The Christmas Song

Not many days left now, so why not listen to some good Christmas music.

Suede - RAH DVD coming soon!

This weekend couldn't have started better. There's been rumours about it for some time, here's news from official sources. I can't wait!

Cold Cave

Another Friday has arrived. I think I'll start my evening with this:

For 12

A beautiful version of a beautiful song.


Other Lives - For 12 from 4eyes on Vimeo.

In a time like this

About a week ago, some days before I saw them play live, Deportees did two concerts at Berns, Stockholm. Livestage TV recorded it and so did Gimme Indie, who broadcasted the gig on December 4 (listen to it here).

Here are three of the wonderful songs that Deportees preformed live: 'When Buildings Sleep', 'Medicate It Right' and 'A Heart Like Yours in a Time Like This', all of them taken from their fourth album 'Islands & Shores'.


Livestage TV - Deportees Live på Berns (HD) from Livestage TV on Vimeo.

Deportees

Good music is often even better live. My experiences of concerts and festivals have time after time shown that music is better live on stage. It isn't always the case, sometimes the stage/venue may be too large for the artist/band, or they might not be that comfortable playing live, which often shows, but more often than not, music's better live.

Some days ago I went to see another great Swedish band play. Deportees, lovely aren't they? Before I saw them play I thought their latest album 'Islands & Shores' was ok, however after hearing the songs live I now think it has some really great songs on it. Listen to The Doctor in Me for example.

The Doctor In Me Deportees - The Doctor in Me

An "old" favourite is: 'Under the Pavement - the Beach' from the album with the same name.

Music from a year

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, there're many lists of best albums for the year 2011 currently being published. I'm not much for making lists of albums, I'm more into collecting songs I like and love and following the bands and artists that are close to my heart. However, I think I should mention some albums that have made my 2011 so much better and of which I am glad that I'm not without.

A part from the reissues of Suede's five studio albums and the fourth solo album from Brett Anderson, which is better than I had hoped for, there are some albums, and bands, that I am honoured to have been listening to, and seen live on two occasions. With no one better that the other, I really love these three albums:

Invasionen - 'Saker som jag sagt till natten'
Foster the People - 'Torches'
Austra - 'Feel It Break'

Other good music from this year, according to me (and I have surely forgotten some), in no particular order:

Lamb - '5'
Other Lives - 'Tamer Animals'
Dum Dum Girls - 'Only In Dreams'
Masquer - 'Cover My Face As The Animals Cry'
Zola Jesus - 'Conatus'
Anna Calvi - 'Anna Calvi'
PJ Harvey - 'Let England Shake'
Visions of Trees - 'Sometimes It Kills'/'No Flag'
Visions of Trees - 'Siren (Novocaine)'/'Sience of Hate'
Lana del Rey - 'Video Games'/'Blue Jeans'

Additionally, I'm sure there're lots of tracks and albums that I haven't discovered yet...

Have you discovered the deluxe edition of Austra's 'Feel It Break'? It includes some of the great "b-sides" from the singles, like 'Identity'.

Bedroom Eyes

When it's time for sleep... maybe.



Another of their songs that I have on repeat now is 'Coming Down', it's beautiful.

Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down by subpop

All and Everyone

She's currently at the top of several Best albums 2011 lists, and 'Let England Shake' is indeed a good one. Here's PJ Harvey's 'All and Everyone':

Anna live

Quiet, that's how I may describe the gig with Anna Järvinen the other day. Her soft, beautiful voice and delicate songs do very well for an intimate gig like this one.

I hadn't listened that much to her latest, third, album ('Anna själv tredje') until the day of her concert. However before the gig I listened to it to prepare myself for the night, and I must say that it has some real beautiful tracks on it, even though I think I might prefer her earlier albums ('Jag fick feeling', 'Man var bland molnen').



'Vals för Anna' and 'Lilla Anna' are taken from her third album 'Anna själv tredje'.



Before Anna Järvinen released her first solo album in 2007 she was in a band called Granada that I really liked. I don't know if you today can find their records, however, if you got Spotify you may listen to the album there. 'Sister' below are from that album.