Tag: Mp3s
With new albums from both Tiger Lou and Firefox AK due in the next few months, I figure it's a good time to revisit the Rasmus and Andrea Kellerman's collaborative project Las Puertas. Formed as a sort of "primal scream therapy" outlet for the couple, the band gives them both an excuse to let loose a little more than they usually would. So yeah, expect things to sound a little more loud and raw than you might expect. While nowhere near as harsh as yesterday's mp3, this is definitely more punk than their main acts. Great stuff - maybe not quite enough to tide you over until those new releases are out, but hopefully it helps.
Las Puertas - Born in the NYK
So what if M:40 lives up to most every d-beat/crustcore cliché? Natty dreads, two vocalists (one screechy, one burly), lyrics decrying the sorry state of the system/world/life, and so on. It doesn't matter 'cuz the music is well-written, well-played and well-recorded. The genre doesn't really need anyone to push it forward; it was doing just fine with the Discharge blueprint before His Hero Is Gone came along, not to mention all of the Swedish legends such as Wolfbrigade/Wolfpack, Totalitär and Skitsystem. I admit I do get bored of everyone endlessly covering the same subjects in pretty much the exact same way (not to mention preaching to the choir), but when I hear a band play this stuff with a proper level of intensity, it's impossible for me to deny the appeal. Oh, and I fucking love that muted chug-chug/chug-chug-chug stuff. Cut the shit, start the pit!
M:40 - När bomberna faller
A new month means a new Record Club selection and August is no exception. My pick? Familjen's debut full-length "Det snurrar i min skalle", an album that's sure to appeal to electronic music fans just as much as it will to indie kids. Today's track: "Huvudet i sanden" ("Head in the sand"), Adrian Recordings head Magnus Bjerkert's favorite song on the record. How do I know? Well, he just happens to be my guest on my radio show this week and that's exactly what he told me. Want to know more? Well, you'll just have to listen in on Saturday.
Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
The lead single from Mr. Suitcase's debut full-length "Guidelines for an emerging century" is pleasant enough, but undemanding. It passes by without leaving an impression. I keep anticipating that each new chorus will explode, but it never ever happens. That cascading vocal line could be huge if it was supported by a heavier beat. Is it a conscious move? To keep things more lowkey and "indie"? If so, it was the wrong decision. Someone alert me when there's a proper bangin' remix.
Mr. Suitcase - You don't smile anymore
Usually when I read that an artist is comparable to Johnny Cash I shrug it off as meaningless hyperbole. C'mon now, let's be realistic - there is only one Man in Black and though there surely will be more great artists to come, there will be no one quite like him. Danish singer/songwriter CS Nielsen does sound uncannily like "American Recordings"-era Cash, with his deep baritone and barebones accompaniment. Nielsen lacks the gravity that colors Cash's voice, but he does exhibit the same strain when he reaches for the upper register. He also manages an easy-going cadence and that's probably the one thing that saves him from being a mere imitator. For all the easily drawn similarities, Nielsen never comes across like he's trying too hard. No mere parrot, he simply does what he does and this is what comes out. Sure, he tosses off the usual train and bible references, but elsewhere on the album he shows a far more literary approach by quoting the works of Dylan Thomas ("Rage") and (the vastly underappreciated) John Fante ("Ask the dust"). And when the backing back kicks in, you're far more likely to picture him as a more intellectual Tom Petty. Once again proving that Danes continue to create some of the best Americana these days.
CS Nielsen - Happy
I trudged through quite a few of the usual downer Bear Quartet tunes before switching tactics and deciding on "Number" as this week's mp3 post. An initial listen might have you thinking of Faster Pussycat's "Bathroom wall", but that would be off on the wrong path. The sex part is only a backdrop to its true intentions, about living up to your full potential. Listen:
I am entitled to speak my mind about what you do
I'm not patronizing, I am merely endorsing:
do what you want to / not what others expect from you
you are a person / and should demand some respect
Which is to say: I may not approve of your actions and think you could do better, but I admire the way you carry yourself. "You're so much more... you could be anything at all." As for the music, it's classic BQ in full slacker indie mode. Jangly chords over roughshod drums and lots of wanky, tossed-off and out-of-tune leads. Then it breaks at the end and the smooth vocals of Kristofer Åström carry us out. Easily the highlight of the often-rambly "Ny våg".
