Danish hardcore act Lack began recording their third album this week with engineer Per Knold, the gentleman responsible for recording most every Play/Rec artist nowadays and also the drummer in Menfolk. Kenneth Andersen, the live sound engineer for fellow Danes Figurines and I Am Bones and guitarist for Beta Satan, will mix.

MP3: Imagine I Had Hands - Captive

What better way to celebrate Midsummer than with a brand new netrelease? Regular readers should know by now that I'm a huge fan of noiserock - give me jagged rhythms and so-called "angular" guitars and I'm stoked. Denmark's Imagine I Had Hands, a band I did a mp3 feature on not too long ago, is exactly that and I've been into 'em from the very first moment I heard them. Like many other Danish acts mining similar territory such as Barra Head and Lack, the sound is more harDCore than midwestern nihilism. Think Dischord, not so much Touch & Go/AmRep. When I saw the band was giving their new 4-track EP away on myspace, I jumped at the chance to throw my weight behind 'em too. Good music deserves to be heard. So what are you waiting for? Check out the lead track "Captive" and, if you dig it like you should, go and get the other three.

Imagine I Had Hands - Captive

My special guest on my radio show this week was Ola Frick of the Moonbabies. Here's what we played:

01. Johndoe - Kjøtere
02. TALK 1
03. Mixtapes & Cellmates - The better half of cynical boys
04. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
05. Breach - Lost crew
06. TALK 2
07. Silverbullit - Only gold
08. Lack - Primo Levi
09. Samuraj Cities - All along the shoreline
10. Rockettothesky - Barrie for Billy MacKenzie
11. TALK 3
12. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
13. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
14. Moonbabies - War on sound
15. TALK 4
16. Moonbabies - Cocobelle
17. TALK 5
18. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom (comp version)
19. Björn Kleinhenz - Pocket of gold
20. TALK 6
21. Loney, Dear - Saturday waits
22. Revolvo - Marmelade
23. TALK 7
24. Emerald Park - Open up
25. KVLR - Capitol city child
26. TALK 8
27. David & the Citizens - Are you in my blood?
28. TALK 9
29. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
30. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
31. TALK 10
32. Moonbabies - Sun A.M. (outtake version)
33. TALK 11
34. Moonbabies - Don't ya know?

Not only did Ola reveal that he used to be a member of the Mercyful Fate fanclub, but it also looks like he'll be recording the next David & the Citizens record. Excellent!

Danish hardcore act Lack will enter the studio on July 10 to begin recording a new album. Expect an early 2008 release via Play/Rec with touring to commence this fall.

New tourdates for the very excellent Danish hardcore act Lack:

10/12 - tba, Stockholm (SWE) w/Search & Destroy
10/13 - TVO, Turku (FIN) w/Panopticon, Frivovol
10/14 - Nosturi, Helsinki (FIN) w/Wasted, No Shame, Heartburns
10/15 - Vastavirta, Tampere (FIN) w/Abduktio, Frivovol
10/16 - Red Club, Skt Petersburg (RUS)
10/17 - Fabrica club, Moscow (RUS)
10/18 - tba, Moscow (RUS)
10/19 - Dearty Deal Cafe, Riga (LAT) w/Sounarcade, Tesa
10/20 - tba, Villnius (LIT)

Swedish electro/hardcore act Grizzly Twister will be recording their new album in November with producer/engineer William Blackmoon (Children of Fall, Lack, Gadget, Meleeh). Look for them to tour France in late October/early November as well.

The video for "5 o'clock in the evening" by Danish hardcore act Lack is now online: http://www.lackattack.dk/video.htm
The song comes from the band's most recent (and quite excellent) album "Be there pulse", which I just happen to have for sale on both CD and 12" vinyl: [click here]
Look for the band to tour Finland, Russia and the Baltics in October. Dates soon.

Danish label Play/Rec has announced the tracklist for their five-year anniversary comp, entitled cleverly enough "Five years". The disc features everyone from their roster covering one of their mates and the results is as follows:

01. Barra Head - If It Ain't Broke (The Unit)
02. The Unit - Simonix/Deserters (Lack)
03. Lack - Kill The Lights (Barra Head)
04. Menfolk - Chilblain Heart (Monoton)
05. Monoton - The Storyteller's Been Up All Night (The Violet Hour)
06. The Violet Hour - Are We Enemies? (Menfolk)
07. Mount Eerie - Not Too Fancy (Janosch)
08. Janosch - Wooly Mammoth’s Mighty Absence (Mount Eerie)
09. The Kind Of Bitter - The Beat Up Blues (The Magic Bullet Theory)
10. The Magic Bullet Theory - Dead Fight (The Kind Of Bitter)

Seeing as how Play/Rec is one of my favorite labels, I can't wait to hear it! There will be a record release showcase at Roskilde tomorrow (see link for details, PS free beer!) and the official release date for stores is July 3.

