IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Tigerbombs Things that go boom Pyramid

Wed, 30 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Film snobs seem incapable of having a good time during fun, blockbuster films. I have friends that refuse to read anything except 'classics' or 'cult novels'. Hell, I'm not deluded enough to be unaware of the fact that I only mention certain films, texts, and music when I am trying to impress someone. But there is a place in this world for uncomplicated entertainment, there's only so many times a year that I can have life-changing realizations and pause for the subsequent self-evaluation, and Tigerbombs fills this niche very competently. Obviously influenced by party jam artistes Ceasers, and helped in their quest by Paola on a few songs, the Tigerbombs' "Things that go boom" is everything that a garage-pop album should be – entertaining, energetic and solid. The songs are very well put together, there's a lot to be said about bands who can consistently craft a three-minute pop song, and even have nice surprising elements, like the wonderful ending of "Hit the lights" that bleeds perfectly into "The winter's gone today". It's summer, you deserve some fun. Tigerbombs want to help.

MP3: Tigerbombs - Shaking the tree

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Tigerbombs might come off like a Finnish carbon-copy of Caesars/Caesars Palace, but they sure one-upped those dudes by enlisting Klas Åhlund's ex-wife Paola to help out on their new record "Thing that go boom". Otherwise, the sound is more or less the same: revved-up organ-driven garage rock with a definite retro/lo-fi vibe. It's fun stuff, perfect for the onset of summer. Original? Naah, but neither were Caesars either.

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Tigerbombs have updated their myspace with four new songs from their forthcoming album "Things that go boom", including two tracks that feature guest vocals from Paola: http://www.myspace.com/tigerbombs

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

It was only last Friday that I was wondering what was up with Paola and guess what? I've got an update! Finnish act Tigerbombs just wrote to tell me that she helped out with arrangements and songwriting on the band's new album "Things that go boom", due out March 28. She also sings of course and will appear on two duets tracks.

MP3: Paola - Stockcity girl

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Whatever happened to Paola? I guess I'm not that surprised her divorce from super-producer/Teddybears member Klas Åhlund effectively ended her career, but you never know, right? I suppose that Teddybears rerecording her vocals on "Yours to keep" with Neneh Cherry and Annie was the final nail in her coffin. Listening back to her 2002 album "Stockcity girl", it's fairly obvious that its success owes much to Åhlund's involvement, but it's not as if she was some no-talent nobody. Paola is quality pop and if you like the record that Åhlund did with Robyn, there's no reason why you shouldn't love this too. Hard to believe it's been five years since this was released - it still sounds pretty damn fresh today.

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Klas Åhlund from Teddybears Sthlm talks to Aftonbladet about his divorce from Paola: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,486692,00.html (in Swedish)

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

Lake of Tears will enter the studio on February 13 to begin work on their new album, tentatively titled "Black Brick Road". An August release on Noise Records is expected.

German radio show "45 minutes", broadcast every second sunday at 7.30 pm on Radio Blau Leipzig, recently published their best-of-the-year lists and they contain a ton of Nordic acts. Here's some highlights:

Top 100 LPs 2003
01. The Bear Quartet "angry brigade" (A West Side Fabrication)
03. David & The Citizens "until the sadness is gone" (Adrian)
05. The Legends "up against the legends" (Labrador)
06. The Radio Dept. "lesser matters" (Labrador)
08. The Embassy "futile crimes" (Service)
10. Wan Light "let's wake up somewhere else" (Labrador)
12. Mew "frengers" (Sony)
13. Monastir "the modern sound for a loser generation" (A West Side Fabrication)
16. Peter Bjorn And John "s/t" (Beat That!)
17. The Crystal Committee "forever overhead" (Chalksound)
18. Dub Sweden "welcome to our world" (Silence)
21. Franke "optimismens hån" (Service)
22. Club 8 "strangely beautiful" (Labrador)
23. Komeda "kokomemedada" (Sonet)
32. The Concretes "s/t" (Licking Fingers)
42. Broder Daniel "cruel town" (Dolores)
50. The Cardigans "long gone before daylight" (Stockholm)
57. Laakso "miss you, i'm pregnant" (Adrian)
58. The Raveonettes "chain gang of love" (Dragnet)
73. Paola "stockcity girl" (Dolores)
83. Burek V "s/t" (A West Side Fabrication)
85. Carpet People "more bad weather coming out of the rain" (Chalksound)
88. Isolation Years "it's golden" (Stickman)
89. Douglas Heart "douglas heart" (Labrador)
93. Mando Diao "bring 'em in" (Majesty)
94. The Knife "deep cuts" (Rabid)
97. Ariel Kill Him "in the pyramid" (Kasual)
99. Edson "every day, ervery second" (Labrador)

For the rest of the list, as well as their singles chart, go here: http://www.pop-on-paper.de/

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Here's an interview with Paola from Aftonbladet in which she criticizes Charlotte Nilsson and her recent photo spread from Cafê Magazine, among other things. (in Swedish)

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.

Fri, 06 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Happy Swedish National Day.

Turbonegro are doing an online benefit for the St. Pauli Football Club ("the one with skull & crossbones logo" as they say) in the form of three ebay auctions:

"Scandinavian Leather" deluxe box set #666, autographed by the complete band
"Scandinavian Leather" deluxe box set #1910, autographed by the complete band
St. Pauli player jersey with Hank van Helvete lettering on the back and his autograph

Check 'em out, but keep in mind they also promise "more interesting things to follow."

Here's some pictures from Komeda's video shoot for the track "Cul de Sac".

Nicolai Dunger will be providing guest vocals on an upcoming EP from Calexico for the song "Alone again or", originally done by Love. It comes out June 16.

Labrador Records has announced they will now be distributed in Germany by AL!VE with promotion to be handled by C&D Promotion. Their first release over there will be "Kate 97" from Tribeca. For more info contact Stephan.Meyer@alive-ag.de or chris.donn@cdpromotion.de.

Paris has signed a publishing contract with Songs & Stories Publishing.

The latest edition of Doomsday Magazine just came out and it includes interviews with Uncurbed, Totalt Jävla Mörker, Burst and more. More info and some back-issue text: www.doomsdaymag.tk (in Swedish)

NRK has posted Amulet's new video for "Breaking News". Check it.

Hedningarna has posted a couple videos on their new website. The band's new retrospective CD is out now in Finland, Spain and the US and should hit Sweden in September. It contains various tracks from 1989-2003 along with two brand new songs. Read more.

The Confusions, Satirnine, Dynamo Chapel, Paola and The Crystal Committee are now confirmed for the Trästock festival in Skellefteå, Sweden on July 17-19.

Kent's big concert at Stockholm Stadium tonight will be recorded for a future album/DVD release. There's also rumors of various special guests showing up, such as Titiyo and Lisa Miskovsky.

Clawfinger has posted the video clip for their new single "Recipe for Hate": Windows / Real
You can also check out some behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot right here.

The Hives, In Flames, and Flint have been added to Hultsfred fest.

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Added the rest of those Madrugada live mp3s on the right. Enjoy.

That charming young Norweigan, Sondre Lerche, just posted a new tour diary entry on his website.

Rec90 artists Lorraine are heading to Germany on tour this month with the band Delaware:

06/08 - Berlin, Magnet
06/09 - Hannover, Gig
06/10 - Leipzig - Moritzbastei
06/11 - Hamburg, Tanzhalle
06/12 - Kassel, K19
06/15 - Regensburg, Alte Mälzerei
06/16 - Köln, MTC
06/17 - Frankfurt, Nachtleben

Those of you in Deustchland can look for a track from the band on the sampler CD from the May edition of Zillo magazine, too. They also play the Working Class Hero Festival in Drammen Norway on August 6 and expect to have their debut full-length "The Perfect Cure" out in September.

Some news from Norway's Jester Records, the label of Ulver mainman Garm aka Kristoffer Rygg aka Trickster G:

September 15 marks the day that both Ulver's soundtrack to the film "Svidd Neger" and Virus' new album hit the stores. The other upcoming Ulver release, "A Quick Fix" EP, is now slated for August. Ulver even got a write-up in the Village Voice awhile back, too.
The new single and video "Sleepers" from Kåre João is out and getting spun NRK2 and ZTV. I haven't seen it myself, but they say it was shot on 16mm b&w film and resembles "such fine pieces of art as Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger than Paradise" and Gus Van Sant's "Drugstore Cowboy".
When's new album is due to be mixed in July with a release sometime this winter.
And lastly, the label is in negotiation with Tigerbeat6, the label of Kid606 for licensing of Jester's "cut-cool electronic" catalogue. The other part of their catalogue (or however you want to refer to it) is currently distributed by The End Records in North America.

The Crown has finished the recording of their album "Possessed 13" and is currently taking a three-week break before entering the mixing stage back at Studio Fredman. This release will be the band's sixth album and is the first one back with original vocalist Johan Lindstrand after a one-off with Tomas Lindberg (ex-At the Gates).

