Swedelife: mp3 blog

Songs For Snakes - The Time You Lost Was Mine

Download Songs For Snakes - The Time You Lost Was Mine

So the SF Giants look geared for another year of heartbreak and let down and I'm FUMING that knucklehead Mayor Newsom isn't wearing a Giants cap at every public appearance.  What the hell is the matter with you?!? Maybe the boys would feel a little bit BETTER about themselves if they had a little SUPPORT, Gavin!  Forget that stupid torch, get out there and boost up the morale of our beloved ballplayers.

Well, at least SF has Songs For Snakes. Every once in awhile, Bill from SFS sends me a new batch of great songs.  So get 'em while their hot and check out "The Time You Lost Was Mine", a much needed dose of pop-punk goodness.

They are also looking bass player.  So quit that stupid web 2.0 startup that won't be around in six months and join something that matters.  Something you'll be proud of.  Oh and go support the Giants. Go Giants!

Post by Patrick Goddard

Northern State - Sucka Motherfucka

Download: Northern State - Sucka Mohterfucka

Sassy political shit from NYC. Produced by Adrock. On Mike Patton's Ipecac label. That's all I need to know. Northern State is now on my frequently played list. They should be on yours too. In fact I like them so much, here's a bonus track Oooh Girl. Now go out and buy their album. See them live. Do it.

The Black Keys - Strange Times

Download: The Black Keys - Strange Times

Album comes out in the beginning of April. On Nonesuch. Produced by Dangermouse. Lots of hype. I hope it can live up to it. So far so good.

Happy Day Late Valentine - PB Wolf Mix

Download: Peanut Butter Wolf Valentines Day Mix

Peanut Butter Wolf. He's from San Jose. Right around the corner from Swedelife HQ. I saw him open for Beastie Boys last year. My kids loved him. So this is a mix he made a year ago. I thought I'd repost it. Happy Day Late Valentines Day!

Team Robespierre - Ha Ha Ha

Download: Team Robespierre - Ha Ha Ha
It is what it is. You know I was thinking that I'd like to have an automatic record review generator. You could just plug in some words like the name of the band, album, location of band, some basic descriptors (noisy, boisterous, outrageous, melancholy, intricate, etc), and style of music, then have it spit out the review. Everything seems to be so formulaic these days, I don't think anyone would notice. Just make sure your rating is in line with pitchfork and you're in the clear.

"Team Robespeirre is a noisy, boisterous outfit from Brooklyn. Their tiny songs explode with punk and new wave particles. Blah blah blah it's something that needs to be heard. Some other bullshit. I actually like it quite a bit. No kidding."

Photo by: thepiratehat

The Dodos - Nerds

Download: The Dodos - Nerds

The Dodos are from my hometown San Francisco. They're another guitar/drum power duo but a bit more on the experimental side of the tracks. Most seem to embrace the blues straight up. The dodos make their own special kind of noise. So much so that they'll be playing the Noise Pop Fest. They are headlining the show on Feb. 28th at Cafe Du Nord with Or, The Whale. That should be a great night.

Visit: The Dodos

The Magnetic Fields - California Girls

Download: The Magnetic Fields - California Girls

I've been selling off my CDs left and right. There's no reason to have them anymore and I can use the extra cash. But as I was doing so tonight, I picked up the new The Magnetic Fields. So far it's great. Funny, I almost forgot about them. Check out California Girls.

Get: The Magnetic Fields - Distortion

Dale Strachan - Sad Gordon

Download: Dale Strachan - Sad Gordon

I was looking for a Dale song called Morrissey Blvd. but it appears we didn't put it on his solo album. I can't figure out why. Did he not want that song on his album? I love that track and was disappointed when it didn't make the cut for The King Is Dead... I'll have to ask Tim about it.

Sad Gordon is about Dale's overweight beagle. At least that's what I think it's about.

Or, The Whale - Isn't She Awful

Download: Or, The Whale - Isn't She Awful

San Francisco grande band Or, The Whale will be at the Noise Pop Fest this year. As is their right. They'll be at Cafe Du Nord on Feb. 28th if they can fit on the stage. Okay I'm making them sound larger than they are. I like a band with more than 4 people. Fills the eardrums.

