IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Murmansk - Outrun (video)

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:08:44 -0700

"Outrun" is the 2nd video from Murmansk's excellent new album "Rüütli". It's also the track that seems to reliably come up on shuffle almost every day when I'm out running (no complaints!).

Murmansk - Peel

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:59:42 -0700

New Murmansk, dig in.

Murmansk - Rüütli (trailer)

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:27:16 -0700

The first sample of Murmansk's upcoming album "Rüütli".

New Murmansk in September

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:42:55 -0700

The new Murmansk album will be called "Rüütli" and it will be released in Scandinavia 'round mid-September with a G/A/S release to follow a month later. Been looking forward to this one for awhile now.

Murmansk - Mercury

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:59:17 -0800

Once again, the first official single from Murmansk's next album, due out later this year.

Murmansk - Mercury (video)

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:23:46 -0800

At long last, something new from the excellent Finnish act Murmansk. The band's third album will be out later this year.

Free music from Sleeping in Airports

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:09:09 -0800

Sleeping in Airports is yet another in the long line of female-fronted Finnish acts exploring the realms of shoegaze and they have two tracks they are giving away for free: http://soundcloud.com/sleeping-in-airports
Not as immediately appealing to me as On Volcano or Murmansk, but definitely not without potential.

TLOBF talks to Murmansk

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:13:58 -0800

The Line of Best Fit interviews Finnish shoegazers Murmansk ahead of their appearance at this month's Ja Ja Ja Nordic showcase in London: http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/01/ja-ja-ja-murmansk/

Ja Ja Ja January: Murmansk, Montée, Benni Hemm Hemm

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:16:32 -0800

Tom Robinson from BBC6 Music Introducing has been selected as January's curator for London-based Scandinavian music showcase Ja Ja Ja. His selections for January 27: Murmansk, Montée and Benni Hemm Hemm.

Sirius playlist week #33

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:05:34 -0700

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

01. Johan Heltne - Krieg ist krieg und schnaps ist schnaps
02. TALK 1
03. Tiger Tape - She is fiction
04. Terrible Feelings - Blank heads
05. Pistol Disco - Organ and drum
06. TALK 2
07. Ludwig Bell - Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk
08. Bonghit - Maratondröm
09. Murmansk - Silver heel
10. TALK 3
11. Robyn - Criminal intent
12. Pettersson & Fredriksson - Langas
13. Lapko - A new bohemia
14. TALK 4
15. The Megaphonic Thrift - Candy sin
16. Park Hotell - Trouble kid
17. Champagne Riot - Heart stab
18. TALK 5
19. Britta Persson - Meet a bear

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU (except this week -- there's no repeat tonight). That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Murmansk tour Germany, more

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:33:49 -0800

Finnish act Murmansk is heading to Germany for a few dates:

03/07 - Logo, Hamburg
03/08 - Luxor, Köln
03/09 - 59:1, München

Also note that Drowned in Sound enjoyed their By:Larm appearance: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4139252-by--larm-%E2%80%9810-festival-review

Sirius playlist week #5

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:30:18 -0800

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

01. TALK 1
02. The Goner - Within the hour
03. Moto Boy - The heart is a rebel
04. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
05. TALK 2
06. Valkyrien Allstars - Hvis jeg var deg
07. Tobias Hellkvist - Patience
08. Scarred By Beauty - We swim
09. [ingenting] - Tack
10. TALK 3
11. I'm From Barcelona/Daviel Lindlöf - Lower my head
12. Monazno - Yes we can't
13. Silver - The white logic
14. Eskatol - Siste dans
15. TALK 5
16. Murmansk - The surgical assistant
17. Dyno - Destroy! Destroy!
18. Folkvang - Folkvangs första
19. C.Aarmé - Angola (Princess version)
20. TALK 5
21. Abhinanda - Junior

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.

