Mysterious Swedish artist Eric Ramsey has a new track available for free download called "board of dyslectics": http://www.ericramsey.se/sonicblastmachine.html
Apparently the plan is to release one song every month from now until eternity, or at least as long as he [Eric] is out." Anyhow, it sounds really good, so check it out!
Until their new "1978-83" retrospective CD showed up in my inbox earlier this week, I had never heard of Mögel before, or at least I don't remember coming across them. It's an odd thing too because early all-female punk bands were always notable and also because vocalist Ulrika Malmgren was one of the hosts of Sweden's famed "Ny Våg" radio show. Nonetheless, I remain ignorant! It doesn't help that "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" files them as a peripheral band and labels them "new wave". That's a genre label I associate with pop aspirations and keyboards; Mögel has neither, though I must admit that they don't fit the typical late 70s/early 80s punk sound. Can we call it postpunk and be done with it? They've got an early indiepop shamble on a few tunes, but it's the jagged, discordant tracks that appeal to me most. "Jag är så rädd" ("I am so scared") comes from the 1981 self-titled 12" on Slick Records, the group's sole proper vinyl release, and sounds quite befitting of the title -- just listen to the guitar "solo" for some serious bad-trip action and you'll get what I mean. Anyhow, the new disc on Massproduktion compiles that first record along along all of the other band's recordings and various liner note comments from scene luminaries such as Thåström, just in time for the label's 30th anniversary party. Which they happen to be playing! Should you find yourself in Sundsvall tomorrow, that's certainly the place to be.
Mögel - Jag är så rädd
As regular readers should know by now, I'm no fan of The Radio Dept. Their tepid shoegaze leaves nary an impression on me and, even at their supposed angriest ("Freddy and the Trojan Horse"), they're still not much more than musical wallpaper. But I acknowledge that I am probably in the minority, so before I head off to the dentist this morning, I'll let contributor Arnulf Köhncke talk up the new single "David":
After such a long time waiting, it feels strange when something comes around that's this unexpected and yet so painfully obvious. But when the four-beat piano chords set in after the first line, it all falls into place. All that soul, the swaying chord changes, the secret-agent movie strings, the glockenspiels and melodicas. Even that hip-hop interlude and the 60's pop ending. No more Prefab Sprout'ness for now, no more distorted keyboards, no more analogue drums -- just those trademark vocals singing about longing and love, despair and hope.
The Radio Dept. - David
Compute + LiechtensteinBerlin's small scene of twee-lovers came together last Wednesday to enjoy a six-band bill including two upcoming Scandinavian bands. After semi-interesting German opener Skirt and charming British band Horovitz, Swedish electronic artist Compute took the stage. Their minimal setup -- singer/composer Ulrika at drum machine and iPod supported by Liechtenstein's singer Renée at keyboards -- contrasted with the more traditional instrumentation of the other five bands. Compute went on to deliver their version of typical contemporary Swedish-pop where cheap-sounding synthesizers and analogue pre-programmed drums are combined with somewhat hysteric, slightly off-key Knife-ish singing. Somehow, their performance seemed unnecessarily restrained though, as if held back by the typical twee shyness surrounding them on this evening. The second Scandinavian band of the night, indiepop trio Liechtenstein from Göteborg, then topped the bill after the crowd had enjoyed very pleasant sets from Australian indie-darlings The Motifs and The Crayon Fields. Liechtenstein actually seemed to be a much better pick for the night than Compute -- people in the half-full club couldn't help moving and dancing to their mixture of mid-eighties indiepop with a few punk influences thrown in. For me, it was especially the driving bass-playing that made Liechtenstein more than just a simple retro-act. Not that I would mind the retroness of it though, in fact, I am actually glad sometimes that my knowledge of "classic" eighties indiepop is small enough so that I can still enjoy such charming current bands without catching all the obvious references to earlier songs and sounds.
- Arnulf Köhncke
A guilty verdict has been delivered in the Pirate Bay case: http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/pirate-bay-founders-get-jail-sentence-1003963586.story
I can't say for sure if The Crystal Caravan always have sounded the way they do, but it seems to me that Dennis Lyxzén's production fingerprints are all over their debut full-length. Chicken or the egg, either way it's got some serious The (International) Noise Conspiracy boogie vibes, but instead of channeling The Nation of Ulysses, The Crystal Caravan draws more from The Allman Brothers or Eric Burdon and other Southern soul-inspired rock'n'roll. Same sweet keyboard tones, same shambly groove, different retro vibe. Aiming for the revival tent, not the garage. And mercifully, no tired sloganeering. I know Dennis' heart is in the right place, but so much of that stuff feels like climbing a mountain of sand. "Tombstone eyes" is easily the most driving tune off the album; it's a bit too well-oiled for my tastes, but I do dig those organ breaks and I'm sure it goes down much rougher live. Or at least that's what I've been led to believe; apparently vocalist Niklas "RG" Gustafsson has quite the reputation...?
The Crystal Caravan - Tombstone eyes
Øya Festival ShowcaseCo-presented with NYC showlist stalwart Oh My Rockness, the Øya Festival brought burgeoning Norwegian pop acts The New Wine and Casiokids to the city on their way down to Austin for SXSW. Casiokids had built up some hype in the fall after heralded CMJ performances; however this was the US debut by The New Wine, who played slick pop music with a danceable beat and easy comparisons to NYC's Tigercity. They got the crowd moving with their catchy songs and standout vocals and keyboards. Casiokids closed out the show with a set of dance-pop and delivered a very high energy set, both in terms of tempo and stage movements. I had also been unfamiliar with them prior to attending, and the only song I recognized was their encore cover of Familjen's mighty "Det snurrar i min skalle". Overall, this showcase did well to promote the music happening in Norway at the moment and give the audience an idea of the more localized acts playing at Øya in August.
- Matt Giordano
I seem to remember Taake being reviled back in the day for using too many keyboards, but that's definitely not the case on his latest album as this is pure, cold Norwegian black-metal. Pure, as in purely by-the-book though; regardless of however long he's been making music (or stirring up controversy), nothing can hide the fact that this record (the third in a trilogy) is boring. Or maybe I'm just over this style of cold black metal. I like the various NWOBHM-touches on the riffs and some bits of the doomy breakdown, but it never really goes anywhere. It just keeps going and going and going and going... until it finally peters out. Why bother?
Taake - Umenneske
PaperMaking their live debut in the US, Stockholm's Paper celebrated with a three-night stint, of which I caught two, at the most appropriate small venue in the city for their style -- the Cakeshop. Bringing unbound energy and punk fury, yet cool and sophisticated, Paper showed the audiences what has been missing from modern punk music, the attitude. They upped the tempo of tracks from their two albums (recorded simultaneously, with the second due for release later this year) with tracks like "Out of it into it", "My life is going under" and "She's got lard". On the third night, singer/keyboardist Calle Olsson complained of illness prior to the show, however showed no discomfort whatsoever when onstage -- the sign of the consummate performer. The crowd was definitely feeling the passion and applauded fervently, and with a great live debut such as these, I hope to see Paper back here very soon.
- Matt Giordano
OMG, the new Audionom album "Superior" is finally out and ready for order from iDEAL Recordings: http://www.idealrecordings.com/
Other new iDEAL releases include Sudden Infant's limited "Demon trap/Aural guerilla" cassette and the new Henrik Rylander (Skull Defekts, ex-UCP) CD "Power model X (motherboard drone live)".
