods to early 80s New Wave. Even better, the band has three lead singers who veer off in radically different directions. Lisa Holmqvist's low, sultry voice adds an element of mystery to the Portishead-esque "Teach me how to say goodbye." "John the Baptist" sounds like a blend of The Cardigans' Magnus Sveningsson in his guise as Righteous Boy and Taco, of "Puttin' on the ritz" remake fame (or infamy). That might sound scary, but it adds the just the right edge to the cinematic "It's cruel up north". And then there's the smoother Sebastian Castro, who sings lead on the club-worthy, soulful "Under starry skies". Already out in Sweden and soon to be released in Norway and Denmark, Radio LXMBRG deserve a wider audience. Hopefully other international labels will license this one soon.]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 reviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7005 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7005 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7005#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Laleh - Laleh
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. In Flames - Come clarity
04. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
05. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
06. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
09. Agnes - Agnes
10. Darin - Darin
11. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
12. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
13. Kent - Du & jag döden
14. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
15. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
16. Torgny Melins - Dansbander
17. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
18. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
19. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
20. Jenny Wilson - Love and youth

]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7029 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7029 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7029#comments Bassist Magnus Svenningsson of The Cardigans has restarted his band's old label Trampoline Records with a little help from parent company Stockholm Records and has signed fellow Swedes Animal Five. Their first single "Sharks" comes out in March and a 6-song MCD will follow in May.]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7048 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7048 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7048#comments Chromewaves on Jens Lekman with a few tidbits about Radio Dept., The Cardigans and Magnet thrown in for good measure: http://www.chromewaves.net/index.php?itemid=2120]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7116 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7116 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7116#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. In Flames - Come clarity
02. Laleh - Laleh
03. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
04. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
05. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
06. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
07. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
08. Agnes - Agnes
09. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
10. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
11. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
12. Torgny Melins - Dansbander
13. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
14. Darin - Darin
15. Kent - Du & jag döden
16. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
17. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
18. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
19. Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
20. Christian Kjellvander - Faya

Swedish noiserockers Gemene Man have posted a couple new tunes on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gemeneman]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7123 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7123 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7123#comments Updated tourdates for The Cardigans:

03/01 - Vega, Copenhagen (DK)
03/02 - Train, Århus (DK)
03/04 - Storan, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/05 - Storan, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)
03/08 - Konserthus, Stavanger (NOR)
03/10 - Handelshöyskolen, Bergen (NOR)
03/12 - Köpenhamn, Vega (DK)
03/14 - Nalen, Stockholm (SWE)
03/16 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN)
03/17 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN)
03/19 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
03/20 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
03/21 - Nalen, Stockholm (SWE)
04/11 - E-werk, Cologne (GER)
04/12 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
04/13 - Postbahnhof, Berlin (GER)
04/15 - Rotterdam Motel Mozaique Festival, Rotterdam (NL)
04/16 - Den Atelier, Luxembourg
04/18 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels (BEL)
04/19 - Bataclan, Paris (FRA)
04/21 - Shepherds Bush Empire, London (UK)
04/23 - Dublin Ambassador, Dublin (UK)
04/24 - ABC, Glasgow (UK)
04/25 - Ritz, Manchester (UK)
04/28 - Elserhalle, Munich (GER)
04/29 - Vienna Arena, Vienna (AUS)
04/30 - Abaton, Prague (CH)
06/15-17 - Hultsfredsfestivalen, Hultsfred (SWE)
06/30 - Kirunafestivalen, Kiruna (SWE)
07/09 - Ruisrock, Turku (FIN)
08/04 - Bork Havnefestival, Ringköping (DK)]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7220 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7220 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7220#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Laleh - Laleh
02. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
03. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
04. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
05. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
06. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
07. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
08. Agnes - Agnes
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
11. Torgny Melins - Dansbander
12. Kent - Du & jag döden
13. Darin - Darin
14. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
15. Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
16. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
17. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
18. Matz Bladhs - Gobitar 2006
19. Weeping Willows - Singles again
20. Christian Kjellvander - Faya

Norwegian black-metal act Satyricon has signed with Roadrunner for all territories excluding Norway and North America (where they are on Sony). Read more: http://www.bravewords.com/news/39354]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7335 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7335 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7335#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Agnes - Agnes
06. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
09. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
10. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
11. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
12. Emil Sigfridsson - Äntligen
13. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
14. Darin - Darin
15. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
16. Matz Bladhs - Gobitar 2006
17. Wahlströms - Tillbaka igen
18. Eddie Meduza - Dragspelsrock
19. Kent - Du & jag döden
20. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Updated German tourdates for The Je Ne Sais Quoi:

03/09 - White Trash, Berlin
03/10 - Sunday Service Festival @ Knust, Hamburg
03/11 - Trinkhalle, Rheine
03/12 - Blue Shell, Köln]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7443 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7443 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7443#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
03. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
04. Agnes - Agnes
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
09. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
10. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
11. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
12. Kent - Du & jag döden
13. Emilia De Poret - A lifetime in a moment
14. Darin - Darin
15. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
16. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
17. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
18. Ane Brun - Duets
19. Jan Johansson - Jazz på Svenska
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7559 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7559 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7559#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Agnes - Agnes
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
06. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
07. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
08. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
09. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
10. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
11. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
12. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
13. Robyn - Robyn
14. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
15. Darin - Darin
16. Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
17. Nanne - Alltid på väg
18. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
19. Moneybrother - To die alone
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö

