LUPE FIASCO - Food & Liquor [Atlantic Records - 2006]

So, another Hip-Hop review right after the other one?

Yes. And I don’t know where to start with this one. Lupe Fiasco’s “Food & Liquor” is my favorite album right now. I bought it about 5 days ago, and I can’t stop listening to it.
I think it’s a really good record, it’s Lupe’s first and I’ll make sure to keep an eye on him in the future as well.

“Food & Liquor” reminds me a little bit of Kanye West, and the first time I heard Lupe was on the track “Touch The Sky” from Kanye’s latest record “Late Registration” (Roc-A-Fella 2005). This is the same kind of Hip-Hop, and it makes me feel good. And like The Roots this has none of your usual gangsta-rap lyrics.

Here’s the 2nd verse from “Kick, Push II”:

“You see his mom was a crackhead and his father couldn't be contacted / He lived with being different, was combated / Amongst the other things on his young, black head / And see, his girl was a white girl / But, just cause she was white, see her life wasn't light-world / She, too had the drama thick / Had a daddy and a momma, but her daddy used to momma hit / Daddy caught something, chasing fatties made her momma sick / Couldn't afford the medicine, pimped it to the pharmacist / As suicidal feelings would rise, switch over to transitions, helped her conquer it / Pays for her momma's pills with a sponsorship / A cell phone bill and a Honda kit / And that's why she skates with him / Someone to feel her pain and her place to be”

It’s hard to pick some favorites on this album, but if I had to pick 5 I think I’d go with: “Real”, “Just Might Be OK”, “Kick, Push”, “Sunshine” and “The Cool”.

Anyway, like I wrote at the top of this, this is a really good record, but I think I’ll probably be calling it a great album in a couple of days. One of the best of 2006, be sure to check it out.

For further info & listening: www.myspace.com/lupefiasco or http://www.lupefiasco.com/

THE ROOTS - Game Theory [Def Jam - 2006]

I haven’t been listening to The Roots very much in the past, and if I remember correctly the first time I heard them was back in 1999 when they released “Things Fall Apart”. I thought they were pretty good. I also remember them having a hit with the Cody Chesnutt song called “The Seed” in 2002, but I never really paid any attention.

Anyway, when I heard that there was a new album coming I listened to some of the new songs on myspace. It sounded really good and I went down to a recordstore downtown and bought a copy of “Game Theory”.

One thing that I like about The Roots is that they’re a band (a guitar-player, a drummer, a bass-player and so on), and I think that’s really cool. And there’s some really good music on here as well, it’s kind of funky stuff and it makes me feel good. My favorite songs on this CD are these: “Game Theory”, “In The Music”, “Take It There”, “Here I Come”, “Long Time”, “Clock With No Hands”, but it’s an overall good album.

The lyrics are good as well, here’s the last verse from “Clock With No Hands” for example:

Yo livin’ in turbulent times, the blind leadin’ the blind / Some call it evolution, some say intelligent design / You say you want a revolution, you out of your mizind / You son destitute and they pop all in the prison / My man’s back in the jam, he like the back of my hand / He just attracted to scam, he right back in the can / I never sleep walk when you dead you get your shut eye / I’m on the first thing in, I’m leavin’ on the red eye / My brother back in rehab, just had another relapse / Within himself it’s like he’s been fightin’ the inner jihad / Tellin’ me ain’t nobody true when they pretend to be that / So closer than friends that’s where I keep my enemies at / To any parties concerned, it’s time to live and learn / Until we’re able to grow, forever bridges will burn / My thoughts free as a bird that’s just about to emerge / And every action that’s heard, it speaks louder than words…

So this isn’t your usual gangsta-rap lyrics with bitches, cool cars, violent behavior, drugs and money (don’t get me wrong I can enjoy that as well. “The Chronic” by Dr. Dre is one of my favorite rap-albums), but from what I understand The Roots was never about that kind of stuff to begin with.

Like I wrote in the beginning I haven’t heard so much of the earlier releases from The Roots, so I can’t really compare this to the older stuff, but this is a good record, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you’ve enjoyed The Roots before.

For listening, go to: www.myspace.com/theroots or http://www.theroots.com/

Lisa Miskovsky - Changes [Stockholm Records - 2006]

Lisa Miskovsky has once again chosen to work with Jocke Berg, and when they do so everyone knows that it simply can’t fail. The first single “Mary” sure proved that. I don't know if it’s going to be as huge as the mega hit “Lady stardust” from 2001s album “Falling Water” (where Jocke Berg also was the producer and co-songwriter) but its a great song.

The cooperation Miskovsky / Berg sure is a winning concept. The songs are now dressed up in full stage costume and feel very big and solid. Where “Falling water” came off as a narrow little country road with a more naked sound, this 12 song album called “Changes” runs you over like a ten lane motor highway.

Lisa sings awfully well as always. There is really not anything to complain about except that after listening to the 12 songs a couple of times I feel that because of its massive production the over all feeling is that “Changes” tend to get a bit too similar and thick.

