Archive for April, 2009

Posted on April 29, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Yuppie Flu

Yuppie Flu it’s nowadays one of the most important English Language Oriented Italian Indie Bands still playing around. Having reache te apex of their success with the impressive work “Toast Master”, being reviewed even by BBC6, the band is still kicking some shows around Italy to promote their last work “Fragile Forest”. (more…)

Posted on April 28, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Nothing can compare to Les Fauves

Les Fauves are one of the most popoular Italian indie band. The guys from Sassuolo were able to emerge from the quite undefined scene of spaghetti rocksters some years ago bringing on swat, adrenaline and irriverence finding somway themself being the Italian response to Franz Ferdinand dance punk wave. After a surprising EP the band began to record the first part of a triology called “NALT”. (more…)

Posted on April 27, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Hi-Life Companion

When I get to think to the pure essence of indie music, few names are ready to jump on my mind. One of them is “Hi-Life Companion”, from Bristol, challenging themself with songwriting and goodtimes. “Time Tables” getting to be one of the most beloved indie-hits, here we are sharing some chats with Sir Jonathan Troy. (more…)

Posted on April 26, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

LOST.FM & The Indie Album Top 10

“They say you better listen to the voice of reason / But they don’t give you any choice ’cause they think that it’s treason”

In Europe -  at least in Italy – we’ve got a strange idea of radio broadcasting. Still controlled and tightened up by play-list, there is still a small voice for freedom and strange discovery, expecialy in late night broadcastings and weekly shows. John Peel Sessions maybe the best universally acclaimed example. Time changes, and technologies too. One of my favourite ways to browse through music in a clever way and without commercials is via computer, thanks to Last.FM (more…)

Posted on April 23, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Sound of Natureboy

One time a friend of mine came to visti from Japan. Her name was Yukari. It happened that we were at Milan, at Wildheart’s quarters. He started to play piano. Wildheart has always this kind of attitude. He starts with a poppy catchy melody, then everything vanish in some complicated and fluid jazz. After he finished playing Yukari said: “Your music is like water”. (more…)

Posted on April 22, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Happy with China

I don’t know what’s up with Australia. The fact iiiiis, that that crazy country keeps on baking for us such mavellous and cleaver and cute indie bands. Wanna a proof? Go and check “The Good China”, Melbourne. The band is so crowded and full of good and various musicians, that was really easy to compare their songs to early Arkitecture in Helsinki. Are they suitable with this paragon? Let’s ask to the band.

(more…)

Posted on April 21, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

News and Decadence

Next month the Swedish artist Parker Lewis will please his Italian fan with a new mini-tour. The artist will share his performances with anothe band from Stockholm. They are called “New Decade”. The obsucure metallic sound of Emil, Henning, Matilda and Ludvig will gave a good balance to Parker’s performances. (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

The Morrisons

Music by The Morrisons it’s quite Americana rewritten in a pure Albion syle. Genuine, intense, with a little bit of folk blending the whole stuff. The band his going to return with the album “Listen to The Morrisons” by “Eggnog Records“ after two works under “Golden Pathway“ and the nice mini-cd “Looking for Jeanie” (Cloudberry Records #30. Main regret from my interview with Phil? They were member of the ORIGINAL C86 movement… and I didn’t knew it! (more…)

Posted on April 19, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Breakfast with Medalist

“The Medalist” is more than just “Yet Another Cloudberry Band From Gothenburg”. Songs like “No one knows”, with its catchy guitar strolls and sweet vintage sinths are sugar for our ears! “From Time to Time” could be easily taken for an “Oh no! Ho my!“ track, whil others (such as “Foreign Language”) goes jingle-jangling in the purest new swedish indie pop tradition. (more…)

Posted on April 16, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

The happiest day

Matador José is an artist from Helsinki. He was selected for Cloudberry 33th Mini-CD, and since then is providing good electro-tunes with a retro and easy recognisable taste own of Roque’s productions. Vintage Keybords, electro bossa beats, guitar arpeggio, half tuned confidential indie voice, Axel Ekström – the man behind the project – got what it takes to enjoy a day off. Here’s our little chat.

