IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Nomethod launches new imprint Faux Pas

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:56:12 -0700

Nomethod has announced that they'll be doing a number of digital re-releases from the old Chalksounds archive via the new imprint Faux Pas. First up on October 15 will be Soviac's albums "GMC out in the fields" and "Trilogy sexlife rodeo friscotti" plus The Price of Ink's self-titled EP.

Soviac - Uutiset (video)

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:00:23 -0700

New visual entertainment from the always-beguiling Soviac.

It's a Trap! Clubnights tomorrow: Soviac / Tennis Bafra / Åbe

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:26:56 -0700

Tomorrow, June 5 - It's a Trap! Clubnights presents a night of top-shelf Swedish indierock with Soviac, Tennis Bafra and Åbe at Debaser Malmö! Free entry before 10pm too, so you have no excuse! Do it.

Åbe - Roadwarrior / Tennis Bafra - Albatross (video)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:52:46 -0700

Åbe made a video for Tennis Bafra. Tennis Bafra made a video for Åbe. Both bands are also featured on a new 3-way split along with Nomethod labelmates Soviac. Watch the clip, you'll understand.

It's a Trap! Clubnights this summer

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:14:30 -0700

OMG! Just confirmed for Tuesday, June 5 at Debaser Malmö: Soviac + Tennis Bafra + ÅBE! A five-star lineup of Nomethod indierock allstars, all in the same place at the same time! And that's not that all, we've also got heavy crust-metallers This Gift is a Curse and hardcore act Vervain on Thursday, July 12! And let us not forget Division of Laura Lee in May with Anchor and Keep Shelly in Athens! Get stoked, people.

Soviac album preview

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:38:19 -0700

The new Soviac record "Back album" is streaming in-full at SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/nomethod/sets/soviac-back-album

Soviac - Fear (video)

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:27:50 -0800

PSL has the premiere of the new Soviac video "Fear": http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2012/03/08/premiar-soviac-fear/

Soviac - Fear

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:10:43 -0800

Speaking of Nomethod, here's another new track from the label and the band Soviac. Look for their new full-length "Back album" to be released on March 21.

Nomethod winter update

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:41:44 -0800

Nomethod has provided us with their winter/spring release schedule, as well as a couple excellent sample tunes. Listen above/read below:

Dec 23 - Tennis Bafra - Knox Harrington [digital single]
Dec 24 - Åbe - Leland [digital single]
Jan 01 - Åbe - King of Pellargonia [CD/digital]
Feb 06 - Tennis Bafra - Abulia Jubilee [CD/LP/digital]
Feb 22 - Soviac - The aack album [CD/LP/digital]
Mar 03 - Simian Ghost - Youth [LP]

Later in 2012, look for new albums from De Montevert, First Love Last Rites and Daymare.

Soviac - French

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:11:30 -0700

Been awhile, but Soviac are finally back with new music. "French" is the first single from the band's forthcoming release "The back album", officially due out on October 7 via Nomethod.

MP3: EL-SD - Walking sideways

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:01:20 -0700

Noisy Swedish indierock is always my go-to scene and now you can add EL-SD to the list of current acts making a successful go at it. "Walking sideways" is a new track from the band that's not yet available on any release, but they've got a split 7" with fellow like-minded act Axe (remember?) that comes out tomorrow and you can celebrate with them both (+Soviac) at SugarBar in Stockholm. Expect a full review of that record in the not-so-distant future, meanwhile enjoy this fine slice of sharp, discordant rock.

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.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:27:29 -0700

Download the Håkan Lidbo remix of the new Soviac single "Mallorca": http://www.soviac.com/mallorca/

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:58:29 -0800

Soviac is heading to Germany for a couple shows:

02/29 - Magnet Club, Berlin
03/01 - Sweat Club, Leipzig

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:49:25 -0800

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

01. Soviac - I got the ribbah
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Peephole city
04. Moonbabies - At the ballroom
05. Tar... Feathers - You are lucky to have nothing
06. TALK 2
07. Truckfighters - Atomic
08. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Corny waltz
09. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
10. TALK 3
11. Norma - The dark
12. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
13. Vapnet - Tjernobyl
14. TALK 4
15. Montt Mardié - The windmill turns all the same
16. Motorpsycho - Hyena
17. Musti Laiton - Tämän iltainen
18. Holiday Fun Club - Hamburg in the night
19. TALK 5
20. Rigas - It's a shame
21. Repoman - Jawbone night
22. Iisole - The words
23. TALK 6
24. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
25. Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
26. Promoe - Headache
27. TALK 7
28. Viola - Imaginary times
29. New Decade - While tonight still is
30. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
31. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Choking on teeth
32. TALK 8
33. Totalitär - Nej vi ska inte ha nåt
34. Him Kerosene - Whatever get you by
35. The Social Services - Up in arms
36. Jens Lekman - The opposite of hallelujah
37. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
38. TALK 9
39. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy

Soviac Hello bunny I Made This

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

With the strange ability to approach the often saccharine sweet world of electro-pop with an art-punk mentality, blurring the lines between simple pleasures and melodies that need time to unravel, Soviac's "Hello bunny" is a bizarre, though quite welcome effort. There are definitely some rather annoying moments, but this is to be expected with bands such as this who tread a strange path through The Knife's and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' terrain, and these flaws can be forgiven as the 'complicated dance music' approach pays off more and more as the record progresses - "Friction" being one of the first true signs of Soviac's talents. Sadly, even in its most enjoyable moments, I can't ever see myself falling truly in love with this record or allowing it heavy rotation in my stereo, but I will certainly enjoy it on the occasions "Hello bunny" does find its way back into my present.

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Pistol Disco - Walking with Jesus
02. TALK 1
03. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
04. Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
05. Convoj - My timekeeping heart
06. TALK 2
07. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
08. A Perfect Friend - Rush hour
09. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
10. TALK 3
11. Fun - I've got a truck
12. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
13. The Perishers - When I fall
14. TALK 4
15. Regulations - Police siren
16. Viola - Ordinary teenage sensation
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Starlit queen
18. TALK 5
19. Gravy - Glory to our brilliant name
20. Hero Dishonest - Stalin vs Hank Hardy
21. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
22. Ulver - Capitel III: Graablick blev hun vaer
23. TALK 6
24. Håkan Hellström - Ramlar
25. Abhinanda - Highway tonight
26. Single Unit - Passion, pirates & parasites
27. TALK 7
28. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
29. The Tiny - Just like you
30. Death Breath - Death breath
31. TALK 8
32. Entombed - Serpent speech
33. The Cardigans - Marvel hill
34. Soviac - I got the ribbah
35. TALK 9
36. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
37. You Is Stupid - I am history
38. Paris - 60 minutes
39. The Process - Mot Sverige i tiden
40. TALK 10
41. Weeping Willows - I give you the morning

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Soviac has revamped their website in anticipation of their new album "Hello bunny", due out April 18 via I Made This/V2: http://www.soviac.com/
Go there to stream it in its entirety.

