Love Is All return with a new album and new record label. The bands third full-length, titled Two Thousand And Ten Injuries will be released on 5th April via Polyvinyl Records, the US home to Of Montreal and Loney Dear, amongst other quality acts.
The first track to be revealed from the new record is “Repetition”. A short and sharp number that recaptures some of the visceral energy of the band’s classic (yet criminally overlooked) 2006 debut Nine Times That Same Song. The Gothenburg based five-piece lost their way slightly with 2008’s A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night (though it still holds one of their best songs in “New Beginnings”) and slipped slightly under the radar. But this newie sees the guys well and truly back on track with a fleeting abandon throughout the albums twelve-song set. Without doubt the groups most accessible album to date, “Repetition” sets us up perfectly for what will surely be a triumphant 2010. Welcome back.
Anyone who grew attached to Shallow Grave, the gorgeous debut record from The Tallest Man On Earth (aka Kristian Matsson), has been waiting patiently for a new full length from the supremely talented Swedish singer-songwriter. And with the release of his follow-up, The Wild Hunt, scheduled for April 12th, the three year wait is nearly over. The new record finds Matsson growing bolder and more expressive, both lyrically and musically. But when you have such an impeccable combination of insightful words and penetrating music as Matsson does, there is really no need to reinvent the wheel at this point. Fans of his first album will most assuredly take great pleasure in The Wild Hunt, an album that will not only galvanize his dedicated supporters, but should appeal to a whole new audience drawn to the purity and honesty of his music.
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to ask Kristian some questions about how the recording process for the new album was affected by his changing record labels, how recording in the countryside influences his writing, and he shockingly reveals, once and for all, that Bob Dylan is actually his dad. He shares just enough to give his fans a glimpse into what inspires him, while still maintaining the mystique that has intrigued us all from the beginning. But in the end, it’s his splendid music that ultimately speaks to us, so look out for The Wild Hunt on April 12th. Continue Reading
First Aid Kit; teenage Swedish sisters Klara & Johanna Söderberg came to the attention of the indie music community via the youtube video of their cover version of Fleet Foxes’ ’Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ (in a forest no less – how Scandinavian of them). This is an uncharacteristically modern emergence for a band that are so immersed in the sounds of the past. The Big Black and The Blue mines 70s rustic American and the pastoral, harmony heavy folk of more recent acts to prove itself retro, but no less interesting for it. Continue Reading
The second album from Jönköping, Sweden’s Mary Onettes (after 2007’s self-titled debut) had a difficult gestation. As they told TLOBF in a recent interview here, the initial mix of many of its tracks was lost when the computer on which they were stored was stolen, a problem compounded when the backup drive on which they had responsibly kept a copy coincidentally broke. Some things, seemingly, are meant to be, and the band picked themselves up, re-recorded the lost tracks, and have ended up with this release, more organic in nature than the originals. Continue Reading
An album with 12 songs, each lasting under four minutes. That’s what a decent Swedish pop album is made of. But even if the music of Kommun is pop, the band doesn’t seem to be that popular yet. 100 friends on Myspace and 73 fans in Facebook reveal that we aren’t talking about stadium sized band here. The members of Kommun seem to be better known from their other projects Siberia, Hospitalet and Vapnet, still after giving out their debut album in the end of the last year in Sweden.
The Swede shall inherit the Earth. Seemingly on a mission to make the rest of the world kneel before their musical prowess, Sweden is home to many of TLOBF’s favourite recording artists. Concieved as an album of “small islands in different shapes and forms where every song is like a record of it’s very own”, Islands is the second full-length to be released by Jönköping based The Mary Onettes.
Set for release via the self-proclaimed “world’s finest purveyor of pop music” Labrador on February 1st, the album is grandiose and dreamy. I fired off some questions about it and the rest of the bands endeavours to frontman Philip Ekström. Continue Reading
It seems that, when it comes to music, the Swedes can do no wrong; while the UK and America fight amongst themselves for the crown of popular music, our continental neighbours are modestly producing some of the finest records of recent times – if you care to turn an ear in their direction. Arriving to further cement this idea are Thus:Owls.
Eclectic in their make up, the ensemble of Thus:Owls started life with Erika Alexandersson, whose CV includes a Swedish Grammy nomination, being one half of the free/improv/electronic band The Moth, and also duties in both Loney Dear and Patrick Watson’s touring line-up. Also present are Cecilia Persson (previously of progressive jazz group Paavo), Martin Höper, Ola Hultgren (Loney Dear), and Montréal’s Simon Angell, a key member with Patrick Watson. Between them they’ve created one of the most dazzling, beguiling and (cliché alert) achingly beautiful records these ears have heard in a long time: Cardiac Malformations. Continue Reading
A little more than a minute. That was all it took for ex-Concretes member Victoria Bergsman to be heard all over the UK when her version of Guns n’ Roses ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ appeared in an advert for John Lewis (debuting on ITV during the X Factor, no less). The influx of posts via her message board also acts as a great example of her sudden new found popularity – how many of them will actually attend her gig come Sunday in Glasgow or Monday in London when the short Taken By Trees tour hits the UK, is not clear. But anyone attending will be more than pleased, whether they’re a Taken By Trees fan or just someone who stumbled upon Victoria’s wistful music. Continue Reading
Self proclaimed as “the world’s finest purveyor of indie pop” Labrador Records rarely take a step wrong in their releases. Sambassadeur, one of their most loved acts (along with Suburban Kids With Biblical Names and The Mary Onettes) are back with their first single since 2007’s ‘Final Say’, which just so happens to be one of the greatest pop songs of the 21st Century (my words not theirs. If you don’t believe me, download the mp3 at the bottom of this post!).
