DIG004/V&G004

Dig Your Own Grave和Vapen & Godis這兩家瑞典獨立小廠牌,雖然發行量不多卻張張精緻,今年作品不論是This Is Love合輯(編號DIG003)找來12位藝人翻唱各具風格的同一首曲What Is Love,或是這張由Cyndee Lee Hulko和Don Agbai分占兩面的7吋單曲,大玩透明塑材和黑黃三角型剪紙的唱片設計,以及四首輕巧活靈的電子歌唱小品.

...on Cyndee Lee Hulko side,the song Easily touching Kraftwerk's mind to do their own moonwalking,and the piano-led melody echoed back the noise of vanish,which is beautiful you had ever gazed upon;the second song Sour Milk might be gaudy a little,but reminds me of gaiety from Action Biker.
...and on Don Agbai side,the song Dream Scenario(Danceable Version)is Acid House with some dreamy vocals,truely an innovative beats of pleasure;the final track Last Night When I Was Jimmy White,which i'd like to ride my old bike again to make an excursion to this endless rolling rhythms.

there are some mp3s in different versions as same title on this 7" single:

Cyndee Lee Hulko - Sour Milk
Don Agbai - Dream Scenario
Don Agbai - Last Night When I Was Jimmy White

site:
Dig Your Own Grave Records
Vapen & Godis
Don Agbai

yes the future of rock & roll is...

The Ape Drape Escape.

算來也該有10年了,那一年為了反動Brit-Pop千篇一律的服裝和彈奏,英國的Melody Maker雜誌和一些地下但時尚的Club,共同創造了為期約一年的媒體"笑話",把未曾發過單曲作品的新團拱上雜誌封面,並舉辦全英巡迴演出,結論是其中沒一個新團得到善終,倒是雜誌對手NME反制出的新樂型名詞C96,怎麼說也風光過好一陣子,雖然邁入此世紀時有所謂的Electroclash風潮,其精神與1996年當時的運動有頗多雷同,但嚴肅說來少有吉他樂團代表,還記得當時的運動宣言好像也是什麼"未來搖滾樂云云..."之類,而1996年這個運動便叫做ROMO.

其實ROMO也不過是把古早新浪漫樂團拿來加工包裝一下,但這來自雪菲爾德六人組The Ape Drape Escape會讓自己聯想,除了Promo宣傳紙上寫的the future of rock...之外,唱片封面和節奏和主唱的聲音竟好似當時ROMO的中堅份子DexDexTer,當然TADE並沒那麼美型,且唱起歌來也不會假音亂折,只是古古怪怪的五顏六色還真讓自己的記憶鮮活,不過光從TADE首張7吋單曲(限量300,3月20日發行)聽來,是非常趣味盎然的電子龐克風格(有多有趣?看歌名就知道了:They filled a bag with laughs,threw it in the river,and now they're sad).

這裡可以試聽單曲,而印象中樂團官網有多首demo可以下載.

translation(re-edit version):

Ten years before there is ROMO movement which exploded boring "Brit-Pop" scene slightly,I'm amaze and glad the bands who bring back New Romantic Fashion look along with weird guitar melodies,and the vivid colours of electronic rhythms.Nowadays the most talked-about city in the UK is Sheffield who,introduced the future rock n' roll stars to this tendious world,they are SEXtet and their name is The Ape Drape Escape.

For bands in ROMO-era I might be choose DexDexTer to compare with them,but in their first proper single "200 angry bikers/They filled a bag with laughs,threw it in the river and now they're sad!",TADE is more like ABC without twaddling in an arrogant tone,or the magnificently mess made by Roxy Music and Suicide,this is the ironic evil music you should do a thunderous dancing.

Mind you,the future of shambolic disco is awaken.

p.s.咦,寫完跑去myspace看了才發現自己另一個mail被這廠牌link上說可去聯絡購買,其實還沒說要訂耶呵呵...既然如此有意者店洽私洽任何洽都大歡迎!

TROUBLE & STRIFE

兩個人,CDR,以句子當樂團名或廠牌,這幾項特色似乎已成為瑞典獨立音樂不可或缺的要素,更重要的,80/90年代那股清新流行早在瑞典生堅了根,而近日發現的樂團TROUBLE & STRIFE,只不過是更見證這個以Joakim(吉他)和Jacob(主唱,吉他)兩人為主,由簡單和絃鼓機鍵琴的律式組合,將會是愛抹淡鬱的我們,必須要記得的新名字.

