If you're anywhere near Berlin, don't forget this Friday's Sweden, Sweden show at Club Magnet with Torpedo, Streetwaves and The Light Bulb Project plus DJs Tiger Lou, Firefox AK and more! That much talent in one room means it's gonna be an amazing show, so you'd better be there.

Firefox AK will be touring in support of the Junior Boys in the UK:

02/15 - High Voltage, Manchester (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/16 - ABC2, Glasgow (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/17 - Speakeasy, Belfast (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/18 - Whelans, Dublin (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/20 - Dingwalls, London (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/21 - Pressure Point, Brighton (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/22 - Thekla, Bristol (UK) w/Junior Boys
02/16 - Razzmatazz (Kom och Dansa), Barcelona (ESP)

Newly updated Firefox AK tourdates:

01/22 - Fundbureau, Hamburg (GER)
01/23 - Cafe Glocksee, Hannover (GER)
01/24 - Elfer, Frankfurt (GER)
01/25 - DQLIQ, Luxemburg (LUX)
01/26 - Blue Shell, Cologne (GER)
01/27 - Juz, Leer (GER)
01/28 - Cafe Central, Magdeburg (GER)

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

Updated Firefox AK tourdates:

12/08 - Magnet, Berlin (GER) (solo)
01/22 - Fundbureau, Hamburg (GER)
01/23 - Cafe Glocksee, Hannover (GER)
01/24 - Elfer, Frankfurt (GER)
01/25 - DQLIQ, Luxemburg (LUX)
01/26 - Blue Shell, Cologne (GER)
01/27 - Juz, Leer (GER)
01/28 - Cafe Central, Magdeburg (GER)

Sudd will be presenting a special mp3-download Advent calendar starting tomorrow: http://www.sudd.org/
Artists confirmed and revealed so far include Firefox AK, Laakso, Sophie Rimheden, Björn Kleinhenz, GOTO80 - one each day until Christmas.

Firefox AK has posted a new video diary from Berlin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFR3lW4029o

This week's Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (02) Mando Diao - TV & me
02. (03) Johnossi - Glory days to come
03. (01) Gnarls Barkley - Who cares?
04. (NY) Regina Spektor - Better
05. (05) The Knife - Like a pen
06. (09) The Magic Numbers - Take a chance
07. (19) Koop - Come to me
08. (08) The Streets - Prangin’ out
09. (07) Salem Al Fakir - Good song
10. (06) Tingsek - World of it’s own
11. (15) Melody Club - Destiny calling
12. (16) Peter, Bjorn & John - Let’s call it off
13. (04) Jeremy Warmsley - I promise
14. (18) Fat Joe - Make it rain
15. (12) Asha Ali - Fire fire
16. (NY) Lupe Fiasco - I gotcha
17. (NY) Muse - Knights of Cydonia
18. (20) David & The Citizens - A heart and a hand and the love for the band
19. (NY) Chingy med Jermaine Dupri - Dem jeans
20. (14) Goose - British mode

Leaving the chart:
Supersci - Move on
The Dears - Whites only party
Danko Jones - Don’t fall in love
Firefox AK - The draft

MP3: Hello Saferide - Long lost penpal

Today marks the official release date of Hello Saferide's "Introducing..." LP. I know it may seem totally arbitrary, but these things are kind of important in the retail world. Or so I'm told anyway. Like many people, I was first introduced to Hello Saferide's music via "Highschool stalker" which was something of a small Internet sensation when it first made the rounds. Unfortunately, I blew it off. That song and the subsequent single "My best friend" (aka 'the lesbian song') stuck me as too twee, too cutesy. Not that were bad mind you, just that they were apparently lacking substance. So, like an idiot, I slept on it. Luckily, those cursory listens stuck a chord with my wife or I might've never gone back for more investigation, but eventually I did and thank goodness because Hello Saferide is much more than meets the eye. Yes, she's cute and twee and all that, but there's also a poetic depth to her work that isn't so obvious. It's all too easy to write her off as some run-of-the-mill female singer/songwriter, but run-of-the-mill she most certainly isn't. This is music that grows the more you listen. There's always another line that requires second thought and study. Also, as I've stated before, this is not the sort of thing that ever gets old. Hello Saferide will sound just as good twenty years from now as it does today. That can only mean one thing: instant classic.
Download "Long lost penpal" (Annika's favorite song on the record, also featuring the very talented Firefox AK) today from the playlist on the right or head to my label page for a few additional tracks. Buy Hello Saferide CDs and LPs here: [click here]

