Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala Review

Night Falls Over Kortedala sounds effortless. It glides like a kite of angel wings on a soft summer breeze, all twinkling keys, kettle drum rolls, soaring strings and Lekman’s glorious croon. It belies the difficult genesis of the record. Three years in the making, the songs were honed live, written and rewritten until they sparkled. Lekman was so disenchanted at one point that he talked of retirement. We should all be thankful that he persevered.

I guess Jens Lekman is a singer-songwriter. That tag does him such a disservice, loaded as it is with images of acoustic guitars and a stripped-down, wooden authenticity. Yes, he writes and sings his own songs, but this is The Brill Building via Gothenburg, Tin Pan Alley retooled by a sampler and a vivid imagination.

Lekman writes and performs in heavenly technicolour. This is late '60s Scott Walker performed by The Magnetic Fields. The timpani roll and glistening strings of the opening “And I Remember Every Kiss” is built around a sparkling sample from easy listening violinist Enoch Light. Jens declares his allegiance to the sect of doom romantics, yearning in his dark baritone that every kiss burns with the passion of his first kiss.

“Sipping On The Sweet Nectar” is glorious, punchy brass, bleeping bass synths, and a sighing melody. The first single, “The Opposite Of Hallelujah,” with its handclaps and chopped out piano chords, is perfect. The chorus is as sticky as honey in a heat wave. I have woken up humming it twice this week. The wry observations of “A Postcard to Nina” make it the sort of song that no one, bar Jens, seems capable of writing. So witty and tender with a chorus of drunken trombones and children’s percussion, the doo-wop harmonies in the bridge alone would melt the hardest of hearts.

Lekman can produce musical gold from the strangest collusion of influences. The MOR strings and clipped drum samples of “If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This)” are the sort of thing Timbaland would have produced if he had been raised on indie 7” singles in Sweden—inventive, catchy and soulful.

This a wonderful record make sure you treasure it.

Tony Heywood (c)

First Published on Kev Chino - http://www.kevchino.com/review/jens-lekman/night-falls-over-kortedala/1358

100 Greatest LP's Since I Was Born

My Favorite 100 LPS since I was born.



My Top 100 LPs since I was born!
1. American Music Club – California
2. New Order – Low Life
3. The National – Alligator
4. Momus – Tender Pervert
5. Tricky – Maxinquaye
6. Pixies – Surfer Rosa
7. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
8. Burial – Untrue
9. Portishead – Dummy
10. PJ Harvey – Rid of Me

11. The Human League – Dare
12. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything
13. Band of Holy Joy – Manic, Magic, Majestic
14. Galaxie 500 – On Fire
15. The Smiths – Meat is Murder
16. Belong – October Music
17. Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
18. Jens Lekman – Oh Your So Silent Jens
19. Disco Inferno – D.I. Go Pop
20. Art of Noise – (Who’s Afraid of)The Art of Noise

21. Prince - Parade
22. Mark Eitzel – Sixty Watt Silver Lining
23. William Basinski – Disintegration Loops
24. Antony & The Johnsons – I am A Bird Now
25. The Caretaker - Theoretically Pure Anterograde
26. Blue Nile – Hats
27. Underworld – NodubbasswIthmyheadman
28. Bjork - Debut
29. Arctic Monkeys – My Favourite Worst Nightmare
30. The Smiths – Hatful of Hollow

31. The Cure – 17 Seconds
32. Arab Strap – The Week Never Starts Round Here
33. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
34. Depeche Mode – Black Celebration
35. Lilly Allen – Alright Still
36. Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
37. Vic Chesnut – West of Rome
38. This Mortal Coil – It’ll End In Tears
39. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
40. Billy Bragg – Workers Playtime
41. Pet Shop Boys – Please
42. PIL – Metal Box
43. Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country
44. Bob Mould – Work Book
45. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
46. Cowboy Junkies – Caution Horses
47. R.E.M. – Document
48. Morrissey – Vauxhall & I
49. Primal Scream – Screamadelica
50. Galaxie 500 – Today

51. Talk Talk – Sprit of Eden

52. Junior Boys – No Exit
53. Joy Division – Closer
54. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
55. Yellow Swans – Drift
56. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
57. Burial – Burial
58. The The – Soul Mining
59. Kraftwerk – The Man Machine
60. Soft Cell – Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
61. Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom

62. New Order – Technique
63. Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen
64. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
65. Nick Cave – The Boatmans Call
66. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
67. Vic Chesnut – Drunk
68. Big Black – Atomiser
69. American Music Club – United Kingdom
70. The Cure – Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
71. Beach Boys – Surfs Up