兩張EP名為#1和#2,不但有種混雜The Field Mice的Emma's House和Blueboy的Clearer驚艷情緒(該死,如果為本小blog做統計Sarah團一定被提最多次),但並不是指TROUBLE & STRIFE的風格如何類似上述兩團,若真要相比反而較近似來自相同國度的The Embassy,只是聽到歌曲I Got a Plan和New Shoes這兩首噹來又噹去的旋律,或是Jacob唱腔的憂鬱感度,那的確很難擺脫自己思緒老被牽去歷史的宿命.

另一首歌曲Red Lights,即便無法下載試聽,但請相信如果#2 EP只有這首曲,仍然有不得不買的必要,就像是Keith(Blueboy主唱,想換成The Field Mice主唱Bobby也可以)年輕10歲在自己臥房彈唱New Order最"強說愁"的柔爽,喔請記得,以最低傳真的方式彈奏.

如果自己是Service廠牌老闆,那麼自己絕對會簽下TROUBLE & STRIFE作為The Embassy的接班團,如果自己是Labrador廠牌老闆,那麼在TROUBLE & STRIFE未正式發片前,保證是Sambassadeur或Suburban Kids with Biblical Names的御用開場團.

Listen:
I Got a Plan
New Shoes

TROUBLE & STRIFE site here

Molokini Records

在不分中外所有愛好瑞典音樂blogs,為Music Is My Girlfriend編號零零七作品 - Stars in Coma的My Sunshine Years宣傳叫好時(其CDR設計是今年目前為止最有型),樂團的一人主腦André Brorsson,連同女友一起組成了線上下載廠牌Molokini,從一月以來已發行了3張MP3單曲,包括了Elfi,Lashing Patsy,以及Stars in Coma自己.

那原來也不就是André厲行DIY音樂精神的另一手段,在Elfi裡他擔任製作,在重新組合的Lashing Patsy他主彈吉他,更在自己的Stars in Coma裡玩奏空心吉他版歌曲,並更名為My Lo-Fi Years開其玩笑,但總之,一次可聽足清新,迷幻強力流行,民謠,又是免費的當然很愉快,而且若是你也有音樂作品又覺跟Molokini頗為氣味相投,不妨與之接觸一起來DIY!

All By Myself by Elfi
Judas by Lashing Patsy
My Lo-Fi Years by Stars in Coma

more info on Molokini Records

see my review again about My Sunshine Years here

chart (10am-8pm only)

NO.1.
- the Airfields - nowhere left to go.

如果The Field Mice在Factory Records的話...

可惜的是現已不提供下載,或是晚幾天去看看,或是要本人提供,或是等3月發行時進貨(目標賣100萬張)...

no.2. Fields - Skulls And Flash An...
no.3. The Spells - Asleep
新歌!

no.4 The Ghosts - In a haunted house...
終於等到了...

no.5 The Sweethearts - bubblewrap
記得下星一要下載blue skies/rainy skies線上單曲

no.6 Alison Statton & Spike - The Shady Tree (LTM reissue)
no.7/8/9/10 Primal Scream - Peel Session from January 1986 (via Harvey的blog
別問Harvey是誰,如果你從未聽過Another Sunny Day的話...

bonus:
Taxi,taxi! - To hide this way
終於開放下載,亂想買那本以她們為封面的新雜誌...

Moon Disco!

只發行300張黑膠單曲的廠牌grace records,似乎連第3號出品也宣告預售光了(4月才發真是恐怖,不用說,第二號的Stopstarts三月才發也早早售光),但在無任何喘息空間的情況下,廠牌又簽下了來自英國Coventry的新樂團Linear,照例是首張照例還是300張,定名為Twisted Eyes將在五月時問世.不過此次的情況稍微好一點,只因Linear擺上了連同主打的Twisted Eyes,共六首demo放在其官網上免費下載,所以若是不小心沒買到還有demo可聽.

listen to Twisted Eyes

Linear site & myspace

*聽Linear記得要調大聲,保證有在月亮上跳迪斯可的新浪潮微醺...

