It's a Trap! Scandinavian music journal

Okkultokrati - On mouths of hell (video)

Direct link: http://vimeo.com/12527967

99 Minutes #3

The latest episode of Listen to Norway's podcast series "99 minutes" is up now: http://www.listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2010061414132951596246
Featured artists include Hanne Hukkelberg, Håkon Kornstad, Ost & Kjex, Katzenjammer, Arve Henriksen, Motorpsycho and Karin Krog.

Yesboyicecream confirms new album from Soda Fountain Rag, preview available

Yesboyicecream will be releasing the new album "Reel around me" from Norwegian indiepop act Soda Fountain Rag on July 5 in cooperation with Italian collective We Were Never Being Boring. It will be available either as a digital download or as 10" vinyl and the whole thing can be streamed here in advance: http://www.rollingstonemagazine.it/musica/soda-fountain-rag-bergen-mon-amour

The Don Darlings - Drenched in wine

Swedish dark/alt-country act The Don Darlings have a new song up at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thedondarlings

PopMatters reviews Robyn

PopMatters review Robyn's new album "Body talk pt. 1": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/126549-robyn-body-talk-pt.-1

The Sonnets - No Hollywood ending (video)

Swedish yacht-rock act The Sonnets have a new video for the song "No Hollywood ending": http://www.vimeo.com/12534267
The official release date for the single is June 29 via Despotz Records.

New Alarma Man album in August, new video posted

Alarma Man will be releasing the new album "Love forever" on August 13 via Sinnbus Records. Check out their new video for the song "Cabin in the woods" right here: http://www.vimeo.com/12548416

Youngfuck - Rehearsal footage x2

It's not much to look at, but this self-shot rehearsal footage of Youngfuck has them jamming out two solid summery shoegaze tracks. First cut is "With or without you" gone to the beach while the latter is more goth/disco. Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldSUIt-es7s

AC4 get US release, planning tour

AC4's self-titled album will get a US/North American release via Deranged Records on June 30. I'm not sure what the full pressing numbers are, but apparently they'll be doing 100 on green, the rest on black. The band will also be touring the UK in mid-October with European dates to follow in November, but nothing appears to be confirmed/posted yet.

New Kent album coming, single out now

Kent's new album "En plats i solen" will be released on June 30. The double a-side single "Gamla Ullevi" b/w "Skisser för sommaren" is out today and can be previewed at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kentsweden

Sirius playlist week #24

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Randy - Who's side are you on?
02. TALK 1
03. Randy - Freedom song
04. Far From Tellus - Rosemary
05. Chicagojazzen - 18 år i en ruttnande kropp
06. TALK 2
07. Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
08. Noisebud - Truck driver
09. Montys Loco - Heavy
10. TALK 3
11. Maim - Maimed
12. Turboweekend - Sweet Jezebel (Efterklang remix)
13. Pearl Fiction - The ruby fever
14. Meleeh - Hells mouth
15. TALK 4
16. Oranssi Pazuzu - Korppi
17. Brutus - Swedish lady
18. Entombed - Something out of nothing
19. Katzenjammer - To the sea
20. TALK 5
21. Robyn - Dancehall queen

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Chicago Now interviews Junip

Chicago Now interviews José González about Junip and their just-started US tour: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/via-chicago/2010/06/interview-with-jose-gonzalez-of-junip.html

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Hellbillies - Leite etter lykka
02. Steff Nevers - Ain't no bad life
03. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
04. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
05. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
06. Gitarkameratene - Kanon! Gitarkameratenes aller beste
07. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
08. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
09. Bobbysocks - Let It Swing - The Best of Bobbysocks
10. Venke Knutson - Smiles - The Very Best Of
11. Ingenting - Ingenting live
12. Thomas Dybdahl - Waiting for that one clear moment
13. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
14. Purified In Blood - Under Black Skies
15. Tove Bøygard - Tove Bøygard
16. Aleksander With - Still Awake
17. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
18. Keep Of Kalessin - Reptilian
19. Steinar Engelbrektson Band - Aller Beste
20. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lasse Stefanz - Texas
02. Erik Grönwall - Somewhere between a rock and a hard place
03. Eric Saade - Masquerade
04. Kalle Mmoraeus - Underbart
05. Sabaton - Coat of arms
06. Imperial State Electric - Imperial State Electric
07. Salem al Fakir - Ignore this
08. Timoteij - Längtan
09. Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig
10. Anna Bergendahl - Yours sincerely
11. The Playtones - Rock'n roll dance party
12. Titanix - Drömmar får liv
13. Johnossi - Mavericks
14. Scotts - Vi gör det igen
15. The Ark - In full regalia
16. Watain - Lawless darkness
17. Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen
18. Mikael Wiehe - Ta det tillbaka!
19. Cookies n Beans - Beg, borrow and steal
20. Amanda Jenssen - Happyland - International version

Zombiekrig
Undantagstillstånd
GMR Music

Well, well. What a nasty little nugget of thrash metal we have here. Zombiekrig purvey a sound that's ever so slightly on the wrong side of clean, resulting in an album that's just sonically abrasive enough to stand up to the likes of genre luminaries Destruction and Kreator. While "Undantagstillstånd" is an insanely good debut album, it'll surely come into its own when played in front of an audience. Indeed, you can bet your brains that this stuff will slay in a live environment, with the zombie horde clambering at the stage as the Swedish quartet feed them their dose of head-mashing blackened thrash. This album is like Romero gone mental in the music world and, like most of his movies, it doesn't let up for a second. There are some amazing mid-paced sections and, while the majority of the album is simple enough, every element slots together perfectly to prove that ultra-tech really isn't the final word in extreme music. No riff collections on here, just plain, pure, down and dirty thrash played with the sole intention of accomplishing total head removal. Vocalist Axel Widen is the real attraction on here though. His spine-chilling screams and shrieks adhere to a typical thrash standard but offer so much more: they're both disturbing and awe-inspiring in equal measures and they elevate "Undantagstillstånd" to a pedestal that would have been less attainable given a lesser throat-destroyer. This is almost an essential album and a bit more originality and attention to detail on further releases should find the band achieve their full potential. Besides, with a name like Zombiekrig, how can they really go wrong!?
- John Norby