This Perfect Day - s/t

Name: This Perfect Day
Album: s/t
Year: 1995
Style: Power Pop, 
Similar Bands: Journey, Gin Blossoms, Foreigner, OK-Go, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Matthew Sweet, Sloan, Ash, Keane
"One-Word" Review: Overproduced Alt-Pop Radio.
Based Out Of: Skelleftea, Sweden

Label: Orchard Lane Music, Soap Records

Lyrics & Liner Notes

CD Back, CD, Lyrics

Back & Liner Photos

Cover & Liner Photo

This Perfect Day (1995)

1. Teenage Monster 3:11 (single)
2. Can't You See 4:12 (Single)
3. Headache 3:45
4. I'm In Love 4:04 (Single)
5. Revolution 4:33 (Single)
6. Jesus On Your Side 3:19
7. In My Bed 4:18 (Single)
8. December Snow 3:40
9. Sandra 3:33
10. Drinks & Dreams 3:40
11. Everybody Knows 6:03

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5 

Members & Other Bands:

• Mats Erikson - Vox
• Ove Markstrom Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vox (The Kuikkos, A Brewer)
• Ralph Tjarnlund - Drums
• Johan Nilsson - Keys, Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vox, Mixing (Takida, Marc & Ploids, The Wannadies, Shape Shifter)
• Peter Fahlgren - Bass (Holger Danske)
• Rickard Johansson - Guitar, Backing Vox, Mixing (Two Piece Puzzle)
• Adam Kviman - Recording, Producer, Mixing 
• Bobby Z - Mixing, Exec Producer
• Tom Garneau - Engineer
• Waldemar Kaaling - Recording, Mixing
• Chris Bellman - Mastering
• Sabastian Oberg - Strings (Algarnas Tradgard, Flaskkvartetten, Fleshquartert, Kofia, PITT, Stadion Der Jugend, Tant Strul, Demian D, Obobo Goateatern, Reeperbahn, Johan Lindell, Anne-Lie Ryde, Imperiet, TV-Piraterna, Di Leva, First Cab, Bark, Pushtwangers, Marie & Wildwood Flowers, Riki Sorsa, Ulf Lundell, Underland, Kajsa Grytt, Malena Jonsson, Moondog, Mercury Motors, Martin Rossel, Freddie W, Monica Tornell, Thastrom, Marty Willson-Piper, Fred Asp, Stonecake, LPC, Clawfinger, Nymphet Noodlers, Dicte, Tobias Sjogren, Drain, Landberk, Twice A Man, Eagle Eye Cherry, Monostar, Backyard Babies, Yoga, Christian Walz, Algarnas Tradagard, Pusjkins, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Nils Landgren, Flasket Brinner, Niels Jensen, Sophia Hardig, Beezewax, Kerli, Fatboy, Freddie Wadling, Promise and the Monster, 
• Orjan Hobberg - Strings (Anima, Flaskkvartetten, Fleshquarter, Vasteras Sinfonietta, Kjell Hansson, Stadion, Tant Strul, Pushtwangers, Kajsa Grytt, Malena Jonsson, Moondog, Thomas Lindahl, Imperiet, Thastrom, Mercury Motors, Dicte, Tobias Sjogren, Christer Bothen, Testuo Furudate, Christian Walz, Thomas Rusiak, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Nils Landgren, Robyn, Jeanette Lindsrom, Abba, Beezewax, Promise and the Monster, Kerli, Fatboy, Beatundercontrol, Jessica pilnas, Stupidity, Freddie Wadling, Jay-Jay Johanson, Lars Demian)
• Mattias Hellden - Strings (Bitter Funeral Beer Band, Flaskkcartetten, Fleshquartet, Rattan Frittz, Cyndee Peters, Tore Berger, Bengt Berger, Stadion, Tant Strul, Christer Bothen, Taller Chile, Mariela, Bolon Bata, Pushtwangers, Kajsa Grytt, Malena Jonsson, Moondog, Imperiet, Mercury Motors, Thastrom, Stonecake, Dicte, Tobias Sjogren, Thomas Rusiak, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Nils Landgren, Tomas Mera Gartz, jeanette Lindstrom, Robyn, Kin, Bitter Funeral beer Band, Kerli, Jessica Pilnas, Jukka Rintamaki, Agamon)
• Lars Tengroth - Exec Producer
• Stress Lab - Design
• Maria Linden - Assistant
• Cissi Gronberg - Assistant
• Engso Castle - Archive Photo
• Hacks Backstrom - Accountant

Unknown-ness: I don't think i've heard of them? Maybe i have, as they sounds like a pop punk or emo band, but i may be just thinking of Saves the Day. Either way, a bunch of young white kids with Norwegian sounding names is probably, based on their picture, fast paced pop punk with perhaps a slow song to show their emo soft side. 

