Lukestar has lined up a bunch of Norwegian tourdates to promote their new album "Lake Toba": http://www.lukestar.com/

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
02. TALK 1
03. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
04. Don't Be a Stranger - Mon-chi-chi
05. Audionom - In the streets
06. TALK 2
07. Elias and the Wizzkids - Fourth of July
08. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
09. Kasper Bjørke - Humming song
10. The Carny - Bestseller
11. TALK 3
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
13. Flyphonic - The truth is
14. Universal Poplab - Heart apart (Timo Räisänen acoustic remix)
15. TALK 4
16. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland (live)
17. Rigas - Dead like you
18. TALK 5
19. Bröderna Lindgren - En hund som jag
20. Springfactory - Swedish folk highschool
21. Loud Pipes - Don't you ever
22. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
23. TALK 6
24. The State of Floral Beings - Man you owe me
25. Caitlyn - Oh no!
26. The Bombhappies - And at Belle Bed Inn, I told you
27. TALK 7
28. Brick - Call Batman
29. Smalltown - What's going on?
30. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
31. TALK 8
32. Hedningarna - Neidon laulu
33. Dreamboy - What have I done
34. Captain Murphy - Sailor behaviour
35. TALK 9
36. Lemonator - Heart burns
37. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + evil = hurt
38. Johndoe - Rastløs rock'n'roll
39. Lukestar - Shade you hide
40. TALK 10
41. The Fine Arts Showcase - Teenage poetry

Lukestar
Lake Toba
Phone Me Records

Saturated with towering vocals that often exceed the normal male range, hook after marvelous hook, and drumming so fluid, present, and masterful that it is as fascinating to listen to as the vocal and guitar work, Lukestar may have crafted the best Scandinavian rock/pop album since Last Days of April's "Ascend to the stars". Continuing in that vein of music that was so crudely labeled 'emo', a sound mostly abandoned a few years back, Lukestar effortlessly combine aspects of LDoA with the more dynamic fluency of Mew's debut album. "Lake Toba" is a reminder of why bands like Seven Feet Four have been able to maintain their presence and importance, and an indication of the future of this genre (and, more importantly, that this sound actually has a future). While the musicianship is damned proficient, it's the songwriting that brings you back over and over, keeping the album remarkable and engaging after repeated listens, and allowing for the album to be enjoyed as a whole without skipping around the tracklist. Anthemic and vulnerable, hopeful yet cautious, "Lake Toba" is everything that rock record with serious pop sensibility should be. And with that voice, those drums, and a level of musical craftsmanship and consistency that has been lacking on far too many similar records, Lukestar's newest effort is in good position to be one of the best album of 2008.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

The playlist for my radio show this week featured all of my favorite songs from 2007:

01. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
02. TALK 1
03. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle
04. The Skull Defekts - The secret
05. Ted Gärdestad - Räcker jag till
06. TALK 2
07. CS Nielsen - Black spots
08. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. The Bombettes - I wanna
11. TALK 3
12. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
13. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
14. The Bell - I am history
15. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
16. TALK 4
17. Mainliners - Olivia
18. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
19. Karin Ström - Ordlös
20. TALK 5
21. Fun - I've got a truck
22. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
23. Juvelen - Hanna
24. TALK 6
25. Laakso - Worst case scenario
26. Closer - Sensing the wake
27. Asha Ali - A promise broken
28. TALK 7
29. Paper - My life is going under
30. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
31. Lukestar - White shade
32. TALK 8
33. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
34. Aerial - You will all die, all things will
35. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
36. TALK 9

Next week (12/29) I'm doing another special theme show on Swedish postpunk.

Lukestar's forthcoming album "Lake Toba", 2008's first great album, is confirmed for release on January 14.