Hello Saferide - Long lost penpal (ft. Firefox AK)

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (06) Gnarls Barkley - "Who Cares?"
02. (01) Mando Diao - "TV & Me"
03. (03) Johnossi - "Glory Days to Come"
04. (NY) Jeremy Warmsley - "I Promise"
05. (05) The Knife - "Like a Pen"
06. (10) Tingsek - "World of It's Own"
07. (04) Salem Al Fakir - "Good Song"
08. (02) The Streets - "Prangin' Out"
09. (20) The Magic Numbers - "Take a Chance"
10. (08) Supersci - "Move On"
11. (09) The Dears - "Whites Only Party"
12. (12) Asha Ali - "Fire Fire"
13. (13) Danko Jones - "Don't Fall in Love"
14. (15) Goose - "British Mode"
15. (18) Melody Club - "Destiny Calling"
16. (19) Peter Bjorn & John - "Let's Call It Off"
17. (Ny) Firefox AK - "The Draft"
18. (ÅT) Fat Joe - "Make It Rain
19. (NY) Koop - "Come to Me"
20. (16) David & the Citizens - "A Heart and a Hand and the Love for the Band"

Leaving the chart:
Fattaru - "Hörde jag skål"
Ying Yang Twins med Wyclef Jean - "Dangerous"
Lily Allen - "LDN"
Deportees - "Missing You, Missing Me"

November's album of the month selection is a no-brainer: of course I'm going to pick the soon-to-be-released Hello Saferide LP that I'm putting out. The vinyl is due to arrive on Friday, so order now and you might even get it by Monday. How awesome would that be? Also, be sure to note that I'm also taking preorders for the super awesome Razzia Christmas comp "Oh no... it's Christmas!". Featuring brand new songs from the likes of Hello Saferide and Firefox AK with Tiger Lou as well as old holiday chestnuts from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and more! You know you need it! That's not all either - I've also got the new retrospective CD from Danish post-punk act De Må Være Belgiere as well as that new-fangled "Svenskt" compilation. What are you waiting for? Get shopping!

The video for the new Firefox AK single "The draft" is online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmWhOeb14lA
Can't go wrong with the Kellermans.

Firefox AK has posted a new video diary: http://www.voidfaith.net/band/firefox/news2.php

Y'know that upcoming Christmas comp that Razzia is putting together? I've got a preview of the tracklist:

Firefox AK & Tiger Lou - Christmas Eve
Friska Viljor - Oh no! This is what I feared all along
Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
South Ambulance - Hangin' in a tie
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Jullåten 2004
Laakso - Merry Christmas
The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
Maia Hirasawa - You were all there
The Perishers - Blue Christmas
The Soundtrack of our lives - Jingle Hell (stuck in the chimney)
Consequences - Some kind of magic
Grande Roses - To bring X-mas back this year
Konie - Oh, yeah...it's christmas!
Dogday - Santa will never get there
Indiekören - Last Christmas
They Live By Night - Lucia (I deserve candles in my hair)
Dreamboy - Christmas kisses
Kristofer Åström - I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus

As you can see, some of these tracks are old and previously released (TSOOL for instance), but most are new and exclusive to this release. The exact order is still TBD and a few more tracks are due for submission, but I'll definitely be carrying it in the webstore when it's released on November 15.

Papercut
Demo
self-released

Papercut is Erik Berglund and Ulrica Brunner, two beautiful young people who apparently grew tall on milk, cupcakes and synthpop. At the tender age of 9, Ulrica bought her first CD, "Dance vol. 1", and apparently it's been a strong influence ever since. A keyboardist in Firefox AK, her new collaboration with Erik has resulted in some simple electro-pop with vocals eerily reminiscent of St Etienne. This three-song demo includes the atmospheric "Time" and the more poppy "Adrian", both of which are ripe for remix to become club anthems. Until then, the perfect accompaniment to a stroll around Borders.
- Stacey Shackford