New mp3 today from Trapdoor Fucking Exit, a band I've enjoyed ever since I randomly found their self-titled debut album for sale in the budget bin of a local record store. I had always been curious about them because of the name (before I figured out it was a Dead C reference), but it's the music that's important in the end. They started out channeling the spirit of mid-90s hardcore such as Born Against and John Henry West and are now aging gracefully, letting up a bit on the violence and mayhem, but always honing their attack and improving their musical skills. Now they strike where it counts. This song comes from the band's forthcoming album "Crooked life/straight world", due out this fall on No Idea in the US. I guess no one in Scandinavia or Europe has offered to pick it up for release yet and that's a huge shame. These dudes have been putting out quality work for way too long with way too little recognition and dammit, it is time for that to change. Can't we at least have an alternative to the ubiquitous mallcore that pollutes the airwaves and invades our senses?

Trapdoor Fucking Exit reports that they are finished with their new album "Crooked life/straight world" and it's due to be released in the fall via No Idea Records. Hopefully they'll actually get it on time, too. In other news, there's a demo version of the track "DOA" up on their myspace page for those that are interested. A new recording of the song will appear on the new album.

Finnish music blog Lupatarkastaja discusses Scandinavian hardcore with links to mp3s from Totalt Jävla Mörker, Hero Dishonest, Trapdoor Fucking Exit, Abduktio and C.Aarmé: http://lupatarkastaja.blogspot.com/2005/02/luuvitonen-hyv-meininki-niinku-vko-6.html

The excellent Swedish hardcore band Trapdoor Fucking Exit will be heading into the studio on March 1 with producer Carl Wikman to begin work on their next album "Crooked Life/Straight World". Expect a fall release.

Swedish hardcore label Busted Heads is giving up! They'll be repressing the Regulations "Destroy" 7" because "the record is too good, the band too active and the demand too big to let it end with just the first press," but the long awaited Trapdoor Fucking Exit 7" has been scrapped by the band. Boo! Read the full statement: http://www.bustedheads.com/

Sound the Sirens review Trapdoor Fucking Exit: http://www.soundthesirens.com/reviews/trapdoorfuckingexit-benotcontent.php

Looks like Trapdoor Fucking Exit finally officially opened their new website: http://www.trapdoorfuckingexit.com/

Catena Collapse will be putting the finishing touches on the track "Let's grow sick together" this weekend for an upcoming Ape Must Not Kill Ape compilation. It's gonna be called "This is your life" and I assume it'll be out sometime later this year.

In other news, the band will be making their triumphant return to the stage on March 18 after two whole years of not playing out. The show will be at UFFA in Trondheim, Norway with True North and the great Trapdoor Fucking Exit, so if you're in the neighborhood you should definitely stop by.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit has a new malfunctioning website: http://www.trapdoorfuckingexit.com/
I guess it's not completely done yet, as the enter graphic isn't linked anywhere. Anyhow, the band is currently recording and mixing two new songs, one for a single and one for a Minutemen tribute on No Idea Records. Supposedly No Idea will have their new full-length "Be Not Content" out on February 10, but then again, we've heard it before. Wait and see? Lastly, they'll also be tagging along with True North on tour around Scandinavia in March. Dates so far:

03/17 - Blitz, Oslo (NOR) w/Kaospilot
03/18 - tba, Trondheim (NOR)
03/19 - Cafe Mic, Vänersborg (SWE)
03/20 - tba, Stockholm (SWE)
03/21 - Taj Mahal, Västeras (SWE)
03/22 - Meeths, Göteborg (SWE)
03/23 - tba, Jönköping (SWE)
03/24 - tba, Malmö (SWE)
03/25 - Ungdomshuset, Copenhagen (DK)

