SONDRE LERCHE

Everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink crooner/carny barker SONDRE LERCHE will drop his fourth full-length album, PHANTOM PUNCH, tomorrow. This time around, he's swinging back toward the free-wheeling pop of his first two records -- cabaret trappings and all.

Last I checked, this Norwegian wunderkind wasn't even 25 yet.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, get your ass in gear.

SONDRE LERCHE on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Well Well Well"

[MP3] "The Tape"

[VID] "Say It All"

BEST OF JANUARY

Here is January's rather UK-centric mix. Of course, some Swedes have insisted their way in. The Americans -- few and far between -- will be permitted, but only if they sit in the back. Two-drink maximum. No lap-dances.

[This is a DEERHOOF-, FIELD MUSIC-, and PANDA BEAR-free zone.]

[Also: Trying a new uploader this time around. Please let me know if it's better/worse than RapidShare.]

Left-click [HERE] to download last month's motley lot...

TRACKLIST >>>

01) The Killers/All the Pretty Faces
02) The Cooper Temple Clause/Connect
03) The Apples in Stereo/Sunndal Song
04) The Carny/Man Under the Sun
05) The Cinematics/A Strange Education
06) Idlewild/In Competition for the Worst Time
07) Graham Coxon/Tell It Like It Is
08) The View/Superstar Tradesman
09) Yellowish/Lisa Could Die for Elvis
10) Amy Winehouse/Back to Black
11) Irene/Stardust
12) Detektivbyran/Dansbanan
13) Volvoe/Organized Faults
14) Au Revoir Simone/Dark Halls
15) Electric Six/Pulling the Plug on the Party
16) Consequences/Not Coming Home
17) Director/Big Cities
18) Devotchka/The Last Beat of My Heart
19) Winterkids/All the Money
20) The Electric Pop Group/Walk Away

BRIGHT EYES

[Come back later today to download the Best of January mix.]

The forever-prolific BRIGHT EYES (aka CONOR OBERST) has an aggressive 2007 on tap. First up is the EP FOUR WINDS, whose six songs will be available for purchase on March 6. Shortly thereafter, the full-length CASSADAGA will drop on April 10.

Below, you'll find my favorite track from the EP, followed by my favorite BRIGHT EYES song overall.

BRIGHT EYES on MySPACE.

BRIGHT EYES in concert...

Feb 25 2007 8:00P/Metro/Chicago, Illinois
Feb 27 2007 8:00P/Opera House/Toronto, Ontario
Feb 28 2007 8:00P/Somerville Theatre/Somerville, Massachusetts
Mar 2 2007 8:00P/Bowery Ballroom/New York City, New York
Mar 3 2007 8:00P/Bowery Ballroom/New York City, New York
Mar 5 2007 8:00P/9:30 Club/Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 7 2007 8:00P/El Rey/Los Angeles, California
Mar 8 2007 8:00P/El Rey/Los Angeles, California

[MP3] "Reinvent the Wheel"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Lover I Don't Have to Love"

GUSTAV & THE SEASICK SAILORS

GUSTAV & THE SEASICK SAILORS first rammed their Viking ship into my life in May of 2005. That's when I first fell ass-over-tea-kettle for their song "Angels Fable" -- which, almost assuredly, came to me by way of SWEDESPLEASE.

I loved the song's simplicity. Its casual, cast-off quality. It sounded like the last thing the boys threw together in the studio that night. Not quite gypsy-folk. Not exactly a sea shanty. But made irresistible by its classy, mariachi-band brass, its shuffling drums, and by young GUSTAV HAGGREN's earnest, striving vocals. At song's end, he seems to express his own one-word evaluation of the group's efforts: "Keeper!". (Though, being Swedish, he may just as well have been saying "Kipper!" -- a salted, smoked herring much beloved by the Swedes.)

Only yesterday did I discover that this particular incarnation of "Angels Fable" is not the one that appears on G&TSS's second album, SIRKUS. The recorded version -- while entirely similar -- chooses to de-emphasize those noble horns, instead playing up the bassline and inserting some honky-tonk piano fills. And, of course, the triumphant "Keeper!/Kipper!" exhalation has gone missing. A pity.

All of that said, if I had heard the SIRKUS version FIRST, then I'm sure that THAT would be the one I'd be praising to the stars right now. Because, as it is, SIRKUS is an excellent record, a more full-bodied and blooded take on Gustav's 2004 singer/songwriter-styled debut, VAGABOND'S POLKA. Both albums are currently available from iTUNES and CD BABY, amongst other places.