‘Days’ does not disappoint one iota. Admittedly, there’s no real progression sound -wise from their last album Migration – the band opting to use the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach. Which is no bad thing, because if Sambassadeur know one thing it’s how to write a bloody great big pop hook. Download ‘Days’ and the aforementioned ‘Final Say’ below. Investigate the rest of the bands generous back catalogue here.
If you like what you hear of Sambassadeur, you’ll more than likely revel in the rest of Labrador’s stunning roster of acts. Head over here to download a whole bunch of free mp3’s.
Labrador Records are set for a very busy start to 2010 with highly anticipated releases from Suburban Kids With Biblical Names (May), The Radio Dept. (February) and Club 8 (April 2010).
Kudos to Chris from Gorilla vs. Bear for introducing me to these guys. A bunch of seven friends from Dalarnas län, Sweden who met at a summer camp when they were 14 (that might/might not be them above). Taking their moniker from the place they first hooked up where “the nights went on forever and we thought we would never get old” Summer Camp make music that perfectly captures that simple memory. Lo-fi, hazy dream pop that is utterly beguilling. Swear to God, I’ve just played their Heathers sampling ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ ten times straight and as soon as I finish writing this, I’ll probably go back for another sitting. Hopelessly romantic and full of wide eyed wonder – this is SUMMER CAMP folks. Remember their name.
Oh, and according to Transparent Blog, the guys are now living over here in London. I’m-a-gonna hunt them down and give them all a big hug.
Check out two more songs, ‘Why Don’t You Stay’ and ‘Ghost Train’ over on their MySpace page whilst downloading ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ below.
I am going to clear the decks at the start of this review because otherwise it will become suffused with comparison and analysis of Dial M For Murder’s fine debut album will be irreparably damaged as a result. And yet…they are heavily indebted to a slew of reference points and similar sonic palette to an American band whose name begins with ‘I’ and whose singer has recently released a solo album under a pseudonym. There, the weight is off… Continue Reading
As a result of Brighton festival Beachdown being cancelled, Swedish multi-limbed pop beast I’m From Barcelona found themselves at a loose end by the seaside last weekend. Hence, three hours before they were due onstage at this hastily arranged show, the band were to be seen walking the streets of Brighton trying to drum up trade. Now, you can get away with pretty much anything in Brighton without people batting an eyelid, but the sight of a 15 strong bunch of Swedes singing about building a treehouse was enough to get people heading towards the seafront ballroom that is the Concorde 2 in time for the bands set. Although hardly busy, the band put their usual gusto in to a show that included tickertape, paper planes, countless balloons and front man Emanuel Lundgren crowd surfing on the same 6 people that carried him all around the venue.
For most acts, playing songs from an album that never saw a UK release might seem difficult, but the nature of I’m From Barcelona’s irrepressible, catchy tunes meant that the crowd was soon singing along with abandon, building them up for the climax of “We’re From Barcelona” and “Treehouse”. It was the penultimate show of the bands tour, and their was a definite end of season feeling to the show, the band members clambering around the stage and the venue, hugging each other and punching the air with an infectious energy. Horns parp, guitars jangle, choirs la-la-la and omnichords make a sound no one can really describe. By the time the band cover Simian’s “We Are Your Friends” to close the set there is a smile on every sweaty face in the house. Continue Reading
Hi there, it’s been a while. You ok? Great. Me too.
Have you heard about The Crêpes? No? Then let me tell you about them. I assume that you are familiar with The Embassy and Studio? Well, The Crêpes is a duo consisting of Fredrik Lindson from The Embassy and Dan Lissvik of Studio. They just released their first record What Else?, which is already sold out, I’m afraid. Me and some friends went to a garage sale hosted by Dan and Fredrik and judging by the amount of people who bought the record, I’m really not surprised. I couldn’t afford the record myself, since I got no real job and therefore no money, but Fredrik was kind and provided me with some wine from a carafe. Good enough. Continue Reading
Victoria Bergsman, ex-member of The Concretes and now behind Taken By Trees recorded her new album ‘East Of Eden’ entirely in Pakistan. The following documentary takes an interesting look at the Stockholm based artist who pursues the making of an album whilst facing of a nation plagued with sexism (and unreliable electricity).
The album East Of Eden will without doubt top a whole heap of end of year album polls – highly recomended. Pre-order a copy from Rough Trade now and receive a bonus disc featuring unreleased tracks and a selection of Pakistani music that influenced and shaped her songwriting.
As an extra treat, download a remix of the Taken By Trees single ‘Mystery’ made with love by our Gothenburg friends Air France.
It’s just struck me that First Aid Kit will be the first musical act I’ve reviewed the members of which are all younger than me. From just outside of Stockholm, sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg (born in 1990 and 1993, respectively) comprise a folk-pop duo of quite significant youth. How often is it that we feel compelled to mention a performer’s age, after all?
Originally released in Sweden in early 2008, this debut EP Drunken Trees is one of the band’s two main claims to fame, the other being their cover of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ which, personally, I can’t help but think has a success far out of scale with its rather meagre quality. As evidenced by this re-release, though, we can happily say that Drunken Trees itself, a fairly-generous-for-an-EP collection of seven songs comprising 25 minutes, is far superior to that ambitious cover. Continue Reading
