The Kora Records Fourth-Year Jamboree

A RECENT CLAIM by BYT said that the buzz surrounding Fredrik is at "deafening levels." But there were no hype earplugs needed when the group headlined The Kora Records fourth anniversary party on Nov. 5 at DC9.

A small, polite crowd of maybe 40 people watched the Swedish six-piece, along with opening acts Meredith Bragg and Pree, and it wasn't so much a wild birthday throwdown as a confirmation that D.C.-based Kora has: a) really good taste in indie-pop and b) a lot of work to do before buzz for its artists reaches deafening levels.

Kora co-owner Mike Fink is going to do his best, too: He recently left his job with the Future of Music Coalition in order to go on tour with Fredrik and give his record label the ol' full-time try. Considering how difficult the record biz is these days, best wishes should be sent his way — and many dollars, too — so don't be afraid to visit Kora's online store.

A slew of photos (and a few more words) are below:

Pree is a new band helmed by May Tabol, a former guitarist in Le Loup. But it's her fantastic voice that makes the release of Pree's forthcoming debut, "A Chopping Block" (out in February 2009), an anticipated event.

Tabol's singing has the strident rhythmic cadence of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock mixed with a marbles-in-her-cheeks enunciation that recalls an indie-rock version of Ani DiFranco, Billie Holiday and Natalie Merchant. Pree's live performance was a bit shaky, but as you can hear on the band's MySpace, Tabol's songs and sound are solid.

Meredith Bragg is one of Kora's stable artists, having already chalked up three releases on the label. His modern folk songs are witty, pretty and wise, and his voice recalls the gentle melancholy of Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan. Fink said he hopes Bragg will record a new album for 2009, but nothing's scheduled at the moment.

Fredrik's debut performance in America was also a hit-and-miss affair, with the electric guitar, small acoustic and banjo tunings sometimes clashing — along with an odd sound mix (is there anything else at DC9?) — being the main culprit. But as you can tell from my own deafening gush of buzz about the band, Fredrik's dreamy songs are smart and sharp, filled with tricky textures and percussive picking.

Chalk up the so-so concert to the group being up all night during our election night. No, Fredrik's musicians weren't out celebrating on U Street; the band was busy at House of Sweden from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., prepping for and then playing two songs live on a Swedish TV morning show.

Wait, Fredrik was on television? Maybe the buzz is about to get deafening after all (at least in Sweden).

Photos by Christopher Porter/Express