IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Sirius playlist week #36

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:29:44 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. NEI - City of gold
02. TALK 1
03. Brothers of End - Why
04. Johndoe - Kvikkleire
05. Viola - Sea curtain
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - Höstvisa
08. Bad Hands - Bad hands (feat. Nina Kinert)
09. Aerial - I am TV
10. Tape - Brakes
11. TALK 3
12. Tsukimono - Mimilalanono
13. Superfamily - The songs of the weak will die
14. Unter den Linden - Motstånd i läder
15. TALK 4
16. The Bear Quartet - Carry your weight
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Show me love
18. Pets - Don't say your heart is broken (we know it's not)
19. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Sirius playlist week #25

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:25:09 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Samuraj Cities - 2 close 2 yr hrt
02. TALK 1
03. Pirate Love - Laughing gas
04. Fare You Well - Overload
05. Kap Kap - Steel wheels
06. TALK 2
07. Elmo - Two becomes one
08. Johndoe - Hardt som faen
09. The Black - On the descent to hell
10. The Amazing - Dragon
11. TALK 3
12. The Bear Quartet - I was a weapon
13. Aerial - All refrain
14. Mögel - Håll mig hårt
15. TALK 4
16. Je Suis Animal - Painted in my face
17. Katatonia - Deadhouse
18. Pixie Carnation - Little sister
19. Björn Kleinhenz - Show me love
20. TALK 5
21. New Decade - I guess you ran from something

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Sun, 18 May 2008 11:55:24 -0700

Here's this week's radio show playlist:

01. Siena Root - Waiting for the sun
02. TALK 1
03. Cult of Luna - Eternal kingdom
04. Svartbag - Black Capricorn
05. Kite - Ways to dance
06. TALK 2
07. Eero Johannes - Finnrexin
08. Looptroop Rockers - The building
09. Holiday for Strings - Touch the tiger
10. TALK 3
11. Silverbullit - Magnetic city
12. Thomas Denver Jonsson - My wardrobe
13. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
14. Wolfbrigade - Feelings you don't want to feel
15. TALK 4
16. Johndoe - Piggtråd og piss
17. Sol Andersson - All is full of love
18. King of All the Animals - The snowflake song (I Was A Teenage Satan Worshipper remix)
19. TALK 5
20. Last Days of April - You don't believe me (Monster & Maskiner remix)
21. Pacta Sunt Servanda - To claim your prize
22. The Goner - Spirit round-up
23. TALK 6
24. Tape - Altamira
25. Letum - Tallriksis
26. Zeigeist - Black milk
27. TALK 7
28. Knife and Ape - Semiotic dysfunction
29. Terveet Kädet - Message
30. Giant Boar - Chronic date
31. The Lionheart Brothers - Time river floaty
32. TALK 8
33. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
34. Agent Side Grinder - Lashes of flashes
35. Skitsystem - Solidaritetens sista utpost
36. TALK 9
37. Final Exit - Punk enough

Reminder: my show on Sirius Blog Radio runs Saturdays at 12 noon and midnight ET on channel 26 (Left of Center). My show is being preempted this coming weekend (05/24) for a special Memorial Day Block Party special, but I'll be back in full effect on June 7.

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:30:39 -0800

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
02. TALK 1
03. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
04. Don't Be a Stranger - Mon-chi-chi
05. Audionom - In the streets
06. TALK 2
07. Elias and the Wizzkids - Fourth of July
08. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
09. Kasper Bjørke - Humming song
10. The Carny - Bestseller
11. TALK 3
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
13. Flyphonic - The truth is
14. Universal Poplab - Heart apart (Timo Räisänen acoustic remix)
15. TALK 4
16. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland (live)
17. Rigas - Dead like you
18. TALK 5
19. Bröderna Lindgren - En hund som jag
20. Springfactory - Swedish folk highschool
21. Loud Pipes - Don't you ever
22. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
23. TALK 6
24. The State of Floral Beings - Man you owe me
25. Caitlyn - Oh no!
26. The Bombhappies - And at Belle Bed Inn, I told you
27. TALK 7
28. Brick - Call Batman
29. Smalltown - What's going on?
30. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
31. TALK 8
32. Hedningarna - Neidon laulu
33. Dreamboy - What have I done
34. Captain Murphy - Sailor behaviour
35. TALK 9
36. Lemonator - Heart burns
37. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + evil = hurt
38. Johndoe - Rastløs rock'n'roll
39. Lukestar - Shade you hide
40. TALK 10
41. The Fine Arts Showcase - Teenage poetry

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:55:57 -0800

The holidays got in the way, but our report from December's IAT! Clubnight with Randy and Johndoe is now posted: http://www.itsatrap.com/articles.php?a=367
Thanks, as always, to Jonas and Sofia for the words and photos.

Live report: Randy + Johndoe @ IAT! Clubnight #4, Debaser, Malmö 12/14/07

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Frequent readers of It's A Trap! already know that Johndoe are favourites of both Avi and me. The album "Dødvinkel" was one of the best albums released in 2006 and the band delivered on stage as well. Singer Jonas Skybakmoen won't let any language barrier stand in the way of his songs. Their take of singing in Norwegian lifts the songs to higher dimensions, and that's being said from me as a Swede. I have a hard time embracing non-Swedish or non-English speaking music. I envy those who can. In this case however, I absolutely adore the music combined with their lyrics that reek of self-inflicted pain and reflections of an every day situation, it's like poetry really. The indie-/punk rock of this Trondheim-based quartet is similar to The Clash and MABD and even though the focus is on the melodies and not so much on the guitar riffs anymore, it's hard to not mention Randy on the list of influences. The dub sound of "Pyromantikk" and the punk rock in "Konflikt" gave the show the diversity that live shows need. But nonetheless, it's the songs from the latest release that blow me away, especially "Kjøtere". The ferocity of Johndoe live is breathtaking. We who attended are blessed.

