The latest Scandinavian music reviews from the German webzine Sellfish:

Club Killers - Two nights with...
Randy - Randy the band
Satanic Surfers - Taste the poison

Satanic Surfers on tour in Europe:

08/23 - Malmöfestivalen, Malmö (SWE)
09/23 - Froggle Rock Festival, Verneuil sur Avre (FRA)
09/24 - Broekrock Festival, Hertsberge (BEL)
09/30 - Skaters Palace, Münster (GER)
10/02 - JC De Klinker, Aarschot (BEL)
10/03 - Underground, Köln (GER)
10/04 - Cafe Central, Weinheim (GER)
10/05 - Backstage, München (GER)
10/06 - Kofmehl, Solothurn (CH)
10/07 - Remise, Wil (CH)
10/12 - Arena, Wien (AUS)
10/13 - Spinnerei, Traun (AUS)
10/14 - Kato, Berlin (GER)
10/15 - Molotow, Hamburg (GER)

More dates tba.

The new Satanic Surfers album "Taste the poison" is finished and confirmed for a September 18 release via Bad Taste Records.

Check out a brand new demo track from Satanic Surfers: http://www.satanic-surfers.com/media/audio/satanic_surfers_-_callousness_(demo).mp3

Satanic Surfers finally have a new website: http://www.satanic-surfers.com/
Head on over to check out the latest updates in their studio diary as they work on a new record.

Top 10s for 2004: Robert Samsonowitz (Deleted Art/rbrt.org/The New Mess/Satanic Surfers)

Satanic Surfers are doing a short European tour:

08/18 - Garage, Buxtehude (GER)
08/19 - Kreuz, Fulda (GER)
08/20 - Lez´art sceniques Festival @ Les Tanzmatten, Selestat (FRA)
08/21 - Open Air Gränichen, Gränichen (CH)
08/22 - L'Usine, Geneva (CH)
08/23 - Universum, Stuttgart (GER)
08/24 - K19, Kassel (GER)
08/25 - Anne Frank Haus, Minden (GER)
08/26 - Underground, Köln (GER)
08/27 - JUZ, Mannheim (GER)
08/28 - Ieper Festival, Ieper (BEL)

New bands added to the Augustibuller lineup: the newly returned Satanic Surfers, Deportees, Skitsystem, Praetorian Platoon, Niccokick, The Change and Seven Feet Four.

It's been four long years, but the Satanic Surfers are finally back. It's been confirmed that they will open for Bad Religion in Lund on May 9. There's nothing confirmed yet, but they have plans to work on new material this coming spring and summer.

It's been a loooooooong time, but Satanic Surfers have finally posted an updated on what's going on with the band: http://www.badtasterecords.se/satanic/

The German webzine Sellfish has published an interview spotlight with Bad Taste Records, the label of Last Days of April, Logh, Satanic Surfers and many other quality acts. Check it out. (in German)

Bad Taste Records has offered this short update on the current Satanic Surfers situation:

There have been a lot of rumors regarding Satanic Surfers lately and we apologize for not answering all your contributions in the guest book. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of details to give you at this time. We would however like to assure you that the band is still around. They took some well-deserved time off after Martin quit the band and they are currently rehearsing with new members to hopefully be able to release a new album during spring!! We promise you that as soon as we have more details on their future plans, you will be the first to know!

Some general housekeeping: I updated the About page. Not quite a FAQ, but just some issues I wanted to address.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives just keep racking up accolades from all over the place. Most recently, "Behind the Music" was named Entertainment Weekly's #2 album of the year:

As their name implies, these Swedish rockers are all about distilling the essence of their fave art-rock, psychedelic, folk, and punk bands into a bold, tuneful brew. You'll hear echoes of the Kinks, the Beatles, Love, and Pink Floyd here. But what's really exciting is that Soundtrack may be the first group in ages that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as its idols.

And that's not all! TSOOL also made Empyre Lounge's top 50 at #47:

A Swedish rock group taking the States by storm? No not those Swedes, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives is the second Swedish rock export that put out a killer disc this year. With more pop sense than their Swedish brethren The Hives, TSOOL have put together an impressive display of glam guitars and keyboards, with some psychedelic vibes mixed in.