Due to singer Maja Ivarsson's bronchitis and over exhaustion, The Sounds have been forced to cancel a number of upcoming gigs. THe following dates are affected:

06/07 - Nuremberg, Germany
06/08 - Eifel, Germany
06/12 - Hultsfred Festival, Sweden
06/13 - Norwegian Wood, Norway
06/14 - Nyköping, Sweden
06/17 - Gothenburg, Sweden
06/18 - Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden
06/20 - Wiesen, Austria
06/21 - Southside, Munich, Germany
06/22 - Hurricane, Hannover/Hamburg, Germany
06/27 - Kiruna Festival, Sweden
06/28 - Skellefteå Festival, Sweden

The band plans to recover at their home in Helsingborg, Sweden before setting back out on the road again.

Amorphis has posted a video interview with vocalist Pasi Koskinen and guitarist Esa Holopainen as part of their electronic press kit.

The UK's XL Recordings (Electric Six, Badly Drawn Boy, White Stripes, The Prodigy, etc) imprint Rex Records will put out the Radio Dept.'s album "Lesser Matters" this coming fall.

All six bands representing Finland's Popcity 2003 will perform at the Provinssirock festival in their own hometown Seinäjoki and takes place June 13-15. They are: Georg Kalliola & JooJoo Miehet, Kayah, Kuolleet intiaanit, Stigma, Trigon and Velvetcut. The Finnish Music Information Centre launched the Popcity project as a way to promote as-yet unknown bands from a different annually chosen town. Read more.

Saami artist Mari Boine has won the 2003 Nordic Council Music Prize of 47k EUR. "Mari Boine is one of the leading lights on the new Saami music scene. Boine's music defies facile attempts at labelling. It is based on joik but the complimentary stylistic ingredients include African rhythms, world music and rock-funk." Read more.

Confirmed bands for Festival Mission Impossible which takes place August 23 at Smedjebacken in Dalarna: The Hellacopters, The Ark, Pugh Rogefeldt, Docenterna and The Mainliners. At total of 16 acts will perform and tickets will cost 200 SEK.

The full lineup for Göteborgskalaset: Looptroop, Fireside, Moneybrother, Raised Fist, Mory Kante, Christian Kjellvander, Franke, Hammerfall, Evergrey, Cult of Luna, Her Majesty, Isolation Years, Florence Valentin, Shout Out Louds, Mando Diao, The Latin Kings, Advance Patrol, Ison & Fille, The Ark, Komeda, Paola, The Concretes, Satirnine, Thomas Rusiak, Dub Sweden, Kajsa Grytt, Kamera and Kristian Anttila.

The Maggots' new album "Do The Maggot" doesn't come out until August 25, but they're already heading out on tour in the UK:

06/12 - Sheffield, Casbah
06/13 - Aberdeen, Dr Drakes
06/14 - Edinburgh, Studio24
06/15 - Day off
06/16 - Newcastle
06/17 - York, Fibbers
06/18 - Nottingham, Junktion7
06/19 - High Wycombe
06/20 - London, Dirty Water
06/22 - Stockholm, Debaser/Gearclub

In case you were unaware, Timbuktu addressed stateminister Göran Persson in his song "Ett Brev" and now Göran is just about ready with his response. Apparently he wrote something together with an unnamed colleague in rap form (!!!) and it will be published in SSU's magazine Frihet on June 18. What comes next is anyone's guess.

The Killers, Gaffaman, Crash, Ziggy Kropp & Karma, Sirqus Alfon and Soul Source have all been added to Hultsfred fest.

Wired for Mono reports they will be heading back over to England in mid-July for a few dates, details to be posted on their website soon. They'll also be back in the studio recording some new material this month along with playing Friday at Debaser in Stockholm.

Tue, 27 May 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Green Carnation's new album "A Blessing in Disguise" is gathering all sorts of accolades including Album of the Month in the magazines Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and BW&BK. They play the Quart Festival on July 5.

The Peepshows just posted a couple photos from their recent tour with The Hellacopters. Check them out here.

Voice of a Generation just posted a bunch of new pics, too. Theirs are from the band's recent shows in Marburg and Berlin.

The Cardigans have revealed that their upcoming performance at the Rock am Ring fest on June 6 will be webcasted by WDR Rockpalast. Go to their homepage on that date to view the stream. The band will also be doing a live chat the same day at 8:30pm mid-european summer time.

As hinted at before, Norway's St. Thomas is starting to make headways in the UK. "Hey Harmony" is the Album of the Week for the Sunday Times and the magazine Bang gave it a 5 out of 5. Here's the full review from the former:

Looking back on the success of "Harvest", Neil Young famously commented that he had found himself in the middle of the road and, not much liking it there, "headed for the ditch". While many of us have enjoyed the erratic, ditch-bound career that followed, those who own "Harvest" and no other Young albums should consider getting better acquainted with St. Thomas — aka Norwegian Thomas Hansen — whose quavering falsetto, simple mixture of folk and alt-country and tendency to leave a chorus just sort of hanging there all recall Young at his kindest and gentlest. Hansen had his own middle-of-the-road moment when his previous album, "I'm Coming Home", made him a star in Norway. He reacted in the traditional way — drinking too much, behaving badly at gigs and ending up in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. But you wouldn't know it by listening to "Hey Harmony". Light, fluffy, upbeat and irrepressibly catchy, the songs suggest a sunny view of the world. The musicians — including Howe Gelb and various Lambchop members — play with tasteful simplicity. And when Hansen sings "we're having a Sunday party, come on over and be our friends" it sounds like an invitation you should accept.

Nasum has posted an extensive tour diary on their site with photos and video footage from their recent trip to Finland. Definitely entertaining. Also, for those that missed it, Shane Embury of Napalm Death and original Nasum member Rickard Alriksson recently joined the band onstage at their record release show this past weekend. See pictures here.

In Flames reports they have completed pre-production on six new songs at their house/studio in Denmark. They plan to spend about another week there writing and recording before heading back to Sweden where they will record the actual album this coming fall. Check out some pics from the so-called "Tuborg Sessions" right here.

The first dates of the rumored HIM tour supporting Ozzy Osbourne have been announced:

09/05 - London, Wembley Arena
09/07 - Birmingham, NEC
09/08 - Rotterdam, Ahoy
09/10 - Oberhausen, Arena
09/13 - Helsinki, Arena
09/15 - Stockholm, Globen
09/16 - Oslo, Spektrum
09/19 - Zurich, Hallenstadion
09/20 - Salzburg, Stadion
09/22 - Stuttgart, Schleyerhalle
09/24 - Vienna, Stadthalle
09/25 - Munich, Olympiahalle

Godsmack opens the shows and HIM plays right before Ozzy for about 45-50 minutes. After this tour HIM also plans to head out on their own around Europe on their own tour. More info when I get it.

Export Music Sweden is planning an outing in Tokyo, Japan for October 16-19. The event has been dubbed 'Swedish Style' and details are currently being worked out in conjunction with the embassy. No bands have been announced yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. Read this for more.

Digfi.com has published the schedule for Stockholm's Popaganda fest which takes place this coming weekend. Be sure to check it out so you don't miss the bands you intend to see.

Bands now added to the Avrikafest tour with Kamera now include Quit Your Dayjob, Alice In Videoland, Kristian Anttila, Don Juan Dracula, Nina Natri and Kitty.

And speaking of Avrika, here's some more bands added to the regular fest bill: Fireside, Mikael Wiehe, Paola, Moneybrother, Dub Sweden, USCB Allstars, De Stijl, Seven, the Monotypes, Love Olzon, Franke, Kristian Anttila, Nine, Dozer and TPIKSA.

Fireside, Burek V, David & The Citizens, Cult of Luna, and Heikki have now all been confirmed for the lineup of the free Trästock festival which takes place at Nordanå in Skellefteå on July 17-19.

We are now almost finnished with the recordings. We have until sunday this week and then we take a break for 3 weeks before we enter again for the final mix in mid June. It sounds very fuckin' great and we can't wait to release this fury upon your souls. It has gone very smooth in the studio, no problems at all and everybody is working their asses off. When we're not beating our instruments we are kickin' eachothers asses in Tekken 4 and the undisputed champion is for the moment Janne. We have now tuned down the guitars even more to get a more deadly sound to the songs and it fuckin' working, and the fast songs have become even more faster than the pre-production we did. As I'm writing this I have only one more song to do vocals on and that's "Dawn of Emptiness" , a mid tempo song that's gonna end the album along with the instrumental piece "The Endless Gate". Marcus has also some solos left to do and the shit he's done so far has fuckin' blown me away.

That's The Crown's vocalist Johan Lindstrand discussing the band's progress on the new album "Possessed 13" from their message board. The tentative release date is set for September.

