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A West Side Fabrication Scandinavian Indie Vol 2 Now & Then
WESAM0512
Artist: Various Artist
Label: A West Side Fabrication
A West Side Fabrication was, and still is, the home and the forerunning label when it comes to indie-pop music and Sweden. Three of their pioneer acts, Mufflon 5, Blithe and The Bear Quartet were so appreciated by the English radio legend John Peel (long live his memory) so he invited them to record a session each for his BBC program. Ever since those days (THEN) A West Side Fabrication has been a gigantic source of indie music with their heavy stream of quality releases up until these days (NOW) with acts like Oh My!, We are the Storm and The Culture In Memoriam, just to name a few.
This compilation holds 16 songs, including four new and specially written once just for this release. Besides these four new tracks you´ll find great radio indie-hits from Sweden, like Bedroom Eyes "Hand-In-Hand Grenade", Olle Nyman's "Don't let those bastards reel you in" and Little Red Snapper's "Call me on Tuesday. As a fact, all twelve previously released songs has been on rotation at P3 (national radio) here in Sweden.
And by the way, this year A West Side Fabrication celebrate 25 as a label, isn't it amazing?
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MINXY IS SOUND AND MINXY IS BEAT AND MINXY IS SHE AND MINXY IS HE AND MINXY IS COCKY AND MINXY IS BEGGING AND WEAK AND MINXY IS NEW WAVE AND MINXY IS SOUL AND MINXY IS ELECTROLYTES AND MINXY IS ECG AND MINXY IS LIFE SUPPORT MACHINE AND MINXY IS A TAN AND MINXY IS THE BEACH AND MINXY IS A CHILL AND MINXY IS THE SNARE AND MINXY IS THE KICK AND MINXY IS THE MELODY AND MINXY IS THE HEAT AND MINXY IS CHOIRS AND MINXY IS OVERHEARD ON THE RADIO AND MINXY IS CALL AND MINXY IS RESPONSE AND MINXY IS SOUND AND MINXY IS BEAT AND MINXY IS HERE
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This might be the best new written Christmas song this year, it won´t surprise me anyway. "It isn't christmas without you (edit)" is in fact a christmas song in the spirit of Phil Spector. With jangly Rickenbacker guitars, brass, bells, glockenspiel and broken hearts - all in major key - as it's supposed to be.
The song is written by a relatively new artist on West Side, Petter Sandström, and he is supported by his superb orchestra the Money.
Mix and master is handled by Henrik Oja (Säkert! among others).
And as I said earlier, this is a great song, no doubt about it.
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After four years of stretching and searching, stairs (a quintette from Swedish city Örebro) has finally found their way home. The band's first album, "Sunday morning on the edge of town", emphasize emotions and impressions from life. To find a place in an irrationell community, find balance after bursted relations and a way through tragic nights on the edge of town are all examples of charachteristics from the title track, as well as from the other 9 tracks on the album.
To be truly honest, stairs are all about pop-music, from the dark sounds (a little like Depeche Mode) on "Best believe" through the thoughtful and beautiful title track "Sunday morning on the edge of town" to the driven and super-catchy "The death of a young student".
At last for your knowledge. This debut-album is produced by some well known Swedish musicians, Simon Ljungman & Jens Back and for you who don´t know, these two gentleman´s are playing with and behind Håkan Hellström and Lars Winnerbäck.
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The Culture In Memoriam, with chef of command Victor Håkansson, is back with its third album, the seven track “Rest In Pieces “. This time the sound of the Beach Boys can be clearly sensed in the kettle-drums, choral and string arrangements, tastefully seasoned and destroyed by faulty distortion. Clever melodies and pompous arrangements with Victor’s fragile vocals mixed with diehard political messages make TCIM unique in an otherwise dull and streamlined pop culture. And by the way, the first beautiful single, "Sisters", from the album, made it quite well. For instance did Swedish national radio P3 put it on their playlist and it also received some truly wonderful words from the press. "Rest in pieces" will also be released in Germany by Stargazer/Cargo records.
Under the name The Culture in Memoriam has Victor Håkansson found his own way and dare to believe in his heartfelt rancid, but enchantingly vulnerable voice when he preaches texts with meaning to the music that appeals and concerns.
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Petter Sandströms debut album "The River st Blues" is on its way out (release early next year), an album with Motown blood in its veins. But before that, please listen to his first solo single ever "Lean on me", a beautiful song with harmonies from the seventies and with a small echo from duets between Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Petter himself carries the tunes of pop perfection with his soulful voice, reminiscent of a young Van Morrison. Fundamentally supported by "The Money" - A band so tight and feverishly seductive, the one and only "The Band" springs to mind. These ten bar-soaked songs about the one that got away, sung on a street corner in Anytown, USA, will leave you all but indifferent.
