Showcases på The New Union på Smuget den 18 november
Tommy Tokyo and Starving for my Gravy (N) www.myspace.com/tommytokyo
Miss Li (S) www.myspace.com/experiencemissli
Jarle Bernhoft (N) www.myspace.com/jarlebernhoft
Erik Hassle (S) www.myspace.com/erikhassle
The Grand (N) www.myspace.com/thegrandspace
Jack Vreeswijk (S) www.jackvreeswijk.se
Adam Heldring (S) www.myspace.com/adamheldring
Grand Cafe (N) www.myspace.com/grandcafeband
Soulshake Express (S) www.myspace.com/thesoulshakeexpress
Sidewalk (S) www.myspace.com/walksideways
Artisternas biografier:
Miss Li, S, pop
In the past year, Miss Li has become one of Sweden’s most promising exports. Her music is fun, bubbly and ever-so catchy. When listening to her music, you may notice influences and hints of Kate Bush, Aretha Franklin and even Janis Joplin. Miss Li has been known to sing a variety of genres including but not limited to alternative, pop, jazz, blues, rock…and believe it or not, heavy metal. When asked about combining different styles of music, Miss Li said, “I put a little bit of this and a little bit of that to make it sound like one. I haven’t got any rules that I want to follow or pattern which I fit into and to be honest, I don’t care what it sounds like as long as it’s fun. The day it’s not fun, I’ll quit.” Miss Li has released three albums in the last two years, had No. 1 songs on Swedish radio and had her tunes placed in Grey’s Anatomy and Swedish trailers for 24 and Lost. This year she plans to continue her touring and creating new music. To catch a glimpse of just how creative Miss Li is, check out the video to “Gotta Leave My Troubles Behind.” Miss Li is scheduled to perform in the U.S. in the spring; she’s currently available for licensing and booking and generating strong A&R interest worldwide.
Adam Heldring, S indie
Imagine a twenty-four year old kid from Sweden selling off what little he owns for an acoustic guitar and a one way ticket to New York City. He records a four track demo and crosses the Atlantic Ocean without knowing a single soul or as much as a place to stay. And imagine just weeks later this same young kid having melted the hearts of audiences, music business representatives and fellow musicians throughout the city. Topping his first US session with nothing less than fulfilling his childhood dream by playing the most famous of all rock venues, CBGB’s. Then imagine this kid in an apartment building just off of Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a small and scarcely furnished room but with a rooftop overlooking the city, providing the greatest view this kid has ever seen. And imagine him staying there for the rest of the year writing the songs for his debut album.
This is the true story of Adam Heldring who has since spent a full year in the recording studio, had two songs on national Swedish television and played New York, Los Angeles and London - this year alone. But then again, you don’t have to imagine, you can just listen.
If guys with guitars, explaining their love and longing for nature, roots and the outdoors way of living are said to play “Country”. Then this young Swedish guy – telling his story about the great excitement and great loneliness of the city, on top of leading a life on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean meaning that no matter where you’re at, half of everyone and everything you know and love will always be on the other side of the great sea, can’t be said to play nothing short of “Metro”.
Jack Vreeswijk, S visor, blues
Fick skivkontrakt 1995 med Sonet. Skivan blev naturligtvis sågad , inte för att den var dålig utan för att för att jag fick fruktansvärt mycket uppmärksamhet i media. Naturligtvis på grund av mitt släktskap med min gamle släkting. Det har sitt pris och priset blev bland annat recensioner som handlade om mitt skägg eller frisyr. Sågning således. Inte av alla men av de stora elefanterna och det hade jag räknat med. Nåväl, nu levde jag som musiker på heltid och det var väl det man ville. 2000 fick jag Min gamle släktings stipendie som jag investerade i en ny gitarr och en blodig skilsmässa. Den kostade mig alla armar och ben och fick mig åter att tro på den gamla klyschan att det finns vissa människor som gör vad som helst för en liten peng.1998 så ( för å skutta tillbaka i tiden lite ) träffade jag Love “thulle” Tholin på en visfestival i Åmål. Vi satt efteråt och jammade på en efterfest varvid en annan raskt föreslog att det skulle liras tillsammans på närkommande gig. Vilket vi fortsatte att göra till dags dato. För er som sett mig och Love live vet ju att han är en av Sveriges tammefan bästa gitarrister.Samarbetet resulterade så småningom i ett nytt kontrakt och ny cd på skivbolaget MNW med Rolf Wikström som huvudproducent.Skivan fick finfina recensioner bland både stora och små elefanter.Tyvärr så gick även MNW i konkurs och skivan hamnade lite på mellis om man säger så.Detta var 2003 och i dag så vi filar som sagt på en ny cd och en del nya projekt .
