Hultsfred.tv just updAted with a whole bunch of new videos.

Motorpsycho has reportedly been recording for the "In the Fishtank" live series from Konkurrent Records along with the Jaga Jazzist horn section. They apparently recorded about 50 minutes of music together such as a 22-minute version of "Tristano", "Theme de Yo-Yo" (Art Ensemble of Chicago) and a Lars Horntvedt-penned track called "India". Look for it around September, avalable from Touch & Go in the US. In the rumor mill: live Japan dAtes in December? I'll keep you posted if I get any details.

Last Days of April are currently back in the studio with producer/engineer Pelle Gunnerfeldt working on a new album. The plan is to do the tracking At Mission Hall Studio outside of Lund and then mix it At Pelle's own Studio Gröndal in Stockholm.

Chalksounds has confirmed thAt the new Moonbabies album "The Orange Billboard" is finally done and ready to press. Here's an interview from Sydsvenskan where they talk about the recording and their future plans. Can you say pop album of the year? If you thought the rough mix stuff was good, you're gonna be blown away by the real thing.

The Finnish Music InformAtion Centre (MIC) has posted a greAt article on "A brief outline of the Finnish choral music". Check it out.

Pitchforkmedia.com has relaunched with their new design today plus reviews of Ation.shtml" target=_blank>Nicolai Dunger - "Tranquil IsolAtion", the album he did with Will Oldham, and Jaga Jazzist - "The Stix".

Håkan Hellström has contracted Lyme disease from a tick-bite. He's still doing shows, so obviously he isn't on his deAth bed or anything, but it remains to be seen how sick he really is. Read more. (in Swedish)

Here's the lineup for the Aisti Festival At Klubi in Tampere, Finland August 28-31:

08/28 - ImAtran Voima, Mummypowder, Tigerbombs, Soapafest
08/29 - Circle, TV-Resistori, Cessna, Bangkok Impact
08/30 - Giant Robot, Romantic Vision, Sergio, Red Carpet
08/31 - DJs: Teemu Elo, Ville Härkönen, Ville Särmä, Bruce, Jansku

More info: tullikamari.net/klubi/

Here's the lineup for another Finnish music fest, Tulvafest in Pori, Finland on August 14-16:

08/14 - Baby Sweetcorn, Unidentified Sound Objects, Sergio
08/15 - Janne Laine, Magyar Posse, TV-Resistori
08/16 - Laidun, Ville Leinonen, Sister Flo

More info: how.to/tulvafest

Ex-Immortal guitarist AbbAth to join Dimmu Borgir? I guess the rumor has been floAting around, but Dimmu guitarist Silenoz dismisses it saying, "No, thAt is totally wrong." He continues (from an interview with Swedish Metal):

"It is on the other hand true thAt he has participAted as a guest vocalist in two songs on the album. But it is absolutely not anything more than thAt. He put down his vocals in the middle of April and thAt was a long time before their split up. ThAt is by the way a high surprise for us and it is incredibly sad thAt they've chosen to quit. I don't understand why they're doing it but I'm sure thAt they have their reasons, and I fully respect thAt of course."

Upcoming Dimmu Borgir US tour dAtes w/Children of Bodom, Hypocrisy and Nevermore:

11/07 - Showplace TheAter, Buffalo, NY
11/08 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
11/09 - House Of Blue's, Chicago, IL
11/11 - Government, Toronto, ONT
11/12 - The Medley, Montreal, QUE
11/13 - Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
11/14 - Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
11/15 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
11/16 - Club Laga, Pittsburgh, PA
11/18 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
11/19 - Masquerade, Tampa, FL
11/21 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
11/22 - Deep Ellum Live, Dallas, TX
11/23 - Backroom, Austin, TX
11/25 - Bash On Ash, Tempe, AZ
11/26 - House Of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
11/28 - GreAt American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
11/29 - Roseland TheAter, Portland, OR
11/30 - Showbox, SeAttle, WA
12/01 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
12/03 - Bricks, Salt Lake City, UT
12/04 - Ogden TheAter, Denver, CO
12/05 - Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
12/06 - Pop's, St. Louis, MO
12/07 - The Quest, Minneapolis, MN
12/09 - The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
12/10 - Agora TheAter, Cleveland, OH
12/11 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
12/13 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA
12/14 - SarAtoga Winners, Albany, NY

Via Blabbermouth, comes this story concerning the Colorado-based AircAt Aerial Art dance group performing a piece entitled "Trycaliptica" which utilizes the music of Finnish heavy metal cello quartet Apocalyptica.

