CDbaby – editor’s pick

CDbaby writes me in their email: “We’re *really* picky about what we feature. We get about 200-250 new albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 200,000 total), and yours is one of the best we’ve ever heard.”

Read the full review here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/sofiatalvik3

CdBaby about Sofia Talvik
SOFIA TALVIK: Jonestown
Fresh from a powerful performance at 2008’s Lollapalooza festival, Sweden’s Sofia Talvik is now poised to conquer the States with the release of her devastatingly beautiful third album. It’s a record of staggering elegance, with the faintest trace of Scandinavian twee and youthful exuberance. (Timpani, crisp castanets, tambourine, all the toys and tricks to put some bounce in your step.) But those forces are tempered by a subtle melancholy that slowly drips down the lonely walls while you listen until, by the last song, you’re drowning in a warm, welcome bath of sad sounds, syrupy string sections, and round, resonant horns. She combines modal chord changes and beautiful 60’s euro-pop production with the gentle singing of a 70’s folk songstress. Her voice shines through the dark tones of dramatic, lush orchestrations and the haze of reverb like a ray of liquid luminescence. “Jonestown” will remind you of Goldfrapp, Pulp, Nico, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Burt Bacharach (I could go on and on!), and yet it sounds entirely original and, more importantly, rings true.

author: Chrisr at CD Baby

Att lägga sitt liv i någon annans händer

Jag såg just ett inlägg på en annan blog med en video om hur företaget som tillverkar knapparna vid övergångsställena har en guds-hand som symbol och ber böner varje morgon. Det tyckte jag var otäckt. Att företag som når ut till miljoner människor har gömda symboler och budskap i sina produkter. Usch! 


Jim Jones (The Jonestown institute)

Själv ger jag ut en skiva nästa vecka som heter “Jonestown“. Den är döpt efter sekten People’s Temple i USA, där Pastor Jim Jones tvingade de drygt 900 medlemmarna att begå självmord 1978. Inte för att jag tror på det som de trodde på, och inte för att jag vill uppmana folk att begå självmord. Utanför att jag tycker att det är naturligt att ta ansvar för sitt eget liv och sina egna handlingar. Lägger man sitt liv i någon annans händer kan det hända att den personen slänger bort det. Därför tyckte jag att videon i detta inlägget var riktigt läskig och borde ge folk en tankeställare.

Jag lägger in videon här, men kolla gärna orginalposten.

Be first to get the…

… Christmas single!
As every year, folks, I’m releasing a Christmas single for free on my website. The single will be released in December, but you can get it before everybody else by signing up on the newsletter. Just type in your email address in the box above and press enter and you’ll be able to download the single before the rest of the world! How bout that for a Christmas present! 😛

julsingel

Västerbottens folkblad interview

Västerbottens folkblad did an interview with me when I visited Skellefteå and played at Trästocksfestivalen.
Skellefteådebut för Sofia Talvik.

Enligt Trästockfestivalens hemsida har Sofia Talvik ett välförtjänat rykte om att vara väldigt bra live.
– Har jag det ryktet hoppas jag att jag kan leva upp till det, säger hon och skrattar.

Read it here.

Review from BluesBunny

BluesBunny takes on the new album and gives it 4 carrots:

Sofia Talvik & the Tallboys, Street of Dreams, Makaki Music 2007

“Street of Dreams” is the second album from Sweden’s Sofia Talvik. This album is 13 tracks of quirky love songs that run deeper than they seem.

Highlight was the single “It’s Just Love” featuring Bernard Butler. Swooping and dramatic, this song is a convincing demonstration of the talent of those involved. Not that the rest of the album disappoints. “I Won the First Prize Tonight” sounds like a pleasant folk song but the lyrics are altogether darker. “Holding Your Hand” also sounds lightweight and fluffy but is in fact a touching commentary on the search for a soulmate. Ending on the bluesy “So Good to Me”, she tells us of the search for happiness once more. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ms Talvik does not give us easy answers. There are no simplistic love songs here. Things do not often work out but we should never give up hope.

Charmingly performed and a fine example of the genre, this album makes for a pleasant and enjoyable listen. We think that a lot of people will like this release. Nothing offends here and you get a nice, warm feeling from it but it does bear up to closer investigation. There is a lot more substance there than the first listen indicates. Well worth tracking down therefore and adding to the collection. Available from her website.