Trapdoor Fucking Exit has made a funny quiz that will tell you "Who are you in Trapdoor Fucking Exit?" Me, I'm Jens, guitarist and inventor of the big big riffs.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit, or should I say Trapdoor *@#1%@! Exit or whatever they decided to print, are reviewed in the latest issue of Punk Planet. Seems the test pressings of the new album finally arrived, so it should actually be out sometime soon. Look for a feature in the December issue of Close-Up, too. Otherwise, tentative plans are to tour the UK in February or March, but there's no dates yet. I'll keep you informed.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit has added Tomas on guitar and occasional keys. He's the same guy who played bass on the band's first tour and is sometimes referred to as their 'secret fifth member'. Well, it's a secret no longer. He might also be recognized as the live sound guy for bands such as Hellacopters, Randy or Meshuggah. In other news, the band will be entering the studio soon to record a couple new things including some material for a 7" on Busted Heads for later this year and a cover of The Minutemen's "This Ain't No Picnic" for a tribute comp due out someday on No Idea. They also say that they'll be coming over to the UK again soon, but there's no details available yet. And lastly, check out this mp3 of them playing "Skatterna Faller" live with the "Swedish version of Sid Vicious", DS-13's 138 on guest vocals.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit is back from tour and has put up a brand new website with a new mp3 of the song "Intruder" plus a bunch of new pictures. The forthcoming album "Be Not Content" is still awaiting release, but they say you might be able to find it on Soulseek in the meantime if you're feeling criminal. The band has also lined up an appearance on an upcoming 2xCD mp3 compilation from Go-Kart Records with some 150+ other bands. I'll post the details on that when I get 'em.

Busted Heads Records reports that the new Randy "Cheater" 7" is done and ready for ordering. First 500 copies are clear vinyl. Also out now is the Razors Edge "Thrash March EP". Check out an mp3 from that release here: "Future President / Born Again". Up next will be a 7" from Trapdoor Fucking Exit called "DOA/Cause & Effect" due out sometime later this year.

Also from Busted Head comes this link to a number of Umeå Hardcore demos available to be downloaded. Among the bands featured are Damn Right with Miss Blingbling from said label along with Inti, a new band with ex-members of DS-13, Cult Of Luna, Separation and Greed.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit has put up the video for the song "Short Term Investment", recorded live at Umeå Punkfest in 2001. Check it out.

Amulet recently filmed a video for the single "Breaking News". They say it "involves a low key gig at an abandoned house and a deathdefying girl in a van who brings terror to the city of Oslo." I'll let you know if they post in online.

Turbonegro's complete festival schedule for the summer:

06/02 - Flippaut festival, Bologna, Italy
06/05 - Ruisrock, Turku, Finland
06/12 - Hultsfred Festival Hultsfred, Sweden
06/20 - Kick off Festival, Wiesen, Austria
06/21 - Southside Festival, Neuhausen, Germany
06/22 - Hurricane Festival, Schlessel, Germany
06/27 - Roskilde Festival, Denmark
06/28 - Open Air, St Gallen, Switzerland
07/05 - London, Meanfiddler (clubshow) UK
07/12 - T in the Park, Kinross, Scotland, UK
08/07 - Nordland Musikkfestukke, Bodö, Norway
08/08 - Öya festivalen, Oslo Norway
08/09 - Wrightegaarden, Langesund, Norway
08/23 - Reading Festival, Reading UK
08/24 - Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Outlandish - Guantanamo
03. A-Teens - Perfect Match
04. Her Majesty - F.U.N.E.R.A.L
05. Jennifer Brown - Weak
06. HIM - Funeral of hearts
07. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
08. The Cardigans - You´re The Storm
09. Melody Club - Cover Girl
10. Darude - Music
11. Mew - Comforting Sounds
12. Kwan - Shine
13. Equicez - Live From Pass It
14. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
15. Elin Sigvardsson - Where To Start
16. Timbuktu - Ett Brev
17. Paragon - Försök Förstå
18. Pauline - Runnin´ Out Of Gaz
19. Surferosa - Neon Commando
20. Homy - Bus Stop

Challengers:
01. Jon - This Side Up
02. Antique - Moro Mou
03. Fireside - All You Had
04. The Concretes - You Can´t Hurry Love
05. Kamera - At Work
06. C21 - She Cries

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Labrador Records is now distributed by Mortes Nois in Estonia. For more info email mrnois@hot.ee.

Dolores Records has announced they will be releasing a limited edition CD single for the new supergroup Vanessa and the O's on June 10. The band features ex-members of Popsicle along with James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and is described as electronic pop in French. Crazy, eh? More info soon.

Bad Taste Records is the label of the month over at the Danish radio program New Rocking Sounds which airs Tuesdays at 8pm on 93.7 in Århus. They'll be interviewing Last Days of April, Logh and various others from the roster along with playng tunes from said bands. Be sure to check it out or wait for the clips to hit the online archives.

Listen to "Mattias Alkbergs Begravning" from Planekonomi, another band featuring Mattias from Bear Quartet. More info here. Look for 2 EPs this fall and a full-length sometime next year.

One of my pals over at indieworkshop.com reviews the new Flaming Sideburns album today.

