Kjempeflott, as my Norwegian colleagues say.

Tunes:

1. Intro – Ralph Myerz
2. Juliuss – Bermuda Triangle
3. Innerthieves – Shadow of the beat
4. Dead eyes – Pixxel Tyger
5. Cthulhu’s night out – Ugress
6. Kalaallit nunaat daquiri – Shadow of the beat
7. Heatwave (summersong) feat. Caro – Ralph Myerz
8. It was a great year (movies with robots) – Ugress
9. The dancer – Ralph Myerz
10. Hatten Passer – Bjorn Torske
11. In transit – Bermuda Triangle
12. Kapteinens skjegg – Bjorn Torske
13. Kommisär kontemporär – Ugress
14. Kyoto 02 AM – Shadow of the beat
15. Evil jeans – Ugress
16. My darling feat. Christine Sandtorv – Ralph Myerz
17. Manhattan sapphire – Ugress
18. Fembussen hjem – Bjorn Torske
19. Follow up – Spokelsekladden
20. Amz 1974 – Ugress

1. Eternity Now (2006) – The Bear Quartet
2. Vespertine (2001) – Björk
3. Dimanche a Bamako (2005) – Amadou & Mariam
4. Silent Shout (2006) – The Knife
5. Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) – Animal Collective
6. Ny Våg (2002) – The Bear Quartet
7. Funeral (2004) – Arcade Fire
8. Fleet Foxes (2008) – Fleet Foxes
9. Saturday Night (2005) – The Bear Quartet
10. Passing Stranger (2006) – Scott Matthews

My New Year’s resolution, by the way, is to be less obsessive about the Bear Quartet. It’s going to be tricky…

This is exactly what Victoria did – she went to Pakistan, found a group of sufi musicians and recorded not just ‘My girls’ (‘My boys’ in their version) but a whole album of cool stuff.

Northern Lights number 18 is on the whole a very low-key affair – something for those long autumn nights perhaps…

I had to include Pugh Rogefeldt’s ‘Love love love’, having learnt that DJ Shadow sampled it on his Endtroducing album. And the Andreas Tilliander version of ‘Millions’ is, allegedly, the first ever Bear Quartet remix.

Enough said. Full track listing:

Millions (Andreas Tilliander version) – The Bear Quartet
Naimamelodin – Hans Appelqvist
My boys – Taken by trees
Dance with somebody (the internet hood RMX feat. GZA, Cadence Weapon) – Mando Diao
Boat Behind – Kings of Convenience
Anchor made of gold – Sara Wilson
Don Quite – Blood Music
Love love love – Pugh Rogefeldt
Dance on my skin – Mi and L’au
Build the wall up – Lake Heartbeat
Day by day – Taken by trees
Se hur det dagas – Hans Appelqvist
The swim – Liminals
My girls – Animal Collective
Fok – Olafur Arnalds

Not sure why these two bands merged in my mind – musically they don’t have a great deal in common, apart from being filed in the ‘indie’ or ‘alternative rock’ section. I suppose what they do have in common is that they’re both relentlessly uncompromising. And ridiculously productive. And, above all, they are both brilliant and deserve a few more listeners.

Tracks:

Free range – The Fall
Class trip – The Bear Quartet
Why are people grudgeful – Fall
Euthanasia – BQ
Ed’s babe – Fall
Puppy hours – BQ
R.O.D. – Fall
What I hate – BQ
Arid Al’s dream – Fall
Tibet – BQ
O brother! (B-side) – Fall
Super confidence – BQ
Slang king (B-side) – Fall
On the map – BQ
A past gone mad – Fall
The lost kid office – BQ
Taurig – Fall
Fairies – BQ
Lost in music – Fall
I know my owner – BQ
Bonkers in Phoenix – Fall
Load it – BQ

So here’s a bunch of bands I’ve been meaning to upload here but didn’t find to download or buy, like Finnish Regina and Danish Moi Caprice. And loads of Miike Snow.

PLUS a brand new song from the Bear Quartet. Life is so exciting.

Tracks:

Animal – Miike Snow
En tiennyt että osaan tanssia – Regina
Love at last sight – Moi Caprice
Song for noone – Miike Snow
Burial – Miike Snow
Tappaa minut aamulla – Regina
A city winter – Moi Caprice
Olistiko sittenkin halunnut palata – Regina
Millions – The Bear Quartet
Triangle walks (Rex the Dog radio edit) – Fever Ray
Animal (Punks Jump Up remix) – Miike Snow
The crowning – A Camp

Other than that there is The Dø and a track from Karin Dreijer’s solo project Fever Ray. For example. Oh and if you want to hear more of Viola, just go to their website http://www.violamusicclub.com/ as they’ve decided to give away everything they’ve ever done for free.

