little dragon: twice.

dl: LITTLE DRAGON - Twice (YSI)
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After developing several dance numbers with the My Little Pony Dance Studio this past weekend (followed by setting said dances to Khia's "My Neck, My Back"), my friend Emily brought up the video for Little Dragon's "Twice". We wound up watching it multiple times because it was so beautiful. The video is directed by Johannes Nyholm, the man responsible for videos of The Knife's "Heartbeats" and Jenny Wilson's "Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward". The puppetry is done by the band themselves with the help of Elias Araya, Aime Hellrand, Henrik Malmgren, Andreas Korsár and Kurt Lightner. If you haven't seen this, you need to watch it!

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- BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

leif: little bit.

d/l: LEIF - Little Bit (Lykke Li cover) (YSI)

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Leif has been mentioned on this blog plenty of times, but it was mainly for his mash-ups and remixes. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of his voice tenderly colliding with your earbuds, the time has now come. "Little Bit" is a cover by Swedish songstress Lykke Li, who you may have heard of on some blog that one time.

I'm not about to go make some big claims that Lykke Li will be the "next big thing" to come out of Sweden, and I'm not about to compare her to Feist or some crap like that. Homey don't play that. I have one single thing to say about this song. And I am going to say it with hesitation, because this isn't the sort of thing you should admit to the internet. I'm not really even sure if I've ever felt this way about a song ever. It's kind of inapprop...THIS SONG MAKES ME WANT TO TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF. Now I said it. There's no looking back.

Consider Lykke Li's version the foreplay. Leif's version falls somewhere before or after that depending on how you go about in your freaky ways. It still retains the vulnerability that makes the original so drawers-dropping, yet brings the song to the CLUBZ in the most delicious way possible.

Predictable blogger pun: I think I'm more than a little bit in love with this jam! LOLcat.

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bonus track: LEIF - Electric Feel My Cool (MGMT edit) (YSI)
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- space it -

le squid: i can feel this.

LE SQUID is a mysterious Swedish musician I happened to come across on someone else's space.

By "mysterious", I mean that I literally know very little about him. His name is Emil Oldberg? He uses Garageband? He likes or knows The Teenagers or Justice? Calamari may be his favorite food? The latter three questions are based purely on speculation.

Sometimes (well, usually all the time), tunes speak for themselves. You don't need to know who someone is, their story, who they roll with...because without a doubt, you are tapping your foot at your desk jamming to their tune. It's a pleasant feeling. It's even more pleasant when you're not at work and you can let the tune propel you into a seizure-like chair-dance. These songs don't even need to have real names. In fact, they're better off without names. I can feel them, can feel them move. My body. For those who need some sort of description before you listen to something...I will say that this is like Daft Punk's second-grade little sister. Or the third cousin once-removed of Boy Crisis. I mean that as a total compliment. This is the jam.

dl: LE SQUID- lic 30 (YSI)
dl: LE SQUID- lic 20 (YSI)
(Swedish electro-dancestuff)
- space it -

animal keyboard: duck mode

ANIMAL KEYBOARD, born Martin Wiklund, is my jam.

The moment I heard "Animals Run Free" I was immediately in love. My eyes moved a little to the left on his myspace to notice that he's, of course, from Sweden. This did not surprise me considering most of the music I love comes from Sweden.

From what I can tell, Wiklund's keyboard has eight different animal modes-- cat, dog, cow, sheep, frog, bee, duck (quack), and bird. Duck mode is heavily utilized in "Animals Run Free". Any dance song could be better with quacks in my opinion. I especially love the breakdown at approximately 2:41. Yes, this may be too cute for your ears. You've been warned.

d/l: ANIMAL KEYBOARD- Animals Run Free (YSI)
d/l: ANIMAL KEYBOARD- On the Run from Nora (YSI)
(instrumental keyboard dance hits)
- space it -

sofia talvik: new single "blåa linjen hem".

SOFIA TALVIK makes me wish that I knew Swedish.

She just released her summer single "Blåa linjen hem". I couldn't tell you what it's about. It could be about anything from clubbing baby seals or clubbing with baby seals. Despite this, Sofia ensures us English speaking fans that we'll love it no matter what we think the lyrics are, and she's absolutely right in this case. Well, at least she's sort of right, because I certainly love it.

