Spectral evidence
New unnamed sounds from the mind of CJ Larsgården (Pacta, A Perfect Friend, Ondo). A work in progress.
Country: Sweden
Presenting: Beläten (sampler)
New dismal sounds from the dark side of Sweden via the new cassette-only label who will be officially opening their doors on February 24. Head to their website to get a heads-up on when you can grab one of their severely limited offerings: http://www.belaten.se/
Centimer - Motorhead (video)
Straight-up Swedish indie/alt-rock, complete with ye requisite glockenspiel. Centimeter's sound is like comfort food; it won't blow your mind, but it is entirely satisfying all the same. More at SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/centimeter
"Wolf girl" at Pitchfork
The new Simian Ghost single "Wolf girl" got playlisted at Pitchfork today: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13204-wolf-girl/
120 Days added to April Clubnight
Great news for Malmö residents who like to dance! Norway's 120 Days have been added to the lineup of our It's a Trap! Clubnight and will get the crowd moving before breakout Swedish pop sensation Caotico takes over and keeps it going late into the night. Be there!
Natten - Hatet (video)
Techno and trumpets, skeleton makeup, dancing in the dark and more. Not so sure I actually care about the music here, but at least it's interesting.
The Belljars - s/t EP
I received quite a bit of great new music in my inbox over the long weekend, so much so that I'm having a bit of trouble getting through it all. Thankfully, this new EP from Umeå tweepop act The Belljars is short, sweet, easy to digest and very very easy to recommend. Great use of violin too, much like Ironville, another great Swedish pop act that doesn't get nearly enough attention.
NME Radar at by:Larm
NME sends a reporter to by:Larm who actually manages to (gasp!) report back exclusively on Scandinavian bands and not just the usual names either: http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=15&title=radar_at_by_larm_2013&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Degrees - At least rock & roll won't leave a whole in my back (video)
Dreamy shoegaze pop with visuals to match, courtesy of Swedish act Degrees.
I Used To Be A Sparrow - Life is good (video)
The official debut single and video from I Used To Be A Sparrow, the new Swedish/Italian expat duo of Dick Pettersson ((In These Woods) and Andrea Caccese (Songs For The Sleepwalkers). If you have enjoyed any of Dick's other acts (ITW, Arrow Meets Francis, Voices Break the Silence), you'll definitely dig this too. Recommended!
Soma Sema - Under waves
Killer new song from Swedish/American synthpop duo Soma Sema off the already sold-out 2x C-60 cassette collection "Forward + Rewind: The Future Echo Tapes". I don't know much about the other acts on said comp, but it is still available for streaming/paid download via Bandcamp if you are seeking more sounds of a similar ilk.
Millencolin 20th anniversary fest this summer
Millencolin will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this summer this a special hometown festival in Örebro, Sweden on June 8-9: http://www.millencolin20year.se/
Not only will these be the band's only shows for 2012, they're also bringing out a bunch of their friend's old bands to give them a hand: No Fun At All, Voice of a Generation, Bombshell Rocks, The Peepshows, Nine and more.
Skull DFX recording in May
The Skull Defekts will be heading back into the studio in Stockholm this coming May to record a new album.
Meshuggah - Do not look down
A 2nd tune from the new Meshuggah album "Koloss" has appeared online: http://soundcloud.com/nuclearblastrecords/meshuggah-do-not-look-down/s-hlFcg