Mon, 12 May 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Melody Club has annouced their full list of summer tour dates. Here's the schedule as of now:

05/14 - Hamburg (D) Molotow
05/15 - Düsseldorf (D) Unique
05/16 - Weinheim (D) Cafe Central
05/17 - Berlin (D) Bastard
05/18 - Kassel (D) K19
05/19 - Frankfurt (D) Cookys
05/20 - Dresden (D) Downtown
05/21 - München (D) Atomic Cafe
05/23 - Göteborg Liseberg / Okej Dagen
05/30 - Eskilstuna Blå
05/31 - Härnösand Högslättens Isstadion
06/06 - Drammen (NO) Working Class Hero
06/06 - Hultsfred Hultsfred Festival
06/06 - Visby Gutekällaren
07/01 - Östhammar Musikveckan
07/04 - Sundsvall Sundsvalls Gatufest
07/05 - Kristianstad Tivolirock
07/11 - Arvika Arvikafestivalen
07/19 - Mariehamn, Åland Rock Off Festival
07/23 - Hedemora Hedmora Parken
07/26 - Karlskoga Stranddagar
07/30 - Visby Gutekällaren
08/01 - Östersund Storsjöyran
08/02 - Stockholm Pridefestivalen
08/06 - Gävle Gävle Cityfest
08/08 - Emmaboda Emmabodafestivalen

Johan Bergqvist has posted all three songs from his new single in RealMedia format over at his (newly refurbished) website. Check em out in the upper right-hand corner.

Billboard reviews the US release of "Living in America" from The Sounds.

Stylus Magazine has named Norway's Rune Grammofon their label of the week.

Massproduktion has announced that they will be reissuing a remastered version of the very first Left Hand Solution seven-song EP "Shadowdance" on CD with five extra bonus tracks, three of which are previously unrereleased. It's been ten years since the recording first came out and serves as an almost-complete document of the era when Kicki Höijertz fronted the band.

The Flicker will be playing Club Clampers in Stockholm on May 17 and the first 25 attendees will receive a copy of their new CDr "Phases". Download an mp3 of the track "Consulation" right here.

DigitalMetal.com interviews the avant-metal band Solefald and black/dark metallers Aeternus.

Samson & Rourke recently published an interview with Anders Wendins of Moneybrother. (in Swedish)

The new Lost Patrol single "All Right" featuring Lisa Miskovsky comes out June 2. For those that don't know, LP is the solo project of International Noise Conspiracy frontman Dennis Lyxzen.

Even more bands added to Popaganda fest in Stockholm: Doktor Kosmos, Isolation Years, Superheroes, Miss Universum, José González, Tiger Lou, Carpet People, Mano & the tears, The Search, Blanka, Callahan, Ebon Tale and Anna Vnuk.

Starting on June 3 Swedish Radio P3 will have a week-long feature on Swedish music. Be sure to check it out and remember you can listen online at their website.

The Caesars recently had the single "Sort it Out" featured during an episode of the UK's most watched soap opera Eastenders. Listen to the track here. Like I've said before, expect big things from these guys. The band has also been confirmed for the 'new bands' stage at Glastonbury fest which takes place June 27-29.

The Ark, Hammerfall, Looptroop, Paola, Her Majesty, Evergrey, Moneybrother and Mando Diao have all be confirmed for Göteborgskalaset on August 8-16.

Mike Wead (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate), Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Notre Dame), Sharlee D'Angelo (Mercyful Fate, Witchery) and Simon Johansson (Memory Garden, Abstrakt Algenra) have all teamed up to form a new band called Firegod. Mike's statement on the current state of the group:

I'm more than thrilled to be joined by some of the guys I consider to be the most creative and talented in Scandinavia. Me and Simon [have] been working really hard for almost two years writing and demoing something like 40-45 tracks... These tracks will be the perfect frame for what I'm sure will become a concept album that will stand out among the rest! People into our older bands as well as our current ones WILL NOT be disappointed!

They expect to have an album out around early 2004.

The new Finnish death-metal "supergroup" Chaosbreed has posted a couple sample mp3s from their demo for downloading:

01. Wretched Life
02. Rotting Alive
03. FC/DC (Freedom Corps Death Crush)

As mentioned before, Chaosbreed features vocalist Taneli Jarva (ex-Sentenced, The Black League), guitarist Marko Tarvonen (Moonsorrow), guitarist Esa Holopainen (Amorphis), among others. The band is currently entertaining any serious offers for booking or label support and anyone wanting to get in touch should email them at chaosbreeders@hotmail.com.

David & the Citizens and The Knife are both receiving gold disc awards from Border Music in Sweden for sales of over 5000. It's part of a new initiative enacted by the company to encourage and reward independent labels. The ceremony will be held at Pustervik in Göteborg on May 23.

In other D&tC news, the band's album "For All Happy Endings" was just reviewed in English over at firesideometer.com.

Lovitt Records has announced they will start taking preorders of the new Division of Laura Lee collection "97-99" with songs from before they signed with BHR/Epitaph. Email mailorder@lovitt.com for more info or visit the label's website. You can also download a preview mp3 of the track "Stereotype" if you're curious about their old sound, which they describe as "reminiscent of the DC post-punk sound with a dash of Drive Like Jehu." The record hits stores June 16.

Thu, 24 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Carnal Forge has announced that they have extended their contract with Centry Media for another two albums. Look for 'em on tour in America with the 2003 Metal Gods featuring Halford, Testament, Immortal, Primal Fear and Behemoth.

MTV Up North has moved to Thursdays with a new, extended format. Here's this week's chart:

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

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

Besides appearing on MTV Morning Glory back home in Sweden this weekend, The Sounds also have reviews published in US mags Billboard and Alternative Press. I'll try and track 'em down if I can.

Misconduct's video for their cover of Bob Marley's "Iron Lion Zion" will premiere on CTV's new program 'Nöjesnytt' on April 29. Singer Fredrik Olsson and bassist Andreas Wall will be on the show, too.

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. Jill Johnson - Discography
04. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
05. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
06. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
07. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
08. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
09. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
10. The Refreshments - On the rocks
11. Roxette - The pop hits
12. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
13. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
14. The Knife - Deep Cuts
15. Fireside - Get shot
16. Buddaboys - Lost people areas
17. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
18. Dilba - Revolution
19. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
20. The Sounds - Living in America

The Shout Out Louds are hard at work on their upcoming debut full-length which is now scheduled to come out September 29. They also have a new single coming out in May for the track "Hurry Up Let's Go" which will include an unreleased song as a b-side. And that's not all - they're even fitting in some touring:

4/25 - Borlänge, Klubb Desired
4/26 - Lund, Klubb Blender
5/7 - Oslo, So What
5/23 - Umeå Studion, Folkets Hus
5/28 - Örebro, Kåren
5/30 - Uppsala, Stones-festivalen
5/30 - Stockholm, Popaganda
5/31 - Linköping, Rocksensation, Herrgårn
5/31 - Kalmar, Skälby
6/6 - Göteborg, Pustervik w/Marit Bergman

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

01. (NY) Bad Cash Quartet "Dirty Days"
02. (01) Fireside "All You Had"
03. (02) The White Stripes "7 Nation Army"
04. (11) Randy "A Man in a Uniform"
05. (NY) Miss Universum "Fertilize"
06. (07) Florence Valentin "Allt dom bygger upp ska vi meja ner"
07. (NY) The Raveonettes "Beat City"
08. (03) Her Majesty "F.U.N.E.R.A.L."
09. (NY) Queens of the Stone Age "Go with the Flow"
10. (04) The Dandy Warhols "We Used to be Friends"

11. (05) The Knife "You Take My Breath Away"
12. (NY) Zwan "Lyric"
13. (08) Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"
14. (10) Floetry "Floetic"
15. (09) Timbuktu "Ett brev"
16. (13) Turbonegro "F**k the World (F.T.W.)"
17. (18) Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks "Dark Wave"
18. (NY) Audio Bullys "The Things"
19. (NY) Anthony B "God Above Everything"
20. (15) The Coral "Don't Think You're The First"

Leaving the chart:
(06) Jurassic 5 Ft. Mya "Thin Line"
(12) Asian Dub Foundation Ft. Sinead O'Connor "1000 Mirrors"
(14) Sean Paul "Get Busy"
(16) Blur "Out of Time"
(17) Outlandish "Guantanamo"
(19) First Floor Power "Happy Endings"
(20) The Concretes "You Can't Hurry Love"

'Against All Evens' is the name of the upcoming Second Gothenburg Biennale to take place May 24 - August 24 at Gothenburg Konsthallen. The event is being billed as "a resistance against all that which is vapid, indifferent and toothless" and will be curated by artist/musician Carl Michael Von Hauswolff. 27 concerts are scheduled to take place including performances by Tommi Grönlund (Sähkö Rec.) with Petteri Nisunen (FIN), John Duncan, Kim Gordon, Russell Haswell, Florian Hecker, Phill Niblock, Pita, Franz Pomassl and more. More info here.