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The new Soviac single "I got the ribbah" is now on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/soviac
The new album "Hello bunny" comes out April 18 via I Made This.

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Soviac's new single "I got the ribbah" will be out on April 2 and will include remixes from Assid and Buset. A new album will follow on April 18.

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (NY) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang Bang You're Dead"
03. (17) SLS - "Get Back"
04. (03) USCB Allstars - "Let's Keep It on Baby"
05. (02) Supersci w/Chords - "On the Grind"
06. (16) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
07. (09) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
08. (NY) Plan B - "No Good"
09. (NY) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
10. (20) Sean Paul - "Temperature"
11. (07) Jamie Foxx w/Ludacris - "Unpredictable"
12. (12) Ghostface Killah med Ne-Yo "Back Like That"
13. (05) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
14. (NY) Up Hygh w/Little Brother - "Keep On"
15. (09) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake Up"
16. (14) Mystery Jets - "The Boy Who Ran Away"
17. (NY) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The Shoplifter's Union"
18. (18) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
19. (NY) Las Palmas - "Du har mail"
20. (ÅT) Matiyashu - "King Without Crown"

Leaving the chart: Ane Brun w/Teitur - "Rubber & Soul", Snook - "Snook, svett & tårar", Soviac - "Ogashaga", Vapnet - "Thoméegränd", Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me", The Streets - "When You Wasn't Famous", Damian Marley w/Bobby Brown - "Beautiful".

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Check out Soviac's video for their latest single "Ogashaga": http://www.soviac.com/video_ogashaga.html

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Morrissey - "You have killed me"
02. (04) The Radio Dept. - "The Worst Taste In Music"
03. (03) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
04. (07) Ane Brun w/Teitur - "Rubber & Soul"
05. (05) Arctic Monkeys - "When the Sun Goes Down"
06. (NY) USCB Allstars - "Let's Keep it on Baby"
07. (12) Soviac - "Ogashaga"
08. (06) Dub Sweden - "We're so Loud"
09. (02) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
10. (11) Hard Fi - "Cash Machine"
11. (NY) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
12. (NY) Zero 7 w/José Gonzales - "Futures"
13. (17) Jamie Foxx w/Ludacris - "Unpredictable"
14. (18) Placebo - "Song to Say Goodbye"
15. (15) Ghostface Killah w/Ne-Yo - "Back Like That"
16. (16) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
17. (13) AFC - "5 för 5"
18. (NY) People Under The Stairs - "Tuxedo Rap"
19. (ÅT) The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - "Infinite Zero"
20. (NY) Familjen - "Första/sista"

Leaving the chart: Jaheim - "The Chosen One", Damian Marley w/Bobby Brown - "Beautiful", The Streets "When You Wasn't Famous", Firefox AK - "Madame Madame!", Sleepy Brown - "Me, My Baby and My Cadillac" and Robyn - "Crash and Burn Girl"

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (04) Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me"
02. (11) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
03. (NY) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
04. (02) The Radio Dept. - "The Worst Taste in Music"
05. (01) Arctic Monkeys - "When the Sun Goes Down"
06. (06) Dub Sweden - "We're so Loud"
07. (14) Ane Brun w/Teitur - "Rubber & Soul"
08. (20) Jaheim - "The Chosen One"
09. (NY) Damian Marley w/Bobby Brown - "Beautiful"
10. (10) The Streets "When You Wasn't Famous"
11. (07) Hard Fi - "Cash Machine"
12. (04) Soviac - "Ogashaga"
13. (13) AFC - "5 för 5"
14. (05) Firefox AK - "Madame Madame!"
15. (NY) Ghostface Killah w/Ne-Yo - "Back like that"
16. (09) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
17. (NY) Jamie Foxx med Ludacris - "Unpredictable"
18. (17) Placebo - "Song to say goodbye"
19. (NY) Sleepy Brown - "Me, My Baby and My Cadillac"
20. (ÅT) Robyn - "Crash and Burn Girl"

Leaving the chart: Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Thåström, Depeche Mode, I'm From Barcelona, Danko Jones and System of a Down.

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) Arctic Monkeys - "When the Sun Goes Down"
02. (NY) The Radio Dept. - "The Worst Taste in Music"
03. (04) Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me"
04. (NY) Soviac - "Ogashaga"
05. (18) Firefox AK - "Madame Madame!"
06. (01) Dub Sweden - "We're so Loud"
07. (13) Hard Fi - "Cash Machine"
08. (NY) Soundtrack Of Our Lives - "Infinite Zero"
09. (11) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
10. (NY) The Streets "When You Wasn't Famous"
11. (NY) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
12. (NY) Thåström - "Om Black Jim"
13. (NY) AFC - "5 för 5"
14. (NY) Ane Brun med Teitur - "Rubber & Soul"
15. (15) Depeche Mode - "Suffer Well"
16. (ÅT) I'm From Barcelona - "We're From Barcelona"
17. (NY) Placebo - "Song to Say Goodbye"
18. (06) Danko Jones - "Baby Hates Me"
19. (19) System of a Down - "Lonely Day"
20. (12) Jaheim - "The Chosen One"

Leaving the chart: Youngblood Brass Band, The Concretes, Foo Fighters, Maxïmo Park, Sandy Mouche, Architectures In Helsinki, Timo Räisänen, Ed Greene, Robyn and Martha Wainwright.

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

New videos from both Soviac and Jenny Wilson now up for streaming at the Musikbyrån site: http://svt.se/musikbyran
That live show from Robyn is now available for on-demand viewing as well.

Podcast: Build it up, break it down, mess it up

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 09.25.05
LENGTH : 53:48 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_09252005.mp3 (37.8mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. I'm from Barcelona - Treehouse
02. Det Gamla Landet - Utan precis som innan
03. Soviac - The halte jick
04. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Destrukkt (excerpt)
05. Seven Feet Four - Leave your cell
06. Firefox AK - Keep it up
07. Plain Fade - Chips falling where they may
08. Robyn - Robotboy
09. Silverbullit - Once upon a time
10. The Psyke Project - Fimbul
11. The Idealist - A single pistol shot VS. Pan Sonic - Puhdistus VS. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Dialears
12. Magyar Posse - Singlesparks are spectral fires
13. Fireside - Cisco heat
14. Viola - Kiss and break up (Verneri Lumi remix)
15. Bear Quartet - I have an itch
16. Junip - Turn to the assassin
17. David Sandström Overdrive - Leni Leni

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish post-punks The Je Ne Sais Quoi played an extra-special show at Debaser in Stockholm on June 18 with all sorts of special guests appearing on every song, including scene luminaries such as Ed Greene, Andreas Söderström, Knife and Ape, John (Bad Monkey), ASSID, Kate Riff (Soviac) and their sixth member Gabriel. Why am I telling you about this? Well, because they recorded the entire show on video and are offering it as a free download via bittorrent. You can find the link on the band's website: http://www.cilla.com/tjnsq

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Chalksounds has revealed that their expecting to release the debut full-length from The End Will Be Kicks in October. I've heard some rough mixes and if it's anything close to as good as the MCD that's already out, you know it's gonna be a monster. Can't wait! There's gonna be a bonus 7" coming out with it as well. After that, Stockholm-based instrumental act Ellis the Vacuumchild will drop their debut album. December perhaps? Soviac is working on new demos, so they should have something in the pipeline. And lastly, look for an EP from Park Hotel sometime early next year. I haven't heard them myself, but Chalksounds CEO Magnus says they sound like New Order meets MBV. Could be really good.

