Kite Recordings has signed Mandorla, the new band of Martin Bärjed and Andreas Nyberg (The Mellowmen). The new album "Nattfjärils" comes out May 27 and you can find out more on at the duo's website: http://www.mandorla.se/
Melpo Mene has posted some new soundsamples from the upcoming "Jedi" EP on their website: http://www.melpomene.se/
Cold Meat Industry has posted info on the forthcoming Rasion D'être retrospective collection "Reflections from the time of opening" featuring some of the highly regarded dark ambient artist's earliest work: http://www.coldmeat.se/catalogue/cmi/cmi138.html
It comes out on May 13.
Other upcoming CMI releases:
Parca Pace - Raumspannung CD (cmi140)
Irm - Virgin mind DCD (cmi142)
Institut - The struggle never ended CD (cmi143)
The Protagonist - Interim CDEP (cmi145)
Boy Omega has confirmed that the new EP "The best time of the year" will be released on May 11 via A West Side Fabrication. It features one track from the last album "I name you isolation" and four new unreleased songs. Tracklist:
01. The Best Time Of The Year
02. Damn
03. The Pattern
04. Waltz Of December
05. Distance
All the new material I've heard keeps getting better and better, so I'm looking forward to this release.
The Kahvi Collective netlabel has a new video release from Finnish art group MFX: http://www.kahvi.org/v03.php
Swedish hip-hop site Svenskunderjord rounds up a few new mp3s from Kalle Kath, Kenta and Bobby Bolivian: http://www.svenskunderjord.com/default.asp?utbrytning=sant&url=/visaNyheter.asp&QS=id=930&sortera=
Ex-Refused guitarist Kristofer Steen is selling his Les Paul on eBay, the very same guitar used to track 90% of "The shape of punk to come": http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=47072&item=7317463736&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW&tc=photo
Swedish webzine Le Manchester has posted a new list of tunes that they've been listening to: http://www.lemanchester.com/artikel.asp?id=738&kat=artikel
Off-topic, but here's something I talked about at my Umeå Open presentation concerning Purevolume.com and new methods of online music promotion: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=8272892
Splendid reviews the US reissue of Nicolai Dunger's "The cloud is learning": http://www.splendidmagazine.com/review.html?reviewid=1113558373837038
Here's this week's MTVe UpNorth video chart:
01. Millencolin - Ray
02. Carpark North - Human
03. Kent - Max 500
04. Angu - Red Light
05. Marie Miller - Playground
06. Saybia - Bend The Rules
07. Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
08. Chick Habit - Rule The World
09. Bertine Zetlitz - Ah-ah
10. Radio LXMBRG - It's Cruel Up North
11. Kristin Frogner - Stars Above My Head
12. Darin - Money For Nothing
13. The 69 Eyes - Lost Boys
14. Clemens - Dans Me Döden
15. The Ark - Clamour For Glamour
16. Kurt Nilsen - Never Easy
17. User - Miss Wanted
18. Sugarplum Fairy - Far Away From Man
19. Nick & Jay - Kan Du Hora Hende Synge
20. Prominent - Let's Talk It Over
Challengers:
01. Span - Cut Like Diamonds
02. Humane - Wish God Was A Woman
03. Smak - Nousen
04. Scoob Rock - Da Massive
05. Eskobar - Even If You Know Me
Go here to vote for your favorite.
US dates for the Caesars:
6/02 - Troubador, Los Angeles, CA
6/04 - KNDD "End Fest", Seattle, WA
6/05 - Red Room, Vancouver (CAN)
6/07 - KNRK Show, Portland, OR
6/08 - Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
6/09 - KCNL Show, San Jose, CA
6/10 - Rockin' on the Landing, St Louis, MO
6/12 - Cabaret, Montreal (CAN)
6/13 - Mod Club, Toronto (CAN)
6/14 - Schubas, Chicago, IL
6/15 - Little Brothers, Columbus, OH
6/16 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
6/17 - TT the Bears (WFNX Show), Boston, MA