Vastly overrated Danish act The Floor is Made of Lava has signed with for their new album "Howl at the moon", now set for release on March 22. The first single "All outta love" gets a digital release on February 1.
Here's an e-card for the new Jaga Jazzist record "One-armed bandit" featuring a free download of the track "Toccata" and a few upcoming tourdates: http://www.ninjatune.net/jagajazzist/toccata
Said album comes out in Europe on January 25, the US on February 23.
RebekkaMaria (nee As nn RebekkaMaria) has confirmed that her new solo album "Sister sortie", her second overall but first under the new nomenclature, will be released on March 1. The first single "Oh solitude" is streaming at mysapce, along with a remix version: http://www.myspace.com/asinrebekkamaria
Pitchfork has a track review of "Colouring of pigeons", the first sample of The Knife's forthcoming opera "Tomorrow, in a year": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11706-colouring-of-pigeons-ft-mt-sims-and-planningtorock/
Norwegian metal act Zyklon are officially calling it quits which really shouldn't be a big surprise since they haven't been active for awhile now. However, the band is not bowing out quietly and will be releasing a boxset called "The storm manifesto" featuring all three of their studio albums, bonus material and a full live set from their final show in Tokyo on September 28, 2007. No release date yet, just "later this year."
Tobias BernstrupCheesy enough to make into fondue, there's nary an original moment on Tobias Bernstrup's newest EP, "1984". However Bernstrup is too busy getting listeners off their butts to worry about a silly thing like originality -- and darn it if he won't have a sweaty dance floor as his reward. Cleverly marrying a grab bag of the spandex-generation's influences (Depeche Mode, Joy Division, anyone who's ever played with the sample function on a synthesizer), to the lighter hand of modern electro-goth, and just a splash of self-awareness (I hope), "1984" comes off as a deliciously melodramatic trifle. Heck, the titular track does warn, "We're in 1984." Don't lie -- you've still got your "Members Only" jacket. Right?
The key word here is melodramatic. From Bernstrup's Bela Lugosi vocals layered over relentlessly driving synths (every good synth is in want of an "ohhh-ohhh oh oh" refrain) to titles such as "Light years apart" and "Enemies of the Earth" there's little here to suggest that less is more. Again, it's nothing we haven't heard, but like "B" horror flicks, this represents a brilliant rehash of classically campy 1980s sound. The only offender is "Data love", its spoken chorus coming close to collapse under self-parody. However, positioned as a closing track, it's too late for ardent complaints -- Bernstrup has already sucked you into his neon-clad world. Grab me a Fresca, let's hit the floor.
- Laura Studarus
Aerial is heading to Germany in February:
02/19 - Silber, Hamburg (GER)
02/20 - Hafen 2 Festival, Offenbach (GER)
02/21 - tba
02/23 - Rhiz, Vienna (AUS)
02/24 - AZ Conni, Dresden (GER)
02/25 - Nbi, Berlin (GER)
02/26 - Ut Connewitz, Leipzig (GER)
02/27 - AJZ, Ribnitz (GER)
Go here to download the new Embee single "A day at a time" (feat. Daniel Lemma): http://www.looptrooprockers.com/the-mellow-turning-moment/
The new album "The mellow turning moment" is now set for release on February 24 via /.
Maia Hirasawa will release the 4-song Swedish-language EP "Dröm bort mig igen" on January 26. Track list: http://razziarecords.se/releases_details.asp?id=840&artist=Maia
Via Eardrums comes this nice live clip of the Norwegian acts Moddi and Kråkesølv performing the Moddi track "Magpie eggs" together: http://vimeo.com/8681914
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Håkan Hellström
02. Markus Krunegård
03. Yeasayer
04. Girls
05. Kent
06. Frida Hyvönen
07. Shout Out Louds
08. Hello Saferide
09. The Mary Onettes
10. Sambassadeur
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/
Shout Out Louds frontman Adam Olenius talks to Spinner about his band's new album "Work": http://www.spinner.ca/2010/01/08/shout-out-louds-work-with-less-drama/
Swedish rockers The Saigon Sickness are streaming a couple new tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/saigonsickness
The band's debut album "Invocation of my demon brothers" will be released on January 23 via .
is releasing four new debut albums in coming months:
02/22 - Kollwitz - Like iron I rust
03/23 - Okkultokrati - No light for mass
04/12 - Blood Command - tba
04/19 - Nils Bech - tba
Hit up the label website to sample a track from each: http://www.fysiskformat.no/
The Silent Ballet reviews Aerial's latest record "Put it this way in headlines": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/3012/Default.aspx
