Absolut Noise talks to Annika Norlin aka Hello Saferide: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2006/05/interview-hello-saferide.html

Singer/songwriter Maia Hirasawa, also a member of Hello Saferide's backing band, won the Roland/SAMI Music Awards. Read more: http://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=9091 (in Swedish)

Ink19 on my pick for March's album of the month, Hello Saferide: http://www.ink19.com/issues/april2006/musicReviews/musicH/helloSaferide.html

New releases on the way from Razzia:

04/05 - David Lindh - Dare (If I fall in love) (CDS)
05/10 - Konie - Are you ok? (CDS)
05/17 - Firefox AK - Love to run (EP)
06/14 - Hello Saferide - Would you let me play this EP ten times a day (EP)
06/14 - Mange Schmidt - Glassigt (CDS)
06/?? - Timo Räisänen - Let's Kill Ourselves A Son (CDS)

Hello Saferide will release a brand new EP on June 14 entitled "Would you let me play this EP ten times a day?". Full tracklist:

01. The Quiz
02. 2006
03. The best night of your life
04. Last bitter song
05. Leaving you behind

A new month means a new album spotlight and Hello Saferide was an easy choice for April. Her debut album "Introducing: Hello Saferide" was a top 10 pick for many people in 2005 and I'm happy to offer it to you at a reasonably affordable import price. Don't forget: I've also got copies of her "Long lost penpal" MCD for sale as well.

In case you missed it yesterday, Hello Saferide's "Long lost penpal" MCD/CDS is now in-stock: [click here]

The Hello Saferide single for "Long lost penpal" featuring the lovely and talented Firefox AK is now available in the store: [click here]

I'm not posting a new mp3 today because I have something even better for you, the tracklist for "It's a trap! reader's companion volume two". Behold:

01. HELLO SAFERIDE - If I don't write this song, someone I love will die (SWE)
from the album "Introducing: Hello Saferide" (Razzia)
02. RICOCHETS - Cold outside (NOR)
from the album "Isolation" (KongTiki)
03. VIOLA - Invisible revolution (FIN)
from the album "Anyone can stop us" (If Society)
04. BJÖRN KLEINHENZ - Pocket of gold (SWE)
previously unreleased
05. PLAIN FADE - Itä-Aure (FIN)
previously unreleased
06. THE BEAR QUARTET - Birds are singing deep within the greenery (SWE)
from the album "Saturday night" (A West Side Fabrication)
07. MOONBABIES - Take me to the ballroom (SWE)
from the as-yet-untitled forthcoming third full-length album (Moonbabies Music)
08. MUNCK//JOHNSON - Slavesong (DK)
from the album "Count your blessings" (PonyRec)
09. PHONOPHANI - I.F.A. (NOR)
from the self-titled album (Biophan [1998]/Rune Grammofon [2006])
10. MONEY.PAPER.THEPOLICE - Jim Morrison (SWE)
previously unreleased
11. DET GAMLA LANDET - När vi vaknar (SWE)
previously unreleased
12. THE FIRST MILES - The best one around (DK)
from the album "Aim for the heart, go!" (Little Bad Bear)
13. PARIS - Captain Morgan (SWE)
from the album "Secrets on tape" (Parismusic/V2)
14. THE END WILL BE KICKS - Medicine and airbags (SWE)
previously unreleased
15. DON JUAN DRACULA - Run away with you (NOR)
from the album "Young debutantes II" (Switch Off)
16. TIGER LOU - Nixon (SWE)
from the album "The loyal" (Startracks)
17. THE GRAND OPENING - Slow motion (SWE)
previously unreleased

Artwork is still being finalized, but if you head over to my myspace page you can see the cover art and listen to Björn Kleinhenz's track. Exact release date is still tbc, but I expect CDs in-hand by early April.

Updated tourdates for Firefox AK:

03/10 - Perrong 23, Hässleholm w/Music 77
03/11 - Mejeriet, Lund
03/16 - Pustervik, Göteborg
03/17 - Skylten, Linköping
03/18 - Fritz Corner @ Debaser, Stockholm
03/25 - Umeå Open, Umeå
04/15 - Klubb Smart @ Satin, Örebro w/Hello Saferide
04/20 - Sivans, Växjö
04/21 - Tivoli, Helsingborg w/Hello Saferide
04/22 - Mycel, Skövde w/Hello Saferide
04/28 - Kulturkammaren, Norrköping w/Tiger Lou
04/29 - KB, Malmö w/Tiger Lou
05/15 - Tack! Tack! Tack!, London
05/22 - Waschhaus, Potsdam w/Tiger Lou
05/23 - Alhambra, Oldenburg w/Tiger Lou
05/24 - Molotow, Hamburg w/Tiger Lou
05/25 - Kulturkeller, Fulda w/Tiger Lou
05/26 - Jakobshof, Aachen w/Tiger Lou
05/27 - Cobra, Solingen w/Tiger Lou
05/28 - Moritzbastei, Leipzig w/Tiger Lou
05/30 - Ex-Haus, Trier w/Tiger Lou
05/31 - Das Haus, Ludwigshafen w/Tiger Lou
06/01 - Oetinger Villa, Darmstadt w/Tiger Lou
06/02 - Pauluskirche, Dortmund w/Tiger Lou
06/03 - Kino, Ebensee w/Tiger Lou
06/04 - ISC, Bern w/Tiger Lou
06/15 - Festivalen, Hultsfred
08/06-08 - Peace and Love, Borlänge
08/27-29 - Storsjöyran, Östersund

