Lots of new music today! I feel like I've been skimping on the metal, so I put up a live set from Mustasch recorded just the other day from Popstad on P3. They sound like a mix of "Kill 'Em All"-era Metallica and Soundgarden fronted by a guy who reminds of Dio and Ian Astbury of The Cult. And yes, those are all good things. I doubt they'll win, but the band is also up for a Swedish hard rock Grammy this year.

Next up is a track from the band KVLR. I'm going to be accompanying these guys on a short US tour next month, so you know I'm definitely into them. The track comes from the new retrospective collection "On Planted Streets" which combines all of their older releases on one CD. Those dates again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-In Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - TBD w/The Yellow Press
3/9 - SF, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise + more
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge w/The Jealous Sound
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - TBD

Speaking of Popstad, Chili.se has a bunch of pictures and reviews of the show. (in Swedish)

Check out this deal on the new Crystal Committee album from Chalksounds. Available for Swedes only.

Export Music Sweden (ExMS) is doing another series of showcase concerts this year at CBGBs in NYC, SXSW, and LA. The performers include The Sounds, Prime Sth, Whyte Seeds, Marit Bergman and The $1000 Playboys. The NY shows are March 10-11, SXSW is March 14-15 and then Spaceland in LA on the 16th plus the 17th at the Troubadour. Last time around, this concert series was the event which introduced America to The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Sahara Hotnights. I suspect there will be at least one new hit act from this year's crowd, too.

Check out the video for 69-Hard's forthcoming single "Gone Gone Gone" right here. It comes out on February 28 with the b-sides "The Bullets" and "Fuck Authority". The new album "Blues From Hell" follows on March 28.

Check out some pictures from Madrugada's recent tour of Europe here.

The Cardigans finally got themselves a new website.

And whaddya know? Meshuggah has a new site, too. No definitive word yet, but there's a headlining US tour in the works for the future.