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It's Nothing Personal, It's National Security
STKCD020
Artist: The Social Services
Label: Stereo Test Kit Records
The Social Services are two thirds Glaswegian and one third Swedish, so that explains their combined love of nature and cholesterol. Their nomadic lifestyle and frustration with the world around inspire them to write songs about: war, death, consumerism, immigration, storage solutions, potatoes and swimming. They rant without being shouty and love it when everybody joins in on the sing-a-long choruses.
Based in Stockholm, they combine a songwriting tradition and melancholy of their Scottish roots, with the melody and playfulness of Swedish indie-pop. They create music with a brain, that makes you want to dance around without thinking.
"People say there are punk elements to our music - like the short, snappy songs, the instrument swapping, the political lyrics and the energy of the live set. But we don't look very punk. We're pregnant (some of us) and quite clean."
The Social Services' debut album was recorded in Sweden in the Spring of 2008, with Gustaf Spetz (Eskju Divine) at the controls. Stereo Test Kit celebrated the arrival with Irn Bru and Daim; and Scotch Whisky and Swedish Vodka for good measure.
With a sound that's both out of the ordinary and warmly familiar, The Social Services have been compared to: Regina Spektor, Saint Etienne, Television Personalities and early Cardigans, with a melancholy touch of Mogwai.
"Cute, not cloying, more bittersweet than sweet and overall, incredibly charming." - It's A Trap!
"Their sound is very melodramatic with hints of drama and melancholy. The songs are very well thought out and come tightly wrapped with some rather fine melodies." - indie-mp3
"The best thing I've heard all year is the new song by The Social Services called The Baltic Sea ... a diverse musical palate with traces of Scottish folk, gypsy music, and circus sounds." - swedeplease.net
The Social Services are: Emma Naismith - bass/piano/vocals, Lucy Cathcart - piano/bass/vocals, Martin Frödén - drums/guitar/vocals.
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Parachutes/Band in Box split
STKV001
Artist: Parachutes & Band in Box
Label: Stereo Test Kit Records
Parachutes (based in Reykjavik, Iceland) is: Alex Somers and Scott Alario, taking their name from the seeds of a dandelion flower. They began with homemade bedroom recordings, today they record their songs in the kitchen.
Alex and Scott play lots of different toys and instruments and often sample objects from around the house. Their music develops organically, with layers of acoustic instruments, old marching drums and hushed vocals.
Recently the boys formed a full live band of eight members with good friends Þórdís Björt Sigþórsdóttir, Tinna Jóhanna Magnusson, Björn Pálmi Pálmason, Kári Hólmar Ragnarsson, Brendan Glasson, and Gunnar Gunnsteinsson.
When not touring, Parachutes are in Reykjavik, making their debut album (proper) and plan to release it in 2009.
The Parachutes tracks here were mixed by Jón Þór Birgisson (Sigur Rós) and feature the strings of Amiina.
Band in Box (based in Malmö, Sweden) is Siri af Burén and, in the live setting, also a bunch of musical friends. It started as a playful project; based on the idea of bright pop melodies, teenage lyrics and a dash of irony. But Siri decided to take the project to an entirely new level, based on a set of rules. The rules of the Band in Box bakery:
1. Band in Box will explore a new instrument each month.
2. Band in Box will, as illustrated by the name, never grow larger than approximately 1.5 by 1.5 metres. Thus, it will always fit in a large box and Siri will never have to learn how to play the double bass.
3. No fake instruments allowed.
The rules brought back long-forgotten inspiration and gave rise to a new sound. The melodies changed from yellow to dark green (Siri dresses her songs in shapes, colours and animal costumes) and new layers of words and voices were added. Now, Band in Box can be considered as a neat collection of old, partly broken pottery, carefully packed in a banana carton, also housing a girl and her thirteen instruments. This is the magical sound of Band in Box.
In between studying to be a practitioner of medicine, Siri writes, sings, plays all instruments and records and mixes her music. Band in Box's debut album, This Fiction, is also available to download on Klicktrack.
Parachutes
1. Your Stories
2. Tree Roots Turn To Forts
Band in Box
3. Icaria I
4. Lost And Foundland
5. Icaria II
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"At first we are soldiers we have guns was a result of me, Malin Dahlberg, finding a Stratocaster copy without strings at my ex-boyfriends place and buying a portable recorder to record it with. And of course a lot of blood sweat and tears. Mostly tears though. It still is, but now I use a studio and get lots of help from friends. Anyway, listen don't read. Spin on THAT, Frank."
Following on from their two EPs, the debut album sees the band expanding their sound at the extremes; more hi-fi, more lo-fi, more upbeat, more melancholy. More indie, more pop. Without compromise, without compromise. This is the debut album from we are soldiers we have guns.
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Band in Box (based in Malmö, Sweden) was started by two friends, Siri af Burén and Elin Alvehag. It began as a playful project; based on the idea of bright pop melodies, teenage lyrics and a dash of irony. When Elin left the band, Siri decided to take the project to an entirely new level, based on a set of rules. The rules of the Band in Box bakery:
1. Band in Box will explore a new instrument each month. December was all about the clarinet found in the trunk of a highly suspicious man's car. January is devoted to the ukulele. February concentrates on tambourines and March knows how to master a violin. Siri says, "If I don't know anything about playing a specific instrument, neither will I know when I'll make mistakes. Each instrument gets a tune of its own and each tune will have its own sound, smell and taste."
2. Band in Box will, as illustrated by the name, never grow larger than approximately 1.5 by 1.5 metres. Thus, it will always fit in a large box and Siri will never have to learn how to play the double bass.
3. No fake instruments allowed. Never use margarine instead of butter. Never go on a diet.
The rules brought back long-forgotten inspiration and gave rise to a new sound. The melodies changed from yellow to dark green, new layers of words and voices were added; with the help of some creative synesthesia, Siri dresses her songs in shapes, colours and animal costumes.
In between studying to be a practitioner of medicine, Siri: wrote, sung, played all instruments and recorded the album single-handedly (an extra pair of hands assisted in the mixing).
Band in Box blossom in the live setting, becoming a 6-piece orchestra, adding: accordion, clarinet, saxophone, harmonica, guitar bass and drums, and whatever happens to be the instrument of the month.
Band in Box influences: Infantilism. Hospitals and animals. Junkfood and whiskey.
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"Dear Euphoria's self-released debut album caused more shivers than winter in her native Stockholm ... showcasing the Swedish Kate Bush in all her quiet majesty." - BBC Collective
Usually when I picture a song I see a left to right movement. Dear Euphoria songs fly from earth to the sky. They start from the ground by few dark piano notes and then Elina Johansson's incredible voice bring them up to the moon like a somnambulist cloud." - Absolut Noise
"This is the kind of music you want to listen to in order to be depressed when you are already quite sad." - 9/10 Dagensskiva.com
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Words about Boy Omega:
"Fans of Sufjan Stevens and Elliott Smith will feel a kinship to these allusive tunes ... A fascinating series of snapshots, both disarming and engaging ... something incredibly fragile and perfectly crafted." - UNCUT (4/5)
"Sad songs and little-boy-lost vocals recall Bright Eyes, but his settings are all his own, mixing lo-fi sensibilities with gnarly electronics, warm cellos, lustrous violins, banjo and sax to lush effect ... One to watch." - THE INDEPENDENT
"Naked and bare but still powerful, and not self-pitiful as so many others in the same genre." - GROOVE