Get a preview of the new Hell n' Diesel single in RealAudio format: "Tears for the Wicked" / "Rebel" / "Speed Devil"
Preorders are already being taken over at the Shuffle Records website.

Live4Metal is reporting that Enslaved was forced to cancel their show at The Garage in London tonight as the promotor seems to have bungled the job. Their statement:

Only about 65 advance tickets were sold and the promoters could not afford to pay the deposit to bring Enslaved over from Norway and have pulled the gig. Live4Metal were happy to be official sponsors of the event, but we have not even had any official notice from them and are as mystified as the support bands, anybody who bought a ticket and no doubt Enslaved themselves. All I can say is that there is a lesson to be learnt here and budding promoters should most definitely learn to walk before they try to run. Being as we are fair, we are willing to listen to the promoters' side of the story... but we are yet to hear from them.

A little bird has informed me that the new C.Aarmé 4-song 7" and The New Mess 3-song gatefold EP are now done and ready for ordering from Deleted Art.

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0700

In my continuing quest to open your ears to new music, there's some new mp3s on the right. First is Jaga Jazzist with the title track from their upcoming US debut "Animal Chin". They do a combination of jazz with electronic elements that's actually really, really cool. Normally I wouldn't expect myself to get into something like that, but they're really good. Next is three tracks from The Haunted's performance at Popstad. If you're into metal, you should already know these guys. Ex-At The Gates/Seance, total Slayer-worship. Can't go wrong with that.

Dagensskiva reports that Kamera had a bunch of gear stolen along with Ed Hartcourt's favorite leather jacket from their show at KB in Malmï¿½. Among the missing instruments are a Mexican-made Strat, an Ibanez SG-style guitar and an Ibanez SG-style bass. Read more.

Hell On Wheels have announced that "It's Wrong Being a Boy" will be their new single out on May 8. They'll be shooting a video for the track this evening around the rural suburbs of Stockholm.

Elisa TV has posted Vï¿½rttinï¿½'s video for "Tuulen Tunto" (To Feel the Wind) for viewing: RealMedia 1 / RealMedia 2 / Windows
It was filmed on February 28 at Aleksanterin Teatteri by Deco Media for the Finnish TV program 'Levyraati'.

Mattias Alkberg of Bear Quartet is the recipient of the Arnold Rï¿½rlings-scholarship. Read more.

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine of all places has reviewed David & the Citizens "For All Happy Endings":

Whoï¿½s got "Swedish fever"? It's time to retire your Abba records-guilt free! David & The Citizens are the best thing to come from Sweden since the bikini team. They have a unique, unclassifiable sound that's been compared to Beck, the Rolling Stones, and Belle And Sebastian. Regardless of that, itï¿½ll make you wanna pick up your accordion and start dancing. With catchy song titles like "Now She Sleeps in a Box in the Good Soil of Denmark," how could you go wrong? Definitely a must-buy.
- J.T. Kitzmiller

NRK has posted a plethora of pictures from the Inferno Festival in Norway. Immortal, Red Harvest and Opeth are just three of the bands featured. On-demand video footage coming soon, too.

The Knife will be doing the soundtrack for Christina Olofson's upcoming film "Hannah med H" ('Hannah with an H'). The full CD will include some 30-odd tracks and should be out sometime in fall. The move premieres on December 12.

From Sam Roberts' homepage on opening for TSOOL on a few dates around the US:

Our tour with The Soundtrack of Our Lives has also sadly come to an end. They were the model of Swedish hospitality from beginning to end, and we'd like to thank the band and crew for taking such good care of a bunch of Canuck drunks.
There wasn't a single show where they didn't blow our minds- they might just be the best live band in the world. Another thing we learned about our Scandinavian brethren is that they know how to party, and we have been on a strict regimen of vitamins and lentil soup since our return.
Adios for now you crazy bastards...

For an entirely different take than Pitchfork on Turbonegro's new album, read this review from Dagensskiva. (in Swedish)

Miss Universum's (Doktor Kosmos) debut album "Selfelected" comes out May 16. Uje Brandelius helped with the songwriting and Jens Lindgï¿½rd produced. The first single "Fertilize" comes out April 25.

P3 reports that when the Dalai Lama comes to Sweden on June 3 the following artists will be playing: Thomas Dileva, Lisa Ekdahl, Anders Widmark, Sara Isaksson, and Chime Arkhang. Tomas Ledin will host.

Looptroop, Mikael Wiehe, Bob Hansson, Kajsa Grytt and Stefan Sundstrï¿½m are all scheduled to play a big free concert at Mondo in Stockholm on May 11 in a show of solidarity and support for everyone convicted at the EU summit riots in Gï¿½teborg back in 2001.

Some new acts confirmed for Hultsfred: Randy, Ursula Rucker, Stefan Sundstrï¿½m, Strebers, Isolation Years, Paola, Kajsa Grytt, Johan Bergqvist and Advance Patrol.

Some of the names for the upcoming Koneisto fest in Finland seem to have been leaked. Here's what I've heard so far: Miss Kittin, T.Raumschmiere, Erlend Oye, Uusi Fantasia, Ed Rush, Ralph Myerz & Jack Herren Band, Gilles Peterson, London Elektricity, Kuusumun Profeetta, Imatran Voima, Youngsters, Didier Sound Spectrum, Datarock, Kaptein Kaliber, and Seb Fontaine. The electronic music event takes place in Helsinki 7/25-7/27.

Here's an e-card for Oslo's Bertine Zetlizt. It includes a short English bio along with 3 song samples and a video.

Mon, 17 Mar 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Some nine days and 4000 miles (~6437 km) later, I'm back home and exhausted. We had a blast and I'm happy to report that everything went quite smoothly. Pictures will be forthcoming! For those that might be interested, I've got a bit of leftover KVLR merch to sell. How's $12 ppd sound? Order more items and I'll make it worth your while. The list:

KVLR - Great Collapse CD and/or 12" vinyl
KVLR - On Planted Streets CD
KVLR - Let Me Worry Some More 12" vinyl
The Crystal Committee - Forever Overhead

North American orders only, please. Everyone else can order direct from Chalksounds. Email me and we'll work out the details.

And now back to the news! Updates will be a bit slow today as I bring myself back up to speed and catch up with everything I missed.

Deleted Art is starting to accept pre-orders for the new 4-song 7" from C.Aarmé and the gatefold ep from The New Mess. They just shipped off the masters to get pressed, so expect them to start shipping in early April. And if you act now, they promise to throw in a free button along with first dibs on the limited colored vinyl. Email 'em at mailorder@deletedart.org to get on it.

The debut album "Ruminate" from The Virtues will come out April 26 on San Francisco's Zip Records. They describe it as "Northern Soul" and say "it shimmers with originality and melodicism. In the vein of The Posies and Ron Sexsmith."

Isolation Years are heading out on the road in support of their new album "It's Golden", which you can preview here. The dates:

4/4 - Skellefteå, Pinkerton
4/5 - Östersund, Tingshuset
4/10 - Linköping, Herrgårn
4/16 - Halmstad, Diezel
4/17 - Malmö, KB
4/18 - Gbg, Playground@Pustervik
4/19 - Köpenhamn, Rust
4/25 - Lund, Mejeriet
4/27 - Sthlm - Södra Teatern/KGB
5/2 - Oslo, So What

Division of Laura Lee are heading out on a Swedish tour, too. Their dates:

4/2 - Vänersborg, Roccad
4/4 - Västerås, Västerås Kulturhus
4/5 - Gbg, Chalmers Kårhus
4/9 - Mariehamn, Pub Bastun
4/10 - Sthlm, Kafé 44
4/11 - Sthlm, Klubb Accelerator @ Debaser
4/12 - Norrköping, Kammaren
5/2 - Lund, Wermlands Nation

Sanctum has decided to cancel their upcoming planned US tour citing the unstable world condition and the possibility that they might not be able to make the journey when the time comes. Their statement:

We can't risk to give our word for something we might not be able to hold. We're very sorry about this decision, to be precise it sucks and it was not easy to make. we have been looking forward to perform, to see old friends and make new ones.

Surely you heard about the flying sheep head incident at the Mayhem show in Norway? Well, here's a pic of the damage. It also turns out that victim Per Kristian Hagen is suing the band for lost income as a result of the injury. He says he's still a fan, but says "if it turns out I've got permanent injuries after this, it's important to have some sort of record to refer to... since I can't work for awhile."

The Ark's fourth single from "In Lust We Trust" will be for the song "Disease". Preview it here along with the b-side "Opera".

Finntroll/Impaled Nazarene guitarist Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta died at age 25 on Sunday morning. There's no word on what happened or what this means for the bands' future, but I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything. My condolences.

