At last the new Hari and Aino single is out! It took quite a bit for it to happen, mostly because of the pressing plant being turtle-slow. I sent it to press in early December but I didn’t get the records till the first week of February. The release date was this past Sunday and by now all of you that pre-ordered should have gotten the record! Just in time to be a perfect gift for the past Valentine’s Day. Which brings to mind that fantastic Darling Buds’ tune that is Valentine. I think that is the catchiest and poppiest moment of the band fronted by Andrea Lewis. Twenty something years later, “A Considerate Kind of Home” may as well be one of the best moments of the Swedish five-piece that is fronted by our new favourite Andrea: Andrea Dahlkild.
The 2 song single has, as it’s B side, the song “Maple” which could easily be a terrific A side with it’s sugar sweet vocals and breezy guitars. Hari and Aino is the only Swedish band today that recalls the heyday of the first Swedish Invasion, that of early Acid House Kings, Cloudberry Jam, The Cardigans, Red Sleeping Beauty and my favourite, The Seashells. When I listen Andrea, the way she swoons, I’m reminded of the greatness of the 90s in Sweden. It also reminds me how forgotten are these sounds for us in the west but not in the east, as Cloudberry Jam is still HUGE in Japan. What’s with us? Happoly Hari and Aino are not forgotten at all and they are in great shape right now. Touring all over UK and playing even in Holland. In a couple of weeks they’ll visit Spain.
The band comprised by Andrea (vocals), Gunnar Jacobsson (drums, guitars, mandolin), Kristoffer Rengfors (bass, guitars), Robert Klaesson (guitars, bass, drums) and Pontus Leander (keyboards, glockenspiel and melodica) has been one of my favourite since 2007 when I heard for the first time their brilliant “Your Heartache and Mine”. We got to work on a 3″ CD single that year, and in March of 2008 we put out their debut album on Plastilina. It was a perfect album. No fillers. 10 great songs. It received many great reviews. Then we embarked on to work this new single, this time on 7″, Hari and Aino on glorious vinyl at last. We got the talent of Amy Ruppel, a great illustrator, to take care of the artwork. The result speaks for itself, it’s damn pretty!
Im praising and praising non-stop, and I think that’s the only thing I could do with Hari and Aino. This is one of my favourite indiepop bands in indiepop world right now. If you haven’t checked them yet, please do so. If you want to get the 7″ you can order directly from the Cloudberry site and many mailorders.
On another note, I’ve read some complaining on some Spanish blogs about the cost of the 7″s. Well, let me do a breakdown, postage is 5.40. The envelope and paypal fee are, together, more than a dollar. So if you notice, the record actually costs around 3.50, that’s the cost price. That’s what it costs me to get it done. If you want, I can send the record in between two pieces of cardboard and tape it all around. I bet it would be cheaper, maybe around 1.50 less, or 2. If you’d like to do that, send me an email and I can make it happen for you. Not a problem. I won’t be held responsible though if the record doesn’t show in pristine condition.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One Response to “:: Hari and Aino – A Considerate Kind of Home”
I have noticed that online diploma is getting well-known because obtaining your degree online has become a popular solution for many people. A lot of people have definitely not had a possible opportunity to attend a conventional college or university yet seek the elevated earning possibilities and career advancement that a Bachelors Degree grants. Still others might have a degree in one training but would like to pursue something they now have an interest in.