Streaming playlist: Summertime

Sat, 05 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

DATE ADDED : 06.05.04
LAUNCH : [stream no longer available]

01. The Motorhomes - I wanna make you sing
02. Caesars Palace - Over 'fore it started
03. Paris - Hey sailor!
04. The Fine Arts Showcase - Galveston
05. Junior Senior - Shake your coconuts
06. Moonbabies - In the banshees
07. Bad Cash Quartet - big day coming
08. Broder Daniel - What clowns are we
09. The Hives - Main offender
10. Division Of Laura Lee - Dirty love
11. Komeda - Blossom (got to get it out)
12. Isolation years - (I sat on a) Garbage bin
13. David & the Citizens - Graycoated morning
14. Marit Bergman - Adios amigos
15. The Bear Quartet - Where do you put your hate
16. Soviac - You R an ass (emmon remix)
17. Hell On Wheels - A summer killing a spring
18. Heikki - Former hero
19. Randy - Summer of bros (live)

Mon, 17 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

New Scandinavian bands added to Arvika are Minus (ICE), Soviac, Niccokick and Snook.

Wed, 12 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Chalksounds has posted a new web-single from Soviac for the Emmon (Paris) remix of "Boogie Woogie" entitled "You R an ass". Head on over to download it now: http://www.chalksounds.com/

Mon, 26 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Soviac will be releasing a new single and video in May for the track "You R an ass" as remixed by Emmon of synthpop group Paris.

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Chalksounds acts Carpet People and Soviac are both in the studio recording demos.

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Here's the round-up of Scandinavian music reviews for the last two weeks from the German webzine Sellfish:

Division of Laura Lee - Das not compute
Power Quest - s/t
Eclispe - Second to none
Moonbabies - The orange billboard / Soviac - Trilogy sexlife rodeo friscotti
Prime Sth - Beautiful awakening

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Soviac and The Unisex are now booked by Monstera.

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

Is this Lallapalooza or what? The Chalksounds Festival is hitting the road once again for a show at Norrlands Nation in Uppsala on February 25 with KVLR and The End Will Be Kicks. Gunman (Soviac) and DJ Norrland will be spinning, too. KVLR will have the Stickman version of their new album that day, as they've confirmed the European release for February 24. As stated before, it'll be out on March 23 in the US through my very own It's a Trap! Productions. I just got the discs yesterday and they look absolutely stunning. See for yourself.

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Soviac's most recent album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" has been confirmed for a US release date of January 27 through MTT Records. The band is also currently working with Monstera on a Swedish tour and dates should be coming soon.

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Cdoass has posted a brand new mp3 of the track "The Correct Use of Failure" for download on their website. They'll be doing a new 7" with Johnny Bråttom Records in January featuring the songs "Clockwork" and "Speak To Me".

MTT Records has confirmed the US release of Soviac's latest album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" for January 27.

Thu, 11 Dec 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Chalksounds has put together another festival, this one taking place at Debaser in Stockholm on January 16. Moonbabies and The End Will Be Kicks will be playing and DJ Norrland and Fredrik Brändström (Crystal Committee, Starmarket) will spin records. The first twenty people through the door will receive free copies of the new Moonbabies CD, too.

Also from Chalksounds comes word that US label Minty Fresh is working with Soviac trying to get their music into the movies. No word yet on whether they've been successful yet, but I'll let you know.

Sat, 15 Nov 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Soviac - "Trilogy Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" (Chalksounds/MTT Records)
This CD is big on concept, not quite so hot on execution. The idea behind it is that each of Soviac's three members gets a third of the album to produce themselves and to put together as they see fit, with or without the rest of the bands help. It's not quite as high-concept as Kiss' set of albums for each member (or The Melvins' own knockoff, for that matter), but it is still an interesting idea. Problem is, I don't think the band has quite the skills enough to pull it off. It's quite an audacious effort for a band only on their sophomore album and I appreciate the thought and work that went into it, but the results are mixed. Some of it is pretty darn good noisy indie rock, but there's also a lot of what I'd just write off as filler. Lots of good ideas, but too many were developed far enough. Give me more actual songs please. As for the packaging, the decision to use three separate panels for liner notes is really, really cool. Inventive design is always appreciated.

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Soviac has been forced to cancel their current European tour and return home after completing eight dates. No specific reason was given for the move.

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Upcoming Soviac European tourdates in support of their new album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti":

10/10 - Athus, Le Marignan
10/11 - Selestat, Au Bar Le Tigre
10/12 - Occii, Amsterdam (NL)
10/13 - tba
10/14 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg
10/15 - K4, Nürnberg
10/16 - tba, Kassel
10/17 - Magnet, Berlin
10/18 - Jugendhaus Komma, Esslingen
10/19 - Stellwerk, Donauwörth
10/20 - Prager Frühling, München
10/21 - AZ, Mühlheim
10/22 - Cafe Panama, Fulda
10/23 - Titty Twister, Dresden
10/24 - Zone 11, Hallein
10/25 - Shelter, Wien
10/26 - Fiesta Club, San Vendemmiano
10/27 - Tempio, Pavia
10/28 - Chorus, Lausanne
10/29 - Molodoi, Strasbourg
10/30 - Les Brasseurs, Nancy
10/31 - tba, Berlin
11/11 - Smalls, Västeråas w/Black Eyes, 7feet4
11/15 - tba, Västervik w/Black Eyes, 7feet4

Mon, 29 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

I don't know what the hold-up was, but Seven Feet Four finally got themselves a new website. Upcoming shows for the band in Sweden:

10/16 - Shindig!, Effes, Visby
10/23 - Blå, Eskilstuna
11/11 - Smalls, Västerås w/Black Eyes (US, Dischord Records), Soviac
11/15 - tba, Västervik w/Black Eyes, Soviac

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Chalksounds is offering a special deal for Swedish customers on the new Soviac record "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" where if you buy it now, you get a free 12" bag and poster. Get the scoop here, along with sound samples from a couple of the tracks.

