It’s time to spread som Christmas ambience here on  Meadowmusic. We wish you all a most pleasant Christmas.

If you’d like to explore earlier Christmas gifts here on Meadowmusic, you can find the songs from 2009 here and the ones from 2008 here.

First up is a wonderful collaboration between Pär Edwardson (composer and the performer of the song), Johan Strömberg (composer) and Tobbe Möller (lyrics):
Let Me In For Christmas

Next it’s time for a Christmas boogie with BFM. Armed with their recent debut album they have followed this up with a Christmas Single:
Rock Around The Xmas Tree

Art Acoustic, which we presented during Autumn, invites us to celebrate Christmas in the woods:
X-Mas In the Woods

Finally we slow it down a little and go for some Christmas ambience with ad dios. The band (which recently released the album Avalon Revisited) has a tradition of interpreting an old English Christmas carol every year, and this year they have also crossed the channel and invites us to some French Christmas ambience:
Il est né le Divin Enfant

Merry Christmas!

The producer

Some people may know him as Jonas Wickman, others as Bordun. When I first came in contact with his music and his production, it was like living on a flat earth and suddenly realise that it’s actually a globe. Jonas’ strange sound landscapes and emotional dimensions, opened me up and confronted me. Maybe not so much the music itself, but the feelings that grew inside when I listened; I was at the same time freightened and fascinated.

And I believe this is Jonas’ strength; the buildup of emotional atmospheres. He says that he has been living on the so called soft side of life. Art, philosophy, food and pleasure. And of course also music! And it all adds up in some way here. It’s artistry in the shape of music.

I think that Jonas really shows how important the producer role is. To build these sound backgrounds and sceneries behind the artist. A good producer can lift a mediocre artist right up in the sky, but above all, a good producer makes the artist and the music come out.

Listen here to a collaboration between Aurgrunn, Miss Allena, and Jonas:

Storm

And another collaboration with the artist Tobbe Möller:

Sanity

And here is a gem from his own works:

När kommer du igen

Last spring Jonas released an album, in a producer collaboration with Robert Wahlström/Jonas Färnlöv, called Umami (Plugged Records)

Among the participating artists were Freddie Wadling, Caroline af Ugglas, Desmond Foster, Ardis, Katarina Niklasson, Safiye Färnlöv, T-Root and Caroline Wennergren; artists that all share the same passion as the producer trio. That is, art and music.

Good In Colours:

Listen to Umami on Myspace and visit their site.

Buy the record on CDon and ITunes

The word master

Hello all publishers! I SAID: -HELLO ALL PUBLISHERS!!!
You have missed a sweet little pea here. A lyricist of absolute world class. Niklas Aurgrunn is his name. Remember that name, or pick up the phone right now. I say it only once, read my lips: – Niklas Aurgrunn is one of the best Swedish lyricists.

In this post I will try to emphasise the importance of writing good lyrics. Many tries, some have the gift, and others like Niklas are outstanding. He’s not only shaping some words, ready for delivery. His words reaches a dimension within you didn’t know existed. He hits the target and twists and turns.
When you have finished listening, you are no longer the same person. A good text transforms the listener to new heights. You learn something from a good text. A good text is like the sun in the sky. It warms you and carry you on further.

A few words from the author himself:

“Maybe it sounds like and maybe it is some kind of self legitimising incantation, but I do like it when it sounds a little off pitch and off beat, when I have to strain my voice to go up, I even think it’s fun when have to violate the melody to be able to sing the piece, ‘cause it is like that and have always been like that – I’m not a singer by any definition and certainly not a musician, but it took me a few decades to learn to like what happens when I sit down and with a poor ear, tune in randomly, it’s the way it should be, at least it’s how I should be. And they are fantastic songs in any case…”

Listen to Aurgrunn’s “Gare de Lyon Blues”:

Gare de Lyon Blues

Aurgrunn has collaborated with a lot of musicians, among them Tobbe Möller, whom we wrote post about before.

Here is a taste from another interesting collaboration with Miss Allena, “Vind” (“Wind”):

Vind

And this is how powerful it can sound when the producer Jonas Wickman takes on Aurgrunns work in “Bil på berget” (“Car on the mountain”):

Bil på berget

Aurgrunn is also a frequent blogger and also the author of several books. Unfortunately only available in Swedish so far.

Visit Aurgrunn on Myspace
and Last.fm

To be honest artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Tom Petty normally don’t frequent my speakers, but sometimes they do manage to get me going, especially Dylan. Furthermore it’s easy to see why this line of music is so appealing to many starting up their musical careers – all you need is a guitar and something to share.

The amount of “young men (or women) with guitars” is actually overwhelming when you take a closer look at the swedish demo treasure, as I’ve done during the past few years. And no matter how attractive their initiatives and ambitions may be, it’s all together somewhat watered down to me seeing how few – yes they do exist! – manage to really deliver that personal feeling they’re aiming at (and that obviously is crucial in the singer/songwriter genre). No, it rarely surprises, it all sounds very much alike to this listener.

Three things in which Armadillo King succeeds, and that must work if I’m to be part of it all, are singing, melody and lyrics. Most important about singing is of course the “expression”; it does by no means have to be especifically original or odd but must be personal, can’t be borrowed. If you on top of that, like Armadillo King, is blessed with an infallible sense of pitch as well as an equally – and paradoxically – harsh and smooth voice, you’re not worse off because of it. In my book Armadillo King is a fantastic singer.

As for melody and lyrics they should be symbiotic. Lyrics that doesn’t tell you the obvious floating safely and unstrained in a melody that seem to lack ambitions of originality but that nevertheless carries me, the melody junkie, with it all the way.

Well well, guess it’s a bit ridiculous trying to explain why you should listen to this artist, when the best argument by far is delievered soon as you click on the song of your choice. You’re likely to understand then, the concept of “young man with guitar” at its best.

Selling a Sheep
Million Dollar King
It’s Soon Summertime
Inner Peace
Turn Away
My Raincoat
Still Your Angel

Visit Armadillo King

Armadillo King on Myspace

(translated by Aurgrunn)

All artists presented in here are songwriters and composers also performing their products. Tobbe Möller is a songwriter and a composer who’s performing solely for practical reasons, as he puts it.

There’s something special about Tobbe Möller, something supernatural, maybe even godlike! He may for real be the best songwriter in the world, but I’m not sure he’s aware himself.

I see Tobbe like a fairy dressed in an armour you don`t easily penetrate. But just as Tinkerbell sprinkles river glitter (or whatever) over people in need, he does the same for his tunes.

His are lyrics that are incredibly strong, clever harmonies and changes of chords, and melodies a raging bull won’t shake off.

Offered here is an early work, “Too Hard to Chew”, aside two later ones where Tobbe worked with other musicians. In “Young Boy In the Far Back Row” he got together with Lasse Söhr and singer Isak Strand.
Other recent collaborations include names as Pär Edwardson, Aurgrunn and Pär Enqvist.

Early works by Tobbe Möller maintain a feel of old rock/punk music with pumping Rickenbackers and delightful choirs; do listen to Purple Foxglove on his Myspace-page. Then rapidly switch to Tonårsbarn (Teenage Kid) or “Skakar inte mer” (Shaking No More) and enjoy the breadth of the man!

If you’re interested in the music or want to work with the originator, visit his Myspace page.

Now do enjoy the songs presented:
Lose Your Head
Young Boy In the Far Back Row
Too Hard to Chew

Visit Tobbe Möller:
Tobbe Möller på Myspace

Keep cool,
Jeppe

(translated by Aurgrunn)