Country: Sweden
Tenderversion Recordings act Solander is heading out on tour again in December:
12/07 - Pony Bar, Hamburg (GER)
12/08 - Noch Besser Leben, Leipzig (GER)
12/09 - Ost-Pol , Dresden (GER)
12/10 - secret show, Vienna (AUS)
12/11 - SC - Teatar & TD, Zagreb (CRO)
12/12 - Zoe Café, Santarcangelo di Romagna (ITA)
12/13 - Locomotiva, Vimercate (ITA)
12/16 - Supernova, Berlin (GER)
12/17 - Stadtgarten, Erfurt (GER)
12/18 - Yellow Stage, Frankfurt (GER)
12/19 - Rathaushalle, Haßfurt (GER)
Indiepop label Matinée Recordings has announced new albums from Northern Portrait and The Electric Pop Group as well as a new comp featuring cuts from both bands as well as Cats on Fire and lots more. Head to their website for full details, samples and preorder info: http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/news.html
Service has signed Swedish act Korallreven and will be releasing their debut album "The truest faith" this coming spring. Hear the first single "Loved up" (and b-side remix by Nhessingtons) at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/korallrevenmusic
Aftonbladet has the premiere of the new Hästpojken video for "Gitarrer & bas, trummor & hat": http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/noje/musikvideor/article6177521.ab
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Kent
02. Mattias Alkberg
03. El Perro del Mar
04. Håkan Hellström
05. Jens Lekman
06. Jonathan Johansson
07. Local Natives
08. Loney, Dear
09. Markus Krunegård
10. Phoenix
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
At the Gates have announced that they will be releasing a posthumous 3xDVD collection entitled "The flames of the end" on February 22, 2010. Disc 1 will feature a brand new 2+ hour documentary on the band called "Under A Serpent Sun - The Story of At The Gates" covering their entire career, filmed and directed by guitarist Anders Bjorler; Disc 2 is "Purgatory Unleashed - Live at Wacken", a 75-minute live set of the band's reunion performance at the legendary German metal fest; and Disc 3 is "Only the Dead Are Smiling", 26 live performances of the band from all over the world from throughout the entire band's history. For more details go here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=113568664&blogId=519748420
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fa6PeVuSmI
Pitchfork has the premiere of the new Fever Ray video "Keep the streets empty": http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/3915-fever-ray-keep-the-streets-empty-mute
The excellent Swedish label Kning Disk has assembled eight new releases for the end of the year, including two 8" lathe-cut + art packages featuring Kim Hiorthøy and Anla Courtis/Fredrik Söderberg, a Mats Gustafsson 3x7" box, a reissue of "Farväl Falkenberg" and more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=124374902&blogId=519342477
Lo-fi is all the rage and I'm cool with that, but I'm also heartened to hear that there's still some decent bands doing hi-fi pop and aiming for the stars. [ingenting] is one; hopefully you already know how great their latest album is. Mata de Leon seems to be another, though it's still too soon to tell how high they'll go. They're taking their sweet time, releasing one track at a time, a rare example of moderation in this culture of more/faster/more/more/more. Of the two that I've heard so far, "He's alright" is the winner -- a fine example of elegant Swedish pop melancholy. Once upon a time, this was the hot sound, back in the waning years of Britpop and the rise of Kent. Nowadays... not so much, but I think it's better that way. Scarcity makes it more special.
Mata de Leon - He's alright
There's a new Club 8 album due in late December.
Tiger Lou has a brand new video for the track "Trails of spit": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VuGYO01n4
The video for the new Ken Ring single "Änglabarn" is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd6gSFtLAOI
PSL talks to Peter Bjorn and John frontman Peter Morén about his upcoming Swedish-language solo album "I spåren av tåren", due out in February: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2009/11/23/extra-extra-peter-moren-gor-soul-pa-svenska-i-vinter-kommer-skivan-i-sparen-av-taren/ (in Swedish)