Bummer news: the superb Danish hardcore act Lack has decided to call it quits: http://www.playrec.dk/
The band will finish up with the shows they currently have booked and then will be no more.

New international live dates for Lack:

08/07 - Himmel, Schwyz (CH)
08/08 - MatscherAu Open Air, Bolzano (ITA)
08/30 - OFFSET Festival, London (UK)
09/19 - Folkets Park, ESF 08, Malmö (SWE)
09/27 - Stengade 30, Kbh (DK) w/Barra Head
10/12 - POPKOMM - Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin (GER) w/31 Knots, Alarma Man

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Laakso - Worst case scenario
02. TALK 1
03. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
04. We Live In Trenches - Autonomy clinic
05. Detektivbyrån - Om du möter varg
06. TALK 2
07. I'm From Barcelona - Paper planes
08. Wired for Mono - The man behind the wall
09. The Amazing - Dragon
10. TALK 3
11. Pugh Rogefeldt - Surabaya Johnny
12. Opeth - The lotus eater
13. The Knife - Silent shout
14. TALK 4
15. Culkin - Allegiance
16. Haust - Desperate living
17. Lack - Behead
18. Nitad - Ge mig ge mig
19. TALK 5
20. Kamraterna - Det här är ditt land

Reminder: my show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday.

Danish post-hardcore act Lack are now streaming two more songs from their (awesome) most recent album "Saturate every atom": http://www.myspace.com/lackbetherepulse
Buy it: CD/LP

MP3: Little Jimmy Reeves - Romance on drugs

Little Jimmy Reeves is the latest signing of Danish label Play/Rec and "Bring out the dogs" is their debut EP. The group's heavy rock sound doesn't totally jive with the post-hardcore scene I normally think of when I think Play/Rec (Lack, Barra Head, Menfolk), but when I remind myself that they've also put out records from bands like Monoton and Mt. Eerie it starts to make sense. And it's not as if LJR doesn't have an impressive resumé -- frontman Asger Techau plays drums for Kashmir, one of Denmark's biggest bands. Bassist Jan Damage Petersen plays in Gravy, another great Danish band. And drummer Johan Høyer is an accomplished audio engineer who was/is (?) also in Livaventura. Considering that pedigree, the picture gets clearer and the end result less surprising. And what would that result be? In a nutshell, I'd call it mid-tempo melodramatic rock with a rough edge. Melodic enough for curious Kashmir fans, but also imbued with a bluesy heaviness that band lacks. Overall, I'm not blown away by this release, but I do like the title track and this other song that I'm posting today. It's got a bit of those oh so crucial quietLOUDquiet dynamics ala The Pixies and the vocal harmonies in the chorus are a nice touch as well. Wholly unoriginal, but nice enough, y'know? Still, worth keeping an eye on. There's potential.

Little Jimmy Reeves - Romance on drugs

Somehow I almost forgot to post this week's radio show playlist:

01. Bloodbath - Blasting the virginborn
02. TALK 1
03. Håkan Hellström - Långa vägar
04. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr. Happy
05. Victims - Bomben har fallit
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Sweet M
08. Ef - Thrills
09. The Bombhappies - Nothing at all
10. TALK 3
11. Motorpsycho - The alchemyst
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
13. TALK 4
14. In Flames - Moonshield
15. Maskinen - Alla som inte dansar (100dirty remix)
16. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
17. TALK 5
18. Peter Morén - Social competence
19. Lack - Bombing the moon
20. Dmitry Fydorov - Signal
21. TALK 6
22. Looptroop Rockers - The building
23. Six Guns - Think positive
24. Nybakat! - Limu limu lima
25. TALK 7
26. Saft - Sizzling
27. Electric Retard - Greenvalley High
28. Lukestar - The shade you hide
29. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
30. TALK 8
31. Bad Cash Quartet - Monday morning
32. Monkeystrikes - I'm sorry, but I'm very dramatic
33. Commando M Pigg - Shoeshine boy
34. Weeping Willows - Touch me
35. TALK 9
36. Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune

Podcast: Q108

The latest albums from Barra Head and Lack are now in-stock on both CD and vinyl! Even better, the vinyl editions include a coupon for a free mp3 download. You simply can't go wrong! Go shopping!