But I like this record, I like it very much.

Listen to the first single “Mary” here:

http://www.myspace.com/lisamiskovsky

The Mars Volta – Amputechture [GSL/Strummer/Universal - 2006]

“Mars Volta's Amputechture Inspired by Immigrant Marches, Possessed Nuns” All right?! Fair enough...

No one can question their skills as musicians and innovative music creators, but what happened to the song writing? Maybe the possessed nuns transferred their demons and bad spirits on to the band.

When their first EP “Temulant EP” came out some years ago I was so exited and I also thought their following debut album “De-Loused in the Comatorium” was really impressive and innovative with great arrangements and well played melodies. I played it over and over for a whole summer. And still do sometimes.

They took it a step further with “Frances the mute” that did tend to get very annoying during some moments with too much guitar solos and to long “jams”. So when I read they were going to put out another record I hoped they would get back to doing some great structured songs, but of course they didn’t.

The new record feels like 60 minutes of never-ending guitar solos that gets on my nerve and makes me want to kill Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez’s amplifier and smash his guitar. I can’t think of nothing else than Santana mixed with some shitty neo-metal band on acid trying to be Frank Zappa. His guitars (sometimes its like seven of them playing different solos at the same time) are just too much in every aspect.

The lack of defined song structures in the songs is too obvious and the ego of Omar’s skills as guitarist destroys the rest of the bands accomplishment and greatness. I mean in an 11 minuets long song he’s playing his solos over 8 of them. Since the guitars are mixed too high and are all over the place all the time, filling every little gap there is, it is impossible for the listener to catch the breath and you simply can not hear or don’t care what the others are playing.

I doubt the others in the band really find the sounds he tweaks out of his guitar all over the picture that satisfying so why doesn’t some one just tell him to shut up?

Best song is “Vicera Eyes” with its great trumpets and Jaga Jazzist influenced guitar riff.
But that’s that.

Listen to some new songs here:

www.myspace.com/themarsvolta

THE DRIPS - s/t [White Drugs/Wichita 2006]

Ok, The Drips kind of sounds like The Bronx. The Drips and The Bronx shares two members, the guitar-player and the singer (the main songwriters of both bands, I think).

It doesn’t matter, both bands are great and this (the first) album by The Drips is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. I can’t get enough of it, I play it all the time and I really don’t get tired of it.

Like both the albums by The Bronx this is a perfectly short record (11 songs in about 27 minutes). This CD also contains some really, really good (punk) rock (n’ roll) songs, and “16, 16, Six” is one of the best songs of the year so far. It might just end up with the title by the end of December.

So, my advice, to you my friends is that you check this one out if you like The Bronx...


Find out more and listen to some songs at: http://www.myspace.com/thedrips or http://www.thedrips.com/

ANGELS AND AIRWAVES - We Don’t Need To Whisper [Geffen - 2006]

Angels And Airwaves is Tom DeLonge’s new band (Tom used to play guitar and sing in Blink 182), and “We Don’t Need To Whisper” is their debut album. Tom hyped this album a lot before it came out, like it was going to include some of the greatest songs written in decades (or something like that).

Well, it doesn’t. It’s just a pretty good record.

I like the overall mood/feel of this album but the songs sound too much like each other, and it feels like you’re listening to the same song over and over. Even though that might have been what Tom (he wrote all the songs and produced this album) intended, it’s not really a good thing. I get a little bit bored, but some of the songs on here are really good, and I can’t help thinking that this could have been a really great debut EP with maybe 6 songs.

Musically the songs on “We Don’t Need To Whisper” are going into the same territory as some of the songs on Blink 182’s latest (last?) album “Blink 182” (Geffen 2003), and that’s an album that I enjoy quite a bit. Even though I think that “Take Off Your Pants And Jacket” (MCA 2001) is Blink’s best record. The skate-punk mood from earlier Blink 182 is gone, and Angels And Airwaves plays mostly slower pop-songs.

So, if Angels And Airwaves had signed a contract with my record-label (if I had one) I would have tried to talk them into releasing an EP with the following track-list: “Valkyrie Missile”, “Do It For Me Now”, “The Adventure”, “The War”, “Good Day” and “Start The Machine”.

It would have sold millions of copies and I would be filthy rich by now (but that’s not the way it happened). So my suggestion is that you buy this album if you liked the last Blink 182 album, and then you make your own copy of the 6-track EP.


Listen to Angels And Airwaves at: http://www.angelsandairwaves.com/ or www.myspace.com/angelsandairwaves

JENIFEREVER - Choose a Bright Morning [Drowned in Sound – 2006]

I know that this record have been out for a while now but It doesn’t matter I just felt I have to write about it since it seems so many people haven’t heard anything from it or never even knew this band existed.

Jeniferever is a 4 piece band that comes from Uppsala Sweden. I discovered them at a show we did together at some festival in 2002. I didn’t know what to expect and they caught me off guard. I was blow away by their focus and perfection on delivering the moody delayed and shimmering melodies with such power and intensity. And now 4 years later they have by all means been growing as musicians as well as performers.

