Webcuts Music

Welcome to the lilting shoegaze world of Swedish duo I Break Horses, “more than just a nostalgic pastiche of an ethereal past”.

Since giving away “Winter Beats” as a free download last month and backed by regular spins of their forthcoming debut album Hearts at Webcuts HQ, we’ve become quite fond of this track. In making the video, director Alex Southam captured the feeling of I Break Horses lush electro-shoegaze perfectly with stark and hypnotic imagery, including a cameo from actor Cillian Murphy. Described as invoking memories of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive as well as the emotional synth-pop of M83 circa Saturdays = Youth, Swedish duo I Break Horses are clearly hitting every mark. For those just tuning in, I Break Horses is the nom de plume of Maria Lindén and her musical partner Fredrik Balck. Residing in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, the duo have spent the last two years meticulously crafting the nine tracks that make up debut album Hearts released on August 22 through Bella Union.

Described as invoking memories of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, as well as the emotional synth-pop of M83 circa Saturdays = Youth, Swedish duo I Break Horses are clearly on the right path. Having released the album’s title track a few weeks ago, they’ve followed this with the hypnotic opening track, “Winter Beats”, as a free [...]

A break-up album like no other, Sweden’s pop princess Lykke Li hits an emotional core that has Webcuts in awe.

Webcuts turns its attention to Stockholm’s charming Popaganda festival to lift our post-festival blues. Swedish local acts such as the electro pop Navet, folk sisters First Aid Kit, Stockholm indie stalwarts Shout Out Louds, dance kings Familjen and pop sensation Robyn rub shoulder to shoulder with Scottish indie legends Belle & Sebastian, elegantly dressed UK synth-pop duo Hurts, London indie-soul act The Magic Numbers and reigning electro-geek heroes Hot Chip.

For our third year in a row, Webcuts will be out in force at the 2010 Way Out West festival (August 12-14) in Gothenburg, Sweden, casting a watchful eye on proceedings and generally just having a damn good time. After the impressive line-up of last year, which had My Bloody Valentine, Glasvegas, Antony & The Johnsons, Grizzly Bear and Vampire Weekend all vying for our attention, Way Out West 2010 has once more secured an impressive array of acts from all corners of the globe.

As anticipation mounts for the release of their upcoming third album The Suburbs, Arcade Fire commence on a brief hit-and-run tour of intimate and out-of-the-way places in Europe, somehow finding themselves performing on a moat in the middle of a limestone quarry in Sweden. For a band like Arcade Fire, such inventive and idyllic surrounds seem apt, but it only poses the question — How hard can a quarry rock?

Could it a new album from Swedish indie popsters The Radio Dept. is almost due? According to Labrador Records, their next album Clinging to a Scheme is being released on April 21. Rumours of a third long player started circulating already in 2007 and when the single “Freddy and the Trojan Horse” was released in early 2008 it seemed the wait was almost over but as an old Swedish proverb says “the one who is waiting for something great can never wait too long”.

Ex-Concrete Victoria Bergsman heads to Pakistan to seek inspiration for her second album as Taken By Trees.

El Perro del Mar’s third album is about to drop down under and the charming Sarah Assbring will be playing live in October both supporting Sarah Blasko and by herself.