MIC Norway discusses the upcoming Nordic Music Awards, set for October 23 at the Spectrum in Oslo: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004033110085755654383
Apparently this event is supposed to rival the Grammies and provide a new platform for Nordic artists to reach a wider audience. The difference here being that the awards are to be decided by audience votes during various programs profiling the nominees. Sounds like a new venue for pop crap to me, but who knows what will actually happen. Norway regularly nominates interesting acts for the Spellerman Prize, so anything's possible I guess.
Japanese label Alliance Trax has released a special edition of the "Regrets & Apologies" EP from Swedish punks Between Us featuring five extra tracks, one of which is previously unreleased. The others come from the band's earlier 7" on Bridge Records.
Online mp3 music label Monotonik has a new release from Finnish electronic music artist Tweeter called "Planet Boelex": http://www.mono211.com/content/releases/mtkmp128.html
Swedish synthpop band Alice in Videoland will be releasing "Going Down" as a new single very soon. It will include a remix by Gabi Delgado of electronic music pioneers DAF (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft) as well. More details to come?
Henrik Berggren of Broder Daniel talks to Aftonbladet about the reasons behind all the recent show cancellations: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,455774,00.html (in Swedish)
In Flames is heading to Japan:
09/10 - Namba Hatch, Osaka
09/11 - Shibuya AX, Tokyo
09/12 - Shibuya AX, Tokyo
09/14 - Club Quattro, Nagoya
Brainpool is teaming up with the Malmö Symphonic Orchestra for some sort of rock opera thing called Junk. They'll be making their live premiere on August 19 at Malmöfestivalen and the recorded CD version comes out August 25 from Playground Music.
Lots of new stuff over at the Moonbabies website including a full mp3 of the new single "Forever changes everything now", a whole bunch of demos and outtakes from "The Orange Billboard" to download and tons more. Check it out: http://www.moonbabies.nu
If anyone knows Ole Wenneke, bassplayer of Danish rock group The Sandmen, please let him know that Dirk Allman is trying to get a hold of him. Thanks!
Head over to KVLR's website for a ton of amazing pics from their recent European tour adventure: http://www.kvlr.net/
I'm a terrible procrastinator, but at last here's my report from the ExMS Swedish showcase in LA on March 20: click here.
Ariel Kill Him has hooked up with Lucky Artist Booking and has started to set up dates in the US for June.
Some news from A West Side Fabrication: http://www.cabal.se/westside/news/index.htm
Most importantly, the new single from Heikki (feat. Jari Haapalainen from The Bear Quartet and Maria Eriksson from The Concretes) is called "Former Hero" and will be out March 31. The new album "Heikki 2" comes out soon, too.
Smalltown Supersound act The Thing is coming to the US for a few select dates with Joe McPhee. Details:
04/02 - ACME festival, Athens, GA w/Atomic School Days
04/09 - Atmananda Memorial School Auditorium, Austin, TX
04/10 - Barnevelder Arts, Houston, TX
04/11 - Honey Factory Art Space, Salazar Studio, San Antonio, TX
Their new album "Garage" is set for a fall release and will contain "wild and beautiful cover versions" of songs by The Sonics, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and White Stripes.
Tracklist for Kristofer Åstrõm's new all-acoustic album "Loupita":
01. Loupita #3
02. Devil
03. Idiot talk
04. The wild
05. I am not the case
06. Loupita #2
07. Spinning
08. Well go on
09. I collect knives
10. Walpurgis night
11. Better with the night
12. Loupita #1
13. Just another lovesong
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Britta Persson guests on two songs and track #9 was written by the talented Mattias Friberg of Logh. Can't wait to hear it.