• This album will sneak up on you like Robert DeNiro with a bat. It’s nine songs complete. It’s Fleetwood, Springsteen, Mellencamp, Eagles; 70’s essentials.
Not many bands make the effort of an album anymore. It’s a couple of songs and that’s it. Dawes bites the head of that bullet. Their new album is a hard working LP wrapped up and intwined. We utterly adore it.
K7 saw Dawes backing Conor Oberst last summer at Way Out West in the green city woods of Gothenburg, Sweden. On stage they first looked a bit pale, then bursted into life and rallied their own songs – a tight unit for sure. The backbone of the band are brothers – Taylor Goldsmith (guitar & vocals) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums). They don´t miss a beat.
June 2nd Dawes fourth studio album, All Your Favorite Bands, was released via Hub Records. You’ll see this one high up on every EOY-list worth mentioning come December.
Til then…let’s hope your brother’s El Camino runs forever…
Sometimes I hear a song, or some kind of songwriting, that surrounds my soul in a special way. It’s always hard to know why these minutes of music affect me this way. Maybe I don’t even wanna know.
I do know that the mighty Gothenburg duo of Castlewoods hit that nerve deep inside of me, that emotional epicenter of severe satisfaction. I’m officially moved and enjoying the ride, to say the least.
Castlewoods are Sofia Assarson and Maja Fredriksson, both freakishly talented singer/songmakers from Sweden. They make folky indie music that surges from the green treetops and down below ground. Songs light as a feather and heavy as the black rain of a revolution.
Try these songs below, a demo called Little Black Sparrow (just imagine this one fully produced…) and a cover of the Springsteen tune I’m On Fire.
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PS: I can’t help of thinking of First Aid Kit, the breathtaking Swedish duo who is (well-earned) conquering the world. Castlewood is the next big thing. Are you reading this and owning a record label? Well, sign them up.
Hero Bruce Springsteen played Perth, Australia yesterday Feb 8th. On a 3-day-stint, his first ever in the remote Westlands, The Boss opened up the show in a breathtaking manner. This is absolutely the perfect first song on any setlist down under. Or anywhere, anytime.
Perth is also where Bon Scott (RIP) was born. The legendary rock’n’roll singer got a statue in Freemantle, just outside of town. Note that it takes four E-street:ers to fill the shoes of an Angus Young guitar solo. Respect!
Min gamla hjälte Springsteen har gått tillbaka till rötterna, långt ner i jordmyllan. Han slängde in 23 folkmusiker, ett gäng fioler, några banjos, munspel och lådvis med kall Budweiser i en lada ute på den amerikanska majsfältslätten. Bra gjort.
Resultatet, hans första coverplatta, svänger som en rundpall. De gamla Pete Seeger-låtarna är starka och fotstampet letar sig in i min högerdoja. Dunkar till när jag minst anar det.
Dylan gjorde en likadan platta 1992, Good As I Been To You. Fast helt akustisk. Bossens hyllning blir lite för mycket klämmigt fiolylande, sådär att det gör ont i innersidan av örongången. Några låtar hade mått bra av att bara ha en plinkande gitarr i bakgrunden. Det enkla är ju det geniala.
Bästa låten är Erie Canal, som föredömligt går i moll. Som alla riktigt jävulskt bra låtar i världen, förövrigt.
Betyg: fem av sju K7´s.
Drick till: vadsomhelst på en träaltan i Mississippi-deltat
