The Decemberists - true storytellers

Music is almost always a form of storytelling but, to me, The Decemberists takes it to another level. Their songs are often a history told chronologically, like childrens books for grown-ups accompanied by music.

My most recent obsession: El Madrigal

 I've been wanting to tell you about my latest discovery for a couple of days now. The swedish rock trio El Madrigal. Seriously, you have to hear them out!
El Madrigal consists of Ola Karlsson, Tomas Sundin and Eric Lindström who has been playing together since May 2010. El Madrigal has this pure, stripped-down, bluesy rock sound that I constantly find myself searching for. The trio get their inspiration from bands like Neil Young & the Crazy Horse, Wilco and true blues heroes like Robert Johnson and Howling Wolf and being a trio was a very conscious choice:

"We like the air, the space and the dynamics that occurs, and is quite easy to obtain, when you're only three. We have all played in bands with a large number of members earlier, such as The Hi De Hos, and therefore, we wanted to explore a more stripped-down sound." (freely translated by yours truly)

For the moment Ola Karlsson is in Australia touring with his other band, The Gin Club (more about them in another blogpost in time) but the band promises that as soon as he comes home again, they will start playing live and finish the recordings of the upcoming EP. Until then:

 


El Madrigal - Idiot Girl (new version) by El Madrigal

http://elmadrigalband.wordpress.com/

Stockholm: Klubb Springfield and Ted Morris

This saturday (October 2'nd) Ted Morris plays live at Klubb Springfield, a club at Magnus Ladulås on Österlångatan 26 in Stockholm, Sweden. I will really try to get my act together, find a babysitter and go there. It's a shame that I haven't been there yet. Klubb Springfield is run by Marie Lindfors and Jimmy Robertson and besides having great live acts, such aas Ted Morris, they play americana, folkrock, singer/songwriter and alternative country.

Due Diligence

I got this mail today, from a man called Isaac Gillespie, and you know, I feel a bit flattered getting e-mail from the states about my blog. So, what did our dear Isaac have on his mind? Well, of course, promote his band! Which I just love. I really really wan't you to send me tips, your own band or others that you think I would like, and that my readers would like.

Isaac's band is called Due Diligence and from what my research tells me, he and his band has been working their asses of to bring in the money to make the album "I will wreck your life". Ok, so I've gone through the album a couple of times now and I really like the sound of Due Diligence musically, love love love the bluesy guitars, but sometimes Isaac's voice is kinda weak (but the awesome beard he's carrying makes me forgive him totally). There is this one song though, where Isaac's voice feels strong and well balanced, this became my instant favourite on the album - it's called Rain In The City (find it in the embedded music player below by pressing the little arrow besides "Crucifixion). Due Diligence, I wish you the best with the album release, stay in touch!

Due Diligence homepage
Due Diligence on MySpace
Due Diligence on Tumblr
Isaac Gillespie on Twitter

Let me go, let me go, let me go

"Let me go, let me go, let me go", the soloalbum from 2006 by Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co.), is the obvious choice when I wan't to indulge in self-pity and despair. It's something with it that's so pure and filled with anxiety and devastation. The intimate setting and recording of the album is wonderful, sometimes you can hear the chair that Jason is sitting on squeak as he moves.

Let me go, let me go, let me go on Spotify

Don't know about this video, but it was the only one I could find. Very not official.

Band of Horses live at KCRW - the whole show

Ok, this is a damn long clip to watch, I know. But so worth it.

Beard makes better music-playlist no. 1

Ok, so I thought i'd make a Spotify-playlist every week, starting now, with music I like. This week's playlist features My Morning Jacket, Bowerbirds, Okkervil River, Great Lake Swimmers, Roky Erickson + Okkervil River and Yim Yames. Enjoy!

Beard makes better music 1

Band of Horses live at KCRW - No one's gonna love you more than I do

Ray LaMontagne & Levon Helm on tour

This autumn Ray LaMontagne and Levon Helm (The Band) goes on tour togheter. A match made in fucking heaven. Sadly, no gigs in Europe planned.

