Watch Susanne Sundfør perform two songs for the Norwegian TV program Lydverket: http://www.nrk.no/lydverket/livelater-med-susanne-sundfor/
I just got her new album the other day and it is way dense. This one will take awhile to absorb.
has announced that The Amazing's sophomore album "Wait for a light to come" will be released on April 14 and will be available on both CD and vinyl, the latter in a limited run of 1000 copies.
EskatolIt's a safe bet that if you were to check a thesaurus entry for the word "furious" one of the synonyms you'd find would be Eskatol. This Oslo six-piece is one of the few bands out there who have successfully managed to marry all-out hardcore aggression with metal technicality and melody to create an astounding body of work that sounds as if the two subgenres were made for each other. It's not often that this works but, by hell, it does this time! Best examples are evident on the likes of "Feierferd", "Med knyttet hånd", and "Hellig system" with their pure metal melodies and leads, touching on a math metal complexity in places and, above all, encrusted in an extreme hardcore angst that furnishes the album with integrity and passion. It's clear that Eskatol are a genuine band far from the confines of pandering to an audience or contriving a unique sound. Yes, their sound is unique, but the fact that it plays out so naturally shows just how authentic these guys are. There's an unbridled intensity on display here and, with only three of the fourteen songs clocking in at the 3:00+ mark, it's clear that there's a heck of a lot going on within each tune. It must be said that, as with most hardcore-based albums, "Blodørn" does have a few moments where there's repetition in the air. Thankfully, these moments are very few and far between on this. Crust, hardcore, death metal, melodic metal: Eskatol have all corners of the extreme covered. And for those of you who like your music extreme, Eskatol have you covered!
- John Norby
Check out Swedish artist Jonathan Johansson covering Kate Bush's classic "Running up that hill": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iKDI8TZwjQ
I don't expect any surprises from Sophie Zelmani anymore; she's settled into a comfortable groove at this point in her career, regularly releasing solid, yet unassuming albums. Her hushed delivery and minimalist, spacious arrangements suit her well though, so expect no complaints from me. Likewise, her delicacy is a pleasant contrast to the usual bombast I subject myself to. Unfortunately, however, there's no way for me to hear her again like I heard her the first time, so I'm less inclined to rant and rave, but I do look forward to each new release and as for her latest "I'm the rain", let me say this: long-time fans will be pleased, new listeners should be intrigued, the unconvinced will likely remain so. That's as good as I had hoped. More of the same is fine by me.
Sophie Zelmani - Ready
Here's Lykke Li's new video for the song "Possibility", her contribution to the "Twilight" soundtrack: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid340480126?bctid=72096109001
Swedish label is digitally reissuing two full-length albums from early 90s Swedish act Two Sheds; both "Out of our sheds" and "Not good" will be made available on March 22. Sasmples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/twoshedssweden
Moloken's excellent album "Out astral circle" will receive a much-needed vinyl release in May via the band's own in cooperation with . 300 copies, 100 color + 200 black. If you've seen the stellar job they did with the CD layout, I bet this will look killer.
"Unearthing", Swedish death metal act Mr. Death's very first recording, is now released on 7" vinyl via . 500 copies, 2 exclusive cuts plus 2 album tracks.
Watch Timo Råisänen perform the song "B.L.E.E.D.I.N.G." acoustically while lounging in bed: http://www.press2play.tv/rekommenderat/17/exklusivt-timo-raisanen-akustiskt-i-sangen
Håkan Lidbo and his associated at Swedish Radio electronic music program P2 Ström have created a new music-making iPhone app called "P2Strom" that lets friends jam together, choosing different instruments and so on. See/hear it in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpwG4Zy6lf8
Even better, when you complete your track you can upload it to the Ström Soundcloud channel and if they like it, they will play it on the program.
In other Ström-related news, the latest theme of the current season is "Music from the Future" so they'll be playing a new track every week featuring one artist's interpretation of the subject which will then be compiled for a CD release at the season's conclusion.
Boomkat's "14tracks" website, their custom digital-comp specialist site, has posted a new collection of Skweee: http://14tracks.com/selections/105-14_tracks_skweee
Khoma's new single "In it for fighting" is now available on Spotify -- go here for the link and to read more: http://www.khoma.se/?p=694
Perhaps someday us Americans will have access to Spotify, but until then...
Jenny Wilson is playing a few shows in France later this month:
03/25 - Les Femmes S'en Mêlent/ La Laiterie, Strasbourg
03/26 - La Ciel, Grenoble
03/27 - Les Femmes S'en Mêlent/La Maroquinere, Paris
Mikael Kærsgaard of Danish act Munich has started a new solo project called Kites and Komets. Hear some demo tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kitesandkomets