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Due to threat of a lawsuit from the long-dormant 70s label of the same name, Mom Pop Records has now re-christened themselves as Murder the Turtle. They'll be doing the US release of Soviac's new album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" along with new stuff from Emerson Fittipaldi and Denmark's The Kind Of Bitter. Go to their website for samples and more info.

Thu, 21 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

The new Soviac album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" is now available for preorder from Chalksounds, but otherwise won't hit the streets until September 15.

Mon, 11 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Here's a slew of e-cards from Mom Pop Records for your downloading pleasure:

Your Halo Is A Radar - "Snatch Back Your Jinx"
Emerson Fittipaldi - "Spoonkidneedletank"
Soviac - "The Hmm"
Soviac - "Boogie Woogie"

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Artists confirmed for the Skyltenfestivalen in Linkoping, Sweden on August 22-23: Le Je Ne Sais Quoi, Logh, Florence Valentin, Soviac, Slagsmålsklubben, Planet Superfly, Raison d'être, Roswell, IRM and many more. Details available here: www.skyltenfestivalen.tk

Wed, 16 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Soviac will be touring Europe along with Tokyo Sex Destruction in support of their forthcoming album, out September 10 on Chalksounds. No details yet, but the dates set aside are October 10 through October 28.

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Soviac has put the video for their new single "Boogie Woogie" online.

Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Glad midsommar!

Paola's updated summer tour schedule:

06/21 - Järva, Folkets Park
07/05 - Borlänge, Peace and Love
07/10 - Arvikafestivalen
07/11 - Varberg, Nöjesparken
07/17 - Skellefteå, Trästocksfestivalen
07/26 - Helsingborg, Dunkers Kulturhus
08/15 - Göteborgskalaset

Finnish death-metal supergroup Chaos Breed report that their "Unleashed Carnage" demo is being picked up for release by an as-of-yet unnamed label. They'll probably throw some other material on the disc, too. Assuming all goes well, they hope to have it out in time for the Tuska festival on July 11.

Robert Palmer has apparently covered Nicolai Dunger's "Dr. Zhivago's Train" on his new album "Drive". Weird.

Mom Pop Records, the label that will be releasing Your Halo is a Radar and Soviac in the US, is offering a free six-song sampler for those who might be interested. Simply head on over to their website and leave your address in the guestbook.

Eye Will Drown Records and Räka Produktion have set up a new festival at DIXI in Falköping, Sweden this coming November 11 called the Betong Festivalen. Bands set to play include Rentokiller, Set My Path, Liquid Phase, Troublemakers, Frost and The Mischief. For more info, go to the Räka site or email eyewilldrown@hotmail.com.

Those of you lucky folks with Roskilde tickets can view the full schedule here: http://www.roskilde-festival.dk/object.php?obj=32f000c&code=45

Laakso has finished recording sixteen new songs, some of which some will end up on the forthcoming debut full length album. Band member David Nygard says, "We are very satisfied so far. Feels like it's more alive and boiling than the EP. Jari [Haapalainen, Bear Quartet], the producer, made us scream and destroy instruments. Of course we left a few tender, acoustic numbers too, for the girls..."

MIC Norway put up a profile on Emmerhoff & The Melancholy Babies today.

Via DJ Martian comes this profile on Mew in The Guardian. Is Denmark the new Sweden?

Here's an e-card for the song "Let´s go dancing" from the new Danish band The Fashion.

Mon, 02 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Okay, I'm totally pissed off because my webhost fucked up and somehow erased all my database information from the last week. Whether or not they'll be able to bring it back remains to be seen, but I am obviously not happy about the situation. So yeah, if you see weird things happening to the site, chances are it is not my fault.

UPDATE: I managed to recover a bit of last week's info from Google's cache (with the kind help of DJ Martian), but not everything is back to normal. I've got the info stashed away somewhere, but I'm still hoping that my webhost comes through for me with the backup.

Sonic Magazine (www.sonicmagazine.com) has a large feature on The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Union Carbide Productions in its latest issue along with a free compilation CD of unreleased tracks for subscribers.

Deleted Art will put out a five-song EP from Threeminutepopsongs later this year that will "destroy everything that preceded it." Look for it around August.

Soviac's album "GMC Out in the Fields" will see a US release later this year on Florida-based Mom Pop Records. The trio also plans for a European tour sometime this fall, but no details are available yet. The latest single "Boogie Woogie" just recently came out and the next full-length "Trilogy Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" is due out this fall, both from Chalksounds.

In related news, Mom Pop is also the label that will be putting out the post-humous Your Halo Is A Radar self-titled CDEP this summer on July 29. More info here.

The nominees for the twelfth annual P3/Rockparty scholarship award have been announced. The prize is for people or organizations who work hard behind the scenes to make music happen in Sweden. And they are: festival arranger Niklas Jonsson, label Redline Records, manager Stina Lorentz and club organizer Mattias Berg. Read more. (in Swedish)

Denmark's The Raveonettes will appear on David Letterman on July 16.

Statemachine is having a release party for their new album "Short And Explosive" on June 3 at Alcazar/Nalen in Stockholm.

Raised Fist has scored a couple dates opening for Sepultura:

06/10 - KB, Malmö, SWE
06/11 - Rockfeller, Oslo, NOR
06/13 - Loppen, Copenhagen, DK

NRK has posted a photo gallery from the recent Turbonegro show at the Oslo Spektrum.

Ison & Fille make a guest appearance on Kaah's new 'elektro-funk' track "Namnlös", the b-side for the new single "Innan Du Går". They also guest on "Operation : Sverige", a track from Advance Patrol's current album "Utskrivna". And all of Highwon (Ison, Fille, Sabo, Ju-Mazz and Hoosam) appears on the debut-EP from AFC (Allied Forces) on the track "Ögon I Nacken".

For your amusement: Thorsten Flinck on being a body-double in The Sounds's video for the song "Dance with Me" from Expressen. (in Swedish)

Aftonbladet talks with Tomas Ledin about summer touring. His new album I sommarnattens ljus" comes out this week.

"Moodier than a manic depressive 12-year-old girl from northern Minnesota." Delusion of Adequacy reviews the latest album from Ulver, "1993-2003: 1st Decade in the Machines".

There will a 'Swedish Folksongs' evening on June 4 at the Swedish Church in NYC featuring songs by the most popular Swedish composers and poetry from writers such as E. Taube and B. Andersson. The performers will be Asa Rydman (voice), Helena Liljeblad (voice), Eva Engman (voice), Christina Nylund (piano), and Renee Cruz (bass). Admission is $10 and includes post-show cheese and wine.