Aversionline on Crimes Against Humanity Records and Finnish black-metal act Gaurithoth: http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2006/01/if-this-is-life-of-crime-sign-me-up.html]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7600 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7600 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7600#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. Håkan Hellström
02. The Strokes
03. Death Cab for Cutie
04. Jens Lekman
05. Franz Ferdinand
06. Laakso
07. Sufjan Stevens
08. The Cardigans
09. Interpol
10. Elliott Smith

The much less interesting top 10 tracks for the week:

01. Håkan Hellström - Klubbland
02. Håkan Hellström - Precis som Romeo
03. Håkan Hellström - Jag Vill Ha Allting
04. Håkan Hellström - Augusti I Helvetet
05. Håkan Hellström - Går vidare
06. Håkan Hellström - Fade away
07. Håkan Hellström - Evert Taube
08. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
09. I'm from Barcelona - Treehouse
10. I'm from Barcelona - We're From Barcelona

Want to see your favorites listed here? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7669 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7669 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7669#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Agnes - Agnes
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
06. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
07. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
08. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
11. Robyn - Robyn
12. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
13. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
14. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
15. Nanne - Alltid på väg
16. Darin - Darin
17. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
18. Emilia De Poret - A lifetime in a moment
19. Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö

Decoy Music counts down the top 50 instrumental releases of 2005 with Norway's Samuel Jackson Five claiming the #1 spot: http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6776
Other Scandinavians in the list include The Low Frequency in Stereo (#37), Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson (#36), Ellis the Vacuumchild (#17), Sigur Ros (#8) and September Malevolence (#4).]]> Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7735 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7735 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7735#comments The final top 20 Swedish album chart for the year:

01. Agnes - Agnes
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Laleh - Laleh
08. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Darin - Darin
11. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
12. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
13. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
14. Nanne - Alltid på väg
15. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
16. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
17. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
18. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
19. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc
]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25539-top-10s-for-2005-popsicle http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25539-top-10s-for-2005-popsicle http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25539-top-10s-for-2005-popsicle#comments Popsicle is run by Spinguy and Luke. We have such different taste in music that we decided to split the top ten list in two, so here it is, in no particular order...

Spinguy's picks:

01. Labrador - Instamatic Lovelife
This is a hands down no brainer for Scandinavian number one of the year. Everything we love about pop music from the past 40 years was distilled down into this album and made new again. What's more, he made that difficult feat seem effortless. A milestone.

02. Dive - Unfortunately Dead
I think this is the most brilliant new band about today and I cannot wait for the full length. Possessing the dark, jerky (yet poppy) flavour of Joy Division with a pained and unique vocal reminiscent of Johnny Rotten, who couldn't love this, besides Luke that is....

03. Acid House Kings - Sing Along With...
Again, despite having so much music under their belt already this band delivered another timeless classic. They appear to be the well that has no bottom, and God bless them for it as they are an all time indie treasure.

04. Girlfriend - Blue Sky Love Scene
The choices are starting to get crowded here but this set itself apart with some brilliant UK styled guitar work and genuinely classic songs. Yeah, it's been done, but rarely this good.

05. Charade - Best Is Yet To Come
From the ashes of the Shermans comes this debut which managed to be sugary without being sweet, and adult without losing it's ties to youth. On top of that it was full of classic pop tunes.

Honourable mentions:
Husky Rescue - Country Falls
Tiger Baby - Lost In You
Handsome Train - This Engine Should Do EP

Luke's picks:

01. Magnet - The Tourniquet
When I heard that SoCal pop maestro Jason Falkner was co-producing and playing all over the newest Magnet CD I almost peed my pants. It was like two of my favourite musical worlds colliding, and it didn't disappoint. The former Libido frontman goes from strength to strength on his third album, and as was the case with his last album, it's really not like anything he's done before. Where will this intrepid Norwegian go next? Be sure to check out Libido drummer Brighton Gay's London-based band Costar too.

02. A-ha - Analogue
Living in North America for the last 12 years (where these guys are considered 80's one-hit wonders despite releasing classic albums for 20 years) I had come to think of A-ha as something of a guilty pleasure that no one would understand. I was vindicated last night as I stood among 15,000 crazed fans at Wembley where they proceeded to blow everyone away. They were so good that we're going down to Brighton to see them again on Saturday. Oh, and the new album is killer from start to finish. Guitarist Paul Waaktaar's side-project Savoy also released their superb self-titled fifth album this year which I recommend in equal measure.

03. The Perishers - Let There Be Morning
I was just coming down off a period of extended over-exposure to their debut "From Nothing To One" when the follow-up was released. Granted, this was actually a couple of years ago, but I believe most of us outside Sweden count this as a 2005 release and it's a testament to the strength of this album that I am still playing it all the time going into 2006. If lilting melancholic balladeering is your thing, this album is for you. Ola Klüft has a beautiful voice and writes amazing songs...simple as that.

04. The Mopeds - Fortissimo
It's been four years since their last album and "Fortissimo" is a great return to form for this Malmö trio. They are studio wizards and this album is brimming with frenetic high energy power pop that bursts from the speakers from start to finish. My only complaint was the Pink Moon-esque running time of the CD. I would have thought that four years would turn up more than 32 minutes of album-worthy material!

05. Kate Bush - Aerial
OK OK, it's far from Scandinavian, but "Aerial" has been on daily rotation on my ipod since the day it was released and I can't imagine writing a 'best of year' list without it. I find more depth and substance to it with every listen. A rare and beautiful work of art.

Honourable mentions:
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive
Jay Jay Johanson - Rush

"Riot On An Empty Street" by Kings Of Convenience is one of those unusual albums that we both loved this year but it doesn't appear on either of our lists for reasons that are too petty and insignificant to go into!


