It's a Trap! Scandinavian music journal

New Regulations tracks now streaming

Deranged Records are streaming a whole slew of new tracks from the upcoming Regulations LP "To be me": http://www.myspace.com/derangedrecords

Combat Rock to do Poko Records reissues

Combat Rock Industry are following up their popular 2009 reissue series of many classic Finnish punk titles from the Johanna catalogue with a new batch of 7"s previously released via Poko Records. First up is Eppu Normaali - "Poliisi Pamputtaa Taas" and Kollaa Kestaa - ""Musti, sotakoira", both due out February 24.

Skrammel announces Ignatius/The Nature split

Skrammel Records, the new label founded by Makabert Fynd vocalist Mattis Ruwe, has announced that they will be releasing a split 7" featuring Ignatius and The Nature. Follow their top friends links at myspace for samples.

18th Dye give up again

Gaffa reports that 18th Dye have once again decided to put the band to rest: http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/36670

This week's Last.fm chart

Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:

01. Håkan Hellström
02. El Perro del Mar
03. The Bear Quartet
04. jj
05. Jens Lekman
06. Beach House
07. Hot Chip
08. Kent
09. Midlake
10. Yeasayer

Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

Karin Ström - Hackney Downs (video)

The video for the new Karin Ström single "Hackney downs" is now on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw3LgnM6AfM

New Found Land
We all die
Fixe Records

It's not the modest aesthetic of "We all die" that bothers me -- in fact, at times it's starkly beautiful -- it's more the anonymous approach that New Found Land employs to achieve it. First, Anna Roxenholt's vocals -- the obvious centerpiece of the album -- are hampered by an Aryan lilt that too closely matches her female superiors. Normally, that would be a compliment, but despite her best imitations, her wintry tones cannot carry the hackneyed minimalia of Karl Krook's guitar. Absent here are the petulant flourishes that buttress Lykke Li's sparser arrangements, or the intimate effervescence of Hello Saferide's empty-room canvas. Second, though "We all die" is focused in its attempt to create a certain atmosphere, I remain unconvinced by their tired glockenspiel-and-acoustics palette, a palette that's beginning to plague the whole of Nordic lo-fi. In fact, "We all die"'s the best moments are the subtle departures from these lo-fi doldrums, like the rollicking "Come to me" and the upbeat end of "All the nights". Ultimately, I could decry the unremarkable filler of Krook's backup vocals, or irrationally complain that a young songstress with the sultry voice of winter has yet to approximate the hallowed of Sweden's indie scene. But after repeated listens, I've found a certain solace in "We all die", an unmistakable beauty that seems to well up from its very core, spilling out onto the austere repetition of "I would, I would, I would" on "In colour", and tempering the melismatic "My love, my love" on "Come to me". Despite the shortcomings, it's these fleeting moments of sublime beauty that assure me: New Found Land has the perfection of their bedroom aesthetic in their sights. I'll ignore the impurities and wait for the follow-up.
- Nathan Keegan

Two new tracks from The Eight Arms Around You

The Eight Arms Around You are streaming two new pre-production demos at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theeightarmsaroundyou

Pitchfork review Lindstrøm, jj

Pitchfork reviews the Lindstrøm & Christabelle collaboration "Real life is no cool": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13848-real-life-is-no-cool/
Also at Pitchfork, a surprisingly downbeat track review for jj: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11720-let-go/

Waster - Blue demon

Swedish black-thrashers Wasted have a new track streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wasterswe

SR P3 Guld winners

The winners of this year's P3 Guld Awards:

Pop: Deportees
Artist: Lars Winnerbäck
Hip-hop/soul: Stor
Group: Kent
Song: Mando Diao - Dance with somebody
Dance: Fever Ray
Newcomer: Erik Hassle
Rock/metal: Switch Opens
Guldmicken (best live): Lars Winnerbäck

Jaga Jazzist album preview

You can now stream all of Jaga Jazzist's new record "One-armed bandit" at this e-card: http://www.universalmusic.no/ecards/jagajazzist-pk/

Kristofer Åström + Lowood - Hard to live (video)

Check out a video of Kristofer Åström and Lowood performing Kris' song "Hard to live" together backstage in Frankfurt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmP7wNEcx00

Casiokids to support Hot Chip in UK

Casiokids will be touring the UK with Hot Chip in February:

02/12 - Academy, Glasgow
02/13 - Picture House, Edinburgh
02/15 - Rock City, Nottingham
02/16 - Academy, Leeds
02/19 - Academy, Manchester
02/20 - O2 Academy, Birmingham
02/21 - Joiners, Southampton*
02/22 - O2 Academy, Bournemouth
02/23 - O2 Academy, Bristol
02/24 - O2 Academy, Norwich
02/25 - Barfly Camden, London*
02/26 - O2 Brixton Academy, London

*Casiokids only

Love Is All American tour set for March

Love Is All will be coming to the US for a tour in late March:

03/27 - Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
03/28 - Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
03/29 - Rock N Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
03/30 - Barbary, Philadelphia, PA
03/31 - Middle East Downstairs, Boston, MA
04/02 - Il Motore, Montreal, Quebec
04/03 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario
04/04 - Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
04/06 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
04/07 - High Dive, Champaign, IL
04/09 - Turf Club, St. Paul, MN
04/14 - tba, Seattle, WA
04/15 - WOW Hall, Eugene, OR
04/16 - Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
04/17 - Casbah, San Diego, CA
04/18 - Echo (Part Time Punks), Los Angeles, CA