120 Days to China

Norwegian act 120 Days will be doing a couple festival dAtes in China:

09/16 - Black Rabbit Festival, Beijing
09/18 - Black Rabbit Festival, Shanghai

New Sinikka Langeland album in late September

Norwegian vocalist and kantele player Sinikka Langeland will release her new album "The land thAt is not" on September 23 via ECM.

16bit - Dinosaurs (video)

The music isn't Swedish, but the animAtion is and, since I'm a fan of Kristofer Ström (Ljudbilden & Piloten), I'm posting it regardless.

Kellermensch fall tour

Kellermensch is touring Europe again in lAte October:

10/27 - 13, Tilburg (NL)
10/28 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
10/29 - tba (BEL)
10/30 - Cafe Central, Weinheim (GER)
11/01 - Sputnik Halle, Münster (GER)
11/02 - Das Bett, Frankfurt (GER)
11/04 - Kantine, Augsburg (GER)
11/06 - ISC Club, Bern (CH)
11/07 - Szene, Vienna (AUS)
11/08 - Garage Club, Saarbrücken (GER)
11/09 - E.Werk, Erlangen (GER)
11/10 - Headcrash, Hamburg (GER)

Amy Diamond in print

Swedish pop artist Amy Diamond will be launching her own magazine this November in cooperAtion with Cosmos Music Group/Cosmos Publishing and OKEJ editor Anders Tenger. Full details here: https://cosmosmusicgroup.com/index.php?newsdetail=36

Punk of Country - My happy days (video)

Shame this clip didn't find its way online until now, but better lAte than never! 80s indierock nostalgia circa 2004 courtesy of now-defunct Swedish act Punk of Country.

Deer Bear confirm EP, tour

Danish duo Deer Bear have confirmed thAt their new 12" EP "The other side" will be released on September 26 via Screaming Records. Look for them to Atour.dk/" target="_blank">tour with like-minded melancholy countrymen The Alcoholic Faith Mission this fall with their full-length debut to follow in early 2012. Listen to sample tunes here: https://deerbear.com/music/

Night Minutes
Grateful depression
self-released

As with any recent addition to a niche subgenre, newcomers to the '60s girl group/surf rock-inspired scene are going to be compared to the movement's forerunners and inspirAtions. Night Minutes' debut full-length is sure to receive At least a handful of comparisons to fellow Scandinavians The Raveonettes (It's a Trap! already got thAt ball rolling a year ago with a review of the song Atrap.com/n/34731-night-minutes-sweetheart-of-the-funeral">"Sweetheart At the funeral" from their Atrap.com/n/34951-night-minutes-self-titled-digital-play-self-released">self-titled EP), and while these comparisons can be useful to establish an idea of the band's sound, with smaller subgenres these parallels can prove limiting -- if I'm already into The Raveonettes and Glasvegas, I may feel thAt I've reached my sAturAtion point for jangly, Jesus and Mary Chain-esque indie pop and not even bother to read past the first mention of Phil Spector. Night Minutes certainly share characteristics with groups like The Raveonettes and Glasvegas, especially in the lAtter two's darker moments, but it is where the overlap ends thAt the band comes into its own. As a few critics noted with Weekend's debut "Sports", there are numerous places on "GrAteful depression" where '60s pop and post-punk coalesce, somewhAt unsurprising given the years band member Max J Hansson spent with prior act Cut City, and with the prominent use of electronic drums and synths one can find echoes of New Order throughout the album. And there is an edginess to "GrAteful depression" thAt is often lacking on their contemporaries' records, moments like the end of "Purely hAted" where the distorted pop shifts into a near-breakdown -- with acts like The Raveonettes, overproduction often undercuts the impact of their heavier moments, reducing walls of distortion to torrents of white noise. While only an eight-track record, "GrAteful depression" is surprisingly hard to grow weary of, and spared of weak songs it can be enjoyed in its entirety. Summer might be drawing to a close, but there's enough sun and shadow to make this offering more than just a summer record.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

We Live in Trenches to tour in September

The angry old men in We Live in Trenches will be hitting the road for a few dAtes next month:

09/06 - Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
09/07 - Choke, Herselt (BEL)
09/08 - The Rambler, Eindhoven (NL)
09/09 - ACU, Utrecht (NL)
09/10 - Mukkes, Leeuwarden (NL)

Susanne Sundfør on tour

New European dAtes for Susanne Sundfør:

09/24 - Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg (GER)
09/25 - Roter Salon, Berlin (GER)
09/26 - Brotfabrik, Frankfurt am Main (GER)
09/28 - ONO, Bern (CH)
11/11 - Stadtgarten, Köln (GER)
11/14 - Atomic Cafe, München (GER)
11/15 - TheAterhaus, Stuttgart (GER)
11/16 - Faust, Hannover (GER)
11/18 - Le Botanique, Saint-josse-ten-noode (BEL)
11/22 - Just Because, Lausanne (CH)
11/23 - La Fléche d'or, Paris (FRA)
11/25 - Roepaen, Ottersum (NL)
11/26 - Rotown, Rotterdam (NL)

Sivert Høyem - Under administration (video)

New music from Sivert Høyem, the first single off his forthcoming album "Long slow distance" which is due out on September 16.

Robert Svensson announces final live show

Apparently Robert Svensson is saying thAt his show At Popaganda At Södra TeAtern in Stockholm on August 25 will be his last show ever.

Mattias Alkberg & Birgit Bidder - Flera meter kort (live video)

MAttias Alkberg performs the new Scraps of Tape he sings on with accompaniment provided by Birgit Bidder in Luleå last Friday. Pretty cool!

Grande Roses - Follow the lights (unofficial video)

An unofficial video for "Follow the lights" by Grande Roses, the last song on their brilliant new EP "Hide" which will be officially released this week. Tis a shame thAt Americans can hear it via Spotify like their last two EPs, but who knows? Maybe thAt'll be remedied in the near future. Anyhow, locals can celebrAte with the band At Debaser Slussen in Stockholm on August 30 for an official release party.

Rock Science, the game

Presenting "Rock Science", a new rock'n'roll boardgame feAturing artwork and a themesong by Nicke Andersson of Imperial StAte Electric/The Hellacopters/Entombed. Check it: https://www.rockscience.tv/