Well, even with the risk of being slightly challenged here, Randy was top notch! It is no secret that I rank them as one of the best bands in Sweden and even when they're quite unfocused in their performance, they still kick most bands asses any day. Fredrik, Johan B, Stefan and Johan G are a tight combo and it shows. Seeing that this was a gig outside of any current tour, they still managed to put on an awesome show. Not only are they flawless performers, the songs in the setlist are of such high quality that they would make Jello Biafra or Glenn Danzig (Misfits era) envious. 'Cause one of the trademarks of this band is that they have always stolen with class and, making the music into something their own, something Randy-ish. Focusing on the four most recent records of their back catalogue, they know how to play their cards to the crowd and the crowd swallowed every bit. Hook, line and sinker. The only song not featured on those records was the Lita Ford cover "Kiss me deadly" (from the "The rest is silence" album) with which they closed the gig. And that right there is what makes this band so great; crowd-pleasing, uncompromising AND with great taste in music, all at the same time. The next time I see them (for the 22nd time) I hope they will play "Humanalogism" or "You are what you fight for". I know it's a utopia, but it would be awesome.

Text by Jonas Appelqvist
Pics by Sofia Qvarnström

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:58:00 -0700

Here's the playlist for my radio show on Saturday:

01. Ted Gärdestad - Räcker jag till
02. TALK 1
03. The Setting Son - In a certain way
04. Beyond Dawn - TRNQL
05. Miss Li - Let her go
06. TALK 2
07. Jonna Lee - Dried out eyes
08. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
09. The Motorhomes - I wanna make you sing
10. TALK 3
11. Printer - Minds out
12. Alarma Man - Sweden, Sweden
13. Pistol Disco - Radiation
14. TALK 4
15. Knugen Faller - Lugna favoriter
16. Scraps of Tape - Since all the birds are moving, shouldn't we
17. Carpet People - If I lose my voice
18. TALK 5
19. Asha Ali - A promise broken
20. Ingenting - Punkdrommar
21. Holiday for Strings - I got two hands
22. TALK 6
23. NEI - City of gold
24. FAP - Sjömannen
25. Monoton - Hours
26. TALK 7
27. Deathbed - Everyday heroin
28. Dibaba - Go marching in
29. Johnossi - Execution song
30. Sista Sekunden - Se opp
31. TALK 8
32. Laakso - Worse case scenario
33. Tiger Lou - Sell out
34. Peter Bjorn and John - Matchmaker
35. TALK 9
36. Johndoe - Hardt som faen
37. Espen Jørgensen - Move ahead - quickly
38. Säkert! - Och jag grät mig till sömns efter alla dar
39. TALK 10
40. KVLR - Slow clapping
41. Anna Leong - 61
42. Final Exit - Bent out of shape
43. TALK 11
44. The Bear Quartet - Lights out, sound off

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

TOMORROW! If you happen to find yourself in or around Malmö, be sure to head down to Debaser to check out the very first It's a Trap! Clubnight featuring The End Will Be Kicks and AHRM! It's gonna be a killer, so don't miss out! Other shows booked this fall:

10/13 - Samuraj Cities and Club 8
11/15 - Death By Kite and Housewife Lovers
12/14 - Randy and Johndoe

How awesome is that? I may just have to fly out for December, if I can afford it.

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe has posted yet another outtake track on myspace, the latest being "Forsvinningsnummer", a b-side from the "Ord mot ord" single. It was recorded at Gröndal in Stockholm with Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Johan Gustavsson and features Stefan Granberg from Randy on guitar during the choruses. Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/jhnd

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
02. TALK 1
03. Madrugada - Shine
04. My Midnight Creeps - Don't let 'em bring you down
05. TALK 2
06. Asha Ali - A promise broken
07. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
08. Pelle Carlberg - Clever girls like clever boys much more than clever boys like clever girls
09. TALK 3
10. Enslaved - 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)
11. TALK 4
12. Fare You Well - Take me away
13. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt
14. Emmon - Wake up time (Thermostatic remix)
15. TALK 5
16. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
17. Magnus Carlsson - Va med mig
18. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia
19. TALK 6
20. De Må Være Belgiere - Cirkler
21. Johndoe - Kjøtere
22. Manes - Deeprooted
23. TALK 7
24. Khoma - Stop making speeches
25. The Giant's Dream - Significant dawn
26. Las Puertas - The water
27. TALK 8
28. Lordi - The chainsaw buffet
29. Logh - A sunset knife fight
30. Lack - 5 o'clock in the evening
31. TALK 9
32. The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
33. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
34. TALK 10
35. Kashmir - The aftermath

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

IAT faves Johndoe recorded a cover of "Når vi två blir en" by Per Gessle's old band Gyllene Tider with vocals provided by Norwegian comedian/blogger Rubenmann aka Harald Eia. I haven't heard it yet, but apparently Norway's biggest paper VG gave it the lowest score possible, so I'm sure it's amazing. It will officially be released on July 2.

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe has posted more rare b-sides on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jhnd

Sat, 19 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

My special guest on my radio show this week was Ola Frick of the Moonbabies. Here's what we played:

01. Johndoe - Kjøtere
02. TALK 1
03. Mixtapes & Cellmates - The better half of cynical boys
04. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
05. Breach - Lost crew
06. TALK 2
07. Silverbullit - Only gold
08. Lack - Primo Levi
09. Samuraj Cities - All along the shoreline
10. Rockettothesky - Barrie for Billy MacKenzie
11. TALK 3
12. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
13. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
14. Moonbabies - War on sound
15. TALK 4
16. Moonbabies - Cocobelle
17. TALK 5
18. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom (comp version)
19. Björn Kleinhenz - Pocket of gold
20. TALK 6
21. Loney, Dear - Saturday waits
22. Revolvo - Marmelade
23. TALK 7
24. Emerald Park - Open up
25. KVLR - Capitol city child
26. TALK 8
27. David & the Citizens - Are you in my blood?
28. TALK 9
29. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
30. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
31. TALK 10
32. Moonbabies - Sun A.M. (outtake version)
33. TALK 11
34. Moonbabies - Don't ya know?

Not only did Ola reveal that he used to be a member of the Mercyful Fate fanclub, but it also looks like he'll be recording the next David & the Citizens record. Excellent!

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

As promised, the first of the Johndoe outtakes series is now posted for your listening pleasure on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jhnd
"Skarpe kanter" is the name and it sounds a lot like Randy. Not that I'm complaining.

