New Salem Al Fakir on March 25
Salem Al Fakir's new album "Astronaut" will be released on March 25.
Hyacinth House has a new website
Swedish dark/alt-country act Hyacinth House has a new website: http://www.hyacinthhouse.se/hyacinth-house
Lasse Marhaug in Japan
Norwegian noisemeister Lasse Marhaug is heading to Japan next week for a tour with countrymates Puma:
01/24 - Soap, Tokyo (Incapacitants "Box Is Stupid" release-party)
01/28 - Earthdom, Tokyo
01/29 - Super-Deluxe, Tokyo w/Merzbow, Jim O'Rourke
01/31 - Lights, Nagoya
02/01 - Gallery Soup, Kokura
02/02 - Yojigen, Fukuoka
02/03 - Bears, Osaka
02/04 - Big Apple, Kobe
02/05 - Urbanguild, Kyoto
'Burn all the small towns' on March 4
Panic & Action, the new emocore label founded by Peter Ahlqvist of Burning Heart, will release the comp "Burn all the small towns" on March 4. Artwork and tracklist: http://www.panicandaction.com/newspost.php?id=16
Maia Hirasawa to release sophomore album in March
The ever-so-charming Swedish singer/songwriter Maia Hirasawa is set to release her sophomore album on March 25 with the lead single "South again" preceding it on February 18.
New Zeigeist EP on the way
Zeigeist has a new 3-song EP called "Neverending love" coming out on February 18. Details and samples: http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/releases/zeigeist/neverending-love-ep
New Robyn acoustic EP on the way
Pitchfork reports that Robyn will be releasing a new 3-track acoustic EP in early February: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/148511-robyn-to-drop-acoustic-ep
Victims add more guitar
Victims have enlisted ex-Raging Speedhorn guitarist Gareth Smith and are now back to being a 4-piece. The new lineup already recorded a new song called "On our knees" for a split 7" with US act Kylesa that will be released by the German label La Familia. In other news, keep an eye out for a US East Coast tour in May/June with Another Breath, Trap Them and Black Breath. If that's the same Black Breath as the one up here in Seattle, it's sure to be a killer show. Actually, it'll be killer because it's Victims, but that full lineup is bonus.
New Pistol Disco album in March
Pistol Disco's new album "Evergreen" is confirmed for a March release via Celebrity Lifestyle Records.
The Silent Ballet reviews 'The worries'
The Silent Ballet reviews the latest Mimas album "The worries": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/2052/Default.aspx
PopMatters says 'Let the right one in' best foreign film of 2008
PopMatters has decreed "Let the right one in" to be their favorite indie/foreign film of 2008: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/68701-outside-the-lines-the-top-20-foreign-independent-films-of-2008-part-2
Sound Opinions says Blackstrap is buried treasure
The NPR program Sound Opinions has selected Swedish act Blackstrap as one of their buried treasures of 2008: http://www.soundopinions.org/shownotes/2009/010909/shownotes.html
New Tiger Lou gets UK release
Tiger Lou's latest album "A partial print" will get a UK release on January 26 via Shellshock/Southern.
Melody Club to premiere new song at Rockbjörnen
Melody Club will be premiering their new single "Girls don't always wanna have fun" at the upcoming Rockbjörnen awards ceremony on January 22.
SXSW showcase update
Here's the latest list of Scandinavian acts officially confirmed for SXSW:
Årabrot (NOR)
Baskery (SWE)
Benny Crespo's Gang (ICE)
Blood Red Throne (NOR)
Bloodgroup (ICE)
Casiokids (NOR)
Dmitry Fyodorov (SWE)
Grande (NOR)
Adam Heldring (SWE)
Jaakko & Jay (FIN)
Kaka (SWE)
Kakkmaddafakka (NOR)
The Latebirds (FIN)
Love:Fi (NOR)
Mixtapes & Cellmates (SWE)
Peter Bjorn and John (SWE)
Kristofer Ragnstam (SWE)
Sprengjuhollin (ICE)
Steed Lord (ICE)
Steso Songs (SWE)
The Shitsez (NOR)
The Tallest Man On Earth (SWE)
Sofia Talvik (SWE)
Those Dancing Days (SWE)
The Tiny (SWE)
Wildbirds & Peacedrums (SWE)