| Author | Message | ||
     Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 14 Registered: 03-2006 |
I was wondering if anyone else had discovered the genius of Jens Lekman? I've been a fan since I bought his album "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog" a year or so ago, but having seen him live twice last week, I am totally smitten. Some of the sweetest, most tender, witty and melodic pop music I've ever heard. He's from Sweden, but writes better lyrics than virtually anyone else I can think of right now. Anyone else a fan? | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2005 |
Spooky. I just finished listening to 'When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog' before coming here. I picked it up last year along with copies of 'Oh You're So Silent Jens' and 'The Opposite Of Hallelujah.' I currently have 'You Are The Light; Rocky Dennis; Maple Leaves' on order but they have been 'Out Of Stock' at his record label for some time. I have not had the pleasure of seeing him perform live but I do enjoy his recordings. Out of curiosity, is there substantial 'record' noise on some of the tracks on your copy of 'When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog.' Several of the tracks on mine have lots of hiss, pops and crackles and it is like listening to old vinyl records. Not sure if it was done for effect or if they were in fact mastered from vinyl. Spoils the record a bit for me I have to say. I like a lot of the stuff which has come out of Sweden and surrounding countries in recent years. The Acid House Kings, Shout Out Louds, Club 8, Edson, Pelle Carlberg, Labrador and Holm are all particular favourites. You may have heard of him but, if not, check out Stephin Merritt ( Magnetic Fields; The 6ths; Gothic Archies ) who has a similar style to Lekman and who is also a very quirky lyricist. 69 Love Songs ( three disc set recorded as The Magnetic Fields ) is excellent. | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 122 Registered: 02-2005 |
I have one or two tracks on a series of (excellent) comp discs an old friend of mine recently sent to me - all MP3 downloads that he finds in his Internet trawls. I've been trying to track down CD's by many of the artists, but the hip shops in NYC just don't have them... I'll probably find something by this guy one day. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 87 Registered: 03-2006 |
Hugh, it took me awhile to get into it - I think I was a little put off by the overall "lo-fi" quality and the Merritt's froggy baritone (an acquired taste), though he shares vocals with a shifting crew...eventually the songwriting genius won me over and now I think it's a bonafide classic. It's weird how so many of the songs come off as smart-assed and sour, but yet are still incredibly touching and tender. I just bought "Showtunes" but the jury's still out. He does none of the vocals, apparently, so I don't know... I'm a fan of Jens too, Lawrence, though at this point I only own "You're So Silent...". He, too, manages to incorporate a lot of humor, in among the pathos...That is, btw, one of the things that won me over about Leonard Cohen - a lot of his darkest material also has a lot of humor mixed in... | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 15 Registered: 03-2006 |
Hugh I'm pretty sure the vinyl crackle/tape hiss is there by design. I know there are a hell of a lot of uncleared samples of old records on that album too ... I'm pretty sure the steel drums on the first couple of tracks are just ripped from an old LP. One of the interesting things he did the other night was to duet with his iPod. He'd recently found an old LP featuring a recording of a Swedish song sung by a children's choir he was in when he was young. He played the recording (which was full of hiss and crackle) and sang an English translation of the lyrics over the top of the recording. I'm also a big Stephin Merrit fan, BTW. When I first hear Jens Lekman I thought he was pretty much the perfect cross between Merrit, Morrissey and Jonathan Richman. | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 58 Registered: 05-2005 |
I’ve tried to like Magnetic Fields but just can’t get into it. Bought ’69 Love Songs’ and it’s a great idea and concept but the songs just aren’t there. I think he gets carried away by the album concept and doesn’t have the songs to back it up. Some great ones but for the most part its just filler. | ||
| Cichli Suite Member Username: Cichli_suite Post Number: 95 Registered: 08-2004 |
I'm a fan of 69 Love songs. I wouldn't agree it's mostly filler. When I bought it I sang "A chicken with its head cut off" incessantly for about a week. Mrs Suite nearly took a cleaver to me. I've heard a few songs by Jens Lekman and I like them very much, although they do remind me a little too much of Steven Merrit. I love the idea of singing with the IPod, by the way. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 92 Registered: 03-2006 |
