Just downloaded this on iTunes- it’s a set of classic songs covered by Erik Hassle beautifully. Its really really worth getting! Buy it here.
Category: Swedish Music
Live: Liam Bailey and Rosanna at Gold Dust
These two artists are tipped to be very very big in the next year- and both were featured on this blog a while ago. Rosanna‘s set was great- she blends melodies with electric synths in a way on Swedes know how to do. Liam Bailey was also excellent- although some of the things he came out with between his songs were a bit OTT, verging on the off-putting. But his talent is pretty amazing and definitely worth checking out!
New Music: Tim Berg
This song reminds me a bit of 90’s garage, even though it’s pure swedish dance pop. I can see this being played on Kiss100 all summer. Song’s called Bromance. Check out here.
First Listen: Erik Hassle ‘Taken (Still In My Blood)’
From my favourite singer for the last year and half. Stunning.
New Music: K.A.Y
This lady’s version of ‘Bang Bang’ by Nancy Sinatra is so good. Just needs a little refining. K.A.Y has that look of Gaga about here, but with a bit of Ke$ha thrown in there with some Robyn to add… Check out here.
First Listen: Robyn ‘Hang With Me’
If you’ve listened to Robyn’s Body Talk Pt1 then you would have heard a ballad version of Hang With Me. This new remix acts as her next single, out in September, and will also be available in the next album (Body Talk Pt2). I like it. Dancey.
Body Talk Pt 2 Tracklist
01. In My Eyes
02. Iinclude Me Out
03. Hang with Me
04. Love Kills
05. We Dance to the Beat
06. Criminal Intent
07. U Should Know Better feat. Snoop Dogg
08. Indestructible (acoustic version)
New Music: Rosanna
Carrying along in the same vein as Ellie Goulding, Rosanna (signed up by the web’s greatest blog PopJustice’ new label, HiFi), has that trademark Swedish sombre vibe mixed with an amazingly uplifting kind of beat. Check out here.
New Music: PURPL PoP
Just when you thought Swedish pop was too cool to be silly, PURPL PoP come along. I don’t know how to feel about them, but I’m drawn to it. Make your own mind up…
Don’t F***ing Tell Me What To Do
If you brought Robyn’s new album you would have heard the first track, titled ‘Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do’. Now she’s only gone and outdone herself by launching an interactive video of the song. Here’s how the website puts it…
It’s like everyone wants you to be perfect and you’re dreaming of a world where you can do what you want. I guess it’s about the modern world and the stress I think most people in it feel sometimes. It´s a pretentious message so I tried to make it as simple as I could. I´m talking about how I felt when I came off my tour” she explains.
Now you know what’s killing Robyn, she wants to know what’s killing you! Let her know by adding your complaints to her new interactive 3D video for Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do. Just head here http://robyn.com/killingme and use the Twitter button to post your message or just add the tag #killingme after your message!
Check out the 3D video of the song here– it’s pretty rad.
New Music: Dyno
I’m don’t really know much about Dyno other than they’re a Swedish trio that make cool pop tracks. Their video for ”I Don’t Speak Love’ is wickeed, don’t you think? Check out here.
New Music: Niki and The Dove
I stumbled across this randomly on Myspace. A little haunting. ‘DJ Ease My Mind’ is like a mesh between Lykke Li and The Knife. amazing. Check out here.
New Music: La Puma
Swedish rocknroll. ‘Tongues of Fire’ is a particular pleaser. Check out here.
Live: Robyn at Heaven, London
This must be the millionth time I’ve seen Robyn live, and once again it was amazeballs! You can still catch Robyn in London tomorrow night at G-A-Y, which is also at Heaven.
And the sexiest album artwork for the month of June goes to…
OK, I know they both look cacky online- but that’s why they’re so great! In the real world where you buy real CD’s from real record shops, both of these albums are so special when you remove the plastic rappers. Uffie’s album comes packed in a denim pocket- with a working button and stitching and her logo screen-printed on and everything.
And Robyn’s new album could pass off as a pirate copy of an original album- yep, she made her own album look like someone copied it and sold it to you at the back-end of a dodgy street at 3am, as you do. The CD itself has Robyn’s logo written in marker pen on a blank CD interface, and the sleeves look like the ones you get when you buy those multipack empty CD’s from PC World. Even the case looks cheap.
Don’t forget to support your record stores folks!
New Music: Jennie Abrahamson
I said last week I would mention more about this Swedish lady. I didn’t really know who she was until I saw her live last week at Penguin Prison’s London gig, and I didn’t expect that I would enjoy her stuff as much as I did (her pictures make her look moodier than she actually is). She seems to be more established in Europe than she is in the UK. I guess it’s cool pop- and it’s easy to listen to. Check out here.
Live: Penguin Prison at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
I managed to catch Penguin Prison in London last night in Shoreditch (this gig was meant to happen last week but because of that volcano cloud thing it had to be put back). He was amazing. Really really amazing. I don’t know how else to put it. I thought he would be headlining the night but turns out he was supporting a band I’d never heard of, which is a bit ironic. Or maybe I’m out of touch. I also saw another lady called Jennie Abrahamson who was also really good. I’ll put up a post on her in a little while- she’s a sort of Kate Bush/ Lykke Li hybrid with a smile.
New Music : JJ
This Swedish duo make the most beautiful bits of music. Makes you imagine you’re up in a forest cabin on a spring dawn smelling pine trees… Anyway, they’ve just released their second album but it’s only stating to make an impact now. They don’t have a website, Myspace or Facebook- so the only place you can sample their tracks is on their record label’s site. Check out here.
New Music: Salem Al Fakir
It’s so rare to see people from Syria (my own home) get famous in the western world (for the good reasons!). Enter Salem Al Fakir, who’s a bit of a pop star in Sweden. I didn’t know about him til I saw a clip of him performing ‘Keep On Walking’ which is absolute perfection in my eyes. He’s already released 3 albums since 2007 in Sweden, so it’s only a matter of time before the rest of Europe clocks on! Check out here.
Alfitude Album of the Year… and it’s still February
Erik Hassle is really good. Buy it!
Live: Erik Hassle, Ellie Goulding, Tinashe at Relentless Garage
I saw these guys at The Relentless Garage (it’s a venue in London that isn’t a garage nor is it relentless in any way) for HMV’s Next Big Thing festival. I am a bit obsessed with Erik Hassle, the ginger big haired skinny Swede with a really good voice and even better music. His album is out on Monday and you should really get it because it’s amazing and I haven’t stopped listening to it for the last few months. His first single here kind of tanked though:
Ellie Goulding was really good too, although she can’t shake her hips to save her life- how can someone with banging beats be so bad at dancing?
Tinashe was OK, his songs all sounded the same but he was friendly to look at.