From Suburban Kids with Biblical Names member Johan Hedberg comes a fun new Christmas song “Some Kind of Christmas”. True to SKWBN heritage, the song is a bit quirky in Hedberg’s vocal display as well as thematically and lyrically. The song, per Labrador Records, is about spending the Christmas alone, chasing open bars and someone to count the snowflakes with. Read More »Johan Hedberg: Some Kind of Christmas
My copy of The Mary Onettes‘ limited (to 1000) pressing of Love Forever arrived today and I’ve been giving it a spin with my vintage mid-century modern record cabinet. Some records just seem to be naturals on a vintage player such as this, and The Mary Onettes is a prime example. Produced by Dan Lissvik, Love Forever boasts a departure from the band’s penchant for the 80s. Read More »The Mary Onettes: Love Forever EP
For me, Sweden has always been a favorite purveyor of great pop music. And there is no better provider of such things than Labrador Records. Their latest is a new double A-side single by orchestral pop outfit Sambassadeur, a lovely little band we’ve been fans of since their self-titled release in 2005. Read More »Sambassadeur: Memories
OK, this is exciting news. After the reissue of another favorite artist a few years back (Carissa’s Wierd), whose catalog was long out of print, another favorite gets reissue treatment: Acid House Kings.
Read More »Acid House Kings Returns with Reissues Acid House Kings are a favorite in the indie pop world. Their songs are some of the most upbeat, perfect pop you can find anywhere. To continue their excellence in everything pop, the band has teamed up with Television Personalities’ front-man Dan Treacy who lends vocals on Music Sound Better With You track “Heaven Knows I Miss Him Now”. Texas Bob of TV Personalities also lends his expertise on guitar.
Read More »Acid House Kings: Heaven Knows I Miss Him Now (Feat. Dan Treacy) 
Amanda Mair is back with another single on Labrador Records. The song follows her debut on the label, “House”, as a danceable track packed with pop hooks. The new track is “Doubt” and it finds Mair continuing her surprising ability to craft a magical pop track filled with a maturity well beyond her young (16) age. Read More »Amanda Mair: Doubt MP3
Listening to Pallers‘ new track “Come Rain, Come Sunshine”, I heard something familiar: the voice of Johan AngergÃ¥rd. To be perfectly honest, I had forgotten about his involvement in the band’s early single, Humdrum. What I do recall from that early single is light electronic dance music with trance-like beats and pop-like hooks. “Come Rain, Come Sunshine” fits that memory perfectly. Read More »Pallers: Come Rain, Come Sunshine (MP3)
“Under Water” is one of my favorite tracks off Acid House Kings‘ new LP, Music Sounds Better With You, out now on Labrador Records. So it’s exciting to hear the band and label are giving it single status (just released via Labrador on June 28) and a new video!
Read More »Acid House Kings: Under Water (Video) 
Amanda Mair is the latest discovery by Swedish label Labrador Records. If you’re like us, you dig pretty much anything that comes from Labrador, and this should be no exception. “House” is part folk-pop, part Euro-dance track. Mair hails from an island outside Stockholm. And get this — she’s only 16! Read More »Amanda Mair: House [mp3]
I have absolutely no clue what Det Vackra Livet means, but I do know that they create some pretty amazing and dark pop music influenced by the early 80s. This is the new project from the folks behind The Mary Onettes, and it’s pretty obvious. The sounds are vastly similar, with exception to the lyrics. Det Vackra Livet comes to us in the band’s native tongue whereas The Mary Onettes dole out their songs in English. Either way, it’s really, really good. Read More »Det Vackra Livet: Viljan [Video]
