Bedroom Eyes - Blueprint for Departure

Something is special about bands from Östersund that borrow singers from other Östersund-related bands. The first time I heard the track Färjemansleden by Vapnet, I took for granted it was sung by the flutist Anna who is the only girl in the band. At that time I thought this sounds pretty good. A number of listens later, I thought this sounds fantastic. I would later realise that Annika Norlin's (Hello Saferide) vocals on Färjemansleden made it one of the best Swedish songs of last year. I rated Färjemansleden that highly although I had previously named Vapnet one of Sweden's most meaningsless bands.

Bedroom Eyes is Jonas Jonsson's band project. He is also from Östersund. He has also borrowed a female guest singer for his band. Penny Century's Julia Hanberg accounted for a vocal performance which made Blueprint for Departure one of last year's most beautiful Swedish songs. Listen to the entire EP at http://www.bedroomeyes.se/ and do not miss opening track Motorcycle Daydream.

Club 8 - So Tied Up

I have always considered Club 8 as (good) background music. Club 8 should suit me perfectly, but there are so many other Swedish bands that do the same thing better.

I gave Club 8 a new chance a few days ago. I listened to the EP Saturday Night Engine. The opening title track reminds me of Caesars, but the third track So Tied Up is an awesome song that Secret Shine could have listened to before their reunion.

Today I listened to other Club 8 songs which previously were sent to me on mix CDs. I Guess I Was Wrong shines the most.

Those Transatlantics do a The Concretes

What a sad message, read it yourself:

Dear Friends
This is just a little note to let you all know I am not in rehab, I was not eaten by a sea monster, and I have not joined a cult (Unless you count Opera's book club).

This was a strange and unexpected way to start the new year; however things are shaping up quite well. Recently I have had to do some re-figuring as the other 4 members of Those Transatlantics decided they no longer wanted me as their front lady. I am looking forward to enjoying the process of making something new.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the folks who bought Knocked Out, came to the shows, and fellow musicians I met along the way; especially everyone at Suburban Sprawl. The warm response that Those Transalantics received was more than I had anticipated when we started this band 3 1/2 years ago, so thank you.

I am excited about my future and look forward to staying in contact with everyone. Please feel free to reach me at kathleenbrack@yahoo.com. I imagine the wicked myspace monster will have me in it's clutches soon as well... so look for that soon.

Very truly yours,
Kathleen


Those Transatlantics are thus doing a The Concretes: they kick out the band's best member. Those Transatlantics write on their website that they look for a new singer, those who are interested are welcome on audition.

In my ears, Those Transatlantics sounded like the perfect meeting between Stars and The Snow Fairies. One of last year's most promising bands no longer exists. The rest of the band feels as uninteresting as "The Concretes" with Lisa Millberg on vocals. Both bands should rename themselves. A talent for our own destruction is all we've ever got or something similar would be a more telling name.

Source: It Came From Culture City that was two weeks faster than me.

The Garlands - You Never Notice Me

I checked my inbox at lastfm. A friend of mine had sent me the following link:

http://www.myspace.com/garlandssweden

Listen! Another friend just called and we will meet up later. That is good, otherwise I would have been stuck here in front of the computer the rest of the evening.

The Hermit Crabs - Feel Good Factor

I only get to listen to Feel Good Factor a few seconds before the thought strikes me that this sounds just like Camera Obscura's Keep It Clean. It turns out that The Hermit Crabs also come from Glasgow, and that they link to Camera Obscura on their website. The Hermit Crabs release their debut album this spring. I look forward to find out if The Hermit Crabs manage to stand on their own feet. 

The Hermit Crabs - Feel Good Factor EP can be purchased from my favourite online record store Fraction Discs.

The Electric Pop Group - Popgirly

The Electric Pop Group will play at Club King Kong on 3rd March. Listen to Popgirly and more songs on the band's website (the layout is horrible but the music is beautiful).

Säkert

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

The first listening session today. We will die at the same time! Like this.
2007 will be a fantastic record year. And I also want to have Annika Norlin's feeling for melodies and vocals. That is for sure.

Step into a beautiful world filled with hits

It was noticeable yesterday how much I had learned since the last time I was DJ at Blekingska. But you would not think so when I entered the DJ booth and tried some transitions before the club opened. I had forgotten how the DJ mixer worked. The autocue button was not pressed on the left side and that detail almost drove me crazy. The nice sound technician helped me with that later and everything went well from that point. As always, I made some minor mistakes (to check that you really have loaded the cd you intend to play is a good advice, furthermore I am not capable of speaking with people at the same time I prepare the cd player with the next track) but overall I delivered a very good DJ set.

I played hits almost constantly after Juvelen left the stage. Perhaps that was the factor which made people stay at the dance floor when I played a few songs that almost no one recognized. By watching the dance floor, I could easily notice when I played a song the audience had not heard before, but people still danced when I increased the tempo. Watching many people dance to Language of Flowers was the peak of a terrific night.
I wrote down all the songs in order on a note pad. I am glad I did that because I would have no chance to remember the DJ set today.