The main purpose of this post, however, is to get out the word that Gustav will be making his first North American tour, starting next week. He'll be performing solo this go-around, and you'll find a list of relevant dates and places below. It might be a good idea to keep on eye on his MySPACE page as well, as new dates -- and new places -- keep getting added.

After the tour, Gustav promises, he will begin work on his third album this summer. I'll keep you posted.

GUSTAV in North America...

Feb 8 2007 8:00P/Castaways (solo)/Ithaca, New York
Feb 10 2007 8:00P/Revolution (solo)/Clinton, New York
Feb 21 2007 8:00P/Flavour Cafe (solo)/Troy, New York
Feb 23 2007 8:00P/Coffee and Tea Room (solo)/Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Mar 3 2007 8:00P/Jitters Coffehouse (solo)/Southington, Connecticut
Mar 18 2007 10:30P/The Bitter End (solo)/New York, New York
Mar 23 2007 8:00P/Potters House (solo)/Washington, Washington DC
Mar 29 2007 8:00P/World Cafe Live (solo)/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 30 2007 8:00P/Fredericksburg Songwriters Showcase (solo)/Fredericksburg, Virginia

Apr 1 2007 8:00P/Baja Bean (solo)/Staunton, Virginia
Apr 5 2007 8:00P/Juggling Gypsy (solo)/Wilmington, North Carolina
Apr 6 2007 5:00P/Folks Café (solo)/Wilmington, North Carolina
Apr 7 2007 8:00P/Port City Java (solo)/Wilmington, North Carolina
Apr 13 2007 8:00P/Rime (solo)/Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 14 2007 8:00P/Denman Island Hall (solo)/Denman Island, British Columbia

From the LP SIRKUS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Something Weightless"
[MP3] "Angels Fable" [demo]

From the LP VAGABOND'S POLKA, 2004 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Vagabond's Polka"
[MP3] [VID] "Nightlife"

ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT

I've been carrying on a one-sided love affair with London's ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT ever since I first heard their song "You Don't Need Me" back in October of '06. It made my Best Of mix that month, and I still find it a nearly perfect blend of dance/thrash pop/rock.

Turns out, the band has been keeping some other gems up its collective sleeve, and the members were generous/sympathetic enough to throw a bone to this sad-sack, unrequited-love junkie. Perhaps seeing it as the audio equivalent of a pity-fuck, the group agreed to send me an MP3 of their new single "Carry Me" [available from iTUNES and AMAZON.COM (UK) as a four-song EP].

Lo and behold, a signature sound -- in an "empowering," not "restrictive" sense -- begins to emerge. SAM's sharp, staccato, sometimes siren-like guitar. TOMMY T's understated, retro, sense-of-menace synth fills. CHRIS and DJ's rumbling, cymbal-crash rhythm section. And, above it all, frontwoman PRINCESS P's playful yet authoritatively aggro vox -- effortlessly escalating from a coo to a caterwaul.

BLONDIE as covered by SONIC YOUTH? No, not exactly. But if that's enough candy to get you into the smiling-televangelist-man's Caddy, then go ahead and take the bait. The right tunes can make any ride worth risking.

ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT on MySPACE.

ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT on stage...

Feb 2 2007 8:00P/On The TV present GIRLS!GIRLS!GIRLS! @ The Luminaire/London
Feb 17 2007 8:00P/Feeling Gloomy Club Night @ Bar Academy/London
Feb 21 2007 8:00P/The Social, London/London
Mar 1 2007 8:00P/Another Form of Relief/London
Mar 21 2007 8:00P/Industry, London/London
Mar 28 2007 8:00P/Headphones off @ Catch/London
Mar 31 2007 3:00P/Ladyfest @ The Loft/Cambridge

[MP3] "Carry Me"

[MP3] "You Don't Need Me"

[MP3] "Trained"

[MP3] "Funky" [live]

CLINIC

Whether they're the world's biggest M*A*S*H fans or simply bird flu-fearing, the four Liverpudian lads of CLINIC certainly know their way around a gimmick.

They also know their way around a dense, insular sound that seems almost perversely determined to push you away even as it's drawing you ever-closer to its cold, hard heart.

