Peter Morén
by Peter Morén, one third of the Swedish group — Peter, Bjorn and John — that gave us some of 2006′s catchiest moments with their collection of eminently whistlable tunes, has a wonderful debut solo album out called The Last Tycoon.We asked him about his knack for writing music that plays on constant rotation in the inner-ear iPod’s of every indie-rock fan: Where does a song usually start for you: the words, the melody or the chord progression? ‘It used to always be a riff, chords or a melody. But now, just as often, it can be the words. So it’s really different from time to time. It might start with something I read or see, and then your mind start to wander in different directions’. You’ve always had a close association with art and illustration. Who are some of your favourite artists and do you draw or paint yourself? ‘I don’t really draw, but I like making small cartoon drawings. I used to do that a lot as a kid, but my style hasn’t really changed at all since that. My girlfriend is a great amateur painter and made the artwork for my album. I do like going to art museums, especially on tours, it makes you feel normal and it’s also very inspirational. As a kid I loved the French impressionists and related artists like Tolouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh. After that, I went in to more and more modern stuff, as you usually do I guess. But the funny thing is that recently I’ve been enjoying older and older stuff, like the old Flemish masters and the romantic painters. I see metaphors and codes I didn’t get as a kid and it’s also funny to see how the idealistic view of beauty has changed radically between different eras. They all wanted to paint realistically, but it all ended up looking very different’.
Tagged: pop music, rock music, Sweden, Swedish bands
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Luke Jackson’s debut album, And Then Some
In the Spring of 2006, a seven-year email correspondence culminated in the meeting of Luke Jackson and Magnus Börjeson. Jackson had long been a devoted fan of two of the Swedish musician’s former bands: Beagle and Favorita, and the two songwriters finally met in Paris where Börjeson was mid-tour playing in The Cardigans. By the end of the weekend, Jackson had accepted an invitation to record in Sweden, which he took up in January 2008. He set to work in the studio with Magnus on bass and Christoffer’s Brainpool bandmate Jens Jansson on drums. Upon his return to London, he sent the rough mixes of the songs to renowned London-based string arranger Robert Kirby (who has orchestrated works by Nick Drake, Elvis Costello, and Elton John). Kirby loved the songs and offered to write orchestrations for the album and accompany Jackson to Sweden to conduct the necessary recording sessions with nine players from Malmö’s Opera Orchestra. It is the collision of these two worlds which makes his album, And Then Some, so compelling. Densely layered guitars and vocal harmonies fuse with sweeping string lines, none of which ever draw the ear too far from what lies at the heart of Jackson’s music.
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The music behind the new Howling Bells album, Radio Wars
The last time I caught up with London-based, Australian band, Howling Bells, was in New York in early 2007 when they played a show at one of the many seedy Lower East Side bars. Since then, they’ve recorded a new album, the aptly named Radio Wars [listen to their song, Treasure Hunt, below], a remarkable follow-up to their 2006 self-titled debut. I checked in with guitarist Joel Stein to find out what music the four-piece had been listening to around the time the album was written: ‘The Byrds’ Eight Miles High always sounds so futuristic to me. It has one of the best guitar sounds ever and really moves me with its color and power. Every time I hear the Tortoise track, I Set My Face to the Hillside, I instantly get transported to the ocean. Beautiful! Joy Division’s Isolation is incredible. I love the intro keyboard riff, in particular (the keyboard was self-built). It expresses urgency and truth. And then there’s Neu!’s Hallogallo, a truly inspiring instrumental track that I always want to go on for longer. Its fuzzy guitars are so warm and vibrant. Perfect!’ Read frontwoman Juanita Stein’s Playlist of inspiring songs.
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Also by ZOLTON
How the Internet’s biggest sites looked at launch
How the times have changed! Check out these awesome screenshots of how some of our favourite websites looked at the very moment they launched back in the day, then be grateful for the savvy workings of digital designers. Mind you, I think the New York Times back then kinda looked easier to read. Read more
Hire a professional dumper to end your relationship
Marketing executive Jonathan Kiekbush has a pretty interesting night job: he breaks up people’s relationships. That’s right, for a small set fee (£5 plus expenses), he’s a professional dumper. Trivial fact: most of his clients are men. Not surprisingly, as our friends at Oddity Central have noted, he’s single himself.
Stunning tattoo design by Jun Cha
I love these black and grey tattoos by 22 year-old fine artist Jun Cha, who was recently featured in the prestigious Juxtapoz Tattoo II book. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (1)
HAVE YOUR SAY
If I was a fashion photographer instead of an illustrator, I would probably be Maki Kawakita, or at least be like her. Read more
As a five year resident of New York, I often wonder about the changing face of the city and how much of the character has been stripped away. This atmospheric series of photos from the How To Be A Retronaut website have me pining for a less sanitised New York, when the old school charms and sensibilities were still intact. Remarkably, over the ‘eight years it took James and Karla Murray to complete this project, one third of the stores they featured have closed’. Sad. Read more
The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project involved fourteen countries around the world filling crates with the best of their local nightlife and exchanging their country’s crate with another. We were there all the way, following Australia’s involvement. And the final stage, with Brazil and Australia swapping crates, was a beauty! As this video attests.
This is the mob scene that was outside the Ugg Boot store on Mercer Street, Soho, yesterday as I made my way through the harping hustle and flow of the downtown post-Christmas shopping crowds. And it’s a pretty familiar sight during winter in New York, with long queues invariably gathered along this stretch of road, waiting impatiently for their own little piece of Down Under warmth. Having never worn Ugg boots, I can’t attest for their ability to keep out the icy chill of a 3pm breeze. But surely the well worn feet of a stampede of New Yorkers can’t be wrong? Read more
Who wants to be famous? A lot of people, that’s for sure. And the first ones are the mothers of little American girls. High Glitz: The extravagant world of Child Beauty Pageants shows images of the children that take part in the different beauty contests around America, bursting as they are with extravagant haircuts, haute-couture dresses, false teeth and all the artificial beauty that you can imagine. Read more
Lindstrom, the man who single-handedly coined the term ‘minimal space-disco’ (well, perhaps nudged in the right direction by Orbital et al), recently released a new, rather ambitious, album, Where You Go I Go Too. Weaving between ambient trance and breakbeat-flecked disco, the producer responsible for the mesmerizing reworking of that tune we all secretly love, Roxy Music’s Avalon, has produced a worthy follow-up to his 2006 album, ‘It’s A Feedility Affair’. This time, however, there’s only three tracks, ranging between 10 and 29 minutes in length, and the Eno/Ferry influence is thankfully clear to all.
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Busy P is the man. This design pays homage to one of the world’s most enigmatic pop-culture mavericks. The French maestro is almost single-handedly responsible for the success of both Daft Punk and Justice. The Midas Touch design references this with the golden robot (representing Daft Punk) and the golden cross (representing Justice) — the idea being that everything Busy P touches turns to gold.
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A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
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Mathematics? Leave me out. Fashematics? Now you’re talking! This gem of a site is a runway equation that adds up to a whole lot of wonderful.
Baltimore Mural by Josh Van Horne
My friend Josh Van Horne, a local Baltimore artist, did this amazing mural in our neighborhood that depicts the history of this warehouse-laden area.
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Illustrating the playful side of sexy, Donna Wilson uses burlesque and 60s pop art as inspiration for her original art cards. Read more
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Ana said | 14 April, 2008
sweet.