According to the accordionist

My friend Kristoffer Hedberg recently released his second album "Ett helt vanligt ögonblick" consisting of Swedish-spoken acousticdriven pop and troubadourism. The album features guest appearances by big names in the Swedish pop genre such as Peter LeMarc and Lasse Lindh. I was happy to get invited to contribute with something and I chosed the accordion which I play on the song "I haven't felt the heat". Kristoffer is currently promoting his album but also reveals that he has a followup-album in mind already that he hope to get out before the end of 2009.


So Kristoffer, how would you describe me as an accordion-player?

I would describe you as an exquisite accordion player. With a huge amount of fragile feelings in his style of playing. You gave the tune "I haven't felt the heat (älskar, äskar inte)" a french touch. If you imagine yourself at an amusement park i France during the 1920s, if you do that you know which feeling I mean.




Cheers mate, it was a pleasure. What's your thoughts about the new album of yours? Can you tell me a little about the topic and musicians?

I'm very pleased that I've finally got the album out. After almost two years of hard work. There's been a few bumps on the road such as a hard drive failure etc. I think that musically I've taken a further step since the debut in 2006. The arrangements are bigger and better. It's called "ett helt vanligt ögonblick" ("a regular moment", maybe that's a bad translation), my attempt was to catch all these moments that all the time passes us by and collect them and put them in to a prison called "ett helt vanligt ögonblick". I don't know if these moments enjoy to be locked into this CD but that's another question. When you read this text a moment has passed, when you listen to the CD a moment has passed, when you write songs you try to catch the moment, simple as that.
.

The Wolf is in

A couple of weeks ago, I got in touch with the Gothenburg musician Anna Von Hausswolf who is doing very sincere and minimalistic piano based music. I also notice one of my favs Joan as a Policewoman writing a very raving comment on Anna's myspace-profile so I had to have a chat with her. Also, of course hear her music such as the lovely song "singing from the grave" there. Apparently more songs are on their way too, why a revisit soon is strongly recommended.

* Anna, thanks for the cd you sent me. I think it's really nice. How long have you been doing this kind of music and how would describe it?

-I think I've been doing this kind of music since I was a child, but it ain't until now that I find myself comfortable with it. I would describe my music as a very dramatic expression which is changing depending on my mood. It is warm and cold, intense and soft. I like to express myself in many ways, so I think variation is a key.

* I heard you've made a show in Frankfurt recently, and now you made a concert in Gothenburg's house of Bamboo - Kontiki. How was it?

-The concert in Frankfurt took place at Städelschule, the academy of art, and it was arranged by my sister( who is a student there). It was a big hall with a lot of candles, and I didn't need a microphone because the acoustic was fantastic(the audience as well)!!But my most important gig was the one here in Gothenburg at the small tiny house of bamboo-Kontiki. That was my first solo concert where I could perform to my closest friends. They really make me want to play more.

* What's your favorite album of 2008?

-My favourite album of the year 2008 must be Fleet Foxes “Fleet foxes”. Their music is magic, and I just love them!

* And which are your nearest plans for the future musically?

-I want to continue to experiment with my sound and my voice. I want to write more music, work with good musicians, and make a lot of concerts.

Top of the pop

My list for 2008 best cds, concerts, movie. Still be a matter to change during the last month. But here's my go for now.

BEST ALBUMS



1. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Fantastic debut of this Brisol duo. Produced by a member from one of my favorite bands Mogwai. A perfect blend between raging noise, tribal shouts and some more easy accecible elements. Released early this year, and my absolute favorite.




2. Parken - Länge leve parken
I opened for Parken and my fav Swedish band Loney, Dear at a lovely day in Stockholm this summer and in cheer joy for discovering a great Swedish act who also sings in Swedish just takes me put Parkens debut album as number two on my list. Pelle, whom I interviewed here puts himself in the same garden as Håkan Hellström but with a slightly more hard chewed approach, with electronic backgrounds and saxophone. That, plus my favorite pop song of the year "Jag har varit vilsen lisa" and the cool sidekick Henric von Euler makes this a must-have.