Listening to VISITATIONS, their 2006 album that was just released in the U.S. this past week, is perhaps a bit akin to navigating that hedge-maze in THE SHINING. But not during the daytime, in the fall, with SHELLEY DUVALL (though Shelley Duvall is certainly creepy and then some). No, this would be a nighttime navigation, in the dead of winter, with a freshly-hatched-from-the-cuckoo's-nest JACK NICHOLSON lurching after us with an ax.

This is music that revels in dead ends. Blind corners. Everywhere you turn, the sense of impending doom and deja vu is overwhelming. Depressing. Deadening. Don't go into the light, Carol Anne! But never mind; there's no light to be had. And no SCATMAN with a Sno-Cat to save you.

(How 'bout that. Turns out this entire post was just an excuse to get in an entirely irrelevant SCATMAN CROTHERS reference. Odd. Very odd.)

CLINIC on MySPACE.

CLINIC in the UK, US, and CA...

Feb 3 2007 7:00P/The Social/Nottingham, Midlands
Feb 4 2007 11:00P/Optimo/Glasgow, Scotland
Feb 9 2007 7:00P/Concorde 2/Brighton, South
Feb 10 2007 7:30P/Club Academy/Manchester, Northeast

Mar 2 2007 8:00P/Troubadour/Los Angeles, California
Mar 3 2007 8:00P/Noise Pop/San Francisco, California
Mar 6 2007 8:00P/Black Cat/Washington DC
Mar 7 2007 8:00P/Johnny Brendas/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 10 2007 8:00P/Middle East/Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mar 11 2007 8:00P/La Sala Rossa/Montreal, Quebec
Mar 12 2007 8:00P/Lee's Palace/Toronto, Ontario

From the LP VISITATIONS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "If You Could Read Your Mind"
[MP3] "Jigsaw Man"

From the LP WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Anne"
[MP3] "Thank You (For Living)

From the LP WALKING WITH THEE, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "The Equaliser"

From the LP INTERNAL WRANGLER, 2000 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Distortions"

SIERRA SWAN

Watch your backs, PHOENIX and ZAPPA families, and make way for the silkily alliterative, friend-of-the-Earth-monikered SIERRA SWAN -- a young, up-and-coming California singer/songwriter who has already collaborated with a couple of the music biz's most respected song stylists. (Oh, and, just to solidify her family's standing in the wacky, terrestrial/ethereal name-game: Ms. Swan's sister is also a singer... and is named "Planet.")

Sierra Swan began her music career at the age of 16 -- writing songs and playing coffee houses in the San Fernando Valley. Before long, Atlantic Records came a'callin' with a contract, and the beginnings of a bright, promising career seemed all but assured.

Alas, in that oldest and most cliched of cautionary tales, artist and record label did not see eye-to-eye on the artistic-vision thing, and Atlantic dumped her like detritus. (No doubt TORI AMOS -- who lived the same exact tale with the same exact record label some ten years before -- can sympathize.)

Then, as so often seems to happen, a professional setback was enjoined and eclipsed by a personal one -- with Ms. Swan's mother taking seriously ill and passing away in February of 2003. It was at this emotional low ebb that Swan met songwriter, producer, and just general "uber-guru" LINDA PERRY. Before long, the two were writing together -- a partnership that would eventually yield 2005's LADYLAND, Sierra Swan's first album.

From the beginning, this collaboration had a kismet quality to it -- not just because the two proved to be so compatible as composers, but because their voices have a definite, kissing-cousin quality to them. Swan's may not be quite as over-the-top rough-and-tumble as Perry's was in the latter's 4 NON BLONDES days, but there's a seductive scratchiness to her purr that adds a welcome heft. Think: FIONA APPLE. Or -- on some of the poppier numbers -- one of Perry's previous proteges: PINK. (Also, the sometimes-playful, sometimes-darkly-intense piano figures that animate many of the tracks tend to evoke Ms. "UNDER the Pink" -- Tori Amos.)

As yet, Swan isn't the most accomplished lyricist you're likely to hear, but what she lacks in literary polish she more than makes up for in tell-it-like-it-is emotional punch and irony-couching-anger honesty. Obviously, having Linda Perry at her side is a pretty effective creative crutch. And, just for a little added assistance, AIMEE MANN co-writes and lends vocal support to the suffers-no-fools kiss-off, "Get Down to It."

Turns out, then, that Sierra Swan has a lot more going for her than that silkily alliterative name of hers. But even so: River, Rain, Summer, Liberty, and Leaf... watch your backs. Dweezil, Moon Unit, Diva, and Ahmet... eat your hearts out.