Murmansk to tour Russia

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:14:44 -0800

Finnish noiserockers Murmansk are going to Russia in February:

02/24 - Tanci Club, St. Petersburg
02/25 - DubClub, Moscow
02/26 - Dejavu, Chelyabinsk
02/27 - Akademia, Kurgan

More SXSW confirmations

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:16:42 -0800

Turboweekend, CALLmeKAT, Marie Fisker, Jonna Lee, Oh No Ono, Kaspar, Murmansk and Adam Tensta are among the latest confirmations for SXSW.

Sirius playlist week #47

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:18:00 -0800

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

01. Bastard Priest - Under the hammer of destruction
02. TALK 1
03. Monty - En till himmel
04. Superfamily - Songs of the weak will die
05. Agent Side Grinder - Black vein
06. TALK 2
07. Murmansk - Silver heel
08. Cleaning Women - Across the void
09. Pintandwefall - Jail
10. TALK 3
11. Tobias Hellkvist - Scars and stripes
12. Truckfighters - Traffic
13. Rockettothesky - Barrie for Billy MacKenzie
14. TALK 4
15. Peter Bjorn and John - I don't know what I want us to do
16. Håkan Hellström - En vån med en bil
17. Barra Head - Common ground
18. TALK 5
19. Makthaverskan - Vi var människor från början

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.

Mojo gets Lost in Music

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:39:38 -0800

Mojo reports on seeing a few promising Finnish acts at the Lost in Music Festival in Tampere: http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/11/finns_aint_what_they_used_to_b.html
Some of the names mentioned that I've covered include Joensuu 1685, Murmansk, Regina, Downstairs and Cats on Fire.

Sirius playlist week #30

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:51:36 -0700

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

01. I Are Droid - Sevenfold
02. TALK 1
03. [ingenting] - Halleluja!
04. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
05. Turboweekend - Something or nothing
06. José González - How low
07. TALK 2
08. Ison & Fille - Ikväll vi är kungar
09. Arcana - Invisible motions
10. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around
11. TALK 3
12. Murmansk - Silver heel
13. Björn Kleinhenz - HAZ 920
14. David Sandström Overdrive - Songs that maybe won't be forgotten
15. Randy - Evil
16. TALK 4
17. The Bombettes - Oh boy
18. We Are the Storm - Where we used to be heroes
19. Elmo - Young love
20. The Bear Quartet - Volksblues (ft. Karin Dreijer Andersson)
21. TALK 5
22. Mattias Alkberg - Jag bara tänkte, liksom, att

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 #23

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:09:48 -0700

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

01. Pintandwefall - Jail
02. TALK 1
03. Detektivbyrån - Partyland
04. Carolina Wallin Pérez - Pärlor
05. Piroth - Fog dancers
06. TALK 2
07. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
08. Lapko - Miami vicer
09. My God Damn Territory - Used to be
10. The End Will Be Kicks - Sweets & filth
11. TALK 3
12. Murmansk - Behind kitchen knives
13. Gösta Berlings Saga - Bergslagen
14. TALK 4
15. Folke - Wet soap
16. The Goner - A song
17. Regina - Totuus minusta
18. TALK 5
19. Lowood - Crash

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.

New website for Murmansk

Wed, 13 May 2009 18:53:28 -0700

Finnish heavy shoegazers Murmansk have revamped their website: http://www.murmansk-helsinki.com/

Stream the new Murmansk album

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:06:27 -0700

Murmansk's excellent new record "Eleven eyes to shade" is currently streaming in its entirety at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/murmansktheband

Murmansk - Moth (video)

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:20:10 -0700

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk are now streaming the video for their new single "Moth": http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=56365478