3. James Yorkston - When the Haar rolls in
Irishmen James Yorkston's fourth album is as lovely as last year's Year of the leopard and 2003's debut "moving the gospel". His songs always go right into me and is actually very catchy and witty in all it's somberness. The cover art is also very great, for a ship fetischist such as me that alone is a reason to buy the album instead of nicking it from Pirate Bay. I've been humming a couple of weeks now on "Summer's not the same without you, I know it's a bitter old cliche...". James' albums always reach very high on my year-lists but I keep forgetting him when thinking about my favorite artists, got to be a change on that.



4. Bon Iver - For Emma, forever ago.
An aptly titled album and a very welldeserved hyped band. Acoustic and both quite experimental and psychedelic in all it's minimalism.



5. Cat Power - Jukebox
Cat Power's only getting better and better. This album is not as good as 2006's absolutely gorgeous The Greatest, but comes in awefully close. I went see a brilliant (if maybe a little too long) show at Berns Salonger in Stockholm in July. A very revealing and warm soul moment.




6. Mogwai - Hawk is howling
Probably my favorite band and the best show of the year. However, despite a really good album, it makes you more want to put on Young Teem, Come on Die Young or for that sake, their last album Mr. Beast. However, Mr Beast, the soundtrack to that Zidane movie and The Hawk is howling is a great come-back from their weak period (after Come on Die Young and some years ahead).



7. Lil Wayne - Da Carter III (deluxe edition)
Together with NAS my favorite hiphopalbum of this year. Very well achieved of him and the bonus disc with the deluxe edition features some of the best songs of this album.



8. Justus Köhncke - Safe and Sound
Slick and warm disco from Germany. Buy it and you will love it. The guitars from feuerland send chills down the spine. Perfect travelling music.




9. Fleet Foxes
You know all about them; akron/family meets My Morning Jacket in a delicate way. Actually this is a better My Morning Jacket album than the original's Evil Urges album. Brilliant.



10. St Thomas (box 4CD+1DVD+1BOOK)
This far down on the list, simply because it's in many matters a re-issue. The box set of the very missed St Thomas is a fantastic way to discover the norwegian cowboy who sadly passed away one year ago, aged 31. This box set captures his whole career, one cd with his best songs, one cd with outtakes and rarities, two cds with other artists doing cover versions of his songs (including Lambchop, Ai Phoenix and Grasshopper of Mercury Rev), one book and one dvd. The DVD is brilliant by the way with a lot of documentaries, live material and music videos. Stupidly cheap too and the whole gain goes to charity. A must-have.

+ Some good stuff from good friends



Björn Kleinhenz - Quietly Happy and Deep Insde
Viarosa - Send for The Sea

My friends and brothers, Björn and Richard, did really good albums with their projects this year. Richard is btw supporting Leonard Cohen in the O2 Millenium dome within days.

+ well done of Nas, The Kills, Flying Lotus, Justus Köhncke, Lindstrom and more.


BEST SHOWS:
1. Mogwai, Mejeriet, Lund Nov'08
2. Efterklang, Arvikafestivalen Jul'08
3. The Havenots, Leicester Oct'08
4. Parken/Loney, Dear, Trädgården, Stockholm Jun'08
5. The National (+Efterklang), Vega, Copenhagen Sep'08
6. Cat Power, Berns Salonger, Stockholm Jul'08
(I still at least have Damien Jurado, Parken and probably Lambchop to catch
before the year is over)

BEST MOVIE:
La graine et le mulet
I know this french movie is from 2007, but it was up on the cinemas in Sweden this year. A fantastic slow told story about food, love and dreams. It's brilliant and it would be a must-see to everyone who likes John Cassavetes Opening Night and a Woman under the influence.

Låt den rätte komma in
Best Swedish movie since... maybe forever. Vampire based love drama. Fantastic.

Water into Wine

One good thing about releasing albums (maybe the best) is if you get the chance to swap your massfabricated piece of plastic into sweet signed books of great people. Luckily I've been able to do that a couple of times recently.