Fri, 04 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian act and IAT faves Johndoe will be posting a whole bunch of unreleased tracks and b-sides on myspace in the near future: http://www.myspace.com/jhnd

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Last night's playlist for my show on Sirius Blog Radio:

01. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
02. TALK 1
03. Johndoe - Nattskift
04. Montys Loco - Wasteland
05. Once We Were - Cut corners
06. TALK 2
07. [ingenting] - Mycket vasen for ingenting
08. Margaret Berger - Robot song
09. Namur - Marching
10. Lampshade - New legs
11. TALK 3
12. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. Juvelen - Hanna
16. TALK 4
17. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
18. Sonores - 16th of June
19. Detektivbyrån - E18
20. TALK 5
21. At the Gates - The swarm
22. Barra Head - Kill the lights
23. TALK 6
24. The Tough Alliance - Leg 7
25. Torpedo - My evil twin
26. Alog - Catch that totem!
27. TALK 7
28. Valley Days - 10k angels
29. A-ha - Celice
30. Victims - Who the fuck are we?
31. TALK 8
32. The Vicious - Alienated
33. Viola - Unreal life
34. Zweizz - Nowadays the only boring everything is so frustrating
35. Viktor Sjöberg - Winter guitars
36. TALK 9
37. Closer - The talker
38. Aerial - My god, it's full of stars!
39. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
40. Laakso - Italy vs Helsinki
41. The Psyke Project - Panic
42. TALK 10
43. C.Aarmé - We are the world

Next week: expect lots more killer jams including totally a brand new track from Closer and maybe even a spotlight set on post-rock/ambient music. Good times!

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Säkert! (aka Annika Norlin/Hello Saferide) will release her new single "Allt som är ditt" on May 2. That might actually be my favorite song on the record - reminds me a lot of Johndoe. Look for her to play the Parklife tour in Sweden this summer.

MP3: Säkert! - Sanningsdan

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

It was never a matter of if I was going to post something from Säkert!, the Swedish-language project of Annika Norlin aka Hello Saferide, only a matter of when. Naturally, I am predisposed to enjoy the record - how could I not? I'm obviously a big enough fan of Hello Saferide that I decided it was worth a couple thousand dollars to press her debut album on vinyl and promote it in the US. Factor in that Annika is backed on the record by some of Umeå's best musicians and I'm sold before I've heard a note. It's no secret that I hold Norrland's capital city near and dear to my heart - my label's first release was from KVLR, another band from that same city. So what do you get when you have Henrik Oja from The Spacious Mind plus Mats Hammarström and Daniel Berglund from Isolation Years all making music together? Hopefully you've heard the brilliant debut single "Vi kommer att dö samtidigt" already; if not please recitify that right away. Um, can you say pop hit of the year? It's good enough that it's already inspired an English cover version from The Animal Five. I'm a bit torn on which track is the runner-up - it was either "Allt som är ditt" or today's mp3 post "Sanningsdan". The former is a fantastic song, but it's also a bit more downbeat (it reminds me a lot of something from Johndoe's "Dødvinkel", one of my favorite albums from 2006), so I've gone with the latter. It's a duet with Martin Hanberg of Vapnet and it practically stands up and demands a video treatment. It also demands repeat plays with the way it stops, restarts and fades out. So infectious! I wish I could tell you what it's about, but I can't so I won't. Just enjoy the song.
Buy the self-titled album: [click here]

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The video for Johndoe's new single "Hardt som faen" is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1UtvoxrJmY
The clip was filmed live by fans at a show in Oslo and the live sound was mixed by Swedish producer/engineer Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Fireside, The Hives, etc.). The track is the third single from "Dødvinkel", one of my favorite records from 2006.

Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Official top 10 releases for 2006, in alphabetical order:

There was a glut of good music in 2006, but only a few truly great albums. I found myself enjoying a very high percentage of the music that came my way, but very little remained in regular rotation for any length of time. Too much of a good thing? Perhaps. Regardless, I had some trouble compiling my list since I wanted to ensure that my selections were fit for posterity. That means albums like The Knife's "Silent shout" and Motorpsycho's "Black hole/black canvas" were out, despite being admirable pieces of work. They deserve high praise, but I simply didn't listen to them that much. Similarly, I'm From Barcelona and Peter Bjorn and John were off the list because their 2006 releases pale in comparison to what came before (both the original "Sing!!" demo EP from IFB and PB&J's "Falling out" are 100% unfuckwithable). What's left? Well, lots actually. The difficulty is separating all the 8s from the 9s and 10s. Let's get going then:

01. Aerial - Black rain from the bombing (Nomethod)
It came out in January and stuck with me throughout the entire year. That alone says something. As for the music, it's an amazing display of epic bombast and twisting riffs. Why can't more post-rock be noisy like this?
MP3: Time is on fire

02. The Book of Daniel - Songs for the Locust King (Black Star Foundation)
A late in the year release so I was reluctant to list it, but there's no denying the quality. Full of wisdom and poetry.
MP3: The camels parade

03. C.Aarmé - Vita (Carcrash/Burning Heart)
The brightest stars always burn out the fastest. RIP.
MP3: We are the world

04. Closer - Tokpela EP (Closersounds)
One of those bands I fell in love with the moment I first heard it. Heavy rock doesn't get better than this.
MP3: Open casket

05. Johndoe - Dødvinkel (JHND)
This one snuck up on me and is probably the one record on this list I've listened to the most.
MP3: Kjøtere

06. Montys Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
God, I hate the genre label 'folktronic', but I really can't think of a better way to describe this. Quirky instrumentation and arrangements aside, the music is simply brilliant and would work in any context.
MP3: Wasteland

07. Namur - Songs from the Valley of Baca (Thehourislate)
It's probably for the best that David Åhlén retired this stage moniker because this will be hard to top. Nothing wrong with quitting while you're ahead.
MP3: Marching

08. Raison d'Être - Metamorphyses (Cold Meat Industry)
I honestly don't believe I've heard another dark-ambient album this good. Ever.
MP3: Metamorphyses phase I

09. Oskar Schönning - Happy jazz, please (Amigo)
Another one of those records that found its way into steady rotation without much thought. Echoes of that other famous bassist/bandleader Charles Mingus along with fellow Swede Jan Johansson, but with an ear to the future.
MP3: Happy jazz, please

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
These guys asked me if I wanted to co-release this with them and I said no because I thought I was too busy. I blew it.
MP3: Jonathan

Best two demos I heard all year: Circle Six and Iisole

Four favorite non-Scandinavian releases:
Converge - No heroes (Epitaph)
Kayo Dot - Dowsing anenome with copper tongue (Robotic Empire)
Jesu - Silver (Hydra Head)
Rome - Berlin (Cold Meat Industry)

Two old metal warhorses who prove that age doesn't mean a thing: Iron Maiden & Slayer

What to expect for 2007? Well, my predicted goth revival for 2006 didn't live up to expectations even though it seemed to spawn quite a few excellent releases (The Kid and 1999, for example). Regardless, I'm not going to let that stop me from making more asinine predictions. My pick for the new trend of 2007: industrial/EBM. I swear, it's gonna happen. It's time.