Sirius playlist week #17

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:29:41 -0700

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

01. Rigas - It's a shame
02. TALK 1
03. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
04. Logh - Death to my hometown
05. Hanna Hirsch - Framtid och besvär
06. The Amazing - Dragon
07. TALK 2
08. Promoe - Growing up on the road
09. Robert Svensson - I was summer, you were
10. Thåström - Linnéa
11. TALK 3
12. Murmansk - Sumac
13. Röyksopp - This must be it
14. Fy Fan - Snick snack
15. We are the Storm - A song for our city
16. TALK 4
17. Truckfighters - Monte gargano
18. The Psyke Project - For us to see for us to help
19. Dear Euphoria - Tell me
20. TALK 5
21. Samuraj Cities - 2 close 2 yr hrt

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 #16

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:19:43 -0700

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

01. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
02. TALK 1
03. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
04. Elenette - Att göra en hit
05. Maskinen - Bränner
06. TALK 2
07. The Skull Defekts - Habit
08. Grave - Into the grave
09. Murmansk - Moth
10. TALK 3
11. Kite - My girl and I
12. Laakso - Worst case scenario
13. Samtidigt Som - Denna sida mot fienden
14. TALK 4
15. David Åhlén - We sprout in thy soil
16. Knife and Ape - Buck teeth
17. Existensminimum - 1993
18. Cut City - Departure in particular
19. TALK 5
20. Masquer - Hanging garden

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.

MP3: Murmansk - Sweet trio

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:07:50 -0700

This could almost be a U2 song at the start, but that bass is way too cavernous. And of course the vocals have none of Bono's self-importance; rather they settle into the mix like another instrument. The further you go however, the deeper you get into Murmansk's own heavy shoegaze sound, emphasis on the heavy. This particular track doesn't ever wallop you with a huge chorus though, rather it's all about the tone and the mood, especially seeing as how this is merely the opener for new album "Eleven eyes to shade". Everything that follows builds on what came before and let me tell you, it is truly epic to behold. Play LOUD.

Sirius playlist week #15

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:47:19 -0700

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

01. Lowood - It's a mess (feat. Kristofer Åström)
02. TALK 1
03. Murmansk - Sweet trio
04. Øresund Space Collective - My heel has a beard
05. Nutid - Pianoflikkan
06. TALK 2
07. Montt Mardié - Bang, bang (Echo in Warsaw)
08. Rupesh Cartel - Oh no oh no!
09. Bellman - Sleep forever
10. Pixie Carnation - Little sister
11. TALK 3
12. Fever Ray - Concrete walls
13. Jesper Norda - We have the guts
14. Bad Hands - Bad hands (feat. Nina Kinert)
15. TALK 4
16. Turboweekend - Up with the smoke - Down with the ash

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.

Murmansk streaming yet another new track

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:27:50 -0700

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk have added yet another new track to their myspace page from their forthcoming album "Eleven eyes to shade": http://www.myspace.com/murmansktheband
I'm actually listening to a promo copy of said album right at this very moment and it sounds great. Really heavy and powerful.

Murmansk - Sweet trio

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:49:06 -0700

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk are streaming the excellent new track "Sweet trio" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/murmansktheband
As mentioned before, the band's new album "Eleven eyes to shade" will be out on May 6.

Sirius playlist week #9

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:47:59 -0800

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

01. TALK 1
02. Culkin - Breathholders
03. Max Peezay - Boven i droven
04. Detektivbyrån - En annan typ av disco
05. Billie the Vision & the Dancers - You'd better watch out, 'cause I like you
06. TALK 2
07. Sad Day for Puppets - Marble gods
08. Viola - The hardest hit
09. Samuraj Cities - Spoonful of talk
10. Kalle J - I skydd av mörkret
11. TALK 3
12. Murmansk - Vague language
13. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Radius (Dmitry Fyodorov Radius Relaxation Remix)
14. The Low Frequency in Stereo - Texas fox
15. David Åhlén - We sprout in thy soil
16. TALK 4
17. Paper - Out of it into it
18. Andreas Tilliander - Caught in a riot
19. On Volcano - Out of sight
20. Entombed - Seeing red
21. TALK 5
22. Säkert! - Någon gång måste du bli själv

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.

