Swedesplease – The Swedish Music Blog

I’m totally swamped. There I said it. The quality of the writing may go down temporarily (was it ever that good?!) but the quality of the music will stay strong. There are new releases on Razzia Records (Hello Saferide and Niccokick) from Firefox AK and Timo Raisanen. Madame, Madame! from Firefox AK came out in Sweden on March 1. This is the second solo release from the former trip hop vocalist from the London based band Anamorphic. Andrea Kellerman (Firefox AK) returned from London to her native Sweden and began working on her solo material in 2002.

Andrea hasn’t strayed that far from the trip hop of her beginnings, as a solo artist she has added a little more electro pop and perhaps a little less grime. Here’s the title track, buy the cd from any Swedish retailer or here from It’s A Trap.

Madame, Madame!

Co-pilot has the worst, least informative website I’ve ever seen (I even had to steal the image above from somewhere else on the net). It’s barely there and it only takes up about a square inch of screen space. But at least they have their new ep available for download. Listening to their melodic, anthemic rock reminds me of the guilty little pleasure bands I used to like in New Jersey in the 80′s (like The Call).

Here’s my swedish guilty pleasure….

My Own, Private, Wareloo
Just Like Happiness

This post comes compliment of the fairly radical site Famous For 15 mb. The site is a monthly rotating showcase for mostly electronic bands. Most of the music found there is of the extreme, netlabel electronica variety. They also have a penchant for Swedish music. Here’s the most experimental Swedish electronic music you’re likely to find on the net.

Again links courtesy of Famous For 15 mb (visit their site for more improv-electronic music from around the world).

Ljudbilden and Piloten – Pen On Paper (mp3 only), Pen On Paper (mp3 with accompanying built in video***highly recommended***)

Frida Konstellationen – Arugamama

Olof Brostrom – Light As Knives

Pistol Disco – Amen

Gorilla Vs. Bear (an excellent mp3 blog) has got the goods on the new Martin Mcfaul. Three songs from his upcoming Imperial Records debut Pop Mansion.

Mystery and Misery has a rehashing of previous posts I’ve done on The Lovekins but the more the merrier.

And I’ve got some info you may not have heard/seen about David And The Citizens (preorder the new ep here from Friendly Fire). Video for the songs “Grey Coated Morning”. Also DVD trailor from a documentary about the band just out in Sweden.

Ryan at Catbirds Records is probably going to think I’m just saying this and trying to steal his thunder for signing Hemstad. But I really, really, really wanted to write about them months ago. Every time I tried to get their mp3′s I had some technical problem or another. Now that someone in th US has taken matters into their own hands all is again right with the world and Hemsted’s music will now be more available then ever.

This is their debut record, my impression is it’s mostly instrumental pop but pop that is filled with doo, doo, doos and yeah, yeah, yeah’s and some handclaps as well. “Patrik Sjorberg” is a rousing little number, buy the s/t debut here at Catbird Records. The first 100 people get a bonus cd-r.

Patrik Sjoberg

Remixes, covers:

SilverGroggen remixed by Knockout Mattsson

Silvergroggen cover by Kaffeocharknark

Billie the Vision & Dancers reminds me of that other Swedish conglomerate I’m From Barcelona. It helps that everything from their music full of horns and high energy party sounds, to their cover art, to their actual song titles reminds me of the city of Barcelona (meanwhile I’ve never been there).

I wrote about them here first but they have since released their new record I’m Pablo on Love Will Pay The Bills Records.

I’m Pablo
A Man From Argentina

Ah I can’t resist. In case you missed them here’s more from I’m From Barcelona.

We’re From Barcelona

No Method is a relatively new Swedish label but they’ve already got their shit together. Their current release is by the band Aerial and it’s an ep called Black Rain From The Bombing. The song “Time Is On Fire” starts out simply enough but ends in a ball of flames (fitting given the title). At times I swore it sounded like three songs were playing at once but the chaos clears up toward the end of the song and the whole thing abruptly folds in upon itself. RIYL Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, early Flaming Lips.

Buy their ep here.

Time Is On Fire