And yes, The Hives get honored there too, coming in at #17:

Another one of the discs that doesn't really belong here since it is a couple years old but this it he first year the Hives have been in the mainstream. Frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist owes all his moves to Mick Jagger but the music is more like good ole Americans, the Stooges, and the MC5. Just under a half hour, Veni Vidi Vicious is the perfect shot in the ass that music needed this year.

The First Time Records put up a couple mp3s on their website. There isn't much else there as the new site isn't finished (how long has it been in the works guys?), but TFT is the label that put out Kevlar, Cobolt (ex-Refused) and a number of other groups in the States.

See the video for "Oh Night" from Christian Kjellvander right here: 56 / 100 / 300 (Windows Media)

Nicolai Dunger will be coming back to the US to play 2 shows at the Sundance Film Fest in Utah on January 17 & 18. After that, it's back to Europe. Dates are here.

Drummer Martin Svensson has left the Satanic Surfers. The band is currently taking a break after a long tour, but will resume work on new material shortly.

If you can, be sure to catch Hederos & Hellberg at one of the duo's final concerts. Their last EP just came out and it's getting great reviews.

Dec. 19 - Paris (ExMS show w/Weeping Willows)
Dec. 20 - Stockholm
Jan. 10 - Oslo
Jan. 11 - Karlstad
Jan. 13 - Göteborg

Satyricon has announced the dates for their upcoming European tour:

Feb. 14 - Essen - Zeche Carl
Feb. 15 - Oss, NETH - Groene Engel
Feb. 16 - Vosselaar, BEL - Biebob
Feb. 17 - Amsterdam, NETH - Melkweg
Feb. 18 - Hengelo, NETH - Metropool
Feb. 19 - Groeninge, NETH - Vera
Feb. 21 - Bristol, UK - Academy
Feb. 22 - Bradford, UK - Rio
Feb. 24 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts
Feb. 25 - London, UK - Mean Fiddler
Feb. 26 - Manchester, UK - Hope & Grape
Feb. 27 - Dublin, IRE - Temple Music C
Feb. 28 - Birmingham, UK - Academy
Mar. 02 - Nancy, FRA - Terminal Export
Mar. 03 - Paris, FRA - Locomotive
Mar. 04 - Bordeaux, FRA - T.B.A
Mar. 05 - Vitoria, ESP - sala Azkena
Mar. 06 - Porto, POR - Hard Club
Mar. 07 - Lisabon, POR - Paradise Garage
Mar. 08 - Madrid, ESP - Caracol
Mar. 09 - Barcelona, ESP - KGB
Mar. 11 - Marseille, FRA - T.B.A
Mar. 12 - Milan, ITA - Transilvania
Mar. 13 - Rome, ITA - Horus
Mar. 14 - Treviso, ITA - New Age
Mar. 15 - Wil, SWI - Remise
Mar. 17 - Graz, AUT - Hafen
Mar. 18 - Vienna, AUT - Orphenum
Mar. 19 - München, GER - Metropolis
Mar. 20 - Frankfurt, GER - Batscchkapp
Mar. 21 - Berlin, GER - SO 36
Mar. 22 - Glauchau, GER - Alte Spinnerei
Mar. 23 - Hamburg, GER - Markthalle

The good people over at Flex Your Head and Bad Taste Records have put together a Satanic Surfers contest. Check it out.

Håkan Hellström will headline the Rocktåget tour package next summer. Rocktåget took the year off last summer as the bands Kent, Thåström, The Hellacopters and Mando Diao all had their own smaller, but successful tours. Håkan is no stranger to Rocktåget, having played the tour in 2001 with Magnus Uggla and The Ark.

Speaking of The Ark, they will be making some appearances on Swedish TV in the near future: Ola on SVT 1 on Dec. 5 at 8:45 pm (reruns at 2 pm Dec 6 and 12:15a m Dec. 9) plus the whole band on "Grynets Show" on SVT 1 Nov. 15 at 7 pm.

You probably could care less, but in celebration of 50 years of existance, the British music asked the public to vote for their all-time favourite singles. And of those selected for the top 100, Abba are one of the best represented acts with five entries to their credit. They're also the only Swedish act on the list. Their highest ranking track is "Dancing Queen" at number 8.