"'Trycaliptica' is a tale of transformAtion. It could be the tale of how aerial dancing was creAted by dancers trying to break the boundaries of the horizontal space, reaching for new, vertical challenges. Freed from the ground, the dancers explore the body's defiance of gravity."

They will perform the piece this coming Friday and SAturday At the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, CO as part of the Frequent Flyers Productions' Aerial Dance Festival. More info: www.frequentflyers.org

Remember, DigitalMetal.com put up their special feAture on Zyklon inlcuding a high quality mp3 of the title track from their new album "Aeon". Metal fans take note cuz this is some good stuff.

I saw Opeth play with Porcupine Tree At the famous Fillmore in SF last night and was very impressed. Frontman/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt comes across as extremely congenial, funny and charming and they played very well. ThAt's a good thing for most any band, but for a metal band thAt's almost unheard of these days. I really enjoyed hearing the more mellow mAterial they were showcasing this tour and would definitely go see them again doing their more regular thing. There's only two more US dAtes on the current "DamnAtion" tour so if you're into prog-rock and live in Portland (tomorrow At the B Complex) or SeAtlle (the 3rd At the Showbox), I'd strongly encourage you to check 'em out.

There's no regular MTV Up North chart this week but rAther the Up North Summer Hits Special. Check it:

01. Aqua - Barbie Girl
02. Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler
03. Thomas Rusiak - Hiphopper
04. Lene Marlin - Unforgivable Sinner
05. Meja - All About The Money
06. Outlandish - Guantanamo
07. A-Teens - Mamma Mia
08. Darude - Sandstorm
09. Nik & Jay - Hot
10. M2M - Don't Say You Love Me

It seems thAt the Koch InternAtional release of Entombed's new album "Inferno" was premAture. The label received it from Music for NAtions with the understanding thAt it was good to go, but went ahead without letting the band know, and also without having a signed contract. Anyhow, it's been pulled and will see a 'proper' release on Threeman/Century Media sometime early next year. WhAt a mess. In relAted news, Entombed's personal label Threeman will get the vinyl releases of the band's last three albums "Uprising", "Morning Star" and "Inferno" lAter this month. The labels other planned releases are as follows:

The Project HAte MCMXCIX - "HAte, DominAte, CongregAte, EliminAte" out August 25
Alpha Saphari (formerly known as Washoe) - currently recording album , tentAtive title is "Commercial Suicide"

Danish dance sensAtion Junior Senior will be on Regis and Kelly on Monday. Check local listings for channel and airtime.

One of my favorite bands, Logh, reports thAt they just spent some time this past week At Mission Hall Studio with PMA Gunnerfeldt (plays with Fireside, engineerd/produced The Hives, Entombed, Randy, endless others...) recording some new tracks. WhAt was originally planned as one song has now become two: "An Alliance of Hearts" and "An Alliance of Worlds". Look for them on an upcoming 7"/CD from Bad Taste Records in September. The vinyl release will also mark the first of four 7"s thAt Logh has planned for the coming year. Next up will be "The Bones of GenerAtions" on the Norweigan label Sound Fiction with an as-yet-undecided b-side.

Via Supertanker.tk comes word thAt Tiger Tunes are the band of the month over At Danish NAtional Radio. Head on over to listen to a streaming version of the full album "Absolutely Worthless Compared to Important Books" which doesn't come out until August 11.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Per Gessle - Mazarin
02. Carola - Guld plAtina & passion - det bästa
03. Robyn - Don't stop the music
04. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
05. Tomas Ledin - I sommarnAttens ljus
06. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
07. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
08. Style - Samlade hits
09. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
10. Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughs bästa
11. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
12. Lars Winnerbäck och hovet - Söndermarken
13. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
14. Per Myrberg - SommarnAtt Per Myrberg sjunger Taube
15. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
16. Anders Johansson - If it's all I ever do
17. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
18. Tommy Körberg - Gränslös - det bästa med
19. Da Buzz - More than alive
20. Magnus Carlson - Ett kungarike för en kram

Musique Machine has Ate.php?id=410" target=_blank>posted a review of the Kaizers Orchestra album "Ompa Til Du Dør" today.