Tag: Reviews
Because of the hype and certain boyfriend associations, it took me some time before I caved in and bought The Concretes' first album. This time around, I don't give a damn about any hype or family relations - I just want to listen, listen, listen to this excellent album all day every day. The Concretes' debut was mighty good, now for "In colour" they've produced an album with even more melodic and stronger songs. Just like there are 'feel good films', there are of course 'feel good records' and "In colour" is precisely one of those.
- Simon Tagestam
Their website claims that the debut record from Sweden's Antennas (formerly Novak) reflects the music from the 1980s and 1990s in which they grew up, but it may well be closer to the synth pop sensibilities producer Giorgio Moroder popularized in the late 1970s as he worked his way out of disco toward new wave. The ten songs on this record are built on synthetic plink-plink-plinky sounds, around which alternating conventional rock guitars, bursts of energetic drumming, and electronic distortion are juxtaposed with the organic sounds of pianos, strings, or horns. Eschewing conventional song structures, Antennas favor recurring motifs and unexpected transitions, the songs shift more than they build. Despite the variety of instruments, the sound is relatively sparse, leaving the focus on idiosyncratic vocals a listener will either adore or tire of quickly. There are a lot of interesting qualities here and some stand out tracks, but as a whole it wears thin too long before the end.
- Nancy Baym
Things have been looking up in a big way for this sincere and prolific Swedish band, especially with the generally warm reception given the US release of "Failures and sparks" last year. Now comes this modest little EP, which features the intense track "First blood" from the "Cold war classic" CD and three new tracks. "I've had it up to here/It won't last another year/I've had a good time/But the good times made me blind" is a pretty impactful lyric from that first song, especially with the close-mic'd vocals this group always deliver. Of the newer tunes, "Tonight I don't sleep" is a low-key charmer that features melodic, processed whistling and minimal guitar accompaniment. I like the gentle delivery this group is known for, even though you wish they'd kick it up a notch sometimes.. "Cold war classic" is more uptempo, but the percussion is barely audible; what you get is mostly vocal harmonies and some interesting metaphorical lyrics. And "Changing of the guards" is a very sparse, but compelling cover of an old Dylan tune, which offers nice muted keyboards, strong lead vocals and the added interest of having the Chrysler's distinguished brand of Swedish melancholy applied to Dylan's narrative detail. There's a kind of demo quality to this EP, but that unique Chrysler sensitivity and vocal clarity shine through.
- Kevin Renick
Talk about a name with a built-in contradiction! Marybell Katastrophy, best known from her regular gig with Denmark's Tiger Tunes (she's "Marie"), has a first name that evokes sweetness, flowers and old-fashioned femininity, but add an unsettling last name like "Katastrophy" and you've got a major bit of conceptual duality going on. There's some of that in the music on this fascinating solo EP, too. Of the 4 songs, two ("Hey Frank" and "His desperate voice") are basically ballads, although that first song puts out a fierce burst of energy after alternating verses (MK evokes a bit of Sinead O'Connor in the timbre of her voice and a sense of fiery conviction battling with uncertain emotions). But on the other two songs, "Hidden agenda" and "Lost ship", Marybell serves up generous slices of chugging, eclectic electronica that are mesmerizing. A loopy synth loop grabs you and won't let go on "Hidden," and MK matches it with a vigorous, appealing vocal that's drenched with character. "Lost ship" has to be the highlight, though. This tune is three and a half minutes of bleepin' electropop weirdness, with smooth male-female harmonies competing for attention with the eccentric arrangement. Halfway through there's one of the most startlingly original moments I've heard on a disc in months, with an "electronic critter" making strange high-pitched utterances while tart backing harmonies and another powerful main vocal take turns blowing your mind. It's truly riveting. I was sorry this EP ended; Ms. Katastrophy definitely left me wanting more. How about a full-length, Marybell? You've got the smarts--and the art--to make that a stellar proposition
- Kevin Renick
"Floating in cool I've got my own little rules" may have many laud the title as an art project - the band may use visuals onstage, parade early '90s sampedelica as their own - but overall this is as solid as any current mainstream big hitting issue today. Just as Kaiser Chiefs cover KLF, you know something is in the air so if it needed earthing La Tour could offer that metal-to-earth connection. There are smidgens of many fine artists like Future Sound Of London or even The Orb in places, but La Tour really peg things through some deep house roots and the eerie beats on tracks like "Diskotek" and "Hus". The soundscapes on "A space before night" are gurn worthy. You can own the nine track CD disc via the band's website, but would someone please press a batch of 12" vinyl EPs of this stuff and get it out in the clubs. It works on all fronts.
- Jason Christie
Here is something lacking in this world: any band that is able to bring the energy and intelligence of Minor Threat. Something else: bands that like the DC hardcore sound enough to try to bring it somewhere else, like Fugazi did. Ian MacKaye obsessed? Perhaps, but you have to admit that those two rocked pretty solidly. Menfolk almost give both my wishes a reality. Menfolk take the DC sound and add aggression, technicality and interesting syncopation in a move that reminds me of what Dillinger Escape Plan did to metalcore. It is not enough to drop me on my ass but it certainly rock enough for repeated listens.
