Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Champagne Riot - The champagne anthem
02. TALK 1
03. The Late Parade - We will walk straight through this wall
04. Bolywool - Save my soul
05. Darkthrone - Eyes burst at dawn
06. Boy Omega - Follow the herd
07. TALK 2
08. Isobel & November - She came down the mountain
09. Dream Evil - Kill, burn, be evil
10. TALK 3
11. Martin Senter - Ingenting förlorat
12. Pascal - Tyst här i mörkret
13. hello saferide - Anna
14. Brothers of End - Big bird
15. TALK 4
16. Voices Break the Silence - Lost
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.
It's not the modest aesthetic of "We all die" that bothers me -- in fact, at times it's starkly beautiful -- it's more the anonymous approach that New Found Land employs to achieve it. First, Anna Roxenholt's vocals -- the obvious centerpiece of the album -- are hampered by an Aryan lilt that too closely matches her female superiors. Normally, that would be a compliment, but despite her best imitations, her wintry tones cannot carry the hackneyed minimalia of Karl Krook's guitar. Absent here are the petulant flourishes that buttress Lykke Li's sparser arrangements, or the intimate effervescence of hello saferide's empty-room canvas. Second, though "We all die" is focused in its attempt to create a certain atmosphere, I remain unconvinced by their tired glockenspiel-and-acoustics palette, a palette that's beginning to plague the whole of Nordic lo-fi. In fact, "We all die"'s the best moments are the subtle departures from these lo-fi doldrums, like the rollicking "Come to me" and the upbeat end of "All the nights". Ultimately, I could decry the unremarkable filler of Krook's backup vocals, or irrationally complain that a young songstress with the sultry voice of winter has yet to approximate the hallowed of Sweden's indie scene. But after repeated listens, I've found a certain solace in "We all die", an unmistakable beauty that seems to well up from its very core, spilling out onto the austere repetition of "I would, I would, I would" on "In colour", and tempering the melismatic "My love, my love" on "Come to me". Despite the shortcomings, it's these fleeting moments of sublime beauty that assure me: New Found Land has the perfection of their bedroom aesthetic in their sights. I'll ignore the impurities and wait for the follow-up. - Nathan Keegan
Folkvang are an unsigned act from Umeå, Sweden who play folksy instrumental music, not too far off from the sounds of Björn Olsson, but with a distinct Norrland touch. In fact, I'd say that "Folkvangs första" could be an Isolation Years song sans vocals; it's got that same sort of loping, easy-going melancholy sound I associate with the quieter acts of the region. Anyhow, the band has an album in the can, recorded by Christian Gabel (Bob Hund, Thåström, hello saferide, etc.) and mastered by Oskar Sasndlund (David Sandström Overdrive), but no label to release it... perhaps you might be interested?
Swedish jazz bassist and band leader Oskar Schönning will release the new album "Belgrade tapes", his fourth, on March 1 via his own label. The album will feature live recordings from his band's trip to Serbia in August of 2007, as well as street recordings and other errata plus unsung lyrics composed by Annika Norlin (hello saferide, Säkert!). Says Oskar with regards to the words: "Jag har aldrig lyssnat på en låttext i hela mitt liv. Musiken dominerar texten på samma sätt som bilden dominerar musiken i film. Däremot har jag alltid lusläst booklets och låttexter. Särskilt Annika Norlins." (translate) Personally speaking, I completely relate. For locals, there will be a release party at Mosebacke in Stockholm on February 28.
01. Local Natives
02. Kent
03. Jens Lekman
04. hello saferide
05. Håkan Hellström
06. Shout Out Louds
07. Sambassadeur
08. Bob Hund
09. El Perro del Mar
10. The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
Firstly, I've got a new item in stock: Undergången - An audio companion to the End-Tymes (CS)
Cassettes are the new black and none are more black than this, a 120-minute compilation of dark sounds compiled by Thomas Ekelund of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words. Limited to 100 copies, so don't be surprised if they disappear quick.
Second! There are still a few final sleeveless copies of hello saferide's "Introducing..." LP available. After that, they are gone forever. Buy now!
Third! Our ongoing CD clearance sale may be winding down and thinning out, but there are still plenty of deals to be had! Please, help me get rid of all these damn CDs!
Fourth, and finally, if you want any chance of your order making it to your house by Christmas, you absolutely have to get it in this week as I will be making my last pre-Xmas trip to the post office on Saturday, December 12. Wait too long and your package might not arrive until New Year's. And then in 2010 I'm shutting down for inventory and renovation, so if you've been considering a purchase, the clock is ticking..
01. Kent
02. hello saferide
03. Local Natives
04. Håkan Hellström
05. Jens Lekman
06. Port O'Brien
07. Taken By Trees
08. Efterklang
09. Laakso
10. Phoenix
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
The more stuff I get rid of in my ongoing clearance sale, the more old stock I discover -- many titles once labelled out of stock from artists such as Firefox AK, hello saferide, The Je Ne Sais Quoi, David & the Citizens, Vapnet, El Perro Del Mar and others are now being relisted, some of them at new, lower prices. But! Bear in mind that many of these are limited to one or maybe two copies each, so you better act fast if you want one: [click here]
New Found Land - We all die 
j.appelqvist | Fri, Mar 12th, 2010 12:51:00