All good things must come to an end. Even Way Out West 2015. But first, the smoke and ruins from a rainy Saturday night.
PATTI SMITH
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Annika Berglund
Patti Smith played her debutalbum Horses from first song Gloria til end song Elegie and took us thru the 40-year old record with power and hunger. Patti was on fire on stage! To hear this great rebel do a wild Free Money with that intensity was something else. ”Jesus died for somebody sins – but not mine” she sang and took us all to school. Patti reminded us to think of our late friends we still carry in our hearts, to think of them long and hard and by that keeping them around. For a while it felt as if we were millions of people watching. And the lovesong, Because The Night. Well thats another story.
FIRST AID KIT
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
The grand finale came with the rolling thunder of a Gothenburg rain. The sky opened up and the sisters Johanna och Klara Söderberg took over. We went togheter on a roadtrip over the Americana-land First Aid Kit have made their own. Everytime I see them I’m bewildered over the power in their voices, the easiness of something so hard. Maybe this wasn´t the greatest ever ending of Way Out West – but it was beautiful and caring. It closed with the song Emmylou and the enormous crowd sang their hearts out over the darkness of dear, old Slottsskogen.
SLOWGOLD
Photo: Magnus Säfström
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Slowgold with the super talented Amanda Werne , had a late spot at Pustervik. At 1.30 she and her band members entered the dark room. The darkness in the room blended well with the emotional songs that echoed out into a not too crowded floor. The way she plays the guitar is just so damn good, I could listen to those solo parts for the entire night. It was beautiful and gripping in every second and tune. Massive and touching, the emotional sound of a great voice got to me. To all of us. I want more of Slowgold. Gold.
• We head on with cruel, beautiful, nervy, wonderful, Swedish, Americana music. The Tarantula Waltz is fronted by Stockholmbased singer-songwriter Markus Svensson who played with badass greatness´ as The War on Drugs and First Aid Kit.
Later this year Tarantula will announce their second album, produced by The Tallest Man On Earth aka Kristian Matsson himself. Check out song 17 – ”I wish I was wiser when I was seventeeeeen…” – from the album Tinder Stick Neck.
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.
The magical sisters of First Aid Kit, a real swedish wonder, are releasing their fourth full-lenght album. June 10th ”Stay Gold” will hit the streets. But as of today, you can hear the brand new single ”My Silver Lining” from the forthcoming ”Stay Gold”, available on Spotify for all to hear and enjoy.
A taste of what’s to come. And it sounds very very promising. I look forward to the album, if it is half as good as their last masterpiece, we are home.
The acclaimed Swedish folk/pop duo First Aid Kit premiers their new single on PSL (Swedish Television). The Lions Roar is also the titletrack from the coming album which will be released January 24 2012.
The duo has been working with Bright Eyes Mike Mogis, among other, on the coming album. Earlier this year, they have also recorded two covers with Jack White on his project ”Blue Series”.
If you wanna catch the sisters on tour, get yourself to Sweden in December.