[SIERRA SWAN will be playing THE HOTEL CAFE in Hollywood at 10:30 PM on January 31.]

SIERRA SWAN on MySPACE.

[MP3] [VID] "Don't Say"

[MP3] "Just Tell Me"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "It's a Merry Time"

IDLEWILD

The Scottish collective IDLEWILD will release their latest LP, MAKE ANOTHER WORLD, in the UK on March 6. You can pre-order it [HERE].

IDLEWILD on MySPACE.

IDLEWILD on the road, eventually...

Mar 12 2007 8:00P/Newcastle University/Newcastle
Mar 13 2007 8:00P/Manchester Academy/Manchester
Mar 14 2007 8:00P/Norwich UEA/Norwich
Mar 16 2007 8:00P/Wolverhampton/Wulfrun Hall/Wolverhampton
Mar 17 2007 8:00P/Oxford Brookes University/Oxford
Mar 18 2007 8:00P/Leeds Met University/Leeds
Mar 19 2007 8:00P/Aberdeen Music Hall/Aberdeen
Mar 20 2007 8:00P/Perth Concert Hall/Perth

[MP3] "In Competition for the Worst Time"

[MP3] "You and I Are Both Away"

AMERICA

What with George "The Decider" Bush deciding to do everything in his power these past six years to weaken the United States every which way and worse, there can be little doubt that AMERICA is in need of a comeback.

Maybe that's why DEWEY BUNNELL and GERRY BECKLEY -- two/thirds of the hit-making, soft-rocking '70s group AMERICA -- felt compelled to get the band back together. Well... with a little prodding from some of their younger-generation admirers, that is.

To start with, those admirers were ADAM SCHLESINGER (FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE) and JAMES IHA (SMASHING PUMPKINS). They not only helped convince Bunnell and Beckley to record a new full-length CD for the first time since 1998; they agreed to produce it. Well... with a little help from their friends, that is.

Those friends would ultimately come to include RYAN ADAMS, BEN KWELLER, and members of MY MORNING JACKET, and NADA SURF. Which begs the question: Would THE EAGLES or BREAD -- the two groups AMERICA essentially nestled themselves between during their heydey -- be able to elicit such nostalgic love and loyalty? Well... probably THE EAGLES, but that's not the point....

The point is that, some 30 years after releasing their 4+ million-selling Greatest Hits collection, AMERICA is back with a new double-CD, HERE & NOW. "NOW & THEN" might have made for a more accurate title, seeing as the first disc consists of new compositions, while the latter is dedicated to the group's glory days -- with the guys gamely performing live/in-studio versions of ALL of the tracks on that aforementioned Greatest Hits collection.

Now, you might rightly wonder: Does the world really need present-day, live/in-studio recordings of such distant hits as "Sister Golden Hair," "Lonely People," "Tin Man," "A Horse With No Name" (not to be mistaken for a NEIL YOUNG song), and "Ventura Highway" (not to be mistaken for an EAGLES song)? The answer: Of course not. But if the boys are feelin' frisky -- and are willing to release their double-disc at a non-apocalyptic price (just $11.99 @ AMAZON) -- then who are we to judge or begrudge them?

Methinks some judgment IS warranted on the first disc, however, seeing as this is the face AMERICA wishes to put on their current creative incarnation. The good news (or "bad," depending on your point of view) is that the band is back to sounding like they did in the '70s. Credit Schlesinger and Iha for keeping the arrangements largely uncluttered -- with gently strummed acoustic guitars and the group's trademark harmonies carrying the better part of the day. The songs themselves are pleasant, if forgettable (though Schlesinger's co-writing efforts on a couple of them help to elevate the general proceedings).

Bottom line: There's nothing wrong with surrendering oneself to a bit of nostalgia every now and again. And as a young kid in the early-to-mid '70s, I grew up listening to AMERICA on AM radio. Whether I truly need to listen to them on XM Radio today remains a pressing question, but kudos to Bunnell and Beckley for not giving up the ghost -- and kudos to Schlesinger and Iha for not just respecting their elders, but for celebrating them.

AMERICA on MySPACE.

AMERICA's upcoming transcontinental canoodling...

