~ Big Spider's Back - "Perfect Machine" ~ A bit of an odd song, with lo-fi mixed with heavy electronics. Grows in that slow kind of way that make you notice the little things, even though it's a very repetitive song, both musically as lyrically. Like I said, a bit odd perhaps but very, very good. From the debut EP Warped . ~ Language-Arts - "White Socks in Birkenstocks" ~ A quirky little tune that I just love. The singer has cute voice that suits perfectly to [...]
Swedish rock royals Kent are back with a video for the new single "Töntarna" from their upcoming album Röd . It's rather dark but still accessible, like most of their music. Good too, of course. Only difference is perhaps that the electronic elements are heavier than usual, although they've expermiented with that on the previous album, Tillbaka Till Samtiden . "Töntarna" is out now and Röd is slated for release later this year (i.e. in time for Christmas) but can be pre-ordered via iTunes and several Swedish online stores. [...]
These two lumberjack-looking Swedes are Mathias Näslund and Martin Nordvall, together perhaps more known as The Sweet Serenades . They've already received glowing reviews in Swedish press and their previous single "Mona Lee" was apparently very popular on the web last year. (I seemed to have missed it though, hmpf!) Their new single is the pumped-up power pop tune "On My Way", taken from the album Balcony Cigarettes which is already out in Sweden, Germany and Benelux. You can hear the whole album on their MySpace (where you also can find plenty of [...]
Once again, it's time to post some songs I meant to have up on the blog ages ago but then got lazy/depressed/forgetful/distr acted or simply figured that everyone else had already posted them so what's the point? until now. I'm sorry, little mp3s. Come join your brothers and sisters on the courtyard of this fine prison of mine. Just don't complain about the lack of organisation. ~ The Mary Onettes - "Puzzles" ~ ~ The Joy Formidable - "Greyhounds In The Shade" ~ ~ Spiral Beach [...]
Hey, Echo & the Bunnymen are back! Wait, were they ever really gone? Their new album The Fountain is coming out October 12 which is also the same date when when they kick off touring. Have a listen to the opening track "I Think I Need It Too" off the new album below and see what you think. I like it, although I'm not completely sure if it's solely because it's a good track, or if it's the old Echo & the Bunnymen sound that's making me feel nostalgic. Could very well be both. [...]
The latest album by Palour Steps proved to be a good example of why I shouldn't dismiss music too fast. During the first listen I basically thought "meh" and figured I wouldn't bother with it again. I was admittedly in a rather poor mood during that listen though so once I cheered up and gave it another chance, I thankfully realized how good it actually is. While The Hidden Names is my introduction to the band, it is no less than their fifth album since debuting in 2000. Packed with richly layered indie-pop, good [...]
I'm not quite sure what it is with Iceland that inspires such original, and often devastatingly beautiful music. Björk, Sigur Pós, Emilia Torrini... they all have that chilly, yet rich sound that makes you picture the grey weather, open landscapes, intricate sounding language and medieval literature that it is associate with. Now another Icelandic name has emerged, that of neo-classical musician Ólafur Arnalds . So far over 400,000 people have watched the fan-made video for "Ljósið" (which is fantastic, by the way), and more than 100,000 have downloaded his EP Found Songs [...]
I'm writing this on behalf of my friend Ariane over at the German music site White Tapes . Despite posting what was a LEGAL link to a Bloc Party song earlier this week, she is being fined 100€ by a major record label. You can read more about it here ( it's mostly in German - hence my little summary) and if you want to help out, even with just 20 cent, you can leave a comment at the post on White Tapes or send them an e-mail. Anything helps! Thanks, [...]
~ Electric Tickle Machine - "Part Of Me" ~ Immediate brain-looper, for me anyway. Got hooked first time I heard it a few weeks ago, lord knows why it took me so long to post it. Sorry. Catchy rock - as simple as that. From their album Blew It Again which sounds very promising. ~ Last Tide - "W.Y.C." ~ Shoegaze-ish psychedelic rock from DC. Rather fast-paced and easy to dig along to. The vocals sound a bit slurry which I also like for some reason. [...]
Real Ones are a couple of Norwegian gents (there's a bad pun in there that most likely only will make sense if you know Swedish/Norwegian) who have been playing music together since their teens. Crafting a warm and rich sound of folk, alternative country and psychelica, Real Ones' history long history with one another has obviously payed off. Their music may be ricocheting several genres at a time but still manages to sound completely intact. "Every Dog Has His Day" for example is a bouncing and beautiful song at the same time, with cheerful banjos and striking violins blending [...]
