will be releasing a 4-song self-titled EP from new signees It's a bird! It's a plane! on Feburary 4 on both digital and 10" vinyl and no, I don't remember seeing them on The Onion's annual worst band name list, though they definitely qualify. Preview at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/itsabirditsaplane
Niki and the Dove (#8) and Oh Land (#13) make NME's list of "20 bands you need to hear in 2011" which probably means that the hype of these probably overrated acts will be deafening.
Every moment has me falling further and further behind. The list of music that deserves coverage grows longer by the day and I can barely keep up, to say nothing of everything else I've got going on. One such title I've been meaning to talk up for awhile now is Mack Johansson's solo debut "New Sweden", so here's a great uneasy ballad from said disc. Perhaps a few of you will recognize Mack as the frontman for the very excellent Hyacinth House, one of my absolute favorite dark country acts and a band I've done my best to talk up for multiple years now, so no surprise that I find myself mentioning his work yet again. However, Mack's work under his own name is a slightly different beast: similar twang, but definitely far less dark/more overtly pop. Not necessarily a bad thing when done right, but a sidestep that took me a bit off-guard. So I'm approaching this cautiously, optimistic that it'll win me over eventually, much in the same way that Hyacinth House's last record "Black crows' country" took time to grow on. For now I'm favoring the slower, more gentle tunes such as this; we'll wait on the rest.
Scandinavian bands I recognize from The Onion's annual worst band names list: The Lovable Tulips, Apoptygma Berzerk, Kyklooppien Sukupuutto. I'm probably missing a few, but no way am I clicking through each and every one to find out where they're from. Anyhow, check out the rest of the list here: https://www.avclub.com/articles/2010-the-year-in-band-names,49559/
The first release of 2011 for will be MF/MB/'s new 5-song EP/single "Seconds away". The official release date is January 18.
The final 12 nominees for the first annual Nordic Music Prize have been announced:
Dungen - Skit i allt
Paleface - Helsinki – Shangri-La
Frisk Frugt - Dansktoppen møder Burkina Faso i det himmelblå rum hvor solen bor, suite
Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
Robyn - Body talk
Jónsi - Go Do
Efterklang - Magic Chairs
Serena Maneesh - S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor
The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a scheme
Ólöf Arnalds - Innundir skinni
Kvelertak - Kvelertak
First Aid Kit - The big black & the blue
The winner will be announced during by:Larm in Oslo February 17-19. More here: https://nordicmusicprize.com/
has signed Swedish instrumental horror act Anima Morte and will be rereleasing the group's debut album in March with bonus tracks.
"Kovasikajuttu" ("The Punk Syndrome") is an upcoming documentary on Finnish punk act Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät which will premiere in 2012. This is merely a preview of the awesomeness to come. Direct link: https://vimeo.com/18119323
Guitarist Lars Haavard Haugen of Norwegian act Hellbillies will be releasing his solo instrumental debut "Six strings and the truth" on January 31. Hear the first single "Landscapes" in exchange for sharing it: https://larshaavardhaugen.no/
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. Håkan Hellström
02. Säkert!
03. The Radio Dept.
04. Hello Saferide
05. Familjen
06. Jens Lekman
07. Robyn
08. Laakso
09. Kent
10. Masshysteri
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/
Jeudah, the long-distance collaboration of Jan Jämte (Khoma) and Kristian Karlsson (Pg.lost, ex-Eskju Divine), now have a sample tune online: https://jeudah.bandcamp.com/track/the-edge-of-the-world
Look for the band's debut album "While we sleep" to be released sometime around March/April via .
Head to Asha Ali's site to check out a free download of the brand new single called "The beat": https://www.ashaali.com/
reports that the new Mattias Alkberg album has been pushed back to August with a single to come in May: https://www.westsidefabrication.se/news/a-brief-notice/
So as to not interfere with the Pascal split, I presume?
Pop music blog #1 Hits from Another Planet is taking this week to pay tribute to The Ark by revisiting each and every one of the band's albums, tracks and b-sides before they bid farewell: https://alienhits.blogspot.com/2011/01/arkeology-day-one.html
Rebecka Törnqvist's new Jari Haapalainen-produced album "Scorpions" has been confirmed for release on February 23.