Swedish hardcore act Nine will enter the studio this weekend to record a couple new tracks for an EP to be released on Finnish label Combat Rock.

New European dates for Melody Club:

10/09 - Vega, Copenhagen (DK)
10/10 - Underground, Cologne (GER)
10/11 - Mudd Club, Berlin (GER)
10/12 - Atomic Café, Munich (GER)
10/13 - Zoo Bar, Rome (ITA)
10/14 - Rainbow Club, Milan (ITA)
10/15 - Hiroshima Mon Amour, Turin (ITA)
10/17 - B72, Vienna (AUS)
10/28 - Palace, Kalmar (SWE)
10/29 - Harrys, Avesta (SWE)

Marit Bergman is playing a CMJ showcase at CBGBs on Saturday.

HIM's new album "Dark light" will be available for full streaming at hottopic.com on September 20, one week ahead of the release date.

Finnish noise-rockers Fun have posted their entire debut EP for free download: http://www.noisecorewalze.com/
If you are even remotely into the classic Touch & Go/AmRep style, you better check these guys out cuz they rule.

Finnish avant/free-folk label Fonal has posted a video of Kiila's performance at All Saints Church in Cambridge: http://www.fonal.com/videos.html

Dead Frog Records has announced the signing of Sara Rumar and will be releasing her debut album in January.

Swedish post-punks Cut City will enter the studio in October to record their debut full-length for release on GSL sometime early next year.

Stream some tracks from the new Randy album "Randy the band" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/randyband
Why these guys aren't properly appreciated outside of Sweden I'll never understand. The new stuff sounds killer, as always.

Norwegian electronic act Alog on tour:

12/03 - Sheune, Dresden (GER)
12/06 - Spitz, London (UK)
12/08 - Impakt festival, Utrecht (NL)
12/10 - KC Netwerk, Aalst (BEL)

More soon.

In other Alog news, Melektronikk will soon be putitng out a collection of their remixes, b-sides and outtakes entitled "Catch that totem!". Confirmed release date coming soon.

A-ha reports from their big NYC concert, the first on US soil in 20-some years: http://www.a-ha.com/index.php?id=6110&cat=417

Aversionline reviews Swedish death industrial/power-electronics act Mörkermännen: http://www.aversionline.com/reviews/2720/

The WFMU blog posts on early Finnish psych-act The Sperm: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/09/adventures_in_t_2.html

Metal Blade Records has signed Danish metal act The Arcane Order, the band originally known as Scavenger. The band was founded by ex-Autumn Leaves members Flemming C. Lund (guitar, ex-Invocator) and Boris Tandrup (bass) and also features Kasper Thomsen (vocals, Raunchy) and Morten Løwe Sørensen (drums, Submission, Slugs). The band will record their debut album in spring 2006.