One of last year’s must under-rated album was Peter Bjorn and Johns Living Thing. Coming off the success of their breakthrough album Writer’s Block they made sure to alienate as many people as possible by throwing out the warm sound of that output and instead land in a colder, more detached and minimalistic landscape. On Living Thing the band steered away from easy to digest melodies of Writers Block favorites like Paris 2004 and Young Folks.
I struggled with that change at first but eventually grew to like their new sound as the songs started to settle, and even though there is a coldness creeping around, the band never forgot how to be blue eyed romantics (I Want You!), funny (Living Thing) and deliver of the most amazing pop anthems of 2009 (Nothing To Worry About). Peter Bjorn and John have always walked their own way and there is a lot to be said for that. In this video by Amsterdam Acoustics they turn It Don’t Move Me into a celebration of musical creativity aided by what must be one of the coolest pianos on the planet.
Below are two other noteworthy video from the people at Amsterdam Acoustics, one where one of my true artistic role models, Erlend Øye plays on an Amsterdam tram, displaying some of the cities stunning beauty when the weather is good (I forgot the weather could be good here!) and a beautifully toned down and melancholic version of Passion Pits normally over the top The Reeling. Thanks to Katharina and Antoinette for opening my eyes to these recordings.
So you woke up this morning and wondered if there are any new super groups around to listen to. Well yes, there is. Turns out that the singers of two of Airportlines favourite pop bands (Shout Out Louds and Peter Bjorn and John (in Amsterdam this coming Monday)) have teamed up with a The Concretes member and a The Plan member (also two magnificent bands) to create Tutankamon. PSL recorded the men this past week. Its a great recording that shows of Adam's great new Taliban beard. The music is quite beardy as well, swirling around the same quarters of the american old school sound made popular by fellow beard rockers Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes. This is more poppy though and frankly, very very good. The Swedish pop-music obsessed blog It's a Trap gives their debut singe out for free over here. A good way to start your morning according to Airportline.
So we went to Melkweg and spilled beers on our arms when we tried to dance to Peter Bjorn And John. And they played new stuff but threw in some older songs as well. And Denis wanted to injure the light man while I thought he was pretty good. 'This song in not about, and will never be about, Rotterdam', Björn said with his base on his stomach before kicking of the first hang over sounding baselines in their Amsterdam tribute song Amsterdam. Other high points was their new single Nothing To Worry About which most people had never heard. At first the giant base caused confusion among the crowd, have Peter Bjorn And John become a hip hop act? Maybe there was fear of a Joaquin Phoenix (Hollywood star turned aloof hip hop pretender) type of development? But at the end there was dancing going on before the band decided to end the evening with my favourite song, Up Against The Wall. This slow building gem was prolonged into a 15 minute whirlwind of energetic rocking which made me wonder how a real rock album from these guys would sound like. After that I bought a t-shirt for 5 Euros that said 'Peter Bjorn And John T-shirt'. This goes in line with the bands backdrop which says: 'Peter Bjorn And John backdrop'. Swedish functionalism has found it's way into contemporary pop. And so had giant hip hop beats, apparently. It could be worse. Much worse.
Peter Bjorn And John are in Amsterdam. Playing for a now sold out Melkweg. The Airportline serves up some pre-drinks and cow petting before the gig in his luxurious apartment. Some music will be played and some drinks will be drunk. Or we will be drunk and the drinks empty. Here are some songs that will be combined with this occasion:
Phoenix - 1901 Peter Bjorn And John - Nothing To Worry About, Lay It Down, Teen Love, Objects Of My Affection, Young Folks, Amsterdam, The Chills Sebastien Telliér - Kilometer Yeasayer - Tightrope Jenny Wilson - Clattering Hoves Lykke Li - Complain Department Lil Wayne - Let The Beat Build
No, you can not suggest music I should play. Basta. That's Italian. And it does not mean pasta.
Maybe you thought that Peter Bjorn And John were a one hit whistling wonder. Well, I forgive you for thinking so, but you were always wrong. The Swedish three pieced orchestra is getting ready to hit back after their monumental album Writers Block, and they're doing it sounding like Lykke Li's Breaking It Up (Bjorn produced her debut album Youth Novels, so you should not be that surprised) mashed up with Teddybears Stockholm. The two first tastes from their forthcoming album shows that they've clearly lost their mind, in the same good way as M.I.A.s clothing always did. The videos for Nothing To Worry About (above, containing Japanese Rockabilly gangsters in black doing choreographed dancing) and Lay It Down (containing ironic dancing with face masks in basement party) shows that the band still have a killer sense for what is contemporary (funny videos on youtube) and still know how to put together a pop song, with Nothing To Worry About being especially impressive with it's big beat and fuck you attitude, not so common in Sweden (excluding big mouthed The Hives).
On the 26th of March they grace Amsterdam and Melkweg with a visit, I've got tickets, you should come too. Last time I saw them here, fall of 2006 in Paradiso's small hall the base player seemed stoned and talked about Skellefteå AIK, a Swedish hockey team, in Swedish.
Later in the week I will write about Brussels and yell at corporate leaders and their lack of communication understanding. It will be great.