Feb 2 2007 8:00P/McKinney Performing Arts Center/McKinney, Texas
Feb 3 2007 8:00P/McKinney Performing Arts Center/McKinney, Texas
Mar 9 2007 8:00P/Keswick Theater/Glenside, Pennsylvania
Mar 10 2007 8:00P/Louisville Palace Theatre/Louisville, Kentucky
Mar 13 2007 8:00P/Hammersmith Apollo/London, UK
Mar 14 2007 8:00P/Civic Hall/Wolverhampton, UK
Mar 15 2007 8:00P/Corn Exchange/Cambridge, UK
Mar 17 2007 8:00P/The Anvil/Basingstoke, UK

[MP3] "Ride On"

[MP3] "Work to Do"

[MP3] "Don't Cross the River" [live/in-studio]

[MP3] "A Horse With No Name" [live/in-studio]

[VID] "Ride On" [live on LETTERMAN]

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "Sister Golden Hair"

[MP3] "You Can Do Magic"

THE APPLES IN STEREO

Fresh off his participation on THE COLBERT REPORT's "Guitarmageddon" [see it HERE], ROBERT SCHNEIDER and THE APPLES IN STEREO will be dropping their latest album, NEW MAGNETIC WONDER, on February 6. Seems a safe bet to expect more of their highly distinctive "sunny pop" -- '60s-influenced songs often extending no more than two to three minutes. (Actually, the two songs from the new record below run about 3:30, but they're still fuzzed-up and, yes, pretty damned "sunny.")

THE APPLES IN STEREO on MySPACE.

THE APPLES IN STEREO on their upcoming tour...

Feb 8 2007 8:00P/The Dame/Lexington, Kentucky
Feb 9 2007 8:00P/Top Cat's Club/Cincinnati, Ohio
Feb 10 2007 8:00P/Grog Shop/Cleveland, Ohio
Feb 11 2007 7:00P/The Buffalo Icon/Buffalo, New York
Feb 12 2007 7:00P/Diesel/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feb 13 2007 8:00P/Black Cat/Washington, DC
Feb 15 2007 8:00P/Bowery Ballroom/New York City, New York
Feb 16 2007 9:00P/North Star Bar/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From the LP NEW MAGNETIC WONDER, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Sunndal Song"
[MP3] "7 Stars"

From the LP VELOCITY OF SOUND, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Please"
[MP3] "Baroque"

From the LP THE DISCOVERY OF A WORLD INSIDE THE MOONE, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "The Rainbow"

DEAN WAREHAM & BRITTA PHILLIPS

DEAN WAREHAM & BRITTA PHILLPS -- formerly of LUNA -- will be releasing their second full-length CD, BACK NUMBERS, on February 27.

Upon first listen, I'm not sure I'm liking this one quite as much as 2003's L'AVVENTURA. But time will tell....

DEAN & BRITTA on MySPACE.

From the LP BACK NUMBERS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "You Turned My Head Around"
[MP3] "The Sun is Still Sunny"

From the LP L'AVVENTURA, 2003 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Moonshot"

AMY WINEHOUSE

Where the hell has AMY WINEHOUSE been hiding herself? Well... In England, apparently. I guess she's fairly well-known there, but I have to admit to never having heard of her till just a few days ago.

But what a voice. Soulful. Funky. Poppy. Instantly distinctive. And I've been grooving on retro-'60s female vocalists for a good long while now.

Ms. Winehouse's second album, BACK TO BLACK, was released last year -- overshadowed in some quarters by the woman's penchant for partying and, specifically, boozing it up in a big way. Good for her for dumping her record company when they tried to force her into rehab.

Obviously, she doesn't just have a voice; she has balls, too.

AMY WINEHOUSE on MySPACE.

AMY WINEHOUSE on the road...

Feb 17 2007/8:00P/Corn Exchange/Cambridge
Feb 18 2007/8:00P/Guildhall/Southampton
Feb 19 2007/8:00P/NME Awards Show/Astoria/London
Feb 21 2007/8:00P/Academy/Birmingham
Feb 23 2007/8:00P/Academy/Liverpool

[MP3] "Back to Black"

[MP3] "You Know I'm No Good"

THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE

THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE is one of those groups that I want to like more than I actually do. Thus, they've always been a bit of a frustration to me.

Unfortunately, that frustration continues with their third full-length, MAKE THIS YOUR OWN, which will be released in the UK on January 22. (Which was yesterday... I guess. This clearly isn't going to be a very productive week for me. Blame it on the vodka.)