72. Brian Eno – On Land
73. Suicide – Suicide
74. Buzzcocks – Another Music From a Different Kitchen
75. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
76. Nirvana – In Utero
77. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
78. Durutti Column – Vini Reilly
79. Malcolm Middleton - Into The Woods
80. Times New Viking – Born Again Revisited

81. This Heat – Deceit
82. The Go-Betweens – Tallulah
83. His Name Is Alive – Mouth by Mouth
84. Goldmund – Corduroy Road
85. The XX – XX
86. Matson Jones – Matson Jones
87. Wedding Present – Sea Monsters
88. The House of Love – The House of Love
89. A.R. Kane – 69
90. Scott Walker – Drift

91. Leila – Like Weather
92. Deerhunter – Microcastle
93. Nick Drake – Pink Moon
94. Billy Bragg – Lifes a Riot with Spy vs Spy
95. Liars – Drums not Dead
96. Bjork – Homogenic
97. Jack – Pioneer Soundtracks
98. Beloved – Happiness
99. Martyn – Great Lengths
100. Bon Iver – For Emma, forever ago.

Worst Band In The World - The Killers

The Killers – The Worst Band in the World?


Who are the biggest band in the world? Frankly who gives a dam! The worst band in the world that’s far more interesting.

In the marathon path to claim the coveted prize of The World’s Worst Band same big names have fallen by the wayside. Coldplay, U2, The Strokes even the Kaiser Chiefs where all in contention until The Killers sprinted past them all to steal the prize.

Why The Killers? What makes The Killers the worst band in the world? How have they managed to claim the gold medal when they are so many other bands that could have reached the top of the podium? Well let me explain why.

Brandon Flowers and his fellow Las Vegas cohorts ring as hollow and empty as a death bed religious conversion. The Zang Tumb Tuum they produce is a wretched empty confection of heritage pop influences with nothing added. They dry hump the corpse of 80s music in a misplaced act of affection. They aren’t postmodern simply pastiche. The Killers are all sign and no signifier, eyeliner over heartbreak, affectation over emotion. Artless and heartless. A decaf skinny soya latte of a band.

The Killers started well but have rapidly descended into bland soulless artifice. The opening fours tracks on Hot Fuss blended a warped sense of New Orders rain soaked melancholy, with a hint of sexual tension and a wide screen desert escapism. On Day and Age they sound like a Spandau Ballet b-side from 1985. That’s like starting out dreaming of being Picasso and ending up painting fences for a living. The warning signs of The Killers fate arrive by track five of their debut record, All These Things I’ve Done. Anyone who thinks that the lyric “I’ve got soul but I am not a soldier” is anything other than the dribbling ramblings of three year old child should be shot. It is beyond risible and to think it should be committed to record. Heaven help us.

The Killers journey to becoming the worst band in the world has been astonishing. The speed of the diminishing returns is well in place before the end of Hot Fuss. From synth pop to the school boy Springsteen rip offs on Sam Town’s to the cocktail bar car crash that is Day and Age. When I first heard Day and Age I was reminded of Greil Marcus opening line in his review of Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait. “What is this shit?”

Yet The Killers are headlining festivals, shifting units and gaining acres of press coverage in everything from Sunday supplements to the tabloid press. They are the Oasis of indie pop without Noel’s wit and charisma or the belligerent magnetism of Liam. They repackage a comfortable sound with an empty centre and flog it as something new. They are no juxtapositions, no surprises, no leaps of faith of strange exotic detours. No searching, no ache, no pain, no bliss. The Killers revisionist, reactionary and soulless. The Worst Band in the world? No issue!

Tony Heywood 2009(c)

Mark Eitzel Live - i left my heart in san francisco

Another video from the Hoboken Show. Mark Eitzel ripping through a delightful version of I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Mark Eitzel Plays American Music Club - Me and Mr Jones

A little taste of Marks upcoming tour. Just Mark Eitzel singing and Marc Capelle playing the piano.

Marks wonderful cover of Me and Mr Jones

Mark Eitzel Live 2009

The ever wonderful Mark Eitzel is touring with Marc Capelle. They will performing American Music Club Songs, some covers and some new songs.

They is a good post on Mark Eitzel's blog.


Sat 7/18 New York, NY at Le Poisson Rouge
Sun 7/19 Hudson, NY at Jason’s Upstairs
Mon 7/20 Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell’s
Tue 7/21 Boston. MA at Lizard Lounge
Wed 7/22 Albany NY at Lindas at WAMC
Thu 7/23 Rochester, NY at Lovin’ Cup Cafe
Fri 7/24 Buffalo, NY at Marty & Susan’s House
Sat 7/25 Baltimore, MD at Metro Gallery
Sun 7/26 Chapel Hill, NC at Memorial Hall Theatre w/ She&Him & Wye Oak (part of the Merge XX celebration)
Mon 7/27 Arlington, VA at IOTA Club
Tue 7/28 Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s
Wed 7/29 Brooklyn, NY at Bell House

Mark Eitzels upcoming tour for his new solo album looks a bit like this.

