Winter Took His Life

Photo by: Mattias Fredriksson

So christmas was over just like that..... oh well, its freakishly chilly outside (again), and i feel like recommending something warm and toasty for the cold. So... meet Gothenburg girl Susanna Brandin aka. Winter Took His Life. Once again, as in the almost endless Swedish cases of amazing in the shapes of such newer girl names- Lykke Li, El Perro Del Mar, Promise And The Monster, Britta Persson and beyond, one could wonder how there could be any room left for further greatness. But, fear not, Winter Took His Life found herself a quiet prosperous little picnic spot only a heartbeat away.

Her wonderful debut album- You know what it´s like to be alone and shut down, came out last year and can be found at Bless The Press. So if you (just like me), didnt get on the first one in time, there you go. It would be a shame not to follow up on this fantastic girl from the start.

WTHL's myspace can be found here.

Melloboat 2009

What if you could travel the seas between Sweden and Finland for 24hours accompagnied by a bunch of questinable bands, a couple of interesting, justified by a few awesome. Would you? Well, let me include the fact, that Swedish math-metal-maniacs Meshuggah are among the awesome, along swedish indie wonder Promise And The Monster and Porcupine Tree founder/singer Steven Wilson's own project (accompagnied by wonderful Danish artist, photographer and filmmaker Lasse Hoile).

To be quite honest, i dont even care much about who else is playing the Melloboat aka. Siljaline Galaxy cruiser that night and day the 24-25th of april. Just the fact that one can brag about sailing the dark baltic sea with the 3 artists mentioned above, already have me itching my backpocket.

I doubt it will the most important music event of the year (as stated in small print on the bottom of the poster), but the fact that you can get to witness a neat thing like this for a measly 100 swedish kroner (10 euros), or even get a nice room with a view for 900 swedish kroner (85 euro) pr. person along with, seriously should make this worth your while.

Personally Meshuggah and Promise And The Monster are two of my favourite artists of this last year. So in my opinion, this boat holds a great deal. If youre not familiar with my 3 personally recommended reasons to join this event, heres a taste of what to expect.

Promise And The Monster's latest video- Night Out.


Meshuggah - Bleed.


Steven Wilson's album trailer (by Lasse Hoile).


Sure beats the hell out of sailing the safer seas of Denmark with Carpark North or Lis Sorensen (if you even know who that is)......Anyway, im there.

For more info on Melloboat and its cruises, artists, prices etc. Go here.

The acoustic 31 knots?

Photo by Kasper Troels @ www.comeondieyoung.dk

A little month ago i witnessed, what i still think is one of the best shows ive attented this year. San Francisco 3 piece - 31 Knots, kicked my ass to high heavens that late saturday night. Not only is 31 knots a fantastically excentric and technically potent liveband, they also radiate a such rare theatrical, almost hyper bohemian atmosphere, that makes it impossible for the audience to predict in which direction the band tends to stretch its energies (both mentally and musical). Those energies and qualitities combined, to me, celebrate so many great things, that i cannot anything but recommend you try and pick up a 31 Knots show first chance you get.

That being said. French Le Cargo, has an amazing youtube channel, on which many unique and intimate live videos with wonderful atypical not so household names can be discovered. Amongst them, great artists like Matt Elliott (UK), Broadcast 2000 (UK), Promise And The Monster (SE)(one of my favourites), Efterklang (DK), Zombie Zombie (FR), The Concretes (SE) and even hundreds more (im serious, hundreds).

And untill today, now also 31 Knots acoustic. Didnt see that one coming. None the less, extremely entertaining stuff.