Space City Rock!

I missed out on my gig at the Super Happy Funland SXSW after party in Houston this week as my tour bus broke down in Austin, but Space City Rock blog did a really great write up for the gig. I hope people found out in time that I couldn’t make it. I’m playing March 25th at Dun Bros Coffee in Katy, TX instead if you want to come and see my show.

[quote] I’ll admit to being somewhat biased towards Swedish musicians, these days; few other countries crank out thatmany crystalline-perfect pop songwriters, year after year and decade after decade (think Abba, Peter Bjorn and John, Miike Snow, The Cardigans, Jens Lekman, Jose Gonzalez, etc., not to mention less-pop folks like The Knife or The Hives).

And happily, Swede Sofia Talvik doesn’t shatter my illusions, delivering an impeccably-crafted set of songs that draws on gentle country-folk and fey indie-pop, somewhere in between the mysterious beauty of Eisley (or maybe Tori Amos) and the floating folkiness of Hem. It’s good stuff. [/quote]

Sofia at SXSW

Featured on Ourstage.com

Sofia Talvik featured on ourstage.com

Ourstage.com’s Kathryn Oh has featured me in the blog section on ourstage.

Sofia Talvik featured on ourstage.com
Sofia Talvik featured on ourstage.com

We all know the Swedes can write a mean pop songs—but what about folk songs?  Well, one artist is nonchalantly transferring the charm and fun found in most pop songs into sweet, acoustic twang.  Sofia Talvik, brings bubbly blonde ambition to this raw and often quiet genre with a captivating breath of fresh air.  After her 2008 Lollapalooza performance, Sofia became a force in the States and went back into the studio to record her fourth album and latest release, Florida.

With a focus on drums and electronic beats, Florida brings a sense of pop fun to an otherwise sensual and introspective album.  Says Sophia, “Some songs are dark some are sunny, but all of them have a groove.  I actually wanted the album to sound like what the intro to HBO’s True Blood looks like. I think the songs have the same kind of weirdness to them as those pictures, and that’s the American south to me.”

On top of bringing this interesting take to folk, Sophia manages her fan base using pop artist strategies.  Fans can tweet at her to get her new single, she offers an acoustic version of her entire album for free with purchase of the full one and she even live streamed the recording the new album online.  The new album is currently streaming on her Web site, but until it’s released, check out some tracks from her last album Jonestown below!  Do you dig the pop/folk style?