Umlaut Reprise

這可能是你最後的機會聽到Umlaut的音樂,除了有樂團唯一且絕版單曲Winter Coat可下載外,還有First Song和Lea Green兩首Demo,以及Umlaut認為他們最好的兩首歌曲(現場),並且在他們自己的myspace上新增了評論圖文(plan b,art rocket,record collector),而Sheffield重要地下音樂刊物Thee Humbug第四期,也將有樂團的五頁訪問,最後,曾經的第一次感動自己寫在這裡.頁尾附上主樂團和其後分支的網站連結.

listen to Winter Coat

my words:
"...probably the cutiest band in 2005 from Sheffield,their debut(only) "Winter Coat" catchs sound in the wing and singing guitar-pop with a mottled finish,Umlaut became a legendary name in my remembrance."

the links:
Umlaut
Umlaut(new!secret!)
johnny rocket and bang bangs
Situationists

at night you get the sense of something soft

Wear your shiny shoes,Wear your sexy clothes,Let's kiss and make up,gentle TOUCH is the new dancefloor duo from Kalmer,lovely Sweden again;The music might best be described as their label mates Le Sport,but in the begin such as EuroPop or EuroBeat back to the 80s and 90s,We once have timeless pop rhythms from They Go Boom!,and today gentle TOUCH transmit a transient happiness through the thin synth-effects wonderfully. Furthermore,gentle TOUCH has share the tuneful vision with New Order,their imaginations all irradiated with loneliness perfectly.

The first self-titled EP will be released on Songs I Wish I Had Written label(22nd of February),which is a decent collection of 4 tender songs,and initially set in the "Memories",is a natty anthem for lover's dream in their heart,tiny beat stand their bedroom,and the gloomy melody extended to their bitter-sweetness.

Next to "Speaking of Reasonable",is more like a heavily driven by industrial dance beat,what is intrinsic value in these two slightly different atmospheres is that this appears to be the sound of gentle TOUCH who,is flourish of the sculptural dance music,then listen to "Fascination" and "Smedby" afterwards,you know the beauty is too emotional to unravel here.

gentle TOUCH - Memories

more info on Songs I Wish I Had Written.

**感謝大家踴躍搶購,目前只剩0張可販賣但如要加訂在這幾天前應該還來的及,所以有意者請速寫至 daifafa@gmail.com,若是好奇有興趣gentle TOUCH是玩什麼的可去下載 Memories和看看網頁小介紹.

more euroP!O!P! for your weekend

別看Kalle J一副鳥鳥的青少年拙樣,怎麼說他也是結合POP和Dance的瑞典活躍新生代翹楚之一,與Le Sport,Unarmed Enemies,gentle TOUCH,Cat5,Harlem等互通有無惺惺相惜,但這份推廣功勞一定要記在Le Sport身上,初聽到其後這些新名字就是在他們的le blog上面,那時還以為是打哪來的80年古舊跳舞份子(都寫瑞典文誰看得懂,熱烈徵求免費瑞典文家教!).

但聽罷Kalle J首張五首歌的Some old friends and a glimpse of the future... EP後,Vart Stack Du和Everything Is You不外就是帶點極微重擊節拍的House舞曲,但在下一首The Reliable Paper和最終首Shorty卻又有MONTT MARDIÉ開心的鋼琴和絃味道,尤其是Shorty非常有Madonna那首Holiday的韻律感;而第四曲Summer Holiday Holocaust還可聽到Kalle J開口唱歌,竟是Galaxie 500的Summertime加上Primal Scream的Loaded融合出的超駭錯覺.

listen to Vart Stack Du from Hybris Label.
listen to Grls & more on Kalle J on myspace

p.s.在le blog上可下載Le Sport為Sophie Rimheden炮製的新混音,或是去
這裡抓整張單曲.
p.s.s.Unarmed Enemies也有新歌The Binging可至Shaktar下載.

is this it

酷.簡單.瑞士三女幫The Deliahs(沒寫錯,是瑞士不是瑞典)不過就是比Sleater-Kinney更加爽朗的吉他流行,而近日在bbc電台強打的This Is It還可聯想到The Strokes初啼驚人的青春咆哮,但說真的,聽The Deliahs實在不需花太多複雜腦筋,何況最酷的是,在首單曲發行前你就有10首歌抓來當專輯聽.

listen to This Is It

listen more & The Deliahs site here

The Orchids Lives Sessions

還沒買The Orchids三張重發的,或是已買正等待新作品的,這裡有The Orchids在今年1月8日於蘇格蘭Radio Six電台演唱3首現場歌曲可下載,而2月底時樂團也將去錄音室灌錄11年來的全新專輯.

listen:
welcome to my curious heart
caveman
beautiful liar

想知道這些年來The Orchids在幹嘛的可以看這篇訪談.

The Orchids site here