Check out Paola's new single and video for the song "Interstellar Love" right here.

Thu, 13 Feb 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Was it just me, or did World Cafe not stream that TSOOL performance yesterday? Did I miss it? Anyone else record it?

Katatonia has put up a 45-second teaser of the new song "Evidence"on their homepage. As stated before, the new album "Viva Emptiness" comes out March 24.

The Hives won two categories at the recent NME awards: 'Best International Band' and 'Best Dressed'. The full list of winners is here.

Isolation Years will release the first single from the new album "It's Golden" on February 17. The track is called "Open Those Eyes" and I have no doubt it will be awesome. The album follows on March 14.

Madrugada is planning to release the song "Majesty" as the next single. It's already been doing quite well in the charts. The rumor is that they're doing an EP and it'll be out on March 5. No word on the b-sides at this time.

Read the transcript of MTVE.com's webchat with The Cardigans. There's actually some pretty good questions from the fans getting asked and answered.

Ulver reports that the "1993-2003: 1st Decade in the Machines" remix comp is now complete. Contributors include the band themselves, Alexander Rishaug, Information, Third Eye Foundation, Upland, Bogdan Raczynski, Martin Horntveth, Neotropic, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, Pita, Jazzkammer, V/Vm, and Merzbow. It'll be out in March on Jester Records.

In other Ulver news, the band also has announced their next EP will be called "A Quick Fix of Melancholy". It will contain three tracks and over 30 minutes of music that they say will "reflect the title." Author Christian Bök provides the lyrics.

Flow Magazine has themselves an exclusive mp3 from Paragon. The track is called "När Gon Spottar" and was produced by Michel Rocwell. Look for it on the upcoming debut album "Stadsbarn".

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

01. (01) The Cardigans "For What It's Worth"
02. (06) Håkan Hellström "Den fulaste flickan i hela världen"
03. (09) Coldplay "Clocks"
04. (05) The Knife "Heartbeats"
05. (03) Fireside "Throw It Away"
06. (08) Caesars Palace "Candy Cane"
07. (02) Foo Fighters "Times Like These"
08. (NY) Erlend Öje "Sudden Rush"
09. (NY) Laakso "Long Beach"
10. (11) Ms Dynamite "Put Him Out"

11. (NY) Placebo "The Bitter End"
12. (16) Paris "Streetlights"
13. (18) N.E.R.D. "Provider"
14. (04) Badly Drawn Boy "Born Again"
15. (NY) Maceo Parker "Come By And See"
16. (14) Eve "Satisfaction"
17. (13) The Libertines "Time For Heroes"18. (NY) Calexico "Quattro"
19. (15) Zwan "Honestly"
20. (NY) Red Hot Chili Peppers "Can't Stop"

Leaving the chart:
(07) Turin Brakes "Pain Killer"
(10) Supergrass "Seen the Light"
(12) Ed Harcourt "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed"
(17) Dub Sweden "Walk Me Home"
(19) Paola "Interstellar Love"
(20) Her Majesty "I'm Fire C'mon!"

Big Bongo Records is doing a comp to be called Twenty Years Too Soon One Year Too Late - A Tribute To The Nomads" featuring contributions from Sewergrooves, The Hellacopters, Maryslim, bob hund, The Dictators, Entombed, Sons of Cyrus and Nitwitz. In case you are unaware, The Nomads are the forefathers of Swedish garage rock and two of the members now make up The Hellacopters' rhythm section. I don't have a release date, but it should be out soon.

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. The Sounds - Living in America
03. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
04. Barbados - Rewind
05. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
06. A Teens - New arrival
07. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
08. Melody Club - Music machine
09. The Knife - Deep Cuts
10. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
11. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
12. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
13. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
14. Thåström - På röda sten
15. Joybells gospel choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker
16. Nicke & Nilla - Pannkakor med sylt
17. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
18. Eric Gadd - Life support
19. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
20. v/a - Fame factory vol 2

Swedish singer/songwriter Sofia Loell has done a song to be featured in the upcoming Gwyneth Paltrow film "A View from the Top". Read more here. (in Swedish)

The new Lost Patrol record is scheduled to be out in May. For those that don't know, LP is the solo side project of Dennis Lyxzén from The (International) Noise Conspiracy. Among the various guests to appear on the album are singer/songwriter Lisa Miskovsky, David Sandström (The Facers, ex-Refused), Stefan Granberg (Randy), and Peder Stenberg (Bittersweet). Read more here. (in Swedish)

Nasum reports they have completed their new album "Helvete" which was recorded at the band's own Soundlab Studios by singer/guitarist Mieszko Talarczyk. The tracklisting:

01. Violation
02. Scoop
03. Living Next Door to Malice
04. Stormshield
05. Time to Discharge
06. Bullshit
07. Relics
08. We Curse You All
09. Doombringer
10. Just Another Hog
11. Drop Dead
12. I Hate People
13. Go!
14. The Final Sleep
15. Slaves to the Grind
16. Breach of Integrity
17. The Everlasting Shame
18. Your Words Alone
19. Preview of Hell
20. Illogic
21. Whip
22. Worst Case Scenario

Thu, 06 Feb 2003 00:00:00 -0800

If I installed a message board, would you use it? Just curious - let me know. Otherwise, there's always the guestbook.

Here's the winners of today's P3 Gold Awards:

Best Male Artist – Håkan Hellström "Det Är Så Jag Säger Det"
Best Grouppp – Kent "Vapen & Ammunition"
Best Female Artist – Marit Bergman "3.00 A.M. Serenades"
Best Newcomer – The Sounds
Best Live – The Ark
Best Dance – Håkan Lidbo "Sexy Robot"
Best Rock/Metal – Opeth "Deliverance"
Best Hiphop/Soul – Looptroop "The Struggle Continues"
Best Pop – Doktor Kosmos "Reportage!"

For more info and to listen to the presentation, go here. And don't forget to check out P3 Live over the next two days as a lot of the nominees will be performing.

More dates have been added to the upcoming Sahara Hotnights tour with Ikara Colt and Washdown. They are as follows:

02/27 - Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
02/28 - Maxwell's Hoboken, NJ
03/01 - North Star Philadelphia, PA
03/02 - Black Cat Washington, DC
03/03 - Alley Katz Richmond, VA
03/04 - Cats Cradle Carborro, NC
03/05 - The Echo Lounge Atlanta, GA
03/06 - Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL
03/07 - The Social Orlando, FL
03/08 - The Orpheum Tampa, FL
03/10 - Shim Sham Club New Orleans, LA
03/13 - TBA Austin, TX
03/14 - Stubbs Austin, TX
03/15 - Trees Dallas, TX
03/16 - Green Door Oklahoma City, OK
03/17 - TBA Albuquerque, NM
03/18 - Mason Jar Phoenix, AZ
03/19 - Roxy Los Angeles, CA
03/20 - TBA Los Angeles, CA
03/21 - Slim's San Francisco, CA
03/22 - Dantes Portland, OR
03/23 - The Royal Vancouver Canada 03/24 - Graceland Seattle, WA
03/28 - El Torreon Kansas City, MO
04/02 - Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY

As previously noted here, there's going to be quite a few Scandinavian acts at this year's SXSW festival in Austin Texas. Ten from Sweden, seven fren Denmark and Norway and 3 from Finland and Iceland. The three bands Sondre Lerche, Madrugada and Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band will perform together at a Scandinavian showcase show and the rest will be playing other seperate dates during the event. For more info about the Norweigan acts go here. For a list of all the bands performing, go here.

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. A Teens - New arrival
03. The Sounds - Living in America
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
06. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
07. Melody Club - Music machine
08. Barbados - Rewind
09. Thåström - På röda sten
10. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
11. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
12. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
13. The Knife - Deep Cuts
14. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
15. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
16. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
17. Tyskarna från Lund - Metamorphobia
18. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
19. The Hellacopters - By the grace of god
20. Benny Anderssons orkester - Benny Anderssons orkester

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

01. (04) The Cardigans "For What It's Worth"
02. (02) Foo Fighters "Times Like These"
03. (01) Fireside "Throw It Away"
04. (05) Badly Drawn Boy "Born Again"
05. (11) The Knife "Heartbeats"
06. (NY) Håkan Hellström "Den fulaste flickan i hela världen"
07. (NY) Turin Brakes "Pain Killer"
08. (03) Caesars Palace "Candy Kane"
09. (08) Coldplay "Clocks"
10. (NY) Supergrass "Seen the Light"

11. (07) Ms Dynamite "Put Him Out"
12. (06) Ed Harcourt "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed"
13. (10) The Libertines "Time for Heroes"
14. (NY) Eve "Satisfaction"
15. (09) Zwan "Honestly"
16. (16) Paris "Streetlights"
17. (12) Dub Sweden "Walk Me Home"
18. (13) N.E.R.D. "Provider"
19. (NY) Paola "Interstellar Love"
20. (20) Her Majesty "I'm Fire C'mon!"

