Junip is José Gonzales current project and consists also of Elias Araya [drums] and Tobias Winterkorn [organ, synth]. Junip has that special sound of José Gonzales voice and his guitar, but with the fuller sound of a band.
A new album is set to be released in September, but before then they will tour both Europe and the U.S. during the summer, including the Way out West festival in the home town Gothenburg in August.
If you wish to find out more about Junip, check out their official website or their Myspace. At the moment you can download one of their new songs for free at their website!
I want to tell you about Billie aka Promise and the monster, you need to check it out. I stumbled on her a couple of years ago when i went to a performance with José Gonzáles. Promise and the monster was the opening act, and i instantly fell in love with her voice.
Apart from the obvious, her amazing music, not much is to be found about her. Billies music has two sides, both light and dark, sensitive and frail. The special voice in combination with great guitar makes it almost dream like at times... I'm hoping she will release a new album soon, i will make sure to tell you. Meanwhile, check out her debut album Transparent Knives from 2007.
Promise and the Monster is available on both Spotify, Klickttrack and iTunes. If you want to learn more about her, check out her Myspace for more information.
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.
Among the springs new releases, the one that excites me most is Karin Dreijer's new solo project Fever Ray. If you didn't know Karin is the second half of the sibling duo The Knife that has been hyped all over the world ever since José Gonzales decided to cover their song Heartbeats.
According to what i heard, the album came to be after Karin gave birth to her second child and spent nights and days awake. It resulted in bits and pieces that eventually formed into an entire album. I have been listening to it repeatedly the past week on Spotify, and i must say that i like it a lot. At first its very similar to The Knife, but without Olof's techno beats, but after a while it becomes more and more interesting and i keep hearing great lines like: When I grow up, I want to be a forester, run through the moss on high heels or the chorus from If I had a heart: if i had a heart i could love you, if i had a voice i would sing, after the night when i wake up, i'll see what tomorrow brings.
Its brilliance, with a great and mystical voice. She will be the big hype this spring and she is getting great reviews from both fans and critiques. So, check it out, you wont be sorry.
If I Had A Heart
--- Check out FeverRay.com for more information. ---
The Knife is a duo that consists of the siblings Karin & Olof Dreijer (Karin a former member of Honey Is Cool). They formed in 1999 and released Deep Cuts which became a loved album among the Swedish listeners. Their mystical aura and outspoken unwillingness to appear in pictures or other marketing probably added to the hype with the Silent Shout tour in 2006. For many (including myself) it felt like the only chance of seeing them live. It was a great experience, but not as much a live concert as a performing art moment where images, sound and light came together. Karin and Olof where, as always, dressed in masks.
In 2005 José Gonzales version of the song Heartbeats was featured in a Sony commercial, which made the rest of the world aware of both José Gonzales and The Knife. Since then they both have had a great commercial success. Who would have known that the sometimes unlikely combination of beats, oil-drums (which you mostly find in reggae or world music) and Karins sweet voice would have such an effect on us?
The Knife has featured in many Tv series and won awards over the years for their work. They have released three albums and one soundtrack to the movie Hannah med H. Silent Shout was the latest release from Karin & Olofs own label Rabid Records, except for a DVD with tour material. We are looking forward to see what the siblings next move will be.
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.
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