Brit/Canadian Crime novelist Peter Robinson earlier wrote some good things about my music on his website and a week ago I got his newest book in the mail along with a very friendly note. Thanks! I was earlier more into the crime genre, but still after widening my book diet, Peter's books are still among my favorites. Great stuff.

I befriended Swedish author Emma Adbåge a couple of year's ago, and since I'm releasing something only once in a blue moon and Emma's keeping a furious productive pace, the balance is in her favour... or mine since I've got all of her fantastic children's book and some comic offerings, and she has only got one or two cds of mine.

Kristiansand's finest, the comic author Roy Söbstad. I got his amazing collected works-book while being on tour in Norway. We met a couple of times and I always have enjoyed. I became hugely impressed when seeing his work.

Photos from the tour

>>European Tour Autumn 2008 (UK/Netherlands/Sweden/Norway)
17 Sep - 23 Oct 2008 (more will be uploaded)



LIVE @ VORTEX JAZZ CLUB, LONDON (w Richard Neuberg on second guitar)




BACKSTAGE @ ST BONAVENTURE, BRISTOL




ON TOP OF THE WORLD. Above Edinburgh.




NAME IN LIGHT @ PUSTERVIKSBAREN, Göteborg, Sweden.




NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Guitar maintaining in the hotel room
in Leicester.




THEY'RE ALIVE! Morning after the last show. Recording with
the side project Topeka Twins to follow up 2003's mini album
I Never Heard Her Sing




ANNOUNCING the show in Kristiansand, Norway.






BACKSTAGE View & rehearsing, York (UK)




LOADING after show @ Vortex, London (UK)




THE MUSICIAN, Leicester (UK)




MISTY AFTERNOON, Den Haag (NL)




INTERIOR, De Rode Pimpernel, S' Hertogenbosch (NL)




WARMING UP @ GET BACK MUSIC, Dordrecht (NL)




LOKAAL VREEDEBREUK, Den Haag (NL)




CHARLEE PORTER, Support for the 9 shows of the
Netherlands leg of the tour In Lokaal Vredebreuk, Den Haag (NL)




BEFORE THE SESSION IN MIDVLIET (radio & local tv), Leidschendam (NL)




BOEKHORSSTRAAT FESTIVAL




CROSSING BORDER SALON, DEN HAAG




ONE CUP OF COFFEE @ Cul De Sac, Tilburg (NL)




MORE FROM THE TOPEKA TWIN SESSION. Björn Kleinhenz.




BACKSTAGE @ PUSTERVIKSBAREN, GÖTEBORG




FRIENDS Eva (middle) & Vanessa Peters (right)

Ground Control To Mayor Rob

One of my fav upcoming UK-acts is without doubt the lofi/flaming-lipesque/electronic-indiepop-act Spaceships Are Cool. Behind the name is Rob Maddison who I've came to know during the last years. We did a show together in Nottingham in 2007 and only a week ago we shared the bill again. Since last year Rob has been through some dramatical times and it was really good to see him back on the stage again.


1) Rob, I was worrying sick about you when you got into an accident earlier this year. So glad to have you on board again and I'm so proud to do a show together with you in Nottingham. What can we expect from the venue, The Golden Fleece?

this will be my first live show as spaceships are cool since the injury to my spine in february this year. the injury means that i've had to learn how to play again nowi'm in a wheelchair. the golden fleece in nottingham is a really nice intimate venue that has a good track record for putting on acoustic gigs and dj/mc nights. i've not been in since my injury, so i'm hoping that the wheelchair access is ok!


2) I absolutely love your songs with Spaceships are Cool. What's the nearest plans? Do you have much new ideas? I know you're also a frequent contributor to Yunioshi. What's going on there?

i'm currently working on a 'sampler' lp of spaceships are cool instrumental work. the lp is aimed at some of the tv advertising agencies i am in contact with. so hopefully you'll be hearing spaceships tunes on a mobile advert soon! there is an ep comin out this month, and that should be up on itunes soon too. as for YUNIOSHI, i'm now a full time band member as their drummer, i go under the name of HAKUSHI YUNIOSHI. we are doing loadsa shows in the uk at the moment and then we will be off to iceland early next year to play some gigs with icelandic electro band BLOODGROUP.