Soulshake Express, S, Rock
The band started out in the late summer of 2003. David, Marcus and Robert had been fooling around for a while with some old blues songs with David behind the drums. With higher ambitions the three decided to ask their mutual friend Joakim to handle the drums. With David on lead guitar and vocals, The Showdowns was born. Starting out with some song material that David had, the band soon had a good idea of what they wanted their sound to be like. With influences from blues and rock n roll they started to develop their own style of "bouncy" rock. A new member recently joined the band. With Martin Hammar helping out on organs and percussions the band has established a strong name as The Soulshake Express in the underground scenes and are now on a mission to shake your souls!
Sidewalk, S new oldschool Hiphop
Sidewalk is a duo from Stockholm, consisting of producer DJ Lastword (Beatsurgeons) and rapper Pitz. Together, and with a little help from our friends, we create melodic, soulful, "new old-school" hiphop. Our debut-Ep "Takeoff", was released on the 14th of May, and now we're just trying to get it out to the people!
The first two singles "Season of the Bitch" and "Labor" has been featured on Swedish national television (SVT) and they both became the "Add of the week" at SR Metropol.Right now we've got our third single out, called "President". It features Swingfly, Thomas Rusiak & the Sun. Listen to it.
Erik Hassle, S pop
During her entire pregnancy, Erik’s mother Monica was working as a singer and carried Erik on to stage every time she performed. It was the spring of 1988. As Erik made loan of his mother’s spotlight for the first time, at the age of 3(?), singing “En sockerbagare”, Monica gets to play the piano. The performance was presented in presence of the captivated audience of Santa Claus, also known as “Dad”.
Five years later, Erik had really gotten a taste for music. Erik’s Dad, Roger, had a studio where Erik spent most of his time listening to everything from
Wilson Picket and Sam Cooke to Creedence Clear Water Revival. In that studio, Erik would also find a pair of drum sticks that which of course, he couldn’t keep his hands away from. After two years of drumming at the local music school, Erik started to yearn for melodies.
So, he switched – drums for xylophone.
2001 was Erik’s first year in high school. He kept his esthetics busy in a class with the alignment of music. Very soon Erik noticed that his instrument of choice had several restrictions and drawbacks. To further facilitate his need of musical expression, Erik switched – again – this time to piano instead. After 2 years in high school and at the end of his third and last, Erik was forced to neglect his other interests off golf and football as he moved to Stockholm to attend to the musician and artist program at Rytmus; this time not to play the Piano; but to sing.
Erik spent another three years in Rytmus and during his last, the songwriters Tysper, Mack and Grizzly laid claim to Erik’s voice. Sweet music aroused when clean pop melodies zipped with Erik’s soul stained singing.
After his graduation Erik earns his money by working extra as a waiter in Stockholm.
He spends his free hours by recording and write songs together with other song writers/producers.
2008 holds results after a long year of hard work. Erik performs some of his songs in front of live audience and the song “Hurtful” gets more and more attention countrywide.
