Finally, new music from Okkultokrati! The band's upcoming album "Snakereigns" has been officially confirmed for release on October 26 via Fysisk Format and they say that musically-speaking, it "is a great leap for the band," and that they build their songs "on straightforward punk beats with the filth of unholy rock n' roll running through their veins." As for the lyrical themes contained therein: "The end of the universe, the end of the world and the end of self." Yes, this is my most anticipated release of 2012.

I didn't care much about going to shows on my recent trip to Sweden, but there was no fucking way I would miss this. Okkultokrati #1; the new stuff they played from their upcoming album all sounded killer.

07/08 - MTC, Köln (GER)
07/09 - tbc
07/10 - Star & Garter, Manchester (UK)
07/11 - Underworld, London (UK)
07/12 - Winston, Amsterdam (HOL)
07/13 - Juha West, Stuttgart (GER)
07/14 - 59 to 1, München (GER)
07/15 - Cassiopeia, Berlin (GER)
07/16 - 007, Prague (CZ)
07/17 - tbc
07/18 - tbc
07/19 - Truckstop Alaska, Gothenburg (SWE)
07/20 - Slottsfjell Fest, Tonsberg (NOR)

My question is, who's gonna give me a ride out to Truckstop on the 19th?

The prospect of whittling down my list of 2011 favorites to a standard top 10 or even 20 just didn't seem quite so appropriate this year so I've opted instead to break up my selections into a few compartmentalized and highly subjective niches. When I reflect back on the year just passed, this is the method that makes the most sense to me, and besides, music is not a contest and many of these records simply cannot withstand side-by-side scrutiny. Hopefully you'll agree, but if not, there's always the comments section.

BEST ROCK/POP

For lack of a better signifier, here are a few of my favorite releases that don't fit neatly into a clever subgenre.

Peter Bjorn and John - Gimme some
I feel bad for everyone who can't move beyond "Young folks". PB&J has always been and continues to be a fantastic powerpop band and their latest album might just be their best.

Penny Century - Friends and family
A grower, not a shower. I found myself returning to this record time and time again, discovering new things to appreciate almost every time. A deeply nuanced work masquerading as sweet indiepop.

Cut City - Where's the harm in dreams disarmed?
A fitting swan song that their final release should be a perfect encapsulation of modern goth/pop/postpunk.

Kaka - The two
Brilliant, addictive and secretly subversive once you start digging into the lyrics.

BEST SCENE: Black Hole Crew/Nekromantik Norway

Excellence in consistency, consisently excellent. While no one release blew me away quite like Okkultokrati's "No light for mass" or Haust's debut LP "Ride the relapse", the Oslo horde has been regularly churning out some of the finest punk/metal/hardcore in the world today.

Key selections:
Dark Times - s/t CS
Årabrot - Solar anus
Årabrot/Okkultokrati - split 12"
Okkultokrati - Ingen veit alt 7"
Okkultokrati/Haust - Black Hole X-mas 7"
Problems - 2011 CS

ALSO SEE: Hubro & HOOB Records

Allow me to step outside my confort zone a moment to also recommend to you the not-exactly jazz labels Hubro and HOOB Records, based in Norway and Sweden respectively. Both are delivering an amazing array of excellent genre-breaking music and, while I may not be intimately familiar with the circles they travel in, I can confidently say that almost every single release they've put out is well worth investigating.

Key selections:
The Splendour - Delphian palace
Thus:Owls - Harbours
Splashgirl - Pressure
Huntsville - For flowers, cars and merry wars
1982 - Pintura

BEST INSTRUMENTAL/SOUNDTRACK

Matti Bye & Mattias Olsson - Elephant and castle
Wheezing vintage organs and the clatter of clever percussion combine to create one of the most satisfying and creepy albums of the year.

BEST METAL

Execration - Odes of the occult
Much in the same way that Obliteration's "Nekropsalms" stood head and shoulders above the rest back in 2009, Execration's "Odes of the occult" expands on the same template established by their countrymates and adds a hefty does of epic doom to their filthy death metal, thus easily enabling them to (ahem) obliterate the competition.

ALSO SEE:
Dödsvarg - Livet är en dödsorsak
Mr. Death - Descending through ashes
Rising - To solemn ash

BEST EPs

2011 was an amazing year for EPs and many of these titles I have listed make up my absolute favorite releases of the year.