Leaving the chart:
(14) The Raveonettes "Attack of the Ghost Riders"
(15) Oasis "Songbird"
(17) Massive Attack "Special Cases"
(18) Johnny Marr & The Healers "Bangin' On"
(19) Teenage Idols "Teenage Idols from Outer Space"

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Sigh. It was only a matter of time, but Virgin Records Sweden has contacted me and kindly asked me to remove the mp3s from their artists (Nicolai Dunger, Melody Club, Caesars Palace and The Ark). And I do mean kindly - no threats or anything, just a polite request. Maybe we'll work something in the future for authorized downloads, but until then there will be no more Virgin artists represented on the playlist. Kind of a pity since they are some of my favorites, but that's the way it goes.

UPDATE: The nice people at Virgin are looking into working out an arrangement in the future. Nothing yet, but we'll see. As for now, get a preview of "Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils?", the new 2xCD from Virgin/Dolores showcasing the label's past and present artists. It comes out February 24 and will be celebrated with a party at Club Debaser in Stockholm. Scheduled to appear and spin records are Ebbot from The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Jocke Åhlund from Caesars Palace, Reine Fiske from Dungen and more. Tickets go on sale on the 7th. Oh, and the tracklist for the album:

CD1.
01. Caesars Palace - Subhuman Girl
02. Håkan Hellström - Fulaste Flickan I Världen
03. Dungen - Horizon
04. Alf - Mitt I Malmö City
05. Grammar School Boys - Baby Blue
06. Franke - Aldrig förstå
07. Jose Gonzales - Dead Waits On Velveteen
08. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Jehova Sunrise
09. Broder Daniel - You Bury Me
10. Silverbullit - I Had To Tell You
11. Hello Goodbye - Pussycat
12. Whyte Seeds - Lost My Love
13. Sagor & Swing - Flickan & Jätten
14. The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Up For Sale
15. Paola - Rainbow In The Dark
16. Nicolai Dunger - Hey Mama

CD2.
01. The Mascots - The Girl That You Are
02. The Shakers - Who Will Buy (These Wonderful Evils)
03. The Wizards - See You Tonight
04. The Jackpots - King Of The World
05. Tages - Fantasy Island
06. Annaabee-Nox - Always On My Mind
07. Outsiders - Iside Of Me
08. Fabulous Four - 438 South Michigan Avenue
09. T-Bones - I Want You
10. Charlie & Esdor - Dagen Är Över
11. Steampacket II - Fruitseller Oldman's Song
12. Pugh - Här Kommer Natten
13. Ola And The Janglers - I Can't Wait
14. Mecki Mark Men - Midnight Land
15. Hansson & Karlsson - Tax Free
16. Trolls - Alone
17. The Deejays - Striped Dreams Checked Fear

And on a similar note, increased traffic levels mean I need to cut back on the amount of music I have for download anyways. If someone else is willing to externally host the stuff, by all means, let me know. Otherwise, five tracks at a time going forward plus the usual live sets.

Beyond Dawn reports that they've finally solidified a release for their new album "Frysh". Look for it in May from Peaceville.

In BD related news, side-project Wrongside has finished recording their debut MCD for a release in April on Duplicate Records. Described as "a strange mix of noisy rock, playful electronica and lo-fi melancholy among other things," they say "it should appeal to BD fans and probably a lot of other people as well." Preorder it now: duplicaterecords@hotmail.com.

Also from the BD camp, word is that Virus is nearly done with their debut album for Jester Records. Now tentively titled "Carheart" (as opposed to the original title "The Drama Hour") they describe it as "outlandishly cool and mindbogglingly mindboggling." To me that describes most everything from Jester, but hey, check it out and decide for yourself.

The new Katatonia album has been finalized. It's called "Viva Emptiness" and you can preview the cover here. It'll be out on March 24 from Peaceville. The tracklist:

01. Ghost of the Sun
02. Sleep
03. Criminals
04. A Premonition
05. Will I Arrive
06. Burn the Remembrance
07. Wealth
08. One Year from Now
09. Walking by a Wire
10. Complicity
11. Evidence
12. Omerta
13. Inside the City of Glass

The band promises preview mp3s shortly. I'll keep you posted.

Here's a message of interest from Burning Heart that may be worth investigating:

We have a very special treat for you. In cooperation with Burning Heart Records Turbojugend members will have the chance to listen to the new Turbonegro album "Scandinavian Leather" before everybody else!!! The official street date is the 28th of april. If your chapter is interested in setting up a pre-listening party, have your President get in touch a.s.a.p. with El Presidente (party@bitzcore.de) and Montse (montse@burningheart.com)

Tue, 28 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the Swedish Grammys (Grammis) have been announced. Here's a few of the categories:

Best Newcomer:
Marit Bergman – 3.00 AM Serenades
Brolle Jr – Rebellious Heart
Awa Manneh – Sounds Like Me
Melody Club – Music Machine
The Sounds – Living In America

Best Artist:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
The Hellacopters – By The Grace Of God
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music

Best Group:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
Caesars Palace – Love For The Streets
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
The Sounds – Living In America
Weeping Willows – Into The Light

Best Pop/Rock Male:
Brolle Jr – Rebellious Heart
Eric Gadd – Life Support
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Christian Kjellvander – Songs From A Two-Room Chapel
Ulf Lundell – Club Zebra

Best Pop/Rock Female:
Marit Bergman – 3.00 AM Serenades
Paola – Stockcity Girl
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music
Frida Snell – Black Trillium
Sophie Zelmani – Sing and Dance

Best Album:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
Caesars Palace – Love For The Streets
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music

Best Lyrics:
Joakim Berg (Kent)
Håkan Hellström
Ulf Lundell
Ola Salo (The Ark)
Timbuktu

Best Composer:
Joakim Berg (Kent)
Jörgen Elofsson
Håkan Hellström
Andreas Mattson & Niclas Frisk
Ola Salo (The Ark)

Open Category:
v/a – Chess På Svenska
Bob Hund – 10 År Bakåt & 100 År Framåt
v/a – Nationalsånger
Svenska Tjejrockband 1966–1999 – Från Plommons Till Drain
Träd Gräs Och Stenar – Ajn Schwajn Dra

Best Hip Hop/Soul:
Ison&Fille – Vår Sida Av Stan
Looptroop – The Struggle Continues
Awa Manneh – Sounds Like Me
Masayah – Masayah
Timbuktu – Watt’s Dö Madderfakking Diil?

Best Hard Rock/Metal:
The Hellacopters – By The Grace Of God
In Flames – Reroute To Remain
Mustasch – Above All
Opeth – Deliverance
Pathos – Katharsis

The rest of the list is here.

"More than just an album; it's an unforgettable experience." Kerrang magazine gives Cult of Luna's new album "The Beyond" 5 out of 5 Ks. Read the entire review.

Don't forget to check out the wrap-up report for the Rockbjörnen over at Aftonbladet. More pics here, too.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Jon - Right Here Next To You
02. Andreas Johnsson - Waterfall
03. Christian - Min Fremtid
04. Kent - FF
05. The Klerks - She, She, She
06. Bombshell Rocks - On My Way
07. Madrugada - Majesty
08. The Spitts - That´s my girl
09. The Sounds - Seven Days A Week

Challengers:
Caesars Palace - Candy Kane
Last Days Of April - All Will Break
Jamie Meyer - Psycho
The Lungz - It´s Alright
Swing Fly feat. ADL and Ayo - Come Get It

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

Read this scandalous interview with Nina Persson of The Cardigans. (in Swedish)

The Cardigans are also beginning their media blitz in anticipation of the new album "Long Before Daylight". They'll be making quite a few TV appearances in the near future:

2/11 - TV4 Documentary
2/12 - ZTV Wimans
2/13 - TV4 Nyheterna (report)
2/14 - TV4 Nyhetsmorgon (2 tunes + interview)
2/15, 2/16, 2/18 - MTV Morning Glory (performance + interview)
2/16 - SVT Söndagsöppet (performance + interview)

Roxette gets a medal from the king. Read all about it. (in Swedish)

Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks disputes claims made in Mötley Crüe's bio "The Dirt".

