Download a brand new song from Namur: http://www.namur.nu/files/mp3_baca/Marching_192.mp3
Canadian label Cyclop Media has licensed the most recent Switchblade album for release in North America. It comes out May 9.
Listen to the brand new I'm from Barcelona song "Collection of stamps" at the Dolores Recordings jukebox: http://doloresrecordings.com/__mp3s/index_mp3.html
The Dead Frog Records website is updated with even more demo reviews: http://www.deadfrogrecords.com/demos-reviews/
Norwegian hardcore act Rhumble in Rhodos won "favorite new international act" at Canadian Music Week: http://www.cmw.net/
East Coast tourdates for Danish punkrockers Gorilla Angreb:
04/04 - as220, Providence, RI w/Out Cold, Conversions, Snake Apartment
04/05 - Valentines (downstairs), Albany, NY w/To Hell and Back, Permanent Trip
04/06 - 99 Custer St., Buffalo, NY w/The Bayonettes
04/07 - tba, Pittsburgh, PA
04/08 - Firehouse Bikes, Philadelphia, PA w/Witch Hunt, The Bayonettes
04/09 - tba, Richmond, VA w/Direct control, Fucked Up, Career Suicide
04/10 - tba, DC
04/11 - 120 Hamilton St., New Brunswick, NJ w/Clockcleaner, Splitting Headache
04/12 - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD w/Subhumans, Caustic Christ, 1905
04/13 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA w/Subhumans, Caustic Christ, Signal Lost
04/14 - Knitting Factory, NYC w/Subhumans, Caustic Christ, Mouth Sewn Shut
04/15 - Axis 13, Boston, MA w/Subhumans, Caustic Christ, Mouth Sewn Shut
If you're into classic 80s LA punk ala X, be sure to check these guys out. I'm not as fond of them as I am of the guitarist's other band No Hope for the Kids, but they're still definitely worth seeing.
It's been awhile, but Finland's Giant Robot are reactivating to play three shows in March in which they'll be providing the soundtrack to a Brazilian film from 1929. Read more: http://www.giantrobot.fi/
Finnish "elekctrofutubooogie monster" act Itäväylä will release their second album on March 18. Listen to some samples:
01. Hyperborea
02. Children of tomorrow
03. Good men goin' down
Upcoming European tourdates for Cult of Luna:
04/15 - Close Up Festival, Stockholm (SWE)
04/18 - Sojo, Leuven (BEL)
04/19 - Vera, Groningen (NL)
04/20 - Dynamo, Eindhoven (NL)
04/21 - Patronaat, Haarlem (NL)
04/22 - Rock City, Nottingham (UK)
04/23 - Pitz Club, Milton Keynes (UK)
04/24 - Joiners Arms, Southampton (UK)
04/25 - Star And Garter, Manchester (UK)
04/26 - Barfly, Liverpool (UK)
04/27 - Barfly, Glasgow (UK)
04/28 - Barfly, York (UK)
04/29 - Limelight, Belfast (UK)
04/30 - Voodoo Lounge, Dublin (IRE)
05/01 - Barfly, Birmingham (UK)
05/02 - Barfly, London (UK)
05/04 - La Loco, Paris (FRA)
05/05 - Le Son Art, Bordeaux (FRA)
05/06 - Le Marché Gare, Lyon (FRA)
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Magnus Uggla - Ett bedårande barn av sin tid
02. The Knife - Silent shout
03. Christer Sjögren - King creole
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
06. In Flames - Come clarity
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Mia Marianna & Per Filip - Våra mest älskade sånger
09. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
10. Sanna Nielsen - Nära mej - nära dej
11. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
12. Agnes - Agnes
13. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
14. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
15. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
16. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
17. Darin - Darin
18. Robyn - Robyn
19. Torgny Melins - Dansbander
20. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
Pitchfork reviews Diskaholics Anonymous, the collaboration between Swedish sax player Mats Gustafsson with Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/d/diskaholics-anonymous-trio/weapons-of-ass-destruction-live-in-japan-v1.shtml
In two weeks, Songs I Wish I Had Written will unleash the new Le Sport single "It's not the end of the world", the first taste of what will be their debut full-length album due out in April.
