Reminder: stay up-to-date with David & the Citizens as they record their new album by reading their studio diary: http://citizensdiary.webblogg.se/
Swedish Americana act Sleeping Beauty is currently streaming their new single "Somebody new" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sleepingbeautyrocks
The band's debut album will be out in late summer via Attaboy Records.
Pitchfork has a ton of Swedish music featured today including a review of The Knife's "Silent Shout" and interviews with both Jens Lekman and Love is All.
MP3: Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
"Nothing to prove / Just a hellish rock'n'roll freak / You call your metal black / It's just fucking lame and weak"
Darkthrone wastes no time in laying down the law and telling you exactly what they're about. As if you couldn't tell by their trademark buzzsaw guitars and plodding beats. In a scene where grimness and regression are sought-after virtues, none are more true than Darkthrone. Bands like Mayhem get chastised for attempting to update their sound, but Darkthrone steadfastly soldiers on. There are few things you can count on in this world, but you always know what you're getting with these guys. But sometimes they do try to put one over on us - C'mon guys, what's up with that Siouxsie and the Banshees cover? My automatic reaction is to deny their self-awareness, their sense of humor. They're too kvlt for that, right? But it's there and it's undeniable. Darkthrone is smiling.
Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
Something that most bands never considered pre-2000 was name googlability. My old bandmates used to think I was crazy to book tours via email back in '97-98 and look where we are now. Being said, Nine totally blew it when they decided on their moniker. I guess in some ways it works well for the Internet age because it makes finding tracks on p2p a bit more difficult, but I seriously doubt that that's something a small hardcore band from Sweden worries about. Today's Friday oldie comes from Nine's 2000 album "Kissed by the misanthrope". The band's sound is a powerful mix of bluesy Entombed-style death'n'roll and pounding hardcore. I haven't been as stoked on their more recent material, but this stuff kicks ass. Catchy melodies and brutal breakdowns, what more could you ask for? Who knows though, maybe their new alliance with Finnish label Combat Rock Industry will give them renewed vigor. Look for the new MCD "Death is glorious" to be released soon.
Swedish singer/songwriter Juni Järvi is streaming two songs from his upcoming album for a limited time at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/54413387
Rusty Flores' self-titled debut album has been confirmed for a February 22 release via A Westside Fabrication.
Norwegian hardcore act Torch has a new song on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/torchofficial
Soak the Sin has a new website design: http://www.soakthesin.com/
They also added the new video "I said no" for your viewing pleasure.
Sing Your Life has signed with laptop-wizard/singer/songwriter Leif Elverstig. Look for an album to be released later this year.
The title of the upcoming Radio Dept. album will be "Pet grief". As mentioned before, it comes out April 12.
Dungen's acclaimed album "Ta det lugnt" will finally be released in Australia and New Zealand in the near future via Dew Process and in Japan on March 15 through Vroom Sound.
Zero has opened up the voting for the 2006 SAMA awards: http://www.zeromagazine.nu/sama2006.asp
MI has posted the nominees for the Jazzkatten, the Swedish Radio P2 jazz award: http://www.musikindustrin.nu/mi/smpage.fwx?page=198&NYHETER=6653
Lots of good names worth investigating.