PopMatters reviews Maia Hirasawa

PopMatters on the US release of Maia Hirasawa's "Though, I'm just me": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/70997-maia-hirasawa-though-im-just-me

PopMatters reviews Bobo Stenson

PopMatters on Swedish act Bobo Stenson Trio: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71188-bobo-stenson-trio-cantando/

Pfork reviews 'Money will ruin everything: the second edition''

Pitchfork reviews the second "Money will ruin everything" book/CD compilation released by esteemed Norwegian label Rune Grammofon: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/149461-various-artists-money-will-ruin-everything-the-second-edition

Jonathan Johansson
En hand i himlen
Hybris

Beginning with the dancetastic title track, Jonathan Johansson's debut albumshowcases the talent of someone who will surely be one of the biggest popstars to emerge from Sweden this year. Stylistically, I see him as the perfect successor to Kent (in particular their "Vapen & ammunition" album), but his sound is honed further down into slick. Catchy numbers of the uptempo set ("Sent för oss", "Högsta taket, högsta våningen") and the leaning-on-mournfulness of "Psalm noll noll" and "Du sa" all provide for a rather complete listen, especially considering it is a debut. "Innan vi faller" will obviously get many a U2 comparison, but one should not let that be a detraction from how great of a song it is. The only thing I find to be out of place on the album is his cover of "Everybody wants to rule the world" (here as "Alla vill ha hela världen"), as his originals are so strong it provides the albums weak point (also, I fear him becoming a "one-cover-hit wonder"). With a sweet falsetto caressing the melodies, Jonathan Johansson is a name to look out for.
- Matt Giordano

PopMatters reviews Burning Hearts

PopMatters reviews Finnish indiepop act Burning Hearts: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71068-burning-hearts-aboa-sleeping

WaPo Express bears witness to Satyricon

The Washington Post Express reports from Satyricon's recent headlining gig in Virginia: https://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/03/now_diabolical_satyricon_at_jaxx.php
Be sure to check the footer links for more photos and a short bit about openers 1349.

Lasse Lindh
Jag ska slåss i dina kvarter
Groover Recordings

Lasse Lindh has been active last few years with his stabilized interval of releases, and we simply dig that, don't we? He is a pop-pro, with good quality songs throughout his career, and more or less in the same category as Håkan Hellström and Markus Krunegård. Say what you want about easily broken song-voices, it's not an impediment in times like this, rather the opposite. The recordings from last year started in Gothenburg together with the producer Hans Olsson Brookes, the same producer working with Timo Räisänen, ain't surprising if you think of "Kom kampsång" (2008), right? Well this single "Jag ska slåss i dina kvarter" (and b-side "Vi har dansat för länge utan takt") is in the summer festival category of course, with its freshness, youth-appeal and energy! Everyone wants to dance to this song this year, with a collective longing for that sparkling hard-to-get love that you could simply die for. And I have to throw out an extol, 'cause you know what, I just love artists like this, writing songs in the native language, making the words understandable to all. This is fresh and delicate sweet Swedish pop at its best; don't miss this one.
- Therese Buxfäldt

The SIlent Ballet reviews Fever Ray

The Silent Ballet reviews Fever Ray: https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/2212/Default.aspx

PopMatters reviews new Slaraffenland EP

PopMatters reviews Slaraffenland's new "Sunshine" EP: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/70555-slaraffenland-sunshine-ep

PopMatters reviews The Deer Tracks

PopMatters reviews The Deer Tracks' debut album "Aurora": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/70786-the-deer-tracks-aurora

TSB reviews Svarte Greiner

The Silent Ballet reviews Norwegian ambient artist Svarte Greiner's latest work "Kappe": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/2190/Default.aspx

Maribel
Taste the trash 7"
Oslo Grammofon

Oslo shits out yet another shoegaze band and of course Emil Nikolaisen from Serena Maneesh is in the credits, this time as producer, alongside Bjarne Stensli (Harrys Gym, I Was A King). Hoo-boy, that's quite a lineup of mediocre bands, so why should this be any different? Actually, the a-side ("Taste the trash") isn't all that bad, despite the robotic drumming. I'd even say that the abundant feedback squalls adequately compensate for the overall lack of energy, egged on by by the heavily layered and buried female vocals. Side two ("Spit voyage") aims to repeat the formula by amping things up even higher, but the polyrhythmic arrangement doesn't work at all and subsequently comes across like a huge mess. And again, that damn drummer! I swear, if you told me it was a machine I'd believe you, he's so competently lifeless. Loosen up man! The future of your band depends on it.
- Avi Roig

High Hats
The Montpellier sessions
Alleycat Records

My first though when I listened to The High Hats' new EP "The Montpellier sessions" was: Wow, this must be how Broder Daniel would sound without their depression. Even though they do sound like BD at times, there is no way to describe The High Hats sound without mentioning The Ramones, the teen/pop vocals in combination with a strong drum and bass just screams Ramones. And just like The Ramones, The High Hats' music is energetic and frantic and leaves no room for anything else. The EP just keeps on growing and it keeps the listener interested for as long as a 5 track EP possibly can. At times it's hard to sit still and not sing-along, hard to not to get influenced by the energy the music creates. The release grabs you straight from the start and when it ends, it leaves you craving for more and it's no wonder with its strong lyrics and punk-pop sound. Yes, The High Hats new EP is truly hard to forget.
- Morten Frisch

Sad Day For Puppets
Live @ The Social, London, UK - 02/23/2009

This week is a great week for Swedish music connoisseurs living in London, both Sad Day for Puppets and First Aid Kit are playing here. Yesterday I went to The Social to see Sad Day for Puppets. First up were The Deer Tracks (also from Sweden), who play music I don't get at all – some kind of slow ambient electro drone. There are fans of this genre, I'm pretty certain on that, but I don't associate with them. I watched half their set, then I ordered another beer and sat down as far away from the stage I could.

Sad Day for Puppets are great, their album is very solid and they've got some blinding songs (they sound a bit like a more melodic The Radio Dept. or a more shoegazing Camera Obscura). Yesterday it was all shambles though, mostly due to the sound situation being catastrophic. Over the weekend I went to a festival in Oslo and, despite short changeovers and stressed out musicians, nothing there sounded as bad as yesterday's show. There was feedback throughout the whole set and Anna Ecklund's vocals were barely audible (something that the crowd kept pointing out, alas to no avail). I don't blame the band, they did as best as they could, just a shame that they had to suffer on the behalf of a sound engineer not being able to do his job (The Deer Tracks brought their own engineer who annoyingly ran back and forth all the time to check that the sound was ok, but at least he got the job done). I'm not particularly fussy about how a gig sounds, as long as I can hear the vocals I'm usually ok, so this was a very rare occasion where the quality of the sound actually ruined my whole gig experience. A total waste of £6 and an evening.
- Simon Tagestam

PopMatters adds to Luomo hype?

PopMatters on Luomo's vastly overrated "Convivial" album: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/69955-luomo-convivial/
I seriously do not get the appeal of this record whatsoever - I've tried to listen many times, but it's a total snore.