And one more thing: I don't like how THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE's album titles are always telling me what to do. I'm my own man, dammit. (Except on Fridays, when I put on my mother's muu muu and curl my hair.)

THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE on MySPACE.

From the LP MAKE THIS YOUR OWN, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Connect"
[MP3] "Head"

From the LP KICK UP THE FIRE, AND LET THE FRAMES BREAK LOOSE, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Promises Promises"

From the LP SEE THIS THROUGH AND LEAVE, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Safe Enough Distance Away"

CREEPY VOCAL VOODOO SUICIDE

As I mentioned in the last post, the exceedingly non-Swedish KEREN ANN pulls double-duty as one-half of LADY & BIRD. Her corresponding half is BARDI JOHANNSSON, whose main gig is BANG GANG. The two put out a self-titled album in 2003 which included a rather pristine and haunting rendition of "Suicide is Painless" -- the theme song from M*A*S*H.

The record was re-released in 2006, presumably intended for an American audience. As a bonus, an extra track -- "Do What I Do" -- was affixed to the disc. But it's the "song" that comes before it that served as the genesis for this post.

"La Ballade of Lady & Bird" is just plain strange. Spooky. Creepy. Over a gentle, acoustic guitar, a girl and boy (Lady & Bird, of course) carry on a sad, warped conversation. Perhaps their evil grandmother has locked them in the attic. Or perhaps they're just coming to grips with the pointlessness of existence. Who the hell knows? But it's decidedly strange. Spooky. Creepy.

Which put me in mind of the RADIOHEAD "song" "Fitter Happier." The voices on the former tune aren't computerized the way that the voice on the latter is -- just filtered for full-on eerie, existential echo. Apparently, the voice on the RADIOHEAD track belongs to "Fred," a real-life employee at the Microsoft Corporation. Turns out, he's no one-trick pony. Years later, he would cover the song that broke RADIOHEAD to the world. He really does have to work on his vocal stylings, however; he tends to be a little flat.

[MP3] Lady & Bird/"La Ballade of Lady & Bird"/"Do What I Do" [live/acoustic]

[MP3] Radiohead/"Fitter Happier"

[MP3] "Shitter Crappier"

SOMEWHAT RELATED BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] Lady & Bird/"Suicide is Painless"

[MP3] Radiohead/"Creep" [as "sung" by FRED from "Fitter Happier"]

[MP3] Manic Street Preachers/"Suicide is Painless"

[MP3] Bang Gang/"Find What You Get"

KEREN ANN (IS NOT SWEDISH)

I thought I was going to be continuing my cyber-vacation in Sweden today, seeing as I thought that KEREN ANN was a native of that country. But Yahoo burst my bubble, as such: "Singer/songwriter Keren Ann Zeidel, who records under the name Keren Ann, was born in Israel in 1974 to a Dutch-Javanese mother and a Russian-Israeli father."

Okay, fine. But maybe they had a Swedish milkman.

Then it occurred to me why I had made that incredibly uncharacteristic mistake. Ms. Zeidel, you see, also performs with BARDI JOHANNSSON as part of LADY & BIRD. Ha! There you have it. I mean, have you ever heard a name more Swedish than "Bardi Johannsson"?

Except that it turns out he's from Iceland.

Shit.

This entire post was intended to be built around the incontrovertible fact of KEREN ANN's unimpeachable Swedishness. Now what the hell am I going to do?

Well... I guess I'm going to tell you that the woman has a new, self-titled LP coming out this year. It'll be released in Europe on April 23 and in the U.S. on May 8. Till then, I've taken the liberty of offering up a few of her older tracks below.

[But wait! I KNEW there had to be SOME kind of KEREN ANN/Sweden link. Just for the record: On February 26, 2005, she played the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. So there you have it.]

KEREN ANN on MySPACE.

From the LP NOT GOING ANYWHERE, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "End of May"
[MP3] "Sailor & Widow"

From the LP NOLITA, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Que N'ai-je?"

THE CARNY

LAST.FM informs us: "THE CARNY is a rock band based in the city of Halmstad, on the sunny side of Sweden." Sunny? Well, with it being 12 degrees F. here in the Mitten at the moment, that sounds pretty good to me. Book my flight.

Now then... calling THE CARNY a "rock band" may be a bit of a stretch. "Indie pop" seems more their milieu. Sort of with a '60s/gypsy flair. This is one of those bands that seems to have way too many members to ever make much money. But -- like their fellow Swedes PINTO [see: HERE] -- THE CARNY don't seem to care about the cash.

