IAT.MP3 artist The Grand Opening has added two new tracks to his myspace page from his excellent new album "Beyond the brightness": http://www.myspace.com/thegrandopening
Buy said album here and peep the sidebar for updated tourdates.

Now in stock: The Grand Opening - Beyond the brightness
The official release date isn't until April 4, but I'm taking pre-orders and will start shipping them early next week.

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

01. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
02. TALK 1
03. Karin Ström - Silent night
04. Camouflage - Syster sol
05. Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was
06. TALK 2
07. Juvelen - Don't mess
08. Invocator - Breed of sin
09. The Grand Opening - Secrets revealed
10. TALK 3
11. Motorpsycho - For free
12. Coldworker - Flammable
13. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Photo Jenny
14. TALK 4
15. Egil Olsen - Singer/songwriter
16. Last Days of April - Will the violins be playing?
17. Desert Planet - Riot sector 68
18. TALK 5
19. Printer - Satisfaction
20. Psyke Project - Physical romance
21. Promise and the Monster - Light reflecting papers
22. TALK 6
23. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
24. Pan Sonic - Johdin
25. Opération Zéro - Etude no. 1
26. TALK 7
27. Jonas Game - Nothing to lose
28. Mari Boine - Tundra flower
29. Vapnet - Plötsligt händer det inte
30. TALK 8
31. Moto Boy - Ride my wild heart
32. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
33. Gravy - Behind my walls
34. TALK 9
35. Looptroop Rockers - The building
36. Victims - Victims in blood #5
37. Anna Leong - Guillotine
38. Zeigeist - Humanitarianism
39. TALK 10
40. Ef - Appendix

IAT.MP3 artists The Grand Opening have confirmed that the excellent new album "Beyond the brightness" will be released on April 4. Check out the new website for more details or head to myspace to hear some new songs: http://www.myspace.com/thegrandopening
Also check the sidepanel for updated tourdates.

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

01. Disfear - Deadweight
02. TALK 1
03. The Social Services - Up in arms
04. Kaka - The hotspurs (the less know the faster we go)
05. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Manic panic
06. TALK 2
07. Tiger Lou - Patterns
08. Paper - My life is going under
09. Dreamboy - Stars
10. TALK 3
11. Lack - Watchmen
12. Don't Be A Stranger - Mon chi-chi
13. Ea Philippa - Heslenes sang
14. TALK 4
15. Ef - Thrills
16. Isolation Years - Yellow cross on blue
17. Frivolvol - Satellite kids
18. TALK 5
19. Enslaved - Eld
20. The Grand Opening - Secrets revealed
21. Ultralyd - Comphonie V
22. TALK 8
23. Firefok AK - Techno tears
24. The Indecision Alarm - Alienation process
25. Looptroop Rockers - Marinate
26. TALK 7
27. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
28. The End Will Be Kicks - Exit ramps
29. Cadillac - Locomotive
30. TALK 8
31. Lukestar - Lake Toba
32. Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
33. Printer - Minds out
34. TALK 9
35. Seven Feet Four - Auto emotion
36. Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination
37. Barra Head - Undermine
38. TALK 10
39. Britta Persson - Happy hour
40. Anna Leong - Guillotine
41. Ted Gärdestad - Can't stop this train
42. TALK 11

New tourdates for IAT.MP3 artist The Grand Opening now posted in the sidecolumn. Look for more news regarding the new album "Beyond the brightness" soon.

MP3: Linus Larsson and John Roger Olsson - In the shadow

I've mentioned a few times that John Roger Olsson from IAT.MP3 act The Grand Opening was working on an ambient album with Linus Larsson and now I'm happy to report that said album is done and in my hands (well, on my computer) and it's absolutely fantastic. It fulfills the textbook definition of post-rock: using typical rock instruments to create decidedly non-rock music. Said album "Leve Hogrän" does a lot of things, but I can tell you with all certainty that the one thing it doesn't do is "rock." Face it, the quiet/loud dynamics of most post-rock has been a cliché for a long time now, so it's nice to hear someone embracing one end of the spectrum. The track I've posted today, "In the shadow", is the group's own personal favorite and it's easy to understand why as it's got a little bit of everything: dreamy soundscapes, languid guitar melodies, a cohesive full-band moment in the mid-section and even a bit of wordless vocals towards the end. I think I like this even better than JRO's other post-rockish project Will Gambola Sing and those guys are pretty damn good. Also, please note that this project is currently unsigned, so if you might be interested in putting it out, I suggest you get in touch.

Linus Larsson and John Roger Olsson - In the shadow

IAT.MP3 artist The Grand Opening has cancelled their anticipated December tour and will instead head out on a longer tour in May. Right now, the band (John Roger Olsson plus Jens Pettersson on drums and Bo Anders Ljung on bass) is busy recording a new album with Linus Larsson at Hogrän in Gotland. Expect an April release.

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. TALK 1
02. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
03. Moder Jords Massiva - Vapen
04. Kornstad Trio - Intornette
05. TALK 2
06. Ghost Brigade - Autoemotive
07. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
08. September - My neighbourhood
09. TALK 3
10. Ebba Grön - 800°
11. Torpedo - My evil twin
12. Jonna Lee - Dried out eyes
13. TALK 4
14. Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
15. Pimentola - Death is a secret
16. Nils Berg - Sailors fighting in the dance hall
17. TALK 5
18. Lampshade - By and by I come
19. Midnight Choir - Will you carry me across the water
20. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
21. TALK 6
22. Candlemass - Elephant star
23. Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun
24. Cortex - Warrior night (live)
25. TALK 7
26. The Grizzly Twister - This city is a halo
27. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
28. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
29. TALK 8
30. The Bear Quartet - I'm still her
31. Paper - My life is going under
32. Darkthrone - Wisdom of the dead
33. Detektivbyrån - Nattöppet
34. TALK 9
35. Mob - Ghost track
36. Fare You Well - Deceiving eyes
37. TALK 10

Check the sidebar for a new batch of livedates from IAT.MP3 artist The Grand Opening.

John Roger Olsson from IAT.MP3 act The Grand Opening has a new project with his friend Linus Larsson and they just put a couple tracks up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/linuslarssonandjohnrogerolsson
Sounds great, as to be expected.

Danish indie act The Elephants has signed with German label Tapete Records (The Grand Opening, The Horror The Horror). Look for their debut album in October.

In semi-related news, WGS member/IAT.MP3 artist John Roger Olsson aka The Grand Opening will be spending the weekend in Gotland mixing his new ambient album that he made with Linus Larsson. There's no label or release date yet, but I'll see what I can do about getting a sample when it's ready.

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

MP3: Will Gambola Sing - Space is a strange place

Will Gambola Sing boasts a pretty amazing pedigree. They've got John Roger Olsson of IAT.MP3 artists The Grand Opening plus Jimmy Ottosson/Jimmy O of The Je Ne Sais Quoi, solo artist Mikko Singh, Joakim Labraaten of Yamon Yamon (another promising act) and Anders Ljung of Ohm. Considering the members other acts, it's not surprising that they make incredibly lush, dreamy pop music, but it is also kind of disappointing that they've decided to forego and keep it purely instrumental. What gives dudes? You've got more than one talented vocalist among you, so I wanna hear some beautiful harmonies. Aside from that one awfully minor complaint, this is some nice stuff, especially for what I imagine would be regarded as a demo. The songs and the playing is fantastic, the arrangements make great use of space and the recording sounds excellent. Definitely looking forward to hearing more down the road!
Listen to more tracks here: http://www.myspace.com/willgambolasing

Will Gambola Sing - Space is a strange place