Suburban Kids with Biblical Names have posted a special Christmas mp3 on their website: http://www.loveisthedevil.com/SKWBN/
Norway's Kings of Convenience will be touring North America in February:
02/01 - The Social, Orlando, FL
02/02 - tba, Atlanta, GA
02/03 - tba, Athens, GA
02/05 - IOTA Club, Arlington, VA
02/07 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
02/08 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
02/10 - World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA
02/11 - Paradise, Boston, MA
02/12 - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
02/15 - El Salon, Montreal, PQ
02/17 - Lee's Palace, Toronto, ON
02/18 - Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
02/20 - Little Brothers, Columbus, OH
02/22 - Double Door, Chicago, IL
02/23 - tba, Minneapolis, MN
The multi-talented Snowy Shaw is playing drums on the new Falconer album, currently being tracked at Andy La Rocque's Los Angered Studio. Snowy will also once again be working with Kee Marcello on recording a new album for K2.
The staff of Luger posts their favorite albums and shows from 2004: http://www.luger.se/nyheter.asp?PK_Id=236
Don't forget Simon Gooch's other top 10 posted here on 12/08.
DigitalMetal.com is teaming up with Candlelight Records to launch the new Enslaved album "Isa" in the US: http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=6172
I'll try to get my review of the album posted this weekend, but I'll just say right now that I'm not terribly impressed with it. It's not bad, but I've come to expect a lot more from these guys.
The new Disco Ensemble album will be called "First aid kit" and has been confirmed for a February 16 release via Fullsteam Records.
Chalksounds has started taking preorders on the new Ellis the Vacuumchild album: http://www.chalksounds.com/shownews.php?show=32
Finnish heavy-metal cello quartet Apocalyptica are planning their first-ever North American tour for March:
03/15 - Knitting Factory, New York, NY
03/16 - El Mocambo, Toronto, ONT
03/20 - Schubas, Chicago, IL
03/21 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
03/22 - Roxy, Los Angeles, CA
Backyard Babies have been chosen to support Social Distortion on the group's upcoming US tour which is probably one of the best tours the guys could ever hope to land. I bet they're stoked. Dates so far:
02/03 - The Joint (Hard Rock Hotel), Las Vegas, NV
02/07 - UCSB Event Center, Santa Barbara, CA
02/08 - UC Davis Rec Hall, Davis, CA
02/10 - In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
02/11 - The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
02/12 - The Beaumont, Kansas City, MO
02/14 - The Blue Note, Columbia, MO
02/17 - Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
02/18 - PromoWest Pavilion, Columbus, OH
02/19 - The Dome Theatre, Niagara Falls, NY
02/21 - Metropolis, Montreal, QC
02/22 - Avalon, Boston, MA
02/25 - Starland Ballroom, Sayerville, NJ
02/28 - The NorVa, Norfolk, VA
03/02 - Centerstage At The Plex, Charleston, SC
03/04 - House Of Blues, Orlando, FL
Well, the word is finally out concerning why Satyricon cancelled the final five dates on their US tour: guitarists Steinar Gundersen and A.O. Gronbech (also both in Spiral Architect) have been charged with rape in Canada. Read more: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=30623 (as usual, the comments from regular Blabbermouth readers are ridiculous)
Dagbladet is carrying the story too: http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2004/12/21/418187.html (in Norwegian)
Umeå's Royal Downfall has posted a new demo track as their holiday gift to you: http://www.royaldownfall.org/audio/Royal_Downfall_-_Lightning_Strikes_Twice_(Demo_Version).mp3
It's time once again for the annual holiday single from The Soundtrack of Our Lives: http://www.tsool.net/temp/xmas.shtml
Entombed will be doing a few dates in the Baltics towards the end of January:
01/21 - Rock Café, Tallinn
01/22 - Salamander, Riga
01/23 - Mulen Ruzas, Vilnius
Pitchfork declares "Heartbeat" from Norway's Annie to be the single of the year and manages to name-drop Swedes The Knife and Fox n' Wolf in the process: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2004/singles/index5.shtml