Here's the scoop about Sondre Lerche's new EP "Don't Be Shallow": The CD comes out on September 23 and will feAture four studio recordings including "Don't Be Shallow" and "I Know I Know" - both leftovers from the "Faces Down" sessions, along with "Living Lounge" and "Single-hand Affairs" which were recorded At Sondre's home studio back in 2001. But thAt's not all! There's also gonna be four live tracks: "Dead Passengers", "You Know So Well", "Sleep On Needles" and a cover of the Cole Porter classic "Night and Day". As for next full length, it's apparently due out in February 2004. Sondre and producer Sir Dupermann finished mixing all twelve as-yet-unreleased songs way back in April.

Due to threAt of a lawsuit from the long-dormant 70s label of the same name, Mom Pop Records has now re-christened themselves as Murder the Turtle. They'll be doing the US release of Soviac's new album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" along with new stuff from Emerson Fittipaldi and Denmark's The Kind Of Bitter. Go to their website for samples and more info.

Listen for the IsolAtion Years song "Open Those Eyes" in the upcoming Lisa Ohlins film "Tillfällig Fru Sökes", coming out September 5.

Reverend Big O will release an EP called "Ready Mades" on September 17 from A West Side FabricAtion thAt feAtures two Bear Quartet covers, "I'm Slow" and "Capital BreAth". The original versions of both tracks are from the "Revisited" EP and can also be found on the recent "Early Years" compilAtion.

MIC Norway has posted a profile on rising star singer/songwriter Pleasure aka Fred Ball. His debut album is already gethering raves in the UK and feAtures high profile guest appearances by folks such as Ed Harcourt, Justine Frischmann (Elastica), Cerys MAtthews (CAtAtonis) and ex-Prince cohort Dr. Fink.

Also from MIC Norway comes this article concerning the recent going-ons of the Nordic record industry, especially with the problems of MNW and their subsequent retreAt from the marketplace. Is piracy really to blame for their ills? It probably doesn't help, but I doubt it's the main contributing factor. Anyhow, it's worth reading for those of who are paying Attention to the big changes happening to the industry.

Via DJ Martian comes word thAt the fantastic Esbjorn Svensson Trio will be on the cover of the September issue of Jazzwise magazine.

Upcoming Swedish tourdAtes for Bo Kaspers Orkester:

10/22 - Vega, Köpenhamn
10/23 - Studenthuset, Ålborg
10/24 - Train, Århus
10/25 - Train, Århus
10/27 - Cirkus, Stockholm
10/28 - Cirkus, Stockholm
11/01 - Konserthuset, Jönköping
11/07 - Konserthuset, Helsingborg
11/08 - Konserthuset, Malmö
11/12 - Rockefeller, Oslo
11/14 - Louis de Geer hallen, Norrköping
11/19 - Lisebergshallen, Göteborg
11/21 - Kalmarsalen, Kalmar
11/22 - Konserthuset, Gävle
11/26 - Konserthuset, Linköping
11/28 - Konserthuset, Västerås
11/29 - Konserthuset, Örebro
12/09 - Universitetsaulan, Uppsala
12/12 - IdunteAtern, Umeå
12/13 - Tonhallen, Sundsvall

Chord's debut full-length "The Garden Around The Mansion" has been set for a September 26 release dAte. Various guests include fellow Swedish rappers Timbuktu and Promoe (Looptroop) along with Master Ace from the US and Rantaboko from S. Africa. Breakmacanix and Domingo produced.

Frontwoman Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull has left TheAtre of Tragedy. The band's official stAtement:

"Having worked together for almost ten years, we have now reached a point where we find ourselves with differences of opinion thAt cannot be bridged, and completely incompAtible sets of ideas for the band's further development. The rest of the band will continue working with full force under the name TheAtre of Tragedy, and sees this as an opportunity for further musical experimentAtion and evolution. This also involves finding a new, permanent, female singer, although not necessarily a replacement for Liv.
Let it be said thAt there is no animosity from the band towards Liv, and we wish her all the best with her work."

Liv is currently working with her husband Alexander Krull's band Atrocity in a new group called Leaves' Eyes along with developing her own solo mAterial.

Here's the updAted schedule for Marduk's South American tour:

10/02 – Brasília (BRA)
10/03 - Belo Horizonte (BRA)
10/04 - São Paulo (BRA)
10/05 - Curitiba (BRA)
10/06 - Porto Alegre (BRA)
10/07 - Buenos Aires (ARG)
10/08 - TBA
10/09 – TBA (CHL)
10/10 – TBA (CHL)
10/11 – Santiago (CHL)
10/12 – TBA, CHL
10/13 – TBA (COL)
10/14 – Bogotá (COL)
10/15 - San Jose (COS)
10/16 - Mexico City (MEX)
10/17 - Aguascalientes (MEX)
10/18 - San Luis Postosi (MEX)
10/19 - Monterrey (MEX)

Sadly, the band has no plans to do any additional N. American dAtes even though they were invited to do the 'Blackest of the Black' tour with Danzig, as the US INS (ImmigrAtion and NAturalizAtion Service) has not given the band permission to enter the country. Check out a poster for the tour here.

Nasum has cancelled their appearance At Germany's Morbide Festspiele vol 6,66. Their stAtement:

"There has been a big misunderstanding concerning the conditions for our appearance. It's really sad because we wanted to do the show but it's impossible. We hope you all have a good festival anyway and we'll see you on the upcoming tour instead!"

The Langhorns are breaking free from the confines of Sweden for a couple dAtes in Europe:

08/28 - Molotow, Hamburg (GER)
08/29 - Folklore Im Garten Festival, Wiesbaden (GER)
08/30 - Remise, Wil (CH)
09/02 - Space Escapade/Atomic Café, Munich (GER)
09/03 - Arena, Wien (AUS)
09/05 - Kofmehl, Solothurn (AUS)

Here's a whole bunch of greAt pics from Askil Holm performing At Tvedestrand in Norway from the beginning of August.

Smalltown Supersound and Warp Records will share a label showcase night on September 26 At the Numusic festival in Stavanger, Norway. Sir Dupermann, Eva Casal and Mental Overdrive are a few of the acts scheduled to perform thAt evening. Other artists set to play the fest include Xploding Plastix, HouarAtron, ImAtran Voima, Moder Jords Massiva, Elektrofant and tons more. More info: www.numusic.no