Magnet will do a couple West Coast dates with Isobel Campbell (ex-Belle and Sebastian) in March:
03/07 – Troubadour, Los Angeles
03/08 – Café DuNord, San Francisco
03/09 – Triple Door, Seattle
Details on the upcoming Hemstad record due out in February via Catbird Records: https://www.catbirdrecords.com/cbr003.html
Per Gessle (non-Swedes will know him better as one-half of Roxette) has started posting old demo tracks to his website for free download: https://www.sonofaplumber.com/
Norway's Sex Beat, the band formerly known as The Beautiful People, has signed with Smalltown Supertown. Negotiations are still reportedly underway on a US deal with Vice Recordings.
Aftonbladet has the new In Flames video for streaming: https://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/player.html?catID=2672&clipID=5430
Check out the sidebar for a link to the new Hello Saferide video, too.
Swedish indiepop duo Gemene Man has posted some new tracks on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/gemeneman
Kinda reminds me of Bob Hund, but with more of Bear Quartet's willingness to experiment. I dig it.
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
02. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
03. Agnes - Agnes
04. Laleh - Laleh
05. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
06. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
07. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
08. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
09. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
10. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
11. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
12. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
13. Robyn - Robyn
14. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
15. Darin - Darin
16. Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
17. Nanne - Alltid på väg
18. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
19. Moneybrother - To die alone
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
Aversionline on Crimes Against Humanity Records and Finnish black-metal act Gaurithoth: https://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2006/01/if-this-is-life-of-crime-sign-me-up.html
pHinnWeb interviews the excellent Boys of Scandinavia: https://www.phinnweb.org/5HT/interviews/bos/
Keep a lookout for these guys to tour the UK later this year.
Sara Culler thanks her favorite bloggers: https://saraculler.webblogg.se/120106131545_something_about_the_year_of_2005.html
To which I say thank you. Writing about is made so much easier when the music is good.
Swedish dreamy melancholy pop act Talking to Drake recorded a couple new tracks recently and has posted them online for free download:
01. It won't take forever
02. Say my name
03. It won't take forever (remix)
Really nice stuff. Listen to more at their myspace page: https://www.myspace.com/talkingtodrake
Swedish indiepop act Trucker Cleavage had such a strong response to an old outtake they posted on their myspace page that they've made it available as an mp3 download: https://www.truckercleavage.se/media/03-In%20Tonight,%20Out%20Tomorrow-Trucker%20Cleavage.mp3
I went and saw the band Smalltown play here in Olympia a little over a month ago at the beginning of December. Despite a less-than-ideal show situation, the band delivered a great set of impassioned, melodic punk-rock. They reminded me a lot of the way Rancid used to be before they started believing their own hype, but with less Clash influence and more of a classic mod-rock feel ala The Jam. I don't consider myself much of a punk-rocker anymore, but I still really enjoy this sort of stuff when it's done well. Smalltown gets it right. Check out the newly posted mp3.
A West Side Fabrication has announced the signing of Rusty Flores. Check out a clip of the first single "Bomb the cabaret": https://shop.textalk.se/shop/395/art20/18920-mul-f865af.mp3
The self-titled debut album should be out in February.
Check out the video for "Accokeek" from Robert Johnson and the Punchdrunks: https://www.robertjohnsonandpunchdrunks.com/video/accokeek.wmv
The clip was directed by Tommy Ledberg/Indeed.