Heartbeats vs Heartbeats

Here comes both the original version from The Knife and the Sony version that was previously mention, with José Gonzales.

Which one is your favorite?

The Knife

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.

Press picture from Luger / Photography Elin Berge

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Read more at last.fm and the official website
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Anna Järvinen & Annika Norlin - För varje hjärtslag

Another one of my Youtube favorites is Anna Järvinen (Granada) & Annika Norlin (Hello Safride & Säkert!) performing a cover of Robyns "For Every Heartbeat" on Swedish television, in Swedish! More about these ladies will surely come in the future.

Lovely, dont you think?

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Read more about Anna Järvinen, Annika Norlin & Robyn
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Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg

I wake up with images of spring in my hometown this morning :)

Its a sweet video from Maia Hirasawa (Hello Saferides back up singer) who has made a nice album on her own this year. More about this in a later entry. Enjoy!

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Read more about Maia Hirasawa & Hello Saferide
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Tiger Lou

Tiger Lou is one of those indie bands that no one understand is Swedish. They are not very well known, at least in the public eye, but has a rather large fan base (just look at the scrobbles on last.fm). Their presence in the Tv series O.C could be an explanation why. They play easy, atmospheric indie-rock that is easy to return to. Its easy to fit them on a nice compilation CD :)

Rasmus Kellerman (married to Andrea Kellerman aka Firefox AK) started the group that seems to alternate between being a solo project and a band. He is a talented man who plays most instruments on his own and also finds time to be a member in a few other bands on the side. Rasmus is also a Graphic Designer which shows in all their high quality press and merchandise goods.

Two albums and a couple of EPs has been released. My favorite album is still "Is My Head Still On?" from 2004, with songs like "Oh, Horatio", "Sellout", "The Sound Of Crickets" and "Like You Said". Take some time and get to know them, i think you might like it!

Press picture: Luger
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Read more on the Luger site
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Labrador Records

Labrador is one of swedens indie labels where you can find new artists of interest, i know i have many times :) A few of my favorites that are signed on this label are earlier mentioned The Radio Dept, but also Sambassadeur, The Legends, Surburban Kids With Biblical Names and Acid House Kings. I hope to get back to all, in depth, here at the blog.

Its also possible to subscribe to newsletters and get information about upcoming releases and news.

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Find out more at the Labrador website!
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The Radio Dept.

The first choice on my list is The Radio Dept. Its a band that has followed me during the years and i have never grown tired of them. The soft, dreamy sound suits my every mood. I find them underestimated and not very well know of outside Sweden. Therefor i spread the word of this brilliance!

Their new album ”Clinging to a scheme” will be released this autumn, and it will hopefully have the same high quality as the rest.

Biography (from Labradors site)
The Radio Dept. was formed by Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson in 1995 who were in the school together in their early teenage. The name was taken from a gas station/radio repairer in Lund {Sweden} which had a large sign with the name »Radioavdelningen« {The Radio Department in Swedish...} hanging outside their shop. Just like today Elin and Johan hung out with people who, if they didn't play music, were into photo, film, art and the likes. The Radio Deptartment was a suiting name as it became a department of it's own among their friends' activities.

Since 1995 members has been coming and going and at some points there has never really been a Radio Department at all. Martin Larsson and Johan Duncanson started playing together in 1998 and decided to use the name The Radio Dept. Since then the band has done lots of gigs and lots recordings. The Radio Dept. has recorded on 4-tracks in friends' living rooms or at home, in smelly wharehouse, in demo studios with blinking fluorecent lightning and at schools.

In the autumn of 2001 Lisa Carlberg, bass player and the love of Martin, and Per Blomgren, drums, joined the band and they started rehearsing in the way bands so often do. The latest recordings were sent to the music magazine Sonic and got a nice review. They were also on the free CD sampler that comes with the magazine. That's when Labrador Records discovered and signed the band.

Their debut album "Lesser Matters" which was released in the spring of 2003 was an underground success internationally and Labrador's first entrance in the sales charts in Sweden. The buzz that slowly grew to give the band worldwide recognition with a little help from XL Recordings who released the album in large parts of the world, and the release of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, which featured "Keen on Boys, [from "Lesser matters]" "Pulling Our Weight, [from the EP with the same name, 2004]" and "I Don't Like It Like This. [from the EP "This past week", 2005]"

Their highly anticipated second album, "Pet grief", was released in the spring of 2006 and showed a slightly more dreamy, and less noisy, side of the band. The album reached #11 in the Swedish charts and continued to give the band new fans all over the world.

In the beginning of 2007 people started talking about new material from The Radio Dept. There was even a rumour going on that they were working on two albums simultaneously and that both would be released in May the same year. In other words; two albums merely one year after the release of the previous album ”Pet Grief”. Those who had followed the band for a few years and know how they work probably suspected this would not happen.
The single "Freddie and the Trojan Horse" was released in May 2008 and it's a first taste of their upcoming album ”Clinging to a scheme” due to be released in the fall/winter of 2008. The new songs are said to be influenced by minimalistic post-punk, krautrock, repetitive "motorik" beat and ambient noise.

Picture: Press Material, Labrador
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You can find more to read and free downloads at last.fm
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