---------------------------

Popsicle is a Scandinavian pop mailorder based in Canada that specializes in hard-to-find out-of-print titles and signed new releases.
www.indiespinzone.com/popsicle.html

]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 articles top10s http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7801 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7801 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7801#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart is exactly the same as last week:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

Believe it or not, long-running legendary Swedish grind act General Surgery has actually completed work on their debut full-length album. Read the press release over at DigitalMetal: http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=7025]]> Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25537-top-10s-for-2005-matthew-w-smith http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25537-top-10s-for-2005-matthew-w-smith http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25537-top-10s-for-2005-matthew-w-smith#comments Nordic Top 10 of 2005 (with apologies to Iceland, the only Nordic country not represented on my list this year):

01. The Cardigans - "Super extra gravity" isn't quite as good as its predecessor, but that doesn't stop it from topping my list. Sonically, lyrically... the Cardies are on a roll. "I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer" was the perfect single to kick things off.

02. 22-Pistepirkko - "Drops & kicks" is a fine record by the veteran Finns, with "Not so good at school" the rave-up of the year. The production by Kalle Gustafsson is spot on, as are quirky vocals by P.K. Keränen.

03. The Lionheart Brothers - With a re-release of "White angel black apple" that included the EP "Colour contrast context", this Norwegian band showed off both melancholy symphonic pop and plugged-in, spacey rock on the same excellent disc.

04. The Horror, The Horror - A Stockholm band to keep an eye on, THTH contributed "Sound of sirens" to a small compilation and then re-recorded it for its debut release on Tapete Records. "I blame the sun" is the next single.

05. Kings of Convenience - I saw them on a snowy February night in Virginia and a sunny June evening in Italy, a perfect juxtaposition. Eirik and Erlend put on two sterling performances for respectful crowds. Quiet is still the new loud.

06. The Raveonettes - I love the album they released in 2005 ("Pretty in black"), with its blissful Ronnie Spector collaboration ("Ode to L.A.") and typical fuzzy fury ("Somewhere in Texas"). In concert in Washington, the Danes' newly expanded lineup pounded eardrums into submission with an effective set.

07. Annie - A guilty pleasure for some and a plain pop masterpiece for others, Annie's "Anniemal" album deserved the attention it received for its sugary sweet blending of electronica and pop. I like "Me plus one" better than the hyped "Heartbeat."

08. Sharif - "Lost causes, causes lost" was a welcome comeback for this Malmö band. Its fragile feeling and simple arrangements combined to make this one of the most consistent records I heard all year.

09. Loopy - This Copenhagen-based quartet got "Smile back home" released both in Europe and the USA, the latter courtesy of Zip. "Never loud" is a catchy single made of both shoegazer and pop, and I'm hoping the group will play some shows in North America in 2006.

10. The Blue Van - Sure, most people have had their fill of garage rock over the last few years, but "The art of rolling" shows that rural Danes influenced by The Pretty Things can stomp them out with vintage gear with the best of them. Soren Christensen's organ fills really make the album kick.


---------------------------

Besides being a regular IAT contributor, Matthew W. Smith is a writer/editor based in Richmond, VA, and currently freezing on vacation in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

]]> Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 articles top10s http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7840 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7840 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7840#comments The Cardigans have posted a video Christmas card: http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=archive&folder=videos]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7901 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7901 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7901#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

The nominees for the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best pop female:
Amy Diamond - This is me now
Ane Brun - A temporary dive
Frida Hyvönen - Until death comes
Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
Robyn - Robyn

Best pop male:
Darin - Darin
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
Son of a plumber - Son of a plumber

Best pop group:
Alcazar - Dancefloor deluxe
Bodies without organs - Prototype
CDOASS - Extra fingers
Doktor Kosmos - Ett enkelt svar
Suburban kids with biblical names - #3

Best rock album (solo):
Christian Kjellvander - Faya
Freddie Wadling - Jag är monstret
Moneybrother - To die alone
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209
Tomas Andersson Wij - Tomas Andersson Wij

Best rock group:
Kent - Du & jag döden
Soundtrack of our lives - A present from the past
The Ark - State of the Ark
The Cardigans - Super extra gravity
The Hellacopters - Rock & roll is dead

Best composer:
Anders Wedin (Moneybrother) - To die alone
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn/Klas Åhlund - Robyn
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best lyrics:
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Jason Diakité - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best proder:
Anders Hansson & Alexander Bard
Bloodshy/Avant
Klas Åhlund
Laleh
Lars Halapi

Best hip-hop/soul:
Hearin'aid - The Boom Lucy
Jaqee - Blaqalixious
Looptroop - Fort Europa
Masayah - p.s.
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best hard-rock:
Candlemass - Candlemass
Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, unbowed, unbroken
Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
Meshuggah - Catch thirtythree
Opeth - Ghost reveries

Best jazz:
Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian - Goodbye
e.s.t. - Viaticum
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Snake city north
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - An intimate salute to Frankie
Torbjörn Zetterberg - Krissvit

Best club/dance:
Arash - Arash - new version
v/a - Inside Scandinavia vol 2
Hundarna från söder - Troika
September - In orbit
Spånka Nkpg - The City of the golden king

Open category:
Allan Edwall - Alla Allans visor
v/a - Du Beppe, Beppe Wolgers mästerverk
Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
The Latin Kings - Familia Royale
Totta Näslund - Totta 8: Greatest hits!