Adrian Records is going be quite busy this coming fall. David & The Citizens are working on their next album in Malmö and have about eleven or twelve songs ready to go. Laakso are at Christoffer Lundquist's (Brainpool) studio in Skåne with Jari Haapalainen (Bear Quartet) working on their debut full length tentatively titled "– I miss you. I'm Pregnant". And lastly, Björns Vänner is going into the studio in a week to record the follow-up to the "Kvar på film" EP. Christian Kjellvander will be producing and the working title is "Restaurang & Björns vänner".

Upcoming Pink Twins live dates:

06/06 - Galleria Allinna, Riihimäki, FIN (Riihimäki Experiment) w/M.A. Numminen and Kari Peitsamo
06/07 - Kipsari, Helsinki, FIN
06/13 - Sonar Fest in Barcelona, Spain
06/19 - Club DOM, Moscow, RUS (Finnexport 2003)
06/21 - Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl, RUS (Finnexport 2003)

Finnexport 2003 events feature also Pan Sonic and Anton Nikkilä and Alexei Borisov. See more info here: www.nbresearchdigest.com/finnexport/

C.Aarmé has announced they will release a 4-song 7" on Big Brothel Records sometime this summer. The name of the record will be "The Gag" and tracks to be included are the title track plus "Aimless", "Worst Part", and "Gasmask".

Hypocrisy has offered up an explanation for why they decided to pull out of the upcoming X-Mass Festivals European tour which was set to start on December 7 in London:

"We sincerely apologize for the cancellation of the X-Mass Fest. The reason being Dimmu Borgir have offered us to tour with them worldwide. This means we'll be touring Europe from 30th September 'till 29 October and the U.S. from 7th November 'till 14th December. We hope to see you out there this fall or this winter! Tour dates will be posted as soon as they are confirmed."

Amorphis' new album "Far from the Sun" debuted on the Finnish charts at #7. Check out the new video for the song "Evil Inside" from here.

Dead Frog Records just put up a brand new website. The label's latest releases include Holden's debut self-titled album and the single "Hard To Be In Love" from Paste. In related news, Holden just signed a publishing deal with Stiggy Music & Management AB. "Holden has everything needed to become a huge success locally and internationally," says Stiggy's Stefan Egmar, "great songs, great look, great album and a fantastic live-act with a brilliant [vocalist] Jenny Öhlund!"

Aquarius Records has put up their latest new arrival list, featuring samples and reviews of artists such as Bjorn Olsson, Johan Berthling, Uton, Markku Peltola and much, much more.

NorthSide Records has announced the upcoming release of Väsen's new album "Trio", due out this August with a US tour to follow in October. The label will also be reissuing Värttinä's classic album from '96 "Kokko", just in time for their 20th anniversary US tour in November. Dates and more details soon.

After the initial success of the festival in Helsinki, the PikseliAHKY / pixelACHE fest is hitting the road for events in New York on June 2-3 and Montreal on June 5-7. The event is billed as "an international laboratory for creative experimenting with audiovisual technologies" and will consist "audiovisual performances, interactive cinema screenings and an exhibition of media art projects." Most of the artists scheduled to appear are from pixelACHE's hometown of Helsinki, but not all. Here's a list of the Scandinavian talent to be represented: Animaatiokone crew (FIN) (Ari Nykanen, Mikko Lindholm, Perttu Hamalainen), Amfibio.org collective (FIN) (Antti A, Halcyon, *Jen, Juhuu, Maippi, Mesq, Teemu K), AVCENTRALEN (SWE) (Olle Huge, Martin Malm, Johan Skugge, Andreas Tilliander), Beeoff (SWE) (Olle Huge, Tomas Linell, Martin Malm, Mikael Scherdin), /dev/null Research Labs (FIN), Helsinki Interactive Cinema Crew & KINO Helsinki (FIN), Jussi Angesleva (FIN) & Ross Cooper (UK), O Samuli A (FIN), Tero (FIN), Tuomas Toivonen (FIN).
More info here: www.pixelache.ac

Wed, 07 May 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Ink19 declares "6" from Supersilent to be "a landmark album." Furthermore, they say "It is a harrowing work of jazz, electronica and ambient textures that is as exciting as it is mind-blowing." Read more.

Peaceville has yet again delayed the release of Beyond Dawn's forthcoming album "Frysh", this time to June 30. If the 3-song sampler is any indication, it's gonna be damn great. Can't wait.

Preorder a copy of the new Her Majesty album "Happiness" and receive an exclusive free pin. Go here.

The latest news from Värttinä, as posted on their website:

[We] just returned from a tour of Scotland, Turkey, Switzerland and France. Edinburgh, Stans and Bern were the highlights with great shows and incredible audience response. Big news from France is that "iki" [the new album] is the Number 3 Best Selling World Music album at the main FNAC shop (Forum) in Paris. Additionally, "iki" is named Album of the Week at Swedish Radio P2 Klingan and World Music Album of the Week on WDR Radio KC6ln. iki also reached Number 6 on the CMJ World Music Chart in USA. In England, "iki" was picked Number 9 in the Songlines magazine Top of the World chart. Finally, "iki" received a glowing review from Songlines Magazine: "From the exhilarating drive of "Nahkaruoska", its jostling rhythms and bristling close harmonies bringing to life a story of infidelity and leather whips, to the sheer beauty of "Maahinen Neito", a song of an unwanted earth maiden, Värttinä's tenth album (celebrating their 20th year) is their most radiant and satisfying to date. .. A totally desirable disc." (Songlines Jan Fairley)

Those of you in Denmark can check out The Cardigans on the 'Barend & van Dorp' show tomorrow night playing their new single "You're the Storm" live. The program starts at 10:30 pm.

Clawfinger's new album "Zeros & Heroes" comes out May 26. Singer Zak Tell says he is confident fans will like it. The band is also hitting the road this summer. Dates so far:

05/17 - Bengtsfors, S
06/12 - Crans-sur-N., CH
06/14 - Bolzano, I
06/18 - Zürich, CH
06/20 - Scharans, CH
06/21 - Burgum, NL
07/05 - Leipzig, D
07/19 - Eberschwang, A
08/01 - Óbudai Island, H
08/08 - Höchstenbach, D

Soviac has booked a number of dates around Sweden this summer:

05/24 - Ronneby, Uterock
05/26 - Stockholm, Debaser w/Paris, Marit Bergman
05/27 - Stockholm, Gula Villan Blowupapanda pre party
05/28 - Göteborg, Valand w/Fox´n wolf
05/29 - Västervik, Oasen
05/31 - Stockholm, Debaser w/7feet4
06/07 - Fredricia, Formanova03 w/The Price Of Ink, Switchblade

Look for a video from the band for song "Boogie Woogie" soon, too.

MTVE.com has posted the new video for "Reconsider Me", the first single from Moneybrother's new album "Blood Panic".

