Keep up with Norway's Flunk as they embark on their first tour of the western US: http://web.mac.com/yomissbee/iWeb/Flunk%20Roadshow/Welcome.html
MIC Norway profiles Ane Brun on the eve of her US tour: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2006050312031995027237
Kasper Lindgren (Prime STH) and Kalle Engstrom (Diana DeGarmo, Lindsay Lohan) will be (over) producing Ana Johnsson's new album. In case that name doesn't ring any bells, Ana is known for her success on the first season of Sweden's pop-idol TV program Popstar. Look for the first single at the beginning of summer.
MP3: Oskar Schönning - Happy jazz, please
I don't talk a lot about jazz here and that's not right. It's a bit out of my standard comfort zone, but that's hardly an excuse. Good music transcends boundries of genre. I've actually been listening to quite a bit more jazz since my wife put a moratorium on heavy/screamy music in our home office. Go figure! The selections have been mostly the classics: Coltrane, Bird, Mingus, etc., but I do like to branch out into more modern stuff like John Zorn's Masada and the Swedish act Esbjörn Svensson Trio (EST). I'd listen to more, but honestly, I really have no idea where to start. Thank goodness bassist/bandleader Oskar Schönning got in touch. His new album "Happy jazz, please" (see the title track posted today) hits all the right notes, both figuratively and literally. The compositions and arrangements are firmly grounded in tradition, but Schönning's ensemble adds enough of their own pizazz that it's most definitely not a retread. I especially enjoy the liberal use of clarinet - it adds just the right amount of klezmer/Don Byron flair to the tracks. It also keeps things sounding fresh since I feel it's an underused/underappreciated instrument in the genre. Schönning's new album comes out today and he'll be playing a record release show tomorrow at the restaurant Landet, just outside of Stockholm. And don't forget to check out his contribution to the recently released "Fellow birds" 7" on Jezebel Recordings.
Oskar Schönning - Happy jazz, please
"Nixon" is Tiger Lou's latest single. It's also the song I have featured on "Reader's companion volume two". I've made it available as a free download today. I know it should be obvious, but I'll just come out and say it: I love Tiger Lou. I get all misty just thinking about them and the good times we've shared. So much so, that I'm putting my money where my mouth is and will be releasing a Tiger Lou 7" very soon. The a-side will be "Until I'm there" which TL mainman Rasmus Kellerman tells me is his favorite songs from his latest album "The loyal". Good stuff, I assure you. More details soon.
Dark Dose, one of my favorite mp3 blogs that doesn't update nearly as often as they should, was kind enough to post their thoughts on IAT.MP3 artist Sonores: http://darkdose.com/?p=121
As I posted in their comments, Jonas from Sonores just told me over the weekend that the music for their album is done, he just needs to finish up all the details concerning the artwork. I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime you can still download the free netrelease on the right.
Updated German tourdates for Torpedo:
05/16 - Bla, Bonn (GER)
05/17 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
05/18 - FZW, Dortmund (GER)
05/19 - Factory, Magdeburg (GER)
05/20 - Werk 2 (early show 18:00), Leipzig (GER)
05/20 - Privatclub (late show 23:30), Berlin (GER)
Kirlian Crossing's final "Acid test reel" is online for free download. Check it: http://www.verdurarecords.com/kirliancrossing/acid.htm
Friendly Noise reports that they will be releasing Testbild!'s third album "Imagine a house" later on this month. More details to come.
The Perishers have a new video for "Trouble sleeping", the first single from the UK/US reissue of their album "Let there be morning": http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/theperishersx06x04x06
I used to kind of write these guys off as Coldplay-wannabees, but even though they share some of the same maudlin tendencies, their music is actually quite nice.
The tracklist for the new Bear Quartet album "Eternity now" has been revealed:
01. Battle Hymn
02. Sailors
03. Where I Cried
04. Broken Heart
05. The Lost Kid Office
06. Faeces
07. Fairies
08. Faces
09. The Repairing Of The Red Sea
10. Peders Förlåt
11. Bear Quartet International Airport
Britta Persson reports that voting has closed on the poll to choose her next single and the winner is "Winter tour". It will be out later this month. In second place was the song "You are not my boyfriend" which will now be released as a single in August featuring two exclusive b-sides. Listen to the champ at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/brittapersson
Check out the first release from Militant Fields netlabel offshoot Hwem and the artist We Were Dancing aka Swedish experimental/drone artist Robin Rådenman: http://www.hwem.net/releases.html
Neumu likes Finnish indiepop group Red Carpet: http://www.neumu.net/fortyfour/
I have the CD available for purchase right here.
Lupatarkastaja on Finnish synthpop act Pariisin Kevät who have a free three-song EP for download: http://lupatarkastaja.samizdat.info/2006/05/02/pariisin-kevat-kattojen-ylla-ep/