(22.00)
Aberdeen - Sink or Float
Sambassadeur - If Rain
Gentle Touch - Fascination
Slowdive - Machine Gun
My Favorite - Johnny Nightmare
Au Revoir Simone - Dark Halls
Heavenly - Cool Guitar Boy
Hello Saferide - 2006
Marit Bergman - No Party
Language of Flowers - Don't You See
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken
Wilson Hospital - Call Me A.S.A.P.
Stars - Ageless Beauty
Sambassadeur - Marie
Belle and Sebastian - Electronic Renaissance
Saint Etienne - Like a Motorway
My Darling You - Please Don't Talk to Me, I Fall in Love So Easily
Irene - Stardust
Acid House Kings - Keep Your Love
The Arrogants - Cool Shoes
Slowdive - When the Sun Hits
The Cure - In Between Days
-----------------------------------------------------------------
JUVELEN LIVE
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The Field Mice - Emma's House
My Favorite - The Happiest Days of My Life
Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy
Lush - Single Girl
Popsicle - Hey Princess
Magic Numbers - Take a Chance (but prior to that the intro of Emma's House before I realised I forgot to change track on the burned cd - pretty clumsy)
The Hidden Cameras - Ban Marriage
Morrissey - First of the Gang (I had planned to play You Have Killed Me, but I wanted a super hit to fill the dance floor at this moment)
(00.00)
New Order - True Faith
The Knife - Heartbeats
Human League - Don't You Want Me
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums
Pulp - Disco 2000
Caesar's Palace - Over 'for It Started (I was doubtful that people would appreciate this song, but it worked fine)
Broder Daniel - Shoreline (I should had played I'll Be Gone instead)
Bloc Party - Banquet
Franz Ferdinand - This Boy (I could not decide between This Boy and Do You Want To, I got to make my mind up quickly when the time of Banquet was running out)
Interpol - Obstacle 1
Tralala - Like This
Cats on Fire - Draw in the Reins
The Essex Green - The Late Great Cassiopia (I love Cassiopia. Admittedly a real crowd pleaser, but it is so fun to watch people dance to this song)
The Arrogants - Lovesick
Razorcuts - Jade
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun (there were some new students at the club who never had been at Blekingska before. Girls Just Want to Have Fun was for them)
The Pipettes - It Hurts to See You Dance So Well (a boy came to the DJ booth and wished for me to play School Uniform. I would have played School Uniform if I had it on any of the cds) 
(01.00)
Language of Flowers - If It's Not You
My Favorite - Absolute Zero
Tralala - All Fired Up
Looker - Hope and Anchor
The Field Mice - Canada
The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again (when you think about it, there is no reason not to play The Smiths. This was a wish I gladly fulfilled)
The Cure - Just Like Heaven (perhaps the most bizarre thing during the whole night. Someone asked me to play Just Like Heaven earlier in the night but I answered "we'll see". I had planned to play Boy's Don't Cry here, but I had chosen the wrong The Cure compliation. Just Like Heaven which also is the third track on the disc was thus played)
The Primitives - Crash
Lucky Soul - Ain't Never Been Cool (I do not think that this band works that well on Blekingska's dance floor but I decide myself what I want to play)
The Knife - Listen Now
Of Montreal - Disconnect the Dots
Pulp - Common People (dangerously close to "too much" but what the hell, it was between this song and Mis-Shapes. But I will probably not play Common People the next time I am DJ at this club)
Baxendale - Music for Girls (Yes, I have to tell you - a good friend of mine said that she would come to Blekingska this night, but then my cell phone displayed a missed call about half past twelve. She arrived shortly after that and I was very happy to see her. She and the rest of the floor were dancing really lovely to the "and if this is really music ..."-section of Music for Girls. Happy days are here again!)
My Favorite - Let's Stay Alive
The Smiths - Panic (a wish: "you - do you know the name of the song by Smiths which goes like 'hang the dj hang the dj hang the dj hang the dj hang the dj'?"
Yes, I know that song and it is pretty good!)
The Tough Alliance - Silly Crimes (after Listen Now was played, people at the dance floor started to shout for TTA. Not exactly my favourite band but this song is good enough after all)
Blondie - Maria (a better song than many indie hits. Blondie were so damn good)
(02.00)
Popsicle - Not Forever
Magic Numbers - Forever Lost
The Aislers Set - The Red Door
Saint Etienne - Sylvie
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
New Order - Regret (for a long time I did not see the greatness of this band. Psymon convinced me, as usual) "after this you get three more songs"
Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone
Soft Cell - Tainted Love (it was messy among the cds and I put on the first thing I saw which I had not already played)
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
----quiet a while---
"You may well play one more song"
The Smiths - This Charming Man
The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (all of a sudden it became very much The Smiths but there were only ten people on the dance floor at this time, including me. To close the DJ set with There Is a Light That Never Goes Out felt a bit like a pop cliche though)

Blekingska calling!

Back in Lund, back at Blekingska. We seem to be related in some way. I will DJ tonight. This post is written from the office at the club, where we are listening to Music for Girls by Baxendale. Apparently, Juvelen will play live tonight.

It will be a cool night. Now I have to go and change clothes.