Honorable mentions:
Asha Ali - s/t (NONS)
Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen (Danarkia)
The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
Kazakstan - s/t (Katalyst)
Knife and Ape - Hex! (Deleted Art)
Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
Lemonator - At the presence of great beauty (Odor)
Once We Were - Contra (Tenderversion)
Britta Persson - Top quality bones... (Amigo)
Plain Fade - Aure (Punos Sound)
Promoe - White man's burden (Burning Heart)
Tsukimono - Neé (Kalligrammofon)

Johndoe Dødvinkel JHND

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

All of a sudden my life is revolving around things Norwegian; I'm currently obsessed with author Knut Hamsun, I've been listening to Johndoe constantly the last week and yesterday I even bought something Norwegian for my girlfriend for Christmas (can't say what, in case she reads this). Johndoe is very much my cup of tea - melodic punkrock that's highly infectious and it sounds like a mix between Håkan Hellström, Randy, and a less "spikier" Mattias Alkberg BD, but sung in Norwegian. Can it get any better? Not sure what the lyrics are about, but they seem pretty normal to me. I'm definitely going to try and catch these guys live if I ever get the chance, I'm sure it's a riot.

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Not only do we have a new top 10 from Jonas Skybakmoen of Johndoe (one of my top picks for 2006), we've also got a brand new interview with Sarah Assbring aka El Perro Del Mar. Check it out!

Top 10s for 2006: Jonas Skybakmoen (Johndoe)

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

01. "Nicolai Dunger sjunger Edith Södergran" - the best record I've heard in years

02. Johndoe at Kvarteret in Bergen - so much love from so many people is addictive

03. Listening to Peter Bjorn and John's "Roll the credits" extremely loud when I was drunk in October

04. Watching the making of before mentioned Dunger-album on Swedish television - the part with the lake, the northern sunset and "Glädjen Är En Fjäril" playing in the background

05. The West Wing - Santos for president!

06. Hearing Harry Nilsson's version of "Many Rivers To Cross" for the first time

07. "Ut og stjæle hester" (book by Per Petterson, which I read again this year, and it's even better the second time)

08. Jason cartoons, especially "Hemingway"

09. Recieving MySpace-comments from Fredrik in Randy, reminding us of good times at Galjonen in Stockholm

10. Hearing the alternative mix of "Throwaway Style" (The Exploding Hearts) and realizing it's the best song ever

---------------------------

Jonas sings and plays guitar in the Norwegian band Johndoe. Johndoe released their third album "Dødvinkel" in September this year and is currently trying to play as many gigs as possible.
www.johndoe.no
www.myspace.com/jhnd

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Speaking of recent favorites, Johndoe's brilliant album "Dødvinkel" is now in the mailorder: [click here]
I'll try to get The Book of Daniel into the webstore later today, as well as the new Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos album "Jazzen".

MP3: Johndoe - Nattskift

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

A few months back, I posted an mp3 for the song "Kjøtere", the first single from Johndoe's latest album "Dødvinkel". Little did I know, said record would go on to become of my favorites for 2006. How would I? Just like you, I only had one (albeit great) song to go on. So let us revisit Johndoe once again, this time with the song "Nattskift". Frontman Jonas Skybakmoen explains the lyrics:

"Nattskift" literally means "night shift". It's a song about not knowing what will come later in life. When you get older, you seem to think a lot more about these things. In short, the story is about a ghost like old neighbour that never sleeps. Every night, he leaves his apartment, only to play the slot machine at the local gas station. The protagonist in the song comes across him late one night, and for a second, their eyes meet. And the protagonist gets afraid, because he can see the reflection of himself in the old man's eyes. This meeting with his "future self" kinda leads him to contemplate where he is going in life. So "Nattskift" deals with themes of destiny, chance and uncertainty.

Not speaking Norwegian, the thing I like best about that song is that infectious melody line that sounds like a guitar doubled with cello. And that noise in the first chorus that sounds like a reverb tank being kicked over. Love that too. Look for the copies of "Dødvinkel" to appear in the webstore soon.

Video mix: Mr. Velcro Fastener, Aerial, South Ambulance, Strip Music, Gabriel Munck, more...

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

One of these contributions is from Simon Tagestam. The rest are from Avi. Guess which is which?

Mr. Velcro Fastener - Capek
Yet another one-take, made on a budget dance video, 'cept this one's a little bit different. Emphasis on little?

Aerial - Tour memories '06
Video collage + crazy feedback = totally awesome.

South Ambulance - Die 5times times5
South Ambulance are, in my opinion, one of Sweden's most underrated bands. This song is a cracker, and you can download it here. I hope they'll release something new next year, since I've played their last album to smithereens.

Johndoe - Kjøtere
Um, I'm not sure I get it, but great song though.

Powersolo - Juanito
Easily one of the best videos ever made. This time I mean it!

Strip Music - Sugar and lime
Devilocks! Goosestepping! Destruction! Yes!

Svensk emo
Swedish kids can be emo too.

Nasum - Kulturbolaget, Malmö, Sweden 13.03.01
Hint: definitely not from Simon. RIP Mieszko.

Gabriel Munck - Another day
First single from the forthcoming record. You hear it here first!

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe now has a new website: http://www.johndoe.no/

MP3: Johndoe - Kjøtere

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Want more exclusive content? Of course you do. Not only do I have a great interview posted today with Jonas Skybakmoen, the frontman of Norway's Johndoe, I've also got an mp3 of their brand new single "Kjøtere". The track comes from the band's forthcoming third full-length album "Dødvinkel", to be released this fall on the band's own JHND label imprint. As you can see, this is a Norwegian band that sings in their native tongue, but don't let that scare you off. One would hope that you're reading this site because you are openminded about such things. Good upbeat pop music like this has universal appeal, despite the language barrier. Highly recommended, especially if you're at all into bands like Randy, the Buzzcocks or Håkan Hellström. Think punk energy with tons of hooks. I'm really proud of the way our talk turned out, so download the song and get to reading!

