Swedesplease – The Swedish Music Blog

I usually don’t get right on pr press releases, in fact if you must know I immediately delete 95% of them unread since they usually don’t pertain to me (not many pr companies are working indie swedish pop – swedesplease or inaccessible americana/folk – Songs:Illinois). However the rather lame-ass title of this recent dispatch did catch my eye. The headline read: “Swedish Meatballs delivered fresh from David…”

Of course it was for David and the Citizens (here, here, here, here) new US release on Friendly Fire entitled Until the Sadness Is Gone. Since I’ve already written a short novella on the band you’ll please excuse me for not writing anymore. Just relax and listen. Oh and buy it on Oct. 17 here.

The End (highly rec’d)
New Direction

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Phunky Drakes has a new record coming out, as well as a new official member (lead singer and “creative center” Marit Illis). Apropriatly enough the new album is called Marit and the drums (Groover Recordings) but if “Little song” were any barometer that title should really be ammended to Marit and the drums, rolling bass line and synthetic whistle. In terms of mainstream-scandinavian-lounge-drum and bass there is not a better new record coming out this year.

Marit’s vocals should remind you of all your Swedish (and Icelandic) sweethearts. I don’t have a great vocabularly for describing house music (or literally anything with a bpm over 60) but what I like most about this band is the simplicity of the beats and the fact that they’re not trying to hide the vocals under a bed of noise, distortion or sonic goo (take Portishead for example).

Little Song

bonus track

With Music You Were…

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This may be the best song of the year. Herman Dune’s (here, here) new record, Giant, comes out on Oct 15 on the new label Source-Etc. They had a budget this time and time to work some magic in the studio. Listen to the female backing vocals (courtesy of “The Woo Woos”), an honest to goodness horn section, lines like “if you find a new boy to spoon” and “and I’m like, well…the sooner the better” and the way the instruments interact in the mix (the album was recorded live in Wales).

I really don’t think it’s a stretch to call this the best song of the year. But I’m biased – I love Herman Dune.

I Wish I Could See You

Bonus track from Giant
Nickle Chrome

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Back up on my soapbox for one of Swedend’s buried treasures. Bjorn Norestig (here, here)(ex of The Flu?) is readying his new release on A West Side Fabrication. The single and title track from the as yet unreleased record is called “Hello Inside”. Bjorn is working with a full band on this his debut full length record. Of course then the sound is fuller; replete with horns, keys and an epic overlayed sound at times.

Hello Inside

Bonus The Flu’s “Golden Hair”

Golden Hair

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Hej means hello. In a year or so of writing about Swedish music that’s about all the Swedish I know. Funny then that I hadn’t heard of the cover band Hej. They have just released a free 6 song digital release containing some of their favorite songs from when they were teens.

It seems the band and I are just about the same age as I also gravitated to these two songs as a youth. Here’s what two classic pop songs sound like as lo fi swedish indie rock.

With or Without You
Beat It

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If you’re reading this from overseas I should fill you in on Labor Day (that’s today). I guess it’s a holiday to celebrate how hard we work and give us a day off at the end of the summer. But like good capitalist Americans that we are everything’s open and half the country is working servicing the other half that has the day off. I was going to take a break from posting today but who am I kinding, writing about great Swedish rock is hardly working.

Reverend Big O (here) has a new single just out on the netlabel Go Jukebox! The single is titled “Tonight” but it’s the epic b-side with it’s atmospheric guitar and slurred vocals that may be the highlight of this release. This song fits in nicely with the retrospecive of 80’s English rock that’ll be running every day this week on my other mp3 blog – Songs:Illinois.

Words Like Clouds

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(”It Will be Alright” by Souther Salazar)

None other than Stereogum has jumped on the Peter Bjorn and John banwagon and posted another song from their new record.

Fluxblog has the latest from Marit Bergman.

And just about everyone is chiming in about Teddybears.

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The day I visit Labrador and am not surprised and delighted by the music they’re releasing will be the day I hang it up. Labrador is the 100 pound gorilla in the Swedish indie pop space. I’m not sure if they sell a lot of records or make a lot of money but they pretty consistently find some of the best Swedish acts (at least those with the trademark “Labrador sound”).

If you’re wondering what that sound is then listen to the new song from Irene off their upcoming cd Apple Bay (Sept. 21). “Little Things (That Tear Us Apart)” sounds like Jens Lekman on speed. Instead of stringing out his sylables and creating a drawl like Jens, lead singer Tobias Isaksson (aka Bobby) hurries through the song like he’s got a bus to catch. He’s got no time to mope as the beach is waiting his arrival and he has got to fill the spaces between the horns, the handclaps and the oh la la’s.

Little Things (That Tear Us Apart)

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