Check out a band-approved fan-made video for Danish punkrockers Emily and the Orgasm Addicts and their theme song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RAeRFedVJI4
Finnish act Lodger has updated their website with a bunch of new content, downloadable and otherwise: http://www.lodger.tv/
Sharin Foo will have her sister Loui stand in for her with The Raveonettes while she sits out of touring during the remainder of her pregnancy. Loui directed the band's video for "Aly walk with me" and is also involved with the art/music collective Ohhmarymary.
Britta Persson is doing a few dates in Germany later this month:
05/15 - Cafe Central, Weinheim
05/16 - Objekt 5, Halle
05/17 - Falkendom, Bielefeld
05/18 - NBI, Berlin
The lineup has been finalized for next month's Nordic Jazz Fest at the House of Sweden in Washington DC on June 12-13: http://www.norway.org/culture/music/nordic+jazz+-08.htm
Featured acts include Kristian Blak and Yggdrasil, Wildbird and Peacedrums, Iro Haarla Quintet and Ola Kvernberg Trio.
Norwegian legends Motorpsycho have lined up a few additional US shows besides Terrastock:
06/20 - Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
06/21 - Terrastock Festival, Louisville, KY
06/22 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
Swedish label Service (Jens Lekman, The Embassy) has announced the signing of Ikons (remember?). Check out the new single "Guns" right here: http://srvice.com/catalog/item.php?catno=SRVC001
Service has also relaunched themselves as a cooperative and is offering up public membership in exchange for use of their new subscription service: http://srvice.com/catalog/item.php?catno=JOIN_SERVICE
Check out some brand new Division of Laura Lee remixes: http://www.divisionoflauralee.com/remix/
MP3: Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva
"Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva"? Why yes, they do, er did. I really appreciate the conceit of giving every single track on the new album "Hallå?" a self-referential song title. Plan a media strategy, write some songs, play some shows and yes, even hold a dreaded band meeting. But it's the act of putting out a record that serves as my favorite track. Normally I'd say that embracing a late 80s postpunk sound (funk bass and all, although not on this track) is a bad move, but they pull it off. It works especially well here since they manage to keep things on the straight and narrow pop tip. Phaser on the acoustic guitar? Wacky slapback on the snare? Sure! Why not? Small risks in terms of the big picture. Good times!
Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva
Millencolin
Machine 15
Burning Heart Records
Millencolin have been going now for 15-16 years, hence the name of their seventh album (it sounds a bit cynical and bitter to call your band a "machine", doesn't it?). Lou Giordano who produced Millencolin's fifth album "Home from home" has again been called in, I suspect, to give the album that polished Foo-Fighters-feel, and he's succeeded. It is a very slick album, with Millencolin nurturing their softer more melodic side. They've also gone a bit wacky and added strings on some of the tracks, a trick that works just fine despite it not being that obvious. I prefer Millencolin when they've got a sound that's dirtier and more rock'n'roll and with less arena rock ambitions, so I'm not that keen on this album. Another thing that bugs me is that Nikola Sarcevic's lyrics are really terrible. I mean, they're among the worse I've ever heard; even though he's pretty good at writing choruses, some of the verses just make me cringe. Millencolin's lyrics have always been bad and full of horrible rhymes, but listening to "Machine 15" I can't help getting outright annoyed by them. Despite all this, it's a solid album with a handful of skatepunk hits that should appeal to the Kerrang/Alternative Press demographic.
- Simon Tagestam
Norwegian indie act Ping is offering up their 2000 out-of-print album "It's a picnic" as a free download: http://www.thepingpage.com/2008/05/its-a-picnic-old-wierd-and-rare/
Watch a short video interview with José González talking about his current "Green Tour" initiatives, the inspiration behind his most recent album "In our nature" and various other subjects: http://current.com/items/88929690_jose_gonzalez_goes_green
Check out the new Cat Burglar remix of "Made in Spain" by Molotov Jive: http://www.myspace.com/molotovjive
In Flames will doing a European headline tour following their current stint in the US on the Gigantour and the summer festival season: http://www.inflames.com/Tour.aspx
Norwegian indie label How is Annie Records will be putting out a new record from dreampop act All the Islands on May 13 entitled "Polarise". Hear samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alltheislands