Best newcomer:
Amy Diamond
Bodies Without Organs
Darin
Frida Hyvönen
Laleh

Best album:
Bodies without organs - Prototype
Kent - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn - Robyn
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best artist:
Kent
Laleh
Moneybrother
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best music dvd:
Abba - Abba the movie
Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis
Evergrey - A night to remember
Marit Bergman - Marit Bergman - Live at Rival
Timbuktu - Funken styr våra steg

Best song:
Amy Diamond - What's in it for me
Darin - Money for nothing
Kent - The hjärta & smärta ep
Robyn - Be mine
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Full list of every category here: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2198&a=503182]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7991 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7991 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/7991#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
02. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
03. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
04. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
05. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
06. Darin - Darin
07. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
08. Nanne - Alltid på väg
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
13. Laleh - Laleh
14. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
15. Carola - Jul i betlehem
16. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
17. Daniel Lemma - Dreamers & fools
18. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
19. Emilia De Poret - A lifetime in a moment
20. Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore superstar

Dagbladet's top album picks for 2005, both international and Norwegian-only: http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/572948 (via)]]> Thu, 08 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8025 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8025 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8025#comments Get the details for The Cardigans' upcoming Scandinavian club tour this spring: http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=article&pid=read&id=3414]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25513-interview-niklas-angergard-acid-house-kings http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25513-interview-niklas-angergard-acid-house-kings http://www.itsatrap.com/n/25513-interview-niklas-angergard-acid-house-kings#comments Chances are, you've already come across at least a few glowing -- and apt -- reviews Acid House Kings garnered for their latest album, "Sing along with Acid House Kings". You know all about its nuanced layers, precise performances, and literate lyrics. So here's a change of pace -- check out the spontaneous, humble wit with which AHK's Niklas Angergård approaches perfectly ordinary questions.
- Roni Brunn

Scrolling bonus: Acid House Kings top 10 guide to good music

RB: Why did you choose to release a karaoke DVD with this album?

NA: The main thing is it goes with the album. We came up with the idea and we could do it, so why not?

RB: Do you do karaoke?

NA: No [laughs].

RB: Does anyone in the band do karaoke?

NA: No. I think I'm the only one who tested it once on a boat to Finland. That's really lowlife culture. So two friends and I did "Dancing queen" by ABBA. It's really something you look down on in Sweden.

RB: Why?

NA: I'm not sure, I guess it could be some way of hanging out with your friends, but only really tacky places have karaoke. The film "Lost In Translation" probably made the karaoke thing a bit trendier than it used to be.

RB: How did you get the idea to do it?

NA: We began thinking of titles for the album, and we had loads of different ones. Some of them were pretentious, and "Sing along with the Acid House Kings" was one of the less pretentious ones. We discussed it, and we thought we made quite sing-along-able tunes. So we decided to make the DVD. And no one had ever come across anyone who had done that before. Making the world's first karaoke DVD accompanying an album was one of the main reasons I would say. Being the first with something [laughs].

RB: What kind of reaction have you gotten to it?

NA: I think people are generally very positive. It's nice, in a culture where a lot of music listening is through downloads, you already have the MP3 sort of songs, I think people like that you do something extra when you release an album. And a karaoke DVD is at least something extra.

RB: Your music doesn't shy away from strong melody, which makes it universal. At the same time, someone might say that the pop roots are really Swedish. How do you account for that?

NA: I'm gonna guess it's a lot harder to see something as typically Swedish when you're from Sweden, in a way. We're not trying to do something very Swedish; we just are really melody focused. We don't record anything that we don't think has a really strong melody, because then it's not worth pursuing further. So I think that may be a typical Swedish thing maybe, like ABBA and, I don't know, Ace of Base. Weren't they big in the U.S. as well? [Laughs] Not very good, maybe. But they were at least melody focused. For sure. The Cardigans maybe as well. Also newer things like the Hives or Soundtrack of Our Lives have some sort of basic melodies. I think we see ourselves as more universal.

RB: How are you planning to tour this album?

NA: Generally, we are touring very little.

RB: Why is that?

NA: Well, we're a studio product, like boy bands.

RB: So you're really good dancers.

NA: Exactly. And you see that on the very rare occasions we perform live. But seriously, before this album, we had maybe played 15 times during 15 years, something like that. And it changed slightly, I think we played maybe 10 times in Sweden, played the two biggest festivals, Hultsfred and Arvikafestivalen. We were almost surprised by the response on the big festivals. We've never experienced that. But we were almost popular, I would say [laughs]. We played twice in Spain as well. And we recently got an invitation to play in Hong Kong.

RB: Did you enjoy playing live?

NA: Absolutely. We like it a lot. It's just that we're very meticulous when recording. We work a lot with the arrangements, harmonies, and structures of the songs. To create the exact same thing live, we need 20 people. But we are four, plus one or two extras live, so it's a different thing. We had this semi-poor analogy: it's like making a really big movie with lots of money, lots of time, and famous actors. And then you choose not to let people see the movie, but rather put it up on some kind of local amateur theater. I think we can be enjoyable live, but it's something different than the studio thing, and we see the record as the main output.

RB: When you formed the band, is that how you saw it, that that's what it was gonna be?

NA: We've always seen the record as the main thing, absolutely. But we played a lot this year, for us, and we enjoyed that, too. We played the simpler, easier, more catchy songs live and chose not to play the subtle ones. Then it works fine.

RB: How did you form the band? You're playing with your brother, how's that going?

NA: That's not very strange, I think. It was me, my brother, and a friend of his and mine. We were really into the same type of music. And we tried, if we could, to make something similar.

RB: What type of music were you into?

NA: Generally, pop, in the very broad sense. A lot into Sarah Records and Creation Records. Very English niche pop bands, like the Orchids, Field Mice and Felt. But also 60s pop like Dusty Springfield and The Supremes and of course The Smiths. Our father has around 1,000 Elvis Presley records, so that was our childhood taste. Still love songs like "Any day now," "Kentucky rain" and "Suspicious minds".

