NYC dance party Le One Night Stand is putting on a special Scandinavian-themed night on November 10 at Bar 13. Cover is free and guest DJ Miss Fiona Sand from Norway will be spinning. There will also be giveaways of new music from artists such as Annie, Shout Out Louds, Surferosa, The Knife, Tiger Baby, Mew and Datarock. More info: http://www.myspace.com/leonenightstand

Mew in Japan:

11/28 - Shibuya O-East, Tokyo
11/29 - Club Cita, Kawawasaki
11/30 - Namba Hatch, Osaka
12/01 - Club Quattro, Nagoya

PopMatters reviews the new Mew record: http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/m/mew-andtheglasshanded.shtml

This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Mew - Special (DK)
03. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
04. Steen1 - Carosol Kid (FIN)
05. Alice in Videoland - Cut the crap (SWE)
06. The Rasmus - No fear (FIN)
07. Technicolour - Nowhere to go (FIN)
08. HIM - Wings of a butterfly (FIN)
09. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
10. Gakko3 - In love (FIN)

Challengers:
11. Jermaine - Goodbye sign (FIN)
12. Robyn - Handle me (SWE)
13. Erwin Thomas - Tonight (DK)

Denmark's Mew supporting Elbow on tour in the UK:

11/13 - Pyramids, Portsmouth
11/14 - Academy, Bristol
11/15 - Academy, Birmingham
11/17 - Academy, Glasgow
11/18 - Queens Hall, Edinburgh
11/20 - University, Newcastle
11/23 - Apollo, Manchester
11/25 - Brixton Academy, London

This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. The Cardigans
02. The Arcade Fire
03. Sigur Rós
04. Broken Social Scene
05. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
06. Franz Ferdinand
07. Mew
08. Hello Saferide
09. Death Cab for Cutie

Again, I'd like to encourage all regular readers of this site to join up and participate. It's free and easy and fun - the only basic requirement is that you listen to music on your computer and can install the proper plugin. Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
03. Technicolour - Nowhere to go (FIN)
04. The Rasmus - No fear (FIN)
05. Gakko3 - In love (FIN)
06. HIM - Wings of a butterfly (FIN)
07. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
08. Critical - Mina sista ord (SWE)
09. Bloodpit - Platitude (FIN)
10. Mew - Special (DK)

Challengers:
11. Steen1 - Carosol Kid (FIN)
12. Alice in Videoland - Cut the crap (SWE)
13. Stisch - Emotions (SWE)

Today's mp3 comes from Mew, the latest act hyped for international success out of Denmark. Simon Thibaudeau found the helium-infused vocals to be too much of a Flaming Lips rip in his review, but I prefer to liken the band to other intelligent rock acts such as mid-period Radiohead or maybe heavier acts such as Tool and Dredg. I'm not saying they all sound alike, but rather that they share many similar characteristics such as uneven time signatures and polyrhythms and the tendency towards cinematic soundscapes. Mew doesn't get all that heavy outside of the bombastic intro track on the new album "And the glass handed kites" and because of that, I think they could appeal to listeners on both sides of the fence. It's as epic as any power-metal, but with more of a feminine touch. I'm not really a fan of Dinosaur Jr. (indierock heresy, yes I know), but the guest vocals on this track from J. Mascis are superb in context. His gravelly delivery is a perfect counterpoint to Jonas Bjerre's light and airy voice.

MP3: Mew - Why are you looking grave?

Today's mp3 comes from Mew, the latest act hyped for international success out of Denmark. Simon Thibaudeau found the helium-infused vocals to be too much of a Flaming Lips rip in his review, but I prefer to liken the band to other intelligent rock acts such as mid-period Radiohead or maybe heavier acts such as Tool and Dredg. I'm not saying they all sound alike, but rather that they share many similar characteristics such as uneven time signatures and polyrhythms and the tendency towards cinematic soundscapes. Mew doesn't get all that heavy outside of the bombastic intro track on the new album "And the glass handed kites" and because of that, I think they could appeal to listeners on both sides of the fence. It's as epic as any power-metal, but with more of a feminine touch. I'm not really a fan of Dinosaur Jr. (indierock heresy, yes I know), but the guest vocals on this track from J. Mascis are superb in context. His gravelly delivery is a perfect counterpoint to Jonas Bjerre's light and airy voice.

Mew - Why are you looking grave?

Mew
And the glass handed kites
Sony/BMG

You know why the Flaming Lips are not copied more, despite their fame? Because nobody has the balls to even try to sound like them, they are just that good. You know why Mew will never be a regular play of my discography? Because they try to be the Flaming Lips, albeit less happy and more melancholic, and they just are not as good.
- Simon Thibaudeau

This week's top artists for the It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group:

01. Death Cab for Cutie
02. The Decemberists
03. The Strokes
04. Hello Saferide
05. The Arcade Fire
06. Mew
07. The Libertines
08. Broken Social Scene
09. Sufjan Stevens

Top songs:

01. Laakso - In my blood
02. Mew - Special
03. The Strokes - You Only Live Once
04. The Decemberists - We Both Go Down Together
05. I'm from Barcelona - The Painter
06. Broken Social Scene - Stars and Sons
07. Hello Saferide - If I Don't Write This Song, Someone I Love Will Die
08. Hello Saferide - Get Sick Soon
09. Death Cab for Cutie - Lightness

Again, I'd like to encourage all regular readers to join up so we can get a better idea of what we're all listening to. It's fun! Go here: http://www.last.fm/group/itsatrap/

This week's YLE X3M video chart:

01. Kent - Den döda vinkeln (SWE)
02. Smak - Vesi tulvii sisään (FIN)
03. The Rasmus - No fear (FIN)
04. HIM - Wings of a butterfly (FIN)
05. Korpiklaani - Kädet siipinä (FIN)
06. Gakko3 - In love (FIN)
07. Critical - Mina sista ord (SWE)
08. Poets of the Fall - Lift (FIN)
09. Bloodpit - Platitude (FIN)
10. Sigur Rós - Glósóli (ICE)

Challengers:
11. Technicolour - Nowhere to go (FIN)
12. Mew - Special (DK)
13. Lilyjets - Going blind (NOR)

This week's top artists for the Itsatrap Audioscrobbler/Last.fm listening group:

01. Mew
02. Sigur Rós
03. Franz Ferdinand
04. Death Cab for Cutie
05. Randy
06. Architecture in Helsinki
07. Of Montreal
08. M83
09. I'm from Barcelona

I'd like to encourage all regular readers of this site who listen to music on their computers to join up so we can get an even better idea of what everyone is listening to. Go here for more: http://www.last.fm/group/itsatrap/

Nominees for the MTV European Music Awards:

Best Danish Act:
Mew
Carpark North
Nephew
The Raveonettes
Nik and Jay

Best Swedish Act:
Kent
Moneybrother
Timbuktu
The Hellacopters
Christian Walz

Best Norwegian Act:
Röyksopp
Marion Raven
Turbonegro
Thomas Dybdahl
Ane Brun

Best Finnish Act:
The Rasmus
HIM
Nightwish
69 Eyes
Apocalyptica

Drowned in Sound reviews the new one from Mew: http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/13216