Tag: Sweden

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Sweet Sweden: Lykke Li, Lacrosse and El Perro Del Mar

2008-07-09 09:07:12

Economics, technology, ice hockey, tennis, personal grooming: the Swedish list of triumphs is long and extensive. With the new breed of indie pop artists emerging from the kingdom, the rest of the world has yet something else to be jealous about. Here are three brilliant exemplars:

When Lykke Li sings her voice is so delicate, so ethereal that she sounds as though she’s transmitting from a submarine stranded on the seafloor. What’s more, Li brilliantly plays to this amazing strength, matching it to productions so lean and carefully stripped back that they drive you straight to the heart of her bristling songcraft.

Lacrosse

West coast-flavoured guitars struck through with bittersweet lyrics and anchored by a skin tight rhythm section, with their debut ‘The New Year Will Be For You And Me’ this sextet have written the soundtrack to the relationship you’ve just ended and are taking a weeklong surf trip to forget. Sweet, cathartic tunes to sooth your irascible soul.

El Perro Del Mar

Imagine that Burt Bacarach once shared a piano stool with Brian Wilson while Neil Young crooned a lyric about the trio’s favourite girl. The girl they were singing about was probably El Perro Del Mar’s Sarah Assbring. Assbring matches beautiful laments on busted love with music that squeezes every last drop of hurt from her stricken soul. Amazing stuff. By Matt Shea

Tags: Music, Sweden,

AIR FRANCE - Beach Party

2007-05-11 01:10:31

‘Beach Party’, from Air France’s ‘On Trade Winds’ EP, is the summer song to get you through the winter months.

Originating from Gothenburg, Sweden, Air France are the most obscure of the obscure. Their myspace page looks like it was put together by their grandmother. A google search reveals a disjointed, almost un-navigable website that sells strange clothes and, for no apparent reason, the ‘On Trade Winds’ EP. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. No interviews, no press, no iTunes or Amazon.

Their music however, is pure ecstasy. It shimmers like summer oceans and bounces like beach balls across outstretched hands. In its joy, it’s reminiscent of Junior Senior’s ‘Move Your Feet’ without the frantic hustle.

On their second single, ‘Never Content’ Caribbean keys, orgasmic breathing and ocean sounds wash together creating a sound that Cafe del Mar could only dream of catching.

This is toes-in-the-sand electro, beach music from chilly Scandinavia. While Sigur Ros made icy soundscapes to decipher the depressing Icelandic freeze that surrounded them, Air France makes music for the imaginary tropics they dream of when Gothenburg ices over. May I have your attention please. Flight Air France is ready for boarding. By Nick Christie

Tags: Music, Sweden,