Mark Zonda: Axel Ekström, why Madador Josè? Tell us about your musical project and when you did wrote your first song.

Alex: Why Matador José? It was in September 2005, when I had decided to try to record one song at home. I didn’t really have any ambitions, it was more about figuring out how to use Cool Edit (a software for recording and mixing music that I was using back then). Although It was all really amateurish and lo-fi, there was still something about the song that I liked, so I decided to create a myspace band profile. But Then I would need a name. There is a Lee Hazlewood Song called José. It’s about a matador from a small village in Mexico. I have no understanding whatsoever for bullfighting, in my opinion it’s an unacceptably cruel form of entertanment. But apart from the fact that the song is about a matador, it’s quite a nice story. Very Hazlewoodish! May he rest in peace. So, that’s the story about the name. The song received quite good feedback on myspace, so I got motivated to make more music. Since then I have composing and recording my songs at home, at a very slow pace though. Three of them was released as a 3″ single by Cloudberry Records. I haven’t really written any new material for one year, but I wouldn’t say Matador José is over. There has been talk about gathering some people for a live-group, and when that takes place, I’m sure things will start happening again. But really, I don’t see any hurry.

Mark Zonda: Matador is also the name of a famous indie label. Cat Power and Pizzicato 5 recorded for it. How did you came to Cloudberry Records?

Alex: Well, the story is quite simple; Roque from Plastinina Records contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in releasing a 3″ cd on a label which he was about to start. And off course I was interested!! I’m totally amazed how much that guy is getting done with cloudberry records, and how he manages to find all the bands. I mean, most of them are actually good!!

Mark Zonda: Who are your number one heroes? Are you inspired by other artists from the electronic scene or synths-oriented-music are only a media to give shape to your melodies? Is there any artist outthere you would like to cover one  of your songs?

Alex: One great influence of mine is the songwriting of Bobby Wratten, The Field Mice, Northern Picture Library and Trembling blue Stars are all simply fantastic. And the many great bands released by Sarah Records. These are the more obvious influences of Matador José. Then of course there are many others that can be seen as indirect influences. I’m not really sure if I would feel comfortable about having another band doing a cover of one of my songs. I don’t really know, it’s hard to explain. It would feel strange somehow.

Mark Zonda: “I Sure Will Miss You” is an istant classic for sure and I can feel many influences on it. New Order, Depeche Mode or none of the previous?

Alex: If those are the alternatives, then I would say New Order. And if I could mention  another one, that would perhaps be Pet Shop Boys. I’ve never really listened that much to Depeche Mode.

Mark Zonda: Vesa Lautamäkis. What exactly is?

Alex: Vesa Lautamäki is a Finnish guy whi is doing a really great job with keeping us up to date with what’s going on in the Finnish indie scene. He runs a website called One Chord to Another (http://onechord.net), and it’s totally worth checking out.

The update are perhaps not as frequent today as they were a couple of years ago, which is understandable.

I can imagine the amount of time and work he’s put in to that website, we’re talking a full time without getting paid. He’s got great taste and he’s contribution to the Finnish indie scene shouldn’t go unnoticed, although he seems like a very humble person.

Mark Zonda: Which are your favourite Finnish Bands?

Alex: Well, the greatest of them all is undoubtedly Cats on Fire. Very promising new acts are Burning Hearts and Joensuu 1685, worth checking out. And at this point i take the opportunity to mention my two other bands, Le Futur Pompiste, and the slightly rockier The Nancy Wha. But Finland still has a quite underdeveloped music scene, unless you’re into metal. This is, for example, well shown by the fact that a band such as Cats on Fire are doing relly well in Sweden, Germany, Britain, USA etc, but in Finland nobody seems to get their eyes open for them. (more…)