Interview: Jonas Skybakmoen (Johndoe)

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

It used to be that bands singing in their own native languages (ie, not English) were doomed to obscurity. Of course there's been a few exceptions here and there over the years, but they're almost all nothing but novelty acts. But the times are a-changing and there seems to be growing acceptance of that fact that we live in an increasingly international world full of wonderful multilingual music. If freak-folk from Finland can catch a break in the States, why not a Norwegian rock'n'roll band? It could happen! And why not?

I had seen the name Johndoe here and there for awhile and had even started reporting on them as early as March 2003, but I must confess that it wasn't until Fredrik from Randy cited them as his new favorite band that I really started paying attention and actually gave them a listen. The music of Randy is a good reference point, too - both bands play similarly energetic rock'n'roll, very much rooted in punk-rock, but way more than just mohawks and safety-pins. Grounded in tradition, but not bound by it. It makes perfect sense for them to be fans of eachother and, subsequently, to tour together as well.

When I saw the news that Johndoe was coming out with a new record I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to catch up with the band and hopefully (re)introduce them to a new audience that appears to be more receptive than ever. Singer/guitarist Jonas Skybakmoen was more than happy to oblige.
- Avi Roig

Tell me about the new album - how is it different from what you've done before? What's that title mean?

I guess the title "Dødvinkel" could be translated into "blind spot". Word-by-word it would be "dead angle" - so in Norwegian the title has another bleak twist to it. We wanted that. This is by far our most depressing record yet. It wasn't really intentional, it just happened. And somehow it's a very Norwegian record. It's about living up here in Trondheim, about things we know. Roots, love, agony, and longing, maybe. And musically... This isn't exactly the rock'n'roll capitol of the world, you know? We admire musicians that are able to tell people where they're coming from. Björn Olsson got this incredible Swedish thing going on. Same with Nicolai Dunger and his latest album "...sjunger Edith Södergran". We wanted to make something honest, simple and believable. Something from Trondheim. It's probably old fashioned, I don't know - songs about heartache and running away is pretty classic stuff. But we wanted this to be a manifold record as well - we wanted a bit of everything in there. There's a lot of piano and background vocals going on, and only one guitar solo. That's pretty bold by our standards. We spent almost two years writing songs for this record - and then we recorded 11 of them live in the studio and that's "Dødvinkel".

I know it's the standard dumb question, but why sing in Norwegian?

When we first started back in 1994, Swedish punk was the big thing in Trondheim. BirdNest-bands like Charta 77, Dia Psalma and DLK. They used to come here and play UFFA or Veita and there would be total madness. I even remember a riot in the street after a Charta 77 show. One of our mates had "Ebba - the movie" on VHS. It was the best thing we had ever seen. We played some Ebba Grön songs and then we started to write ourselves. In Norwegian, of course. I mean, we didn't even think it over. We have seriously never considered singing in English. I guess it's about wanting to communicate. It's hard to write in Norwegian, though. We gotta be ten times better than all the English-singing groups in Norway 'cause they can get away with any dumb lyric. We can't and that's a big challenge. Personally, I enjoy Norwegian and Swedish lyrics the most. It just feels closer to what I know and what my life is like.

Do you consider yourselves to be punk anymore? What does it mean to be a punk band in 2006 anyway?

I don't really know if we are a punk band. I know that punk rock has shaped us in many ways - and that it probably shows in all from stage presence to song writing. But we have a kind of laid-back relationship to the whole punk thing. Yeah, we love the Misfits, but we also love Bruce Springsteen. Talking New Jersey, Ralphie from "The Sopranos" is the worst punk ever! And "Dødvinkel" isn't a punk album. We are breaking way too many punk rock rules. What's up with all those rules, really? I mean, you can't still consider 999 to be the best band on earth. They visited Trondheim recently, they're extremely old. Maybe the punkest thing a band can do nowadays is to have complete control over their own music - a thing which even The Clash struggled to achieve. But it's probably easier now, with the Internet and all. You don't really need major labels, do you? You need Clear Channel and MySpace, though. I like the old-school punk thing, releasing 7"s and LPs and sounding like 1983. But that's not us, really. People should check out the Ny Våg-label in Umeå, Sweden.

What's up with the new label? What happened with Sony? How much of the work are you taking up yourselves?

We decided to release the new album ourselves - and Sony was happy to let us go. Our last album "Pyromantikk" didn't sell enough copies the first two weeks to make us a priority within the Sony system. We toured a lot and practically pushed the album all on our own. At the same time, Sony and BMG decided to join forces in Europe and a lot of the people we had been working with were simply afraid of losing their jobs. And suddenly they had all these Norwegian Idol artists on their roster. They sold far more than us, of course. We didn't want to whine about it. We wanted to do our thing and make it fun to release records again. So we started JHND. We got in touch with Sonet, which is a branch of Universal Music. They are gonna sell our record. We have always been doing almost everything ourselves - from day one we've been managing Johndoe together with our best friend. Another friend helps us with album covers and web design. My old schoolmate is making our new video. I guess we are pretty demanding people to work with. We want things to be done right away - and that's why we often end up doing it ourselves.

How important is DIY to you?

We've always been doing a lot of stuff ourselves. Not everything - we've got a booking agency in Oslo and Sonet is helping out with promotion and sale. We pay them and call them every day. And the rest is pretty much up to us. I think every band has been through a DIY-phase at some point. You know, putting up posters, calling the local newspaper, spreading the word through the Internet. Our DIY-phase seems everlasting. We want things to be done our way. It's fun - you can design a poster one day, and then go on to make a song the next. I personally like the creative work the most. And we're all about the music, really - the songs are our main focus. But there's still more to be done, you gotta be pretty structured and focused. I guess you need a plan from square one, and stick to it. There's always people calling, wanting to do something with Johndoe - be it a gig at some mall or an interview on summer fashion - and then you gotta ask yourself; Is this a part of the plan? And if not, well, you won't do it. We started our own label this January. It may sound like a big step, coming from Sony and all. But it really wasn't. We don't longer have to call up some A&R, try and convince him that we need to do another video, and then sit back and wait for an answer for four weeks. We've been in the game for a while now, we know people, we can make this happen on our own.