Grande Roses - Hide
Hands down, the best rock record of the year. Vital and passionate in an era when so many feign indifference or hide behind irony, no one else comes close.

Kite - IV
Even if you think that they'll never write another song as good as "Ways to dance", or even if you think they already did, Kite has never had a 100% fully satisfying release until this. Five songs, all synthpop anthems.

The Psyke Project - Ebola
As said before, forget the other half of this split -- it doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned. The Psyke Project is brutality personified; every time you think they couldn't get any heavier, they do.

In These Woods - s/t
Technically a late 2010 release, but who is really paying attention to anything new in late December? Classic Swedish indie guitar-rock is saved from extinction yet again.

Alouatta - DIY
Melodic mid-tempo punk played by dudes who are old enough to know better, but also old enough to do it just right.

FOREIGN JUNK

Not appropriate to waste words on these here, in this forum, but these records are all excellent and well worth checking out:
Austra - Feel it break
Charles Bradley - No time for dreaming
The Devil's Blood - The thousandfold epicentre
Royal Headache - s/t

Top 10 releases of 2011:

Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years
The Men - Leave Home
Dark Times - 7"
*AR - Wolf Notes
Next Life - Artificial Divinity
Grouper - AIA: Dream Loss/Alien Observer
Iceage - New Brigade
Retox - Ugly Animals
GDP - Useless Eaters
Total Control - Henge Beat

---------------------------
Lars plays in the bands Okkultokrati, Problems and White Juice and also runs the label Ormeyngel. His actual #1 favorite album of the year is pictured above.
http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/
http://ormeyngel.bandcamp.com/

11/20 - ¡Concierto Secreto!, Benicarló (Castellón)
11/21 - AVV Arrebato, Zaragoza (ESP)
11/23 - Sentinel, Erandio (Bilbao)
11/24 - Ibu Hots, Gasteiz (ESP)
11/25 - CSA Antiguos Almacenes de La Mina, La Gandara/Udias (ESP)
11/26 - Monkey Club, Gijon (ESP)
11/27 - Palavea Squat, A Coruña (ESP)
11/28 - La Faena II, Madrid (ESP)

It's official: the upcoming Okkultokrati record due out in late November will be an extra-special Christmas-themed split 7" with Haust called "Black Hole X-mas". Haust contribute a new recording of the modern evergreen "No Christmas" which originally premiered during last year's Alternativ Julekalendar and Okkultokrati respond in kind with "All I want for Christmas is glue". Official release is November 25 via Fysisk Format. If you're looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite misanthrope, this is it!

Problems have a new cassette out on Ormeyngel Records, the label of Norway's Black Hole Crew: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2011/10/problems-2011-tape-out-now.html
And speaking of said crew, look for a new record from Okkultokrati to be released via Fysisk Format in late November.

Årabrot and Okkultokrati, two of Norway's heaviest and darkest acts, will be teaming up for a split 12" to be released on July 1 via Fysisk Format. Full details here: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkultokratiarabrot-split-12.html
If you happen to be near Oslo, there will be a record release show at Blå on June 25 which also happens to be the releasefest for Next Life's new LP as well.

Not to diss on Torpedo, but when I imagine the soundtrack to the end-times, I tend to think of Apocalyptic Folk or the "metaphysical black'n'roll" of Okkultokrati. Hexvessel fit into the former category and provided a perfect soundtrack for my apocalyptic/disaster-prep book club meeting last night where we discussed the first half of the anthology "Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories". Amongst other similar artists, naturally, many more of which I will be listening to as I await the coming drift of the radiation cloud headed now for the Pacific coast.

Did I scare you? Truth is, I needed a day off and April Fools was a perfect excuse. The reality is that I don't think I can ever fully give this up because how else would I find out about all the new music that interests me? Sure, I could read rehashed press releases on many blogs from whatever artists currently happen to have the best PR and of course there's quite a few excellent genre-specialty sites covering mainstream pop, metal and hip-hop, but if there's anyone else out there covering underground/DIY indie/punk/hardcore/experimental/etc. with the same dedication, depth and breadth as IAT! please let me know so I can retire. I mean it.

