When Cleemann, a Danish folk experimentalist of immense and uncontested talent, released last year’s 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring, everyone who heard it instantly fell in love with the highlight cut “Ambitious”. It was a track that everyone could relate to, feel for, and become entranced in its mesmerizing and simple complicity. And over a year later, it is still receiving daily praise. And one of the highest of praises had to be when Danish artist Spejerrobot (a clever combination of “Boy Scout” and “Robot”), a.k.a. Mikael Elkjaer, got his hands on it. This self taught audio mangler puts a new electronic spin on Cleemann’s already eccentric track.

Spejderrobot’s remix can be found on the Official Nebraska Pop Festival Mixtape, which can be yours absolutely for the great price of…free! The mixtape also features the likes of Electric Needle Room, Mammoth Life, and many more. For more information, check out their Myspace Page. And if you happen to find yourself in Omaha, Nebraska on September 15th, you should join Cleemann and pals for the kick off of this 5 day festival loaded with artists from all over the region, country, and world.

Yes, the hometown of Saddle Creek Records will most definitely show you that there is more to their portion of this earth than sadness, Cursive, and Midwest desperation. There’s also a glorious celebration of Pop music for all to enjoy!

Download: “Ambitious (Spejderrobot Remix)” by Cleeman

The great land of Copenhagen has a real DIY prodigy under its city lights. Gunnar Cleemann is one of the most well rounded musicians you will ever come across. He writes, plays, directs, breathes music. His lyrics are philosophical, but simple enough to refrain from being too pretentious (suck on that Oberst!) And we can’t forget his wonderful vocals, reminiscent of early solo Clapton. 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring is so much more than the title would insist. It is a triumphant display of one man conquering all aspects of the art of musicianship.

Cleemann’s theory that these songs are mostly about caring is not too far fetched. Each song displays human emotions we inevitably know, accept, or conquer throughout our lifetime. His idea that we should “care” about doing something with these emotions is bloody obvious and beautifully depicted. This profound artist knows exactly when to shift gears in volume and vibrant energy to make his descriptions clear. “Repairman” is soft and gentle, as if he is calling down the beast to rest his anger. “Emphatic” keeps a steady high-paced tone in order to calm the ego that restrains hospitality.

45 Minutes Mostly About Caring is far too selfless to have been birthed by the Western world. Our side of the globe knows emotion, strengths, and the deafening call of the weak. But we lack the history that could form an artist like Gunnar Cleemann. This is not to say he outranks the likes of Dylan or Cobain, but he is certainly on par when it comes to dedication to their craft. This is a piece of indie art history that, sadly, few will know about right off hand. But something of this nature can’t hide forever. Soon the effects of these 45 minutes will be heard by all in some way, shape, or form.

Cleemann: Ambitious [mp3]

Cleemann: Emphatic [mp3]

Series Two Records [CD, 2009]

1. Ambitious
2. Righteous
3. Romantic
4. Repairman
5. Emphatic
6. Absent Part I
7. Absent Part II
8. Progressionist
9. Collide
10. Optimist
11. Accountant
12. Absent Part III

Kristian Svensson crafts some pretty chill pop music, encompassing a space between the drone-heavy, space-friendly reverb and the upbeat-yet-emotional electronic. His latest work as And Oh, So Slowly He Turned is By Some Godforsaken Lake Up North. Packed with lovable lo-fi pop songs (easily recognizable as Swedish) and containing light hints of experimentation, the album opens with a light guitar riff and full-bodied (but mixed down) percussion in “Demensia”. The vocals, like the percussion, are eerie and soft — they fit in the background while the instrumentation takes a more dominating presence.

The themes within And Oh, So Slowly He Turned seem to be melody and consistency. The songs have a special harmony fit for orchestral pop, while the steady percussion lays down a hypnotic array of beats, thumps and clangs. “Heartache Oh Carlisle” is a prime example. As the album continues, synths become more and more prevalent; instrumentation in “Hello Jules” is based around the keys, and they mesh perfectly with Svensson’s deep vocals. Electronic drums rule in the instrumental “Red Roses Red Wine”, while “For Just As Long As It Takes” sees the band reverting back to the spaced-out guitars.