Spiritual Beggars are set to do the following shows in the UK with support from Clutch before heading off to Japan on their own:

4/07 – Dudley, UK @ JB's
4/08 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage
4/09 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 3
4/10 – London, UK @ Mean Fiddler
4/17 – Nagoya, Japan @ Club Quattro
4/18 – Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya AX
4/20 – Osaka, Japan @ Big Cat
4/22 – Hiroshima, Japan @ Club Quattro

The up and coming group Paris is heading out on a Swedish tour. The dates:

2/06 - Visby Effes
2/07 - Växjö Lokal Bar
2/12 - Stockholm Rabbit Fighter
2/15 - Linköping Flamman
3/01 - Stockholm Yoshimitsu
3/08 - Norrköping Kulturkammaren
3/12 - Lund Mejeriet (w/Melody Club)
3/28 - Uppsala Kal3/Nation
4/10 - Göteborg Gump

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

The Cardigans filmed the video for the new single "For What It's Worth" in Africa under the direction of Amir Chamdin from Infinite Mass. Read more about it here. (in Swedish)

Launch.com has the new Sahara Hotnights for the song "Alright Alright" directed by Jeff Tremaine of 'Jackass' fame. The link is here. Personally, I think the live footage is cool, but the buffonery is pointless and unfunny. Why bother?

Check out samples of the new album from The Knife, "Deep Cuts". It comes out Friday.

Lots of new stuff happening with Logh. First of all, the new "Ghosts" 7" is now available from Bad Taste Records' webshop and will be in stores on the 20th. The a-side is the title track and the b-side is the unreleased song "White As Snow". Only 1000 copies pressed and 100 on white vinyl, so act fast. The vinyl version of the full-length has been delayed (yet again) because of a printing error, but should be ready soon. And just like the single, there will be limited edition white vinyl. The band is still hard at work on their new album, too. Look for a teaser mp3 on their website soon. And finally, you can hear the band's show from Emmabodafestivalen 2002 on P3 Radio January 29 at 9pm. That's 9pm local time in Sweden, noon Pacific.

The new Buck CDEP "Rock Dream" is available for mailorder from Startracks or Kasual, but won't be in stores until February. The record contains five new exclusive tracks.

Soilwork and Children of Bodom are teaming up for a European tour. The dates so far:

4/18 - Stockholm, SWE at Arenan
4/19 - Oslo, NOR at Rockefeller
4/20 - Gothenburg, SWE at Kåren
4/21 - Lund, SWE at Mejeriet
4/22 - Hamburg, GER at Markthalle
4/23 - Halle, GER at Easy Schorre
4/25 - Berlin, GER at Columbia Fritz
4/26 - Hardenberg, NETH at Podium
4/27 - Bochum, GER at Zeche
4/28 - Nürnberg, GER at Hirsch
4/29 - Frankfurt, GER at Batschkapp
5/01 - Sheffield, UK at Corperation
5/02 - London, UK at Marquee
5/03 - Antwerpen, BEL at Hof Ter Loo
5/04 - Tilburg, NETH at 013
5/05 - Paris, FRA at Elysee Montmatre
5/06 - Bordeaux, FRA at Theatre Barbey
5/08 - Porto, POR at Hard Club
5/09 - Madrid, ESP at Aqualung
5/10 - Barcelona, ESP at Razzmatazz II
5/11 - Bergara, ESP at Sala Jam
5/13 - Lyon, FRA at Ninkasi
5/14 - Pratteln, SWI at Z7
5/15 - Innsbruck, AUT at Hafen
5/16 - Salzburg, AUT at Rockhaus
5/17 - Wien, AUT at Planet Music
5/18 - Ludwigsburg, GER at Rockfabrik
5/19 - Osnabrück, GER at Hyde Park

Mattias Hellberg, one half of the now-defunct duo Hederos and Hellberg, will be releasing a solo album. Details soon.

Dolores Recordings has a new website design. Some news from them:

The new Håkan Hellström will be for "Den Fulaste Flickan I Världen" with a double b-side of "Kom igen Lena!" (Blåser iväg dig-version/Blow you away version?) and "Gråsparven När Hon Sjunger" (Live from Mejeriet). It'll be out on February 17 with a video to come soon, too.
The next record from the Dolores Single Club is "Love Is All" by Josefin of the band Girlfrendo with "Cut City" from one of the members of Kid Commando. No date yet.
As usual, Broder Daniel is reportedly hard at work on a new record. Henrik supposedly has the thing written, they just need to record it. There will be a Single Club release, too.
Paola's next single will be for the song "Interstellar Love" and it comes out on February 17.

Nightwish are set to enter the studio late this year to record the follow up to "Century Child" for a release sometime before summer 2004. The band also plans to play just one Finnish festival this summer with maybe a few other European ones in the works. In other news, the band will be releasing their second DVD on May 26 through Spinefarm Records. It will contain 12-14 songs along with various promo videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and some live clips.

Marduk has signed a licensing deal for the US with The End Records for release of their upcoming album "World Funeral". No date has been set yet.

Wed, 08 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Here's a short little article with some info concerning the next record from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Drummer Fredrik makes comments. (in Swedish)

Beyond Dawn has had the new album "frysh" pushed back to March. In other news, a video is being made for the track "Among the Sedatives" by Vildensky featuring "clip-art animation of the band performing various heroic deeds."

I had no idea, but KEXP Seattle has a great archive of live-in-the-studio recordings of bands such as The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sahara Hotnights, Kings of Convenience, Cato Salsa Experience and much much more. Check it.

Enter to win a $250 gift certificate for Ben Sherman from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Filter mmm here.

Vote for your choices in the Swedish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) right here. Vote for one of nominees or write in your own choice.

Joakim Thåström will be releasing a live EP on January 24. It's called "Thåström på Röda sten" and will feature six tracks from his Kalas tour performance in Göteborg last summer and the video for "Släpp aldrig in dom".

Here's the nominees for the P3 Guld awards:

Best female artist
Awa Manneh - "Sounds Like Me"
Frida Snell - "Black Trillium"
Marit Bergman - "3.00 A.M. Serenades"
Paola - "Stockcity Girl"
Robyn - "Don't Stop The Music"

Best male artist
Christian Kjellvander - "Songs from a Two Room Chapel"
Håkan Hellström - "Det är så jag säger det"
Stephen Simmonds - "For Father"
Thåström - "Mannen som blev en gris"
Timbuktu - "Wått´s Dö Madderfakking Diil"

Best group
Caesars Palace - "Love for the Streets"
The Hellacopters - "By the Grace of God"
Kent - "Vapen & ammunition"
Looptroop - "The Struggle Continues"
Mando Diao - "Bring ´Em In"

Best newcomer
The Sounds
Melody Club
Paola
Mando Diao
Marit Bergman

Best song
"Calleth You Cometh I" - The Ark
"Dom Andra" - Kent
"Keep This Fire Burning" - Robyn
"Kom igen, Lena!" - Håkan Hellström
"Someone New" - Eskobar feat Heather Nova

Best live artist
The Ark
Doktor Kosmos
The Hellacopters
Marit Bergman
Looptroop

More info and voting here.

The Hellacopters latest record "By the Grace of God" has gone gold in Sweden with sales of over 30k. It's their 2nd gold album, the first being "High Visibility".

Finland's Enternal Tears of Sorrow have broken up. The statement from the band:

With mixed feelings we have to announce that Eternal Tears of Sorrow have decided to split up. EToS have been on a break since March 2002. During the break, it has become obvious that it is time to quit.
This band started as a free-time activity about ten years ago. As we got more success, we also needed to give more and more of our time to the band. Day by day, we realised the band had become a full-time job for us. Now it's time to move on and do something different. This band achieved much more than we could imagine when we formed up this band.

However, we don't stop making and playing music. Check out the official EToS website regularly for information about the members and their other projects and bands. The site has been online for almost seven years now and will remain as it is. Only the address has changed: www.etos.tk.

We thank all our fans for support! A huge number of nice things happened to us between 1994 and today, thanks to you! On behalf of Eternal Tears of Sorrow in early January 2003, Jarmo Puolakanaho & Altti Veteläinen (the founding members)

Dave Lombardo (Slayer!) plays on four songs from the new upcoming Apocalyptica record "Reflections". If you didn't already know, Apocalyptica is the Finnish cello trio made famous for their covers of Metallica songs.

Thu, 19 Dec 2002 00:00:00 -0800

Word on the street is that you Europeans dig ICQ over AIM and the like, so I went and got myself a number. It's over on the contact page. Go ahead and bother me at work, why doncha?

"I poured water over the microphone because I wanted to die. I didn't think, I just wanted to do something "on life and death"......"

Håkan Hellström tries to kill himself? Apparently so according to this article (in Swedish). Thanks to Zander for the scoop.

Looks like The Sounds are gonna get their chance to make it in America. James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins) will be releasing their album on his label Scratchie Records in association with New Line. They'll also be making an appearance at the legendary Austin, TX South by Southwest Festival. Next big thing? My money's still on Caesars Palace aka The Caesars, but we'll see. The Sounds may be a bit easier on the eyes, though.

Speaking of South by Southwest, here's some of the other Scandinavian acts already confirmed: Bergman Rock aka Bob Hund, Madrugada, Children of Bodom, Meanwhile, The Teenage Idols, Sondre Lerche, RinneRadio, Pineforest Crunch and The Venue. For the full list, go here. It's already shaping up to be a bad-ass lineup, so make your travel plans now if you can.

