Gonna write a classic

The last time I heard The Catcher in the Rye it was as a rough demo by Labrador's Irene. Now, a year later, it's resurfaced as a fully-fledged pop gem - and it's no longer by Irene; or at least not all of them. The band's singer-songwriter Tobias Isaksson has a new solo project, a new record label in Hybris and Catcher in the Rye is no longer an Irene song. Behold Azure Blue and the magnificent The Catcher in the Rye!



The Catcher in the Rye is the debut single from the album Rule of Thirds, which will be released in September.

Mildly Interesting Pop Fact: Tobias cites Grant McLennan as one of his major influences. Just thought I'd mention that. Nothing to see here, move along.

Alright on the Nights

Cor, this is a bit good!

Elias & the Wizzkids - Oh These Nights by HYBRIS

Oh These Nights is the second single from Elias & the Wizzkids' new album Just Do It, which is out now on Hybris and available from Bengans Record Store (CD) or Amazon (download).

The Mr Right Stuff

Elias of Elias and the Wizzkids fame is feeling rather pleased with himself; and why wouldn't he be, frankly, with a new single as utterly, joyously infectious as this up his sleeve (and a cracking video to boot)!



Elias & The Wizzkids - Mr Right Guy mp3

Buy EATW music

Simply Thrilled Like Honey

An old favourite from Malmo twee/shoegaze types Like Honey today, to celebrate the rather good news that the band are finally releasing their debut album, Leaves, in September. It would have been with us already but the pesky record company felt it would make more commercial sense to wait until the autumn, as the band explained in their MySpace blog recently:

We just had a chat with the executives of HYBRIS and we have agreed on releasing the album in early September instead of now. According to the marketing staff there its more strategic to release it after the summer. So we listen to the expertise, we want our little baby to get all the attention possible.

Ah well, as long as the album lives up to the likes of today's featured track, Airport, it'll be well worth the wait!




Like Honey - Airport mp3 (right click)

There's loads more Like Honey info, as you might expect, on their MySpace page.

All of my sorrows were gone

Elias and the Wizzkids are the latest signings to Sweden's rather wonderful Hybris label, home of such luminaries as The Sweptaways, Andreas Mattsson, El Perro Del Mar and TIAC. The Wizzkids' new single, The Dance, is an absolute belter of a tune (I defy anyone to listen to it without tapping their feet throughout!), with the lyrics finding our man chronicling his feelings of unspecified restlessness one day. Just what is it that's missing from his life? Could it be coffee, could it be tea? Chocolate? Or is he just feeling lonely and in need of a friend? Well, no. After trying all of the above with no success, he suddenly experiences an epiphany and all is revealed: dancing is the cure for his woes! (which I suppose makes him a sort of modern-day equivalent of the Dancing Priest in that episode of Father Ted.)

Anyway, those nice people at Hybris are very generously giving The Dance away as a free mp3, so I'm including it here for your listening pleasure, along with two other songs - I Wish and Regret - that Elias & the Wizzkids have made available for download on their own website. Mighty fine they are too.

Elias and the Wizzkids - The Dance (radio edit) mp3

Elias and the Wizzkids - I Wish mp3

Elias and the Wizzkids - Regret mp3

Elias and the Wizzkids on My Space

It's so hard to fill the days without you

The Sweptaways are a 30-strong all-female acapella choir from Sweden; or "30 ladies who sing covers", as they rather succinctly put it. I know what you're thinking: the female Flying Pickets. But would that be such a bad thing, really? Well, possibly. But despite their acapella leanings and their reliance on cover versions, the Sweptaways' sound is a completely original - and refreshing - one. Their album Ooh Aah is easily my favourite release of 2007 so far; no matter how often I play it, I never get tired of any of the songs. (always a good sign, that.)

Tracks on Ooh Ahh include interpretations of classics from the likes of Kate Bush, Black Sabbath, Lesley Gore, Pet Shop Boys and Kiss, together with versions of more recent hits from Swedish artists such as El Perro Del Mar, Vapnet and the two covers I've included as MP3s here, The Embassy's It Never Entered My Mind and Jenny Wilson's Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward. For me, The Sweptaways' versions of these tracks comfortably surpass the originals, and give both songs a new lease of life.

As well as Ooh Ahh, the ladies also released a yuletide single in 2006 entitled Cry Cry Christmas, featuring guest vocals by Weeping Willows' ace crooner Magnus Carlson. This single is also highly recommended and well worth putting on your list of Christmas songs for 2007! Both releases are available to buy as downloads from the Klicktrack music store, or directly from the Hybris webshop.

The Sweptaways - Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward mp3

The Sweptaways - It Never Entered My Mind mp3

The Sweptaways' My Space page