Teddybears
Soft Machine
ã 2006 Atlantic Records, Big Beat
Best Tracks: Punkrocker, Automatic Lover, Riot Going On, Cobrastyle
Holy Kraut! They’re Swedish, they have oversized furry noggins, they are obsessed with glitchy Atari electro sounds, speak in robotic vocoded voices and they are ready to move you on the dance floor. Who are they? They are Teddybears and they have released their record, Soft Machine. Their name inspired and paying homage by the great Phil Spector and the Teddy Bears, a band formed in the 50’s, has given the new ‘Bears inspiration and drive to bring something unique to the big beat music scene. They are quickly on the rise in popularity in the United States due to their collaboration with such artists as Iggy Pop, Mad Cobra and Neneh Cherry. Stockholm has been home to these hardcore rockers for years. Due to the leave of their drummer, it has forced the group to delve into a dogpile of samples and drum machines. Now the trio has gone from grindcore and punk tendencies to a very fresh, electronic music canvas. Lets get electrified!
Soft Machine has beamed through with a bouquet of assorted pop music flavors bringing back synthy sensations and big beat blasts from the 80’s and melding it with the new rock genres. Combining elements of rock and trip hop on the first track, ‘Different Sound’ the melodies send us racing with our best dancing shoe forward. With a fat n’ gritty acid bass line and a jarring rhythm, the voice of Malte struts over the top. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to get dressed up in your glamorous threads for no reason and walk around the city streets at night sporting a million dollar grin. People would never know what hit you until you accidentally walk in front of that bus! Other songs like ‘Automatic Lover’ and ‘Black Belt’ have more of a break beat feel creating the perfect groove to take your love out on the dance floor and be blinded by the bright lights. There is also a chance that you might be tempted to do the “robot” with the digital vocal on these tracks. Who knows? Music affects everyone differently. Soft Machine has gone the distance for the club goers in a collaboration with rocker, Iggy Pop, in the song ‘Punkrocker.’ This man has always been involved with bands over the years and has taken many kinds of music by the horns. In ‘Punkrocker,’ the lyrics are straightforward. A catchy chorus pounds the words, “'Cause I'm a punkrocker, yes I am. Well I'm a punkrocker, yes I am.” It’s nice to see that some of the individuals that have made music history, like Iggy Pop, can sustain their career with new artists like Teddybears. Other mash-ups on the debut release include artists such as Neneh Cherry exuding a Morcheeba-vibe in ‘Yours To Keep’ and Mad Cobra bringing some dub reggae stylee in ‘Cobrastyle.’ All in all, this record is a definite dynamic ride and will keep your ears on a musical rollercoaster.
Teddybears will be coming to the United States collapsing stages and blowing speakers in four major locations, including the ever-growing Coachella Festival in Indeo, California. Here is a list of tour dates to date:
April 5th, 2007 - San Francisco - Popscene
April 6th, 2007 - Las Vegas - Vegas Grand Prix
April 9th, 2007 - New York - The Gramercy Theatre
April 29th, 2007 - Indio - Coachella
I am sure there is a whole lot of heavy petting at their shows. If you think that you might like these stage animals and their catchy soul-shaking music, take in the vibrations of Soft Machine. Embrace these Teddybears and you won’t lose any sleep over their music.
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