Tag: Reviews
There's been a lot of hype surrounding Vapnet (Swedish for "The Weapon") this year in Sweden. This made me a bit dubious about them when I went to see them play earlier this year (hype usually has this effect on me). After the gig I felt that I was right about mistrusting Vapnet's ability to deliver, but now after I've managed to listen properly to their debut EP, I've come to realize that the hype was actually justified – Vapnet are great. Their melodic twee-like music with cocky outsider lyrics is utterly appealing (there's something of a Christmas atmosphere all over this EP, especially on the last song "Tusen mot en"). I'm not sure why I didn't like them when I saw them at the Hultsfred Festival in June, perhaps I was in the wrong mood, or they might just have done a bad gig. Who knows? Anyhow, I now really want to see these guys play another show.
- Simon Tagestam
Many of my closest friends are highly devoted, but I've never a massive fan of the somewhat "hip" English label Fat Cat. I can definitely see what the fuss is about though, since Fat Cat keeps on releasing stuff from some of the most interesting bands around (i.e. Animal Collective). My relationship with Fat Cat might change this autumn though, now when they're about to release two wonderful albums – one by Vashti Bunyan and another one by the Swedish band Amandine. Since this website is about Scandinavian music only, the following will be about the latter band. "This is where our hearts collide" is crammed with marvelous songs that have a hint of Will Oldham over them, but they're more indie than alt.country, and with my admiration for Will Oldham subduing a bit lately, Amandine give me those melancholy feelings that you so insanely cherish.
- Simon Tagestam
Usually when I get a demo from an unsigned act, I keep my expectations fairly low. I try to just listen for the artist's POTENTIAL, and not concern myself much with the undeveloped ideas or primitive mixes I expect to hear. Imagine my surprise then, when I played this rapturous 4-song demo by Norway's Ingvild Hasund. These are immaculately crafted, exquisitely produced tracks that sound like the work of a veteran performer, NOT someone shyly offering their first demos. I'm just blown away by this girl, truly. Hasund's music falls into a sort of jazzy pop vein, with touches of textured electronica and a beguiling aura of romantic yearning. There's also a subtle theatrical flair to Hasund's delivery which makes it easy to imagine her onstage in a Broadway musical, one that would likely keep an audience enthralled. It's hard not to get overwhelmed by emotion listening to the surprisingly lush orchestration on "So much to say", on which Hasund's voice bears just a hint of a less hyper Björk. The knob marked MAGIC was clearly turned up to the HIGH position in the studio for the sweetly melodic "Little song" and "All on a normal day" is a beautiful collision between noirish trip hop and cinematic jazz. This demo is honestly one of the best things I've heard this year, and Hasund deserves a record contract from a major right this minute.
- Kevin Renick
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from the follow-up to 2002's "D-d-don't stop the beat". Granted, I heard bits and pieces of Junior Senior's debut and got a good feel for what they were doing. It was fun, catchy and made you move. On their latest album, they take all of that and turn up the fun to 11. Combining late-'70s disco and '50s doo-wop harmonies was something I thought would never work, but they do a magnificent job of it, especially on tracks like "I like music", "No no no's" and "Ur a girl". With the addition of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of The B-52's and Le Tigre doing lead and backing vocals - yes, that's Kathleen Hanna's voice doing lead vocals on "Dance, chance, romance"), it kept things very interesting. My brother sticks by his claim that this is "the happiest album I've heard all year." Definitely a winner.
- Navy Keophan
I'm not really sure what we're supposed to blame the English for. Coldplay? Steak and kidney pie? Tony Blair? But I do know that The Lovekevins are a new upcoming band from Sweden, and they're excellent! I've been blessed to see them twice this summer, and both of those performances blew me away. This seven inch got three excellent poppy songs that are so catchy it hurts, and one ("Taking David (by strategy)") that's sounds much murkier (a tiny bit like Radio Dept.), but it's nonetheless great - just too bad it's so short. If The Lovekevins will ever release an album that will put both of these sides of them on display, I'm certain it's going to be magnificent.
- Simon Tagestam
Any time I find out about a new artist from Bergen, Norway, I immediately snap to attention, since several of my all-time favorite Scandi acts come from there. And Bergen is well established as one of the most amazingly creative places in the music world. So now the city gives us Paynbird and their debut album "The street of seven stars". Comparisons don't immediately come to mind, but the band offers a leisurely paced brand of introspective, jangly indie rock that blends acoustic and electric guitars roughly equally. Vocalist Kjersti Olsen has presence and emotional focus, although I wouldn't call hers a "classic voice" (it's just a shade too weary). But the arrangements are appealing and the production typically bright and clear. Three listens reveal this album to be a real grower, the kind of thing that'll insinuate itself into your subconscious and sound really great on some moody afternoon. Gotta love that Nordic melancholy!