I guess it's true what I've heard... the Swedes are not just a pretty people; they're rich. A Saab in every driveway; an eel in every pot; a flask of Absolut in every pocket. Now, I realize that Sweden is a socialist country, so I'm guessing that its citizens are therefore required by law to split their incomes equally amongst the masses. They were probably able to coast through the '70s and early '80s on BJORN BORG's winnings and ABBA royalties alone.

Despite the best efforts of ROXETTE, ACE OF BASE, and STEFAN EDBERG, the rest of the '80s must have been relatively lean times for the Swedish people. INGMAR BERGMAN got so depressed he stopped directing films. INGRID BERGMAN [no relation] got so depressed she just up and died. But then: a ray of light (not SUNlight, of course; they don't have sunlight in Sweden... just... um... windmills... and wooden shoes... and... um... frozen tulips).

No, the ray of light came in the form of a new and ingenious export: hockey players! By my careful calculations, the combined 2006 salaries of two NHL players alone -- PETER FORSBERG and NICKLAS LIDSTROM -- split evenly amongst the Swedish people, would net each man, woman, and child the tidy sum of $1.46. That translates to, approximately, 10 kronor (kronor are the currency Swedes use to purchase vodka and eels).

Anyway, all of this was to make the point that, because they are supported by the labors of their exported hockey players, the musicians of Sweden often find it unnecessary (even repugnant) to accept money for their musical endeavors. They practically throw the stuff away. The way that Americans throw away Canadian coins (no love for the loony). The way the English throw away the dental-hygiene care packages dropped daily by UN relief planes (fancy a floss?).

THE CARNY represent this type of careless, free-love sort of record distribution. At present, you can go to their website and download what looks to be pretty much everything they've ever recorded. Good stuff it is, too. Just click on "MUSIK." (Just because their rich and pretty does'nt mean they no how to speak n spell English good).

Did I mention that THE CARNY play indie pop music with a '60s/gypsy flair?

While wearing wooden shoes.

THE CARNY on MySPACE.

From the EP BABY BLUE, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Your Life Doesn't Do Your Living"

From the LP MONEY MAKES US, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Man Under the Sun"
[MP3] "Where the Daffodils Grow"

From the EP BESTSELLER, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Proud of Who I Am"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "This Christmas (If You Come Back)"

ETHER AURA

ETHER AURA are a Detroit-based quintet whose music spans the range from garage rock to shoegaze; country to goth. The band -- singer KATE HINOTE, multi-instrumentalist TONY HAMERA, drummer WILLIAM KING, bassist BRET HAUPT, and rhythm guitarist ALEX BONGIORNO -- dropped their first full-length CD, CRASH, in 2005, and are set to follow it with the February 17 release of BEFORE WE COULD SING.

The new record will continue to show off the group's musical range -- incorporating elements of indie rock, dreampop, and "goth twang." Indeed, while it's entirely appropriate to cite COCTEAU TWINS, CURVE, and early-period LUSH as influences on the ETHER AURA sound, listeners can expect a few left-turn detours along the way. When the spirit so moves them, they are more than capable of crafting pure, top-notch pop [see song #1 below], and they clearly have a facility for the well-chosen cover [see songs #2 and #3 below].

The ETHER AURA album CRASH can be purchased at CDBaby or from EMusic. BEFORE WE COULD SING can be pre-ordered (until January 29) by sending $12 (shipping included) to tonyhamera@yahoo.com via PayPal.

The release party for BEFORE WE COULD SING will take place February 17 at THE BERKLEY FRONT. The band will perform, starting at 9 PM, supported by fellow Detroiters I AM WAX.

Ether Aura on MySPACE.

From the LP CRASH, 2005 >>>

[MP3] "6 Days Yesterday"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "I Speak Your Every Word" [CURVE cover]

[MP3] "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" [THE SMITHS cover]

THE HOLLOWAYS

I know next to nothing about the London four-piece THE HOLLOWAYS, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let that stop me from sharing a bit of their music with you.

I do know that they released their debut LP, SO THIS IS GREAT BRITAIN?, in the UK last October, and that they've been a band since 2004. Their sound seems influenced by THE CLASH and, more recently, BLOC PARTY and THE LIBERTINES. It should be noted, however, that they do seem a bit younger, happier, and... um... "soberer" than the last group on that list.