How does the Trondheim compare to the hyped Bergen scene? Is there the same sort of cross-genre camaraderie among bands? How does it compare to cities like Oslo?

Trondheim is different from Bergen and Oslo in many ways. First of all, we don't have the same amount of high quality studios and producers up here. The "bigger" bands in Trondheim often record their albums elsewhere - we actually went to Bergen to record our first album. Trondheim don't have a single functioning booking agency for rock artists. We've got a few people doing management and a couple of indie labels. Bands from up here need connections in Oslo, really. And yes, the Bergen scene has been the centre of attention for a while now. It seems to me that they're very focused on melody down there - while Trondheim has always been rock-country. We're catching up, though. We've got some great bands, like the Lionheart Brothers, Desperado and New Violators, to mention a few. Thomas from Desperado released one of our EPs on his Dead Letter label a couple of years ago. Marcus from Lionheart produced a single for us last year. Everybody drinks beer at Blæst on fridays. So yeah, we're connected in many ways.

How does the Norwegian scene compare to Sweden?

I tend to fall in love with almost anything coming from Sweden. It seems to me that the Swedish artists have got this amazing sense of melody - be it The Knife or Mattias Alkberg BD or Dungen, you know? Something that in a way connects them to the same place. A northern twist, or whatever. The Swedes seem so open-minded when it comes to music - the audience kinda embraces extremeties and strangeness, especially when it comes to artists singing in Swedish. And they like new music as well as old. The media in Norway keep talking about the four big bands in Norwegian-language rock - Jokke, DumDum Boys, Raga Rockers and DeLillos. They all started out in the 80s, and they are doing huge comeback tours now (except for Jokke, who sadly died in 2000 and who probably is the greatest of them all, some kind of Alf Prøysen for his generation). We need some young folks too, we need something new.

Ever have any international aspirations? Do you think there's a potential market for Norwegian-language rock outside or Scandinavia? What's your take on the success that Kaizers Orchestra has achieved?

Maybe we got some international aspirations in the back of our heads. We've been focusing on Norway all the way, but we went to Sweden last year together with Randy. Only four gigs, but it was great, and we got some nice feedback as well. We need someone to put out our record over there! What Kaizers Orchestra has done is simply amazing. I think it's about their massive live shows - that kind of showmanship is universal. Our friends in Nullskattesnylterne have toured Germany a couple of times, singing in Norwegian dialect Trøndersk and all. So it's definitely possible, although I think Great Britain would be a hard nut to crack.

In the first question you talked about pain of growing up in Trondheim and how it's reflected in your music. What was growing up there really like? Any stories from your childhood that exemplify the experience? What do you get out of it when you capture these emotions in song? Do you think it can resonate with people who have never been to Trondheim or do you consciously try to make things more universally applicable?

I don't necessarily mean that Trondheim is a shitty place to live, Trondheim can be nice. Personally, I grew up some place between the suburb and the city. A lot of people - I suppose both working, middle and upper-middle class - came to live in these brand new, but cheap terraced houses in the early 80s. My childhood wasn't painful or anything. Some kids started doing drugs, and some didn't. I often bump into people I grew up with downtown and it's pretty clear to me who made it and who didn't. Sometimes it's totally surprising and that's kinda depressing. We've tried to capture that feeling of chance in a couple of our songs. There's a bit of dreading the future, you know. Anything can happen. That disturbes me.

I guess Trondheim functions as a backdrop to our songs - Trondheim is what we know. There's portraits of nature and landscapes, there's actual street names and landmarks and such. I don't think it's excluding, it's rather the opposite - I can read a Richard Ford short story from Great Falls, Montana and still relate to it, right? Not despite of, but rather because of all the depictions of farms, motels, mountains, cars. It makes the story come alive, I guess it wouldn't be so good without it. And I think our stories are understandable, they're pretty universal. We've got this one song that mentions an old German bunker situated just outside my childhood home, but it's really a song about fearing the unknown to the point of mindless patriotism. It's kinda gloomy. At the same time - this is probably our most poppy record. We've fallen in love with simple melodies, straight-forward arrangements - you know, songs, rather than just riffs and poses.

What do you do when you're not playing music? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

We play a lot of soccer, usually indoors. Then we watch soccer on TV. We also play FIFA 2006 and Pro Evolution Soccer 5. Some of us even play the flash-game "Play for your club" on the Internet. Ten years from now? I don't really wanna think about it.

Okay, so you don't want to think about 10 years down the road. What's Johndoe up to for the next couple of months then?

The album will hit the stores on September the 18th. We will start our national tour in early October and probably keep going until Christmas. The whole thing is being planned right now. We're designing the cover, making a video - basically getting the Johndoe machinery ready for the fall. I'm really looking forward to playing these tunes live, I can't wait! We're hoping to go to Sweden again in early 2007. Time will tell.

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

As promised yesterday, the new Johndoe single "Kjøtere" is now up for streaming: http://www.myspace.com/jhnd

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian punk-rockers Johndoe have announced that their new album will be called "Dødvinkel". No release date yet, but the first single "Kjøtere" should be streaming online soon.

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian punkrockers Johndoe report that their new album is done and on-track for a mid-September release. Look for samples to be posted online soon.

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian punks Johndoe are keeping a studio diary as they record their new album: http://www.johndoe.no/ (under 'Dagbook', in Norwegian only unfortunately)

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Norwegian punkrockers Johndoe will be doing a couple gigs in Sweden next month with their pals Randy:

12/13 - Kafé 44, Stockholm
12/14 - Debaser, Stockholm
12/16 - Pusterviksteatern, Göteborg
12/17 - Arenan, Falun, Arenan

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I don't normally post tourdates for bands playing shows within Scandinavia, but the pairing of Randy and Johndoe is too good to pass on. Dates:

10/19 - Garage, Oslo
10/20 - Byscenen, Haugesund
10/21 - Kvarteret, Bergen
10/22 - Coffee Annan, Isak, Trondheim
10/22 - Blæst, Trondheim

Fri, 27 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Download the video for "Pyromantikk" from Norway's Johndoe: http://www.johndoe.no/video/Pyromantikk.mpg

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

The video for Johndoe's latest single "Ord mot ord" is now available for streaming: http://www.johndoe.no/video/
The track comes from the Norwegian punk band's most recent album "Pyromantikk", a recommended favorite of Fredrik from Randy who says it's "the best record i´ve heard since .... well I dont know." Definitely worth checking out.

