Hello friends, time for another update from Scandinavias most productive rock label! We have some really nice subsidiary releases, but also old Transubstans friends coming up to the surface to deliver sweet rock ‘n’ roll…
OUT NOW: ____________________________________
EMMA NORDENSTAM Response To The Birddream (SAK005) (Sakuntala Records) Released: 2013/03/20
The third album by Swedish singer/songwriter EMMA NORDENSTAM takes a step in a new direction as her first album completely sung in English. Her sound has grown into a more emotional, melancholic mood than before – a mood that immediately brings your thought to such legends as VASHTI BUNYAN and JONI MITCHELL. This album will remember you of the early acid folk era, as well as the modern sounds of ANNA TERNHEIM, FERN KNIGHT and MARISSA NADLER. “The June morning we arrived to the studio it was already hot outside; bumblebees were buzzing beneath a magnolia tree with white buds… I sat down with my guitar and watched the magnolia flowers blossom in front of me while recording the basis of the songs. Six months later we walked in snow between the recording room and control room – Tom ran back and forward with new firewood to the stove while me and Cecilia made bonfires between the last overdubs.” Emma plays most of the instruments herself, but on “Response To The Birddream”, Lisa Isaksson (LISA O PIU) also participates. Members of MY BROTHER THE WIND take part on the last song, and this was recorded by Mattias Olsson of ÄNGLAGÅRD.
“Everything Is Screaming” is the debut album of Swedish singer/songwriter EMIKA KLASDOTTER. The featured tracks have carefully been chosen between tons of other songs written during a whole decade. EMIKA’s passion about what is close and real comes clear while listening to the fragile songs on the album – she sings about love, loneliness and the struggle within the common man. The emotions flowing through this record could easily be the same emotions flowing through a lifetime. The album is partially recorded in EMIKA’s home studio, by herself and Tommie Thunström. The other parts of the album was recorded on tape, in the studio of Tom Hakava (UpAndRunningRecording). EMMA NORDENSTAM, who is releasing her third album “Response To The Birddream” on the same date played cello and piano on some of the tracks. Cecilia Klingspor, Karl-Jonas Winqvist (BLOODMUSIC) and Johan T Karlsson (FAMILJEN) is also participating on this record. Very recommended for fans of the modern singer/songwriter -scene, suitable for anyone who enjoys the sound of ANNA TERNHEIM, CAT POWER, FERN KNIGHT etc.
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CRYSTAL CARAVAN With Them You Walk Alone (TRANS108) Release date: 2013/04/03
“Our friends over at Transubstans Records have once again produced another solid entry in the retro sweepstakes with the latest from Swedish band The Crystal Caravan, titled With Them You Walk Alone. This six-piece band show their love for Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, The Doors, Danzig, Steppenwolf, and Atomic Rooster on this latest release, which is a dramatic platter of heavy guitar riffs, powerful vocals, driving keyboards, and memorable arrangements.
Vocalist Niklas “RG” Gustafsson soars over most of the heavy rocking songs here with his Jim Morrison-meets-Glenn Danzig approach, as he powers through the crunchy riffs, haunting Mellotron, and spacey Moog synths of the crushing, somewhat psychedelic title track, the hard rocking “Hour of the Wolf”, as well as the more textured, prog/folk/psych piece “Against The Rising Tide”. The bleak, almost doom laden “Roses And Morphine” has elements of The Doors and The Jefferson Airplane, until massive, Black Sabbath inspired riffing joins in on the fun, while the heavy rock freakout of “Brick By Brick” will instantly appeal to fans of fellow Swedes Witchcraft with its mix of ’70s styled hard rock and Sabbath/Pentagram inspired doom. Closer “Drifting” is an atmospheric ballad complete with dreamy vocals and an emotional wah-wah drenched guitar solo.
With 6 songs, With Them You Walk Alone perfectly gives the listener just what they need and doesn’t overstay its welcome, but more importantly there’s the right amount of variety and classic sounds here that makes it retro but not everly so. If you love ’70s inspired heavy rock, prog, and psych, but with a modern flavor, you’ll need to investigate this one pronto.” – Pete Pardo, Sea Of Tranquility
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SMALL JACKETS IV (TRANS112) Release date: 2013/04/10
“In the mood for some no-nonsense, ass kickin’, early ’80s styled hard rock? Then you’ve come to the right place with the latest from Italian act Small Jackets. IV is a lot of fun from start to finish, no-frills, hi-energy rock with elements of classic heavy metal, Southern Rock, and ’70s styled hard rock. “Trouble Blues” is pure whisky soaked Southern Rock along the lines of Molly Hatchet & Lynyrd Skynyrd, while “Ball n Chain” & “Black Beauty” reminds of the days when Motley Crue were ‘shouting at the devil’ rather than singing about ‘girls, girls, girls’. Elsewhere, hard rockers like “What We Feel”, “Hellraiser”, and “Mama Said” dial up raunchy guitar licks and vocals with a bluesy swagger that will appeal to any fan of vintage Aerosmith, AC/DC, Free, or even modern act Rival Sons.