Ray LaMontagne, Elvis Costello, Levon Helm and others playing The Weight:

Two new movies signed R. Alverson, Jagjaguwar

Sometimes when I need input musically, I go to the record labels that I like, maybe they've singned a new artist or they've got someone in their stall that I've missed.
This morning i checked out JAGJAGUWAR which I love for artists like Bon Iver, Lightning Dust and Okkervil River just to metion a few. But this time, what I found was the director R. Alverson.
Alverson recently directed 2 movies under JAGJAGUWAR, The Builder, starring Colm O'Leary and New Jerusalem starring Colm O'Leary and Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy).


Synopsis: Following an Irish immigrant carpenter from coastal Queens to the Catskills and beyond, THE BUILDER is an american existential portrait that explores the gulf between the idea of a thing and the thing itself. Having set off to the New York countryside to construct a reproduction of the earliest of american cape houses, the protagonist (Colm O’Leary) finds himself overcome by an inexplicable fatigue. Debts and expectations mount alongside the crudest and most naive of deceptions, that of both self and of family. As the chasm grows the Builder finds himself confronted by the unnerving ambivalence of the world around him.


Synopsis: A meditation on friendship, human needs and frailty, New Jerusalem explores the allure and limitations of modern utopean belief. Sean (Colm O’leary), an irish immigrant to America, returning from a non-combat tour of duty in Afghanistan, finds his heart and mind in disarray. He befriends Ike (Will Oldham a.k.a Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy), a strong willed evangelical, who endeavord to ensure his salvation. Inundated by a relentless fragility, Sean is confronted by a choice between the temptation of certainty and tha chaos of the world around him.

This love is over

Ok, so today I got my act together and listened to Ray LaMontages new album Good Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise, which is accompanied by the Pariah Dogs.
It's a pretty decent album but im sorry to say that it won't turn into a favourite. Though, there are some really nice tracks on it. Right now, this is my favourite.

Good Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise at Spotify

Phosphorescent @ Debaser Slussen

Last night Phosphorescent did an awesome gig at Debaser Slussen in Stockholm. I missed when he played in Gothenburg for like one or two years ago so I've really been waiting for him to come to Sweden again.
Anyways, I even had a chance to talk to Matthew after the show. As usual I made a fool out of myself. During our chat, the following conversation took place.

- So, how do you like Sweden so far? (Me)
- Well, it's good. We had to take all our clothes of to get through customs though... (Matthew)
- Good for you! One should take all the chances one gets to get naked.

Below a video I recorded with my cellphone, suprisingly good sound:

The times are a-changin'

Ok, so I'm switching to english. Why? Well, to be honest it all started yesterday when I went to see Phosphorescent at Debaser Slussen, wonderful show, but thats another blogpost. Anyhow, I talked to Matthew Houck afterwards and mentioned the blog and he kinda promised to read it. But the next morning when my blood alcohol level had lowered I realized that he probably wouldn't be able to read it, since it's in Swedish.
But you know, it would be so pussy-ish of me to change language just so that the man of my fucking dreams would be able to read it so I've been trying to find a couple of other reasons to write in english, none of them I can account for right now though.

Fuck it, english it is.

Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne har gått varm den senaste tiden hemma hos mig. Ironiskt nog var det Idol som påminde mig om honom, där Emil Karlsson sjöng fantastiska You are the best thing.
Rays karriär startade när han hörde en låten Treetop FLyer med Stephen Stills och helt sonika bestämde sig för att säga upp sig från sitt jobb på skofabriken i Lewiston, Maine där han arbetade 65 h/vecka för att istället satsa på musiken.

Den 6 september släpptes Ray LaMontagnes nya album, som jag ännu inte lyssnat på.






Ray LaMontagnes hemsida
Ray LaMontagne på Spotify

Den man som fixar Band of Horses till mitt bröllop säger jag ja till no matter what.

The Band

Jag börjar morgonen med låten The Weight med The Band. Det kommer bli en bra dag. Och The Weight är nog en av mina bästa låtar. Och The Band hade de bästa skäggen och mustascherna typ.

The Band - The Weight på Spotify