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

"Ord mot ord" is the name of the next single from Norway's Johndoe off of their latest album "Pyromantikk". It comes out March 7 and will include the b-side "Forsvinningsnummer".

Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Norwegian punkrock act Johndoe will be doing a week's worth of dates in southwest Norway at the end of the month:

01/24 - Tribute, Sandnes
01/25 - Møllesekkelageret, Bryne
01/26 - Corner, Egersund
01/27 - Folkets Hus, Jørpeland
01/28 - Checkpoint Charlie, Stavanger
01/29 - Slakthuset, Haugesund

Look for a video for the new single "Ord mot ord" to be airing soon.

Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. Annie - Chewing Gum
03. HIM - And Love Said No
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Nightwish - Wish I Had
06. Nephew - Superliga
07. Black Belt - All to You
08. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
09. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
10. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
11. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
12. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
13. Burhan G - Take U Home
14. Ayesha - Squaffie
15. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
16. The Solution - My Mojo Aint Working No More
17. Magne F - Past Perfect Present Tense
18. Eskobar - You Got Me
19. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
20. Promoe - Long Distance Runner

Challengers:
01. Deportees - Not Tonight
02. Beats And Styles - Fire
03. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
04. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
05. Clemens - Raptus
06. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Annie - Chewing Gum
02. HIM - And Love Said No
03. Nephew - Superliga
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Saybia - I surrender
06. Sugarplum Fairy - Sweet Jackie
07. Nightwish - Wish I Had
08. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
09. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
10. Hanna Pakarinen - How Can I Miss You
11. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
12. Bomfunk MC's - No Way In Hell
13. Ayesha - Squaffie
14. Blue Foundation - Save This Town
15. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
16. Private Line - 1-800-Out Of Nowhere
17. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
18. Negative - In My Heaven
19. Tigerbombs - 1000 Sparks
20. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Bigtime

Challengers:
01. The Mo - Howl In The Jungle
02. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
03. Brolle Jr. - Sound Of A Drum
04. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
05. Black Belt - All to You

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Annie - Chewing Gum
02. Dhani - Girl Talk
03. HIM - And Love Said No
04. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
05. Sugarplum Fairy - Sweet Jackie
06. Bomfunk MC's - No Way In Hell
07. Nephew - Superliga
08. Nightwish - Wish I Had
09. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
10. Hanna Pakarinen - How Can I Miss You
11. Private Line - 1-800-Out Of Nowhere
12. Blue Foundation - Save This Town
13. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Bigtime
14. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
15. Tigerbombs - 1000 Sparks
16. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
17. Mighty 44 / Anna Nordell - This Love Ain't Going On
18. Masayah - Felicia
19. Negative - In My Heaven
20. Madcon - Doo Wop

Challengers:
01. Ayesha - Squaffie
02. Saybia - I surrender
03. Niccokick - Love and neon lights
04. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
05. Alcazar - Physical

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Fri, 08 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe has a new website: http://www.johndoe.no/

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian tourdates for Johndoe:

10/08 - John Dee, Oslo
10/09 - Sunndal Rockeklubb, Sunndalsøra
10/15 - Tapperiet, Molde
10/16 - Hydranten, Hamar
10/22 - Rust Club , Ørsta
10/23 - Studentersamfundet, Trondheim
10/26 - Thorvalds, Nesna
10/27 - Rock Cafe, Bodø
10/28 - Nedenom & Hjem, Harstad
10/29 - Driv, Tromsø
10/30 - Den Ensomme Ulv, Kabelvåg
11/04 - Folken, Stavanger
11/12 - Kaihuset, Ørsta
11/19 - Hulen, Bergen
11/26 - Dolby, Tønsberg
11/27 - Corner pub, Sandefjord
12/16 - Demo Bar, Halden
12/17 - Scene 37 , Horten
12/17 - Sin City, Moss
12/18 - Samfunnshuset, Storås

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Go here to preview a track from the brand new Johndoe album "Pyromantikk", due out September 27: http://www.platekompaniet.no/extraside.asp?id=10

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe's new album "Pyromantikk" has been confirmed for a September 27 release date.

Wed, 07 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Check in with Johndoe's studio diary as they record their new album in Stockholm: http://www.johndoe.no/dagbok.html

Streaming playlist: Native tongue

Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 06.21.04
LAUNCH : [stream no longer available]

01. Kent - Revolt III
02. Franke - Jäg älskar dig
03. Johndoe - Mynter I Maskiner
04. Sanna Kurki-Suonio - Tuulen nostatus
05. Håkan Hellström - Ramlar
06. David Sandström - När hjärtat svider
07. Mattias Alkberg BD - Fyllskall
08. Värttina - Nahkaruoska
09. Kaizers Orchestra - Bak et halleluja
10. Garmarna - Vedergällningen
11. Finntroll - Slaget vid blodsälv
12. Magnus Carlsson - Va med mig

Mon, 14 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The Lionheart Brothers are filming a video for the song "I Burn Myself On You" with directors Joakim Faxvaag and Marcus Hukkelås (Johndoe, Silence the Foe).

Fri, 28 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Norwegian band Johndoe recently travelled across the border to Sweden and recorded a song with producer extraordinaire Pelle Gunnerfeldt. Read more: http://www.adressa.no/kultur/article.jhtml?articleID=490708 (in Norwegian)

Wed, 14 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Norway's Johndoe is the subject of a documentary called "Vi skal aldri bli til no" by film student Espen Sem Sørmos. It features footage of the band live from their Trøbbeltur in 2003 and from By:larm last February. The film will premiere the documentary film festival in Volda on April 23.

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Better late than never, Panorama.no lists their top picks from 2003:

Best Norwegian single:
01. Girls Keep Secrets in the Strangest Ways – Ephemera
02. Lay Lady Lay – Magnet feat. Gemma Hayes
03. Fuck the World – Turbonegro
04. Salt & Pepper – Kaizers Orchestra
05. Et Sunnhetstegn – Johndoe
06. Think Twice – Ralph Myerz And The Jack Herren Band
07. Breaking news – Amulet
08. Skull EP – Martin Horntveth
09. You're the One that I Want – Jim Stärk feat. Claudia Scott
10. Lorraine EP – Lorraine

Best Norwegian album:
01. On Your Side – Magnet
02. The Ghost of Our Love – Ricochets
03. Waffy Town – Julian Berntzen
04. Evig Pint – Kaizers Orchestra
05. It's a Record – Sergeant Petter
06. The Perfect Cure – Lorraine
07. Scandinavian Leather – Turbonegro
08. Stray Dogs – Thomas Dybdahl
09. Hin Bordende Sod og Sø – Ásmegin
10. No Time Wasted – Jim Stãrk

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Johndoe will release their new 7" for the song "Gi gass" on January 19. A previously unrelreleased version of the titletrack from their last record "Ja takk til trøbbel" will be the b-side. You can check out a couple new concert dates around Norway on their website, too.