New Murmansk single 'Moth' in mid-April

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:07:05 -0800

The first single from Murmansk's upcoming album "Eleven eyes to shade" will be the song "Moth". Expect a video in mid-April and, as mentioned before, the album itself on May 6. There will be a release party at Bar Loose in Helsinki on May 8.

New Murmansk album gets release date

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:23:50 -0800

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk have confirmed that their sophomore album "Eleven eyes to shade" has been given a May 6 release date by Ranch/Spinefarm Records.

Murmansk signs to Spinefarm

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:16:20 -0800

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk have signed with Spinefarm subsidiary Ranch for their next album "Eleven eyes to shade", due out in May.

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:50:42 -0800

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

01. Familjen - Nu händer det igen
02. TALK 1
03. Murmansk - Pale
04. KTMK - Valaistu risti
05. Lapko - Hugging the phone
06. Hebosagil - Big sun
07. TALK 2
08. Samuraj Cities - Washed up!
09. Sad Day for Puppets - Marble gods
10. Logh - An alliance of hearts
11. Epidemics - Never grow up
12. TALK 3
13. Simon Says No! - Shiver
14. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
15. Spirits of the Dead - White lady/Black rave
16. TALK 4
17. Laakso - Hang me in the Christmas tree

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

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:02:26 -0800

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk are back in the studio with producer Julius Mauranen working on their 2nd album. Expect a spring 2009 release.

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:09:29 -0700

Finnish shoegazers Murmansk have started a tour diary: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=68437695&blogID=437824041

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:42:04 -0700

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

01. Theresa Andersson - Na na na (empty heart)
02. TALK 1
03. Soviac - Malorca
04. Agent Side Grinder - Ricocheting memories
05. Svenson - Howlong
06. TALK 2
07. Hello Kinski - Summer is a waste of time
08. Britta Persson - Kill Hollywood me
09. Tredje Mannen - Cul-de-sac
10. TALK 3
11. The Goner - Spirit roundup
12. Liket Lever - Levande begravd
13. TALK 4
14. Paper - Out of it into it
15. Hebosagil - Big sun
16. Murmansk - Vague language
17. Randy - Who's side are you on?
18. TALK 5
19. The Deer Tracks - Slow collision

Reminder: my show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday.

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:09:42 -0700

Look for Finnish shoegazers Murmansk to do a short European tour in October with their friends Mesmer. After that, it's back in the studio to record the follow-up to "Chinese locks", an album we just reviewed earlier this week.

Murmansk Chinese locks Around Your Neck

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"Vague language" alone is testament to the fact that there was enough of value in 90s music for Murmansk to draw from, to combine into their own register, and this second track of "Chinese locks" flickers alive in ways that I can only remember moments of Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins songs comparing to. The opening title-track prepares listeners for an onslaught similar to that of Mew's "And the glass handed kites", where equal emphasis is placed on the energies of the guitar and drum work, in the end building up an intriguingly thick soundscape of instrumentation. The first breakdown of "Nothing but the moon" is one of the more epic interludes I have heard in a while, not necessarily in its scope, but in its execution: resounding, thunderous drums punctuating layered guitars, wisps of soft vocals floating just above the fray; and this theme is repeated throughout the remaining breakdowns of the song. This amalgamation of the grunge themes of the 1990s with the more expansive sound of acts like Mew is worked and reworked throughout the album, the focal influence shifting all the way through, and thus it never starts to feel formulaic.