Anyhow, the first three months of 2011 are now over and done with so let us now take the time to pause for reflection and for positivity's sake, let us first recount the highlights -- Peter Bjorn and John's "Gimme some" and Paper's "Mischmasch" are easily the two biggest standouts of the lot. Both superb albums, both well worth picking up. Niels Nielsen, Penny Century and Katharina Nuttall all released solid records as well, as did Maim, Iceage, Hymns From Nineveh and First Love, Last Rites. Been listening to Hexvessel and Sail a Whale a bit too, though the latter is a late discovery for me since it was released in 2010. Supersci's newest record "Timelines" from last year is another good one that I missed when it was fresh. Also still plenty to look forward to, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words' swansong "Dreadcade" being a top pick, along with the arena-aspiring sounds of We are the Storm and Pixie Carnation and other exciting stuff like Gösta Berlings Saga looking quite promising.

As for reassessing my 2010 top picks, I'm still spinning all three on the regular -- Masshysteri, Dear Euphoria and Okkultokrati -- with no intention of shuffling them aside anytime soon. I revisited Johan Heltne's "Sara," this past weekend too and found that it's only gotten better over time. As for The Bear Quartet, as much I love them (and that's a lot), I don't feel the need to listen to "Monty Python" again for a while. Give me a year or two with that one to see where it stands against the rest of their impressive discography. Robyn, of course, remains tops, but you already knew that. I also revisited Underachiever's second demo and discovered that I totally get it now, while Faster Katt's latest is just ok when compared to the debut and Life Before Man's sole release has me wishfully thinking they'll actually get around to being an active band. 2010 was a good year and it feels good to say that my feelings on most of the records I praised has not diminished.

So while I'm still consistently fighting against burnout and the endless tide of mediocre music that makes its way to me, it's good to take a break to remember that there's still lots of reasons to be excited, both for now and for the future. There's always lots of good music, sometimes you just have to work a bit harder to find it.

The Quietus interviews Årabrot and Haust, two members of Norway's Black Hole Crew, ahead of the former's Ja Ja Ja gig in London tomorrow: http://thequietus.com/articles/05737-rabrot-interview-haust-necromantic-rock-norway
Featured above: Okkultokrati, the third part of the triad that makes up the so-called "Necromantic Norway" scene and still by far my favorite of the bunch.

02/04 - Matrix, Bochum (GER)
02/05 - VK, Bruxelles (BEL)
02/06 - Kulturfabrik, Esch sur Alzette (LUX)
02/07 - Underworld, London (UK)
02/08 - Corporation, Sheffield (UK)
02/09 - Ivory Blacks, Glasgow (UK)
02/10 - Moho, Manchester (UK)
02/11 - L'Eimpreinte, Savigny Le Temple (FRA)
02/12 - Le Clacson, Lyon (FRA)
02/13 - Appartamento Hoffman, Conegliano (Treviso) (ITA)
02/14 - Feierwerk, München (GER)
02/15 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
02/16 - Arena, Wien (AUS)
02/17 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
02/18 - Haus 73, Hamburg (GER)
02/19 - Juha West, Stuttgart (GER)

Not everything in the picture above is officially a 2010 release, but they are all various things I picked up this past year and would recommend you do the same, should the opportunity present itself. Bonus points to anyone who can name every record pictured! Anyhow, as I was saying, there was quite a lot of really good music released in 2010, but at the same time, very few crossed the line into greatness. This year, only three albums made the cut.

Dear Euphoria - This night will flee (Given Productions/Herbivor Music)

A deep and richly satisfying listening experience that speaks of love and emptiness and the vast space between, with each repitition revealing new insight. Beautifully haunting.

Masshysteri - s/t (Ny Våg/Feral Ward)

The perfect pop-punk album. RIP.

Okkultokrati - No light for mass (Fysisk Format/Lilla Himmel/Odio Sonoro/Ormeyngel Records)

Apocalyptic visions set to a soundtrack of the rawest metal/punk sludge. A zeitgeist-defining album of unmatched ugliness.

Best Song:

Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
I still get goosebumps every time.

Best Demo:

Underachiever - This is where I lost the ability to love
Faster Katt - Demo 2010

The notion of a demo is almost completely lost in this digital age, but there are still those who carry the torch, preferring to test the waters with honest, rough-edged recordings before commiting to any sort of "official" release. In 2010 I listened to way more, way better demo/self-released material this year than any big-name releases, so this list could be a lot longer, but these two stuck with me the longest.