Their new record “Choose a Bright Morning” is in every way the best they have done so far. It offers you 9 songs filled with passionate beauty and great scenery. It comes with an awesome production. Their sincerity is so obvious and I get a moment of clarity while listening to this record. They’ve almost managed to use every single ingredient I want music to have and therefore created a piece of art that is so close to perfection in my world.

It’s just a shame more people haven’t been able to take part of this fantastic band that I hope soon will get all the attention they deserve. At the same time I feel I've failed to tell you how highly I think of this record. My words simply can not desribe it enough.

Believe the hype: www.myspace.com/jeniferever

FAP – Malekasino Dondolo [Stupid Dream -2006]

FAP is a dynamic duo from the little Swedish town Sandviken. They have been around since 2004. After many live performances they release their first record, on vinyl (!)
FAP are known for their creative live set that is well illustrated with their video installations.

This 7 piece electronic adventure called Malekasio Dondolo takes off somewhere in the middle of Múms love for sparkling digital rhythms and the subversive electronica Notwist are known for. Combining acoustic elements with the various electronic sounds makes the music ambient and atmospheric with both big and small landscapes that are mellow and suggestive enough to fall deep and long into.

From time to time it’s very meditative and harmonic other times you get thrown into a very bizarre blipping beat that build itself around a high frequently and very disorientating noise that if you’re hung-over will make you puke almost at once and make your cats (if have any as I do) go neurotic and behaving a bit crazy.

Where this adventure end is totally up the listener’s state of mind and ability to embrace the sounds and put their own puzzle together. So if you’re a fan of the Berlin-electro wave you should definitely check this out.

http://www.myspace.com/fap666

WOLFMOTHER - s/t [Interscope/Modular - 2006]

I didn’t really know what to expect when I put this album in my CD-player. A guy I know had been talking about it and then I found it at a local record-store with a 50% discount. So, my thinking was that it was well worth that money to check it out.

And I guess it was. I’m enjoying this album more than I thought I would. Wolfmother are from Australia and they’ve made a good (hard) rock (n’ roll) record that sounds like it was made about 30 years ago. I also found out when I read the booklet that the whole thing was produced and mixed by Dave Sardy (who used to play guitar and sing in one of my favorite bands - Barkmarket).

Had this album come out 5-6 years ago I would have loved it (since I was way into 70’s rock, Kyuss, Fu Manchu and stuff like that at that time). But like I wrote, I’m kind of enjoying it none the less. This has been written in like every review I’ve seen about this album, but it’s true: It sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Black Sabbath meets Deep Purple and so on… There are some good songs on here and some of my favorites are “Colossal”, “Witchcraft” and the slow songs “Mind’s Eye” and “Tales” (even though “Withcraft” has a flute in it, and I have a thing about flutes).

The lyrics are not my cup of tea at all. Alot of weird "stoner-stuff" like:

“Purple hazes in the sky, see the angels wicked eye”, “Can’t you see that there’s light in the dark, nothing’s quite what it seems in the city of dreams”, “All the people he sees in the night hold their dreams up to the light, the wilder beast is searching for sight”, “She must be mother nature’s child, cause she’s runnin’ to the call of the wild”, “Go see the sorcerer, look into the ball. You may find the answer written on the wall”

…and I just don’t get it. But I guess that’s alright, and that this is the kind of lyrics that’s supposed to be sung to this kind of music. Anyway, if you like the older 70’s bands that I mentioned earlier you’ll probably like this too.


To listen to some songs, or learn more about Wolfmother go to: http://www.wolfmother.com/ or www.myspace.com/wolfmother

THOM YORKE – The Eraser [XL/Playground -2006]

The landscape of Thom Yorkes first solo album is built upon the typical electronic sound Radiohead have been moving around in the last couple of years.

The hard compressed drum loops are mixed together with a tender piano line along with a lingering and flirting guitar melody arranged in a cut and paste environment with Thoms characteristic voice on top of it all. It’s not that chocking the sound is familiar when Nigel Goodrich (he's been producing Radiohead forever now) name appears as the producer of this 9 song album.

Thom created “The Eraser” during tours when he had some time over for just playing around with his laptop. The result is in some cases really relaxed and laid back electronic music, reminding me of the best parts of “Kid A” & “Amnesiac” and in some cases just a kaleidoscopic mess with never ending drumbeats that don’t find its way forward. But I still enjoy the simplicity of it all but at the same time I have to point out that it feels like a cold drink on a sunny day in order to calm down everyone waiting for the new Radohead record.

www.theeraser.net

THE BRONX - s/t [White Drugs/Island Def Jam - 2006]

I know, this CD is not even out yet, but I got a copy of it some weeks ago by a secret ninja-friend of mine.

This is probably the best album of 2006, and even though I’ve been playing it a couple of times every day since I got it, I can’t wait to buy the real thing when it hit the stores. I’m one of those old-fashioned guys that really like to have the whole package with the booklet and stuff. I’m not kidding you, it’s true. We still exist.

