Toby Vail wrote a great essay on what it means to be an aging punk in the new issue of "Nuts!", our local zine, a subject never too far from my mind as the age of my show-going peers gets progressively further away from my own. "I am happy to be alive here in Olympia which is still a thriving punk scene largely unconcerned with trends, careerism and marketability. I just hope the next generation of punks take it seriously. Because what we do can make a difference. We have the power to change things and our actions are connected to history and impact the future. Hopefully you won't all move to Portland or Brooklyn or whatever when your own punk rock mid like crisis at 20 or 25 or 30 or 35... because this is a cool town and it'd be rad if some of you stick around." Those words resonate with me; I was jaded in my early 20s, but I turned it around and turned my back on the city, on the pose, on false aspirations and all the other things that don't matter. It's a bit part of why I live where I do today. And that's why when I come across bands that share those same ideals, it gets my attention. This is the dark side of the same coin: "Drugged SS takes no part of the already established positive hardcore scene in the big cities... Drugged SS are from Setesdal and are going to stay in Setesdal." I can relate to that. I can also relate to the raw, ugly sounds they're making because while in many ways I am getting mellower as I get older, I am not getting complacent. Dark times, dark music.
Drugged SS are a new signing to , the label run by the folks behind Okkultokrati and Haust. They are also the first band they've signed from outside their extended band family. A 6-song demo tape is in the works and will be out soon.
Swedish indiepop/electro act Don Agbai are streaming a new track at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/donagbai
The group is also looking for a new label now that is no longer around, so interested parties should get in touch.
Swedish hardcore act Meleeh have a new video for the track "Trauma": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj1Of24HeJk
The band's new album "To live and die alone" comes out on February 24 via .
A lot has happened to Tysta Mari since their previous release. "Sverige casino" features a more confident and creative band now that they've once and for all stepped out of the shadow of old Swedish ghost Ebba Grön and are walking confidently down their own path. They experiment more on this album and go back and forth over the borders, but somehow they are still able to stay within the frame of mainstream punk and they do so with ease. In the end, isn't that what Swedish punk is all about anyway? To embed insults and obscenities into catchy tunes that won't leave its victim alone for weeks? Their last effort "Tjugo minuter över tre" had almost everything I wanted in a record: the politics, the right amount of shouting and the mainstreamed punk mindset. With "Sverige casino"Tysta Mari takes another step towards perfection. Almost there now. - Morten Frisch
has announced a new single from Swedish psych act Life on Earth! under their "provincial" alias Liv pa Jorden! for the track "Blomkraftens frukt". 499 copies out on February 13. Read more: http://www.subliminalsounds.se/
01. Bjørn Eidsvåg - De Beste
02. Frøya - My American Dream
03. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
04. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
05. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
06. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
07. Sivert Høyem - Moon Landing
08. Stage Dolls - Always
09. Dina Misund - Listen
10. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
11. Shining - Blackjazz
12. Claudia Scott/Casino Steel/Ottar Big Hand Johansen - Honky Tonk Night - The Best
13. N'Jie Haddy - World of the free
14. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ild & Vatten
15. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
16. d'sound - Starts and Ends
17. Torbjørn Egner - Samlede CD-er
18. Jahn Teigen - Teigen - 40 Største Hits
19. Jonas Fjeld feat Henning Kvitnes - Den Gamle Veien
20. Ihsahn - After
The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be releasing a new 4-song EP in March entitled "The Immaculate Convergence" featuring the single version of "Passover" from recent album "Communion" plus three brand new tracks: "Take me back", "Snuff parade" and "From this moment". will handle the American release while will take care of things back home.
01. Torgny Melin - Dansbandsnatt
02. Zekes - En sån natt
03. Erik Grönwall - Erik Grönwall
04. Amanda Jenssen - Happyland
05. Calle Kristiansson - Calle Kristiansson
06. Nordman - Korsväg
07. Freda' - Ett mysterium
08. Kent - Röd
09. Dan Berglund - Tonbruket
10. Willy Clay Band - Blue
11. Thåström - Be-bop-a-lula hela jävla dan (1989-2009)
12. Gentlemen - Awaken me
13. Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen
14. Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig
15. Malena Ernman - La voix du nord
16. Date - Här och nu!
17. Nils Landgren Funk Unit - Funk for life
18. First Aid Kit - The big black & the blue
19. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Samling
20. Joel Alme - Waiting for the bells
Danish folk-metal act Svartsot have confirmed that they will release their new album "Mulmets viser" on March 29 via . Hear a medley of tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/svartsot
Listening to Norway, part 2. I'm still concentrating mostly on traditional folk records because that's more where my mood's at, but I am pulling a few other selections from the stacks, especially the ones that fall under the category "heard of, but never heard." Trinacria is a band I've always wanted to check out and I even remember hearing about them when they first got going, but somewhere along the line I dropped the ball and never investigated further. Not sure why though 'cuz their album "Travel now journey infinitely" is killer. For the uninitiated, here is a summation of the band as lifted straight from their bio: "Trinacria was originally a composition by Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved), Maja S. K. Ratkje and Hils Sofie Tafjord (both from Fe-mail), commissioned by Rikskonsertene for a concert series. The line-up was completed by Grutle Kjellson, Ice Dale (both from Enslaved), Iver Sandøy (Emmerhoff) and Espen Lien. In short: after working together briefly, the composition turned into a vital project which, after touring, became a fully welded band." So yeah, in short: Enslaved + Fe-mail = awesome. Hardly a surprise, though sometimes the marriage of metal and noise is not so hot. Neurosis and Man is the Bastard were the first bands I ever saw who did it and did it well, many others followed. Cult of Luna is one, Pig Destroyer is another, and of course Bastard Noise continues to bring the brutality as only they can provide (check out the new Endless Blockade split if you haven't already!). Naturally, Trinacria lean more towards the epic, blackened end of the metal spectrum as would befit their pedigree, but song-wise, the structure is more postrock-like as they build the pieces into huge crescendos over repetitive riffs and escalating chaos. Any of the six tracks contain therein would probably make for a suitable intro to the band, but I think the title-track closer is best as it's the most epic of all this epicness. Definitely an overlooked gem.
Tysta Mari