This is d.i.y. all the way but like they say in the liner notes it’s strewn with emotions and a rough hewn honesty. Shotgun Language is Gustav Berry from Linköping.

This is not tight and this is not clean but it has something, it has nerve.
These songs don’t compile a record. This is a collection of work and songwriting, the first rough and honest expressions of songs – a couple of moments and feelings caught on tape.
This is nerve pt. I.

Through the use of home recording and a couple of nice retro guitars he is able to recreate that warm fuzzy sound of the 50′s. Here’s a nice sampling of his work. Look forward to the debut record from this exciting young swede.

Johnny Electric
I Ain’t Rough

P.S. Here are the technical details of the recording process for all you gearheads:

All things recorded at home on a Phillips Audio Visual D6920 tape recorder with the use of Fender Champion 600 amp, Berrycaster, Gretsch country gentleman, Hagström H45, Levin parlor 1933, Hagström kent tape echo, Hagström rymdklang reverb unit & Gold tone lapsteel

I got sent two songs from a new group called The Servants today. Lucky for them their blend of Wilco meets Byrds meets indie rock was right up my alley. It also didn’t hurt that their song “Present” has lyrics about a dull and dreary rainy day and that’s just what I’m living with here in Chicago.

Present

It’s A Trap has a new netlabel release from Racingpaperplanes. They are a group from Gothenburg who combine Midwestern americana with a little bit of European dour-noir to create their own sound. There are two songs availble now via It’s A Trap.

The Oars

Bonus song

In and Out Of Coma

New song from Tarantula Waltz plus this amazing video of a performance with Nina Ramsby.

Tarantula Waltz is the group based around singer-songwriter Markus Svensson. Each and every song I’ve heard from this band is absolutely sumptuous and “Flyin’ Shoes” is no exception.

Flyin’ Shoes

Not what you expected from a Swedish band, huh. Turns out there’s more to contemporary Swedish music than indie pop from Gothenberg or electronic duos from Malmo. And anyway, what did you think a band that names itself after a Doors’ song would sound like? This gothic americana rock, with some serious European psychedelia thrown in for good measure, is exactly what this band should sound like.

Hyacinth House has a new record out in Europe on the venerable German label Glitterhouse Records. It’s called Black Crows Country.

Buy it here.

European Rails
Swedish Signs

Michael Bach is a 27 year old singer songwriter originally from the North of Sweden. He performs all the instruments, writes all the lyrics and does all the production on his new ep. Somehow he’s made it all sound so effortless. As always with a member of the Swedish music coop Wild Geese Collective this new ep is a free download. The song I linked to, “Dancing Through The Night”, has just a hint of REM’s Michael Stipe to it, and just that little hint makes it so appealing.

Dancing Through The Night

Unrelated video interview of I’m From Barcelona

Pete Thompson (here) has one of my favorite Swedish songs of the last few years with “White Shoes” off of his debut ep for Johnny Brattom. His only other release came out on It’s A Trap as a digital only download. So it’s been a while since he’s had any new music out and I’ve been waiting patiently. The wait is over at least for now since 3 demos have been added to his MySpace profile.

The new songs are only demos but my immediate impression is that some of the catchiness of earlier releases may be gone while the depth of the songs has grown substantially. On “I Had A Dream” Pete talks about finding his way during a time that he was lost. It’s a sad song sung in a off-key quavering voice and it’s stunning.

I Had A Dream