Album Review:  The band is not either Blink 182 pop-punk or Sunny Day emo...they are a blender of styles that feels built for radio, with catchy hooks lyrically and musically, harmonies, and an all around non threatening steady beat. "December Snow," the jesus song, and album ender "Everybody Knows" have authentic 80's Journey-like arena-pop base and buzzing Pop-Punk guitars. And "I'm In Love" has a nice Brit Pop / Suede guitar hook that is unfortunately mixed a bit far to the back. "Revolution" sounds a little like the Life Of Agony song "My Mind is Dangerous."

This is the second of five albums from the Swedish band, spanning 1987 - 2006, and the first in the US. Because it was made for the US market, some of the songs were remixed, but not to everyone's liking.

Stand Out Track: I'm In Love

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Salt - Auscultate

Name: Salt

Album: Auscultate

Year: 1996

Style: Alt Rock, Metal

Similar Bands: Jennifer Trynin, PJ Harvey, Garbage, Spinanes, Screaming Females

One-Word Review: Cascading Heartfelt Metal

Based Out Of: Sweden

Label: Island, PolyGram, MVG Records

 Ausculate - Cover & Back Liner

 Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 1-2

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 3-4

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 5-6, CD

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 7-8, Back

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 9-10, CD Tray

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 11-12

 Ausculate - Liner Notes

Ausculate (1996)

1. Impro 0:57
2. Honour Me 3:53
3. Beauty 2:06
4. God Damn Carneval 3:58
5. Obsession 2:54
6. Bluster 3:10
7. Lids 3:59
8. So 3:33
9. Witty 4:04
10. So I Aches 2:43
11. Flutter 3:11
12. Sense 2:12
13. Undressed 5:02

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
Dag Lundquist - Producer, Mixing, Recording
Nina Ramsby - Vox, Guitars (Baxter, Ace Leaf, Grand Tone Music, Jimbob, Shredhead, Marin Hederos, )
Daniel Ewerman - Bass (Dewer)
Jim Tegman - Drims (Grand Tone Music)
Stefan Glaumann - Mixing
Jorgen Svensson - Additional Engineering
Bjorn Engelmann - Mastering
Lotta Johansson - Violin (Elvira, Staffan Hellstrand, Cinnamon, Lars Winnerback, Steffan Sunstrom,
Fredrik Black - Guitar (Staffan Hellstrand, Lolita Pop, Kajsa Grytt, Di Leva,
Leonida Simba - A&R
Per Kviman - A&R
Ricky - Cover
Bisse - Photo
Jeff Eyrich/GreenTeam - US Management

Unknown-ness: I'm not sure why I purchased this CD or when I picked it up. I must have heard a song or read a review about it back in the 90's and then bought it when I found it used at some point, because it does not have any of the original packaging with it, and I compulsively kept the advert stickers and the spine label stickers. I have no expectations to this record, except being a general, 90's sounding fuzzy indie alt band. Maybe it will have a childish tint, since the back uses letter magnets to spell out the album title, plus doll house miniatures.

