Swedesplease – The Swedish Music Blog

Last year They Live By Night lost a band member but they gained a new sound. They lost their distortion-coated songs and tired, alt-rock leanings and gained a cleaner, simpler, indie-pop sound. They haven’t gone a 100% twee mind you, as they have kept a certain degree of muscularity and masculinity in their new music, but it nonetheless rings the indie-pop bell (riyl Montt Mardie).

The band’s new single, “Endless Summer”, from their upcoming Spring Release on Razzia Records is light and airy, catchy and sing-along-able. It’s quite a stretch from the music of their immediate past and a welcome change of pace.

Endless Summer

Bonus – here’s their previous single from 2007 release Art and Wealth:

Factory

Double bonus – Rambling Nicholas Heron with music critic Jerry Boman on Swedish Public Television (I’m interested in a quick translation of the interview particularly about halfway in when Nicholas mentions “mp3 blogs”).

I got an email late last night from a guy who goes by the name of Jam On Bread. He was born in Grimsby which sounds a bit Swedish but now lives in Manchester (Yes Manchester, Not Stockholm!). He wrote me with a song to share. It’s his ukelele strummed ode to Labrador.

The email questioned whether I would post it since he’s not from Sweden, but come on it’s a lo-fi, pop gem that name-drops Sambassadeur, Irene, Radio Dept., Ronderlin, Acid House Kings, and SKWBN all while lovingly performed on a ukelele (perhaps Jam on Bread hasn’t read all my lo-fi ukelele posts over on my other blog Songs:Illinois).

Are you kidding? How can I not post it?! Not only will I post it, but it went right to the top of the queue. See how clever I am? I used the English word queue because Jam on Bread are from England.

“I Heart Labrador Records” is beyond cute with lyrics questioning why there are so many Swedish pop bands (perhaps it’s the “magic indie-pop hands” each Swedish child is born with), and why a guy from Grimsby can’t be signed to Labrador (if only he could bribe some Swedish Government official).

There are more jangly indie-pop songs on the Jam On Bread MySpace page, check em out and leave a comment. Here’s a Swedesplease exclusive:

I Heart Labrador Records

This is one of those “any friend of yours is a friend of mine” type posts. Emma Hasselblad is a virtual and perhaps real life friend of Oh No Miriam! (they appear together in Stockholm on Feb. 9).

Emma’s music is the epitome of the term handcrafted, with the piano being the prominent acoustic instrument augmented by simple electronics and occasional beats and percussion. On the song “Fall” she loops her own vocals creating a duet with herself. The song begins with jaunty piano chords, then sets up the scenario of a relationship gone bad and then concludes with a simple (enjoyable, catchy) chorus of “all I want is to fall back into your arms”.

This is just a beginning for Emma Hasselblad (and Oh No Miriam!) but it’s an auspicious start.

Fall

Birds On Holiday has just released their debut record, In Foreign Countries, possibly a reference to the fact that the band was previously scattered throughout the globe. They are now all living in Sweden.

In an increasingly common arrangement this release is being put out by a label in the US. So that means you can get this import for only $10 here courtesy of Sandbox Tree Records.

Keep What you Got

Moofish Catfish is the latest signing from the up and came Swedish label Cosy Den. The band’s name is a complete mystery (is translation even helpful; it seems to be in English!?). The group came together recently when the duo known as Rastlös added a drummer to form Moofish Catfish.

“At The Club” is a song about a getting picked up at a club while “Are You A Boy” is a gender bender song that questions one’s sex and sexuality. Both songs hint at the awkwardness of life’s uncertainties.

At The Club

Check out this video: are you a boy

On his newest record Rambling James Heron (wrote about him first here) places himself firmly in the center of the Swedish indie-pop movement. His song “As If I Didn’t Know It” from his US debut, Here In Dreamland, has all the hallmarks of perfect indie-pop a la Herman Dune, I’m From Barcelona and Billie The Vision and Dancers. This is an autobiographical ditty about postering gigs, visiting the music shop and being befuddled by a girl. Musically it’s got that jangly guitar we all love, some whistling and what sounds like a flute. The laughter at the end is the clincher for me!

The new records out on Valiant Death in the US so let’s all thank them by purchasing this 15 track 53 minute dynamo for only $5 here.

As If I Didn’t Know It

“Only This And Nothing More”