No matter what genre Svensson combines with pop — electronic, drone, experimental, lounge — it always comes across precise and skilled. And in that, By Some Godforsaken Lake Up North is an interesting blend of pop music, worldly and lo-fi like so many of the releases on Series Two Records. It’s what many familiar with the label have come to expect; and it’s an expectation that never lets down. And Oh, So Slowly He Turned is merely the latest in a long list of bands gracing our presence thanks to a little CD-R label in Nebraska.

And Oh, So Slowly He Turned: Dreamin’ [mp3]

And Oh, So Slowly He Turned: Demensia [mp3]

Series Two Records [CD, 2009]

1. Demensia
2. Heartache Oh Carlisle
3. Motorhuv
4. I’m One Of Those Few
5. Hello Jules
6. Red Roses Red Wine
7. For Just As Long As It Takes
8. Dreamin’
9. The Poo-Ping Palace
10. Beach Junkie
11. Bombs Away

Christopher Öström is yet another great underground Swedish artist to find his way into the Series II Records family. Öström’s music leans toward the electronic side of folk pop and his romantic vocals find Audio Loading, Please Wait… joining the ranks of artists like Electric President. But Audio Loading is much more twee.

Opening track “A Different Kind Of Joy” begins softly, so its a bit surprising when the synths and electronics become dreamy while pleasant vocals carry the melody forward. Backed by this dreamy electro-pop, Audio Loading, Please Wait… continues to paint a picture of colorful landscapes and conjure images of romantic polariods taken at night.

Songs like “On Floats” and “Fireworks” and “Apocalypse Weather” are perfect to fall in love with while falling asleep near the fire while bundled up in your favorite blanket. These are winter songs, channeling the perfect pop for a snowy Sunday. You don’t want to go outside, just put on a Snuggie and play some old records while basking in the joy of being lazy.

Christopher Öström: On Floats [mp3]

Christopher Öström: Apocalypse Weather [mp3]

Series II Records [CD, 2009]

1. A Different Kind Of Joy
2. Long Gone
3. Calming, Crushing
4. Sandcastle
5. On Floats
6. Through Space And Time
7. Fireworks
8. Apocalypse Weather
9. Sometimes People Act Strangely
10. Sighs Of Fatigue
11. Strangedays
12. Wishwosh
13. End Of Something

When laptops are added to folk-pop music, the resulting melodies are (more often than not) atmospheric. Cajita begin nearly every song on The Ellipsis with those swirling, spacey sounds. Featuring a variety of instruments, from trumpet to standard guitar, Cajita appears much more a group than one man with an occasional partner. Jay Chakravorty takes on the brunt of creation and performing, including all programming, guitars, keys and vocals. The trumpet is resigned for Jim Cornick.

Each song on The Ellipsis is a distinct unit with a defined pattern, much like the post-rock genre, where songs typically begin soft and subsequently build for an epic conclusion; these songs follow a similar path. You might not be sold in the opening moments, but by the end Cajita never fails to wow. “Don’t Panic” starts soft but grows to include an immense electronic percussion. “Constant” climaxes with compounding vocals that will make you dizzy. “Walk / Don’t Walk” concludes with a breathtaking harmony a capella.

That’s exactly what you can expect from everything on this album: hard-hitting, awe-inspiring folk-pop with a hefty electronic side. And it’s good… very good.

Cajita: Don’t Panic [mp3]

Cajita: Walk / Don’t Walk [mp3]

Series II Records [CD, 2009]

1. Don’t Panic
2. Constant
3. Walk/Don’t Walk
4. Daybreak
5. The Ellipsis
6. Target
7. You Ought To Know
8. Stand-Up Comic
9. Severed
10. (…)
11. First

After debuting on Series II Records joint 3″ series club with Eggnog Records, The Argyle Wishlist return with their infectious lo-fi indie pop. My Thoughts Exactly follows the twee-pop this Milwaukee, WI band has established as their trait over the past several years.