The Bear Quartet - Number
Nothing says summertime to me like some good-time punk rock'n'roll and no one's better at that than Randy. "Summer of bros" is the obvious perennial favorite, but since I've been jamming 2005's "Randy the band" this past week or so, I'm going with "Better than art" as today's mp3. It's an easy choice, especially when you consider that the lyrics spell out exactly why Randy is one of Sweden's best bands.
I don't consider myself all that smart / I've come this far by using only my heart
I wear my intentions on my sleeve / I'm not cynical I'm naïve
I try to be as honest as I can
What you now hear / is the same thing you hear
When you put your ear / close to my heart
And that's why why I like music better than art
It's ridiculous that these guys are currently without a label. Lord knows that if I had money I'd step up, but my fortunes don't seem to be changing for the better anytime soon. For now, I'll just try to abide by these words and try to stem the tide of my own cynicism.
Randy - Better than art
I stopped paying attention to Amorphis soon after 1996's "Elegy". The follow-up EP "My kantele" was excellent, but the next album "Tuonela" was weak and the next one, "Am universum", was even worse. I figured, along with most folks, that the band had peaked and was slowly winding down. Considering that both 1994's "Tales from the thousand lakes" and the aforementioned "Elegy" are held by many to be landmark releases, that's a career to be proud of. So I was surprised when I started to see glowing reviews of the new record "Silent waters" and I figured I should investigate. I fully expected to hear a band pathetically trying to revisit their glory days, but let me tell you - I was blown away from the get-go. Not only is the heaviness back in full-effect, but the band is playing with renewed vigor, no doubt inspired in part by the recent addition of frontman Tomi Joutsen. An overwhelming number of modern metalcore bands try to incorporate death-growls and clean singing, something that Amorphis pioneered, and once again they show the world the way it's meant to be done. Tomi's performance is powerful and full of nuance - he hits the highs and lows with equal force and fury. The band, too, steps up to match him. As I said, the music is potently heavy, something you hear from the very first note. And listen for the 70s space-rock breaks as well, those too are performed with suitable vigor. So yeah, not just an impressive return to form, but an astonishingly great record. Very recommended.
Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
Imagine that if after the so-called "Black album", Metallica didn't become a totally mockery of themselves. Imagine that they still continued to explore the pop aspects of their sound, but never lost track of their thrash roots. I think the result might sound like Mustasch. Well, that is presuming they replaced their drummer along the way as well. Mustasch's new album "Latest version of the truth" pales in comparison to their older work, but it sure kicks the ass of anything Metallica's done since the early 90s. Even adding a lame string section can't stop "Double nature" from totally ruling, something that Metallica tried and failed with 1999's "S&M". So what's the secret? How can Mustasch get away with watering down their sound when those other dudes fail so miserably? Besides having a killer rhythm section, the key is in what I said at the beginning: remember your roots. Think about it! Metallica always had pop aspirations. They got where they are because they wrote great songs that made you want to sing along and pump your first in the air. Catchy and heavy. Doesn't have to be either/or.
Mustasch - Double nature
Though it lacks the total WTF-factor of "Italy vs. Helsinki", the new Asha Ali single "A promise broken" is one of the best I've heard so far this year. I can't speak as to whether the film "Underbar och älskad av alla" (from whose soundtrack this song originates) is a worthy pairing, but if it's anything like The Ark's superb "Calleth you cometh I" and the movie "Klassfesten", I'm probably not missing all that much. "Klassfesten" is fine, but the song is so much better. I suspect that's also the case here. Both songs have the same sort of aching and yearning quality that plays well over a climatic montage or the final roll of credits. This song is a bit more driving than Asha Ali's album material and I think the heavier backbeat suits her quite well. She certainly has the pipes to carry it off and I certainly wouldn't mind hearing her belt it out like this more often. Maybe on the next record? Regardless, this is mighty impressive.