More Noise Pop Info: Noise Pop XVI

(photo by prawnpie)

Wye Oak - Warning

Wye Oak - Warning

Via brooklynvegan, found this song the other day. Quite nice jangly, dreamy indie pop.  Two piece. Girl and a boy. They make nice music and they are on Merge Records.

More Wye Oak on Myspace.

Not related, but... While a Tree Grew: The Story of Maryland's Wye Oak

High On Fire - Devilution

High On Fire - Devilution

Hype Machine is great. Just over the course of a few days, I've discovered some great finds.  Or, search for old favorites. Like this track from Oakland savior's of rock, High On Fire. Sometimes you just need to rock with Satan.

(Photo by Taija Lynn and stolen from Pitchfork.)

Buy: High On Fire - Death Is This Communion

The Mountain Goats - Lions Teeth

Download: The Mountain Goats - Lions Teeth

We're going to start featuring bands that are playing at the 2008 Noise Pop Fest in San Francisco. We'll also dip into Noise Pop past from time to time. Today it's The Mountain Goats. They'll be playing at Bimbo's, The Independent, and a matinee at the Bottom of the Hill from Feb. 29 to March 2nd.

Buy: The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree

Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica

Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica

Aww Panda Bear. Such a cute name for a guy. I forget which folksy, ethereal, Candadian band Panda Bear is in; Arcade Fire? Broken Social Scene? Animal Collective? Wait they're from New York. Whatever. I do like it though. In 1931 Abbey Road Studios built one of the first electro-acoustic echo chambers to be used for recording purposes. This was a real room that would be used to play a recording and then allow for the sound to reverberate like a mother fucker to be re-recorded. It seems that Panda Bear decided to sing suspended from the rafters of St. Patrick's Cathedral to make this album.

Get: Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Silver Jews - Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed

Silver Jews - Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed

I'm not sure what it is, but this is one of my favorite songs. I could be my depression latching on to it like irony's iron fist, or it could be that it's just a great song. I'd like to hope it's the latter. Either way, it's just about perfect.

Get Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers

fIREHOSE - Honey Please

fIREHOSE - Honey Please

I've decided to kick the new year off and the new direction of this blog off with a song from a band from an era that means a lot to me. I don't know what it is about fIREHOSE... it was so tragic when d. boon died. I was in high school and it was one of those things that hit hard. I remember that and when the space shuttle blew up as days that seemed so dark in my adolescence. So when fIREHOSE emerged from the ashes of the Minutemen, I was so relieved. Everyone knew that no one could replace Boon, but just to have something new coming from the same spirit meant just as much. I loved fIREHOSE.

Get fIREHOSE - If'n

Interview: Tim (Bab) Alexander

Download: The Dance Of Antoine Interview with Tim (Bab) Alexander

I decided to post this in the feed so it gets the attention it deserves. It's a good discussion about the creative process of recording an album. Peace.

The Slowest Train In The World - The Dance Of Antoine

View a larger cover booklet.

Download the Swedelife AlbumCast: The Dance Of Antoine by The Slowest Train In The World

Individual Tracks:

1. The Dance of Antoine II
2. I'm With Fire
3. The Infidels
4. Arturo's Boys
5. This Year's Pimpa
6. Anne's Sister
7. Black Steve
8. I'm Without My Rider
9. The Compassionate One
10. The Theremin's of Roman Polanski's Wives
11. Arabian Love Song/The Dance of Antoine III

.zip file of entire album

Interview with Tim Alexander (Bab) of The Slowest Train In The World. Recorded in October of 2007 in Santa Cruz, CA downtown on a bench.

Comments from Kevin McCaughey (Mouse) of The Slowest Train In The World. Recorded in October of 2007 in Minsk, Belarus inside a Tee Pee.

Elijah Craig - Have A Good Weekend (video)

Tim of Elijah Craig playing Have A Good Weekend...

Elijah Craig - Already Broken (Video)

Tim Alexander of Elijah Craig performing a live, acoustic version of Already Broken.

Songbird 0.3

Songbird 0.3 is out. An excellent release. They've been working hard to create the best media player in the world. Please support them, download Songbird today!

BTW: look for Swedelife to incorporate the Songbird web page API soon. We're working on our first album release among other things... new stuff coming out shortly.