Tommy Tokyo and Starving for my Gravy, N rock
Siden Fredrikstad-sangeren Tommy Tokyo har valgt å kalle sitt nye album, det første med sitt homeboy-ensemble, Starving for my Gravy, for "Smear your Smiles back on", er det grunn til å slutte at det er flere enn en som bør søke dekning 8. september 2008.Da lander nemlig en av de mest oppsiktsvekkende platene som noensinne er gitt ut nord for Svinesund i den norske rockvirkeligheten.Å beskrive "Smear your Smiles back on" som et overflødighetshorn av idéer ville umiddelbart gitt landets messingblåsere alt for mye å tenke på. Ikke minst ville det være å ta i bruk en sjablong om et album som hele tiden beveger seg på mils avstand fra popmusikklisjeer og rock..n..roll posering.Aller mest får musikken på "Smear your Smiles back on" meg til å tenke på tegneserie-sekvensene til Monthy Pyton-filmene, stadig utviklende assosiasjonsrekker som gjør at du hele tiden famler etter sikkerhetsbeltet til stereoannlegget ditt. Har du løst billett til Tommy Tokyo & Starving for my Gravys musikalske univers bør du ha reiseforsikringen i orden.
Jarle Bernhoft, N soul
Huba. the idea behind the 'ceramik' project is to give a musical portrait of the fragile relationship between oslo and myself. i constantly fall in love with this town, in spite of, or because of, its lack of identity. oslo is always struggling to be something it isn't, in millons of ways at once. i shouldn't like it, but i do. i have to leave, but it always draws me back. it estranges me, still it's who i am. those paradoxes create the songs, and there are plenty more. these traks are originally intended as hushed home demos, but i thought the aesthetic of suppressed slo-fi energy turned out both defining for the music and, well, cool as anything. and in time now, some of them will bloom into something else. hope you like it. it will take pressure, but no hard impacts with sharp or blunt objects. squeeze it, but don't hit it. wear it on your wrist, but don't lick it.
The Grand, N rock
The Grand..s debut EP, released on The Grand Recordings/Sonet in May 2007 received excellent reviews from the Norwegian music press and the band is said to be one of the most exciting things to come out of the Norwegian music scene this year. Their dirty and razor-sharp, but still highly psychedelic and eclectic sound makes one think of creative pioneers like The Groundhogs and Cream, or garage-greats like The Sonics or 13th Floor Elevators, but in spite of their marijuana-hazed musical foundation they refuse to be just another one of those middle-of-the-road-retro-bands and remain relentlessly inventive and fresh-sounding.
Now, the great thing about The Grand, says studio-engineer Sven Olsen (Ricochets, Sivert Høyem, Dum Dum Boys), who recorded and mixed The Grand..s debut EP, is the fact that the quartet works as a four cylinder engine. This is not at all about Amund showing off his impeccable guitar skills, he says. Every member of the band is crucially important and they somehow seem to feed creative energy off each other on stage. Even this early in their career, these guys have gained a reputation for their mesmerizing live performances boasting multiple-personality-disorder-style guitar playing, out-of-whack Hammond organ, thundering ten-minute-long drum solos and growling bass guitar hung well below the belt buckle.
Grand Cafe, N rock
Grand Café serverer energisk og velarrangert musikk som slår sprekker i den norske folkesjelens trauste naturs grunnmur!
Grand Café's motto er å spre glede og elegant arrangert musikk med Rock i høysetet!
Dette fyrverkeriet av et band slipper sin første fullengder i september. Ei plate som oser av festivalstemning, pils i hånda og sola i fleisen!
Et vogntog med pågangsmot, kvalitetsrock, musikalitet og engasjement er det som kommer til å treffe deg på vei ut av høyttalerne i 120 km/t!
Grand Café er - og skal av motto alltid være - den ultimate pakka som får deg til å stå fremst ved scenen og glise bredest!
Musikkstilen bygger på Detroit-Rock fra 70-tallet, men henter elementer fra Soul, bluegrass og boogierock for å servere en hardtslående A la Carte - meny som garantert faller i smak!
For de med respekt for - og kunnskap om - god musikk, vil singelen 'Leave This Town' som slippes sågar by på referanser til Las Vegas på 70-tallet i tillegg til et vanvittig groovy beat som fremtvinger gliset helt opp til ørene!
