My 2007

Concerts
A really good concert almost always comes down to more things than the music. Sambassadeur have written my soundtrack (the tambourines are shaking but I don't hear the sound, it's my favorite song but I don't like the crowd) of many gigs that were spoiled by people who were talking during the songs. The crowd was horrible when Lucky Soul played at Debaser Medis in Stockholm on Friday, November 9. Lucky Soul played at Blekingska in Lund the following night. The office people who ran the student nation decided to overprice the tickets. I was not happy with that, but the concert was absolutely fantastic because all people who had paid an expensive ticket for the show came for the music rather than the booze. People jumped up and down crazily to the hits Lips Are Unhappy and Ain't Never Been Cool, but they were still completely silent during the quit ballad Baby I'm Broke. Wonderful!
This was very ironic since the crowd at the very same Blekingska talked constantly during Laurel Music's comeback gig only one week earlier. I saw Laurel Music in Copenhagen the following night. It was a very intimate concert with seats around tables for the audience. I had a totally clear view and everyone was quiet the whole time. Laurel Music's concert in Copenhagen will stay in my memory for life. Language of Flowers gave me another unforgettable night when I had the honor to host their last ever show.
The Magic Numbers end the concert year 2007 on Wednesday. I look forward to that gig but I do not think that it will manage to get a place on my list. The concert year has really been that good! I attended 16 concert nights this year, but I have not written any concert texts this fall. You were always on my mind, but I did not have the time to write.

1. Language of Flowers – September 21 at Blekingska, Lund
2. Lucky Soul – November 10 at Blekingska, Lund
3. Laurel Music – November 2 at Huset Magstreade, Copenhagen
4. Irene – November 2 at Blekingska, Lund
5. Au Revoir Simone – November 12 at Vega, Copenhagen
6. Strange Idols – October 12 at Blekingska, Lund

In addition to these concerts, I will particularly rembember the shows with Like Honey (at Blekingska as the support act for Language of Flowers), Air (at Vega the same night as Au Revoir Simone), and Säkert at Kulturbolaget in Mamö.


Albums
Just as I predicted a year ago this year's best album was made by a band whose name begins with "L", but I did not know that (to me) unknown Let's Go Sailing would take me by storm.
Sambassadeur's second album was clearly the disappointment of the year. The single Subtle Changes promised much, but everything I loved with Sambassadeur was lost on the long awaited album Migration. I should really appreciate the record given that Anna sings on all songs except one, but Migration fails to shine despite more than 20 listenings. Sambassadeur have changed their sound and many people will like it, but I will never ever prefer the current pop orchestra sound over the magic of If Rain. I give Migration the rating five out of ten. I have not decided the rating of The Chaos in Order and it will not be needed either. A number one on a year list is greater than a numerical rating.

1. Let's Go Sailing – The Chaos in Order
2. Lucky Soul – The Great Unwanted
3. Immaculate Machine – Fables
4. Celestial – Dream On
5. Tupelo Honeys – Salute You
6. Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War
7. Palomar – All Things, Forest
8. The Afternoon Naps – Sunbeamed
9. Friday Bridge – Intricacy
10. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
11. Säkert! – Säkert!
12. Fireflies – Goodnight Stars Goodnight Moon
13. Irene – Long Gone Since Last Summer
14. Love Dance – Result
15. The National – Boxer

Also good: Au Revoir Simone – The Bird of Music, The Loose Salute – Tuned to Love, Cats on Fire – The Province Complains, Electrelane – No Shouts No Calls, and Blonde Redhead – 23.


Songs
In the end I had to give in and admit that Bobby Wratten wrote two of the best songs this year.

1. Trembling Blue Stars – Idyllwild
2. Lucky Soul – One Kiss Don't Make a Summer
3. Stars – Bitches in Tokyo
4. Celestial – Dream On
5. Stars – Take Me to the Riot
6. Northern Fields – Never Take the Beauty
7. The Strange Idols – It's No Fun
8. Trembling Blue Stars – November Starlings
9. Tupelo Honeys – The Return of the Weeping Man
10. The School – Let It Slip
11. The Garlands – You Never Notice Me
12. Club 8 – The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming
13. Let's Go Sailing – Sideways
14. Sambassadeur – Subtle Changes
15. The Secret History – Mark and John
16. Irene – By Your Side
17. Immaculate Machine – Dear Confessor
18. The Secret History – Our Lady of Pompeii
19. Penny Century – Nothing Burns Like Bridges
20. Jonna Lee – Dried Out Eyes
21. Säkert! – Någon Gång Måste Du Bli Själv
22. Like Honey – Telling Lies
23. Palomar – You're Keeping Us Up
24. Those Dancing Days – Hitten
25. Liechtenstein – Stalking Skills


2008
Laurel Music's new album is called Cycles and will likely top my next year list. In addition, Katie Goes to Tokyo, Like Honey, and The Charade release new album. And The Secret History will hopefully come to Sweden.

