A new web diary entry from Sondre Lerche: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=63
Check out a German MTV spotlight on Quit Your Dayjob: http://www.mtv.de/quityourdayjob/index.php
Norwegian electronic artist Kaada has put his entire drum sound library online for download: http://www.kaada.no/free-samplez.html
Fibes! Oh Fibes! is currently in writing mode and not playing out much, but they are still working on planning a tour for next spring. Dates coming soon?
Ant Nest has signed Dr Dunbar's Medicine Band. The label will release the debut album from this soul-influenced rock n' roll band in March next year.
Sadly, Isolation Years has been forced to cancel their planned Swedish tour with Grand Drive as recording obligations are taking longer than expected and are being given the highest priority. The band plans to reschedule the dates for spring around the time the new album is due out.
Export Music Sweden has published their fourth-quarter newsletter: http://www.exms.com/pdf/smu/smu042004.pdf
As usual, nothing really that should be of news to regular IAT readers, but perhaps worth a peek anyways.
PopMatters reviews Singapore Sling's latest album "Life Is Killing My Rock 'N' Roll": http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/singaporesling-life.shtml
No big surprise here: The Hives won the best Nordic act category at the MTVe Music Awards last night.
Europe on tour in Japan:
01/07 - Forum, Tokyo
01/09 - Grand Cube, Osaka
01/11 - Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Nagoya
01/13 - Quattro, Hiroshima
01/14 - Shimin Kaikan, Fukuoka
Nightwish will be travelling over to the US to play the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA on April 23.
Disfear recently spent some time in the studio recording new material for a split 7" and doing preproduction for their next album. The band is also working on plans for tours in March and May of next year, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
More confirmed dates for Es on tour in the US:
12/03 - The Bookmill, Montague, MA
12/04 - Strange Maine (record store), Portland, ME
12/06 - AS220, Providence, RI w/Dave Unger, Sinking Body, Kites
12/09 - Midway Cafe, Boston, MA w/Vampire Can't, Crystal Cock Over Canada, Donna Parker + Vic Rawlings
12/11 - Lucky Cat Cafe, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY w/Izititiz, Ghq
12/12 - tba, Toronto (CAN)
As mentioned before, Es is the musical project of Fonal Records founder Sami Sänpäkkilä. On these dates he will be backed by Miriam Goldberg and Jeffrey Alexander of Black Forest / Black Sea who also join him on the new album "Sateenkaarisuudelma", due out in January on (K-RAA-K)3 records. Also accompanying them on tour will be visual artist Shary Boyle who will be showing live visuals on an overhead projector.
In somewhat Fonal-related news, keep an eye out for the December issue of The Wire for an article on the Finnish improv/folk/psych/freejazz underground scene. Head over to the mag's website for some exclusive downloads: http://www.thewire.co.uk/current/story3.php
Check out a preivew of the new album "Devils" from Finland's 69 Eyes: http://www.69eyes.com/player.php?file=video/devils_trailer.mov&w=320&h=254&name=DEVILS
Yay! More goth-rock from the Finns!