Anyway, the first record by The Bronx has been one of my favorite albums since the first time I heard it back in 2003, but I can tell you that this one is a little bit better. Everything that I loved about the first album is on here too, but this time there are both faster/harder songs and slower/more melodic songs put into the mix. 13 songs in about 34 min. Perfect. The album is great, and I really like all the songs. If I have to pick 5 favorites I will have to go with “Shitty Future”, “Oceans Of Glass”, “Dirty Leaves”, “Transsexual Blackout (The Movement)” and “White Guilt”. But it's really hard to choose, since the rest of the songs are great too.

So, if you liked the first album or the album by The Drips (same guitar-player and same singer) I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

I wrote it in the beginning, and I’ll write it again right now: This is probably the best album of 2006. So, don’t miss this one kids.


If you like to listen to some songs go to www.myspace.com/thebronx or www.thebronxxx.com/

THE BEAR QUARTET– Eternity Now [A West Side Fabrication -2006]

I’ve been a fan of The Bear Quartet for a long long time. That’s why I was so scarred when Eternity Now came into my hands. After their experimental journey with “Saturday Night” I didn’t know what to expect. I had my hopes they had gone back to a more understandable sound, but of course not… This time things are really far out.

I really want to like the record and I try and try but it doesn’t matter if I am lying down, sitting up, riding my bike or drinking 12 beers. I can’t manage to understand what they want me to feel when I’m forced to listen to these awful sounds and annoying blues guitars swelled up in some industrial 80s psychedelic world that only got fucked up drum machines to offer along with some detuned pitch shifted voices.

Probably a very fun record to make when there are no rules or musical boundaries what so ever. And all you’re eating is magic mushrooms, but I don’t so I just get so tired of it.

Why can’t they just go back to doing records like “gay icon” and “angry brigade”? I don’t understand who do they expect to buy this? Some guy that thinks Clawfinger is the best thing that happened to mother earth and are mentally unstable at the same time?

It sure isn’t me that I’m sure of.

Listen to: The Repairing Of The Red Sea

JOHNNY CASH - American V: A Hundred Highways [American Recordings - 2006]

I started listening to Johnny Cash when he released “Unchained”, his second album with Rick Rubin, in 1996. A song called “Rusty Cage” was on it. I didn’t listen to old country guys, but since Soundgarden was one of my favorite bands back then, I gave it a chance. I don’t really remember, but I don’t think I enjoyed the whole thing very much.

I was working in a record-store between December 1997 and March 2005. Somewhere along the way I bought all of the American Recordings Albums by Johnny Cash and I also bought the “Love, God, Murder 3 CD Boxset" with older stuff. I started to really like Johnny. I was surprised when he covered “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails on “American IV: The Man Comes Around” 2002, since it is one of my all-time favorite songs. Anyway, on “A Hundred Highways” there are really no “hits” like that. There are a lot of songs about death and god and dying. The songs on this album are the last songs that Johnny Cash ever recorded, and it also includes the very last song that he ever wrote called “Like The 309”. The first song on this album is called “Help Me” (written by Larry Gatlin), and it’s a really great song. It sets the tone for the rest of the album with lyrics like:

Oh Lord, Help me walk. Another mile, just one more mile. I'm tired of walkin' all alone. And Lord, Help me smile Another smile, just one more smile. You know I just can't make it on my own. I never thought I needed help before. I thought that I could get by - by myself. Now I know I just can't take it any more. With a humble heart, on bended knee I'm beggin' You, please, for help...

Other songs are “God´s Gonna Cut You Down”, “On The Evening Train”, “Love’s Been Good To Me”, ”Rose Of My Heart” and some others. There’s also a really good version of the Bruce Springsteen song “Further On Up The Road”. This is a good final chapter for both the American Recording Albums by Johnny Cash, and also for the man himself. Recorded in the months between the death of his wife, June Carter-Cash and his own death (September 12, 2003). It’s a pretty sad record, but a really good one none the less.

Check out: www.myspace.com/johnnycash or http://www.johnnycash.com/

ANTI-FLAG - For Blood And Empire [RCA – 2006]

With song-titles like “The Press Corpse”, “The Project For A New American Century”, “Hymn For The Dead”, “The WTO Kills Farmers”, and “Depleted Uranium Is A War Crime”, and the fact that these guys are good friends with Tom Morello (Earlier in Rage Against The Machine and now in Audioslave) you could easily think that this is one of those political punk bands. And it is.

I first heard Anti-Flag back in 2003 when they released “The Terror State” on Fat-Wreck Chords. I thought they were pretty good and I bought the CD.

Now, about three years later, Anti-Flag sounds pretty much the same (even though they are now signed to RCA). Musically it goes from some “The Clash-territory” songs to some harder/faster HC-punk songs. The lyrics are anti-war, anti-media and anti-WTO etc, etc. It’s pretty straight-forward stuff. As you can see up in the left corner, the cover shows a cemetery outside of the White House. The booklet is filled with essays about the stories behind the songs and links to different sites on the internet. I haven’t checked them all out yet, but it seems pretty interesting, if you’re in a “there’s so much wrong with the world today-mood”, and not some “I’m so lonely and I just got my heart broken by a selfish girl that I still want to be friends with-mood”. Then you can go listen to some emo-band. (I’m just kidding kids, there’s nothing wrong with that).