Check out the video for "I blame the sun" from The Horror The Horror over at the MTVe website: http://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=4845
The Chrysler
First blood EP
Flora & Fauna
Things have been looking up in a big way for this sincere and prolific Swedish band, especially with the generally warm reception given the US release of "Failures and sparks" last year. Now comes this modest little EP, which features the intense track "First blood" from the "Cold war classic" CD and three new tracks. "I've had it up to here/It won't last another year/I've had a good time/But the good times made me blind" is a pretty impactful lyric from that first song, especially with the close-mic'd vocals this group always deliver. Of the newer tunes, "Tonight I don't sleep" is a low-key charmer that features melodic, processed whistling and minimal guitar accompaniment. I like the gentle delivery this group is known for, even though you wish they'd kick it up a notch sometimes.. "Cold war classic" is more uptempo, but the percussion is barely audible; what you get is mostly vocal harmonies and some interesting metaphorical lyrics. And "Changing of the guards" is a very sparse, but compelling cover of an old Dylan tune, which offers nice muted keyboards, strong lead vocals and the added interest of having the Chrysler's distinguished brand of Swedish melancholy applied to Dylan's narrative detail. There's a kind of demo quality to this EP, but that unique Chrysler sensitivity and vocal clarity shine through.
- Kevin Renick
Marybell Katastrophy
4 songs
self-released
Talk about a name with a built-in contradiction! Marybell Katastrophy, best known from her regular gig with Denmark's Tiger Tunes (she's "Marie"), has a first name that evokes sweetness, flowers and old-fashioned femininity, but add an unsettling last name like "Katastrophy" and you've got a major bit of conceptual duality going on. There's some of that in the music on this fascinating solo EP, too. Of the 4 songs, two ("Hey Frank" and "His desperate voice") are basically ballads, although that first song puts out a fierce burst of energy after alternating verses (MK evokes a bit of Sinead O'Connor in the timbre of her voice and a sense of fiery conviction battling with uncertain emotions). But on the other two songs, "Hidden agenda" and "Lost ship", Marybell serves up generous slices of chugging, eclectic electronica that are mesmerizing. A loopy synth loop grabs you and won't let go on "Hidden," and MK matches it with a vigorous, appealing vocal that's drenched with character. "Lost ship" has to be the highlight, though. This tune is three and a half minutes of bleepin' electropop weirdness, with smooth male-female harmonies competing for attention with the eccentric arrangement. Halfway through there's one of the most startlingly original moments I've heard on a disc in months, with an "electronic critter" making strange high-pitched utterances while tart backing harmonies and another powerful main vocal take turns blowing your mind. It's truly riveting. I was sorry this EP ended; Ms. Katastrophy definitely left me wanting more. How about a full-length, Marybell? You've got the smarts--and the art--to make that a stellar proposition
- Kevin Renick
La Tour
Floating in cool I've got my own little rules
self-released
"Floating in cool I've got my own little rules" may have many laud the title as an art project - the band may use visuals onstage, parade early '90s sampedelica as their own - but overall this is as solid as any current mainstream big hitting issue today. Just as Kaiser Chiefs cover KLF, you know something is in the air so if it needed earthing La Tour could offer that metal-to-earth connection. There are smidgens of many fine artists like Future Sound Of London or even The Orb in places, but La Tour really peg things through some deep house roots and the eerie beats on tracks like "Diskotek" and "Hus". The soundscapes on "A space before night" are gurn worthy. You can own the nine track CD disc via the band's website, but would someone please press a batch of 12" vinyl EPs of this stuff and get it out in the clubs. It works on all fronts.
- Jason Christie