RB: Has that taste evolved?

NA: Absolutely. I think all of us got much broader tastes now. We all have more or less all the Sarah Records singles, one to 100. They all sound the same, and after a while, you get tired of that, so we listen to a lot of other stuff. I've been listening to the new Vashti Bunyan record, by the folk singer girl who's made one cult record in the '60s, I think, maybe '70s. And then she's just recorded a new one, very subtle, very good called "Lookaftering". Another one is Antony & The Johnsons. We wouldn't have listened to it 15 years ago. But our taste is broader, at least.

RB: Why do you think that is?

NA: You change as a person more or less. And your musical taste changes a bit, with that I think. We were into a small niche, the Sarah Records pop. There aren't any more records within that niche, more or less, not very good ones at least.

RB: How is writing songs writing now that you've been a musician for a while compared to how it was when you were starting out, being unknown?

NA: We see ourselves as fairly unknown. I think the first real recordings we did were released. We have never been a band rehearsing in a dark cellar, so we don't know really what that's like. We sent the first two songs to one label only, a small one I came across when I was in Hamburg called Marsh-Marigold. And then he wanted to release it. I actually recently met Oliver Goetzl, who is the founder of the Marsh-Marigold Record Label. He passed by Stockholm last week. I haven't seen him in maybe seven years. He is making documentary films on wolverines and bears in Finland.

RB: Of course.

NA: Of course. Why shouldn't he?

RB: When you started out, you had a 10 year plan, is that right?

NA: Yeah. We were impressed with the Felt, an English band that released 10 albums in 10 years during the 80s. We thought that was a really cool way of summarizing yourself. But we don't have that productivity, so we have released one album every fifth year. Three albums in ten years. And now with "Sing," it was only three years since the last album. So it's a new record for us.

RB: How did that happen?

NA: I think we were a bit inspired, actually, after "Mondays". We were really happy with that, and I think it got a little wider audience around the world. And it received good reviews in some interesting places. I think that inspired us to work a little faster. But still, at three years, it's still not a high speed project.

RB: Is expanding the audience something you think about? Or marketing?

NA: We want as big an audience as we can have. We have no problem with people liking what we do, which makes us want to get involved. We do everything around like the artwork, and we keep control of that. We have an art director, but we have tight control over how we want it to look and so on.

RB: Has it been that way since the start?

NA: Yeah, on the first EP and the first album, we did everything ourselves. And I don't think we had the skills to do that, so they're not as good looking as the last three albums covers. I really like the new ones.

RB: How do you see your audience?

NA: We don't see it, [laughs] so we don't know.

RB: Who do you sing to?

NA: We don't sing for anyone but ourselves, I think. It's as simple as that. That's how we work: when we are happy with the record, it's released. And if it takes five years, okay, fair enough. If it takes three years, that's also good. Given that we don't play live a lot, especially outside Sweden, we don't get to meet our audience. We get nice emails from all over the world. But you don't really know who they are, only know that they like what we do. It's really hard.

RB: Are you curious about it?

NA: Yeah, absolutely. I'm really into reading reviews of our music, having someone else analyzing what you do. I think that's really interesting to see how people get different things out of your music. And the reviews for this album -- I think I could have written them in the same way. I know that they're saying the same things that we intend to, which we like. Most of them, at least.

RB: How would you perceive it?

NA: First of all, we're very melody focused. And then we work very meticulously. We work on each song until we think it's perfect. We mixed one song like 25 times.

RB: What song is that?

NA: "A Long Term Plan". It was almost left off the album. And, hopefully, a lot of people see that quality in the music -- that it's quite well done. The drawback of being very catchy or sing-a-long friendly, in fact, is that the music could be perceived as quite shallow. Several of the reviews have seen something under the surface, which we also appreciate. Because we don't see ourselves that way. It's not a super happy summer album, when it comes to the lyrics. And it's nice that people see through the somewhat glittering surface. I like that people also take the time to analyze the music and the lyrics. Given that they do that, I think we have succeeded with something, like drawing people into something, not just something you have in the background. But making something that can be analyzed.

RB: Is that how you approach art in general?

NA: I haven't thought about that, but I like art that can be easily absorbed and is one thing when you first encounter it, but then it has something extra to it that you can analyze.

RB: Do you read reviews for other music? Does that interest you or you just kind of wanna keep up?

NA: Yeah. I look for music, so that's one way of finding it.

RB: What is it about your music that makes you happy?

NA: I think it could be anything, actually: a nice harmony, or a nice guitar figure, or a part of the lyrics or everything taken together. The feeling that you have when you recorded something, and then you take it home and listen to it 60 times maybe. That's the joy of making music, I think. Making something that makes you a bit proud of yourself.

RB: Since your process is very meticulous, are there surprises still when you listen to it or do you know every little nuance?

NA: I think our songs are quite like full of small things, so, actually, there could be a moment, especially when you listen to the music in headphones, you get, "oh, we did that." So, yeah, you could be surprised, even though we have listened to each song like 200 times before it's released. So the big surprises are not there, I guess.

RB: What are you working on now?

NA: We haven't started recording anything new actually. So we're writing songs.

RB: What's your process for writing songs?

NA: It's a bit different. It's basically me and Johan. I do it at home on the guitar. And then, when I have a full song with each section and lyrics for everything, I take it to the studio. That's my way of doing it, and Johan goes to the studio, sits down and begins working with something. And then he goes home with the song, later in the evening.

RB: Do you ever write songs together?