But, if you enjoyed “The Terror State”, like I did, you will not be disappointed. “For Blood And Empire” is a pretty good album as well. There’s nothing really special on this album but it makes me kind of happy just listening to it, and sometimes that’s all you need.

And love, of course... No, I’m not a hippie.

If you want to hear some songs by Anti-Flag and make up your own mind about them and their music go to:
www.myspace.com/antiflag or www.anti-flag.com

Existensminimum - Last Night My Head Tried To Explode And I Wrote Everything Down [novoton -2006]

Today we got a nice little piece of music sent to us wrapped up in a lovely artwork. It was the debut album from Existensminimum. Here you get offered a trip into rhythmic and krauty excursion of electro-pop territories you had almost forgotten existed. It displays a dark, dirty sound that is brutally melancholic and harsh at the same time.

For Magnus Henriksson, who also plays the drums and percussion for Moneybrother, cacophony isn’t anything bad; it’s the only way to do music. “Last Night My Head Tried to Explode and I Wrote Everything Down” can be put under the same category as Fireside’s “Elite” from 2000 since it got the same approach and the feeling that Existensminimum want to be, and do something else than your regular Swedish indiepop shit. And that feeling is overwhelming.

What I really love and want to give Magnus credit for is the Kraut-rock songs that displays restlessness and frustration that is hard to not get run over by and reminds me of a more brutal and angry Neu!

These 10 songs are a real adventure for the ears and soul for those who dare to look beyond the frame of the standard pop and rock music of today. Are you one of them you will be largely rewarded.

As some one else said; I hope Magnus Henriksson quit playing with Moneybrother and focus on Existensminimum.

Preview the complete album here!

The Secret Machines –Ten Silver Drops [Reprise -2006]

Some guy working for a Swedish paper compared them with The Mars Volta, and then I just wonder what kind of psychedelic drugs that guy had running in his system.

From what my ears tell me “Ten Silver Drops” is a very British sounding album. At times it sounds like David Bowie stucked in an elevartor with The Doves with its clear pop hooks. But when they start mixing it up with tasteless Grunge-riffing guitars, based on well used chords, spiced up with some neat keyboard sounds, I just wanna turn it off.

I want to give them credit for their will to create their own sound and rules. But as far as the song writing goes their way of experimenting with sounds is way better then the actual songs are.

The record contains 8 songs; at first sight it seems too few. But trust me it’s more than enough. Why they have support shows for U2 and get hyped everywhere is hard for me to understand.

This is a textbook example of overrated music. This is more about the money someone is putting in to their machine than the ability of their music.

Listen to some songs from: “Ten Silver Drops”

It’s A Trap Readers Companion Volume 2 [ITA-2006]

There is this guy called Avi Roig who runs a great homepage about the Scandinavian music scene. Somehow he always gets hold of all the gossips and news before everyone else and no one can challenge his devotion towards what he does.

2003 he released It’s A Trap Readers Companion Volume 1 had acts like: José Gonzales, David & The Citizens,Peter. Björn And John, Khoma etc. These are bands that now have got signed to different important labels in the US. I don’t know how much this record helped out but it sure did opened some people eyes and ears.

So now the follow up is here with 17 new bands Avi thinks everyone should get to know better. To mention a few: Hello Saferide, The Bear Quartet, Moonbabies, Tiger Lou, The Grand Opening, Viola, Det Gamla Landet, The End Will Be Kicks, Björn Kleinhenz.

Seven of the bands got unreleased materials which always make a compilation disc more interesting and appealing It’s not that many bands I didn’t know about as a Swedish dude, but I think the disc is made with a thought for the people living in the US and they have probably never heard about a 3^rd of the bands. Avi continues with his mission and for that we should all thank him.

Check out and listen to the whole track list:
http://www.itsatrap.com/vol2/player/index.html

Montys Loco - "Man Overboard" [NONS -2006

The two women that are hiding behind the name Montys Loco have been playing music for over 10 years together. Accordingly to themselves Björn Yttling, who is the producer of these 10 songs, has shown them a new pathway to walk on. And the walk they walk is good. Really good.

The music that gets delivered by these two ladies is small pop songs with big words. It’s smart, funny and at the same time so distinct and honest with a sexy edge to it that makes you want to dance your ass off occasionally.

On “Man Overboard” Anja Bigrells voice sound harsh and elegant at the same time. It reminds me of Anna Ternheim and Karin Dreijer mixed with Victoria Bergsman from The Concretes, at the same time. The spacious keyboard and organ sounds mixed together with the earthly touch of an acoustic guitar creates a Phil Spector vibe that is hard to not like.

It’s a record that at first comes off as nothing special, but just as a seed takes its time to blossom into a wild colourful lovely flower.

