Embee - Desire to be free (feat. Nina Ramsby) (video)
Check out the video for the new Embee single "Desire to be free" (feat. Nina Ramsby): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzItZF6D4ik&fmt=18
Valhall's 3rd album now released, 9 years later
It appears that Norwegian doom act Valhall (feat. Fenriz of Darkthrone) finally managed to put out their never-released 3rd album "Red planet" via Housecore Records, the label run by Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down, etc.). See here: http://www.thehousecorerecords.com/
Teddybears Sthlm - Get mama a house
Teddybears Sthlm are back with a new single called "Get mama a house", their first in many years. The track was actually originally written by member Klas Åhlund as a jingle for Fastighetsbyrån's (Real Estate Agency) ad "Sold" and they are partnering with Sony to offer the track as a free download: http://getmamaahouse.fastighetsbyran.se/
Pitchfork reviews the new Radio Dept. single
Pitchfork isn't so hot on The Radio Dept.'s new single "David": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11330-david/
Fanfarlo
Reservoir
self-released
I'm more than a little late to the Fanfarlo party. Only last week did I first hear about them from the Sigur Rós mailing list, months after the release of "Reservoir" and the subsequent chorus of praise from the likes of Rough Trade, NME, and Brooklyn Vegan -- praise that is well deserved. Centered around Swedish musician Simon Balthazar, the London-based songsmiths temper their Arcade Fire-like sound with Scandinavian influences, at times bringing to mind Pelle Carlberg, Loney Dear, and Burning Hearts, though their inclination towards the atmospheric and epic flesh out these influences in pleasantly unexpected ways. The only issue I run into with Fanfarlo is that they are far better on tracks like "Comets", a track that wouldn't have felt amiss on Carlberg's "In a nutshell", than on the overtly Arcade Fire-esque "Drowning men". This is not to say that "Drowning men" is a bad song, it's not (in fact it's quite good), it just taps so strongly into the "Neighborhood #1 (tunnels)" vein, without filtering the idea through Fanfarlo's obvious talents, that it feels somewhat out of place on "Reservoir". That said, "Resevoir" is a fantastic album (especially as you can download it for $1 until July 4), pushing its frenetic pop structures to their limits, driving them down adventitious avenues and back alleyways, and constantly unveiling new layers upon repeated listening.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
The Psyke Project - Stockholm bloodbath
Neglected to mention it yesterday, but The Psyke Project have a new song streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thepsykeproject
The music kinda sounds like they're holding back, but the vocals are as fierce as always.
Swingfly - Promise you
Swingfly's new single "Promise you" is streaming at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPUaGixE7u4
New music from The First Miles now streaming
Danish roots-rockers The First Miles, as heard on "Reader's companion volume 2", have a couple new tracks up for streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thefirstmiles
Mange Schmidt - Vet att du förstår" (video)
Check out Mange Schmidt's new video for the song "Vet att du förstår": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-P7V6YDMKM&fmt=18
The Psyke Project confirm new album
Danish metalcore act The Psyke Project will release their new album "The dead storm" on August 24.
Pelle Carlberg starts a band with his kids
Check out Pelle Carlberg playing childrens music with his kids på Svenska: http://www.myspace.com/tvillingarnatrulsjag
Rigas - Simple
Flora & Fauna is giving away another Rigas track ("Simple") as a free download: http://rigas.blackside.org/EP/02_Rigas_Simple.mp3
Expect a proper new single in August with an album to follow plus a new skweee album as Rigas den Andre, due out September 11 via Flogsta Danshall.
Kulturradet Bidragsbeslut (Swedish cultural grants)
If you're curious about what Swedish artists are receiving state funding this year, the latest recipients are now listed: http://www.kulturradet.se/sv/Bidrag/Beviljade-bidrag/2009/
Nice to see that Moonbabies are coming to NYC in October! And new music from Junip on the way?
Lystring to release new LP from Tom Karlsson
Lystring, the label/publisher that released the most recent Brainbombs album "Fucking mess", will be putting out a new LP from Tom Karlsson entitled "Pojknacke". Tom has previously collaborated with the groups Arbetaren, Galago and Det Grymma Svärdet, among others and this new work is said to be "more or less musical backgrounds to the texts that are quite serious in the foundation, but made with various silly voices. The roots are somewhere in the industrial music cassette subculture of the 80s." (according to Google Translate, kinda)
Petter Carlsen + Northern Delights
It's probably not available to international customers, but Norwegian artist Petter Carlsen is pairing copies of his new CD with fancy chocolate confections and hand-sewn packaging: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=90225795&blogId=496294846
Can't download chocolate!