Sahara Hotnights are offering non-Swedish fans an opportunity to win a copy of their most recent album "What is leaving is a loving thing", soon to be released internationally via Bad Taste Records: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=76762444&blogID=399833330
Doctors & Dealers has posted a couple new tracks on myspace off her forthcoming record "Lost friends and newfound habits", due out later this year: http://www.myspace.com/doctorsanddealersband
Danish post-hardcore act Lack are now streaming two more songs from their (awesome) most recent album "Saturate every atom": http://www.myspace.com/lackbetherepulse
Buy it: CD/LP
Listen to Laakso's "Dropout" being used as background music during an episode of "Aliens in America": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkVaHO-6QjQ
Swedish industrial/minimal synth act Agent Side Grinder has started a "Trans-Atlantic Tape Project" utilizing a pair of 4-track cassette recorders while member Johan Lange is in Miami: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=62173944&blogID=399760965
Barra Head will head back to Germany in June:
06/19 - Kleine Freiheit, Osnabrück w/So So Modern
06/20 - Umbaubar, Oldenburg
06/21 - Station 77, Wuppertal
06/23 - Hafenklang, Hamburg
06/24 - Hühnermanhattan, Halle
06/25 - Fabrik, Potsdam
06/26 - Das Lokal, Berlin w/Milemarker
06/27 - Fusion Festival, Lärz
MP3: Murmansk - Nothing but the moon
I don't cover nearly as much Finnish music as I probably should. I mostly blame that on the language barrier, but I also know I could do better and that's why I've decided to (mostly) focus on Finnish artists the rest of the week. I already covered the hardcore band Abduktio yesterday, so today we turn our attention to Murmansk, a shoegaze/dreampop band from Helsinki with a female vocalist and, as they say themselves, an aggressive edge. "Chinese locks" is the band's debut album and it's out on Around Your Neck, a young new label that, judging from earlier releases, specializes in 90s nostalgia, though I'd say it's the wrong kind (ugh, Pavement - no thanks). Murmansk on the other hand, hearken back to the late-80s heyday of 4AD, evoking the darker, more ethereal qualities of artists like Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance, but tempered with the noisy outbursts of The Pixies. Once you find out the band started life as a postrock instrumental trio before adding vocalist/guitarist Laura Soininen, the end result makes even more sense. It's heavy, atmospheric and, all in all, immensely satisfying. And, for a debut album, quite impressive. Very recommended!
NOTE: Please see Thursday's post for a small correction/update.
Murmansk - Nothing but the moon
Norwegian label Young Aspiring Professionals (Datarock) will release Syntax TerrOrkester's new album "Familien min forstår ingenting av det" on June 10. Hear a sample tune at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/yaprecords
Swedish rockers Wired For Mono have another new single posted for free download: http://www.wiredformono.com/
The band will be offering new singles for download every other week for the foreseeable future with the next release scheduled for June 9.
Via Soundscaping comes word that Norwegian ambient electronica duo Circular have a new website with a bunch of streaming music and other goodies: http://www.circular.no/
Rune Grammofon has posted details on new releases from Elephant9 ("Dodovoodo") and MoHa! ("Jeff Carey´s MoHa!", the label's very first 7" release).
DJ Silence reports that Swedish rap artist Lazee will be collaborating with Limp Bizkit: http://www.dj-silence.com/nyheter2.asp?vad=listanyhet&newsid=3369 (in Swedish)
Check out a live video clip preview of the new Emil Jensen single "Så får du mig ändå": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHy2tSLGMEs
The studio version of said track was produced by Lars Halapi (Bo Kaspers Orkester, Sophie Zelmani) and will be released on June 11 via Adrian Recordings to be followed by a new full-length this fall.
PowerSolo will making up for the recent cancellation of their US tour with make-up dates in August. No confirmed dates yet, but soon.
Check out an e-card for the new collection "The red line archives" from Norwegian industrial/metal act Red Harvest: http://www.frejonline.com/redharvest/ecard/ecard.html