Vecka 44-45

Marja Mortensson

1 Vivian Girls (US) On their first new album since 2011, Vivian Girls jump back into fried guitar, loose percussion, and fast and easy repetition, as if they’d simply woken up from an eight-year nap. The longest song on the record, “All Your Promises,” pushes the band’s capacity for extended psych-rock jams to its limit with a four-minute, free-wheeling outro. Pitchfork

2 Broken Bells (US) the collaborative project of Danger Mouse and the Shins’ James Mercer—have shared a new song, titled “Good Luck.” You can take a listen to the track below (via 30th Century/AWAL). “Good Luck” is the first new song from Broken Bells in nearly a year, but they haven’t yet announced a new album.

3 Refused (SWE) Medvetna om riskerna med konstnärlig plakatpolitik har de gjort ett album som Dennis Lyxzén själv kallar ”barrikadmusik”. I pressmeddelandet talar de om att ”beväpna sig” och ”sikta mot de på toppen”. Den blodröda motståndsretoriken fyller varje millimeter av ”War music”. Som tur är lever låtarna upp till snacket. 

4 Floating Points (US) After a run of dates playing “obtuse, strange” music as a warm-up act for the xx, Sam Shepherd translates that experimental energy to an album of mischievous, melodic, stripped-down electronic music. There’s also no missing “LesAlpx,” the album’s soaring, proggy first single. The track has a lot in common with 2014’s “Nuits Sonores,” arguably Floating Points’ most forceful tune to date, although “LesAlpx” actually goes much harder, veering into proper techno territory as Shepherd layers an array of crunchy modular melodies and technicolor synth blooms atop its sturdily galloping rhythm. Pitchfork

5 Slumberjet (US) It’s been almost ten years since Irish power-pop artist Barry O’Brien decided to follow up his acclaimed debut, but he did bring in the heavy hitters for his return. Produced by Duncan Maitland, he is joined by Colin Hare (Honeybus), Johnny Boyle (Pugwash), and Eric Matthews along with original bandmember Keith Farrell. Barry’s melodic gifts remain unchanged, and Duncan’s amazing instrumentation and sonic arrangements give this collaborative album a timeless quality. ll the songs are good, but a clear majority are simply great. For example, the XTC-like “Big Snow” is a colorful narrative from a child’s POV, about the wistful joy of a snow day. Powerpopaholic

6 I Was A King (NOR) Norwegian indie-pop band I Was a King have released details of their new Norman Blake-produced album ‘Slow Century’ The new single ‘Bubble’ is bursting with jangly charm and potent guitar hooks, the song is all about how important it is that friends are there for you, even in times of trouble and how ‘the best ones will stand by you right through the shitstorm’. Falling somewhere between Stars and Cocteau Twins, there’s also some sadness as Frode Strømstad and Anne Lise Frøkedal plea to each other to reach out: ‘Now my hands are waving, I’m sinking like a stone. Open your mind. Throw me the line now before I’m gone’  Spectral Nights

7 Marja Mortensson (ICE) Marja Mortensson er sørsame og har som mål å føre sørsamisk musikk, joike-tradisjon og kultur videre. Hun kommer fra Engerdal kommune i Hedmark og lærte om joiken i en alder av 10 år gjennom den sørsamiske kultur- og musikkbautaen Frode Fjellheim. I ungdomsårene begynte hun etter hvert å utøve og utforske joiken på egenhånd. Tittelsporet på plata. Det er en beskrivelse av naturen og prosessene i naturen. Den er basert på idéen om å leve i pakt med naturen, og å se alle endringene i vær og klima. Det sørsamiske språket er ufattelig rikt når det gjelder naturbeskrivelser, og mange av tekstene mine er veldig naturorienterte. Denne låten er i den sjangeren. Her skrev Daniel melodien først, så skrev jeg teksten.  TACK Ådne för denna rekommendation!!

8 Sarah Klang (SWE) Sarah Klangs nya platta "Creamy blue" är ett skilsmässoalbum. Det har hon själv berättat i flera intervjuer, och hållit fast vid även efter att hon och pojkvännen hittat tillbaka till varandra igen.Den låt som sticker ut mest är just "New day coming", min personliga favorit på plattan. När den släpptes i våras lyftes den fram som Sarah Klangs "första glada låt", vilket är en fullt korrekt analys, och som sådan är "New day coming" lika viktig som den är skön. GP

9 Mikal Cronin (US) Facing heartbreak and writer’s block, Cronin retreated to a cabin in Idyllwild, a small town in the mountains, where he spent a month living alone and working on Seeker. Along with the announcement, Cronin is sharing the record’s shaggily melodic, lushly orchestrated lead single “Show Me.” It’s “a song about feeling small in an overwhelming world,” says Cronin. Stereogum

10 The Lilac Time (UK) Ever since 1986, the British folk-rocker Stephen Duffy has led the cult-favorite band the Lilac Time. The band has gone through a ton of lineup changes in that time, but they’ve kept cranking out records. And now there’s another one on the way. This fall, the Lilac Time will follow up 2015’s No Sad Songs with a new one called Return To Us. They’ve just shared first single “(I’m) A Believer,” a lovely countrified ramble with craggy lead vocals, sweet and lilting backing vocals, some impressionistic dashes of pedal steel, and absolutely nothing to do with the Monkees. Stereogum

Ni har som vanligt två veckor på er att lyssna på dessa tio låtar. Poängen ska lämnas senast söndagen den 10 november. Här är länken.