"No one has satisfactorily explained why a country of 4.5 million generates so much music: is it the dark winters? Subsidised music lessons? Rubbish TV?" - John Bungey, The Times (UK)

Norweigan music appears to be making quite a few headways beyond their borders as evidenced in this article from MIC Norway. Turbonegro and Jaga Jazzist might be the first names to come to mind for most folk, but now there's also Beady Belle, Tord Gustavsen, Per Arne Glorvigen, and St. Thomas to pay attention to.

Johnny Bråttom Records will be holding a record release show on May 30 at Kulturkammaren in Norrköping for their forthcoming "Svensk Populärmusik Volym Två" compilation. The bands scheduled to appear are Slagsmålsklubben, recent Dolores-signees Cdoass, Bremen Brotröster GmbH, Björn Kleinhenz, and The Flu. As for the tracklisting of said comp, it is as follows:

01. Cdoass - The Box
02. Niccokick - Run, Run, Run
03. Björn Kleinhenz - How Long Is The Night?
04. Slagsmålsklubben - Filter Fabric Facts (DJ Upperkurt Instrumental Remix)
05. Idiot Savants - Daily Routine
06. Music 77 - Kameror
07. Pete Thompson - Folk Song
08. Lola Barbershop - Ticket To Happiness
09. The Kid - Baton Rouge
10. Junip - Turn To The Assassin
11. The Topeka Twins - Hunting Song
12. Menteroja - Call Me
13. Bremen Brotröster GmbH - Greater/Better
14. The Flu - Golden Hair
15. Celestine - Sunflower
16. José González - Heartbeats
17. Café Polymorf - A Good Time
18. Quit Your Dayjob - Pissing On A Panda
19. Joni - Frank Xerox
20. Ane Brun - Are They Saying Goodbye?
21. Sandy Mouche - A Year

Aftonbladet reports that famed Swedish videomaker Jonas Åkerlund is working with Blondie on the single "Good Boys" in LA. The new album ""The Curse of Blondie" comes out around September or October. Åkerlund's previous credits include artists such as Satyricon, Madonna, Metallica and The Prodigy.

This new album will be 'harder' than the previous one and more guitars. To sum it up: a groovier album!

That's Peter Tägtgren of Pain describing work on the new album. He says he's already finished all of the backing music along with five of the thirteen vocal tracks and should be able to have it out sometime this fall on Stockholm Records.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
02. Alcazar - Alcazarized
03. Eddie Meduza - Live(s)!
04. v/a - Fame Factory volym 5
05. Moneybrother - Blood panic
06. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
07. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
08. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
09. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
10. Jill Johnson - Discography
11. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
12. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
13. Antique - Blue love
14. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
15. Monia - Söderns hjärtas ros
16. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
17. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
18. Simson Dupont - Simson Dupont
19. Fame - Give me your love
20. The Sounds - Living in America

Tomas Ledin is going on tour in support of his new live album "I Sommarnattens Ljus" which comes out on June 2. The dates so far:

07/08 - Öja Slott, Öja
07/19 - Bergs Slussar, Linköping
08/03 - Stadsparken, Örebro

The lineup for Sommarrock, which takes place July 10-12 in Svedala, Sweden: Mikael Wiehe, Bubbles, Joddla w/Siv, Advance Patrol, The Ark, Danne Stråhed, Häjkån Bäjkån Band, The Mo and Di Leva.

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

Leaving the chart:
(10) Randy "A Man in Uniform"
(11) Solomon Burke "Soul Searching"
(12) Fireside "All You Had"
(13) Magnus Carlson "Jag ber dig"
(16) Queens Of The Stone Age "Go With The Flow"
(18) The Go-Betweens "Caroline and I"
(19) David & The Citizens "New Direction"
(20) Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"

The full details for Finland's Koneisto Festival has been released. Some of the artists scheduled to appear include Björn Torske, Ralph Myerz & Jack Herren Band, Erlend Oye (acoustic set + "magnificent singing DJ set"), Datarock, Jori Hulkkonen, Rinneradio (feat. Dj Slow, Siiri Nordin and MC Paleface) among many others. The acclaimed electronic music festival was the first of its type for all of Scandinavia and the selection of performers "seeks to establish an interesting balance between commercial and experimental music" over the event's 9 stages. It all goes down in Helsinki from July 25-27 and more info can be found from the fest's official website.

Blabbermouth reports that HIM will be touring Europe in support of Ozzy Osbourne and Godsmack this September. I'll keep you posted.