The Norweigan musicians union and the Stavanger Symphonic Orchestra are raising money to send musical instruments to Iraq. So far about 60,000 NOK has been brought in for the effort. Read more. (in Norweigan)

The six finalists for the Roland/SAMI Artistpris 2003:

1. Steroids (rock)
2. Yukon AK (country/pop)
3. Ane Brun (singer/songwriter)
4. Peter Murphy (pop)
5. The Terrible Misstakes (punk)
6. Andreas Giri (pop)

They will all be performing at Alcazar (Nalen) in Stockholm on May 28 to vye for the various prizes in front of a jury of various music industry professionals. Read more. (in Swedish)

Proof that The Hives have reached a significant level of success: Weird Al has parodied them on the song "Angry White Boy Polka" from his new album "Poodle Hat". Congrats guys.

Ed Hartcourt that he will be making a Gröna Lund appearance on August 22.

The Amnestys endagsfestival on May 17 at Mondo in Stockholm will feature Florence Valentin, Shout Out Louds, Paris, Ane Brun and The Concretes.

Dagensskiva gives Logh's new album "The Raging Sun" a 9 out of 10 in their review today. I'd have to agree - I managed to find myself an advance copy and have been listening to it quite a bit. Easily one of the best records I've heard so far this year.

Arch Enemy has set "Anthems of Rebellion" as the title of new new record due out August 26 from Century Media, and in Japan on July 23 from Toy's Factory. Guitarist Michael Amott is quoted as saying "There is a thread of ANTI-establishment and REBELLION that goes through all the songs lyrics and also the artwork, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it a full-blown concept — that kind of stuff usually tends to get in the way of the music... It sounds thicker and more heavy than the last album." Read more. (from Blabbermouth)

Via the pHinnweb mailing list comes this glossary of various terms and items relevant to Finnish art and music.

Entombed's upcoming eigth album "Inferno" has now been delayed to an August 4 release date. Pelle Gunnerfeldt of Fireside produced and I for one am very curious to hear how it turned out.

As hinted at before, David & the Citizens are at Gula Studion (The Yellow Studio) in Malmö with producer Jens Lindgård working on their new record. Word has it that Pelle Ossler of Wilmer X guests on a track along with the klezmer band Tummel on another.

Cold Meat Industry acts IRM and Institut will play the Red Rose in London on May 9. More info here.

Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Watch the new video for "On the 54" from The Dandelions right here.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. HIM - Funeral of hearts
02. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
03. A-Teens - Perfect Match
04. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
05. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
06. Mew - Comforting Sounds
07. Kwan - Shine
08. Jennifer Brown - Weak
09. Surferosa - Neon Commando
10. Melody Club - Cover Girl
11. Moon Gringo - Buzz Aldrin
12. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
13. Whyte Seeds - Slow motions
14. Dub Sweden - Walk Me Home
15. Timbuktu - Ett Brev
16. Empire Dogs - The Dogs
17. Nik & Jay - Elsker Hende Mere
18. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
19. Equicez - Live From Pass It
20. Pauline - Runnin´ Out Of Gaz

Challengers:
01. The Jessica Fletchers - Let´s Go
02. Darude - Music
03. Outlandish - Guantanamo
04. K Ragnstam - Perfect Vacation
05. Paragon - Försök Förstå

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

Kamera has announced a bunch of new dates for the summer:

05/30 - Fredriksta (NOR)
05/31 - Oslo (NOR), So What
06/01 - Västerås
06/02 - Stockholm, Debaser
06/03 - Jönköping
06/04 - Göteborg, Nefertiti
06/05 - Halmstad
06/06 - Linköping, Platens Bar
06/07 - Karlstad, Arena
06/26-29 - Skellefteå, Skellefteåfestivalen
07/05 - Sundsvall, Gatufesten
07/10 - Arvika, Arvikafestivalen
07/04-12 - Visby, ZTV Sommarstad Gotland
07/13 - Malta
07/19 - Torquay (GB)
07/20 - Brighton (GB)
07/23 - Åland, Rock Off Festival (tbc)
08/08 - Norrköping, Karnevalen

Pitchforkmedia reviews the American release of "C'mon Let's Pretend" from the Sahara Hotnights. Whaddya know? They actually like it.

Moonbabies have got a couple gigs lined up:

05/02 - Fredericia, Ungdomens hus w/The Violet Hour
05/03 - Copenhagen, Huset w/The Violet Hour

Reports are coming in on the big concert yesterday at Gröna Lund with Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Ark and Mando Diao: tsool.tk / Dagens Nyheter / Expressen

In other Mando Diao news, the band has reportedly fired organist Daniel Haglund. Haglund was apparently taking time off to spend time with his family and was given the news when he tried to return.

And the Sound is saying that Niklas and Thomas from Him Kerosene are rumored to be starting a new band. Nothing's confirmed yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
02. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
03. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
04. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
05. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
06. Jill Johnson - Discography
07. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
08. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
09. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
10. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
11. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
12. Lasse Tennander - Därifrånochhit sånger 1974-2003
13. The Refreshments - On the rocks
14. Antique - Blue love
15. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
16. Roxette - The pop hits
17. The Knife - Deep Cuts
18. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
19. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
20. Dilba - Revolution

More from Aftonbladet: An article on Marie Fredriksson's (Roxette) recovery from brain surgery.

Don't forget to download the new free Soviac single today. Check it. The song is called "Boogie Woogie" and it's taken from the upcoming album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" due out later this fall.

Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Special feature today on Carpet People! The new album "More Bad Weather Coming Out of the Rain" was released yesterday and I got an mp3 of the first single "A Road Leading into the Sun" for you. Great melancholic pop as only the Swedes can do. Fans of artists such as Hederos & Hellberg should take note - I think you'll dig it. But that's not all! I also have a photo album of pics taken from the record release show last Friday at Scharinska Villan in Umeå. Check it out!

Also coming out soon from Chalksounds is the new single from Soviac. The song comes off the forthcoming album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" and is called "Boogie Woogie", but best of all - it's FREE! I kid you not! Beginning on May 1 you'll be able to download the song plus the artwork from the Chalksounds site. I haven't really heard anything from these guys myself, but I've been told that it's gonna blow some minds. Wait and see, eh?

The kind folk over at Firesideometer.com have posted the very first reviews of the new Fireside album in English. They also review the new Kristofer Åström EP, so check that out, too.

