Listen at Knife and Ape twists away from their usual skronky art-punk to deftly apply the melodic sensibilities of The Residents/Snakefinger. Does it make you queasy? It does for me, especially when the sad-clown guitar licks come in. And the half-drowned, sea-sick vocals? All part of the aesthetic and yes, 100% intentional. Art is not all rainbows and unicorns, y'know. Beauty comes in many forms.
Knife and Ape - Sexual tension
PopMatters reviews A Camp's "Colonia": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71182-a-camp-colonia/
Dusted reviews Arve Henriksen's ECM release "Cartography": http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4967
Relapse Records has signed part-Swedish doom act Culted and will be releasing their debut album "Below the thunders of the upper deep" in July. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/culted
Missed this tidbit from last week: the ever-so-charming ladies of Norwegian folk/pop act Katzenjammer have been invited to play the David Byrne-curated stage at Bonnaroo: http://www.bonnaroo.com/
Norwegian avant-metal act Solefald has signed with Indie Recordings. Expect their seventh album to be released later this year.
Swedish mellow psychrock act The Amazing (feat. members from Dungen, Granada, The Guild, more) will release their self-titled debut album on April 29 via Fashionpolice Records. Hear a few tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theamazingswedes
Swedish electronic artist Sophie Rimheden is apparently working on a collaboration with American soul singer Anthony Mills, a connection made via Adam Tensta's producers. Read more: http://www.nsk.se/article/20090428/NOJE/296269027 (in Swedish)
Swedish indiepop act Pets have a new song called "Don't you say your heart's broken (we know it's not)" up for streaming: http://fairtilizer.com/track/32924
Look for the band to release a new EP soon via April 77 Records.
Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee will be playing the Cobden Club in London on May 7. Apparently it's a members-only venue, so message Jonna via myspace to get invite details: http://www.myspace.com/jonnaleemusic
Check out Engangsgrill, a split project featuring Fenriz from Darkthrone and Nattefrost from Carpathian Forest playing their version of stoner-rock: http://www.myspace.com/engangsgrill
The debut album is out on May 11 via Indie Recordings.
Norwegian act Bob Haley reports that their new album "Catch the music" is currently being mixed. Expect a single in May.
Moptaco Dics, the DIY label run by Daniel "Fagge" Fagerström of The Skull Defekts/The Je Ne Sais Quoi, has two new cassette releases out now -- first is Vic Sinex' "Live at Ny Tid Ny Strid" which is somewhat self-explanatory, but also contains rehearsal tape content. Second is Mattias Gustafsson's (Altar of Flies) debut under his own name "Död metall", a release described as a smooth handgesture to John Carpenter soundtracks, pre-sequencer Tangerine Dream and the dirt of Rune Lindblad." More details here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=159277093&blogId=485945690
Hanna Hirsch has posted the new track "Dödslandet" to myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hannahirsch
Said song is a cover of "Death country" by Gabe Hart of Starvations/Jail Weddings, as done på Svenska. Expect to see it on their next release which may end up being a split with an as-yet-unnamed act. It might also their swansong, but nothing's confirmed yet.
Tapete Records is offering the new Lacrosse track "I see a brightness" as a free download: http://www.tapeterecords.de/index.php?id=559
The band's new Jari Haapalainen-produced album "Bandages for the heart" comes out May 2.