The Boy Has Gone Away

A year ago, I complained about the poor concert scence in Lund. In April this year, I nominated myself for the position as promoter at Blekingska nationen. The following lines were included in my presentation: If I am elected, I intend to make Club Indigo a unique, alternative concert scence that will give the audience happiest days of our lives-evenings this fall. I gladly listen to artist recommendations, but I am solely responsible for choosing the bands that will play at the club. It is my true opinion that a concert club will work at its best with a clear, consistent and considered band booking policy instead of eternal compromises.

I was, of course, elected and my work began after midsummer. As I am writing this almost half a year later, it is with tremendous pride that I am looking back on the fall. The mission is completed and the result speaks for itself. We were the club that exclusively set up the first concert in Sweden for Secret Shine and Strange Idols. We were honored a visit by Lucky Soul. On our inquiry, Laurel Music did a comeback gig after a year of silence. Language of Flowers played their last show ever at little Blekingska.

I would be lying if I said that all concert nights were perfect but it was amazing those nights where everything clicked. As promoter with the sole responsibility for band bookings, I was - together with sound engineers, club managers, band hosts, DJs, workers at Indigo and two hard working guys at the nation's office (thanks for this fall everyone!) - one of several people who during the fall of 2007 made Club Indigo the world's best pop club the three nights (September 21, November 2 and November 10) when everything came together perfectly.

September 7: Differnet
September 21: Language of Flowers (UK) + Like Honey
September 28: Secret Shine (UK)
October 5: Friday Bridge
October 12: Strange Idols (UK)
November 2: Irene + Laurel Music
November 10th: Lucky Soul (UK) + Napoleon
November 30: Punky's Dilemma + The Sunny Street (UK)

End of the Line

Last Friday's Club Indigo came to be my last night as DJ at Blekingska nationen. I had decided in advance to not do any more DJ sets. In total I got six nights as DJ at Blekingska from January 2006 to November 2007.

Last Friday, I easily found myself to be my harshest critic. I somehow forgot to play The Field Mice. And I did not play Happiest Days as the closing song! A reason as good as any to step aside and make way for a new generation of kids.


(22.00)
Air - Cherry Blossom Girl
Trembling Blue Stars - November Starlings
Stars - Elevator Love Letter
Cats on Fire - Higher Grounds
Aberdeen - Sink or Float
Irene - End of the Line
The Aislers Set - The Way to the Market Station
Celestial - Nothing Happens Twice
Those Dancing Days - Hitten
Northern Fields - Never Take the Beauty
Red Sleeping Beauty - Make Me Smile
The Strange Idols - She's Gonna Let You Down
The School - Let It Slip
Language of Flowers - Summer's Been and Gone
Tilly and the Wall - Nights of the Living Dead
The Eyeliners - Everything's Alright
The Primitives - Secrets
The Cardigans - Rise and Shine
Ride - Twisterella
(23.00)
Like Honey - Airport
Wilson Hospital - Call Me A.S.A.P.
Sambassadeur - Marie
The Fat Tulips - Confessions of an English Girl
The Popguns - Waiting for the Winter
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THE SUNNY STREET LIVE
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Comet Gain - You Can Hide Your Love Forever
Belle and Sebastian - Sleep the Clock Around
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken
Stone Roses - Mersey Paradise
My Favorite - The Informers
Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted
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PUNKY'S DILEMMA LIVE
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(00.50)
New Order - True Faith
Human League - Don't You Want Me
Blondie - Maria
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love
Le Sport - Tell No One About Tonight
Caesars Palace - Over for It Started
Pulp - Disco 2000
The Long Blondes - Once and Never Again
The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
Lucky Soul - Ain't Never Been Cool
The Smiths - This Charming Man
Language of Flowers - If It's Not You
Tralala - All Fired Up
Morrissey - First of the Gang
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
The Essex Green - The Late Great Cassiopia
Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy
The Magic Numbers - Take a Chance
(02.00)
The Arrogants - Lovesick