Iconcrash reports back from their trip to Russia: http://www.iconcrash.com/russia.htm
Upcoming live dates for the might Norwegian hard-rockers WE:
01/13 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)
01/20 - Blæst, Trondheim (NOR)
01/21 - Hydranten, Hamar (NOR)
01/22 - Baråtti, Strømmen (NOR)
01/28 - Valdres, Vang (NOR)
02/05 - Alarm Awards + 30 min latenight show, Oslo (NOR)
02/17 - TBA, New Dehli (IN)
02/20 - Great Indian Rock Festival, New Dehli (IN)
03/03 - Fabric, London (UK) w/Satyricon, Madrugada
04/15 - Trondheim International Filmfestival, Trondheim (NOR) (WE vs. Körkarlen)
07/22 - Sjonstock Festivalen, Mo i Rana (NOR)
07/23 - Bukta Festivalen, Tromsø (NOR)
Remember, they're one of the many fine acts on the "It's a trap reader's companion" compilation and they've been collecting a bounty of awards and nominations these past few weeks for their newest album "Smugglers". I shouldn't have to say it again, but it's an amazing record and I'm sure it'll be getting some sort of international release in the very near future.
Speaking of bands from the "Reader's companion" disc, CDOASS scores a perfect 10 on the notoriously fickle review site Metica: http://www.metica.se/reviews/review_result.php?r_id=1107
So who's gonna be the first act from the comp to break out with an international audience? Share your thoughts.
Norway's Beezewax has signed with Warner Music and will release their new album "Who to Salute" on March 14. Their previous record "Oh Tahoe" was released by Trust Me in Norway in 2002. Look for samples to be posted online soon.
BBC Music reviews Norwegian jazz group The Thing and their latest Smalltown Superjazz release "Garage": http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/jazz/reviews/thing_garage.shtml
Here's the latest list of labels and artists receiving stipends from the Swedish government: http://www.sr.se/p3/musikjournalen/artikel.asp?artikel=537146
Mando Diao, Sator and Silverbullit are the first bookings for this summer's Peace & Love Festival in Borlänge, Sweden on July 8 and 9.
Head to Dagensskiva for a list of the 100 top-selling albums in Sweden from 2004: http://www.dagensskiva.com/news.asp?id=2976
I own eight of them.
The Concretes are heading back to the UK for a few dates in mid-February:
02/17 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
02/18 - KOKO Club, NME Brats Night, London
02/20 - Concorde, Brighton
Frida Hyvönen will support.
Swedish hard-rock trio Black Belt is heading south for a few gigs and bringing along Amir from Infinite Mass along for the ride so he can do a DJ set. Here's the dates, including another gig the following week in Örebro:
01/12 - Kino, Karlskrona
01/14 - Tivoli, Helsingborg
01/15 - Perrong 23, Hässleholm
01/21 - Klubb Idiot, Örebro
New mp3 today from Finnish noise-rockers The Insult That Made A Man Out Of Mac. I confess that I don't really know too much about these guys beyond what they have in their online bio, but when I saw they were touring with Circle and Cleaning Women as part of the Riemufestivaali, I knew had to hear them. And I'm awfully glad I did because these guys are awesome. That is, if you're into pounding, bass-heavy industrial rock like Cop Shoot Cop, Foetus or one my old local favorites, Grotus. Who says you need guitars to make a racket? The track I've posted is recorded live which goes to show how great I'd bet they'd be in-person. So check it out, head over to their website to download more, and see them live if you can:
01/19 - Yo-Talo, Tampere
01/20 - Henry's Pub, Kuopio
01/21 - Tavastia, Helsinki
01/22 - S-Osis, Turku
Vega, Two Times The Trauma and Johan Bergqvist are the first artists confirmed for this year's Hemmahosfestivalen, a festival in Stockholm which uses various people's apartments as venues. More info: http://www.hemmahosfestivalen.se/
It appears that the two bonus tracks on the US edition of the new Soundtrack of Our Lives album will be "World Bank" and "Once Upon a Time to Somewhere Else", both of which are already released as the b-sides to the singles "Bigtime" and "Heading for a Breakdown" respectively.
Torpedo has confirmed that the official release date of their debut EP "Anticlockwise" will be April 4, but they will also have copies on-hand when they tour Europe in February. Here's the updated itinerary:
02/13 - Wild Rover, Aachen (GER) w/Firefox
02/14 - L'Austrasique, Nancy (FRA)
02/15 - Cafe Cairo, Würzburg (GER)
02/16 - Arena, Wien (AUS) w/Firefox
02/17 - Hafen 2, Offenbach (GER)
02/18 - Festival of Tinnitus #1, Saarlouis (GER) w/Audrey, Breather Resist
02/20 - Underground, Köln (GER)
02/21 - Nexus, Braunschweig (GER) w/Firefox