The Backyard Babies have announced a bunch of upcoming Scandinavian tourdates. All shows are in Sweden unless specified otherwise:
01/16 - 100 Club, London (UK)
02/05 - Münchenbryggeriet, Stockholm
02/06 - Arena, Karlstad
02/07 - Diezel, Halmstad
02/08 - Ronsalen, Ronneby
02/10 - Idunteatern, Umeå
02/11 - Bygget, Åre
02/12 - HC, Sälen
02/13 - Trägår’n, Göteborg
02/14 - Popstad, Huskvarna
02/15 - Culturen, Västerås
02/19 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN)
02/20 - Pakkahuone, Tempere (FIN)
02/21 - Nostori, Helsinki (FIN)
02/23 - Tivoli, Helsingborg
02/24 - KB, Malmö
02/26 - Roccad, Vänersborg
02/27 - Palace, Kalmar
02/28 - Metropol, Hultsfred
03/04 - John Dee, Oslo (NOR)
03/05 - Hulen, Bergen (NOR)
03/06 - tba, Stavanger (NOR)
03/12 - Blå, Eskilstuna
Updated US tourdates for The Gathering:
02/12 - Agora, Cleveland, OH
02/13 - Club Rockit, Toronto, CAN
02/14 - L'Amour, Brooklyn, NY
02/15 - The Middle East, Cambridge, MA
02/16 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Reunited hard-rockers Europe recently posted the following message on their website regarding their current plans:
Hello everyone! We are currently writing new songs and it's beginning to sound really good, and we have found a producer we like. The new record will be recorded in the beginning of next year. Can't wait for you to hear it! We are just about to start booking our concerts, and looking very much forward to seeing you on tour next summer.
In the New Year we will give you more info. Have a great holiday!
Candlelight Records has secured US licensing rights for all releases from Dutch label Karmageddon Media. Beginning in 2004 the label will release new albums from Morifade, Hearse, Within Y, Dismember and more, as well as special enhanced reissues of albums from Aeturnus, Nocturnus and the Dimmu Borgir/Old Man Child split. For those that don't know, Candlelight is the label home of black-metal legends Emperor and has recently put out records by bands such as Zyklon (feat. ex-Emperor guitarist Samoth), Grimfist (feat. ex-Immortal drummer Horgh) and many more.
Opeth will reportedly be touring the US yet again starting next month with Portugal's Moonspell as support. There's been no official announcement of tourdates yet, but Ticketmaster is already listing January 28 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. Look for details to come out later this week.
Arch Enemy has been forced to cancel the follow two UK shows due to vocalist Angela Gossow contracting the flu:
12/17 – Cockpit, Leeds
12/18 – Carling Academy, Birmingham
Look for rescheduled dates to be announced shortly. Previously purchased tickets will remain valid for the new dates.
New Skelleftea-based hardcore act and one-man band Slave II just put their first mp3 online and you can download it here: "Everything and Everyone". For more info, go to the label's website: http://www.ladysnow.doesntexist.com/
Seems like the recent Shout Out Louds shows in NYC went quite well. Bud Fox labelhead Filip Wilén said the feedback was great, so great in fact that they'll be back again in February. And just to prove it's not just his biased opinion, here's a report (w/pics) on the Sin-é show from an impartial judge.
Speaking of the Shout Out Louds, they are one of the first bands confirmed for Emmaboda fest along with Scraps of Tape and Happy go Lucky. The event takes place August 12-14 and more info can be found here: http://www.rassle.org/
Since everyone else is doing it, I'm gonna do it too. The It's a trap! Best-of-2003 list is coming this weekend.
It's not too dissimilar from the Dagbladet list (see 12/09), but here's the top 21 records of the year from Norway's Aftenposten:
01. Equicez - "State Of Emergency"
02. Magnet - "On Your Side"
03. Thomas Dybdahl - "Stray Dogs"
04. King Midas - "Romeo Turn"
05. Vidar Busk - "Love Buzz"
06. Turbonegro - "Scandinavian Leather"
07. Ephemera - "Air"
08. Rebekka Bakken - "The Art Of How To Fall"
09. Tord Gustavsen Trio - "Changing Places"
10. Supersilent - "6"
11. Enslaved - "Below The Lights"
12. El Corazón - "El Corazón"
13. Karen Jo Fields - "Chase The Blue"
14. St. Thomas - "Hey Harmony"
15. Dimmu Borgir - "Death Cult Armageddon"
16. Bertine Zetlitz - "Sweet Injections"
17. Kaospilot - "Kaospilot"
18. Cloroform - "Hey You Let's Kiss"
19. Kaizers Orchestra - "Evig Pint"
20. Jaa9 & OnklP - "Bondegrammatikk - The Mixtape"
21. Ricochets - "The Ghost Of Our Love"
This Beautiful Mess will be heading over to the UK for some dates in February. Here's all their upcoming sceduled dates:
01/10 - Noorderslag, Groningen (NL)
01/10 - Plato, Groningen (in-store) (NL)
02/07 - The Jockey, Wakefield (UK)
02/08 - The Magnet, Liverpool (UK)
02/09 - Corporation, Sheffield (UK)
02/10 - The Boat Race, Cambridge (UK)
02/11 - The Yorkshire House, Lancaster (UK)
02/12 - The Underworld, London (UK)
02/13 - Ferryboat, Norwich (UK)
02/14 - The Compass, Margate-Ramsgate (UK)
02/15 - Satans Hollow, Manchester (UK)
02/23 - Hedon, Zwolle (NL)
NRK has put the video "Saturday Night" from Surferosa into rotation. The track comes from the soundtrack of the upcoming film "Bare Bea". Surferosa actually wrote all the music for the film and it opens in Norway in January.
Norweigan noise merchants Jazzkammer are finally back online with a brand new website. Lots of goodies to be had there, so be sure to check it out. The group is also featured in the latest issue of Bananafish magazine with a 5000+ word interview as well as the exclusive track "Take me off yr mailing list" on the CD comp that comes along with it.
Check out a live video of Elin Sigvardsson playing "Paper Cup Words" as well as a full mp3 of her song "Love Me Without Heart".