Turbonegro are getting two of their old albums reissued with new bonus features. The album "Apocalypse Dudes" will have three added video tracks including "Get It On" and "Are You Ready For Some Darkness" plus a live version of "Age Of Pamparius". As for "Ass Cobra", that CD will now have the video for Denim Demon" on it. Look for 'em both on Epitaph Records in the US or Burning Heart in Europe. The band is also still hard at work on their comeback album now that they're reunited. Bassist Happy Tom promises it will be "most destructive party record you've ever heard!"

Millencolin and The Peepshows are gonna be doing a Scandinavian tour in 2003. Here's the dates:

March 13 Stockholm, Arenan
March 14 Skelefteå, Folkparken
March 21 Göteborg, Kåren
March 22 Lund, Mejeriet
March 23 Oslo, Rockefeller

The winners of the P5 Stockholm Badge awards have been announced. They include Kent for best band and best song ("Dom Andra"), Thåström for best male artist, Paola for best female artist, and The Giri Sound for best demo.

Listen to a recording of the Bad Taste Records fest online! Check out performances from the following acts: (requires Quicktime)

DankoJones
Langhorns
Last Days Of April
Logh

Misconduct will touring Europe with 25 Ta Life next June and July. Look here for dates as they are confirmed.

Remember when I said that the video for "Sister Surround" from The Soundtrack of Our Lives was being added to the MTV 120 Minutes playlist? Well, it hasn't happened quite yet, but the video does premiere on there this coming Sunday the 22nd. In the meantime, preview the video here: Real / Windows

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 00:00:00 -0800

A ton of news today! My goodness! Read on...

Björn Olsson will NOT be participating in the upcoming Union Carbide Productions reunion at Hultsfred. "Sure, it might be fun to play, but it's more fun not to play." says the man himself in this interview. (in Swedish) Of course, this may be subject to change. You never know. Also, the boxset is now expected around mid-May, but still no exact date has been set. And lastly, I just my hands on a copy of "UPA" and will try to put up a track a bit later today. Full review next week at the latest. Check back, y'hear?

In somewhat related news, TSOOL's latest album "Behind the Music" made GQ Magazine's top 10 of the year. What they said:

Cranking guitars and clean, poppish melodies make you think of 1960s British bands, but this time it's the Scandanavian Invasion. Will Norrkoping or Malmö be the next Manchester?

Check out the video for "By the Grace of God" from The Hellacopters, courtesy of NME.

The finalists for Rockbjörnen have been announced! Vote here! Here's the list of the nominees for the Swedish categories:

Best female artist:
Robyn
Marit Bergman
Paola
Carola
Awa Manneh

Best male artist:
Håkan Hellström
Ulf Lundell
Joakim Thåström
Brolle Jr
Markoolio

Best group:
Kent
The Ark
The Hellacopters
In Flames
The Sounds

Best song:
Dom andra (Kent)
Kom igen Lena (Håkan Hellström)
FF (Kent)
Kärleken Väntar (Kent)
Vinternoll2 (Kent)

Best album:
Vapen och Ammunition (Kent)
Det är så jag säger det (Håkan Hellström)
In lust we trust (The Ark)
Club Zebra (Ulf Lundell)
Reroute To Remain (In Flames)

Best newcomer:
The Sounds
Mando Diao
Brolle Jr
Melody Club
Awa Manneh

Randy is currently in the studio and have completed 17 songs for their next record. Not all of em will make the cut, but they have until the 22nd to keep cranking out more. Mixing will convene in January.

Bad Taste Records says they're gonna put the recently completed Bad Taste Festival up for online viewing! No exact details yet, but they say to check their website tomorrow for the scoop. Danko Jones, Langhorns, Logh and Last Days of April were the bands that played and you can read more about the event here.

Håkan Hellström's next single will be "Det är så jag säger det". Look for it in January.

Dolores Recordings is gonna release a compilation of the best pop/rock from today and from 1966-1971 in February. Here's the track listing:

Lots of news from Ulver today:

The soundtrack to "Svidd Neger" is just about finished and will be released in conjunction with the film in March 2003.
The all-string remake of "Nattens Madrigal" is delayed yet again and the prospects of it ever getting done are looking dimmer and dimmer.
The upcoming remix album will be called "1st Decade in the Machines" and it should be out around February. Some of the contributing artists include Merzbow, Neotropic, Bogdan Raczynski, Third Eye Foundation, Kevin Drumm, Fennesz and Stars of the Lid.
The band recently recorded a cover of Lee Hazelwood's "The Night Before" and it may surface on a Jester Records cover album sometime in the future.
T-shirts are now available from Plastichead in the UK.
And finally, the band has yet another new release coming up. It will be an EP entitled "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" and it will be out sometime next year.
phew.

In other Ulver-related news, their self-run label Jester Records has a bunch of new stuff on the horizon.

Kåre Joaö will release the single "Sleepers" in February. The CD will also contain the video.
Lars Pedersen of When says a new album is in the works. March 2003? Here's an interview you can read where he discusses his plans, along with some other topics. (In English, too!)
Jester will also release a new album from Lord Bård (aka 1349 Rykkinn, founding member of Masters of Møh and Superskill) entitled "Brown Ring of Fury". The artist's own description of his work: "Brown Ring of Fury is the sound of growing up in the suburbs west of Norway’s capital. 1349 Rykkinn. The sound of glue and magic mushrooms. Ghettoblasters. Daddy drowning in his own vomit. Amphetamines. Fireworks. The sound of getting laid for first time. Of filming one’s first orgasm. My life. A tribute to blowing oneself up. For to repent till tears gush forth. Again and again. An anaesthetic circle."

Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson says the inspiration for his band's latest album came from the Swedish metal bands Meshuggah and Opeth. Of course, he did produce Opeth's last couple records, but anyhow - here's what he had to say on the subject:

For years I had dismissed metal as music for adolescents, which a lot of people do, because I was only exposed to the stuff that is in the mainstream. And then suddenly I tapped into this whole group of bands from the underground. Actually, it's because I read a book called 'Lords Of Chaos', because I was fascinated with this guy from Burzum, that led me into the whole world. So I started listening to bands like Morbid Angel, some of the doom bands and eventually found my way to Meshuggah and Opeth, which to me, were the holy grail of that whole scene. I suddenly realized where all the musicians that were making truly progressive music had gone. They weren't making old-style progressive music, they were making a completely contemporary form of progressive music by using metal as their kind of conduit, if you like. I mean, Mike from Opeth is completely into progressive rock. But he's not doing it in a nostalgic way, he's doing it in a completely cutting edge contemporary way, using metal as his vehicle. And he loves metal just as much as anything, and so do I. And that was kind of a real eye-opener for me, to find musicians who are obviously very much coming from the tradition of the way people made records in the '70s, but doing it in a completely new and contemporary way and with musicianship that I just didn't think existed anymore.

Amorphis has completed the recording of the instrumental parts for their new album. Frontman Pasi Koskinen will begin working on his parts under the tutelage of producer Hannu Leiden shortly.

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 00:00:00 -0800

Just got a copy of Thirdimension's "Protect Us from What We Want" from the good folks over at Parasol. Fans of The Soundtrack of Our Lives should take note, as they share the same kind of pop/psyche-rock sound. A full review over at indieworkshop will be up later this week, but for now you can download the first track on your right.

Holy shit! Check this out! Apparently, Yngwie Malmsteen was overheard making derogatory comments about homosexuals on a flight to Japan and an upset traveller dumped a cup of water on him. That mp3 is Yngwie's reaction caught on tape inluding comments such as "I don't a need a fucking cunt (to) come up to me and do that shit! See you in Tokyo bitch!" and "You've unleased the fucking fury!" Amazing! (from Blabbermouth)

Hypocrisy have started work on a new album. Expect a late 2003/early 2004 release.

Kasual Recordings is just about the release the new single from Ariel Kill Him entitled "Not Today, Not Tomorrow". It will contain two songs from the upcoming album plus an exclusive remix track and will only be available directly from the label. As for their new record, it's called "In the Pyramid" and will be out February 3.

Wanna see a bunch of record recommendations from various Norweigan artists such as Gluecifer, Turbonegro, Madrugada and more? Check this out. (in Norweigan) There will be a new artist added every day until Christmas.

The Ark visit Kenya? Read more here or here. (in Swedish)

Firesideomer just posted an interview with Kristofer Åström. It may not be very relevatory, but it's still pretty amusing. Check it out.

Moonfog will release the vinyl version of Satyricon's latest album "Volcano" in February.

Paola will perform her third and latest single live on MTV during the program Morning Glory this weekend.

Gluecifer will be heading into the studio on December 16 with producer Rings to record five songs for their next album.