NA: We don't sit down next to each other and write them, but in many instances, on the new album, I have done a verse, and he's done the chorus or the other way around. We connect different parts, which we have written separately.

RB: Do you set out to match up the lyrics to have one theme, or do they coincide?

NA: If we mix different parts together, we usually rewrite the lyrics so they work all the way through. Because otherwise, it could be very strange, I guess. It's very rare that we do something together in the studio.

RB: How do you trace your sound's evolution?

NA: We usually say to ourselves that we sound the same, just that we've gotten a bit better at what we're doing.

RB: Better in what sense?

NA: Better songs, better production, better lyrics and I think other people would say that maybe we have a broader appeal in the sound now. You could play it in the background at a dinner at your parents' house, and the guests wouldn't mind. And on the initial albums, they could have minded. I think. It sounded too indie.

RB: Is that something you think about: under what circumstances might the songs be listened to?

NA: No, [laughs] no, we don't.

RB: What are your goals now?

NA: Well, make a fifth album. [Laughs] It'll come out in 2010 maybe. First of all, I hope the newest release will get some attention, and that people sing along and like the record. But music-wise, we will begin working and start collecting songs and slowly begin recording them. But when it's finished, it's finished. More or less. The only objective for us is to make a better album than the last one. And I think so far we've succeeded at that.

Acid House Kings top 10 guide to good music:

The Smiths "The cowbell-click track" [unreleased instrumental]
Vashti Bunyan "Here before" [song]
Cat Power "The greatest" [MP3]
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names "#3" [album]
The Clientele "St Paul's beneath a sinking sky" [demo]
Don Lennon "Routine" [album]
Loveninjas "Keep your love" [EP]
Sufjan Stevens "Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois" [song]
Richard Hawley "Cole's corner" [album]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Over and over again (lost and found)" [song]

.:About the author:

Designer/musician Roni Brunn dreams of Stockholm while residing in Los Angeles, where she runs a math club. Of course.

]]> Sun, 04 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 articles interviews http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8090 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8090 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8090#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Kometfabriken - Snedsteg (FIN)
03. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
04. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
05. The Rasmus - Sail away (FIN)
06. Mew - Special (DK)
07. Indica - Vuorien taa (FIN)
08. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
09. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)
10. Darin - Step up (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Day Eleven - Almost over everything (FIN)
12. Karlsmark - Stitting duckheads (SWE)
13. Datarock - fa fa fa (NOR)]]> Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8097 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8097 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8097#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
02. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
05. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
06. Darin - Darin
07. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Daniel Lemma - Dreamers & fools
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
14. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
15. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
16. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
17. Carola - Jul i betlehem
18. Barbados - Stolt
19. Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore superstar
20. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger

Indieworkshop reviews Silence the Foe: http://indieworkshop.com/music/2136/]]> Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8157 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8157 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8157#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. Death Cab for Cutie
02. Håkan Hellström
03. The Cardigans
04. Franz Ferdinand
05. Kent
06. I'm from Barcelona
07. Arctic Monkeys
08. Babyshambles
09. Sufjan Stevens

Top tracks:

01. Kent - Dom Som Försvann
02. Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark
03. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
04. Death Cab for Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan
05. I'm from Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
06. Loveninjas - Keep Your Love
07. Death Cab for Cutie - Summer Skin
08. Sir Eric Beyond - Democracy
09. Death Cab for Cutie - What Sarah Said

Want to see your favorites listed here? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8173 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8173 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8173#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Darin - Step up (SWE)
03. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
04. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
05. Andreas Johnson - Show me xxxx (SWE)
06. Mew - Special (DK)
07. Indica - Vuorien taa (FIN)
08. Brandon - Mentally fit (FIN)
09. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
10. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)

Challengers:
11. The Rasmus - Sail away (FIN)
12. Kometfabriken - Snedsteg (FIN)
13. Jim Stärk - Morning song (NOR)]]> Fri, 25 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8182 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8182 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8182#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
02. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Nanne - Alltid på väg
05. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
06. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
07. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
08. Darin - Darin
09. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
10. Laleh - Laleh
11. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
12. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
13. Embassy - Tacking
14. Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore superstar
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. Rikard Wolff - Allt du kan önska! det bästa från: Rikard Wolff
17. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
18. Grönwalls - En på miljonen
19. September - In Orbit
20. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad

Brothers Demand has posted samples from every track on their new album "A cod in lipstick": http://www.streamroadmusic.se/]]> Fri, 25 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8244 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8244 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8244#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
03. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
04. Mew - Special (DK)
05. Indica - Vuorien taa (FIN)
06. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
07. El Caco - Substitute (NOR)
08. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)
09. Tingsek - Egoflow (SWE)
10. Darin - Step up (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Brandon - Mentally fit (FIN)
12. Andreas Johnson - Show me xxxx (SWE)
13. moi Caprice - my girl you blush (DK)]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8248 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8248 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8248#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
02. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
03. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
04. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Nanne - Alltid på väg
07. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
08. Darin - Darin
09. Rikard Wolff - Allt du kan önska! det bästa från: Rikard Wolff
10. Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore superstar
11. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
12. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
13. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
14. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad
15. September - In Orbit
16. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
17. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
18. Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
19. Gemini - Det bästa med karin och anders glenmark
20. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Rounder Records has licensed Nicolai Dunger's most recent album "Here's my song..." for US release. Look for it around late February. In other news, Nicolai will contribute a cover of the song "Det gåtfulla folket" for the upcoming Olle Adolphson tribute album "Dubbeltrubbel", due out December 14 via EMI.]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8302 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8302 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8302#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. Death Cab for Cutie
02. Kent
03. Hello Saferide
04. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
05. The Cardigans
06. I'm from Barcelona
07. Franz Ferdinand
08. The Shins
09. The Arcade Fire
10. Coldplay
11. Jens Lekman
12. Iron & Wine
13. Laakso
14. The Decemberists
15. Bloc Party
16. Tiger Lou
17. Architecture in Helsinki
18. The Strokes
19. David Fridlund
20. Sigur Rós

