Fenriz' 2009 DJ mix from the Metal Merchants festival has been posted for free download: https://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2011/01/fenriz-metal-merchants-festival-dj-set.html
As with all of Fenriz' mixes, I'm sure it will be a great lesson in classic obscure metal. Oh, and you can also check out an interview with the festival organizer right here: https://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2011/01/interview-with-stian-of-metal-merchants.html
Moloken reports that they are done recording their new album and have sent it off to Sven Engdahl for mixing. No title or release date yet, but they do reveal that it is seven songs long.
The José González documentary "The Extraordinary Ordinary Life Of José González" will receive its US debut on February 23 at the Noise Pop Fest in San Francisco. Read more: https://2011.noisepop.com/film
I'm Kingfisher, making his Latvian TV debut. Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvTxEPR664M
In related news, I'm Kingfisher/Thomas Denver Jonsson's label is now distributed via and the entire catalogue is now available on iTunes, Spotify and all other digital platforms.
Barbe-Q-BarbiesThis Finnish all-girl rock crew have it nailed -- almost -- when it comes to belting out a killer collection of punk-tinged hard rock that is so close to perfection, it's frustrating. The only thing really lacking here is a supercharged guitar sound. It's not that the guitars sound bad, rather they would completely transform this album if they rang out with the power of the likes of Skid Row or Mötley Crüe instead of the predominant AC/DC-like tone they currently have. Listening to the likes of "Rockstar" or "Escort" might be an enjoyable affair now, but it's hard not to think of how immense they would sound with a Dave Sabo-esque six-stringed savagery behind them. It would change "All over you" from a head-nodding, foot-tapping rock 'n' roll album into a fist-pounding, frenzy-inducing hard rock behemoth. I'm not talking about changing the riffs -- the songwriting is exceptional -- but rather giving the guitar that sound that forces gritted teeth, clenched fists and a cry of "Fuck yeah!" at the slightest hint of a chord being hit. The vocals are right up there with the best of rock's female screamers, the production borders on the perfect and, all-in-all, this is a stormer of a debut album that would get full marks if not for what I've just mentioned above. Just... please... floor us with that guitar next time!
- John Norby
After 20 years and many, many records, Swedish crustpunks Uncurbed are officially calling it quits: https://dbeatrawpunk.blogspot.com/2011/01/punk-illegal-support-gig-291.html
Swedish retro-metal enthusiasts Bullet and Enforcer are touring Europe together in April:
04/07 - Marx, Hamburg (GER)
04/08 - Bastard Club, Osnabrück (GER)
04/09 - Turock, Essen (GER)
04/10 - Rock Temple, Kerkrade (NL)
04/11 - Underworld, London (UK)
04/12 - Underground, Cologne (GER)
04/13 - Café Central, Weinheim (GER)
04/14 - K17, Berlin (GER)
04/15 - Estrada, Bydgoszcz (PL)
04/16 - Kwadrat, Krakau (PL)
04/17 - Escape, Wien (AUS)
04/18 - Backstage, München (GER)
04/19 - Rock Fabrik, Ludwigsburg (GER)
04/20 - Dynamo, Zürich (CH)
04/21 - Hellraiser, Leipzig (GER)
04/22 - OHK, Oostende (BEL)
04/23 - Biebob, Vosselaar (BEL)
talks to We Are She, a band they'll be releasing a new EP from very soon: https://www.westsidefabrication.se/news/we-are-she/
Stream the new Emerald Park single "Reality bites/Someone to love": https://emeraldpark.bandcamp.com/album/reality-bites
Spanish label is reissuing Starmarket's landmark "Five hours light" album on vinyl for the very first time in February, something that I suppose explains the reason the band will be performing said album down there on February 4. As with the folks at BCore, this record is a seminal piece of (Swedish) musical history to me, helping to bridge the gap between hardcore, post-hardcore and indie/noiserock -- it's the reason I discovered Kevlar/KVLR and subsequently took them on tour and put out their self-titled CD, which of course still stands as a crucial step in the evolution of this site. Read more/pre-order here: https://www.bcoredisc.com/ING/discoBD.php?id_disco=257
Dazed Digital has the premiere of Lykke Li's new video for "I follow rivers": https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/9471/1/lykke-li-i-follow-rivers
has created a new website to cover every wing of their entire music media empire: record label, live promoter, artist management, etc: https://www.badtasteempire.com/
has signed De Montevert and will be releasing her debut EP this spring. There's also a new EP from Simian Ghost on the way from the label as well.
Gaffa declares Popterror to be the best unsigned act of 2010: https://gaffa.se/nyhet/46357
Their prize: two weeks of free studio time in London.
Okkultokrati play Stockholm this weekend at DeadFest and if it's anything like when they played Göteborg a few weeks back, I imagine my RSS reader will be full of statements such as "holy shit!" and "screw it, I quit!" the very next day. Or maybe not, seeing as how Stockholm's denizens tend to be unimpressed, jaded elitists. Anyhow, whether or not dozens of mediocre bands will spontaneously dissolve after being devastated by Scandinavia's current genre leaders, it's an event not to be missed. I obviously can't make it as I'm back home, halfway 'round the world, but at least I can still jam the band's superb new EP "Ingen veit alt". Five new tracks, including a Reagan Youth cover ("No class"), a tune with the very timely title of "Witch house" and then one that ups the nomenclature ante even further: "Triumph of meth". If the tag of "apocalyptic metal/punk sludge" sounds appealing, you can't do better than this.