Sweden’s The Embassy has a new single out today, but your chances of getting your hands on a copy is very, very small. Their new single “You tend to forget” is released on a 12” vinyl single record, and there exists only 6 copies, – 3 for sale and 3 owned by the artists. Your only chance of getting one of these, is by participating in an Ebay auction, and you can follow or participate here: www.srvc.se . The cover is made with pigmented ink print on paper, and the artist behind the artwork is Carl Hammoud (see the image above).

So, why do they do it this way? Ola Borgström from Embassy’s label Service says this in a statement (my translation…):

Total inflation reigns within today’s pop music since it is copied and distributed  unlimited through computer duplication. In the light of this fact, Service will now release The Embassy’s new single "You Tend To Forget" on a 12" vinyl in three copies, with artwork by Carl Hammoud.

The bids started on 0,50$, and at the time of writing, there are 23 bids and the highest is on 91$…

A creative way of making money, a good way to make an opinion or just a childish promo stunt? What do you think?

Fountains Of Wayne is a band I always turn back to. Often when I can’t find good new music to listen to, I turn to some bands and artists that I just know will get me in a good mood.  Their two last albums “Welcome Interstate Managers” (2003) and “Traffic and Weather” (2007) are their best in my opinion.

The bands songwriter team Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood are influenced by 60′s and 70′s pop/power pop acts like The Kinks, Big Star etc., but they have in the recent years moved into a more mellow pop mood. Songs like “Fire Island”, “1-95″ and “Hackensack” are good examples. Melancholy pop songs that touches ones heart, at least mine! But the band is also known for their fun and smart lyrics like in “Mexican Wine” “Stacey’s Mom” and “Someone to Love”.

“He was killed by a Cellular Phone explotion – They scattered his Ashes across the Ocean – The Water was used to make Baby Lotion – The Wheels of promotion were set into motion”. (Mexican Wine)

Here’s my top 10 FOW-list:

1. Fire Island
2. 1-95
3. Fire in the Canyon
4. Mexican Wine
5. Hackensack
6. This Better Be Good
7. Hey Julie
8 Halley’s Waitress
9. Hotel Majestic
10. Strapped For Cash

Listen to the list here:
http://open.spotify.com/user/saiaway/playlist/430cVKkL9KAtAYz26b1GkC

Check out my side-blog for spotify-related content, On The Spot. Today I made a huge update with a long list of new, recommended albums on Spotify.

The Swedish piano-playing singer/songwriter Jesper Norda is a believer of giving his music away for free, and now he has done it again. Norda always delivers quality compositions, – he keeps it simple, but manages to get the most out of a few notes on his piano. Wonderful melodies, often melancholic and with some bittersweet lyric. His new EP is called “We have the guts EP” and it includes 5 really good songs, – probably the best ones I have heard from him so far. The songs compiled on this ep is very consistent in form, and it makes the ep as a whole a pleasure to listen to. Jesper Norda has a unique, expressive voice, and together with the piano, it creates a very special atmosphere. If you haven’t experienced it before, go to his website and download the whole thing for free, – and do it now!

Jesper Norda – Ami’s song

Jesper Norda is also a part of the project If There Is Something, and they have also a free release out now. You can download that one from this address:

http://www.23seconds.org/028.htm

Robert Post is a Norwegian artist I just like, no matter what he do and how he does it, – I just like him and his music. It has something to do with the way he writes his songs, – both intuitive, accessible and at the same time quite challenging. It also has something to do with his personality. I don’t know the man personally, but he seems very down to earth and at the same time a pure artist.

When he released his debut album a couple of years ago, he got a lot of positive press coverage in the largest newspapers in Norway. The album was a good one, it got him several hits, and he got some attention also outside of Norway. He has spent the last years touring and writing songs, and parts of this time, he has been living in London. Around 2006, he was trying to find inspiration for new songs,  and the war against the Hezbollah and the bombing of Beirut dominated the newspapers. Post especially found interest in a blog called “Beirut Update” that had been printed in The Guardian, and wrote a lyric directly inspired by words from the blog. He contacted the writer, Zena el Khalil, and she approved of the lyrics. Robert finally decided to release the song as his new single, and it is dedicated to Zena and her writings. Her painting “Hope” is also the cover art of his new release.

I really like this one, and it’s a song you just HAVE to listen to from beginning till end, – wonderful things are happening late in the song.

Here is an acoustic version of the song. 

You are in love
you are in love
they drop bombs
they sail their sons home in caskets
she’s in love with a god from above
the same god that’s in love with war
who wants to bear a baby into this world?
into the streets of Beirut
she’s in love with a god from above
the same god that’s in love with war
in Beirut