Want to see your favorites listed here? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8319 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8319 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8319#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
03. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
04. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)
05. Indica - Vuorien taa (FIN)
06. Mew - Special (DK)
07. El Caco - Substitute (NOR)
08. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
09. Tingsek - Egoflow (SWE)
10. Carpark North - Best day (DK)

Challengers:
11. Emmi - Can full of joy (FIN)
12. Darin - Step up (SWE)
13. Outlandish - Look into my eyes (DK)]]> Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8326 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8326 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8326#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
02. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
03. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
04. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Nanne - Alltid på väg
07. Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore superstar
08. Darin - Darin
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
11. Rikard Wolff - Allt du kan önska! det bästa från: Rikard Wolff
12. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
13. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
14. ABBA - ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits - JTM
15. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad
16. September - In Orbit
17. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
18. Monica Zetterlund - Monicas bästa
19. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
20. Weeping Willows - Singles Again

Starting today and for the next 12 weeks, Hanif will be posting a new demo track for free download. Each mp3 will only be available for that week, so keep checking back to make sure you get every one: http://www.hanif.nu/demos.htm]]> Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8399 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8399 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8399#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
03. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
04. The Rasmus - No fear (FIN)
05. Mew - Special (DK)
06. Technicolour - Nowhere to go (FIN)
07. Steen1 - Carosol Kid (FIN)
08. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
09. El Caco - Substitute (NOR)
10. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Indica - Vuorien taa (FIN)
12. Carpark North - Best day (DK)
13. Tingsek - Egoflow (SWE)]]> Thu, 03 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8409 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8409 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8409#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
02. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
03. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
04. Nanne - Alltid på väg
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Darin - Darin
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
09. ABBA - ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits - JTM
10. September - In Orbit
11. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
12. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad
13. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
14. Monica Zetterlund - Monicas bästa
15. Tiger Lou - The Loyal
16. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
17. Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
18. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
19. Sofia Karlsson - Svarta ballader (sjunger Dan Andersson)
20. Christer Sjögren - Love Me Tender

Hybris has posted new videos from Montt Mardié and Like Honey on their website: http://www.hybrism.com/video.php]]> Thu, 03 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8415 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8415 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8415#comments The Perishers are in the studio in Malmö with producer Per Sunding (The Ark, The Cardigans) working on their third album.]]> Wed, 02 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8468 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8468 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8468#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. The Decemberists
02. Franz Ferdinand
03. Sigur Rós
04. Broken Social Scene
05. Interpol
06. The Cardigans
07. Kent
08. Sufjan Stevens
09. Death Cab for Cutie

Top tracks:

01. Håkan Hellström - Ge mig arsenik
02. I'm from Barcelona - Treehouse
03. I'm from Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
04. The Decemberists - Leslie Anne Levine
05. Animal Collective - Grass
06. I'm from Barcelona - The Painter
07. The Mopeds - Refused Demo Land
08. Animal Collective - Did You See the Words
09. Randy - Better Than Art

If you listen to music on your computer, join us and share your playlists! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0800 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8473 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8473 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8473#comments This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
03. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
04. Mew - Special (DK)
05. The Rasmus - No fear (FIN)
06. Steen1 - Carosol Kid (FIN)
07. Technicolour - Nowhere to go (FIN)
08. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
09. HIM - Wings of a butterfly (FIN)
10. Alice in Videoland - Cut the crap (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Nightwish - Sleeping sun (FIN)
12. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer (SWE)
13. El Caco - Substitute (NOR)]]> Fri, 28 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8494 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8494 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8494#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
02. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
03. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Christian Kjellvander - Faya
06. Nanne - Alltid på väg
07. ABBA - ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits - JTM
08. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
09. Monica Zetterlund - Monicas bästa
10. Darin - Darin
11. Christer Sjögren - Love Me Tender
12. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
13. Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
14. Sofia Karlsson - Svarta ballader (sjunger Dan Andersson)
15. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
16. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
17. Emilia De Poret - A Lifetime in a Moment
18. Carola - Störst av allt
19. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
20. Hans Martin - Minnenas promenad

The Margarets will go into the studio next week to record a cover of Roy Orbison's "Pretty woman" for use in director Hans Petter Moland's new film "Gynmaslærer Pedersen". The film is set to premiere in February.]]> Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28099-mp3-the-mopeds-refused-demo-land http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28099-mp3-the-mopeds-refused-demo-land http://www.itsatrap.com/n/28099-mp3-the-mopeds-refused-demo-land#comments Quoteth IAT contributor Jason Christie:

Either way it is immaterial when we put "Mopeds + Review" in the same bracket - you see, you'll know The Mopeds are no upstarts. It can be said they’re a well respected non-Stockholm band. They feature majestic trombonist and everyone's favourite producer/horn player Jens Lindgård (Bob Hund, The Cardigans, Eggstone, Tom Jones, Roxette, Ulf Lundell, St. Etienne, and many more. More recently you have heard them play with the band David & the Citizens and Damn!). Just Google "Jens Lindgård" for a long list of credits. The new disc, what's the deal?
No bloody idea. Have not listened!
Let's guess. The lazy taglines have them alongside fellow Pågs Brainpool and Eggstone, but we know The Mopeds will have gone all McFly on us instead! Mopeds parked up outside the US embassy of radio pop, MTV indie but then with attention to detail "Fortissimo" won't be knocked. They occupy peer status – check that list up above again."Fortissimo" will be fast, it'll be furious, it'll mess with your days and fill your nights. That's if you are done with first and second albums "The hills are alive with the sound of mopeds" or "The land of the three" - because without listening, rest assured the review will read positive. There are some things you can rely on.