- Simon Thibaudeau
An opening track strong enough to belt Tyson 'round the chops. "Man overboard" is produced by Björn Yttling to provide that "Swedish sound" mixed with a lot of Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette from the female duo. A folk hum, musical underlays, dubs and effects, plus mixed up quirky yet always emotive lyrics give the finese. Given the Cardigans unique early sound on "Emmerdale" and "Life!" albums, it is easy to see why Montys Loco are slated to support them on the band's Scandinavian tour (ahead of Anna Ternheim we hear). There's a warble lyric thing going on in places and if singer Anja Bigrell let herself go a bit she would be out into Björk wilderness - at least, that is, via the production - mind, there are artists out there falling into the same strength, one to start with is Sara Culler. And why do these sort of record stop short of hitting full wackiness a la Imogen Heap? Leaves one thinking only: radio. All told this album is WOW!
- Jason Christie
Björn Olsson has musical wanderlust. So perfectly does he capture the ambiance (at least as presented by old Hollywood films) of the southwestern US on his latest album "The lobster", you figure he musta gone down there to check it out. Either that, or he's absorbed every nuance of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns (and the Ennio Morricone scores that accompanied them) from the privacy of his living room. Every element of that southwest sound is there - the evocative acoustic guitar strumming, the clippity-clop percussion (you can almost see them horsies trotting down a canyon trail), and even some enchanting whistling on perhaps the finest track, "Lång låt i A-dur". The last track is nearly an hour long and reprises themes from the earlier tracks in a sleepier, more muffled form, a distinctively cinematic tactic. There's not a lot of variety on this disc, but the mood it evokes, it evokes quite strongly. And Olsson is a casually brilliant multi-instrumentalist, a guy who could head in several different directions of his choosing (including one scoring films) to peddle his sonic wares. "The lobster"is gonna be an acquired taste by design, but it's easily the best Swedish-made, crustacean-promoting, old American west-evoking platter I've ever heard.
- Kevin Renick
I think instrumental rock bands are flourishing right now as I have heard more of them in the past few months than I have in the past few years. Past the excesses of many post-rock bands, it seem that rocking out in a simpler manner is getting more popular. In the case of Samuel Jackson Five, they take familiar influences like Shellac and Don Caballero but infuse it with much more pop and indie sensibilities than any of the other instrumental bands I have heard lately. They sound almost like 70's prog-rock in many places. If there is one thing I don't particularly like is that the record is way overproduced.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Here are two songs by two quirky songwriters that take immediacy in performance to a new level. Cryptic Scenery goes into a long number with acoustic guitars, some celestial keyboards and a soulful electric guitar solo and Christian H. Sotemann's own quirky voice. It ends with an infinite groove that unfortunately my turntable doesn't like. Antenne, on his side of things, starts his song like an airport announcement to get us in the mood of a voyage into the stratosphere with the help low-key singer Marie-Louise Munck. So very different in façade, these two songs totally make sense together on the same record. Great stuff.
- Simon Thibaudeau
I believe there are two bands called The Idle Hands at the moment, one American and one Swedish. It'll be interesting to see who will get to keep the name. These guys (the Swedish ones, of course) sound, in places, a bit like a MOR version of Last Days of April in their most melodic mood. Most of the time it's too cheesy and 80s sounding for me though, and it's also way too polished for my taste. I guess there are people out there who really enjoy this sort of stuff. So, good luck to The Idle Hands in finding those fans (and keeping their name).
- Simon Tagestam
Who's in the band Glasson? Where are they from? I have no idea, but I'm OK with that. In this era of everyone having a Myspace page for his or her 47 side projects, it's refreshing to be listening to a band about whom I know absolutely nothing. It adds some intrigue. Anyway, about half of this demo EP consists of mid-tempo rock which is mostly forgettable. The singer has a rather distinctive voice which sounds a bit awkward on the mid-tempo songs. The other half, happily, dips into Nuggets-style 60s garage with gleeful abandon. Take opener "Alpha male," for instance. Over a fast riff the singer exclaims, "I am the alpha male! Hip-hip-hip-hip-hooray!" while the other band members shout some falsetto "whoo hoos" and the drummer tries to keep up. Maybe Glasson will stick to the garage-rock angle and stay in the shadows. We need more Strangeloves and ? and the Mysterians these days.
- Matthew W. Smith
Sometimes I don't understand why bands do certain things. On this 7" Gravel Control tries to keep things as raw as possible but totally destroys any kind of enjoyment I might have. While the songwriting and the mood on these four slow rockers appeal to me (they sound like a cross between a doom-metal band and the slower, early Sonic Youth numbers) the way they are packaged is atrocious. By that I mean that the guitars are out of tune and there are mistakes everywhere. I don't mind No-Wave (I actually enjoy quite a bit of it) but Gravel Control don't fit in that scene at all.
- Simon Thibaudeau
This is one of the most impressive debut records I've heard lately because it breaks the usual first-album trend of having weaker filler songs to round out a few good singles. Start to finish, 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.
- Matthew W. Smith
The Idle Hands. The Soft Eyes. I see a pattern here (that might have started with the The Talking Heads). Anyhow, The Soft Eyes are more my cup of tea than The Idle Hands, and they haven't got that much in common with The Idle Hands except their body parts band name. These fellows play alt-country that reminds me a bit of Elliott Smith. It also sounds like Kristofer Åström, although it never reaches the same levels as Mr. Fireside's songs do. Despite that, I like this, and I'm looking forward to listen to this album without having to think about it in 'reviewing terms'. Nevertheless, what a boring name!
- Simon Tagestam
Antennas
Menfolk
Montys Loco
Björn Olsson