Slagsmålsklubben has a new webforum: http://www.slagsmalsklubben.se/
Music (for Robots) posts a track from David Fridlund: http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001143.html
MIC Norway reacts to the recent hype on Serena Maneesh: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005090710512980119935
Bad Afro has announced the signing of Finland's Slideshaker. The band previous released 7"s on Weera and Legal Records and a debut album called "Hotwired Soul" on DBS back in 2003. They describe the band as an "ill-tempered mix of garage punk, fuzzy R&B, soul and country put together in an original fashion" and will release a new single in October with an album to follow on January 30. Download an mp3 of the song "Texas calling" right here: http://netti.nic.fi/~hekkis/audio/slideshaker-texas-calling.mp3
The Perishers have released a new live album online featuring a number of selections from their records and a guest appearance from tourmate Sarah McLachlan. Listen to a stream of it here: http://www.nettwerk.com/player/perishers/live/
To purchase it from iTunes, go here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=78953908
Sounds pretty good I think.
Have you heard the new Bear Quartet single yet? Do you like it? I do. It's not their usual folksy pop, but they've never been a band content with repeating the same thing over and over. They thrive on challenging both themselves and the audience. Even when the results aren't top-notch, I still think it's admirable that they make the effort. That's what makes them such a special band. The qualities that can make them so ingratiating are the same that make them so damn brilliant. They are the leaders, we must be content to follow. Trying to complain about it is simply foolish.
Download the single "Never the last time" from Sweden's The Soft Eyes: http://www.thesofteyes.com/
The band features Johan Sigerud from My Orchard, Daniel Värjö from The Concretes and Linda Hörnqvist from Marit Bergman's band.
Check out the video for "Like you better dead" from In Flames: http://www.nuclearblast.de/media/video/NB_1445.ram
Leif Karate has signed with US label Take Out Records and will be releasing a new EP in the near future. There are also plans to tour the US, but nothing is confirmed yet. However, dates for Norway in October and Spain in November should be posted soon. Head over to the band's website to hear their cover of "Sexy boy" by Air: http://www.leifkarate.com/
Kira and the Kindred Spirits have a new website and have started a blog: http://www.kiramusic.com/ (warning: gratuitous flash)
Codebreaker Records has posted new mp3s from Swedish hardcore acts Lolita Stasi and Borg 64: http://www.thecodebreaker.net/
Lolita Stasi's new album "Ruhr" comes out September 26 and "They're Using Nanoprobes" from Borg 64 comes out October 24.
Download the new Cat5 single "Play this loud": http://publicservice.info/mp3/cat5_playthisloud.mp3
Upcoming Raveonettes tour dates:
09/17 - Leffingeleuren festival (BEL)
09/22 - BAM Festival. MTV Stage, Barcelona (SPA)
09/23 - Ebrovision, Miranda de Ebro (SPA)
09/25 - Curitiba Rock fest, Curitiba (BRA)
09/28 - Estragon, Bologna (ITA)
09/29 - Circolo degli Artisti, Rome (ITA)
09/30 - Rainbow Room, Milan (ITA)
10/02 - Coney Island fest, Brooklyn, NYC
10/03 - Black Cat, Washington, DC
10/04 - Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
10/05 - AXIS, Boston, MA
10/07 - Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY
Norwegian folk/rock act Gåte has decided to "take a break." I guess they will still play this year's Nordic Roots Festival in Minneapolis (thier US debut), but after that the future seems unknown. Read more: http://www.adressa.no/kultur/article558236.ece (in Norwegian)
The latest stipends handed out to Swedish artists by the Kulturrådet: http://www.musikindustrin.nu/mi/smpage.fwx?page=198&NYHETER=6091