Yep, I'm one of those closet nerds who owns pretty much every Hellacopters' output since "Payin' the dues" in '97. It always amazes me how one band I recently reviewed for IAT, borrowing the same 70's/80's references -- like the wailing Alice Cooper-Kiss riff thing -- can do it so wrong, while Nicke from The Hellacopters does it so right time and time again. Is it the vocals? I'm thinking that's part of it. Maybe even the guitar sound and makeup-less image. There's always some raw underbelly of punk behind it too, not to mention transcendent dueling guitar solos between a lefty and a righty and a highly educated sense of the blues. But you knew that already. Sure, Imperial State Electric sound like they're continuing on the more mature course of The Hellacopters' final releases, but after a decent debut in 2010, Nicke's once again enlisted his pals in Backyard Babies, The Datsuns and Captain Murphy to release yet another solid album. I wouldn't call it the best or most radical record we've seen this year and I have yet to find anything rivaling my favorite 'copters tunes, but it is hit-worthy and (more importantly?) party-friendly. And it's comforting to know that wise musicians are out there not deviating too drastically from what they do best. Huge respect to Nicke for continually slingin' out something new with something old. - Ann Sung-an Lee
New rock'n'roll from Swedish act The Centerfolds featuring guest vox from Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters/Imperial State Electric. Debut album due out this coming August.
Gaffa is reporting that there's a new Swedish "supergroup" called Fas 3 put together by Michael Alonzo of KSMB/Stockholms Negrer featuring Sören "Sulo" Karlsson (Diamond Dogs), Nicke Andersson (Imperial State Electric, The Hellacopters, etc.) and Inge Johansson (The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Totalt Jävla Mörker, etc.): http://gaffa.se/nyhet/57070
The new band's debut single "Dansa som en fjäril" will be released on Inge's label very soon and the band will make their live debut in Stockholm in 2 weeks.
For the collector scum, here's the pressing stats on the new Imperial State Electric LP "Pop war": clear vinyl presale limited to 300 out on February 24, red vinyl limited to 600 on March 2 and then the CD on March 9, either the standard version or in a limited 10" sleeve with an iron on. There's also a standard black vinyl pressing that will be available on March 9 as well, but it's not limited/special.
The new Imperial State Electric album "Pop war" has been confirmed for release on March 9 via . Lead single "Sheltered in the sand" will be officially released on January 27.
I don't normally do any crass ad/promo stuff aside from the ever-present/near-ubiquitous Google ad box below the fold, but I'm happy to make exceptions should the right opportunity present itself, so when Rock Science beckoned, I heeded the call. It wasn't a terribly hard decision: a Swedish-made rock'n'roll boardgame complete with a theme song by Imperial State Electric (included as a CDS in each copy) is totally right up my alley and is pretty much the perfect gift for your favorite rocker this holiday season (hint hint). So if you wanna hook it up, head on over to their webstore and use the promo code ITSATRAP when you check out. Do it!
Swedish rocker Robert Pehrsson (Death Breath, Dundertåget) recently recorded a couple new tracks at Gutterview Recorders with Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters, Imperial State Electric) and Tomas Eriksson (Captian Murphy) and is streaming the rough mixes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/robertpehrsson
Presenting "Rock Science", a new rock'n'roll boardgame featuring artwork and a themesong by Nicke Andersson of Imperial State Electric/The Hellacopters/Entombed. Check it: http://www.rockscience.tv/
Lambgoat reports that has signed Swedish metal act In Solitude: http://www.lambgoat.com/news/view.aspx?id=15459
The band recorded their new album at Nicke Andersson (Hellacopters, Death Breath, Imperial State Electric, etc.) at his new Gutterview Studios in Stockholm with Fred Estby (Dismember, Necronaut) producing. Expect a spring 2011 release. And as for those UFO comparisons, I dunno... as far as I'm concerned, the band's 2008 self-titled debut sounds way more like Mercyful Fate/King Diamond worship to me. Not that that's a bad thing.
Imperial State Electric