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show, featuring special guest Pontus Levahn from the band Torpedo:

01. Fireside - Let Rasputin do it
02. TALK 1
03. Britta Persson - You are not my boyfriend
04. Hyacinth House - Lucky stranger
05. The Bear Quartet - Sailors
06. TALK 2
07. Jennie Abrahamson - In this life to live
08. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
09. Heroes & Zeros - The foolproof
10. TALK 3
11. Folie - Strum
12. Ellen Beach - The widespread acclaim
13. The Indecision Alarm - Where every fucking dream is killed
14. TALK 4 (INTERVIEW)
15. Torpedo - From Russia with love
16. Rupesh Cartel - Comes the hour comes the man
17. TALK 5 (INTERVIEW)
18. Torpedo - Hospital
19. Tiger Lou - Until I'm there
20. TALK 6 (INTERVIEW)
21. Simon Ryman - Walk with me instead
22. Fanny Risberg - Stay with me forever
23. Lack - Deserters
24. TALK 7
25. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Manic panic
26. Hebosagil - Slightly confusing
27. Dieter Schöön - The harbour's cold
28. TALK 8
29. Lukestar - White shade
30. Fun - Hold it close
31. The Skull Defekts - The secret
32. TALK 9
33. Laakso - Great times underground
34. CS Nielsen - Black spots
35. Knugen Faller - Lugna favoriter
36. TALK 10
37. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt

The by:Larm website now has plenty of English info for anyone interested in the many promising up-and-coming acts already confirmed for the fest: http://www.bylarm.no/eng/artists/2-d
I'm not familiar with many of the artists, but I can definitely recommend 22, Binärpilot, Det är jag som är döden, Katzenjammer and Lukestar.

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

01. The Bombettes - Dating scene
02. TALK 1
03. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
04. Dieter Schöön - Warm hearts
05. Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
06. TALK 2
07. Come Sleep - Be the end
08. Promise and the Monster - Trials
09. Immanu El - Home
10. TALK 3
11. Lukestar - Lake Toba
12. Marit Bergman - No party
13. Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day
14. TALK 4
15. Jonas Game - ADHD
16. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
17. Josse - You had a plan
18. The Hives - You dress up for Armageddon
19. TALK 5
20. Randy - Freedom song
21. Ted Gärdestad - Så mycket bättre
22. Motorhomes - Into the night
23. TALK 6
24. Laakso - Västerbron
25. The Bear Quartet - Hunchback
26. Susanne Sundfør - The dance
27. TALK 7
28. New Moscow - Turbonegro must be destroyed
29. The Bell - Target group
30. Vaiping - The great polar expedition
31. TALK 8
32. NEI - City of gold
33. Asha Ali - Fire, fire
34. My Enemy - My time coming (Johan Formeijer remix)
35. TALK 9
36. CS Nielsen - Black spots
37. David Sandström Overdrive - The Fatville Treaty
38. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
39. TALK 10
40. Aerial - My god, it's full of stars!

MP3: Lukestar - White shade

I received a 4-track CDR from Lukestar way back in April. There wasn't much info included in the package, just that the band was currently on the prowl for a record deal and that the tracks were recorded by Carl Vikman in Sweden. No song titles, no band bio, nothin'. I has seen Lukestar's name in passing, but didn't really know much about them 'cept that they were loosely associated with the Norwegian hardcore scene, or at least that seemed the be the circle they travelled in. However, upon listening, I was taken aback - what's up with this squeaky, androgynous voice? Is this supposed to be emopop? And that drumming... my god! That's what makes the band. The first chorus comes in and teases you with a gigantic hook, only to give way to another, more drawn-out verse with an even more amazing drum break. Then the second chorus, bigger than the last and straight into a triumphant bridge of dueling guitars lines over even busier drums. It's within the realm of noiserock, but not really all that noisy. Melody still rules. One more short, final chorus and, all of a sudden, it's over. The first time I heard it, I was left scratching my head. Not only did it totally defy expectations (those vocals!), but it wasn't quite like anything I'd heard before. Definitely comparable to a lot of the bands Carl Vikman has worked with before - Seven Feet Four, Trapdoor Fucking Exit, Traktor and so on - but with its own unique flavor. Way more pop to be sure, though still rooted in hardcore. Think back to before emo became a bad word. It took me a bit to process, but repeated listens eventually embedded "White shade" firmly into my brain. There's something really intriguing about the way it teases you with the main chorus hook and then moves on. It's such a fantastic part, but it passes by so quickly! In many ways, its stinginess is its strength - I get blindsided and am left wanting more. You might not get it immediately the first time through, but it'll get you.