04.10.09 Exeter -Phoenix
06.10.09 Winchester – Tower Arts Centre
07.10.09 London - St Giles in the Fields
08.10.09 Brighton – The Basement
15.10.09 I-Milan, House Concert
16.10.09 I-Massa Carrara, Tagomago
17.10.09 I-Turin, House Concert
18.10.09 CH-Zurich, El Lokal
20.10.09 Karlsruhe, Jubez
22.10.09 L-Dudelange, Centre Culturel opderschmelz
23.10.09 B-Brussels, AB Club
24.10.09 B-Brugge, Music In Mind Festival
01.11.09 NL-Utrecht, Ekko
03.11.09 Bristol – St Bonaventures
04.11.09 Birmingham – Glee Club
05.11.09 Manchester - St Margaret's Church
07.11.09 Edinburgh – Cabaret Voltaire
08.11.09 Newcastle – Cluny 2
09.11.09 Leeds - Brudnell Social Club

The National - The Runway (Live on Q TV)

Wonderful new National tracked titled The Runway has arrived on youtube via Q TV. It's graceful, aching, hushed, whisky bruised and deep rooted in melancholy. I can’t wait for the new LP on the back of this. The fragile beauty of the track looks like it’s going to be a classic!

Steven Wells RIP

It was sad to hear of the passing of Steven Wells ex NME scribe. He died on Tuesday after a three year battle against cancer. He was found to be suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma three years ago and despite the disease going into remission, he later contracted stomach cancer.

He was a firebrand and full of fury and polemic when writing for the NME first as Susan Williams and then later under his own name. He took on the pomposity of musicians, class and homophobia. He was a champion of the Manic Street Preachers and clashed with Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays about their blatant and sickening homophobia. I can remember reading the piece at the time and being both angry at the Happy Mondays and glad someone had taken them to task about it. He also found time to write about football, American Sports Culture,TV and media and his battle against cancer plus this one..

It such a shame thats the NME is currently so vanilla, inane and flat.

May he Rage in Peace

Here are some of the tributes:

Pitchfork
NME
Guardian Sport
Guardian - James Brown
Clash

Some examples of Steven Well’s work
Happy Monday and Steven Wells

Free Momus Downloads

Free Momus


I have just discovered that Momus(Nick Currie) has posted up all his Creation era LPs free on URU Web. The LPs come with some wonderful notes for Momus himself explaining the inspirations and the music behind the tracks.

They have been up since Christmas but somehow I missed them!

Here is Nick Currie's statement

“"Okay, this is quite a big decision, but I've taken it. Six Momus albums -- the ones I recorded for Alan McGee's Creation label between 1987 and 1993 -- are out of print. Creation doesn't exist any more, and in theory Sony owns the rights to these albums, but isn't doing anything with them and probably never will. In the meantime, only Russian pirates are profiting, charging punters for illegal downloads.

So, during the rest of December, I've decided to release mp3s of my six Creation albums here on Click Opera, for free. Think of it as a sort of Creation Advent Calendar, with a new old Momus album every couple of days. If you're the sort of person who likes to donate to the artist when you download, do it here. But it's not really necessary; these albums paid for themselves long ago. Think of this as a Christmas present. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"

- Momus”


I love The Tender Pervert, it is one of my favorite LPs of all time. The word play and the music sit so well together, the themes are close to my heart and I am sure Jarvis Cocker spent a good few years listening to it. I Spy by Pulp bares an uncanny resemblance in my mind to The Homosexual by Momus although the Momus track bites much harder, it is simply amazing even if Neil Tenant told Nick that it didn’t have enough melodic hooks!

Download the LPS here:

Momus Free Downloads

Some late 80s Momus!

The Caretaker - V/Vm Test White Death

The Caretaker (James Kirby) has a wonderful blog History Always Favors the Winners. They are links to various media articles, interviews and free downloads.

One is this beautiful V/Vm Test album - White Death.

This is the text for the album.

"For nearly a year-and-a-half, the twenty five men and one woman aboard the Saint Anna endured terrible hardships and danger as the icebound ship drifted helplessly north. Convinced that the Saint Anna would never free herself from the ice, Valerian Albenov and thirteen crewmen left the ship in January 1914."

V/Vm Test - White Death