- Kevin Renick
Pretentiousness aside, this is almost a perfect slice of pure (somewhat) subversive pop with sexy lyrics and vocals. They look like a female version of labelmates The Tough Alliance, but their music is much less indie and way more pop. Fun stuff.
- Simon Tagestam
Sweden's Timo Räisänen is famous in his mother country for being in Håkan Hellström's backing band and being a member of Her Majesty. This is the third single from his first solo album that was released earlier this year, and even though the actual album is a bit of a hit and miss affair, this is a fine, fine song. It's classic happy-go-lucky Swedish indie rock, and I find it hard to think that anyone could not like this song the first time they hear it. It's a bit like Shout Out Louds but less quirky and more melodic. The b-side is surprisingly bad though.
- Simon Tagestam
Ah, the punk-rock 7". Such a quaint relic of a bygone era. Same goes for the Born Against t-shirt worn by the band member on the front cover. Not that punk can't still be vital and important (I'll always love Born Against and support the DIY scene), but as they openly acknowledge with the song "Heard it all before", they aren't really doing anything new. Thankfully that's not the sole qualifier for good music because we'd be screwed. So if you're feeling nostalgic for grrl-punk such as Huggy Bear, check these kids out. It's not mindblowing, but I think it's good to hear that the spirit of that time lives on.
- Avi Roig
"The grim reality" is not only one of the best songs of the year, but the grim reality is also that summer's ending and this review is way too long overdue (my sincere apologies to the band who gave me this CD when they played in London ages ago). Wan Light sounds a bit like The Postal Service or a lo-fi version of The Flaming Lips (musically, but also lyrically - e.g. "The Eskimo in me"), and there's also a pleasant veil of melancholy over their music. The singer's voice might be an acquired taste, but if you manage to get over that obstacle there's plentiful to be gained from Wan Light.
- Simon Tagestam
A collaboration with Spanish magazine Rojo and Swedish label Nosordo, this compilation goes through some compelling sounds and songs from different genres (pop, folk, electro, noise etc) but each a foot solidly planted in experimentation. Swedes Conduo Orchestra, Tsukimono, Henrik Rylander, The Idealist and possibly more each give fitting and diverse performances. Definitely an interesting listen.
- Simon Thibaudeau
This one, also from Nosordo, goes into a more noisy direction of different genres. Although there is some melody to be found here and there, this is way more about texture and moods than anything else. Definitely a well designed playlist and a most interesting compilation. In many ways this compilation gives a great overview of what the indie scene has become in recent years, and how many great artists you barely know are out there.
- Simon Thibaudeau
This isn't original in any way whatsoever, but it's charming, inoffensive, non-subversive, and innocent, just like toddlers making crazy faces, kittens going nuts, puppies yawning, and really old people trying to dance. A whole album of this stuff would be too much, I guess, but I can easily stomach four songs, especially since none of them are over two minutes long. If you're a hardcore twee fan, and scared of the dark, I think you will find that the The Budgies could be your wettest (i.e. pretty dry) dream come true, if you're not this sort of person I still think you should go to their website and check some of their songs out since I bet you, just like me, will find their soothing and pleasant songs great for playing violent video games to.
- Simon Tagestam
If you didn't know it, twee is pretty goddamn big in Sweden, and Edson – Pelle Carlberg's band – are one of most adored bands in this sugary sweet genre. I never liked Edson, I always found them way too twee for their own good, but this solo EP from Mr. Carlberg has, after a few rounds in my CD player, managed to win me over. The main track got some brilliant lyrics where Pelle tells the story of how he calls a journalist because she's given him a bad review, only to be blatantly rebuffed and taken for being intoxicated (although he "wasn't even drunk"!). It's a nice little creepy song, and I like it a lot, and I'm not saying this because I'm scared that Pelle will write a song called something like "I hate you goddamn, Mr. Tagestam".
- Simon Tagestam
This is Laakso's first release on a major label, and they sound just like when they were on Adrian Recordings, only better. It's as if they've all of a sudden had some sort of epiphany and realized what all their shortcomings were and instantly scrapped them while totally utilizing all the stuff that makes them such a great band. All the four songs here are catchy, melodic, and great – it's quirky indie rock to its fullest (even better than The Shout Out Louds). Hopefully their major label deal will make Laakso as gigantic as their music.
- Simon Tagestam
Vapnet
Various Artists
Various Artists