Overall then: a bit of light, carefree fun. Summertime music in the deep, dark heart of an icy winter. Wherefore art thou, El Nino? Why hast thou forsaken us?

The Holloways on MySPACE.

The Holloways on the road >>>

Jan 25 2007/8:00P/The Hub/Colchester
Jan 27 2007/8:00P/Fleche D'Or/Paris
Feb 1 2007/8:00P/Circolo degli Artisti/Roma
Feb 2 2007/8:00P/Covo/Bolongne
Feb 3 2007/8:00P/Extra/Recanti
Feb 11 2007/8:00P/The KLA Social/Bristol
Feb 12 2007/8:00P/The Zodiac/Oxford

[MP3] "Generator"

[MP3] "Malcontented One"

01. THOM YORKE: THE ERASER

In some ways, this pick comes as a complete surprise to me. In other ways, it was entirely inevitable.

THOM YORKE, after all, is the voice of my favorite band -- a band that shattered my spirits early in '06 by announcing that they wouldn't be releasing a new album until at least 2007. Lazy bastards.

But then ol' Thom pulled a surprise out of his hat (his detractors -- and he seems to have many -- might say: "ass") by revealing that he had crafted a solo album with the help of long-time RADIOHEAD producer NIGEL GODRICH. Hallelujah!, thought I. This -- along with countless bootlegs of Radiohead's 2006 world tour -- would get me through.

There was, of course, one catch. Mr. Yorke was very quick to inform his fans that THE ERASER was almost entirely an "electronic" album. Blips. Bleeps. Loops-a-palooza. Cut. Paste. Not-so-okay computer.

Not that that came as any great surprise. I mean, the band itself hadn't done the full-on guitar-thing for almost a decade. At least, in the studio. So... I crossed my fingers and waited for the inevitable Internet leak, which, naturally, followed promptly enough.

First off, the STANLEY DONWOOD-designed album art was typically cool and creepy, which was reassuring. But then it was time to actually start listening to the thing, which kind of scared the shit out of me, to tell you the truth. You see, I'm really not a "blips and bleeps" kind of guy. I'm one of those people who wouldn't mind hearing "real" guitars on the next Radiohead record. Not that I need another BENDS, exactly, but something that incorporates some of that album's sense of music-made-by-humans "warmth" would be welcome.

So, when THE ERASER's title track initiated its sequence like one of KID A's more alien efforts, my heart despaired. But then: a reprieve -- in the form of that "wall of Thom Yorkes" chorus that's as "warm" as I could ever want or need it to be. Second song "Analyse" I liked even more -- more multi-tracked Yorke vocals, but this time coupled with some simple but haunting piano work.

Over the next couple tracks, I realized that my worst fears were not going to be realized with THE ERASER. This was not going to be one long, unvarying drone of a record. True, the robots-have-taken-over-the-world electronics were the steel-rod spine that held everything together, but they were differentiated enough that actual SONGS emerged from the murk. Even more importantly, Yorke's voice was left sufficiently "unfucked with" to humanize the proceedings -- most notably while upbraiding the Iraq-apologists in the Blair regime on "Harrowdown Hill" or spewing simple, oh-the-humanity mantras for the 21st century like "Black Swan"'s "[This is] fucked up, fucked up."

As it turns out, what I thought would be little more than a placeholder for me as I awaited the next Radiohead epic, has turned out to be the album that most moved me in 2006. Who knew that a series of "blips and bleeps" could spawn such an irresistible emotional undertow.

Thom Yorke on MySPACE.

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "Analyse" [live/in-studio]

[VID] "Cymbal Rush" [live/in-studio]

[VID] "The Clock" [live/in-studio]

[MP3] "Analyse" [VARIOUS Remix]

[MP3] "Atoms for Peace" [FOUR TET Remix]

SO... SUMMING UP...

2006 >>>

01) Thom Yorke/The Eraser
02) The Veils/Nux Vomica
03) Mojave 3/Puzzles Like You
04) The Essex Green/Cannibal Sea
05) Now It's Overhead/Dark Light Daybreak
06) Scissor Sisters/Ta-Dah
07) The Pipettes/We Are the Pipettes
08) Malajube/Trompe-L'Oeil
09) The Format/Dog Problems
10) Regina Spektor/Begin to Hope
11) The Submarines/Declare a New State!
12) The Fratellis/Costello Music

[Yeah, looks about right. For now, at least...]