PopMatters reviews The Ark: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/the_ark/
Good to see there's a confirmed US release date of March 7. Looks like my prediction that the album's harder edge would lead to bigger things has come to fruition. Now when's the full US tour gonna happen?
Norwegian cut-up thrash act Single Unit will be performing at the Hive Days festival in Chicago from March 10-12. Other acts confirmed include Aa, Forbes Graham (Kayo Dot), Chris Corsano & Spencer Yeh, Seductive Sprigs from Zs and more.
"Marble house" will be the second single from The Knife's forthcoming album "Silent shout". The full-length comes out February 15 (moved up from March) and the single's release date is March 27.
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Lisa Ekdahl - Pärlor av glas
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Agnes - Agnes
06. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
07. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
08. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
09. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
10. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
11. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
12. Emil Sigfridsson - Äntligen
13. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
14. Darin - Darin
15. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
16. Matz Bladhs - Gobitar 2006
17. Wahlströms - Tillbaka igen
18. Eddie Meduza - Dragspelsrock
19. Kent - Du & jag döden
20. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
Updated German tourdates for The Je Ne Sais Quoi:
03/09 - White Trash, Berlin
03/10 - Sunday Service Festival @ Knust, Hamburg
03/11 - Trinkhalle, Rheine
03/12 - Blue Shell, Köln
The Ark has booked a headlining gig at the London Barfly for February 9. As mentioned before, the band will be on tour there supporting The Darkness beginning on February 4 in Dublin.
David Fridlund is offering up three brand new solo tracks for streaming on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/davidfridlund
Act fast 'cuz they'll only be available for 24 hours.
New mp3 today from Andreas Meland off the split CD "Brakhage" with Norwegian noise heavyweight Lasse Marhaug (aka Jazkammer). The music was recorded live during a screening of American filmmaker Stan Brakhage's silent films and then remixed and finalized for this release. Meland was still considered somewhat of an unproven talent at the time of the record's release back in April '05, but I think you'll agree that he proves himself to be a formidable artist with the sweet, dark drones he lays down here. This music isn't so much about how it sounds, but about how it makes you feel and the way it affects the mood of your surroundings. In other words, perfect soundtrack music. [buy it]
Swedish noiserock act Traktor has given their website a new look: http://www.traktorbiz.com/
The band's new album "Lights" came out on January 20 via German label My Favourite Toy.
Swedish indierockers The Flu has posted almost all of their recorded material for free download: http://www.theflu.se/
Opeth's upcoming shows at NYC's Town hall centre (02/23), Chicago's House of blues (03/02) and LA's Wiltern theatre (03/14) will be exclusive extra-special occasions where the band will have a chronological setlist, beginning with the first record "Orchid" and working through the discography all the way through last year's critically acclaimed "Ghost reveries". Read more: http://www.opeth.com/news.html
Check out 'Jukeboksi', a French-compiled feature on Finnish music: http://virtual.finland.fi/
Mom & Dad, the new project from David and Jens of Brainpool, will be entering the studio in March to begin work on their debut album for the label Junk Music.
Cold Meat has posted the full details and samples for the upcoming 2xCD split featuring Journal Noir and Lithium Path: http://www.coldmeat.se/catalogue/cmi/cmi150.html
The results of Norwegian webzine Panorama's 2005 reader's poll: http://www.panorama.no/vis.php?kat=3&did=4867
Bobby Baby's new EP "Loves To Dance" is currently being finalized and mastered and will be released via UK label Red Letter Records in the near future. An animated video for the song "Goodbye love" is also in production with Vinterbarn and Johan Karlberg. Download older BB at her website: http://www.bobbybaby.net/