Well here's something I wasn't expecting: Joshua James of folk group Letters has an "electro-acoustic genre-hopping" project together with Gumar of Gumar and His Magical Midi Band called The Background Front . They just made an album featuring a flurry of guest as well as music genres: there's trip hop, electronica, folk, soul, ambient... As a whole the album is a bit too scattered for my taste but it has several highlights that are worth checking out on their own. To purchase, head over here . ~ "Yr Spell" (ft. Cindy [...]
Keith Canisius has been featured on I Am The Crime before, but then as a part of the wonderful Danish shoegaze band Rumskib . He's released a solo album before though and now it's time for number two, Waves , which will be out around late October on Quince Records. Keith's own music runs in the same shoegaze/dream pop veins as Rumskib, but with a slightly softer touch to it. Have a listen to the title track from the upcoming album and see what you make of it. Personally I quite like it. [...]
When writing about Happiness last year I mentioned the up-rise of krautrock - the experimental rock genre that started in Germany during the early 1970s - here in Sweden, especially in Stockholm. Audionom are another of these krautrock inspired bands to come out our state capital, although I should point out they also have some rather heavy punk influences woven into their sound. Formed in 1999, Audionom lasted about three and a half years the first time around, with several band members coming and going before splitting up. Reformed since 2004, the band currently [...]
Little Dragon 's soulful electronic pop only caught my attention recently, but when it did, it grabbed it. Currently on their second album, Little Dragon debuted in 2007 with a self-titled record and had their double-A single "Twice/Test" dubbed as "Single of the Week" by Rough Trade. Made up of Gothenburg-natives Yukimi Nagano (vocals), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), Little Dragon list everything from Depeche Mode to Prince, LCD Soundsystem to James Holden, dancehall to R&B, jazz and soul as inspirations, a combination which is quite evident on their new album Machine [...]
You damn lucky Yanks/Canucks/Brits - Band Of Skulls are touring around your parts. Here are the dates and locations: 30 August 2009 - Detroit Bar (FREE) (with Red Arrow Messenger ), Costa Mesa CA USA 01 September 2009 - El Rey Theatre (with The Duke Spirit ), Los Angeles CA USA 03 September 2009 - The Venue, Vancouver CAN 04 September 2009 - The Den at MacEwan Hall, Calgary CAN 05 September 2009 - Brixx Bar and Grill, Edmonton CAN 07 September 2009 - Live Lounge, Ottawa [...]
It's Saturday night and I'm bored out of my skull, so why not actually something somewhat productive, like, update my blog? Despite what many fellow music bloggers may think of her, I actually like Amanda Blank . And I like YATCHT even more thanks to their latest album. So when Dave Wrangler decided to mix the two of them together - YACHT's "Summer Song" with Amanda's "Might Like You Better" - I couldn't help but like that as well. I'm still kind of bored though. ~ "Might Like [...]
~ Anders Parker - "Calling Out To You" ~ A sweet song, with a simple but effective chorus. I like the layers of instruments and the female background vocals. Pretty! From Parker's upcoming double concept album Skyscraper Crow which seems very promising from what I've heard so far. ~ Southside Stalkers - "Robert Downey Jr." ~ Another fun, upbeat tune by Sweden's Southside Stalkers. I'm guessing the lyrics are supposed to be from Robert Downey Jr's point of view, or his name is a metaphor for [...]
Describing themselves as "a melancholy blend of Nick Cave melodrama, Shadows twang and Roy Orbison croon", An Axe no doubt have a dark flair to their music. Fittingly, their debut EP Some, When Alone, Cease To Exist (which, as you can above, has some seriously gorgeous artwork) was recorded in a church crypt no less in the midst of winter. The EP is the first of a trilogy; the second already recorded and slated for release in December, and the third written and currently in production. A full album is also in the process [...]
The original version of O'Spada 's "Time" that I posted a while ago has been given an extensive make-over, as the band recently held a competition for people to remix it and potentially end up on the official single that is due out this week on iTunes . The winner has now been crowed and it's the "Suck Shaft RMX" that nabbed the number one spot. I got sent a bunch of the other remixes to share as well, but really only liked the winner and two others so those are the ones I [...]
New video by San Francisco band Girls , for the song "Lust For Life". I love the vintage look it has and the song is good too. Taken from their album Album (yes, that's the title) that will be out this September 21. Some upcoming tour dates: September 21 - Lexington, London October 09 - The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham 10 - Korova, Liverpool 11 - Night and day Cafe, Manchester 13 [...]
I Am The Crime
‘The Terminator,’ starring Woody Allen
“Is Burial actually Four Tet?” hoax resurfaces online
Frau – Tarian Sari (stream)
