The Holidays are Here!

For all of you Swedophiles who feel tired of the traditional Celine Dion Christmas songs i have something for you. Oh, no its Christmas! was released by Razzia Records last year and feature many of our favorite artists and their versions of Christmas songs.

Just to name a few: Hello Saferide, Kristofer Åström, The Soundrtack Of Our Lives, Maia Hirasawa, Laakso, Firefox AK, Tiger Lou among others.

Go check it out!

Petter – Mikrofonkåt

During the fall the Swedish Public Television [SVT] has given us a documentary series about Swedish artists called Dom Kallar Oss Artister [They call us Artists]. We have made visits to Per Gessle, Maia Hirasawa, Håkan Hellström among others... Unfortunately the programs is only in Swedish, but if you want to check it out you can do it here.

The other week we visited Petter, one of the big names on the Swedish hiphop scene for the last ten years. With five albums and countless of collaborations he is definitely one of the biggest hiphop artists in Sweden today. Its always interesting to see how the artists have every day lives like the rest of us with kids and bills. Im not a big hiphop connoisseur but i have a few favorite songs with Petter. One of them is the song Logiskt who comments on the every day life of Petter with the help of Säkert!

Logiskt


In the end of the show Teo Holmer performed an acoustic version of Petter's hit song Mikrofonkåt. I find covers fascinating to listen to when they have made something completely different and new from an existing song. [If you want to see Petter's original version, check it out here]

Teo Holmer - Mikrofonkåt


---
More information about Petter is found on Petter.nu
---

Lucia

Its the darkest time of the year, with only 5 hours of daylight per day... [ugh!] Now its also time for the St Lucia holiday, to celebrate the saint Lucia who brings light to us in the dark. It all started at the time when Sweden was Catholic and needed to incorporate the pagan mid-winter celebrations into the christian faith.

Anyway... Its still a very nice tradition filled with songs, candle lights and sweets :) And because its Lucia weekend here in Sweden i will give you a treat of a traditional Swedish Luciatåg [train of singing girls].

If you want to find out more about this tradition you can read about it here.

A Camp x 3

Here is a collection of A Camp samples. The first two videos is from the first album and the song Stronger Than Jesus is the first single from the second album Colonia, which is to be released soon.

I Can Buy You


Song For The Leftovers


Stronger Than Jesus

A Camp

I receive the news of the release of A Camps second album, Colonia, with a smile. The first one was SO GOOD. Its been eight years since the last one, so i have high expectations. Too high probably...

Nina's solo project was something totally different from The Cardigans when it came out. It was darker and with a dose of lovely Country/Americana. And i liked it a lot. Back then it was a side project to get some space from The Cardigans and concentrate on something more of her own [every band is a democracy...], but now its her primary project since The Cardigans is currently put on ice indefinitely [no one really knows]. This time A Camp is no longer a solo project, she has added a band with her husband Nathan [American] as one of the components.

I hope that the new album will be everything i have dreamed for in the past eight years, but if not, i always have the first album to comfort me. If you're not familiar with A Camp i suggest you take a look asap :)

---
To find out more, check out the official website and Myspace
---

Photo by: Greg Greenwood

Summer Rain [A Capella]

I stumbled on this video of Anna Ternheims A Capella version of Summer Rain. It was one of the highlights during last weeks concert and here it is! Now the hopes that Anna will release an acoustic version of her latest album is growing... Stay tuned.

Backing up Anna is also among others ElleKari Larsson from The Tiny, Nina Kinert and Ane Brun. I love these collaborations!

Summer Rain

Love for All!

It probably wouldn't happen in the states, but it works in Europe and definitely in Sweden! I think its great! Ane singing Cyndi Laupers True Colors in a Björn Borg commercial. I cant agree more, Love for All!

Björn Borg commercial anno 2008

Anna Ternheim x 3

This is for you who might be new to Anna's music. A collection of videos: An old favorite of mine; My Secret, an acoustic version of You Mean Nothing To Me Anymore and the Broder Daniel cover Shoreline, that Anna basically made her own :)

[If you want to see the original version of Shoreline, by Broder Daniel, check it out at Youtube]

My Secret


You Mean Nothing To Me Anymore


Shoreline

Under the Moon with Anna

Anna Ternheim released her new album Leaving on a Mayday in recently, and it was with great expectations i opened the pre-ordered package with the CD (yes i still buy CD's). At first i was not impressed, noticing a new side, with more firmness and finesse. With more new sounds and new influences. It felt like one of her strengths was gone; the naked sound of her voice with a piano or a guitar. I didn't know what to think of it, i was a bit stunned.

Then the day came when me and my friend A went to see her live at Röda Sten. I have been looking forward to this concert for a long time since it was suppose to be special, with a limited number of seats in a venue that is usually used for art exhibits. And there she was on stage with her band, swaying back and forth like a hunchback in pain, turned away from the crowd. The new songs came to life that night, in a big concrete building with the acoustic of a church [16 meters to the ceiling]. It was a night of both old and new songs, Anna alone taking requests from the fans in the front and finally ending it with two call backs and the A Capella version of Summer Rain [with her four backup singers]. Anna was witty and humble, happy to be there and sometimes totally swept up in the music. It was magical.

I was happy to be there. I was happy to hear the Wedding Song which is an old song, but new to me, i was happy that the moon was shining through the window to set the mood, i was happy to hear a hand clap version of French Love and one of my new favorites My Heart Still Beats For You, I was happy to see Elle-Kari Larsson from The Tiny as one of the backup singers [who also played several instruments]. It was a great night, definitely on my concert top five list.

To wrap this up i must add that i think that her new album grew a lot after this concert. This music is meant to be hard live and not through computer speakers... And after listening to her old albums i understand why she has come to the point where she needs to change. It might also be that the move to New York earlier this year influenced the music in a new way. I just think you should give this album another chance. And go see her if you can.

---
Im now looking to find Annas Secret EP, where the Wedding Song is featured. I haven't been able to find it, so if you do, please let me know! Check out AnnaTernheim.com for more news about Anna!
---