Featuring jangly guitars and lovable vocal hooks, and hints of orchestration with a backing trumpet, The Argyle Wishlist succeed in creating the perfect album for a DIY label like Series II. Amidst songs like “(You Make) Everything Else OK” and “Place Of Birth”… hell, and let’s toss in “Don’t Change A Thing” and “When The Night Comes To And End” while we’re at it… it’s hard to find a weak point on this album. It’s also difficult to pinpoint a song greater than the others.

On one end, these songs fit perfectly alongside artists like HHBTM’s The Afternoon Naps, while on the other you could relate them to Matinee Records’ Math & Physics Club. It’s no surprise, as it’s been a long time coming, that Series II Records has entered the realm of these two epic labels.

The Argyle Wishlist: Don’t Change A Thing [mp3]

The Argyle Wishlist: (You Make) Everything Else OK [mp3]

Series II Records [CD, 2009]

1. Don’t Change A Thing
2. Soften The Blow
3. Fine Wale Corduroy
4. Pass The Test
5. (You Make) Everything Else OK
6. More Midwestern
7. Place Of Birth
8. Making Up Last Time
9. You’ve Got It Right
10. Sing Your Own Back Vocals
11. When The Night Comes To An End

Death Valley Sleepers, despite a plural name, is one man — Tobias Winberg. Winberg, who hails from Denmark, writes songs that find themselves in the realm of highly infectious indie pop. The vocals are soothing and relaxed while the guitar, with an added power, delves into the psychedelic.

My introduction to Death Valley Sleepers comes from the Eggnog Series Two EP Club. More specifically, as the first set has five 3-inch discs, the introduction came via First Club Compilation, the only EP with various artists. “Small Town Bells” closes the EP on a definite high point.

I posted about the string of EPs on Cover Art yesterday — read the Eggnog Series Two EP Club Cover Art piece.

Death Valley Sleepers: Small Town Bells [mp3]

Allt Är Musik is somewhat of a rarity in that Andreas Sjögren, the primary force behind Allt Är Musik, sings in his native tongue. The typical Swedish artist tends to sing in English. On Skapelseberättelsen, Allt Är Musik creates lo-fi pop tunes that blend acoustic guitars with drone-ridden synths, the combination of which is quite peaceful.

Songs like “Allt Är Sagt Och Gjort” and title track “Skapelseberättelsen” include heavier synth focuses, but it’s not always the case. Sjögren will toss in a track where the primary focus is stripped to acoustics, like the outstanding, simple, yet entirely catchy tune “Lyssna Noga”, where the percussion builds softly for a most impressive conclusion, and a similarly constructed “Tomrum, Tomrum”.

There are comfortable mediums, like “Skymningen”, where the consistent, bass heavy acoustic strum maintains a very soothing presence, despite a mixed-down synth. Still, both sounds are conducive to one another; going from the organ-heavy drone of “Skapelseberättelsen” into the slightly bouncy pop in “Tomrum, Tomrum” is a little strange, but there’s a consistency that allows it to work very well.

Even when it leads into the third track, a heavily distorted pop track called “Borgmästaren” in the vein of The Hartmans, the continuity remains. And that’s what makes Skapelseberättelsen a brilliant lo-fi pop album.