Couldn't have said it much better myself, and I've actually heard the damn thing. Download a choice track from "Fortissimo" over on the right.]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 mp3s http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8533 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8533 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8533#comments Quoteth IAT contributor Jason Christie:

Either way it is immaterial when we put "Mopeds + Review" in the same bracket - you see, you'll know The Mopeds are no upstarts. It can be said they’re a well respected non-Stockholm band. They feature majestic trombonist and everyone's favourite producer/horn player Jens Lindgård (Bob Hund, The Cardigans, Eggstone, Tom Jones, Roxette, Ulf Lundell, St. Etienne, and many more. More recently you have heard them play with the band David & the Citizens and Damn!). Just Google "Jens Lindgård" for a long list of credits. The new disc, what's the deal?
No bloody idea. Have not listened!
Let's guess. The lazy taglines have them alongside fellow Pågs Brainpool and Eggstone, but we know The Mopeds will have gone all McFly on us instead! Mopeds parked up outside the US embassy of radio pop, MTV indie but then with attention to detail "Fortissimo" won't be knocked. They occupy peer status – check that list up above again.
"Fortissimo" will be fast, it'll be furious, it'll mess with your days and fill your nights. That's if you are done with first and second albums "The hills are alive with the sound of mopeds" or "The land of the three" - because without listening, rest assured the review will read positive. There are some things you can rely on.

Couldn't have said it much better myself, and I've actually heard the damn thing. Download a choice track from "Fortissimo" over on the right.]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8555 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8555 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8555#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. The Cardigans
02. I'm from Barcelona
03. Sufjan Stevens
04. Franz Ferdinand
05. The Bear Quartet
06. Death Cab for Cutie
07. The Decemberists
08. Coldplay
09. Kent

Do you listen to music on your computer? Join us and share your playlists! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8558 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8558 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8558#comments The Independent interviews The Cardigans: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/interviews/article320989.ece]]> Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8585 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8585 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8585#comments This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
02. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
03. Darin - Darin
04. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
05. Weeping Willows - Singles Again
06. Laleh - Laleh
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
09. Thomas Andersson Wij - Thomas Andersson Wij
10. Ulf Lundell - Lazarus
11. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
12. Emilia De Poret - A Lifetime in a Moment
13. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
14. Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
15. Kent - Du & jag Döden
16. Robyn - Robyn
17. Musikal - Mamma Mia
18. Louise Hoffsten - From Linköping to Memphis
19. Tom Levin - Me, My Band that I älskar
20. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - #3

Norwegian dreamy pop act The Lionheart Brothers have updated their website witht the video for "Time river floaty" as well as various mp3s from their most recent album "White angel black apple": http://www.thelionheartbrothers.com/media.php]]> Thu, 20 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8622 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8622 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8622#comments London's Sunday Times interviews The Cardigans: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0%2C%2C176-1822536%2C00.html]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8647 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8647 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8647#comments This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. The Cardigans
02. The Arcade Fire
03. Sigur Rós
04. Broken Social Scene
05. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
06. Franz Ferdinand
07. Mew
08. Hello Saferide
09. Death Cab for Cutie

Again, I'd like to encourage all regular readers of this site to join up and participate. It's free and easy and fun - the only basic requirement is that you listen to music on your computer and can install the proper plugin. Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8781 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8781 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8781#comments The Cardigans will be posting instrumental kareoke-ready versions of all the song from their new album "Super extra gravity" for a limited 24-hour period on October 12. Read more: http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=article&pid=read&id=3187]]> Thu, 06 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8841 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8841 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8841#comments Leavin the chart: Cat5, Her Space Holiday, Mattias Alkberg BD, Maxïmo Park, Ms Dynamite, The Cardigans, Turbonegro and Weeping Willows.]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8906 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8906 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8906#comments The Cardigans have a new microsite for their new album "Super extra gravity": http://www.superextragravity.com/]]> Tue, 27 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8971 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8971 http://www.itsatrap.com/n/8971#comments This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Acid House Kings - Tonight is Forever
02. (04) Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
03. (05) Weeping Willows - I´m Gonna Let Love Find Me
04. (NY) Röyksopp - What Else Is There?
05. (NY) Kanye West - Gold Digger
06. (08) Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
07. (03) The Greatest Hits feat. Jesse - Give It To Me Baby
08. (NY) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Loop Duplicate My Heart
09. (12) Jem - Just A Ride
10. (14) Hello Saferide - If I Don´t Write This Song, Someone I Love Will Die
11. (16) Cat5 - Sexy
12. (NY) Turbonegro - City Of Satan
13. (02) They Live By Night - Truth Or Dare
14. (18) The Legends - He Knows the Sun
15. (06) The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer
16. (NY) Panthers - Thanks for the Simulacra
17. (07) MS Dynamite - Judgement Day
18. (20) Maximo Park - Going Missing
19. (NY) Mattias Alkberg BD - Ragnar
20. (NY) Her Space Holiday - A Match Made in Texas

Leaving the chart: Tegan and Sara, Panthers, Lethal Bizzle, Jack Johnson, Embassy, Lucknow Pact and The Cribs.]]> Thu, 22 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700 news