Yesterday I received an album I have been waiting in excitement for. – I haven’t waited that long, I admit that, – but I have definitely waited since the second I heard the first few tones of Tvärvägen’s astonishing debut single "September" this autumn. The album I’m talking about is of course the Swedish one-man project Tvärvägen’s debut album, "Sångar från Tvärvägen" ("Songs from Tvärvägen"), and it is out now on the small Swedish label Knoppar.

The album is quite short, – 10 songs with a total of only 27 minutes, but it is 27 delicious minutes. This is very delicate and tender music, – small compositions on toy-pianos, peculiar strings and out of tune instruments, short elements of radio transmissions, beautiful heart warming melodies, and last but not at all least: Henrik Öhberg’s warm vocals on top. It all sounds quite spontaneous and improvised, in a good way. The songs are lo-fi in style, but without being lo-fi in the sound quality, if it is possible to be understood by saying it like that…

Herr Öhberg, his neighbours on Tvärvägen and the good people at Knoppar can be immensely proud of this debut!

If you want to hear more from Tvärvägen, you can go to Knoppar’s web-shop and download the full album in high quality for only 5.99£.

Here is the wonderful single "September":

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I accidentally found this video on youtube, and got a flashback to a compilation I bought cheaply on sale a long time ago, “A Song for Eurotrash”, where the cover appeared for the first time. The album was full of covers of old Eurovision melodies, and the performers ranged from Saint Etienne, Dubstar, Bananarama and 808 State to Dean Martin and Brigitte Bardot. One of my favourites on the album was this song, “All kinds of Everything”, originally performed for Ireland by Dana in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, and here performed by Terry Hall (ex The Specials, Fun Boy Three, T.B.A. + many more) and Sinead O’ Connor. I loved this song when I first heard it and I still love it, both as a cover and in the original version. Sweet, sweet, sweet, – sounds almost like a children’s song.

If you listen to the words, think of how the original was performed by Dana, and then watch and listen to Terry Hall & Sinead O’ Connor’s appearance and performance, it’s impossible not to smile, – at least it’s impossible for me. I find this very amusing… Terry Hall looks so bored in this video, – so totally the opposite of what he’s singing about. I don’t think I have ever seen him especially cheerful anyway…
He was one of my heroes back in the days when my heroes didn’t include only people I knew personally.

I find both the video and the song wonderfully cute! What do you think? Over the top or totally fantastic?

Here is the cover-song and the original as mp3s:

…and since I am in the retro mood for once, here’s a video from Terry Hall’s old band The Specials “Too Much Too Young”:

[youtube T6fkHZzlFUA]

I am sitting here listening to Sin Fang Bous debut album “Clangour” (Morr Music), and it’s one of those precious moments where the music embraces you and you don’t want it to stop. It’s a wonderful album, – a really interesting album, and it’s so fun to listen to. It sounds like Sindri has gone berserk in the studio, and played around with everything he could find, – allowed his ideas to flow freely, – not limited by any boundaries at all. It’s experimental, but definitely highly accessible, very melodic and very much a pop-album.

Sin Fang Bous is Sindri Mar Sigfusson from the Icelandic band Seabear, and while this is his debut as Sin Fang Bous, it is not his debut making/releasing music on his own. Seabear was originally his one-man project, and he self-released his brilliant Seabear debut “Singing Arc” (2004) on his own. Seabear became a huge (and probably growing) band with 7 members, and the Sin Fang Bous album was recorded and self-produced in Sindri’s home studio while Seabear was working on their new album.

The music of Sin Fang Bous has a lot in common with Seabear, of course, but it’s far more electronic, more upbeat, and while the last Seabear album was heavily inspired by folk-music from the 60s-and 70s, this album is definitely forward looking. At the same time, there are LOTS of acoustic instruments, field recordings, “found sounds” folk-inspirations, and a very organic and “real” sound on the album. This is warm, friendly music, and it might just be one of my favourites of the year.

Brilliant cover art too, made by the wonderful Julia Guther (who also made one of the “A Good Crop” covers for us).

“Clangour” will be released on vinyl and digital downloads on December 5th, and the cd will be available in February. ITunes has a pre-release of the album right now, so get over there and get it!

When you have bought the album, get over to They Shoot Music, Don’t They and watch Seabear’s recent live performance in a street market in Vienna.

Here’s a track from the album:

“Blue Skies Daisy days” is the beautiful title Planting Seeds Records have chosen for their new compilation. I’ve had the album and enjoyed it for some days now, and when I saw that indie-mp3 posted some news about it today, I figured that I should get the planned review out to the people. Writing reviews is not my favourite thing, – I like the listening part much better, – so I’m often thinking that “I will do it tomorrow”… But not this time! Thanks to indie-mp3 for reminding me! …and for being one of the best blogs out there.

The album will be released on December 3, and 21 bands are involved, both the label’s own and friends of the label. A portion of the proceeds goes to the non-profit “The Keep A Breast foundation”, who has a mission to help eradicate breast cancer. A great cause, and a great album. All of the songs are very melodic and most of them are in the indie-pop category, plus a few more noisy ones and some a bit folk influenced. Good songs all over.

Bands include International Jetsetters (members of The Jesus & Mary Chain + Ride), The Tamborines, The Ocean Blue, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, Linda Draper, A.M. Vibe, The Voyces, Pinkie (Sarah Records), The Left Outsides (Eighteenth Day of May), The See See (also featuring members from the UK’s Eighteenth Day Of May), The Loose Salute (members of Mojave 3), Loz Colbert (member of Ride and the later version of JAMC), The Primary 5 (members of Teenage Fanclub), Nic Dalton (member of Lemonheads), John Moore (Black Box Recorder, JAMC) and several others.

I have several favourites on the album. The Ocean Blue’s “Ticket to Wyoming” is a killer pop song, – irresistible, with a rhythm that it’s impossible not to nod your head to!  The Left Outsides contributes with the wonderful 60s inspired song “out of time; out of place”, and it’s just brilliant. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians are a band I’ve had good feelings for before, and their Spiritualized-like blues’y gospel indie track “Everybody Live” is cool enough to love a lot. The Sarah Records-related band Pinkie (it’s Alex Sharkey from Brighter, Hal and now Fosca) is also here, with a great little song, “I’m afraid you’re just like me”.
The opening track, “Inside Out” by The International Jetsetters is a song that sounds like The Byrds and Teenage fanclub playing together with a kraut-rock groove section. The track is taken from the band’s new 6-track release “Heart is black”, out now on the same label as this compilation.

So, as you’ve probably understood by now, “Blue Skies and Daisy days” is recommended!

Not very music related, but I just had to show you…
The nature on my little island is so beautiful these days, with frosty plants and trees, and a sky that makes me speechless every time I see it. The photo was taken about an hour ago, and as I’m writing, there is only a tiny red line above the mountains, and the rest is quite dark. Earlier today, I had the pleasure of watching a huge eagle flying VERY close over my head, – so close that I could see the structure in the wings and feathers. Marvelous.

To make this a music post, – here are two sunset related songs:

Sister Vanilla – Pastel Blue (Sunsets)
(- from a compilation album made by the fine Planting Seeds records called "Sunsets and Silhouettes" from 2004)

Yuichiro Fujimoto – Little Sunset (from his brilliant album "Komorebi", also from 2004)