The Caesars have finally confirmed a release date for "39 Minutes of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World)", their new collection to introduce them to the world outside of Sweden. It'll be out April 22 in the US on Astralworks, April 21 in the UK on Virgin and elsewhere around Europe around the same time, also on Virgin. They've also got a bunch more shows lined up. The dates:

4/16 - UK, London w/80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, for XFM contest winners.
5/9 - UK, Glasgow Cathouse w/French Kicks
5/10 - UK, York Fibbers w/French Kicks
5/11 - UK, Oxford University w/French Kicks
5/12 - UK, Leicester The Charlotte w/French Kicks
5/13 - UK, London The Garage w/French Kicks
5/14 - UK, Manchester Roadhouse w/French Kicks
5/18 - Austria, Vienna Flex
5/20 - Germany, Hamburg Molotow
5/21 - Germany, Berlin Magnet
5/22 - Germany, Cologne Underground
5/23 - Holland, Utrecht Ekko
5/24 - Holland, Amsterdam Paradiso

Entombed's new label Threeman Recording just put out their very first releases, both Entombed side projects. First up is "Ravenous Murderous", Murder Squad's 2nd album. Expect old-school Swedish death metal ala Bloodbath. Next we have a live album recorded in Finland from The Project Hate who are industrial-flavored metal, if I remember right.

And speaking of Entombed, those guys are still wrapping up work on the new album "Inferno" (produced by PMA Gunnerfeldt of Fireside) but have still found time to do a couple gigs down in South Africa. Check this flier for details.

The Sounds will be filming an appearance for Last Call With Carson Daly on May 10 which will air the following week. They've got a couple gigs lined up in Germany, too:

5/5 - Berlin, Magnet
5/7 - Köln, Gebaeue 9

And as I'm sure you can guess from the Carson Daly appearance, the band will indeed be playing more shows in the States, apparently supporting The Ravonettes for most of em. Here's what I can confirm so far:

5/19 - San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill (headlining)
5/24 - Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry
5/25 - Cudahy, WI, VNUK's Lounge
5/27 - Chicago, IL, Double Door
5/28 - Cleveland, OH, The Beachland Ballroom
5/29 - Detroit, MI, Magic Stick
5/30 - Toronto, Canada, Horseshoe Tavern
6/2 - New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom
6/3 - Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club
6/4 - Philadelphia, PA, North Star Bar

Christian Kjellvander is playing at Mosebacke in Stockholm on April 29.

Children of Bodom will be doing a couple dates in Sweden later in April:

4/18 - Stockholm/Arenan
4/20 - Göteborg
4/21 - Lund/Mejeriet

The new EP from Jettie entitled "Some Stories We Trust" comes out April 15 on Black Star Foundation who are distributed through Kasual Records. Check 'em out on tour while you're at it:

4/15 - Uppsala - Café Genomfarten
4/16 - Göteborg - Jord
4/17 - Gislaved - Gisleparken
4/18 - Uddevalla - Café Hvidtfeldt
4/19 - Oslo - Café Mono
4/20 - Sandviken - Kungen
4/21 - off
4/22 - Stockholm - Kaffé 44
4/23 - Lund - Smålands Nation
4/24 - Malmö - Blackstar Foundation
4/25 - Trollhättan - ML5
4/26 - Karlstad - HBFG
4/27 - Eskilstuna - Kaka Releaseparty

I neglected to mention it yesterday, but The Confusions will also be heading out on a few more dates besides those Baltic ones I already posted:

05/16 - Underground, Sundsvall, Sweden
06/02 - Underworld, London, UK, TBC
08/11 - Pärnu, Estonia, TBC

Division of Laura Lee has just announced that they will be cancelling their scheduled appearance at the upcoming Coachella Festival along with the additional US dates they had booked around the event. The full statement from singer Per Stalberg:

I'm very sorry to say Division of Laura Lee cancels Coachella festival + additional dates in the U.S.
Due to the fact that I've been suffering from grave throat-infection, coughing for the last three weeks and have been totally feeble in my body. I've been having fever for the last weeks and as I went to the doctor today for the second time in two days he adviced/ordered me to cancel the trip to U.S. as I need to recover from my illness, or this will lead to further injuries & I would seriously risk my health.
I'm indeed very sorry that we need to cancel, not only due to all the fans that bought tickets to our upcoming shows, but also it feels unfortunate towards my band comrades Hakan, Jonas & David, as they also were very excited on coming back to the U.S. on tour & especially excited about Coachella festival, meeting a lot of new people, receiving new vibes.
We'll definitely be back in the U.S. and by this fall we'll record our second album which will turn out to be The master-piece [sic]. Again I'm sorry that we had to cancel the tour, we'll be back soon.
I also want to take the chance & say THANKS to all the people that came out to our shows, bought our records and supported us in amazing letters, emails, phone-calls, live-conversations, it's been the year of my dreams.
We'll recover and come back more powerful than you could ever imagine.
Take care

Earache Records has posted the uncensored 'controversial' video for the song "D.O.A." from The Haunted on their website.

From nubreaks.com via the pHinnweb mailing list:

Riku Pentti aka Infekto comes from Finland, and when I say Finland, I mean right up in the north of Finland where it is bloody cold!. I remember travelling to a gig he was doing where we guested and it was one helluva mission to get there. Bandits on the road ready to rob you. Big ugly bears taking potshots with their paws at passing cars. Police openly taking bribes for you to proceed on your journey. Naked women just dancing in the undergrowth smeared in Marmite... okay, that was all crap, but it still was quite a drive!!!

Read the full interview: www.nubreaks.com/?dir=features/infeat0406§ion=infekto_feature. Some interesting discussion on the Finnish electronic music scene, among other things.

Wed, 29 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

The Klerks will be appearing on the MTV Nordic program Morning Glory on February 8, 9 and 11. They will perform the single "She, She, She" and do an interview.

Here's the dates for Opeth's upcoming Australian tour:

4/10 - Brisbane, The Arena
4/11 - Melbourne, The Corner
4/12 - Adelaide, Uni Bar
4/13 - Sydney, The Metro

Seen the video for "By the Grace of God" from The Hellacopters yet? Click here.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives has announced the dates for their upcoming US tour:

3/15 - Orlando FL The Social
3/16 - Ft. Lauderdale FL Culture Room
3/18 - Atlanta GA Cotton Club
3/20 - New York NY Irving Plaza
3/21 - Washington DC 9:30 Club
3/22 - Philadelphia PA Theatre of Living Arts
3/23 - Boston MA Paradise
3/24 - Providence RI Met Cafe
3/26 - Ottawa Barrymore's Music Hall
3/27 - Montreal Cafe Campus
3/28 - Toronto Opera House
3/29 - Columbus OH Little Brother
3/31 - Detroit MI Magic Stick
4/2 - Minneapolis MN 400 Bar
4/5 - Denver CO Bluebird
4/8 - San Francisco CA Bimbo's 365 Club
4/10 - Seattle WA Graceland

In a sign of big things to come, The Sounds have two songs featured in the upcoming movie "Final Destination 2", "Dance With Me" and "Rock'n'Roll". As stated before, James Iha's Scratchie Records will be releasing the album in the states. The movie hits US theatres tomorrow.