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:53:34 -0700

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

01. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Bodybuilder
02. TALK 1
03. Svart - Carl du lever i en dröm
04. Majessic Dreams - Beautiful days
05. Antennas - Lies (Oscar Tillman remix)
06. TALK 2
07. The Sound O.E - Universal tourist
08. Kaipa - Nattdjurstid
09. Murmansk - Pale
10. TALK 3
11. On Volcano - Ride the wolf
12. Markus Krunegård - Samma nätter vänter alla
13. Ondo - Mahavishnu
14. TALK 4
15. Popsicle - Hey princess
16. CMX - Tulikiveä
17. Ström i P2/Håkan Lidbo - Strömavbrott (Boeoes Kaelstigen Etsi remix)
18. TALK 5
19. The Goner - Kill them all save Simon Joyner
20. Cult of Luna - Eternal kingdom
21. Montys Loco - Ages ago
22. TALK 6
23. Mattias Alkberg BD - Allting är drömt
24. Masshysteri - Monoton tid
25. Ljudbilden & Piloten - You know you're doing OK
26. Abduktio - Thermador
27. TALK 7
28. Hebosagil - Big sun
29. Anna Ternheim - To be gone
30. Kusowsky - Tjuvar
31. Fredrik - 1986
32. TALK 8
33. Johan Heltne - 16 Avenue de l'Opera
34. Cortex - Arkham
35. Kleerup - Until we bleed (ft. Lykke Li)
36. TALK 9
37. Coldworker - Citizens of the cyclopean maze

Heads-up: my show is moving to a new time next week! Starting on Sunday, June 8 my show will be on at 11pm Eastern / 8pm Pacific with a repeat on Monday at the exact same time. I'm also paring down to an hour of programming a week, so expect all-killer/no-filler from here on out! Also, seeing as how I'm leaving for Sweden on June 9, this week's coming show will be a Hultsfred Festival special so mark your calenders, update your alarm clocks or do whatever it is you need to do to remind yourself to listen in!

MP3: On Volcano - Ride the wolf

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:09:05 -0700

I've been getting my Finnish shoegaze confused! Murmansk, who I covered on Tuesday, have never been a postrock band. That would be On Volcano, today's featured artists. Gah, so many bios to read I can't keep 'em straight. Anyhow, both are great bands with an awful lot of similarities besides their country of origin as they both employ female vocalists, though I'd say that On Volcano is by far the poppier of the two. Whereas Murmansk piles on heavy layers of sound and tends to bury the vocals into the mix, On Volcano places them front and center. "Ride the wolf", the opening track of their debut EP "My sleep was filled with dreams", even has a bit of early U2 to it, with those martial drum beats and prominent bassline. You also get a bit of new-wave pop, not too far off from what the Swedish band Paris is known for. However, it's on the half-time breakdown on the 2nd half of the song that they really let loose, offering up a barrage of lush guitar textures. So yeah, similar but different but equally awesome.

MP3: Murmansk - Nothing but the moon

Tue, 27 May 2008 11:42:06 -0700

I don't cover nearly as much Finnish music as I probably should. I mostly blame that on the language barrier, but I also know I could do better and that's why I've decided to (mostly) focus on Finnish artists the rest of the week. I already covered the hardcore band Abduktio yesterday, so today we turn our attention to Murmansk, a shoegaze/dreampop band from Helsinki with a female vocalist and, as they say themselves, an aggressive edge. "Chinese locks" is the band's debut album and it's out on Around Your Neck, a young new label that, judging from earlier releases, specializes in 90s nostalgia, though I'd say it's the wrong kind (ugh, Pavement - no thanks). Murmansk on the other hand, hearken back to the late-80s heyday of 4AD, evoking the darker, more ethereal qualities of artists like Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance, but tempered with the noisy outbursts of The Pixies. Once you find out the band started life as a postrock instrumental trio before adding vocalist/guitarist Laura Soininen, the end result makes even more sense. It's heavy, atmospheric and, all in all, immensely satisfying. And, for a debut album, quite impressive. Very recommended!
NOTE: Please see Thursday's post for a small correction/update.

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Finnish dark-edged indierockers Murmansk have posted a new mp3 single and video for free download: http://www.murmansk-helsinki.com/

Mon, 16 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Lupatarkastaja has a new online mixtape from Luuvitosen Vippi, bassist for the Finnish band Murmansk. Check it: http://lupatarkastaja.samizdat.info/2005/05/13/luuvitosen-vippi-3-olli-pouttu-murmansk/