“Try to push it” will easily be on my top 10 list of the best songs of 2006.

Listen to some songs from “Man Overboard”.

Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers [ Emi - 2006]

On the four year old ”Daybreaker” Beth Orton was exploring her own music together with William Orbit, Ben Watt, Johnny Marr, The Chemical Brothers, Jim Keltner, Ryan Adams etc. The outcome was multi-directional, shattered and adventurous, in the same time so very good and appealing. I had felt that Beth Orton’s “Central Reservation” from 1999 was a bit too usual and easy to handle, still it had some really nice folk-pop songs. But it never offered me the satisfaction everyone else seemed to get.

When the first seconds starts ticking on “Comfort of Strangers, I am afraid that Beth has done what everyone except me wants her to do. On her side she has Jim O'Rourke and he’s production shines through in a blink of an eye. He has lifted Beth’s voice out from all that atmospheric echoes and such, placed the musicians in a room that sounds like its 5meters big at max and put a big thick blanket over the whole thing. It is so dry and lifeless from time to time that it simply sound like a demo recording.

Its 14 songs and at least half of them come through as a song written in 5 minutes without any real idea or purpose. I feel like "Comfort of Strangers" is “Central Reservation” part 2, but with less good songs and melodies. But the songs “Feral children” and “Safe in Your Arms” are two really good songs where Beth Orton sings with an intense voice and sincerity that is hard to not get touched by.

Listen to some songs from “Comfort of Strangers”.

The Flaming Lips – At War With the Mystics [Warner Bros -2006]

It’s been 7 years, yes that’s right, since ”The Soft Bulletin” grabbed almost everyone with two functional ears by the neck and twisted it times two around with the explosive melodic piece “Race for The Prize”. Now it’s time for the “comeback” and expectations are high, maybe too high.

The result of these expectations is from one moment to the other surrealistic upbeat pop music that makes you want to dance, just to go crazy with noise you in another situation wouldn’t stand listening to. Then it takes a turn and erases everything you thought you understood about the music with arrangements only a child could come up with, just as they’ve always done. So their way of always trying catching the listener off guard becomes obvious after a while and the surprise effects don’t work that well.

There are no obstacles too high or wide for these guys, but it’s not as interesting as it was 7 years ago listening to how they conquer them. Don’t get me wrong here. Some of the songs on “At War With The Mystics“ is really fantastic, but sometimes it feels like they push it too far, and do it just for the sake of doing it. It wanders off and they have a hard time finding their way back.

“My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion” is a strong pop ballad with a broken crazy guitar. ”Vein of stars” is really something with its floating feeling. “The Wizard turns on…” gives away a lesson in how to use flickering spacious sounds. “Mr. Ambulance Driver” is a great melodic history with an annoying siren in the background.

I don’t know what I expected from the 12 new songs but I think it was something else than this.

Listen to some songs from “At War With the Mystics”.

The Concretes - In Colour [Licking Fingers/ Emi - 2006]

In 2001 I saw this band playing at a local pub, what I thought was appealing about this band back then has now improved and gotten really good. They have developed their own little pop sound that they play in their own little world. They do it easy for themselves, keeping it small, pretty, soft and laid back. And everyone seems to go crazy and spit out one remarkable word after another about them.

I’m probably stupid because I still can’t seem to get it. As I see it they are just a little pop orchestra with some nice tunes and nagging lyrics that is very overrated. It’s perfect as background music while cleaning the apartment or just doing the dishes ´cause it is happy and very easy listening. The record doesn’t demand much of you as a listener; you don’t have to take part in what they are doing to get it. Usually it’s two or three chords and a melody with three tones accompanied by a regular drumbeat all decorated with semi-orchestral arrangements in the spirit of 60’s. It got the feeling of being stuck at the kindergarten. Clap your hands and smile, kind of feeling.

The production of “In Colour“ is really great though. It sounds amazing, like you’re standing in the room where they are playing and they are playing just for you. Comfortable and dynamic.
My problem is that I rather be in another room most of the time.

Watch the video for "Chosen One" from "In Colour".

David Gilmour - On An Island [EMI-2006]

You can ask any Pink Floyd fan you meet, David Gilmour is God almighty and his way of playing his guitar and singing with his delicate voice is a physical version of heaven.

Since Pink Floyd’s weird, complex and hysterically beautiful work of art have been living by my side as a soundtrack of my life for so many years now, its with nervous fingers I put David Gilmours new album “On An Island” in the record player.

It’s been twelve years since the last Pink Floyd album and twenty two years since David Gilmour’s recent solo record, which wasn’t that much of a good investment. But much have happened since then. Maybe not song wise, everything that makes this guy who he is, is still there. But thanks to some divine power the horrors of the massive 80s production is gone and hopefully locked away in a safe place no one will ever find the way to.