I’ve said it many times before, but Transubstans Records always seems to have a knack for finding bands like this that have a real grip on classic heavy rock sounds, and Small Jackets are no different. Give IV a shot and be prepared for a hard rockin’ good time.” – Pete Pardo, Sea Of Tranquility
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BOBBY SANT My Dead Town (SAK007) Sakuntala Records Release date: 2013/04/20 (Record Store Day)
“If I don’t have myself, then what do I own?” Following frequent touring in his native country Sweden, prolific folk artist Bobby Sant in January 2013 embarked on a three week’s promotional tour in USA prior to the release of his second album MY DEAD TOWN. Stage appearances, co-writing sessions and industry meetings were performed in Austin TX. MY DEAD TOWN hits close to home on many levels. The dramatic lyric lines on death, love and despair echoes as much of own experiences of loss as of images capturing society’s demise. Given to the thematics, the location for the album’s recordings could not have been more suiting; in the church of Bobby’s rural home town. During four evenings in November 2012, all tracks were recorded live without any overdubs and many of the songs were also cut on the first take.
COMING RELEASES:
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OBLIVIOUS Creating Meaning (TRANS114) Release date: 2013/05/01
First track released from Transubstans veterans OBLIVIOUS new album “Creating Meaning”! Bluesy, groovy hard rock with flowing bass lines and mysterious riffs that resembles the inventiveness of LED ZEPPELIN and SABBATH, but also acts like DOZER or CLUTCH. Since their 2009 debut “Goons And Masters”, OBLIVIOUS has not lost the harshness of the tone in their sound. During these four years, they’ve rather built up a more solid wall of sound, with well-arranged riffs and conceived 70’s grooves. This will be released on Transubstans Records in the beginning of May.
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DYNAMITE Lock N Load (DEN006) Release date: 2013/05/01
If you ever wondered how the follow up album to “Highway To Hell” should sound like, look no further ! If Bon Scott would be alive, AC/DC would have delivered the album DYNAMITE is now blessing us with. It oozes of fat Angus Young riffs, and a Bon Scott alike voice, high energy classic rock style, easily compared with AC/DC, KROKUS and ROSE TATTOO, easily taking up the competition with new bands like AIRBORNE and BONAFIDE. This is also the band who got chased by the police force in Sweden after an imaginary bank robbery some folks thought was real ! This is already one of the best albums from Sweden 2013, no kiddin’ !!
NEWS: ____________________________________
EGONAUT releases second single and video from new album.
Swedish Bastard-Rock quartet Egonaut have released the song ”Awake” as the second single from the album ”Mount Egonaut”, out now on Transubstans Records. The video for the track can be seen below.
Awake shows a different aspect of Egonaut than the two previously released tracks ”Cursed and Damned” and ”Crawl”. Instead of going full throttle and in your face ”Awake” is built around a more mellow groove and strong melodies. Vocalist Fredrik comments ”This song might very well be the best I’ve ever written so far and I’m really pleased on how the arrangement and production turned out.”
BOBBY SANT’S fantastic debut album is finally out on Sakuntala Records!
Bobby Sant has with his debut compiled a highly acoustic track list infused both with sensitive awareness and a considerable amount of punk attitude. Except for small guest contributions of piano, harmonica and electric guitars, the songs is entirely about Sant’s sharp, chanting vocals, rooted somewhere between dark blues and dreamy folk music, and his fingerpicked guitar. Bobby Sant stands alone in the songs as well as in the studio and the desolation is a significant theme going through the whole album. The desolation created after the ones you’ve left behind, but also in the missing of the ones you haven’t met yet and of the situations not yet experienced. “Music is life and death for me, literally. I think I’m a person seeing the world in black or white. The grey parts just don’t interest me” “It’s just a lonely feeling” is rooted in a blend between ancient folk and the contemporary indie scene in a similar way as acts like Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Fleet Foxes. Sants’ songs might not feature any lush vocal harmony arrangements but is still creating a highly intense and dreamy soundscape. And like two other big names in the genre, the fellow Swede The Tallest Man on Earth and Kentucky’s Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Sant lets his songs be built up by battered and broken elements as well as sincere and tender ones. As a little bonus, the cover photos are taken by Katie Van Zandt, the daughter of the one and only Townes Van Zandt!
As a celebration of the release, we’re sharing another track from the album, called “Stuck On Townes”. Listen to it below!
STONEWALL NOISE ORCHESTRA
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