The Wannadies's full version of the video for "Little by Little" gets its TV premiere on MTV2 at 6:20. They may not be one of my faves, but the video's greatness is undeniable.

Kristofer Åström reports that Fireside has finished up with nine of the songs for the upcoming album and comments "it's turning out really good. I'm satisfied with how it sounds." Eh, not the boldest statement I've heard, but I'm still quite excited for when it finally comes out. Don't forget to download the new track "Throw it Away" if you haven't already.

Bad Taste Records has kindly put up the video for "Playerin" from Last Days of April. Check it: High / Low (Real Media)
Also, if you haven't already done so, vote for the band's video for "All Will Break" on the MTV Up North Chart or check out that mp3 I put up on the right.

Logh will be on P3 Live tonight at 9pm (12 noon Pacific). I plan on recording it, but you can also listen online at the P3 site. (click the link 'Lyssna' in the upper-right)

Hot on the heels of news of their StarEP release, Moneybrother has revealed they are working on a full length for Burning Heart Records. Mainman Anders Wendin (ex-Monster) says that him and producer Jari Haapalainen (The Bear Quartet) have twelve tracks ready to go for a summer release. He's also got an all-star lineup for the backing band: Fredrik Sandsten (The Soundtrack of Our Lives), Magnus Öström (Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Nicolai Dunger's "Soul Rush"), Björn Yttling (Peter, Björn & John, live keyboards for Ceasars Palace), plus Monster's horn section (Viktor Brobacke, Gustav Bendt and Patrick Andersson). The music is decribed as a mix of soul, reggae, and punk - not far from the sound of his old band.

Soviac reports they are finished with the second part of their new recording. They are working at Pelle Gunnerfeldt's Gröndal Studio with Johan Gustavsson (Randy) and Kalle Ohlsson (The Bear Quartet).

The new album from Crystal Committee is now available from Chalksounds and you can download the preview mp3s for "So Sinister" and the title track "Forever Overhead". Described by the label as "A true indierock masterpiece in the vein of Ride, early Starmarket", the band consists of Fredrik from the aforementioned Starmarket with help from Mattias Norlamder (Blithe, Komeda), Kristoffer Larsson (Cobolt) and Pontus Levahn (also in Starmarket).

Also from Chalksounds comes this mp3 from Carpet People. The track is called "A Road Trip" and it comes from the forthcoming album "More Bad Weather Coming Out of the Rain".

LOK has a live album called "Blästrad Levande" coming out on February 24. The recording is from a show in Göteborg last August 14. Preview the cover art here.

Mon, 06 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Happy new year! No new music today from me, but I plan to have something come in later this week. Otherwise, time to play catch-up.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Peter Jöback - jag kommer hem igen till jul
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
04. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
05. Melody club - Music machine
06. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
07. v/a - Chess - på svenska
08. Roxette - Ballad hits
09. The Sounds - Living in America
10. Eric Gadd - Life support
11. Hans Martin - Landet där solen ej går ner
12. v/a - Årets julkonsert
13. Nicke & Nilla - Pannkakor med sylt
14. v/a - Fame factory Christmas
15. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
16. The Ark - In lust we trust
17. v/a - Fame Factory volym 1
18. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
19. Helene Sjöholm - Visor
20. Ulf Lundell - Club Zebra

Rolling Stone has jumped on the bandwagon to name "Behind the Music" from The Soundtrack of Our Lives as one of the top 50 albums of 2002. Here's what they said:

The other Swedish export of choice, the Soundtrack of Our Lives make psychedelia without borders, a loud spray of combinations (nuclear-glam guitars, space-hymn keyboards, medieval psaltery) bound together with pop sense. You have to see the band live to appreciate the guruish ardor of bearlike singer Ebbot Lundberg. But the paisley-mule kick of "Infa Riot" and "21st Century Ripoff" will still have you seeing stars.

Sahara Hotnights also got a nod on RS writer/critic Michael Ansaldo's top 10 list.

Ariel Kill Him has a new website design. So do Kasual Records labelmates The New Mess. Their site is here.

Jester Records says that Bogus Blimp is planning on doing 3 new releases within a "very short period of time." What that means exactly is anyone's guess, but I am definitely looking forward to new material from those guys.

Check out pics from the Chalksounds Fest over here. Cobolt and A-tuna were some of the bands that played, but many other band-folk were in attendance such as most everyone from KVLR.

Soviac has entered the studio to begin work on their new album. The band says "the album is a sort of a trilogy", but other details won't be provided until later.

In other Chalksounds news, Carpet People are finishing up with the mixing of their new record. No release date yet.

Here's a track from the upcoming Cult of Luna album. The song is called "The Watchtower" and the album is gonna be called "The Beyond". Look for it around February 10 from Earache Records, otherwise peep the artwork here.

Stratovarius has posted new mp3 clips of the songs "Soul of a Vagabond" and "Find Your Own Voice". They both come from the upcoming album "Elements Part I", due January 27 from Nuclear Blast. For the record, the band's mainman Timo Tolkki has come out strongly against music downloading and has warned that he will come after anyone caught downloading the new album online. His comment on the subject:

I just got back from the promotour and received the news that it's [the new album] on the net already. I have taken the necessary steps to find out the persons, who have put it there. I have contacted our lawyer and the internet department of the Helsinki police. I already have in my possession some IP numbers and there´s more to come. We have obtained a list of journalists who have received the promo copy. We will find those people who did this and they will face a courtcase for sure. They are transmitting internationally copyrighted material without permission. The same goes to anybody who downloads this stuff from internet. It is morally wrong and it is also illegal because of the copyright. Don't download unless you don´t wanna get into trouble. We have means to find out these things. If you think that you have the right to download copyrighted Stratovarius material you are wrong. In that case I don't want you as a fan. There will be soundclips available on our OFFICIAL web site in time, just like there are clips for those who want to check out Strato. I am not gonna write these things again. To close this, you might want to be very careful what you donwload. There are already several false versions of Elements in the net and some of them contains viruses too.

Here's a zip file containing an mp3 of the new track "Black Seeds On Virgin Soil" from Old Man's Child. The new album "In Defiance Of Existence" comes out January 20 on Century Media.

Download some new tracks from Marduk over here.

Solefald has completed work on the album "In Harmonia Universali", the follow-up to the acclaimed "Pills Against The Ageless Ills". Look for it in the near future from Century Media. Lazare says the new record will be "certainly more experimental, but I think the whole sound and production of the album makes it feel more straight forward than it really is. The album will consist of 10 songs, and the vocal arrangements are larger and more complex this time around. We brought along a male choir and a saxophone player in the studio, and that worked out perfectly. I didn't use synths as much as I usually do in the recording process - instead you will hear a lot of real Hammond organs (with a wooden Leslie case) and a Steinway grand piano."

Download some new demo tracks from Einherjer here.