Other Records Worth Mentioning

Like I said at the top, there really were a lot of really good albums this year. Here's a few more that might not rate as high as the three above, but are all well worth your time:

The Bear Quartet - Monty Python (Adrian Recordings)
BQ's endless restlessness and constant desire to innovate remains one of their greatest assets, but it also means that they sometimes miss the mark. Still, the band remains one of Sweden's all-time greats, if not the greatest.

Darkthrone - Circle the wagons (Peaceville)
The opposite of BQ in that the band is continually regressing, but very similar in the approach that they continually churn an almost overwhelming amount of quality material.

Enforcer - Diamonds (Earache/Heavy Artillery)
Too goofy to be truly great, but guaranteed to stay in steady rotation for years to come.

Johan Helte - Sara, (Raffaella)
On the cusp of greatness. Ask me again about this record in six months.

Kimono - Easy music for difficult people (Kimi Records)
My sleeper pick of the year. It's hard to cite exactly what's so gripping about this record, I just know that I keep listening to it regularly.

Monzano - By this time last year everything will seem younger (Spoon Train Audio/How is Annie Records)
Another one on the cusp. Not sure anymore if I permanently burned myself out on these literary indie gents from Norway or if it's one that'll come back to me after some time apart.

Britta Persson - Current affair medium rare (Selective Notes)
More than a few exceptional moments (see "Toast to M" for example), but not enough cohesion.

Robyn - Body talk (Konichiwa Records)
There's a reason this is on everyone's list.

Säkert! - Facit (Razzia Records)
A good album that simply hasn't connected with me as much as I had hoped.

The Tallest Man on Earth - The wild hunt (Dead Oceans)
Another one that made a lot of year-end lists for good reason.

Tiger Tape - I woke up in Hökarängen (Cosy/Lo And Behold)
My favorite indiepop album of 2010.

Plus a few more names: Ikons, Haust, Slöa Knivar, Lapko, Fun, Meleeh, Moto Boy... and let us not forget all of the amazing reissues from The Crypt such as Pan-Thy-Monium, Crypt of Kerberus, Uncanny, Furbowl and so on. So yeah, lots of good music. No complaints!

Black Hole Crew: The "Nekromantik Norway" shows with Haust, Årabrot and Okkultokrati around Norway, the latest Haust and Årabrot LPs, releasing two Okkultokrati records this year, Dark Times, Sumar, Drugged SS pissing off Oslo hipsters, the new band some of us just started, Ormeyngel Records.

Getting the news on the Pulp reunion shows happening next year.

Seeing Unbroken + Ceremony in London with my friends.

Everything Tottenham Hotspur: Champions League, 4th place in PL 2009/2010 season, Gareth Bale, van der Vaart.

Notodden in the summer.

The current state of OCHC (Oslo City Hardcore).

Integrity - The Blackest Curse being the best Integrity album ever.

Breaking edge.

Hot Mamba @ "Best i smaken"

Family and friends doing OK.

---------------------------
Lars says: "2010 kinda manifested Okkultokrati's existence, so 2011 will see us touring Europe a bit and probably releasing some new shit. I've also got a new band that will put out some seven inches, and finally we'll record and release the Problems debut LP. Apart from music, I'll hang out with my best friends all the time and drop out of life as much as possible."
http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/
http://myspace.com/wehaveproblems
http://ormeyngel.bigcartel.com/

01. Night Minutes - Sweetheart of the funeral
02. TALK 1
03. Korova Station - Come on come on
04. Okkultokrati - Stench of life
05. Johan G Winther - Chasing kingdoms
06. Kimono - Vienna
07. TALK 2
08. SONMOI - The man with no flesh
09. Phonophani - Neverdal
10. Kausal - The conquistador
11. TALK 3
12. Vowels - oiaå
13. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
14. Säkert! - Rotary
15. Slöa Knivar - Stay dirty
16. TALK 4
17. Slöa Knivar - Hjärtat
18. Menfolk - Skeletons
19. Asha Ali - Hurricane
20. Tiger Tape - She is fiction
21. 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.