Wed, 17 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Adressa's top 10 Norweigan CDs of 2003:

01. The Ricochets - The Ghost of Our Love
02. King Midas - Romeo turn
03. Magnet - On Your Side
04. Thomas Dybdahl - Stray Dogs
05. Johndoe - Rastløs Rock `n Roll
06. Julian Berntzen - Waffy Town
07. Sgt. Petter - It`s a record
08. Dipsomaniacs - Praying Winter
09. Motorpsycho & Jaga Jazzist - In the Fishtank
10. Lionheart Brothers - White Angel, Black Apple

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Johndoe is putting out a new 7" on January 5 for the song "Gi gass" from their most recent album "Ja takk trøbbel". The b-side will be the exclusive track "Ja takk til trøbbel".

Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe is touring Norway starting in October. Dates so far:

10/03 - Sogndal
10/04 - Haugesund
10/10 - Åndalsnes
10/11 - Florø
10/13 - Trondheim
10/14 - Bodø
10/15 - Tromsø
10/16 - Harstad
10/17 - Kabelvåg
10/18 - Nesna
10/19 - Sandnessjøen
10/21 - Tønsberg
10/24 - Notodden
10/25 - Bergen
10/29 - Kristiansand
10/30 - Stavanger
10/31 - Larvik
11/06 - Ålesund
11/08 - Oslo
11/12 - Ås
11/13 - Fredrikstad
11/14 - Moss
11/20 - Gjøvik
11/22 - Kristiansund

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Johndoe is getting quite a bit of favorable press for their new album "Ja takk til trøbbel" and they've posted a bunch of links to new reviews and interviews on their homepage. (in Norweigan)

Fri, 12 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the video for "Et Sunnhetstegn" from the Norweigan band Johndoe right here. The band's new album "Ja Takk til Trøbbel" comes out September 15.

Tue, 24 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Some of the bands set to play the Slottsfjell Festival in Tønsberg, Norway on August 1-2: Madrugada, Bjørn Rosenstrøm, Nils Petter Molvær, Saybia, Equicez, Surferosa, Mohammed, Don Juan Dracula, Baby Woodrose, Ricochets, Amulet, Johndoe, JR Ewing. More info: www.slottsfjellfestival.no

Mon, 03 Mar 2003 00:00:00 -0800

The Cardigans are now scheduled to play a couple German festivals this summer: Rock am Ring on June 6, Rock im Park on June 7.

Christian Kjellvander is working on a video for the track "Homeward Rolling Soldier". Keep an eye out for it around March or April. In the meantime, check him out on tour:

03/05 - Oslo - So What
03/07 - Halmstad - Diezelfestivalern
03/08 - Nybro - Mejeriet
03/14 - Norrköping - Kulturkammaren
03/15 - Jönköping - Kulturhuset
03/17 - München/Germany - Orange House w/Brendan Benson
03/18 - Dresden/Germany - Star Club w/Brendan Benson
03/19 - Berlin/Germany - Magnet w/Brendan Benson
03/20 - Munster/Germany - Gleis 22 w/Brendan Benson
03/22 - Bochum/Germany - Matrix w/Brendan Benson
03/23 - Örebro - Strömpris
04/04 - Helsingborg - The Tivoli
04/05 - Ronneby - Föreningarnas hus
04/15 - Copenhagen/Denmark - Lille Vega
04/16 - Århus/Denmark - VoxHall

See the video for Dub Sweden's new single "Walk Me Home": Modem / Broadband

Wolf will be entering Abyss Studio in June with producer/engineer Peter Tägtgren to work on a new album. Look it around fall from No Fashion Records with cover art from Holm (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) that will include "a lot of fire." Sweet. They also plan to do a video and tour.

The lineup and dates for the upcoming Norweigan Zoom tour has been annouced. Scheduled to play are Helldorado, Johndoe, Nicolai and X.Lover. The dates:

3/5 - Luftslottet, Grimstad
3/6 - Checkpoint Charlie, Stavanger
3/7 - Caledonien Scene, Kristiansand
3/8 - Sort og Blå Scene, Porsgrunn
3/11 - So What!, Oslo
3/12 - Hulen, Bergen
3/13 - Meieriet, Sogndal
3/14 - Kroa, Volda
3/15 - Tapperiet, Molde
3/20 - Blårock, Tromsø
3/21 - Sinus, Bodø
3/22 - Hydranten, Hamar
3/27 - The Spitz, London

Norway's Sondre Lerche seems to be on his way up in the world, at least over here in the US. Read this feature about his recent show in Baltimore. More info and a sample here.

Lars Winnerãck is back from his self-imposed sabbatical and ready to work on his new album "Söndermarken", whose title is inspired by the Danish park. Read more here. (in Swedish)

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. C21 - You Are The One
03. St. Thomas -Long, Long Time
04. Winta - Emotions
05. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
06. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
07. Grant - Just The Thing
08. Sahara Hotnights - Alright, Alright
09. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane

Challengers:
01. The Embassy - It Never Entered My Mind
02. Håkan Hellström - Den Fulaste Flickan I Världen
03. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
04. Desmond Foster - Love, Love, Love
05. The Knife - Heartbeat

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

The Crystal Committee (members of Starmarket) and The Lost Patrol (Dennis from t(I)NC) have both been confirmed for the upcoming Umeå Open fest. Other acts already confirmed include Cult of Luna , Advance Patrol, Ison & Fille, Marit Bergman, My Left One, Paris, and Peckish.

Finish 'polka-metallers' Finntroll have posted a .zip file containing an mp3 of a new song entitled "Visor Om Slutet". It's the first recorded material they've made public since being joined by new vocalist Tapio Wilska. Look for the track to surface on a new release sometime in spring.