She also ensures fans that this song is just a sudden outburst of summer, and while it may sound very different from her other music...you should not fret! She hasn't entirely swapped genres. Fortunately, if she did ever decide to switch up her sound, she could TOTALLY pull this style off. Girl sounds good on them horns.

Also, need I remind you that Ms. Talvik's Street of Dreamix is still available as a FREE download? What are you waiting for? Cop that shiz.

d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- Blåa linjen hem (YSI)
d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- Mother's Way, Father's Way (S. Rimheden remix) (YSI)
(two very different tunes from a swedish songstress)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

BLOGWATCH: Kevipod brings us a new song from American Idol's Mandisa, who recently came out in People magazine as not hating gay people. Fluo kids has a new Sisqo song apparently produced by Timbaland, but nowheree near as revolutionary as "The Thong Song".

mr. suitcase: you don't smile anymore.

MR. SUITCASE is a Swedish producer and musician who did a few remixes that I like.

While I was listening to the Mr. Suitcase remix of Le Sport's "It's Not the End of the World" , I suddenly decided that I needed to learn more about him. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he released a new single just yesterday. Good timing for curiosity!

"You Don't Smile Anymore" is the first single off of Mr. Suitcase's debut album Guidelines For An Emerging Century, which will be released on May 30th. Up-and-coming female vocalist Sanna Fischer contributes guest vocals to the track. Previously, Fischer worked with Mr. Suitcase on "Lullaby of Clubland", a leftover song from his first EP. "You Don't Smile Anymore" is way beyond leftovers, and it proves that Fischer is definitely a female vocalist to watch out for (also evident from her demo "Coming Down" which can be heard on her space). Considering that I am a sucker for a good Swedish dance-pop tune, I am blatantly loving this song with all of my heart.

ALSO, the seemingly obscure but delightful Kopia popped out a remix of "You Don't Smile Anymore" which is definitely worth your ears' time.

d/l: MR. SUITCASE f/ S. FISCHER- You Don't Smile Anymore (YSI)
d/l: MR. SUITCASE f/ S. FISCHER- You Don't Smile Anymore (Kopia remix) (YSI)
(Swedish dance-pop)
- site it - space it / space it / space it -

BLOGWATCH: Good Weather for Airstrikes has a review of the TV On the Radio/Noisettes concert at Vassar, as well as a delightful Busta Rhymes/Hot Chip mash-up. a PLAGUE of ANGELS brings us some more tunes from Winterpills.

sofia talvik: street of dreamix.

SOFIA TALVIK just released a new video for the Johan Sigerud remix of her song "So Good". Directed by Trevor Clarence, the video details the story of a green apple coping with it's break-up with a red apple. It's not genius, but it's damn cute thanks to the happy ending. "So Good" is the first video emerging from Ms. Talvik's Street of Dreamix project. As the name may suggest, this is a remix album. As in, this is a remix of her latest album Street of Dreams. Genius, right? Well, at least it's cute too.

I'm not quite sure why Street of Dreamix hasn't been getting much attention on the interweb. I mean...as with most remix albums, there's absolutely no consistency song from song, given the various collaborators who contribute their own unique takes on the songs. However, it's motherfuckin' FREE. Since when did people turn down free music? I certainly don't turn down music when the artist literally TELLS me to take it from them. Sofia done did that. So you should take it. I don't care if you've never heard of her. You will probably like one of these remixes.

As I mentioned previously, I highly recommend the Sophie Rimheden remix of "Mother's Way, Father's Way". Another favorite of mine is the hatelove remix of "I Won The First Prize Tonight". I don't know who this hatelove character is, but um...good work?

d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- So Good (Johan Sigerud remix) (YSI)-----------> video
d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- I Won The First Prize Tonight (hatelove remix) (YSI)
(remixes of Swedish folk-pop artist)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it / space it -

BLOGWATCH: WORTHLESS brings us the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) of this world's idiocy. The Blue Walrus pops out a collection of Hot Chip remixes including M.I.A., Le Tigre, Bright Eyes, Snow Patrol, and more. Shameless Complacency has a new Hot Chip song.

marching band: travel in time.

download: MARCHING BAND- Travel in Time (YSI)
(laid-back Swedish indie-pop tune)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

As you may be aware, I've reserved these next couple of months as a time to post whatever the fuck I want and provide very little explanation about it. In this tune, two dudes talk about going back in time kind of like Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time", but these guys aren't losers pondering the "if". They're just gonna do it...or at least try to learn how. That's all.