Tracks:

Leif Holmstrand – Cato
On my shoulder – The Dø
Intiaanidisko – TV-Resistori
Musta ruusu – Eleanoora Roosenholm
Knocked up (Lykke Li Vs Rodeo Remix) – Kings Of Leon
Suudelmitar – Ville Leinonen
Kodinrakennusohjeet – Eleanoora Rosenholm
Serkut rakastaa paremmin – TV-Resistori
Dog – El Perro del Mar
Lovelights – Viola
Pupu tupuna – Risto
Triangle walks – Fever Ray
At last – The Dø
Ada Bell (In A Montage) – Viola

Tracks:

1. I shot a man
2. The art is hard
3. Beast

Here’s a random collection of stuff, including some interesting Icelandic tunes by FM Belfast, Seabear and a brand new single from Emiliana Torrini. Plus that irresistible Mummers-track March of the dawn – not that they are from anywhere near Iceland, but the song most definitely has a strong affinity with Bjork so I thought it would fit in.

Tracks:

1. Per the walking russin – Petit Soleil
2. Guns – Ikons
3. Ice – eRika
4. Hot lips – Pacific
5. Synthia – FM Belfast
6. Busy doing nothing (an Optimo Espacio mix) – Love is all
7. Huvudet I sanden – Familjen
8. Remember Jemez Red – Tremolo Beer Gut
9. Hey little cloud – Petit Soleil
10. Hitten – Those Dancing Days
11. Big jumps – Emiliana Torrini
12. Music killed me (Adventure Kid remake) – I’m from Barcelona
13. Lips of the soldier – The Figurines
14. March of the dawn – The Mummers
15. Singing Arc – Seabear

Talking of Karin Dreijer, First Aid Kit is the third exciting addition to the Knife’s record company Rabid records. But if you expect something that sounds like the Knife you’re in for a big surprise: ).

Here’s also two tracks from Tape’s new album Luminarium. Their last album was pretty good, if a little shapeless. Luminarium on the other hand is almost-perfect atmospheric semi-acoustic electronica. It’s pretty exciting. If you like it you can currently download four Tape-creations from Myspace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=53551718).

Track listing:

1. Le Jaquet (Tremolo Beer Gut version) – First Floor Power
2. I’m Good I’m Gone – Lykke Li
3. To Do List (Akamu remix) – First Floor Power
4. Silver Ponds (Ben Watt remix) – Figurines
5. Cross Oceans – First Aid Kit
6. Broken Face – Ghost Voo
7. Beams – Tape
8. The Jacket (Peter Visti remix) – First Floor Power
9. Levy-yhtio – Risto
10. Treehouses – Drowsy
11. Reperto – Tape
12. To the Sea feat. Stina Nordenstam – Yello
13. Jagadamba, you might – First Aid Kit
14. Talk Talk Talk Talk – Love is All
15. Egyptian Reggae – Dag Vag

Ps One of the members of Dag Vag is Lykke Li’s dad. Egyptian Reggae is from 1979, however the band are still going and will be touring Sweden over the summer.

So we’ll take a break from the usual Nordic stuff and go to visit our great eastern neighbour. These are the tracks:

Cracked brother (summer is here) – DJ Krolik
She nearly – kk25
Senorita Tristeza – SCSI-9
Flight mode – SCSI-9
Snowboy – Punk TV
Depeche Mode mix – DJ Sebastyan Perejro
Track 03 from ‘Single day on the road away’ album - Kubikov
Tears – Vfsix
Éclair de lune – SCSI9
Sweetheart Baby – Pompeya
Snowboy (B-side) – Punk TV
Я Ненавижу Эстрадное Говно! – Vlazhnie Vatrushky

(By the way, Vlazhnie Vatrushky are, according to last.fm, “famous for their extra-ordinary and deviant behaviour and shocking ampluaâ”, and have been tagged as “idiotic dance metal” and “shitcore” – if that means that their lyrics are in any way offensive I apologise : )

More recommended Russians on the net:

View some of Alexander Rodchenko’s photographs here: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/R/rodchenko/rodchenko.html (If you’re in London, the Rodchenko exhibition at the Southbank Centre is on until 27th April 2008)

Read Vladimir Mayakovsky’s poem ‘A cloud in trousers part I’ in English translation here: http://vmlinux.org/ilse/lit/mayako.htm

And by all means check out what to wear, if you’re planning a trip to St Petersburg: http://www.freakadelik.com/