Tag: Reviews
7
It seems silly to call this "Volume 2" when disc one is essentially a reprise of the original "Svenska punkklassiker" comp with a slightly different tracklist and an extended timeframe. Sure, a few quality acts got culled in the process (or resigned to the excellent "Svensk postpunk klassiker" collection), but the heavy hitters (Ebba Grön, KSMB, etc.) remain. As for extending the date range to cover the entire 80s, well we can argue endlessly about who was unfairly left off and so on, but overall I think it allows for more variety, thus a better sampling of what early Swedish punk has to offer.
Disc two however, is where things become problematic. Swedish punk in the 90s was a mixed bag, to say the least, and I'm sure there's all sorts of folks out there who bristle at the inclusion of many bands here. C'mon, I love Fireside, but to call them classic Swedish punk is stretching things. Sure, they evolved from the right place, but to hear them followed by Skitsystem is quite a transition.
Anyhow, all issues of personal taste set aside, this collection does deliver a decent overview of the Swedish punk scene for novice listeners. The intro essay by Mikael Sörling gives the music historical context and the extra notes for each track (all på Svenska 'natch) are a most welcome touch, especially considering that they are sorely lacking from other collections in the Klassiker series. Of course, in an ideal world, we'd have a double-disc collection for each decade, but it still succeeds well enough as-is to earn a reserved recommendation.
- Avi Roig
4
This 3-track 7" serves as the band's swansong, but considering that I had never heard them until this record showed up, it hardly matters. A fitting epitaph? Eh, probably not. Anyhow, Personkrets 3:1 play(ed) crusty hardcore with a pronounced metal influence that creeps through in the various breakdowns and quick solo breaks that pepper each song. They put it off competently enough, but it's just not that interesting for the most part. The one exception however is "Krigssång", a track based on an old poem by Dan Andersson which is by far the most melodic and best composed tune on the record. It makes me feel like if they embraced their metal side a bit more, they'd be a better band, but I suppose that's a moot point considering their current inactive status. Perhaps the ex-members' new band Misanthropic will tip the scales further one way or another, wait and see.
- Avi Roig
Read PopMatters correspondent Adrien Begrand's reports from by:Larm: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/blogs/notes-from-the-road/
NME recounts their by:Larm highlights: https://tinyurl.com/yu34zf
7
Sweden's Birds on Holiday play sweet indie pop that sounds like Saturday Llooks Good to Me and they also make me think of a latter-day Popsicle (former Swedish indie stalwarts). They've got two lead singers - a man and woman - a combination that I am particularly fond of. It would be nicer with more duets though, instead of just letting them take turns singing songs. It's a neat little album, with some pretty melodies and the songs are surprisingly well-written and performed. The lyrics aren't that special though; in fact, that's where this album falls short. Some of the songs are also a tad repetitive and annoying. Yes, Birds on Holiday could do with more of the better songs, less of the dull ones, and a bit more finesse lyric-wise (there's nothing better than subversive twee, right?). I still think some of these songs are amazing though, so I'd recommend it to lovers of fluffy indie pop (like Belle & Sebastian et al).
- Simon Tagestam
5
This is indiepop music for indiepop people. Chances are high that if you're in the target audience for this record, you probably already know about it and have made up your mind about whether or not it will become part of your collection. For the rest of us, here's the scoop: this is the first vinyl 7" released by prolific singles-only label Cloudberry Records out of Florida. They've been putting out a small, but successful run of twee/C86-focused 3" CDRs (and other stuff) for awhile now, so it's only natural that they try their hand at something bigger. Does it succeed? Well sure, I guess so. That is, if you like the idea of Swedish boys crooning like Morrissey over shimmering guitars and drum machine beats. As for me, let me just say that I prefer "Wentworth" over the flipside and leave it at that.
- Avi Roig
6
On Silent Highway's myspace page, six sources of inspiration are illustrated: one of them is David Bazan and one is David's (former) project Pedro the Lion. And frankly, that wouldn't have been hard to guess when listening to the songs of Morten Storgaard's debut album as Silent Highway. Since I'm a big fan of everything Mr. Bazan does, it wasn't hard to gain my initial sympathies either. Lyrically, the songs presented here might not be on par with the "idol's", but musically speaking, the unusual harmonies and the careful arrangements provide a very nice background for Morten's expressive, yet positively unobtrusive singing. A promising first album that keeps me waiting to hear more from Silent Highway in the future.
- Arnulf Köhncke
7
Swedish bands break up and morph into others quicker than an atom, or at least so it seems. The collaborative effort is so high, it's as if the Social-Democracy permeates every level of society, and, within the music scene, usually proves to be a successful act. Here for example, we have Don't Be A Stranger, a band which features former members of Honey Is Cool. For comparative purposes, this is not too dissimilar stylistically from The Concretes and The Tiny, though I find them to be better than the former and more accessible than the latter. On the tracks "Lonely together", "Yellow moon" and "Too late", the band is at their peak, with the mellow, intertwining instruments creating the space needed for the listener's maximum enjoyment. Just because one has an instrument doesn't mean one has to fill every second with sound - and with a group such as Don't Be A Stranger, the notes not played allow the music to be most emphatic.
- Matt Giordano
Pitchfork says the new Raveonettes album "Lust lust lust" is their best yet: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/48756-lust-lust-lust
9
It was Jens Lekman's third time in Berlin and the venues keep getting bigger. When I saw him last, I was somewhat disappointed (which might have been influenced by having to dodge the trombone player's instrument half the evening) but this night clearly made up for it all. With a slightly reformed band including violin, cello, and Viktor Sjöberg (of Sonores and other projects) on "sounds and electronics", Jens quickly won over an audience that had previously had their enthusiasm dampened by a Placebo-soundalike opening band. Including the samples in the live-show not only widened the possibilities, but also allowed all musicians to take a dance across the stage during "A sweet summer night..." A truly memorable night was then rounded out with Jens thumb-pianoing charmingly through "A little lost" (see here) and then grinning happily while the audience came "running with their heart on fire." The best nights always end too soon, even if you can watch Erlend Øye dance by himself to Bob Marley's "Waiting in vain"...
- Arnulf Köhncke
Various Artists
Personkrets 3:1
Birds on Holiday
Twig
Silent Highway
Don't Be A Stranger
Jens Lekman