Lack's first album "Blues Moderne: Danois Explosifs" is getting the 180g vinyl reissue treatment courtesy of Furthermocker. Besides the heavy vinyl repress, the artwork is being redone as a gatefold. Expect them to be done in time for the band's upcoming tour.

MP3: Looptroop Rockers - The building

Swedish hip-hop has been getting some international attention recently thanks to the likes of Adam Tensta and Lazee, but as is often the case, I don't believe that they represent the best Sweden has to offer. As far as pop music goes, it's fine, but it's lacking identity and meaning. Naah, I much rather listen to Fattaru or maybe Snook. But what I really like is stuff like Looptroop Rockers, one of Sweden's longest-running and most respected hip-hop groups. As with yesterday's post on Lack, the guiding principle of social consciousness is key. Not just good music, but music with purpose. And I have to say, their new single "The building" is great and that bodes extremely well, not only for the forthcoming album "Good things", but also for Swedish hip-hop in general. Not that I'm saying this should be a crossover success, but then again, maybe it could y'know? I wouldn't complain.

Looptroop Rockers - The building

Danish indie act Little Jimmy Reeves will release their debut EP "Bring out the dogs" on March 25 via Play/Rec (Lack, Barra Head, etc.). Listen to the title track/lead single at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/littlejimmyreeves

MP3: Lack - I want you to call me Peter North

One of Lack's most admirable qualities is their sexual politic. So much of modern hardcore is either contrived macho bullshit (see Terror, Hatebreed, et al.) or fucked-up misogyny (Killwhitneydead comes to mind as prominent example) that even a marginal level of social responsibility seems refreshing. But to talk about sexual relationships outside of the usual context of love/hate songs is absolutely unheard of. The song "Deserters" from their last album "Be there pulse" was hugely progressive in its frank discussion of bisexuality and now, with "Saturate every atom", we have "I want you to call me Peter North" which openly confronts the issue of internet pornography. It's a touchy subject, especially with the rise of so-called "alternative" porn sites such as Suicide Girls or Burning Angel or whatever. Hardcore has always generally been a boys club, but at least there used to be more of a dialog about sexual equality, especially in the 90s when I was more involved in the scene. Now I'm not calling for a return to the days of overzealous workshops (and witchhunts) from the More Than Music era (dude, the fest!), but goddamn it, any discussion is appreciated. Hardcore is supposed to be confrontational and it's supposed to challenge stereotypes, not reinforce them. I'm sure I'm not the only one weirded about what the scene has become. Thank god for bands like Lack who tackle these ideas head-on. Even better, the song is awesome. That simple snare roll going into the final chorus with the chukka-chukka guitars gets me every damn time.

Lack - I want you to call me Peter North

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Figurines - The wonder
02. TALK 1
03. CS Nielsen - Happy
04. Superfamily - Teens of the 70s
05. Winter Took His Life - Oh
06. TALK 2
07. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
08. Bogus Blimp - Untitled jazz no. 1
09. Firefox AK - Pushing
10. TALK 3
11. Disfear - Get it off
12. Biker Boy - March song (Kalle J remix)
13. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around
14. TALK 4
15. Dogday - New romance
16. Mew - Am I wry? No
17. Det Är Jag Som Är Döden - Hello!
18. TALK 5
19. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
20. Darkthrone - Skald av Satans sol
21. Caesars Palace - (I'm gonna) Kick you out
22. TALK 6
23. Lack - Behead
24. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty
25. Hebosagil - Old prophet
26. TIAC - OTW
27. TALK 7
28. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
29. Strip Music - Never die
30. The Social Services - Electric brae
31. TALK 8
32. At the Gates - All life ends (live)
33. Fireside - Jupiter
34. Ulver - Funebre
35. Paper - They're gonna keep me
36. TALK 9
37. Convoj - Cultural legacy
38. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
39. Silverbullit - Run
40. TALK 10
41. Massgrav - Vuxenliv

Danish indierockers Beta Satan have posted the track "Math and chemistry" from the 7" split with countrymates Lack on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/betasatan
Good stuff!

Lack's entire new album "Saturate every atom" (as reviewed here) is now streaming in its entirety on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lackbetherepulse
Very recommended!