Norway Rat (Årabrot, Noxagt) has signed punk-rockers Lydia Laska and will be releasing the new 7" "Could I have a go on your girl, please?" b/w "Mandy", a new version of the old track from their "We're nothing compared to ourselves" EP. Guests on the a-side include Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh) on guitar and Sissy Wish on backing vocals. Expect it sometime in November. The band is also working on a new full-length with an eye for a February release.

Danish experimental/post-rock act Under Byen will be collaborating with Norwegian noiserockers Noxagt on a new piece of music to be premiered at Nordic Music Week in Stavanger, Norway in early November. Read more: http://www.nordicmusicweek.com/

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

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Worse than a girl
02. TALK 1
03. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
04. Deathbed - Neon light fantasy
05. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - I have an itch
08. C.Aarmé - Dustin
09. Noxagt - Wall's end
10. TALK 3
11. Menfolk - Hell is in Texas
12. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
13. Folk&Røvere - Solveigs sang
14. TALK 4
15. Bobby Baby - Goodbye love
16. Häive - Raina: Yömyrsky
17. Peter Bjorn and John - All those expectations
18. TALK 5
19. Meleeh - Vittra
20. Rigas - The hardest pocket to pick
21. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
22. TALK 6
23. Cortex - Warrior night
24. Tiger Lou - The war between us
25. Sophie Rimheden - Stay the night (ft. Adam Tensta)
26. TALK 7
27. Moto Boy - Beat heart
28. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Kanske jag kommer hem
29. September Malevolence - Who watches the watchmen?
30. TALK 8
31. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
32. Paper - Before that day
33. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
34. TALK 9
35. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
36. Stina Nordenstam - Trainsurfing
37. Red Moon - The height
38. TALK 10
39. Broder Daniel - When we were winning

Rune Grammofon will be releasing two new albums in late May, "Norwegianism" from MoHa! and "Conditions for a piece of music" from Ultralyd. MoHa! is the duo of Anders Hana (guitar) and Morten J. Olsen (drums) and Ultralyd is those two plus Kjetil Møster (sax) and Kjetil D. Brandsdal (bass, Noxagt). They reportedly sound nothing alike, as the latter is said to be "kind of slow contemporary chamber rock." Look for both on CD and limited vinyl.

Interview: Don Juan Dracula

Norwegian noiserockers Noxagt have updated their website with more North American tourdates: http://www.noxagt.com/

Norwegian instrumental act Noxagt will tour the US again in March:

03/12 - tba, Jackson, MS
03/14 - One Eyed Jack's, New Orleans, LA w/Zoroaster
03/15 - Rudyard's Pub, Houston, TX
03/16 - SXSW Eclipse showcase, Room 710, Austin, TX
03/23 - Scolaris Office, San Diego, CA
03/24 - The Scene Bar, Los Angeles, CA
03/27 - Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA
03/28 - The Stork Club, Oakland, CA
03/30 - Roturre, Portland, OR w/Earth
03/31 - tba, Seattle, WA w/Earth
04/04 - Turf Club Minneapolis, MN
04/11 - Static Age, Asheville, NCe
04/14 - Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, Charlottesville, VA
04/15 - Rock n Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
04/19 - Club Europa, Brooklyn, NY @ w/Zoroaster, Unearthly Trance, Under Satans Sun

Pitchfork reviews Noxagt: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/38648/Noxagt_Noxagt

Indieworkshop on the new Noxagt: http://www.indieworkshop.com/music.php?id=2724

Dusted reviews the latest from Noxagt: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/3062

Noxagt
s/t
Load Records

I don't know if there's a proper term to describe what Noxagt exactly is. When I listened to their third release on Providence, Rhode Island's Load Records, the only word I could think of was 'intense'. I had an assumption of what to expect with this record when I saw it was a Load release: it was definitely going to be noisy and maybe even challenge me to enjoy it (which I did.) Although some may think that seven tracks is a bit short for an album, Noxagt make effective use of this by playing unrelenting instrumental/sludge rock in the vein of bands like High on Fire and labelmates Lightning Bolt. Each track pummels into the listener's ear as bass, drums and spring-loaded guitar combine to create droning soundscapes that get progressively more violent and intense as you listen.
- Navy Keophan

MP3: Noxagt - Nintety parallels ago

Noxagt isn't quite like the other bands on the Load Records roster. Even though the label is well-known for putting out all sorts of challenging art-rock, I usually associate their aesthetic with louder/faster duos such as Friends Forever and Lightning Bolt. Those bands are fine I suppose, but I find that they tend to get fairly tedious upon repeat listens. Noxagt however traffics in a different kind of brutality - a bass-heavy pummeling that's not so preoccupied with filling space as it is with laying down beats that make your head nod. The baritone/bass/drums instrumentation naturally accentuates the low-end and the (mostly) mid-tempo pacing of the songs gives the material room to breathe. This song I've posted today is particularly slow and dirge-like. At first it doesn't really seem like it's going anywhere, but once it opens up, it sure gets painful. It a good way, of course.

Noxagt - Nintety parallels ago

French label Textile Records will be releasing a split 12" featuring Norwegian/Load Records acts Noxagt and Ultralyd. It will be out in mid-May and will feature all-exclusive material.

Noxagt's forthcoming self-titled album, their third overall, will be out May 30 on US label Load Records. Look for US and European tourdates to be confirmed soon.

Upcoming live dates for Lasse Marhaug, one half of Jazzkammer:

September - Norwegian tour w/Noxagt
09/23 - The Wire Festival 2, Empty Bottle, Chicago (US)
10/09 - Observatori Festival, Valencia (SPA). [w/Anla Courtis]
10/15 - Ultima Festival, Oslo (NOR) [Splatterkammer: Nikko/Jazzkammer]
10/29 - Decibel Festival, Buenos Aires (ARG) [Jazzkammer]
February 2005 - New Zealand tour [Del]