Album Review: With Bluster being their biggest hit, and also the title of their first EP, they were poised and touted to be the next great thing (Nirvana 2.0?). But they didn’t capitalize, which might be blamed by the changing music scene in 1997. Their second album is just a footnote, “Delay Me Down and Make Me Wah Wah!.”
“Impro” fades in as if the song has been playing for 20 minutes. The female vocals are deep, and the guitars pound and thrash. But as if a tease, the whole song fades out before you can get a good grasp of the song.
“Honour Me” rings in with harmonized guitars promoting the alternative genre. The vocals are deep, but more delicate than the music. The chorus finds a happy medium with layered, harmonic vocals and power-rock guitars. It really reminds me of a heavier Jennifer Trynin.
“Beauty” features a muffled guitar playing a siren pattern, and then the song kicks in, with a stumbling tempo. The vocals are aggressively sung, and remain catchy. The instrumental powers through to a stop and start chorus, and the song ends abruptly following repetition of four progressive riffs.
“God Damn Carneval” begins similarly with a muted intro that crashes in with power guitars. The song slows town to a sluggish hobble that feels like it is just reserving and building power. The bridge lets out some of the power, and the Metal/prog chorus reminds me of Screaming Females. It shifts back and forth from silent to rocking.
“Obsession” starts with powerful female vocals. The guitars are driving and metal-like. The song only shifts gears, and never lets up, as if to mimic the continuing excitement of an obsession. About the 2 minute mark, things slow down, but threaten to restart with force. The song comes back for one more chorus, before sprinting to the finish with the vocals.
|“Bluster” was their single and most famous track. One note starts it off, and expands. The song tumbles forward, and settles on a chugging, marching tempo. Vocals are clearly sung over top, and are punctuated by bursts of energy in vocals and guitars. The melody of the chorus reminds me of Fuel’s Shimmer. This is not a complex song: it is two sections blended together. The punctuation bursts are strung together to finish out the song.
“Lids” begins so quietly that I had to turn the volume up to hear the “Lightning Crashes” like chords, and delicate vocals hum overtop. The song is a slowly, and barely building song of reflection. At 2:15, the drums count down and the song kicks in with chugging power chords and aggressive singing.

“So” was another single, and is the song I most remember of theirs. It has a bit of Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You sultriness and awareness built in, thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar. The vocals are mixed right up front, like they are being sung quite personally. The chorus is the catchiest hook on the record, and slowly rolls along, despite the energy behind the guitars. It is a perfectly constructed song, not too long, and wraps up with the catchiest hook at the perfect time.
“Witty” fades up with a spacey echoing note, and continues with metal guitars over top a tinny drum beat and steady three tiered base line. The guitars kick in at the chorus, and the song furthers the alt-metal vibe. To finish out the song, the guitars play a cascading thrash of notes, and the title is sung repetitively.
“So I Aches” comes in with a barrage of bass and guitars. The deep vocals transition to emotional, Veruca Salt like vocals, back and forth. The Vocals toward the end are double layered, and sung in-the-round
“Flutter” begins with a standard alt-guitar riff, which gives pause for the bass-lead verse. The chorus seems like a predictable burst of afterthought. Like, “it’s about time we put some kind of chorus change here, so here we go.” There are some definite Nirvana-utilized chords, but it just comes out feeling like generic alt-grunge.
“Sense” begins quietly with a drum palpitation, and a need to turn up the volume to hear the hushed vocals. The short song never gets louder, if you were not paying attention, it might have seemed like 2 minutes of dead space on the album. It is very minimal and delicate, relying strictly on the vocal melody.
"Undressed” begins with a fun disjointed, somewhat bouncy hook. The song then takes off for the bridge. But rather than hit the chorus running, it returns to the fun hook. The second time offers the anticipated delivery into a chorus, which acts like a come-down from the bridge’s burst of energy. Then, for a second or two, the energy is ramped up, but quickly returns to the verse stanza. The sections of the song are rearranged and combined and separated, forming a naturally rolling song where any section could come next. The song is never dull, and can be seen as a summary of the album, as all parts are represented. Even the end of the song, reverts to the quiet, hushed vocals only that require a volume change to hear and appreciate. My best comparison would be a combo of Jennifer Trynin covering and playing with Screaming Females. It is good, but ultimately forgettable.

Stand Out Track: So

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Chester Copperpot - Poems & Short Stories

Name: Chester Copperpot
Album: Poems & Short Stories
Year: 1996
Style: Pop-Punk
Similar Bands: Weezer, Ash
"One-Word" Review: 1-D-whiny-teen-pop-punk
Based Out Of: Sweden
Label: Dolores Records, MD

Poems & Short Stories - Cover & Back
Poems & Short Stories - Inside & CD

Poems & Short Stories (1996)

1. Strawberries 2:04
2. How It Ends 4:02
3. Jinxter 1:50
4. Apathy #6 2:14
5. Full of Lard 3:40
6. Guitar Solo 1:26
7. Weekend In Bore 1:37
8. Lyrical Gangsta 2:01
9. Out Of Tune 3:25
10. Greatest Luxury 1:21
11. Derome 2:29
12. Wonderful Poem 3:04

Album Rating (1-10):

6.5

Members & Other Bands:

Fredrik Karlsson - Guitars & Vox

Christian Sjogreen - Drums, Percussion, Some Backing Vox

Niklas Alden - Bass & Backing Vocals

Paul - Synthesizers

Gorm - Cover Art

James Holm - Photos

Morgan Windle - Back Photo

Sam - Drawing

Fredrik Nordstrom - Recorded, Mixed, Produced, Some Arrangement, Hand Claps

Pieter Verdoes - Recorded, Mixed, Produced, Some Arrangement

Patrik Hellgren - Recorded, Mixed, Produced, Some Arrangement

Unknown-ness: I did not know this band at all when I bought it. I'm Assuming the name Chester Copperpot comes from the explorer who died years before the Goonies searched for their riches. And that was all it took for me to buy the album. Now, I did like the sparse album artwork, particularly the instrument drawing that I now attribute to Jazz artwork. I know that the place where I bought the album (Siren Records) had listening booths, so I can only assume I did this. But I do not recall what they sound like at all. As for what I assumed they sounded like, I was probably hoping for some kind of pop-punk that picked up obscure movie trivia and applied it to their name. I do not recall if I knew they were from Sweden, or if that had an effect on my purchase. Looking at it now, I am guessing that they were a simple indie band from Sweden, probably influenced by the Beatles, and probably very literal, since the album is called 'Poems and Short Stories.'

Album Review: Well, I was much more correct with my first guess than my newly assumed educated guess. They are a pop-punk teen band. Fuzz guitars begin "Strawberries" and the tempo and style is La-La-La pop-punk: Crashing cymbals, and three chord guitars. The vocals are that of a nasally, slightly whiny teen-angst. "How it ends" begins with a buzzing warbling guitar and Weezer style vocals. In fact it sounds just like Weezer. Even double vocal layering the last few words in each line to create harmony. It has good build, but not great delivery in the chorus, and the ending instrumental section is set off with a moog synthesized hook. "Jinxter" is more Oh-Oh-Oh pop-punk, like the first track. The vocals are mixed very loudly, and demand all the attention. Apathy #6 is a driving pop-punk song, just as dirty as the songs that precede it, but this is by far, the cachiest song yet. They take great care of spacing out the musical breaks, letting the vocals fill the holes, as well as singling out instruments to push to the front of the musical scene, like the bass at one point on this song. The end is an exhausted release of relief from the singer. "Full of Lard" takes a little break by starting slower in the beginning, as sort of a wavering ocean-bobbing song. The whiny, nasally vocals are quite obvious by now. At some points, it is nearly emo. There is a silent pause about 1:45 into the song, and it picks up again with the same melody and verse. And just as it is about to end, a chorus of voices in the backgorund pick up the melody with Ooh-Oohs. "Guitar Solo" is in fact, a vocalless display of guitar talents, where the guitar loops around a very catchy melody (aided by hand-clap styled drumming), which replaces the need for vocals. "Weekend In Bore" starts out as a planned, unpolished minimal song, with one guitar carrying the melody, along with a steady drum. After 37 seconds, the hi-fi comes in, and the song converts to a normally produced tune. The distortion of the guitar mimics Weezer's usage of loud, metal guitars. But the song lacks the creativity and diversity present in the best Weezer songs. "Lyrical Gangsta" sounds no different; where the name would seem to denote some sort of difference in song style, there is none. Still a poppy, catchy fuzzed out song, it is just more of the same recipe without deviation. "Out Of Tune" possesses an angsty, "I Can't Take This" theme. The problem is that the sentiment seems undeserved. The guitar solo at the end sounds like it could be from a Weezer album. "Greatest Luxury" starts out with a mid-tempo, catchy melody, but by now, I've become tired of the whinyness in the vocals. They seem over-pursued, and forced. But the bass and guitar in the very short song are quite good. "Derome" is typical pop-punk from start to finish. "Wonderful Poem" is a slower anthem, with a chorus of voices just repeating over and over again "this is a wonderful poem." I guess if they say it enough some people may believe it. Behind the chanting, is Rivers Cuomo style screaming of 'yeah-heah.'

The album oozes the hypocritical mantra of teen pop-punk attitude: that feeling of being owed, but in reality, not having any real experiences or reasons to back it up. The album fulfills the crying wolf syndrome that many kids who use it young carry into adulthood, and never learn differently, thus never grow up. That said, it is not a bad album. It fills the need to retreat into being young again perfectly. The pop hooks are simple, but ever-lasting, and although this album could have never been made by 25+ adults, it still holds a place in memory, and shows a great array of abilities to grow.

Stand-Out Track:

Apathy #6

Links:

C.C. - Allmusic

C.C. - Myspace

C.C. - webpage