Too bad Lukestar's album won't be out until 2008 - I was really looking forward to hearing more. As-is, the four tracks I do have remain some of the best stuff I've heard this year.

Lukestar - White shade

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

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Innan mörkret faller
02. TALK 1
03. TIAC - Boredom
04. Brainbombs - Who can you trust
05. Ted Gärdestad - Helena
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - China Blue
08. Viktor Sjöberg - The sensation of your head on my chest
09. Marvins Revolt - Deliberate deeds
10. TALK 3
11. Abalone Dots - Under the rain
12. The Bear Quartet - The lost kid office
13. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake up
14. Watain - Underneath the cenotaph
15. TALK 4
16. The Tiny - Closer
17. Supersilent - 8.4
18. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
19. TALK 5
20. The Skull Defekts - The secret
21. Lukestar - White shade
22. Pay TV - Fashion report
23. Wolfpack - Enter the gates
24. TALK 6
25. Tigerbombs - Shaking the tree
26. Familjen - Ivanhoe & Rebecca
27. Giant Robot - Public = shopping
28. Eskju Divine - Hold on
29. TALK 7
30. The Bell - On and on
31. DHG - The snuff dreams are made of
32. Trio Mediaeval - Det lisle bånet
33. TALK 8
34. Peter Bjorn and John - It beats me every time
35. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
36. Kaizers Orchestra - Kontroll på kontinentet
37. TALK 9
38. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D.

Finally, new music from Lukestar at the Eardrums blog: http://eardrumsmusic.com/2007/10/04/lukestar-white-shade/
I got a four-song demo of new stuff from these guys earlier this year and let me tell you, it's remained in steady rotation ever since and easily ranks as some of the best new music I've heard in 2007. Looks like we won't get to hear the new album until 2008, but I'm okay with waiting. Very very recommended!

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

01. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
02. TALK 1
03. José González - Down the line
04. Anna Ternheim - Girl laying down
05. The Bear Quartet - The supremes
06. TALK 2
07. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
08. Commando M Pigg - Allt genast
09. Mikkel Metal - Bano
10. TALK 3
11. Johan Hedberg - Nygubbe4
12. Mikko Singh - Toisella puolella
13. Mimas - Thought discuss
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. TALK 4
16. Sista Sekunden - Jag är aldrig nöjd
17. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland
18. Syster Lycklig - Drömgränd
19. TALK 5
20. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
21. The Grizzly Twister - Tigers made of paper
22. Samuel Jackson Five - Easily misunderstood
23. Grande Roses - Dead town
24. TALK 6
25. Thomas Dybdahl - B A part
26. Njurmännen - Cold meat industry
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
28. TALK 7
29. David Sandström Overdrive - Here's for summer
30. Randy - Freedom song
31. Kalle J - Vart stack du?
32. The Flaming Sideburns - Bad trip
33. TALK 8
34. The Bell - I am history
35. Lack - Pessimist poetry
36. The State of Floral Beings - Andy
37. Fireside - Problem (to you)
38. TALK 9
39. Firefox AK - Love to run
40. Manes - Cinder alley
41. Lukestar - Untitled
42. TALK 10
43. Oskar Schönning - S

Norway's Lukestar will return to the UK In July:

07/24 - The Grosvenor, London
07/25 - The Packhorse, Leeds
07/26 - The Phoenix, Manchester