PS: Did anyone else SEE Ugly Betty??? CRAZY CRAZY SHIT.

sofia talvik: mw, fw (sophie rimheden remix).

download: SOFIA TALVIK- Mother's Way, Father's Way (Sophie Rimheden remix) (YSI)
(Swedish indie-pop remix)
- buy it - site it - space it - wik it / site it - space it / space it - hype it -

Sophia Talvik is currently offering a free remix album of her upcoming album Street of Dreams. It is called Street of Dreamix. Get it at her site!

ak-momo: greasy spoon.

download: AK-MOMO- Greasy Spoon (YSI)
(relaxing swedish tune, beautiful voice + vintage electronics)
- buy it - space it -

I'm not sure why I don't already own AK-Momo's album Return to NY, especially when you can buy it used on Amazon for under $5. Double especially since I absolutely love the small selection of songs AK von Malmborg has graced my computer with. Apparently, these tunes are recommended for fans of Joanna Newsom, Bjork, Kate Bush, and Portishead.

pineforest crunch: music for feedback

DOWNLOAD: PINEFOREST CRUNCH- Barbie Girl (Aqua cover)
(Beautiful, Swedish indie-pop group covers '90s dance hit)
- website - myspace - buy -

Much like the song above, I didn't expect to like this as much as I do. Basically, this block is just of a plain t-shirt. I'm going to be printing this multiple times and playing around with different designs, including the Raven idea.

WHAT IS THIS? WHERE ARE THE REGULAR POSTS?

marit bergman: too good to not post

MARIT BERGMAN is Swedish, which is essentially all the information you would need to understand why I like her. Swedes just do it better-- Robyn? I'm From Barcelona? Niccokick? Hello Saferide? Fibes, Oh Fibes!? Firefox AK? AK-Momo? Le Sport? El Perro del Mar? I could go on, but there's already an entire blog devoted to this. Well, several of them.

You can call me pretentious for liking it, but that shit is the moneyshot. Oh, and let's not forget The Cardigans...

In any case, Ms. Bergman successfully combined "my love" of Swedes and guilty fascination with "indie" covers of current top 10 pop hits with a piano-driven cover of Justin Timberlake's "My Love". I recognize that I am late in discovering this, but I just had to put it out there for your ears. I have not officially returned to the blogiverse, but fear not child...you have not been abandoned. If I had the option to work on my thesis or engage in a thorough discourse on Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z...the choice would be obvious, but unfortunately the Wesleyan art department doesn't consider blogging to be an artform. Sigh...Someday they will understand.

DOWNLOAD: MARIT BERGMAN- My Love

BLOGWATCH: Related to this, PopTart has the DFA remix of "My Love"...though I can't understand what they have to say about it.

emo lane: aspirins and alcohol.

Inspired by my trip down memory lane caused by Andy Greenwald's book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo, this begins a new series of posts embracing the days when I would wear a Taking Back Sunday t-shirt without embarassment or shame. The days when I would blast songs that included repeated choruses of "Spoon Out My Heart". The days when I was "emo".

These are the songs that I hate to still love...which I suppose is sort of emo for me to say.

My first post of this series starts off with "Aspirins and Alcohol" by Stockholm rockers Last Days of April. After discovering this song on the Emo is Awesome, Emo is Evil compilation that I shamelessly bought from Hot Topic (tell no one) in 2003, it became an anthem of mine for whenever I felt moody. This was awfully strange because I was much too smart to involve myself in such self-destructive behaviors as downing aspirins and alcohol to deal with my problems. I suppose what made the song so appealing was the sense of longing as frontman Karl Larsson utters "What I'd give to...be the one. Have my name linger...on your tongue". This is paired with apathy as he repeatedly states, "That's nice" as if he doesn't actually care that the antagonist is going to break another man's heart. Add a few violins to that, and I'm sold.

Emo Qualifications: Touring with The Promise Ring, being on a compilation with the word "emo" in the title, self-deprecation, and other factors

DOWNLOAD: LAST DAYS OF APRIL- Aspirins and Alcohol

Check out more songs at their website, or BUY Angel Youth

BLOGWATCH: Download an entire live show by Fiona Apple over at Looking At Them. Catch The Boy Least Likely To's doing George Michael (his music, not HIM) over at I Guess I'm Floating or You Ain't No Picasso.