01. TALK 1
02. Waklevören - Attakk
03. Eskatol - Fane av løgner
04. Årabrot - End of the world / Revelations
05. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Positivt tankande
06. TALK 2
07. Grave - Liberation
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Liket Lever - Levande begravd
10. Knugen Faller - Jag vill inte vara med
11. TALK 3
12. Haust - Anti-reproductive
13. Underachiever - Cut a smile
14. Pointless Youth - Damaged head
15. Wolfbrigade - In adrenaline
16. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
17. TALK 4
18. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
19. Slugathor - The smoke
20. Tyrant - I'll burn that bridge (before you can cross it)
21. TALK 5
22. Bitch Boys - Automobile
23. Mögel - Jag är så rädd
24. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
25. Victims - Another way to die
26. Nitad - Stockholmsnatt
27. TALK 6

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.

DATE ADDED : 07/25/10
LENGTH : 40:29 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_07252010.mp3 (55.6mb)

Tracklist:
01. Haust - Anti-reproductive
02. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
03. Eskatol - Fane av løgner
04. Årabrot - Dead to me / Aficionado
05. Okkultokrati - Tomb city rockers - Pungent state
06. Obliteration - Exterminate
07. Waklevören - Oslo spy
08. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
09. Eskatol - Siste dans
10. Darkthrone - Circle the wagons
11. Obliteration - Ingesting death
12. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
13. Haust - Pointing and laughing
14. Waklevören - Attakk

01. Håkan Hellström - Kann ingen sorg för mig Göteborg
02. TALK 1
03. Enforcer - Katana
04. Existensminimum - 1993
05. Ludwig Bell - Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk
06. TALK 2
07. Karla-Therese Kjellvander & The Rockridge Brothers - New season
08. Lapko - Summer nights
09. CEO - No mercy
10. Night Minutes - Lord I can never be your mirror
11. TALK 3
12. Dungen - Marken låg stille
13. My Brother the Wind - Electric universe
14. Rigas den Andre - W.A.S.P. (R2 remix)
15. TALK 4
16. Waklevören - Oslo spy
17. Okkultokrati - Tail of the snakewind
18. Haust - Vomiting
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.

01. Kopfer Kat - UberVolt
02. TALK 1
03. Pan Sonic - Radio Qurghonteppa
04. Johannes Heldén - Vortex count
05. Dear Euphoria - No more time to weep
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
08. The Shock! - In silence
09. MF/MB/ - The big machine
10. TALK 3
11. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
12. Kausal - The conquistador
13. The Nature - Din medicin
14. TALK 4
15. Ignatius - Så jävla religiös
16. Okkultokrati - Tomb City rockers - Pungent stench
17. Haust - Anti-Reproductive
18. TALK 5
19. Carolina Wallin Pérez - Utan dina andetag

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.

The album "No light for mass" is out now via Fysisk Format/Ormeyngel and I believe the vinyl should be ready in about two weeks.

01. Okkultokrati - Ragnarokian
02. TALK 1
03. Menfolk - Matador
04. Newkid - Gör det för
05. Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
06. TALK 2
07. The Tarantula Waltz - Synthetic sun (feat. Ebba Forsberg)
08. Kommun - Death of a CEO
09. Far from Tellus - Far from Tellus
10. TALK 3
11. Moddi - Stuck in the waltz
12. Faster Katt - Death song
13. Blowback - Fool
14. TALK 4
15. Nils Bech - Don't worry
16. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
17. Banjo - You and the sun
18. NEI - A wonderful day
19. TALK 5
20. Junip - Rope and summit

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.

01. Masshysteri - Dom kan inte höra musiken
02. TALK 1
03. David Sandström Overdrive - How the story feels
04. Ludwig Bell - Jag är en idiot
05. Faster Katt - Strange candy
06. TALK 2
07. Zombiekrig - Döden
08. Vorum - Eyes burning red
09. Okkultokrati - No light for mass
10. TALK 3
11. Björn Kleinhenz - Dackes drabanter
12. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Transparent for you all
13. EL-SD - Sösjö
14. Robert Svensson - Beat
15. TALK 4
16. The Aches - Something to die for
17. Meleeh - Trauma
18. Grande Roses - Hell's own trial
19. Underachiever - Keep an eye
20. 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.

Drugged SS are a new signing to Ormeyngel Records, the label run by the folks behind Okkultokrati and Haust. They are also the first band they've signed from outside their extended band family. A 6-song demo tape is in the works and will be out soon.

