I bet The Saphere are pretty good live, but the MOR rock that can be found on this self-released cd failed to impress me. It doesn't appear as if they've got a clue what sort of music they want to play either, on only 5 songs The Saphere plunders old school Swedish punk, rap-metal, MOR rock, garage rock, and tons of other genres. A demo it is, a promising debut it ain't.
- Simon Tagestam
To be honest, I've only read of the bands the members of Torpedo were in: Tiger Lou, Starmarket and The Je Ne Sais Quoi. I wasn't really sure of what to expect when listening to this EP. After listening to "Anticlockwise", I was really impressed. It takes the energy of guitarist Pontus Levahn's band Starmarket and the gentleness of his other band Tiger Lou (with Torpedo bandmate and bass player Erik Welén). Combined with TJNSQ drummer Jimmy Ottoson and rounded out by lead vocalist and guitarist Andreas Hogby, the band creates atmospheric indie rock. Can't really beat a band with a song about getting rid of a rival lover ("Plastic bag and a shovel"). Good stuff.
- Navy Keophan
Last year, The Tough Alliance released a couple of EPs that were so good that it almost makes me cry to think about them. I haven't longed to hear an album by ANY band like I longed for "The new school", since perhaps Oasis' stinker "Be here now". It was stupid of me to have such crazy hopes though, since no album ever released would be able to live up to these insanely high expectations. The album is very good, it contains a lot of excellent songs, don't get me wrong, but it also makes me wonder if perhaps TTA, like their label comrade Jens Lekman, work better on EPs than on full-length albums. Now, after initial disappointment, I've invested my confused hopes in the possibility that "The new school" is a grower.
- Simon Tagestam
Acid House Kings' new EP is viciously sweet, there's no denying that, it knocks me right out of my brown corduroy pants. You see, brown corduroy pants are, just like Acid House Kings, very twee, but whereas "Do what you wanna do" (especially the Belle and Sebastian-esque "This heart is a stone") is excellent, brown corduroy pants are rather drab.
- Simon Tagestam
For me, the opening moments of a song are the most crucial when it comes to determining whether or not I'll give the rest of the CD a listen. With Chick Habit, this was the case. This Stockholm quintet play something that sounds similar to AC/DC but with a bit of '60s-inspired pop thrown in. It sounded great until the vocals came in. Lead singer Miléne Larsson's voice is unbearable to the point where it actually ruins the music behind it. I couldn't listen to it after the first track.
- Navy Keophan
Now this is interesting. Instrumental (sometimes) craziness with Nintendo-like melodies (sometimes) and complicated song structure (sometimes) and a lot of all indie rock sorts. From Post-Punk to Kraut rock and everything since then they cover a lot of ground. Does it all make sense? Probably not, but who really cares? It rocks!
- Simon Thibaudeau
After all the Scandinavian male singer/songwriters bombarding us in the last few years with their often boring drivel, it's refreshing to hear a girl release an album that turns all of those Kristofer Åström, Nicolai Dunger, and Sondre Lerche albums into dust. My favourite song here, at the moment, is "Once I was a serene teenaged child" which starts with the "did she just sing that word?"-couplet: "Once I was a serene teenaged child / Once I felt your cock against my thigh." The album is refreshingly varied and fortunately Frida's lyrics are equally excellent, and the album is most likely to figure in my "Top 10 Albums of 2005". Believe the hype!
- Simon Tagestam
Singer-songwriter Juniper crafts here two little gems that foresees some beautiful songs in the future. Much like many of the (dumbest genre name ever) new folk movement, Juniper goes back to roots of simple acoustics and almost-cracking-but-just-shy voice that make it so engaging. Let's hope he continues on this path.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Formulaic as possible Last Amanda are trying to tap into the quickly sinking alt-rock credo with their self-titled album. Somehow a cross between Foo Fighters (good) and 3 Doors Down (crrrrap!) Last Amanda use tried and true riff progression with very little originality but with a comendable fervor. I'd rather hear this than the previously mentioned Superman-loving band, but barely.
- Simon Thibaudeau
The mix of acoustic and electronica is more and more present, but rarely mastered. My Enemy try really hard at getting something going, but most of the times the two universes clash and don't work towards a common goal. While the melodies and the songs are really good, the instrumentation and arrangements work about half the time. Manitoba's "Up in flames" is within reach but they are not quite there yet.
- Simon Thibaudeau
I'd say that Swedish hip-hop had its commercial peak 6 years ago with the release of Petter's second album "Bananrepubliken", but it has yet to reach its creative zenith. The only two acts that really interest me anymore are Looptroop (who got a new album coming out soon) and, to some extent, Timbuktu who has been enjoying critical acclaim and large records sales since his second album "W.D.M.D.". It's been written a lot in the Swedish press about this latest offering from Timbuktu, and how the album is supposedly inspired by a car crash that Jason Diakité (Timbuktu's real name) miraculously survived, but the album hasn't got as good reviews as his last two. For once, the press is right – this album is not as good as Timbuktu's older material but still it contains some swinging tracks.
- Simon Tagestam
What do you get when you combine Steve Baise of the Devil Dogs and two members (Happy-Tom and Euroboy) of Turbonegro? ROCK. Pure, simple, unadulterated rock. This two-disc collection should not disappoint fans of either bands. The first disc covers the Vikings' catalog while the second disc is from a live set at Last Train in Oslo from 1995. Songs such as "My friend's little sister", "Rock all" and "Savage" sound like they should be in a jukebox at a bar somewhere. the band even manages to throw in a few covers as well (Cheap Trick's "Surrender" and the Dictators "Next big thing"). Good stuff.
- Navy Keophan
Being a fan of southern rock and blues (give me Govn't Mule over Arcade Fire any day) this somehow fits within my palette of likes. One of Tomas' most important qualities might be that he doesn't take himself too seriously, a dangerous trait of many bluesmen. Overall, the music just leaves me wanting more uptempo numbers and less straightforward whining. Still, a pretty decent release.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Quirky instrumental indie rock that reminds of the way back when funk-thrash ruled the SF Bay Area. Remember when Primus, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and so on were on top of the world? And everyone wanted to hear slap bass? Now imagine all the copycat wannabees that sprouted up trying to cash in on the scene. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully, those days are long gone. I just wish bands like this would be gone too. Granted, TAA's bassist doesn't slap and pop, but it doesn't matter. No matter how musically skillful and tight they might be (which is plenty), my sickening sense of nostalgia is the same.
- Avi Roig
Judging from the artwork, these dudes aspire to be the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the music is much more inspired by 60s psyche-rock. They've got tons of classic vocal harmonies and that's their biggest strength. Think Crosby, Stills and Nash or The Eagles crossed with Nirvana or something like that. There's definite mainstream appeal, but enough twists and turns to make it interesting. It's still not the sort of thing I'd normally listen to, but I'm impressed. They've got a ton of potential, they just need to tighten up the production a bit. If the album was just a tad shorter and a bit more cohesive, it would kick ass.
- Avi Roig