Last Days of April (SWE), Kashmir (DK), Wulfgang (ICE), Ida Maria (NOR) and Desert Planet (FIN) will each be repping their various countries at the upcoming Polarzoo Festival tour happening in GAS this December. Dates and details: http://www.polarzoofestival.info/

ROSA, The Danish Rock Council, is putting on a series of shows at Debaser in Malmö under the name 'Klubb Smörrebröd' featuring what they hope to be a bright selection of Danish artists. So far only The Kissaway Trail and Kloak have been confirmed for September 27, but other names such Kashmir, Speaker Bite Me, Efterklang, Figurines and more have been brought up as potential offerings for later in the year. Learn more at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/smorrebrod

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
02. TALK 1
03. Madrugada - Shine
04. My Midnight Creeps - Don't let 'em bring you down
05. TALK 2
06. Asha Ali - A promise broken
07. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
08. Pelle Carlberg - Clever girls like clever boys much more than clever boys like clever girls
09. TALK 3
10. Enslaved - 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)
11. TALK 4
12. Fare You Well - Take me away
13. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt
14. Emmon - Wake up time (Thermostatic remix)
15. TALK 5
16. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
17. Magnus Carlsson - Va med mig
18. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia
19. TALK 6
20. De Må Være Belgiere - Cirkler
21. Johndoe - Kjøtere
22. Manes - Deeprooted
23. TALK 7
24. Khoma - Stop making speeches
25. The Giant's Dream - Significant dawn
26. Las Puertas - The water
27. TALK 8
28. Lordi - The chainsaw buffet
29. Logh - A sunset knife fight
30. Lack - 5 o'clock in the evening
31. TALK 9
32. The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
33. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
34. TALK 10
35. Kashmir - The aftermath

MP3: Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun

Instead of the usual Friday post today, I'm continuing on with the week's theme of up-and-coming bands. In the late 90s I spent a lot of time seeking out bands that followed in the wake of Radiohead. That's how Kent was first introduced to me (via the US English-language release of "Isola"). Radiohead moved on, but plenty of others did not and there are still tons of acts mining "The bends" and/or "OK computer" for inspiration. Denmark has a good track record for producing quality acts in this vein, Kashmir being a prominent example, and now you can add Front and the Factory Lies Beneath to the list. No one can quite match Thom Yorke's inventive vocal phrasing, but FatFLB frontman Andreas Bjørn Madsen can sure hit those aching highs. Sure, it's a touch derivative, but like I said: Radiohead won't make another album like "The bends" so it's wide open for someone else to fill their old niche. I love that sound and am always happy to hear someone new who can pull it off so well.
Listen to more here: http://www.myspace.com/frontandthefactoryliesbeneath

Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun

NME is running a special on Danish music in their February 24th issue. Artists featured include Figurines, Oh No Ono, Kashmir, Nephew, The Broken Beats, The Blue Van and WhoMadeWho. See a scan of the article here: http://www.rosa.org/v3/uploads/gallery/2/2289_full.jpg

Aftonbladet reports that Kent is preparing a new album: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,945339,00.html
The band recorded at Allaire Studios in New York with Danish producer Jon "Joshua" Schumann (Kashmir, Mew, Carpark North).

Danish act Kashmir is looking for fans to help them make a video for the song "Kalifornia": http://www.myspace.com/kashmirvideocompetition

New European dates for Danish act Kashmir:

11/07 - Uebel & Gefahrlich, Hamburg (GER)
11/08 - Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
11/09 - Oosterport, Groeningen (NL)
11/10 - Prime Club, Cologne (GER)
11/11 - Franz Club, Berlin (GER)
11/12 - Ampere, Munich (GER)
11/14 - Rockhouse, Salzburg (AUS)
11/15 - Kaserne, Basel (CH)
11/16 - Rote Fabrik, Zurich, (CH)
11/17 - Mezz, Breda (NL)
11/21 - Studenterhuset, Aalborg (DK)
11/22 - Fermaten XL, Herning (DK)
11/23 - Tobakken, Esbjerg (DK)
11/24 - Scandinavian Center, Århus (DK)
11/25 - KB-hallen, Copenhagen (DK)

Danish act Kashmir will travel to Australia for a few shows in September:

09/22 - The Forum Theatre, Melbourne w/Something For Kate
09/24 - HQ, Adelaide w/Something For Kate
09/27 - The Gaelic Club, Sydney

Check out a stream of Kashmir playing live at Paradiso in Amsterdam: http://www.kashmir.fabchannel.com/

Kashmir is keeping a tour diary: http://www.kashmir.dk/road_journal/latest/

Check out the video for Kashmir's new single "The cynic": high / med / low

New tourdates for Kashmir:

02/03 - Postbanhof, Berlin (GER)
02/04 - Haldern Pop Festival Pre-show, Haldern (GER)
02/05 - Batschkapp, Frankfurt (GER)
02/07 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg (GER)
02/08 - Prime Club, Cologne (GER)
02/09 - Abart, Zürich (CH)
02/10 - Bad Bonn, Dudingen (CH)
02/11 - Szene, Vienna (AUS)
02/12 - Elserzusazthalle, Munich (GER)
02/14 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
02/15 - Ekko, Utrecht (NL)
02/16 - Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL)
02/17 - W2, Den Bosch (NL)
02/18 - Gruenspan, Hamburg (GER)
02/21 - Folken, Stavanger (NOR)
02/22 - Logen Teater, Bergen (NOR)
02/23 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)
02/24 - Studentersamfundet, Trondheim (NOR)
02/25 - Bingo´n, Lillehammer (NOR)
03/24 - KB-hallen, Copenhagen (DK)

Intrepid IAT reporter Jason Christie ran into Noel Gallagher of Oasis at the airport earlier today and he said that he still rates TSOOL, can handle the Hives, thinks Caesars are "ok" and likes "some other Swedish band called Kashmir." He meant Danish, but well - you know...

Updated tourdates for Denmark's Figurines:

01/28 - Steppeulven, Store Vega, Copenhagen (DK)
02/11 - By:larm, Tromsø (NOR) w/Spleen United
02/15 - Muk, Geissen (GER)
02/16 - Café Cairo, Würzburg (GER)
02/17 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
02/18 - White Trash, Berlin (GER)
02/19 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)
02/20 - B 72, Vienna (AUS)
02/21 - Schoken, Stuttgart (GER)
02/22 - Moritzbestei, Leipzig (GER)
02/23 - Alte Feuerwache, Magdeburg (GER)
02/24 - Garage, Buxtahude (GER)
02/25 - Trinkhalle, Rheine (GER)
03/24 - KB, Copenhagen (DK) w/Kashmir