During some, both long and short, moments “On An Island” sounds so much Pink Floyd that you have a hard time to separate David’s music from what Pink Floyd did in the 70s. And as if it’s not confusing enough Richard Wright, also from Pink Floyd, steps in and even strengthens the illusion of the Floyd’s golden days with his dramatic keyboard licks and vocal harmonies. He plays and sings as if it was yesterday these two played together. David still plays his guitar solos too long and too much, but hey it’s David, that’s it.

”On An Island” is simply very often 52minutes of delicate sweeping melodies with songs like the title track, "Smile" & "The Blue". And its way better than most of the meditative relaxation records that has been released during the last years.

Tonight I once again understand why I fell so damn hard for “The Dark Side of the Moon” that late night for several years ago.

Listen to some clips from "On An Island".

Hets! - S/T [Etikett: Hets / V2 - 2006]

With members already well established in the Swedish music scene Hets! is now set to release their debut album. Hets! arrives in a time when some fresh punk music is longed for, in a time when radio and television is stuck in their commercial pattern of pumping out more junk than ever.

Hets! was founded in January this year. They recorded and wrote the songs for the whole album the same month, and the outcome is brilliant. It’s not a perfect recording, some things are sloppy and raw, and because of that the authentic feeling increases along with their credibility. Markus Krunegård uses his voice like KSMB and EBBA GRÖN together, it’s just so old and done but yet so very refreshing. Some of the lyrics are really funny and smart at the same time. The story is that Markus wrote them all during a visit at his parent’s house since he was so bored.

11 songs with a great blend of the 70's raw punk combined with direct melodies and the steady beats of the new wave era. It’s like a look in the review mirror what the Swedish punk scene was like back in the days.

Per Nordmark, the drummer of Fireside, Christoffer Roth from Monster, Doktor Kosmos' own Henrik Svensson and Markus Krunegård who also sing in Laakso, have surely made the best Swedish punk record of the whole 2006. I find this one very hard to compete with.

Listen to some songs from Hets debut album here.

The Sounds – Dying To Say This to You [New Line Records / Scratchie – 2006]

The Sounds new and second album “Dying to Say This to You” is produced by Jeff Saltzman, who also produced the Killers’ “Hot Fuss”. And the similarities are really obvious in flashes of melodies and the constant keyboard pounding. The Sounds isn’t a band that offers the listener any musical adventures. They concentrate on getting to the chorus as fast as possible and sing the same thing as many times as they can without losing their breath.

Overall the songs are way better now than on their debut "Living In America". The biggest difference is Jesper Anderberg's way of adding delicious synthesizer lines that are occasionally corny, but still add its charm. This is probably thanks to Jeff Saltzman’s input. The rest of the band give off the impression of doing what they’ve always done and seem pretty satisfied with that (?).

This type of music isn't that creative or important but it will make both the mainstream and indie kids dance their shoes off from now and then without really knowing why. (For what that is worth...) Their small 3 minutes pop songs are pumped up with danceable tones and beats which sure will get played over and over again on every radio station there is, and pollute us all.

Listen to the some songs from “Dying To Say This to You”.

Bear vs. Shark – Terrorhawk [Equal Vision - 2005]

I don’t remember how I stumbled across this record. How I remember it I was drinking some wine at late night and surfing the net and somehow ended up at Bear vs. Shark's homepage.

Here we’re talking about dramtic Punk Rawk ‘n roll played delivered with great punch and melodic edge. It’s mixed with nice electro keyboards, pianos and horn sections. To be boring and lazy and get away much too easily, you could say their sound and approach is similar to Hot Water Music mixed with some Dischord Records vibes.

The slower and more naked songs are easily as good as the most alarming ones.
“Entrance of the elected” and “5 6 kids” are my favourite songs and maybe 15 songs is a bit too much but, hey! These guys know what they are doing, and they do it good.

The band news is that they already split up in the end of 2005. But I’m looking forward to hear these people’s new bands.

Listen to “5 6 kids” from the album “Terrorhawk”

The End Will Be Kicks – S/T [Chalksounds 2006]

After long months of delays and waiting The End Will Be Kicks self titled record finally get released. TEWBK came out from the ashes from bands like Him Kerosene, Breach and Apesex.

In 2005 they released a CDep that at that time showed that they are a unique band. The debut album with TEWBK is really something. The 10 songs are filled with everything from awesome, weird, complicated and simply beautiful melodies, unforgettable hooks, strange chords and lovely lyrics. And all this is backed up by the amazing energy and furious drive from the rhythm section.

The singer/guitarist and songwriter Niklas Quintana is known from the path breaking music he has made with both Him Kerosene and Breach earlier on. In The End Will Be Kicks he combines the melodic parts from Him Kerosene with the moody darkness from Breach and the result is nothing else than fantastic.

Don’t miss out on this one!

Listen to “Always Looking Out” from the selftitled album TEWBK.

Plural - Love Sleeps Where Love Lies [Nah Pescado Records – 2006]

Plural is a band playing out of San Diego, California. They have been compared to bands like Wilco, The Shins and Guided By Voices with their way of presenting multi-layered vocals, and lush melodic arrangements. I can agree in some ways, but it’s rather in certain moments those elements shine trough, but when they do they really do.

