Meadow Music

Malte X is a Swedish punk rock band that really lives the rock’n’roll myth. Or what can you say about getting signed by Sony and then get kicked out because of too much partying? A comparison that comes to my mind is when Sex Pistols got a deal with A&M and then got thrown out, after a channel concert on the Thames, after only a week!

Their style is punk rock, and by that I don’t mean only the music, but also the attitude and the lyrics, which for me is why punk rock is punk rock. Just like Ebba Grön, Malte X writes lyrics with social criticism and sometimes very provoking. And when it’s incorporated into this hot rock’n’roll the result is great.

Malte X has released two albums, where “Försent” (“Too Late”, Hornvalley Records) is the latest release.
For their second single “Varning” (“Warning”), they made a video together with the illegal street race gang “Get Away” in Stockholm. Therefore the video was banned on TV…but here on Meadow Music you can watch it of course ;-)

Rock to Malte X:
Försent
Du är i bild
Dött lopp

Visit the band:
Malte X on Myspace

Keep cool
Jeppe

For some reason I have entirely missed Thomas Denver Jonsson and his music until recently. And then he has already released his third album “Lake Acts Like an Ocean” (Kite Recordings) and are well on his way with his fourth.

Previous albums included collaborations with artists like Damien Jurado, Rosie Thomas and others. His latest album has received very good reviews in prestigious magazines like Uncut and The Word, but when I search Swedish papers and magazines I find very little about Thomas. A little surprising to me, considering the appreciation he’s receiving in other countries.

When I listen to songs like “the Border” and “Only For Beginners” from the latest record, the first feeling I get is that from an early Neil Young. This seemingly, fragile bright voice that comes so close, with a beautiful sense for melodies and with the roots in American folk music. In other songs I get the vibes from more recent indie music, rawer guitars and partly a different ambience, but still the voice and the melodies that bind it all together.

I’ll be listening to Thomas’ earlier music too after this. If you have heard him before, tell me what you think in the comment area.
On Thomas Denver Jonsson’s homepage you can listen to some songs from his earlier albums (and download), as well as demos, covers and other stuff. Really great when an artist gives that little extra like this, it makes it so much more fun and interesting to visit an artist’s site.

Visit also his Myspace page for more music and downloads.

Here you can listen to two songs from the album “Lake Acts Like an Ocean”:

The Border
One of My Blessings

Video to “The Border”:

Ever since I heard “Didjerama” with Jamiroquai the first time, I’ve been a fan to didgeridoo playing. I made som brave attempts to play myself, but I never really managed the circular breathing…

Lars Wallin and his tribe invites you to great didgeridoo based music. With this chewed out eucalyptus tube, you can produce incredibly cool sounds by blowing, talking, shouting and whatever you like to create music. The songs below shows a lot of different techniques.

It’s a wonderful mix of music that you can listen to here; everything from three chord punk rock to back beat reggae.

Lars Wallin also has a very characteristic voice, that sometimes sounds like a mixture of Dylan and Manu Chao (it’s bound to be unique then;-))

Lars has been on tour frequently and visited most parts of the world. He has also played with Chris Bailey.

Listen and download the songs:
Dopper Day
My Safetypin
Tell Me Why

Visit Lars:
Lars Wallin on Myspace

Keep cool,
Jeppe

Around 1995 Carl Nordström started to play with music software and synths. After experimenting for a while through techno, house, drum n bass, hip hop, he finally found his own sound expression and the road that awaited for him.
Affictionados, like sub-tunnel beats, swept in city noise and that could have been created from the concrete from the big city.

The songs have a common melancholy that may be compared to The Cure dressed as Elvis Costello. A dark, heavy experimenting electronica vs hip hop brings me to the depth of what is expected from a beat maker. Carl has worked through the album “Affictionados” with the production and the arrangements. But the real spin is guest plays from musicians and artists from all over the world, like Kissey Asplund, Séamus, Crippual, Tessa Saxell and Torin Williams.
Download the entire album >>Here! (for free!)

I’m really turned on with the opening song, “Baby”, with a delayed drum loop that stands out in the the hip hop sampler arena. The songs shift, change and swap strategies; never far away from the main theme, but all the time innovative and lead to
The door of the lounge bar with the song “Always and Always”, considering a more monotone way of walking, to be in the background, sitting in the sofa and the closing time for the bar. But something happens as Kissey Asplund starts to sing about 2:43 in the song. A fresh warm tone that colours the arrangement mustard yellow. She is good! Really good!

What are you working with now?
“Today Affictionados stands for itself like a project where I have worked with a number of different styles, that I can’t name anything else than “beats”. I sample all kind of music I find and that I feel have that extra special, and I put it together into something that I would like to call my own.
Right now, I’m working with a record that’s hopefully finished by the end of the year. Besides that I’m turning records at CAFÈ RASOIR in Malmö with a DJ-crew called OH NO, NO DECKS.”

In my opinion Carl is a fantastic producer that’s ahead of his time. I’m looking forward to what’s being melded together for the years to come.

/Jamin

Baby
Always and always ft Kissey Asplund

Affictionados on Myspace

Affictionados’ home page

Gustav Haggren is an extremely busy musician! It’s obviously not enough that he has a solo project, plays with two other songwriters, Christian Cuff and Helena Arlock, and is coordinating a world band (yes, they are spread all over the world); he is also touring all the time! Go and check out his tourdates for 2007…jesus!

Nevertheless, it seems like it’s among the seasick sailors that Gustav likes it best. And it’s from this constellation the songs below comes from.

The first song I heard is from 2004, “Vagabond’s Polka”, and it feels like I’m invited to Montmartre, Paris. There’s a fantastic Tivoli-feeling here!
And when I listen to “Something Weihtless” I hear great pop with hit potential. Overall, there is an incredible mix of songs I find with Gustav and the Seasick Sailors.

On Friday the 26th of September, they will celebrate the release of their new album “Brilliant Hands” on Tivoli in Helsingborg. Check out the info on their Myspace page.

Listen and download some tracks (Vagabond Polka is a live song with a slightly less sound quality, but I have included it because of the great feeling here. I hope I’m excused ;-)):
Something Weightless
Nightlife
Vagabonds Polka
Distant Mornings

Visit the band:
Gustav and the Seasick Sailors on Myspace
Their homepage and blog

Keep cool
Jeppe