Swedish stonerrock act Truckfighters will be touring Europe in May:
05/20 - Wild at heart, Berlin (GER)
05/21 - Arena, Vienna (AUS)
05/22 - MKK, Crnomelj (SLO)
05/23 - Spinnerei, Traun (AUS)
05/24 - Backstage, Munich (GER)
05/25 - Les Passagers, Besancon (FRA)
05/26 - Le Klub, Paris (FRA)
05/27 - Luxor Live, Arnhem (NL)
05/28 - Haus 73, Hamburg (GER)
05/29 - NIL, Potsdam (GER)
Swedish act Oh! Custer will be releasing a 7" on in the not-so-distant future.
has released a new 12" single from The Je Ne Sais Quoi featuring a 10-minute version of "Protection" off their forthcoming record "Transparent for you all" along with a Richard Brain remix of the same. 300 copies, more info here: http://www.moptacodics.com/
Way more exciting than a potential ABBA reunion, but even still kinda underwhelming: renown recluse artist Jakob Hellman will once again grace the live stage on an 80s reunion tour under the banner "Forever Young" alongside Reeperbahn (and Alphaville): http://www.foreveryoung2010.se/
Still no plans for a new album and personally, I think it's better that way.
Silly Swedes, getting way too excited for even a glimmer of hope at an ABBA reunion: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article6845306.ab
Swedish jazz label hasn't put out anything new since May of 2009, but they're coming back in full effect this spring with a tremendous lineup of new albums:
Mats Öberg Trio - So very Mats (out now)
Nicolai Dunger & Jonas Kullhammar - Vallmo OST (180g vinyl only, 300 copies)
Kullrusk - Digital (180g vinyl only, 525 copies)
Nacka Forum - Leve Nacka Forum (also vinyl only, I think)
Jonas Kullhammr Quartet - Från och med herr Jonas Kullhammar
Espen Aalberg Trio feat. Jonas Kullhammar & Torbjörn Zetterberg - tba
Zanussi Five - Ghost dance
The Core - tba
Magnus Broo - tba
Gilbert Holmströms Kvintett - Utan misstankar (Remastered reissue, first time on CD w/20min bonus track feat. Åke Johansson)
Please note that aside from the vinyl releases which I saw listed in Hot Stuff's newsletter, the information provided from the label is vague and possibly subject to change.
Fluid Radio profiles Tobias Hellkvist and offers a few samples of the release of his latest work "Evolutions": http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/03/tobias-hellkvist-evolutions/
Not brand new news, but new to me: the always awesome Mikko Singh (also a member of Will Gambola Sing) has changed the name of his solo project to Haleiwa. See his new website: http://haleiwamusic.com/
Look for his new album "Pure vida dude" to be released soon and listen to a sample on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mikkosingh
Does anyone buy records anymore? I sure do, in fact I just got a few copies of Isolation Years' 12" EP "Snoose Boulevard" on /. Five songs on one side, an etching on the other, more info here: http://www.burnttoastvinyl.com/new/releases/btv075.html
Want one? Burnt Toast is selling 'em for $7 so I'll one-up and mark it down to $6 (plus s/h). Get in touch!
have picked up Finnish hardcore/indie act Disco Ensemble for their roster.
is giving away the new Erik Zettervall single "Snöänglar" as a free download: http://www.bdpop.se/news.php?newsid=167
jjOn last year's well-received debut "n° 2", jj brought a summery sound akin to a hypothetical The Tough Alliance-light, if such were a project (and an obviously close reference, as they're on their label). Its mixture of slower ballads with down-tempo firelight pop numbers took in the breezy coastal Swedish twilight. Perhaps they've not waited long enough before issuing their second album, perhaps they've had this release written and recorded before their first was out, but it's glaringly obvious that it doesn't reach the heights of "n° 2". It's as though they took the median of their first record and wrote each track accordingly, while also leaving out (both melodically and sonically) those aspects which would cause one to randomly hum "Masterplan" or "Are you still in Valda?". And that's quite a shame, too.
- Matt Giordano
Gonna continue with another mp3 post of dirtball metal-punk because, well, just because. Metal was my first musical obsession so it's never far from my heart, but we do fall out of favor from time to time. As any fan will tell you, the stereotypes are true too often and they make for a major stumbling block to the uninitiated; factor in a serious predilection towards the worst, most over-compressed, trigger-happy recordings ever and there's plenty not too like. Still though, I stick it out because metal has and always will be very important to me and also, despite all the machismo and misogyny, classic Heavy Metal (in caps, always) is the one kind of music my wife and I see eye-to-eye on. Can't get her into most modern torch-bearers though, but I try and Sonic Ritual are probably one of the better candidates -- unlike Darkthrone (see yesterday), the vocals are always clean, they've got strong choruses and they have a female guitarist. I wish the latter wasn't important, but in a male-dominated world/genre, it most certainly is. Anyhow, whether or not you know that shouldn't affect your appreciation of the music because these dudes rip. "Early graves" is the first taste of what will be their debut LP I believe and, as always, I'm eager to hear more.
Sonic Ritual - Early graves
MBV has a new song from The Tallest Man on Earth available for free download: http://www.mbvmusic.com/2010/03/25/new-tallest-man-on-earth-mp3-burden-of-tomorrow/23234
Grande Roses have broken the cycle of endless delays and can now confirm that they will release their third EP "Say it to my fervent heart" on April 29. Of course, many things can go wrong between now and then, but I think this might actually happen.
