Paper Thin Walls on Pluxus: https://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1630

Dusted reviews the new Sigur Rós album: https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4387

The Washington Post Express was completely won over by Norwegian act Datarock: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/29/AR2008062901983.html

Various Artists
Live @ Accelerator Festival (Day 2), Stockholm, 06/25/08

First of all, Fuck festivals.

Anyway, Battles we're amazing. Just really amazing. I want to have John Stanier's kids. I want to be in gay porn with Ian Williams. And, uuh... I want to have coffee and hang out with Tyondai Braxton. But I digress (I think).

On record they come across as this perfectionist machine with every sound in place. The live experience is different in the way that you see a breathing, living rock n'roll machine. Not everything is in its exact place here, but who cares? I just see them having an amazing time and it's very contagious. The most amazing thing about Battles live is to see how hard John Stanier is working. Somewhere in his mind I bet he's kicking himself for making up probably the most strenuous drumriffs in history and having to play them every night.

It was just crazy. It's also incredible how disconnected it is from everything else that's happening in music. These guys are in their own stratosphere here. It's primal in a way. It's basically distorted percussion, fucked up punk rock croumata if you will. since it's devoid of musical reference it all connects directly into the reptile brain and creates a communal experience based on instinct. Like I'm in the stone age and some tall Italian is playing on rocks and blowing everyone's mind. I mean, how does it look on paper? The drummer from Helmet? Wtf? A guy from Styx? I want to stalk them in food stores.

Also, other bands played.
- Mathias Rask-Andersen

Pitchfork reviews Kleerup: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/51044-kleerup
Also posted, an mp3 from Juvelen who, as I mentioned before, will be playing a few NYC shows coming up: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/51412-juvelen-hanna-mp3stream

Svart
Älskade, älskade du EP
self-released

The other day while chatting with my friend about Håkan Hellström, she became frustrated with me when I described the artist as a symbol of Gothenburg, sitting on an icon throne. She laughed when I gave him a simile Halo thing. She contended that we need something in addition than Hellström in this town. The curious coincidence about this; the same day I stumbled on a band that made me say, a new Håkan sound! Is this his little brother that isn't supposed to be like him? (Swedes you get it). No it's not, I am talking about the band Svart, with their EP "Älskade älskade du". These guys are delivering Swedish indiepop, from the generation that grew up with Broder Daniel, Melody Club, The Ark and was influenced by my halo guy above, but also by Bad Cash Quartet and Hello Saferide. A fascinating blend isn't it? And it serves, it serves, it serves! This is as a rowdy popsicle that all of us may want to taste, infinitely, this summer. This EP consists of 5 songs, all good, my favorites is for sure "Elin när hon dansar and Tåget", which makes me think of Per Gessle's "Här kommer alla känslorna på en och samma gång" and Kristian Anttila's "Paul Weller", a great combo. I will bring this EP to the summer evenings with barbecuing and give Svart applause since they are giving us something extra and something original that can be described as Student-life music. Finally, People! We have something more to listen to than "För sent för edelweiss" this summer. This is a sunny-romance, spreading love and delight. 5 songs could be more, I want more! However... my friend told me she likes it. Is this something we asked for? What do you think?
- Therese Buxfäldt

Pitchfork continues their love affair with Sincerely Yours by inducting Air France's latest EP "No way down" into their "Best New Music" list: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/51510-no-way-down-ep

PopMatters reviews the new Studio disc "Yearbook 2": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/60059/studioyearbook-2/
Also covered, the new Mats Morgan Band album "Heat beats live": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/59707/mats-morgan-band-heat-beats-live/

Pitchfork reviews the new Sally Shapiro remix album "Remix romance vol. 2": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/51288-remix-romance-vol-2
Also at Pfork, an interview with Finnish act Circle: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/51383-column-show-no-mercy- (at the bottom)

PopMatters offers their take on the new Sigur Rós: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/59827/sigur-ros-me-su-i-eyrum-vi-spilum-endalaust/
Also reviewed: the new Scorch Trio album "Brolt!": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/scorch-trio-brolt/

Pitchfork reviews the new Studio album "Yearbook 2" plus Sigur Rós' latest record.

Pop 'n Cherries reviews the new album "Madeleine Street" from Cocoanut Groove: https://popncherries.skynetblogs.be/post/5994858/cocoanut-groove--madeleine-street

The Silent Ballet reviews the new Pg.Lost album "It's not you, it's me": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1562/Default.aspx

The Silent Ballet reviews Danish ambient/doom/shoegazer act Svartbag: https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1531/Default.aspx

Fredrik
Na na ni
Jezebel Recordings

Fredrik wants us to believe many things: First, that he's actually a six-piece band. Second, that he unifies such far-reaching influences as Fairport Convention, Steve Reich and Barbara Morgenstern. And finally, that he likes to tell dark fairy tales that make you feel as though you're a ten-year-old lost in a threatening forest. Personally, I tend to go with him on the six-piece band thing (which includes members of Scraps of Tape, Vit Päls and The LK), and I can definitely make out large influences of experimental folk as well as of more recent folktronica -- think guitar and dulcimer plus the occasional analogue static, loops and geegaw percussion. All the while, the darkness of the lyrics is actually nicely contrasted with the extroverted, complex playfulness of the music: It's amazing to hear Fredrik combine all of his influences into such a coherent record where electronica gives way to straight singer-songwriterism that's instantly merged with post-psychedelia. Still, this album is clearly not about browbeating the listener with excessive namedropping or clever genre-bending, but about captivating melodies and even straight-out pop. Maybe that forest just isn't so threatening after all and it'd be worthwile to linger a little longer.
- Arnulf Köhncke