The Village Voice on the new wave of Scandinavian ethereal weirdness, ie Ólafur Arnalds, Es, Ville Leinonen, and Paavoharju: https://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-29/music/five-founts-of-ethereal-weirdness-lafur-arnalds-es-ville-leinonen-and-paavoharju/

PopMatters reviews Swedish artist Boy Omega: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/61111/boy-omega-hope-on-the-horizon/

Amalie Riis
Safe and sound
Songcrafter Music

Safe and sound is right, this record takes no risks. Amalie Riis has a nice voice and I'm sure she's got a great heart, but her emotional resonance is close to nil. In a world filled with aspiring singer/songwriters, it takes much more to stand out from the pack and simply being "nice" is never enough. No amount of talent can make up for lack of creativity, though sometimes that can be overcome by force of personality or sheer energy. Sorry to say, her skills are not being put to good use. Which is not to say this album is entirely lacking highlights, it's just that they shine so dimly. I enjoy the ethereal Emmylou Harris-esque opener "Nothing you can do about it" and the John Prine homage "My heaven" is also decent (even if it is actually a Laurie McClain song), but the rest passes by without leaving much of a wake. Perfectly pleasant, though also perfectly forgettable. Say no to mediocrity.
- Avi Roig

The Silent Ballet on the new Jeniferever EP "Nangijala": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1596/Default.aspx

Peter Jandreus
The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk 1977 - 1987
Premium Publishing

As with most Premium Publishing releases, the issue is whether or not you are interested in subject matter because ontent-wise, they have no peers, even if said content is flawed. In this particular case, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" is marred by substandard editing (bad grammar, spelling errors, inconsistent formatting), but more than makes up for it by providing a vast wealth of information. Where else are you going to find this stuff? It's got it all: band bios and full discography details including tracklists, cover art and pressing info for every single notable release that came out of the genre's first decade of existence. And I have to say, the poor proofing kinda makes me miss my old punk zines. If it was perfect it wouldn't be punk.

Some may balk at whether or not various bands were included (or not), but as author Peter Jandreus pointed out in our interview, it's his book and anyone who disagrees is more than welcome to write their own competing guide. I actually think the personal approach works well as it gives the collection a more cohesive feel and makes for a far more entertaining read, especially when it comes to bands and styles Peter may not be so fond of. And really, without a notable bias, the review quips and ratings would be worthless. It gives it perspective. On the other hand, I would have liked to see a bit more anecdotes or "where-are-they-now?" features, but I also fully understand how easy it would be to become completely overwhelmed by that much information. More is often better, but it can also become tedious very easily. In that case, the tease of a short quip is all the more enticing for readers explore deeper on their own, a task that I see as one of the book's main goals.

Minor quibbles aside, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" comes very highly recommended. Vinyl fetishists will no doubt appreciate the physical permanence of a hefty guidebook and the content contained therein is unbeatable, even with the wealth of information readily available online. I'm already looking forward to the next volume.
- Avi Roig

Dogday
AM/PM EP
Shout Shout Shout

No use sugarcoating it, this record isn't good. Furthermore, the free download version on their website is even worse. What's up with the useless splash page? And the background music you can't turn off? Gratuitous animation you can't skip? And then to download one track at a time? Oh, and don't try navigating to another page while it's working, it'll cancel out leaving you to begin the whole damn exercise all over again. What I'm saying is, don't bother. Sometimes free isn't really free.

As for what you're "missing", Dogday plays post-punkish indierock hampered by a weak vocalist and a lack of melody. They aim for detached cool and end up boring. The shit mastering job doesn't help, it's just as flat and lifeless as the songs. Avoid.
- Avi Roig

Paper Thin Walls on the new Lindstrøm track "The long way home": https://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1708

Convoj/The House Floor
Split 7"
Sound/Friends Network

I should've covered this one ages ago, so here's to making up for lost time! It's a new song from Convoj and I'm incredibly excited about it as I've been waiting for new material from these guys for ages upon ages. And now with rumours of a new album actually coming to fruition (finally!), we might as well check back in here for a taste of what to expect and well, they certainly didn't reinvent the wheel on this one -- if you dug the band's previous postpunk-influenced, angular rock'n'roll noisepop, then you will be contented. They're as great as ever, with powerful, driving beats and compelling, exuberant vocals. Pity it's only one track, but I'll take what I can get.

Elsewhere, on the flipside, we're treated to a track by Virginia-based act The House Floor. They're a band who follows in the fine harDCore tradition of their neighbors, 'cept that instead of taking after Fugazi (yay!), they tend to follow more in the footsteps of Jawbox (boo!). The song is way too long, it doesn't go anywhere and it has no hooks whatsoever. A decent rhythm section doesn't make it okay, in fact it only disappoints me more because it means they're not talentless.