Allt Är Musik: Skymningen [mp3]

Allt Är Musik: Lyssna Noga [mp3]

Series Two Records [CD, 2008]

1. Skapelseberättelsen
2. Tomrum, Tomrum
3. Borgmästaren
4. Ovän Med Mig Själv
5. Måndag I Mitt Liv
6. Mörkerseende
7. I Gungning
8. Å Andra Sidan
9. Glad På Allvar
10. Skymningen
11. Allt Är Sagt Och Gjort
12. Lyssna Noga
13. Gå Solo

The first time I heard Pigeon Lane, I thought it was a new project by Pelle Carlberg. But it quickly dawned on me that it indeed was not — Pigeon Lane’s sound is filled with similar amounts of pop, but the vocals (the trait most like Carlberg) are less humorous, less professional. Compared to Carlberg, Pigeon Lane fits a lower-fi profile. This suits them well; in a way, this style is comparable to early Starlet or early Acid House Kings.

The extent of similarity Pigeon Lane possesses with Swedish pop artists, it’s a bit of a surprise the group hails from Germany. Songs like “Judy” and “Teardrops” are immediately catchy, despite their slower nature. Pigeon Lane is definitely folk-pop. It is a bit mellower than your standard indie-pop, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less good. How Sweet, How Kind… is filled with the style of folk and pop that will make you instantly fall in love.

Pigeon Lane: Judy [mp3]

Pigeon Lane: Waiting For Her [mp3]

Series Two RecordsSeries II Records [CD, 2008]

1. Judy
2. So Glad
3. All Together
4. Next To Mine
5. Teardrops
6. And So Is She
7. Flowers In My Garden
8. Blossoms
9. Taxi
10. Waiting For Her
11. Wet Holiday
12. Wall Of Blankets

In Wizard On Fire, Robert Church comes across as the twee stepbrother of The Radio Dept. “Old Friend” has that overly distorted slash mashed with reverb sound of the much loved Lesser Matters, but the fuzziness lacks the production that kept The Radio Dept. from being slapped with the lo-fi label. But that label works well here; it fits Robert Church & The Holy Community. For the most part, Wizard On Fire is decidedly more pop friendly than Le Rouge, Robert Church And The Holy Community’s last Series II release. It has more flare, more flame, more verbosity.

Wizard On Fire can be found accompanying four other records; it’s the first installment of a promising new collaboration between Series II Records, whose releases pop up occasionally here on FensePost, and Eggnog Records out of New Zealand. One is a seven song compilation and the three others are mini EPs by Double Dan (Poprace, Acid House Kings), Flannel, and The Argyle Wishlist.

No doubt you’ll here more from this quintet of 3″ CD-Rs in the near future…

Robert Church And The Holy Community: Old Friend [mp3]

Series II Records [3" CDEP, 2009]

1. Old Friend
2. Wizard On Fire
3. Larusso
4. Panda Love

Aujourd’Hui Madame split their songwriting between English and French vocals, but the instrumentation is always pop. El Americano EP is the perfect representation of what makes international indie pop music great – it’s upbeat in all the right ways, and while there’s an obvious predilection toward France, it’s not really distinct to any particular nation.

El Americano EP begins with “Faux-Semblants”, a French track that opens the album on a clear high point. In its follow up, “(Thigns To Do) Before You Leave Me”, the English vocals mashed with a slightly different European sound takes the EP in a slightly different direction. The song would fit well associated next to Swedish and English indie pop tunes.

The album closes with another major high point: “Atmosphere”. The song, while still a full-fledged pop tune, has a much heavier sound than its predecessors. The percussive beats and powerfully distorted guitars add a hefty rock element unheard in the other tracks. Still, the chord progressions and vocal hooks keep it consistent with the EP.

Despite blatantly notable changes between songs – flipping back and forth between languages, adding heavier rock elements while downplaying the pop, etc. – El Americano EP is quite cohesive as a whole. And, above all, it’s a great introduction to a wonderful new pop artist by a pretty amazing new pop label, Peru’s Susy Records. Keep an eye on Aujourd’Hui Madame!

Aujourd’Hui Madame: (Things To Do) Before You Leave Me [mp3]

Susy Records [3" CDEP, 2009]

1. Faux Semblants
2. (Things To Do) Before You Leave Me
3. Une Saison Particuliere
4. Atmosphere