series two records

Cleemann: Ambitious (Spejderrobot Remix) [mp3 review]

Ron Trembath
August 24, 2010August 26, 2010

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. Read More »Cleemann: Ambitious (Spejderrobot Remix) [mp3 review]

Cleemann: 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring [Album Review]

Ron Trembath
February 16, 2010February 13, 2010

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 canâ€™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. Read More »Cleemann: 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring [Album Review]

And Oh, So Slowly He Turned: By Some Godforsaken Lake Up North [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 9, 2010February 8, 2010

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. Read More »And Oh, So Slowly He Turned: By Some Godforsaken Lake Up North [Album Review]

Christopher Ã–strÃ¶m: Audio Loading, Please Wait… [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 7, 2009December 6, 2009

Christopher Ã–strÃ¶m is yet another great underground Swedish artist to find his way into the Series II Records family. Ã–strÃ¶m’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. Read More »Christopher Ã–strÃ¶m: Audio Loading, Please Wait… [Album Review]

Cajita: The Ellipsis [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
November 23, 2009November 22, 2009

cajita

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. Read More »Cajita: The Ellipsis [Album Review]

The Argyle Wishlist: My Thoughts Exactly [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
September 29, 2009October 19, 2009

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. Read More »The Argyle Wishlist: My Thoughts Exactly [Album Review]

Death Valley Sleepers: Small Town Bells [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 19, 2009July 18, 2009

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. Read More »Death Valley Sleepers: Small Town Bells [Track Review]

Allt Ã„r Musik: SkapelseberÃ¤ttelsen [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 22, 2009June 20, 2009

Allt Ã„r Musik is somewhat of a rarity in that Andreas SjÃ¶gren, the primary force behind Allt Ã„r Musik, sings in his native tongue. The typical Swedish artist tends to sing in English. On SkapelseberÃ¤ttelsen, Allt Ã„r Musik creates lo-fi pop tunes that blend acoustic guitars with drone-ridden synths, the combination of which is quite peaceful. Read More »Allt Ã„r Musik: SkapelseberÃ¤ttelsen [Album Review]

Pigeon Lane How Sweet How Kind Album Cover

Pigeon Lane: How Sweet, How Kind… [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
April 23, 2009May 13, 2023

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.

Andy Fenstermaker
April 9, 2009May 4, 2023

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.