The multi-layered vocals are their strongest part. The two singers sing really well together.

"Love Sleeps Where Love Lies" is Plural's 3rd album following 2005's "I Feel Beautiful" and 2003's "Have a Rad Summer.
The arrangements of the songs are neat and tasteful. It never gets too much. It’s sometimes balancing on the edge to erupt but never really does. I would have wished for a better production ´cause one problem is that it sometimes feels too impersonal and flat.

Plural’s “Love Sleeps Where Love Lies” is not mind blowing, not innovative in anyway but it’s sure worth some of both your and mine attention because it got some good songs to offer. I don't know if I’m going to listen to the whole CD that often, but I will play “Mondail Heart” & “John Faster” now and then while having a coffee.

In “Mondail Heart” the two singers sing: “I can’t keep anything in, it all spills out and I am hollow” and that part speaks of what the whole record in general is about I think.

Listen to “Mondail Heart” from the record "Love Sleeps Where Love Lies"

The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine [The Militia Group - 2006]

The Appleseed Cast started their musical experiments in the second half of the 90's, toured the world, put out a bunch of records ,but as I see it, they still haven’t “made it” yet. And I am afraid that the new album “Peregrine” won’t help them with that. The New album is described by their label as “spacious, thick, brooding, joyful, explosive, and back and forth, yet somehow seamless at the same time”.

Well... It starts really good. I love the way they arrange the songs, chops it up in small pieces, throw them out here and there, experiments with different guitar, organ, drums, you name it-sounds bring the pretty usual songs some extra energy and life. But still there is an essential part that doesn’t work: the Vocals. In fact, Chris Crisci vocals, that have never really been that strong, are probably never going to be that great. But if you like the way he has been singing through out the previous records you’ll probably like it now as well.

Sometimes these four Kansas guys carry tones and sound as stormy and spooky as the album’s theme/storyline, but in the end it’s not enough. What The 13 tracks, “Peregrine” has to offer is a great sum up of what the band’s last four albums offered. It’s 13 more of The Appleseed cast’s songs but with an interesting and tasteful production.

Listen to some songs from the album: “Peregrine”.

I Love You Baby! – Mondegreen [Threwetha Records – 2005]

I Love You Baby! are a five piece from Stockholm, Sweden. Hyped by MTV and other big shots. Their music of choice is some kind of The Knife inspired chaotic electro punk with some diffuse Kraftwerk influences. From time to time they create great melodies and mix it together with what you think are sounds from an old 70s sci-fi movie. Dynamics aren’t important here, the more distortion the better. It’s like they force the music into your ears.

“Mondegreen” is produced by the band themselves in the singer, Jeanette’s living room, (also called “The Babyroom”) and contains 12 songs and is wrapped up in an amazing artwork, worth the money itself alone.

To wrap it up: On “Mondegreen” I Love You Baby! sounds like a wild party animal looks six in the morning.

Listen to:“My 49^th baby” from the album “Mondegreen”

Mogwai – Mr Beast [Pias/Playground - 2006]

I remember how Mogwai’s “Come on and die young” totally blew me away several years ago, and how the following records just was getting better and better, but then something happened. They got stuck in their own sound.

On Mr Beast Mogwai sounds the same as they did Seven years ago but now without that touch of lingering magic. They are still doing the same song over and over again. You know what note they will hit next. It’s like the time stands still in Mogwais world.

Mr Beast sure has some shining moments with songs like: “Friend of the Night”, “Emergency Trap” & “Team Handed” where they reveal a little glimpse of what made them what they are today. But it sure feels like they have made one or twenty two crescendos too much at this time when it all comes down to drowning the trembling melody with a wet wall of distorted guitars.

It’s sad, but Mogwai has grown old and are by far outplayed by other bands in the genre they among with others once invented.

Listen to: “Folk Death 95” from Mr Beast.

The Knife - Silent Shout [ Rabid Records – 2006]

So the long awaited album of The Knife is here. The speculations have been many about how they would follow up the huge success with “Deep Cuts” from 2003. At that time they showed that they knew how to do melodic chorus with neat and powerful hooks, so there was no need for that this time.

All the indie girls that wish they were Karin Drejier back in 2003 are now crying blood while they wish they could understand why The Knife’s sound has become so much creepier. Why they sing about teeth falling out while a droning bass line goes on repeat, holding up the arpeggio blips that are all over the place echoing the shit out of each other. The vocals are often nightmarish pitch-shifted and the lyrics very dark. What we get is one of the most compelling, and strange things I've heard in a long time. Silent Shout is dirty and twisted, with insane noises that somehow bleeds into heartbreaking sweeping melodies. Sometimes it really sounds like a portrait of someone or something that is so wicked, broken and so obscure.

My favourite track is The Captain witch has this incredible long opening with the most Pink Floyd:ish sounds I’ve heard in a long time.
I don’t know where they will go next but I’m happy to follow.

Listen to Silent Shout here:Rabid Records Mp3 Shop