Nina Persson [Cardigans, A Camp]

[SAI]

http://www.cardifans.com/images/ccountry337.jpg
Things have been quiet, as far as Nina Persson is concerned, since 2005, when The Cardigans released their most recent album Super Extra Gravity, but happily there's new material on the way, in the form of her second solo record (as A Camp) Colonia, which is due out next month and preceded by the single Stronger Than Jesus. I've only heard the single a couple of times, and even as a huge fan of Nina's I'm not blown away yet. Don't get me wrong, her voice is as lovely (and as sexy) as ever and there are some smart lyrics but the chorus bothers me a bit, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I do, however, think it will grow on me, and I'm still breathlessly anticipating Colonia.

To backtrack... the first time I really noticed The Cardigans was with the release of their Gran Tourismo album, which featured several brilliant singles including My Favourite Game and Erase/Rewind. It's probably the band's most mainstream album as a whole, featuring wall to wall dance inflected pop, and really could have seen all of its 11 tracks be singles. From there I backtracked, to find that Lovefool was not, in it's sunny sound, especially remeniscent of source album First Band on the Moon and that this was a band whose sound mutated between albums, yet always managed to sound like The Cardigans.

Since then I've pretty much loved everything they've done, from the Aimee Mann like sounds of Long Gone Before Daylight, which saw Nina exorcising relationship demons in song, to the slinky pop rock of Super Extra Gravity, whose lead single opened with Nina breathily intoning "Sit, good dog".
Then there's Nina's solo outings, both as A Camp (whose first, self titled, effort is a thing of gentle beauty) and the odd track (one for The Cake Sale, one for the Boys Don't Cry soundtrack) under her name.

Basically, if you aren't acquainted with Nina Persson's lovely voice, and her two great bands, beyond vaguely remembering Lovefool then click around the listed tracks below and thank me later. There's A LOT of music here, but honestly I could have posted twice as much quite easily.

The Cardigans
Rise and Shine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOaIt_8O_PY)
Sick and Tired (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8paAUN6lC3I)
Carnival (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFIM4HMKNY4)
Iron Man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzgZJEpLuw0)
[B]Lovefool (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuQ0AQ7YWS8)
Been It (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP33qjMYHDY)
Erase/Rewind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzibA7YP7VM)
Hanging Around (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnFB7dqe9vo)
Explode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fePZXFpO9iE) [Live]
My Favourite Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtEUz-AJ4iM) [Live]
Communication (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTpaZf9xqGg) [Live]
You're the Storm (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxZ9_XlL19E)
For What It's Worth (p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2UWxiLSA48)
Then You Kissed Me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0as2GKhmuA)
I Need Some Fine Wine, and You, You Need to be Nicer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HbaUMNdpLw)
In the Round (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmSDb9M246I) [Live]
Give Me Your Eyes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bwYNVdXAx0)

Assorted Solo Material
I Can Buy You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qLPgxrdRpc)
Hard as a Stone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9xvvNtr-y0)
Frequent Flyer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQKY7bdeV5c)
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvf1pBCRk-w) [White Stripes Cover]
The Blluest Eyes in Texas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ej-G6tPd4)
Black Winged Bird (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsoNac7Yj3w)
Stronger Than Jesus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVMpluF7kQ)

Phew, that was exhausting... in a good way.

[Tayzlor]

I don't mean this pejoratively but do you have something against male vocalists?

[The Postmaster General]

I like The Cardigans quite a bit. Lovefool was one of the best mainstream pop songs of the 90s. Does she still sing Black Sabbath covers with her new band? I think every Cardigans album has one.

[SAI]

I don't mean this pejoratively but do you have something against male vocalists?
No, but I do tend to find a feamle vocal more to my taste, as it's generally clear to tell. I'm not really sure why this is the case, and it's not like I dismiss a band if they have a male vocalist (indeed I'm quite fond of pairings like Blood Red Shoes, The Kills and a band I recently discovered called Artichoke Heart Souffle) but yes, most of the stuff that really seems to catch my attention has a female vocal. It's also, though, not as if I love anything with a girl singing on it, there's shitty music being made by a wide variety of people and some of the world's most overrated musicians of the moment are female [Duffy, Adele, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, etc etc]. I guess the weighting in my record collection is about 80/20.

Random sampling male vocalists/bands with male vocalists that I like: The White Stripes, Coldplay, Kings of Leon [first two albums], The Black Angels, Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Frightened Rabbit, Arab Strap, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Elbow, Pearl Jam, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
There's plenty more, but it's gone midnight and I'm tired of typing.

[The Postmaster General]

Sai, what do you think of Band of Horses?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK716RqoUms

[countchocula]

I like The Cardigans. Nina's voice is adorable. I don't own any of their albums, but I'm considering picking up Gran Turismo.

[SAI]

Sai, what do you think of Band of Horses?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK716RqoUms
I haven't really discovered them yet, but I like what I've heard, inluding this record, and especially No One's Gonna Love You.

I like The Cardigans. Nina's voice is adorable. I don't own any of their albums, but I'm considering picking up Gran Turismo.
For my money GT is their best album, though both the band and most fans would tell you it's Long Gone Before Daylight.

[Sigur509]

I've loved Lovefool since it first came out but I've never ventured into their other stuff. I will now, since I enjoyed some of those youtube vids.