Dark Essence has confirmed that Obscure, the band of ex-Enslaved member Roy Kronheim, will release their debut album "On formaldehyde" on September 29 in Norway, everywhere else on October 13. Listen at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/obscurebergen
Swedish pop/rock act The Windupdeads, as heard on the TV shows "Bones" and "Gossip Girl", has signed with One Eleven Records and will release their debut album on October 7. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thewindupdeads
Been a long time coming: Swedish music industry site Musik Industrin (MI) will be doing a full revamp in September and is looking to expand their editorial content: http://www.musikindustrin.nu/
Will they continue to provide the same news I report with a week or more delay? Wait and see!
In Flames will be back in the US for a full tour this November: http://www.lambgoat.com/news/view.aspx?id=11292
Jonna Lee is now streaming three of the tracks off her new EP "This war" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jonnaleemusic
Swedish hardcore act The Change will release their new full-length album "The Deer Moss murders" on September 19 via I Scream Records. Check out the video for the first single "Scream": http://www.vimeo.com/1483420
Norwegian postrockers The Samuel Jackson Five are wrapping up work on their new album and have set a October 27 release date. Read more: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=33944834&blogID=425862544
Check out Meadow Music, a new Swedish music blog in both Swedish and English: http://meadowmusic.se/
Tobias Hellkvist is now streaming a track from his split with The Metronomes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tobiashellkvist
I should hopefully be getting a few copies of said split for mailorder very soon along with restocks of his other albums. Check back in a day or two!
MP3: Brine - Make it to Berlin
Brine is a Swedish band that goes for the artsy indierock thing with varying degrees of success. Most often they stick with the tried and true path of Sonic Youth worship, but every so often they let their quirkier side show through such as on "Make it to Berlin". The focus is shifted to vocals and drums; everything else is incidental. Perhaps not quite at the level of "We will rock you", but it's certainly anthemic nonetheless. And riddle me this: what's with all the Swedes moving to Berlin anyway? Is that grass really that much greener? There's gotta be places at home where the bohemian lifestyle is still within reach, right?
Brine - Make it to Berlin
Extra, extra! Norway's Lukestar is now confirmed for the It's a Trap! Clubnight at Debaser Mamlö on November 29! Look for a support act to be named soon! Also note that Finnish acts Disco Ensemble and Lapko are playing on October 17 if you didn't already see it posted in the sidebar. Good times!
Magnus Carlson of Weeping Willows has been busy this summer recording various duets including a track with Freddie Wadling entitled "Isolation" and a song with Örnsberg called "Weekend lights". Listen to the latter here: http://www.myspace.com/ornsberg
Magnus also contributed guest vocals to a Trummor & Orgel track, their cover of Georgie Fame's "Somebody stole my thunder".
Music Export Finland reports that monster-metal act Lordi will be one of the headliners at this year's Popkomm Festival in Berlin: http://musex.fi/mxf/player/news?articleId=162
Things seem to be heating up between the label Mad For It and marquee artist Parker Lewis -- see their respective blogs for more: Mad For It / Parker Lewis