New mp3 today from Firefox AK off her new album "Madame, madame!". For those of you who have never heard her before, you might recognize her from her duet with Hello Saferide on "Long lost penpal". Or maybe you know her as the wife of Rasmus Kellerman aka Tiger Lou. But I think that's all about to change because this record proves that she can stand just fine on her own. The "What's that sound" EP showed potential, but as American Idol's Randy Jackson would say, this time she really brought it. The songs, the sounds, the vocals - everything is stepped up. This particular track is actually a cover of a song by Assid, one of the many promising young Swedish acts doing new things with old house beats. Good stuff and, as always, if you like it you should buy it. Preorder before March 1 and save a buck - the price goes up on the release date.

The Centre Culturel Suédois in Paris is putting on a series of Swedish music showcase shows:

03/07 - Peter von Poehl, Magnus Tingsek
04/25 - Frida Hyvönen, Hello Saferide
06/21 - Christian Kjellvander, Anna Ternheim, Ane Brun, The Tiny, Wendy McNeill

More info: http://www.ccs.si.se/

MP3: Firefox AK - Habibi

New mp3 today from Firefox AK off her new album "Madame, madame!". For those of you who have never heard her before, you might recognize her from her duet with Hello Saferide on "Long lost penpal". Or maybe you know her as the wife of Rasmus Kellerman aka Tiger Lou. But I think that's all about to change because this record proves that she can stand just fine on her own. The "What's that sound" EP showed potential, but as American Idol's Randy Jackson would say, this time she really brought it. The songs, the sounds, the vocals - everything is stepped up. This particular track is actually a cover of a song by Assid, one of the many promising young Swedish acts doing new things with old house beats. Good stuff and, as always, if you like it you should buy it. Preorder before March 1 and save a buck - the price goes up on the release date.

Firefox AK - Habibi

The latest top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (04) Dub Sweden - "We're so loud"
02. (03) Arctic Monkeys - "When the sun goes down"
03. (16) Firefox AK - "Madame, Madame!"
04. (NY) Hard Fi - "Cash machine"
05. (NY) Danko Jones - "Baby hates me"
06. (NY) Depeche Mode - "Suffer well"
07. (ÅT) Maxïmo Park - "I want you to stay"
08. (06) Youngblood Brass Band - "Nuclear summer"
09. (02) Timo Räisänen - "Fear no darkness promised child"
10. (10) Architectures In Helsinki - "lt'5"
11. (01) Martha Wainwright - "Bloody mother f***ing a**hole"
12. (09) Sandy Mouche - "Spiderweb suit"
13. (14) SwingFly - "Something got me started"
14. (NY) The Concretes - "Chosen one"
15. (11) Cat Power - "The Greatest"
16. (05) We Are Scientists - "The great escape"
17. (08) Alf - "Manchester man"
18. (NY) Robyn - "Crash and burn girl"
19. (NY) Graham Coxon - "Standing on my own"
20. (NY) I'm From Barcelona - "We're From Barcelona"

Leaving the chart: Mylo, The Bravery, Tim Neu, Stars, Irene, Loney Dear, Hello Saferide and Sway.

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (ÅT) Martha Wainright - "Bloody Mother F***ing A**hole"
02. (03) Timo Räisänen - "Fear No Darkness Promised Child"
03. (04) Arctic Monkey - "When the Sun Goes Down"
04. (01) Dub Sweden - "We're so Loud"
05. (NY) We Are Scientists - "The Great Escape"
06. (NY) Youngblood Brass Band - "Nuclear Summer"
07. (NY) Mylo - "Muscle Car (Sander Kleinenberg remix)"
08. (02) Alf - "Manchester Man"
09. (20) Sandy Mouche - "Spiderweb suit"
10. (07) Architectures in Helsinki - "lt'5"
11. (NY) Cat Power - "The Greatest"
12. (NY) Tim Neu - "If U Let Me Go"
13. (10) Stars - "Your Ex-lover is Dead"
14. (ÅT) SwingFly - "Something Got Me Started"
15. (NY) The Bravery - "Fearless"
16. (NY) Firefox AK - "Madame, Madame!"
17. (ÅT) Irene - "Baby I Love Your Way"
18. (NY) Loney Dear - "The City, the Airport"
19. (NY) Hello Saferide - "Long Lost Pen Pal"
20. (NY) Sway - "Little Derek"

Leaving the chart: Christian Kjellvander w/Nina Persson, Whyte Seeds, Belle & Sebastian, Damian Marley w/NAS, The Go Team!, Dilated Peoples, Matiyashu, Novastar, Håkan Hellström, The Sounds, Death Cab For Cutie, Mattafix and Monastir.