For the first time in months I can give you news about The Radio Dept's upcoming album. Its release have been postponed for a long time but now i can finally tell you that the latest news from Labrador tells us that they will release a new EP with the name David on June 24.
It you want a taste right away you can find a free download link to the song David via Acid House Kings Twitter and on The Radio Dept's official website. The album release doesn't have a final date yet, but stay tuned for more information.
Often I get the question Who is the best artist that sings in Swedish? The "Swedofiles" out there is very interested in listening to music sung in Swedish. I don't know why, since the lyrics must get lost in translation... [maybe it sounds exotic, like when I listen to French music]?
Well, if you are one of these people who enjoy an afternoon with some Swedish singing, you should look up the following artists.
Why do you like to listen to music sung in Swedish?
Who is your favorite Swedish artist, and why? The world, and I, want to know more about the people reading this blog. Therefor i now open the blog for guest entries!
Email me at swedishmusicfordummies[at]gmail.com and i will publish your story.
Today im enjoying wonderful Asha Ali and her single Hurricane that was released last month. This Swedish singer-song writer with pop influences was born in Ethiopia, but lives in Stockholm. Her first EP was the song Warm Front and she released her debut Asha Ali in 2006 was nominated for several Swedish awards, among other the Swedish Grammy.
If I you should listen to one artist that sings in Swedish this year it should be Anna Järvinen. She released her first solo album Jag Fick Feeling in 2007, but I fell in love with Anna years ago when she was one of the singers in Stockholm based pop group Granada.
Anna was born in Finland but moved to Sweden as a child [Finland have big areas with Swedish speaking natives, a heritage from the day when Sweden incorporated most of Scandinavia]. She has always been a creative person and went to art school and still paints regularly between recordings. Both of her albums have been realsed by Häpna and have been great success storeys for the small label. When creativity is a natural force it can be this great!
Earlier this year she released her second album Man Var Bland Molnen, a step up from the first one, even if you didn't think it was possible. Her delicate voice signals both softness and strong will when she delivers wonderful Swedish lyrics. Enjoy some of her music from the new album, recorded by PSL here. Im sure we can expect more wonderful music from Anna in the future :)
Anna is doing live shows in Sweden and Finland this spring/summer. Check out her Myspace for more information about when and where!
Last weekend I had the privilege to see Ane Brun live in the Patronaat in Haarlem [Holland] and it was my first time seeing this lovely lady outside of Sweden. It was the last show of the European tour of the Sketches. Sketches is the acoustic version of the latest album Changing of The Seasons that was released last spring. I bought it at Klicktrack, and so can you!
Ane and her diamonds were in a great mood and it was fun to see her make small talk in English instead of Swedish in between songs. She dedicated the song Changing of The Seasons to me and my fellow Scandinavians that night :)
Pssst! Ane is going on a Scandinavian tour after the summer, but if you are lucky you can see her in the UK during may. Check out more specific tour dates at AneBrun.com
The past week I have been addicted to the Black Cab Sessions. Its full of acoustic live acts recorded on video in a black cab in London, with a lot of great artists and bands. Some of the great ones is Swedes that are being hyped at the moment, like Jens Lekman, Lykke Li, Peter, Björn and John and fellow Scandinavian Ane Brun.
Jens is performing his song Black Cab, but the cab Jens is singing about is not the black cabs of London, its actually the black cab market in Gothenburg [and the sometimes dangerous men that drives them].
You can also find a lot of great non-Swedish music like Ryan Adams, Death Cab for Cutie, Martha Wainwright, Daniel Johnston, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver to name a few. All of these are worth to check out [if you haven't already].
Im sad you give the news that Dotshop.se is closing due to lacking sales...
Where will i now find special music for special people? The online music store has been one of few places with wide range of music for a thinner target customer than the regular CD stores and i will be sad to see it go.
Get your bargains on the big sale: Dotshop.se [ships worldwide].
What a great question! Of course...favorite? That's like choosing a favorite child. I think Peter Moren put it best when he said that Sweden, by percentages, has more great bands then any other place on earth. (I'm not a math genius...but I'm pretty sure the numbers work out.)
I was first introduced to Swedish music when a friend, horrified that I didn't know anything about her own country, handed me a CD book filled with disks. Okay, handed isn't the right word...she was so excited it was tossed...with all the glee of a music lover knowing she's about to turn a new fan. Two weeks later, we went to see José Gonzales and the rest, as they say, is history.
Current favorites? Anything on Labrador. I love the uniformity in sound and purpose. Between Club 8, The Legends, Radio Dept, Acid House Kings...well, for a kid raised on the pop-delights of the Beach Boys -- it's tough to beat. Does Stockholm put something in the water?
Other favorites: Jens Lekman, Montt Mardié, and Elias and the Wizzkids, all who manage to take the perceived (at least from an American view point) Euro-chic persona and turn it on its head. I'm the worlds biggest geek, so it's always nice to have a bit of company.
Of course, I'm always up to at least sample something a bit experimental. Recently Dieter Schöön e-mailed us [us means wouldbehipster] with his album. It's seriously freaky and wonderfully out of control.
Swedish music is so much more than ABBA, Roxette and Ace of Base! I started this blog when my friends asked me to educated them and write about Swedish music. Im a music nerd living in Gothenburg, Sweden. I listen to music most of my awake hours [and some of the non-awake] and is always intrested in knowing more about it.
If you are like me - stay tuned and find out more about the music that is produced in the cold, small country of the north!
This blog is not connected to any commercial company or organization. My pure interest is in the music and the artist's that creates it. This blog reflects my thoughts and opinions about music and should not be used as the only source of information.
If nothing else is stated I only use press images or screen shots from websites of the artists themselves.
Press Photography by Said Karlsson
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