RIP Hultsfredfestivalen

The Hultsfred Festival has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

Wolfbrigade in Germany

Wolfbrigade are heading to Germany for a couple shows in September:

09/03 - AJZ Bahndamm, Wermelskirchen
09/04 - JuZ Dampfmühle, Verden

Ved debut confirmed

Swedish psych/weirdos Ved will release their debut album "Gershwins pipe" on July 17 via Deleted Art offshoot Psychic Malmö. There will be a release party at Club Babel in Malmö that same evening.

Håkan Hellström to perform special show at Way Out West

Håkan Hellström will be performing his classic debut album "Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg" in its entirety at Way Out West this year.

Ludwig Bell announces new single

Ludwig Bell's new single "Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk" will begin airing on Swedish radio come Monday; in the meantime, hear a demo version at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ludwigbell

Vindra - My old hometown (video)

Swedish melodic rock act Vindra have created their first video for the song "My old hometown", filmed in Linköping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyeyhN5RSzA

MP3: The Tallest Man on Earth - The wild hunt

It's all too easy to let a lowkey release like this slip under the radar, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Tallest Man on Earth at least a few (dozen) more times, as would befit the quality of the music. Kristian Matsson's pinched nasal delivery may be off-putting to some much like that other big-name folky he's often compared to, but I find that his plaintive approach serves his songs well. Rustic and unadorned, there is no need for embellishment, vocal or otherwise -- the music speaks for itself through a simple voice and a fingerpicked guitar.

"The wild hunt" is the title track of his latest album and it is a marvel of instant nostalgia and gentle wistfulness. "I plan to be forgotten when I'm gone, yes I'll be leaving in the fall" I aim to defy.

The Tallest Man on Earth - The wild hunt

Norma Bates - 40 days (video)

Norma Bates have a new video for the song "40 days": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM1qPuVBwag

Kongh European tour

Swedish doom act Kongh is touring Europe in July, their last international jaunt before they start work on their next album:

07/08 - Alte Zuckerfabrik, Rostock (GER)
07/10 - Stoned from the underground, Erfurt (GER)
07/11 - Little Devil, Tilburg (NL)
07/12 - Kaddish, Schoten (BEL)
07/15 - Osteria da Tocchetto, Montebelluna (ITA)
07/16 - Lazzaretto, Bologna (ITA)
07/17 - Voodoo Arci, Comacchio (ITA)
07/18 - TBA (ITA)
07/19 - Nachtleben, Frankfurt (GER)
07/20 - Rote Flora, Hamburg (GER)

Elias & the Wizzkids - Waste of time (video)

Elias & the Wizzkids get all retro with a little help from Therese Johansson of Lowood. Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVMoccMtx08

Pitchfork interviews Robyn

Pitchfork has a brand new feature-length interview with Robyn: http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/7817-robyn/

Sirius playlist week #26

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

01. C.Aarmé - M.P.P
02. TALK 1
03. Abcess Exil - Havsluft
04. MF/MB/ - The big machine
05. Magnus Pelander - You have got no friends to turn to
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
08. Nidingr - Hymiskvitha
09. Kopfer Kat - Planet noise
10. No Hope for the Kids - Gasangreb
11. TALK 3
12. Jasmine Kara - Try my love again
13. The Goner - Strong interactions
14. Jesper Norda - Gentle and slow with a new sharp edge
15. TALK 4
16. Menfolk - Heart and sling
17. Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
18. Hebosagil - Big sun
19. TALK 5

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

The Swede Beat #17

Issue #17 of Swede Beat is now online and its focus is on the hip Stockholm neighborhood of Södermalm: http://www.theswedebeat.com/magazine/17-sodermalm/

Robyn - Don't fucking tell me what to do (video)

Robyn's new video for "Don't fucking tell me what to do" isn't just 3D, it's also interactive with Twitter: http://robyn.com/killingme/
Lucky for me, I've got a pair of the good ol' red+green glasses on my desk from the Finnish band Radar whose new EP "A black shade of neon" has a 3D cover.

VBS: Skate Sweden (video)

Kinda OT, but whatever: VBS' latest episode of their "Skate Europe" series visits Sweden: http://www.vbs.tv/watch/skate-europe-season-2--2/skate-sweden-part-1-of-5