Updated European tourdates for Danish hardcore act Lack:

05/24 - Das Haus (Monbachstrasse), Kassel (GER)
05/25 - Palais Bar, Paris (FRA)
05/26 - Le Goldwing, Périgueux (FRA)
05/27 - Melusik Festival, Lusignan (FRA)
05/28 - Mac Daid's, Le Havra (FRA)
05/29 - Juzi/Proberaum, Göttingen (GER)

Some new tourdates for Danish (post-)hardcore act Lack:

05/03 - KB, Malmö (SWE) w/Death By Stereo, Himsa, The Banner
05/24 - tba (GER)
05/25 - tba, Paris (FRA)
05/26 - Le Goldwing, Périgueux (FRA)
05/27 - Melusik Festival, Lusignan (FRA)
05/28 - Mac Daid's, Le Havre (FRA)
05/29 - tba, Göttingen (GER)

In case you haven't noticed, I now carry their most recent album "Be there pulse" on both CD and LP.

Absolut Noise gets Swedish singer/songwriter Jens Lekman to answer some questions, though he doesn't seem to put much thought into it at all: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2006/04/absnoise-interview-n2_114581805888330856.html

This week's Friday flashback mp3 post comes from Barra Head, a band who I had never really heard much of before this week until I got their 2004 album "We are your numbers" in-stock on both CD and LP. A risky proposition perhaps, but when a label has other amazing bands like Lack and Menfolk, you learn to trust their ears. Barra Head takes obvious cues from Fugazi and other DC hardcore acts (or HarDCore, as it were), but ups the ante with huge syncopated riffs. Whereas Fugazi's rhythm section often dabbles in dub and reggae-inspired beats, Barra Head's bassist often takes a stronger melodic lead when he's not slamming down chords and locked in precise time with the drums. I've said it before, but I don't think it's often enough: this is some of my favorite kind of music. The fact that there aren't more bands doing this sort of stuff is baffling.

MP3: Barra Head - Overseas

This week's Friday flashback mp3 post comes from Barra Head, a band who I had never really heard much of before this week until I got their 2004 album "We are your numbers" in-stock on both CD and LP. A risky proposition perhaps, but when a label has other amazing bands like Lack and Menfolk, you learn to trust their ears. Barra Head takes obvious cues from Fugazi and other DC hardcore acts (or HarDCore, as it were), but ups the ante with huge syncopated riffs. Whereas Fugazi's rhythm section often dabbles in dub and reggae-inspired beats, Barra Head's bassist often takes a stronger melodic lead when he's not slamming down chords and locked in precise time with the drums. I've said it before, but I don't think it's often enough: this is some of my favorite kind of music. The fact that there aren't more bands doing this sort of stuff is baffling.

Barra Head - Overseas

Danish hardcore act Lack has recorded two brand new songs for a 7" to be released on Mock-Ups. 220 hand-numbered copies, heavy 70gr vinyl. More details: http://www.futhermocker.dk/mock-ups/php/mock-up.php?lang=uk&folder=mock_6

Danish acts Lack and Barra Head are teaming for a tour together where they will not just play separate sets, but play together as one powerful unit. Read more at their label's website: http://www.playrec.dk/

Updated tourdates for Denmark's Lack:

10/06 - Golden Gate, Berlin (GER) w/The Nothings (Free!)
10/07 - AZ Conni, Dresden (GER) w/Monochrome
10/08 - Les Instants Chavirés, Paris (FRA) w/Tias Carlson
10/09 - Caravan Serail, Toulouse (FRA) w/Greg MacPherson, Zann
10/11 - Montpellier (FRA)
10/12 - Zoo Bar, Rome (ITA)
10/13 - Mono Spazio Bar, Pescara (ITA)
10/14 - Bunker, Bolzano (ITA) w/Bridge To Solace
10/15 - Blois (FRA)
10/16 - Le Brooklyn Cafe, Rouen (FRA) w/Amanda Woodward
10/17 - Le Mondo Bizarro, Rennes (FRA) w/Amanda Woodward
10/18 - Le Cluricaume Café, Poitiers (FRA) w/Chris Leo
10/19 - Le Vauban, Brest (FRA) w/22 Pistepirkko
10/20 - Le Wheely Bar, Clermont Ferrand (FRA)
10/21 - Kts, Freiburg (GER) w/Inside Me, September Malevolence
10/22 - Steffi, Karlsruhe (GER) w/September Malevolence
10/25 - UKA-05 festival, Trondheim (NOR)
11/10-19 - Lack/Barra Head Dobbeldate-tour