Asha Ali - A promise broken
Forgive me, but I must take exception to Jonas Appelqvist's review of Fare You Well. His description of the music is spot-on, but his conclusion? Totally false. It's far from groundbreaking, but I can honestly say that I haven't heard as solid an emopop record as this in many, many years. That might be because I'm woefully and willfully ignorant, but I stand by my statement! It's certainly on par with Last Days of April and, at moments, comes awfully close to matching the highs of Jimmy Eat World. Sure, you can barely recognize the theoretical hardcore/punk heritage this stuff is supposed to possess, though I'd argue that hardly matters anymore. Promise Ring and the Get-Up Kids were only subversive in the context of a tough-guy scene, nowadays this stuff might as well be Bon Jovi. Underground? Who cares. If this is the new arena rock, that's totally okay by me.
Fare You Well - Take me away
"His spine", yet another Mattias Alkberg song that hides vicious sentiments in a sweet melody. "Hopelessness, despair / Lack of vision, education sucks / When you're born and torn / Between injustice and bad luck" The strings soar and the knife gets driven deeper into your gut. No optimism, no future. For some people at least: "You know what I need / Rights not charity, hope and equality / Not to be looked down upon / I'm not stupid just constantly reminded otherwise" It's that last bit that really gets me - hear something enough times and there's a chance you might start believing it. Resist! Fight back! Persevere!
The Bear Quartet - His spine
Instead of the usual Friday post today, I'm continuing on with the week's theme of up-and-coming bands. In the late 90s I spent a lot of time seeking out bands that followed in the wake of Radiohead. That's how Kent was first introduced to me (via the US English-language release of "Isola"). Radiohead moved on, but plenty of others did not and there are still tons of acts mining "The bends" and/or "OK computer" for inspiration. Denmark has a good track record for producing quality acts in this vein, Kashmir being a prominent example, and now you can add Front and the Factory Lies Beneath to the list. No one can quite match Thom Yorke's inventive vocal phrasing, but FatFLB frontman Andreas Bjørn Madsen can sure hit those aching highs. Sure, it's a touch derivative, but like I said: Radiohead won't make another album like "The bends" so it's wide open for someone else to fill their old niche. I love that sound and am always happy to hear someone new who can pull it off so well.
Listen to more here: https://www.myspace.com/frontandthefactoryliesbeneath
Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun
Norway's Hypertext is far more typical of the sort of band I usually go for. The band name is instantly forgettable, but it is fitting as the "hyper" prefix is an apt descriptor. A great majority of the Norwegian bands I hear seem to pride technical skill and pristine recording quality over energy and feeling so I'm doubly impressed that these guys seem so willing to cut loose. After a minute and a half of tightly-wound noisepop, the band veers off into a completely different direction, switching up the meter, adding layers of distortion and echo and kicking out the mf'n jams. They demonstrate good restraint though - they let it build to a satisfying conclusion without getting overly self-indulgent. That makes for far better repeat listens.
Unlike many of the artists I'm focusing on this week, Hypertext does have an album out that they've released themselves. Listen to more here: https://www.myspace.cm/hypertextband
Hypertext - Orphan boots
I imagine there's quite a few indie-music types out there that visit this site purely for the latest Swedish indiepop news and are often disappointed that I'm always on about some new drone/noise act that I'm excited about. Look, it's not as if I don't like the stuff, it's just that I find the majority of it to be dreadfully boring. Being said, The Social Services are decidedly not boring. The band is 2/3rds Scottish, but since they're based out of Stockholm, they qualify for coverage here. Like most of my favorite pop acts, there's a touch of melancholy to their music, though not necessarily in an overt "woe is me!" kind of way. "Up in arms", despite the taunting na-na-na vocals, is about war and military conscription - not the most indiepop of subjects, but one that is definitely worth singing about. Wrap it up in a catchy melody and there you go.
Apparently The Social Services are already in talks with Gramtone Records for the release of their debut album, but until the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, they remain well-qualified for this week's focus of unsigned/up-and-coming artists. Listen to more here: https://www.myspace.com/thesocialservices
The Social Services - Up in arms