Swedish cassette label Abisko has released a triple-cassette box documenting the entire Jazkamer Japanese tour from 2005. The recording, as mentioned here before, is still available as a free download, but the box set also includes bonus material such as "drunken backstage ranting, hotel jams and whatnot." Limited to 100 copies.
The Mogwai mix of the new Mew single "Why are you looking grave?" is streaming on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mewsite
Norwegian act Flunk will be playing a few US West Coast in May around their appearance at Norway Day at Fort Mason in SF on May 6. Details soon.
Check out the I'm From Barcelona e-card which includes their new video for "We're fom Barcelona": http://www.emi.se/artists/barcelona/dguoydb/index.htm
I'm a big fan of these guys, but my dog Parker absolutely hates it when my wife and I sing that song to him. It makes him bark like crazy!
Logh is keeping a tour diary at Musiklandet: http://www.musiklandet.se/ml/index.nsf/1?Open&a=kr&id=139A19B54A735385C12570FA0079C76B (in English, in case you were wondering)
Agent Kooper will be entering Göteborg's Svenska Grammofon, the studio run by Kalle of TSOOL, in April to record some new material.
SvD on the recent addition of many Swedish artists on myspace: http://www.svd.se/dynamiskt/noje/did_11580082.asp (in Swedish)
FaceCulture interviews Norwegian singer/songwriter Ane Brun: http://www.faceculture.nl/anebrun_2006/index.htm
Cardigans frontwoman Nina Persson will make her big screen debut in the upcoming film "Om gud vill", the directorial debut of Amir Chamdin (Infinite Mass). Read more: http://www.sfi.se/sfi/smpage.fwx?page=2828&SVENSKA_FILMER=14634
PopKid Records has posted two new tracks from Swedish indie act Chester Copperpot on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/popkidrecs
One song comes from the band's new EP due out in April and one from a live in-studio appearance at radio station WPSC in New Jersey last October.
Noisedfisk interviews Swedish indiepop act Strip Squad: http://noisedfisk.com/2006/01/18/an-interview-with-strip-squad/
Lost at Sea reviews Swedish electronic artist Folie: http://www.lostatsea.net/review.phtml?id=3155671143d0130f40c4a
Download an mp3 of Norwegian avant-metal act Manes covering "Cinder alley" by 16 Horsepower (one of my all-time favorite bands): http://www.manes.info/downloads/cinderalley.mp3
The track comes from the band's upcoming "[view]" EP, due out in February via Aural Music. Recommended - not only do they do justice to the original, but they manage to translate it into their own style.
Updated European tourdates for Boy Omega:
03/12 - NBI, Berlin w/Rivulets
03/13 - Club Carambolage, Karlsruhe
03/14 - Südstadt, München
03/15 - K4, Nürnberg
03/16 - Bastion, Bochum
03/17 - LVP Bar, Leiden
03/18 - DB Studio, Utrecht
03/19 - Karthuizerhof, Amsterdam
03/20 - De Kar, Groningen
03/21 - AZ Conni, Dresden w/Gethin Pearson
03/22 - UT Connewitz, Leipzig w/Gethin Pearson
03/23 - Mikrokosmos, Magdeburg w/Gethin Pearson
03/24 - Barracuda, Kassel
03/25 - Bett, Hamburg
Dave Lepard, frontman of Swedish glam-rockers Crashdiet, was found dead this morning: http://www.crashdiet.org/
Speculation is that it was suicide, but I have no confirmation at this time.