3) What's your favorite album of 2008?

i think it has to be 'seventh tree' by goldfrapp. i had this on my ipod and played it constantly during my 6 months in hospital. it's an incredible lp full of beautiful layers that really take you places.


4) You also have a connection my home parts in Wermland in Sweden. You were staying here, right? When, for how long and why? I remember I've seen a picture of you with the road sign Torsby.

I was producing an lp for a uk singer songwriter at the time and we recorded all the tracks in the uk & iceland, then i contacted a friend of mine who worked in a small studio in torsby and he suggested going out there to mix it. we spent about 2 months in total in the studio in torsby, doing loadsa edits and even re-tracking a few vocal dubs. I loved every minute of it, and we went to some good parties out there too!

5) And please let me know the story again when you were touring in Spain and had the chance to eat dinner with the "city's mayor".

My partner Helen and I used to play in a nottingham indie band that had a small deal in madrid, so we wnet out there to do a 6 day mini tour. we played one night at the civic centre in a town called adra. after the show we went to a party on some boat nearby. a few of us got talkin to this guy at the end of the table who we thought was the mayor of the town. so after about ann hour of sayin 'what a cool town you've got' etc. it turned out that this guy was just someone off the street who had just gate crashed the party and couldnt really understand any english either!

so thats how we didn't meet the mayor of adra! the really funny bit was when me & helen left the band about a month later we even got airbrushed out of the press photos!

Sweet tunes from the city

It's always such a treat when you get to know someone making music and when you finally hear some songs you really like it. Also really nice when you find someone from your home city making good stuff. Alone with a porta studio, Davin Andersson has taken the first steps with his folk/psych/pop-project A Stoic Gone Berzerk. This is a nice new friend and his music can be heard at his myspace-page



David, I was very happy to hear your songs with your solo project A Stoic Gone Berzerk. They sound amazing. What are your plans with it? Have you more material to reveal?

Thank you very much! Well, from the beginning I had no other plans but to try and record some songs for a myspace-site. It was something I really wanted to do, but at the same time it was kind of scary because when you do everything yourself, you also tend to be extra hard on yourself. But it seems like peple have liked the two songs I've recorded so far, so now I just want to keep writing new ones. I have two more songs on their way, and a couple of ideas I'm working on. Then if it turns out I have enough songs, of course it would be very nice to present them live with a few more instruments, and - of course - to record them in a studio.


A friend of mine compared you to Paul Simon. Is that a favorite of yours? What are your biggest influences?

Really? Wow, that's a comparison to be proud of I guess. But actually I've listened very little to Paul Simon. I’ll just have to check him out. I think the most important musical influences came to me when I was about 20-23 years old. Up ..til then I had only listened to hard rock and heavy metal (that’s how it is when you’re growing up with a big brother). So when I heard artists and groups like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Buffalo Springfield, The Jayhawks, Aretha Franklin, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Van Morrison I responded like you do when you hear something for the very first time. And I don’t think any music will ever have that kind of impact on me again, no matter how good it is.

You also fronts the delicate alt.country-band Leaving Fort Lumber. Could you tell more about it and other projects you're involved in

Yeah, we started playing about a year ago. It was little bit of a challenge, we had very different musical backgrounds and influences but it turned out to work very well. Our drummer is going away to India for a couple of months now, but I really hope we can pick it up from where we left it when he returns.


If you would mention a song you'd wished you had written yourself, what would that be?

Hm.... there’s a couple to choose from. But probably You’ve Got A Friend with Carole King. It’s a fantastic song from one of my favorite albums.


We spent some time together now. What's your favorite memory together with me?

Well, we’ve had some nice chats over a cup of coffee in Karlstad, don’t you think. Seems like we have a couple of things in common, both musically and otherwise. And of course it was great to see you play at Glada Ankan a couple of weeks ago.


Yeah, it's also where I had my moment from you. When I wrote "David from Leaving Fort Lumber" on the guest list and you didn't understand that was you.