Stick with it, Gareth...it's sort of a "grower"...My opinion of "69 luv songs" started like yours and morphed into one resembling Cichli's. And though a handful (far from most) of the songs are filler-ish, they provide comic relief...for instance, "How F-ing Romantic"... Merritt was way ahead of the "Brokeback" trend, btw, with his "Papa Was A Rodeo", another of his hilarious, but still poignant ditties. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 6 Registered: 07-2005 |
Hardin, his voice is most certainly an acquired taste but once you get over that hurdle you realise just how good a songwriter/lyricist he is. Hopefully Gareth will stick with it. I don't own a copy 'Showtime' nor have I heard anything from it so far. Was put off by the fact he doesn't sing on it. I also love Leonard Cohen and bought his first album on the day it was released. I have always been drawn to what I consider classy/quirky lyricists. Bob Dylan is one of my favourites and, like Cohen, there is a lot of humour in his songs and in the way he delivers lines. Spent yesterday afternoon listening to some of his stuff ( Blonde On Blonde; John Wesley Harding; Blood On The Tracks ) and 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' and 'Lily, Rosemary and The Jack Of Hearts' were each played several times. Not sure if you are aware but 'Oh Your So Silent Jens' is a compilation of three e.p.'s ( 'You Are The Light; Rocky Dennis; Maple Leaves') so you don't really need them. I came across them on CDPacific where they are selling for US$3.12 each. They are on backorder however and I really don't know if they will manage to source copies. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2005 |
Lawrence, I started collecting music way back in the early 1960's and even then I had a 'thing' about crackle/pops/tape hiss. I don't know if it is because of the frequency my hearing operates at but these sounds become predominant, push the music and vocal into the background and make the songs unpleasant to listen to. C.D. may have its failings but I much prefer it to vinyl. Trying to purchase a flat l.p. back in the early 1960's was something of a challenge. I have some you could use as soup bowls. :-) What's an iPod. ;-) | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 104 Registered: 03-2006 |
Leo Kottke, acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, once characterized his own voice as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day". I think that works equally well in describing Merritt's voice. I say that affectionately - I realized just how much I liked 69 LS when I tried to condense it down to one disc by burning all my favorites...it was impossible to do. Cohen's phenomenal, isn't he? Though I was disappointed by Dear Heather, thought it was slight and half-formed, I loved the one before it "Ten New Songs"...talk about great songs triumphing over cheesy production. I never understood the dated synth producton he opts for but it doesn't detract from the majesty and genius of the songs one bit! | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 250 Registered: 03-2005 |
I have only dabbled at Cohen. The earliest one I have is "Songs from a Room." He seems to like incongruous backings. I get a great kick out of the Eurotrash sound of the "I'm Your Man" album but just can't survive "Death of a Ladies' Man." His songs afford anybody doing their own interpretation so much scope. I haven't listened to "69 Love Songs" in at least a couple of years. I remember finding it clever but not life-changing. I heard my very first Jens Lekman last night when a friend played three songs for me. I'm sorry I can't remember the titles though one was about sleeping with someone to escape the cold Swedish winter and had a line about the whole country becoming a glacier. There was another one with a very arch 1970 pop arrangement including outlandishly inappropriate horns which I loved. And finally one with a prominent electric 12 string-the first path to my heart--and handclaps--another sure pathway to my heart--which might have been about meeting somebody after their protest march or something. It had quite a 1965 arrangement to it. Very oddball and funny stuff which was inspiring striking hostility from certain other persons in the room while they were being played. So I'm sure I'll be investigating Jens Lekman. | ||
| Per Stam Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2005 |
Jens Lekman is the greatest talent I've heard in a long time. The two collections/'albums' "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog" and "Oh You're So Silent Jens" are great, especially the EP-collection "Oh ... Silent, Jens". There are quite a few other tracks as well (on compilations). Also check out his home page with lots of free tracks (see dept. of forgotten songs & presents [=3 tour eps]): www.jenslekman.com I saw him live in Stockholm with his very big band (for just a few dates) last fall: Lekman on guitar & ukulele, a small group on bass, drums, plus string section (viola, 2 violins), brass (trumpet, trombone, sax?), plus a 10 person choir. (I might have forgot a player or two...) It was marvellous! And I thought: the man is under 25 and he can get away with this almost without effort. It all comes natural, it seems. (And it made the Gbs barbican extravaganza look almost half baked.) Anyway: I am a fan. I'm looking forward to every new song by JL. |