01. Monty - En till himmel
02. TALK 1
03. Gösta Berlings Saga - Kontrast
04. Yamon Yamon - The darker place
05. Next Life - Paladin warrior
06. Haust - Skate rock
07. TALK 2
08. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
09. Blood Command - Party all the way to the hospital
10. Karin Ström - Hon som älskade dig
11. Kommun - The open relationship
12. TALK 3
13. Mattias Alkberg - Nya nya testamentet
14. Boy Omega - Follow the herd
15. No Hope for the Kids - Century of warfare
16. Labbet feat. Russell Morgan - Heart and soul of a lion
17. TALK 4
18. Champagne Riot - The champagne anthem
19. Movits! & Zacke - Först tar vi Manhattan
20. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Soon
21. TALK 5
22. No Balls - Suffering contest

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.

02/22 - Kollwitz - Like iron I rust
03/23 - Okkultokrati - No light for mass
04/12 - Blood Command - tba
04/19 - Nils Bech - tba

Hit up the label website to sample a track from each: http://www.fysiskformat.no/

Fare You Well - Overload EP
This is what I expect modern, heart-on-your-sleeve pop/rock to sound like except it almost never does. The lyrical content might be a little overly sentimental for this grumpy old man, but I love those all those huge vocal harmonies, anthemic choruses and little unexpected melodic twists -- it's the sound of a band that knows exactly what they're doing and does it well. If careers were still built on radio, I bet this band would be huge.
DOWNLOAD

Livaventura - Those who walk the last mile
I'm not sure what exactly happened behind the scenes with these guys, but their album "...And they slept with their eyes open" made my 2009 best-of contender list as soon as I first heard it in late 2008. And then its release date was pushed back. And then it got delayed again. Then they parted ways with vocalist Henriette Nielsen and decided to continue on as a trio. Somewhere along the line, they recorded a new album and posted for free on their website. It's at a less-than-optimal bitrate, but if you dig noisy, hard-driving indierock you need to check these guys out.
DOWNLOAD

Okkultokrati - Knarkskog EP
This one's actually available as a physical object, but a 7" limited to a mere 200 copies is a souvenir for the die-hard, not a model of conspicious consumption. 2009 was a good year for ugly, negative hardcore and a good source for it was Norway. Okkultokrati are at the top of the pack.
DOWNLOAD

Penny Century - Valencia EP
Far and away my favorite indiepop release of 2009, I mean it. Not too cloying, never too twee; just quality Norrland pop rock'n'roll. If you like Park Hotell (you should), you've love this too. Doesn't hurt that Mattias Alkberg of The Bear Quartet lends his vocals to two of the five songs, but they would still be a fantastic band even without his help.
DOWNLOAD

We Are the Storm - s/t EP
Göteborg used to have a monopoly on melodramatic indierock, but these guys from Uppsala are taking over. They take the epic heartache of Broder Daniel and channel it through midwestern emo/pop/rock styles of yesteryear to create something exciting, something worth paying attention to. We Are the Storm are a band bursting with potential.
DOWNLOAD

01. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
02. TALK 1
03. NEI - Summertime
04. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Soon
05. Brothers of End - Wish
06. TALK 2
07. Tutankamon - Have you ever been in love?
08. C.Aarmé - British breakfast party
09. Okkultokrati - Hand of glory
10. Pintandwefall - Angus
11. TALK 3
12. Turboweekend - Something or nothing
13. Florence Valentin - Du kommer gå längt
14. Sofia Karlsson - Visa från Kåkbrinken
15. Melkeveien & Niño - Yo!
16. TALK 4
17. Beatbully - Buck Ferfen
18. Fontän - Neanderthaler
19. Bröderna Lindgren - Som raketer (feat. Mattias Alkberg)
20. TALK 5
21. Breach - Seven

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.

01. Jong Pang - Liar liar
02. TALK 1
03. The Bear Quartet - Least loved (of the unloved)
04. Tortyr - Jag faller
05. Pistol Disco - Evergreen
06. TALK 2
07. Magnus Carlson and The Moon Ray Quintet - Sea lion woman
08. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
09. Okkultokrati - Hand of glory
10. Syster Lycklig - Djuret
11. TALK 3
12. Tredje Mannen - Cul-de-sac
13. The Psyke Project - Winter
14. Titiyo - Longing for lullabies
15. TALK 4
16. The Silent Section - Loss of consciousness
17. Firefox AK - Winter rose
18. [ingenting] - Dina händer är fulla av blommor
19. TALK 5
20. Marvins Revolt - New Year's in Warsaw

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.