Checkpoint Charlie Audio Production's new Stavanger, Norway compilation "Pop08" is confirmed for release on August 25 and you can now go here to see the full tracklist: http://www.ccap.no/News/files/665af79f5d1f782b6489ecf9ebff97e0-14.html
Looks like a good mix of both known and unknown acts - definitely worth looking into I think.
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Hello Saferide
02. Tiger Lou
03. Håkan Hellström
04. Fleet Foxes
05. Familjen
06. Christian Kjellvander
07. Sambassadeur
08. Broder Daniel
09. The Radio Dept.
10. Pelle Carlberg
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/
The brand new Division of Laura Lee video for "Caress/Hotnights" as directed by fellow Swedish artist Kristoffer Åström (and hinted at here) is now online: http://www.violenceistimeless.com/
Moonbabies will do two shows this coming weekend, the last they'll be doing for a long while as they plan on taking a break to create a new record:
08/22 - Studenterhuset, Copenhagen (DK)
08/23 - Park-Aid Festival, Schenefeld (GER)
MP3: Esther - Throw a spanner
It might just be that I'm a terrible crank, but Esther's enthusiastic indiepop rings hollow to me. Too formulaic? Maybe that's the issue - they're so good at emulating the standard Göteborg indie sound that they forgot to inject their own personality into the mix. The matching outfits should've been a tip-off. Fit for easy listening, but oh so empty! I almost wish they were worse so I wouldn't have to struggle so much with this write-up. Writing about bad music is easy; writing about boring but competent music is more tedious than listening to it.
Esther - Throw a spanner
The new Frida Hyvönen album "Silence is wild" is confirmed for release in Scandinavia on October 29 via Licking Fingers and November 4 in North America via Secretly Canadian. Once again, the record is produced by The Bear Quartet's Jari Haapalainen. Download the first single "Enemy within": http://www.lickingfingers.com/songs/02%20Enemy%20Within.mp3
Swedish label Deleted Art (Cut City, Knife and Ape) has a new website: http://www.deletedart.org/
MP3: Silverbullit - Only gold
Besides Broder Daniel, the one band I really would have wanted to see at Way Out West was Silverbullit. I've actually been fortunate enough to see them twice already, once when opening for The Soundtrack of Our Lives in SF and again at Umeå Open in 2005 when they so obviously blew away every other band. Even today, without a new album to support since 2004's "Arclight", I'd still rank them as one of Sweden's best bands. And now I read that they even got Freddie Wadling (Cortex, Blue for Two, etc.) to make a guest appearance? Gah! I should've been there! YouTube just ain't gonna cut it. Silverbullit's massive wall of sound simply doesn't translate to the small-screen format.
Still no word on whether there will ever be a new album, but at least we can still celebrate their back-catalog. Here is "Only gold" from the aforementioned "Arclight".
Silverbullit - Only gold
German label Sounds of Subterrania is putting out a 12" EP from Swedish postpunk act Holiday Fun Club featuring a cover of the Grauzone song "Eisbär" along with two new tracks. 300 copies, white vinyl.
There's a new Suburban Kids with Biblical Names track up at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/suburbankidswithbiblicalnames
It's called "God save Roger Nichols" and it will appear on a split 7" being released by UK label OIB Records.
Hybris has a new video from Kalle J up on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPByKFEQ2k
Swedish punks Fy Fan will have a new 7" this fall and a split with countrymates Nitad on the way early next year.
Nomethod has posted an e-card for the new Robert Svensson (Mixtapes & Cellmates) solo album "Young punks are on the never-never": http://www.nomethod.se/
Go there to hear a streaming preview of the whole album.
Hey, look! Montys Loco på Svenska: http://www.myspace.com/tantkillen
Or something like that? Sounds great regardless.