European tourdates for Swallow the Sun:
11/13 - Musikzentrum, Hannover (GER)
11/14 - Zeche Carl, Essen (GER)
11/15 - Columbia Club, Berlin (GER)
11/16 - Alte Spinnerei, Glauchau (GER)
11/17 - Club Vaudeville, Lindau (GER)
11/18 - Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
11/20 - Roxy, Saarbrücken (GER)
11/21 - Metropolis, Munich (GER)
11/22 - Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg (GER)
11/23 - Helling, Utrecht (NL)
11/24 - Bibelot, Dordrecht (NL)
11/25 - Biebob, Vosselaar (BEL)
11/27 - Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg (SWE)
11/28 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)
11/29 - Klubben, Stockholm (SWE)
12/01 - Nosturi, Helsinki (FIN)
12/19 - Pakkahuone, Tampere (FIN)
12/29 - Helldone Festival, Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN)
08/16 - Bloodstock Open Air, Catton Hall, Derby (UK)
Marching Band apparently has some big things in the works: https://marchingband.se/index.php?page=news
Norwegian hip-hop act is giving away their 2001 album "Holdning over underholdning" for free download: https://www.gatasp.no/gatas-parlament-holdning-over-underholdning/
The Finnish MIC has posted some details regarding the upcoming "Etoiles Polares Finland" festival for Finnish music happening in Ghent, Belgium on December 12-15: https://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/mainframe?readform&5BF5340AF384CC7DC225738E003F3954
Acts confirmed include Kimmo Pohjonen, Cleaning Women, Circle, Kuusumun Profeetta, Magyar Posse, Aavikko, Shogun Kunitoki, Jimi Tenor and Pan Sonic.
Musique Machine interviews one of my current favorite acts The Skull Defekts: https://www.musiquemachine.com/articles/articles_template.php?id=119
More Swedish postpunk? Sure! Why not? Commando M Pigg were a female fronted act that formed in 1980, dropped the "M Pigg" around '86 and eventually released a grand total of seven albums before finally calling it a day in 1990. I'm not familiar with the group's later English-language material, but the first three albums or so are fantastic. Today's track "Svenska fötter" is actually the first track of their very first self-titled album. The main feature is definitely Eva Sonesson's vocals, but I also love the way the rhythm section holds things down so the guitarist can freak out and wail on his whammy-bar. And that main verse riff! That's some proto-"Waiting room" shit right there. I love it.
Commando M Pigg - Svenska fötter
Check out a video interview with José González over at Bridgerack: https://bridgerack.com/content/view/48/1/
A transcription is also provided for the multimedia-impaired.
The Carny's new album "...so let's give a great big oldfashioned welcome to The Carny" will be released on December 3 via the label Brunljud. Listen to the lead single "Sun in your eyes" at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thecarnyband
I like this band - well worth checking out.
A West Side Fabrication has now confirmed that the release of the new Olle Nyman album "Venture" will be on January 16.
Moto Boy's self-titled debut album will be out in January.
Shout Out Louds closed out their recent US tour at the Henry Ford in LA with special guests Spider Stacy and James Fearnley of The Pogues joining them on stage for their cover of "Streams Of whiskey". More details: https://ohmerge.blogspot.com/2007/11/shout-out-louds-joined-by-pogues-in-la.html
6
Eric Malmberg creates extremely visual music, almost to the point where "Verklighet & beat" feels as though it would have been better suited as the soundtrack to a bizarre 60s film than a musical effort alone. Sadly, this may be the only true failing of this record, and it seems unfair to level it against an obviously talented composer and musician, especially on a record produced by Jari Haapalainen (The Bear Quartet) and featuring Swedish organ phenomenon Bo Hansson. "Verklighet & beat" would be a wonderful companion to a 60s novel, especially anything exploring the European segment of this decade or the stereotypical "consciousness expansion" facets of those lost years, and it has been a strange escort towards those shadowy hallways of sleep, but other than in these capacities, I'm not sure how versatile Malmberg's record really is. Obviously the work of a damned gifted artists, "Verklighet & beat" is comparable to a cinematic masterpiece - powerful works when one is in the right setting and mood, but how many times can you really watch a film like "Requiem for a dream"? And could you watch that film on a sunny, beautiful day lost in the Caribbean? Likewise, "Verklighet & beat" is dazzling, but limited.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Razzia has confirmed that Firefox AK's new album "If I were a melody" will be released on February 20.
Kissaway Trail will be doing an in-store at Rough Trade East in London on November 13.
Eric Malmberg