On a more positive tip, it's worth noting that the art direction on this record is great. I love the cover design and limited palette of black, grays and blue printed on heavy white paper. The matching white vinyl is a nice touch, too.
- Avi Roig

Mist
On high heels EP
self-released

Mist consists of 4 girls from Gothenburg and is the kind of band that fall into the category "see them live", since their originality isn't striking when just listening, I need some charisma here! "On high heels" is a self released album, recorded in Peekaboo Studios, an alternative Pop EP consisting of 5 songs with a general impression of moderate beauty. According to me and the fact that they have played together since childhood, they should sound more original and improvisational. I'm saying that it is a bit too unbuoyant; there are intersections between the sound and the lead vocal, the cause of that can be the answer of the difference between track 3: "My baby blue" (which is excellent) to the other songs. Martha Brauer's vocal is on the right spot on this song, the ensemble is faultless from instrument, chorus to style, exactly the jazzy to swinging touch that Mist should concentrate completely on. In "My baby blue" I find the potential of this group and further on I hope they will improvise more to their success. Meanwhile, I might see them live.
- Therese Buxfäldt

Pitchfork reviews the new Ida Maria album "Fortress round my heart": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/141944-ida-maria-fortress-round-my-heart

The Bridal Shop
In violation 7"
Cloudberry Records

I typically prefer my tweepop with female vocals since I could really care less about yet another dude trying out his best Morrissey impression, but this one breaks the mold by pairing a male and female vocalist on opposite sides with the man coming out far superior. Her pitch and timbre is good enough for this sort of C86 pop revival, but she's constantly pushing ahead of the beat and I simply can't hang at all. The song ("Coming real") isn't all that interesting either, but hey - it is a b-side, so I suppose I can't be that disappointed. As for the main attraction ("Violation"), it sounds like something Jens Lekman might do if he was spaced out on quaaludes with its soaring strings and soft synth tones, all swirling together in a dazed, shoegazey soup. And yes, he does try his best to channel everyone's favorite English fop, but at least it's buried in the mix. I can hang with that.
- Avi Roig

Paper Thin Walls on the Tape track "Moth wings": https://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1755

Ólafur Arnalds
Live @ Café 939, Boston, 07/08/08

The Boston night of Ólafur Arnalds' first American tour at Berklee student-run venue Café 939 was poised to go off without a hitch. The laid-back atmosphere of its new concert space complemented Ólafur's introductory request for the crowd to be seated. So with the hundred-strong crowd sitting and silent, Ólafur began, quickly settling into that particular orchestral noodling that made half of his debut album "Eulogy for evolution" colossally boring. The occasional sequence of the cello, alone, bearing two notes for five "pensive" minutes only served to annoy other seated concertgoers -- including headliner Gregor Samsa's fans -- who were beginning to cramp.

At one point Ólafur acknowledged Berklee's reputation by exclaiming "It was always my dream to come to Berklee to study drums under Mike Mangini." It's not a surprise, then, that the computerized drum sequences were the highlight of the show, rarities where the strings were allowed some breathing room away from the tepid pulse of Ólafur's piano.

Though the introductory titter of Ólafur's synth high-hat was the only thing that inspired real confidence in me, it's there that he lost his. Perhaps understanding album standout "3055" was to be the highlight of his show, he faltered, missing some cues and frantically tapping away at his synthesizer, leaving the song piano-less at its most important moment.

After apologizing, he settled into the closing song, which ill-advisedly incorporated prominent Icelandic avant-garde clichés, trying on Johan Johannson's computerized voice and Sigur Rós' projected-dove backdrop -- leaving us with a much poorer taste in our mouths than the end of "Eulogy" did, with a return to the soft, aimless plodding that colored the night.
- Nathan Keegan

The Violent Years
s/t
Playground

Mandal may be the southernmost town in Norway, but if this debut EP from The Violent Years is any indication, it still gets plenty dark there. The band has been compared to acts such as Willard Grant Conspiracy, 16 Horsepower and the obligatory Nick Cave, and with good reason. The five songs revel in a southern gothic atmosphere that would have made Flannery O'Connor proud. Songs start off with lines like: "Caroline was the oldest of three/she ruled the world/and then she blew her head off." Even when the guitars get boisterous, the mood is unflinchingly solemn. It's hard not to think of small towns, hot sticky nights, deranged characters, and overgrown vegetation.

All that can get a little heavy, and at times it does. For the most part, though, The Violent Years usually find a middle ground between over-the-top melodrama and dull gloom. They're particularly effective in their use of piano to add both lighthearted moments and drama. There are passages on here that are truly beautiful. All in all, it's a remarkably mature, confident and very impressive debut.
- Nancy Baym

Paper Thin Walls on "Blissful" by Tobias Fröberg: https://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1688