Restless Knights - New demo

Swedish melodic hardcore act Restless Knights are streaming a new 4-track demo At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/restlessknightslkpg

"Come with me" = Best new music

CEO's premiere single "Come with me" got best-listed At Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11904-come-with-me/

Wildbirds & Peacedrums announce 3rd album (sort of)

Wildbirds & Peacedrums have announced thAt their two vinyl-only EPs "Retina" and "Iris" will be released as a 2CD album package entitled "Rivers" on August 23 via Leaf Label.

I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper - Amsterdamned (video)

Direct link: https://vimeo.com/12231334

PopMatters reviews Erik Hassle

PopMAtters reviews Swedish pop artist Erik Hassle and his album "Pieces", his UK release: Atters.com/pm/review/123309-erik-hassle-pieces" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/review/123309-erik-hassle-pieces

The Knife makes big donation to Feministiskt Initiativ

Gaffa reports thAt The Knife has donAted 50,000 SEK to Swedish political organizAtion Ativ.se/" target="_blank">Feministiskt InitiAtiv: https://gaffa.se/nyhet/40066 (in Swedish)
Always good to see artists put their money where there mouth is.

O'Spada live in London

Swedish pop/disco/funk act O'Spada are coming to London for a run of dAtes this month:

06/14 - Hoxton Bar And Kitchen
06/15 - Dublin Castle
06/17 - St. Pancras InternAtional
06/17 - YoYo @ Nottinghill Arts Club
06/18 - Last FM presents... @ Big Chill House
06/20 - The Luxe

Robyn annouces North American dates

Robyn will be back in the US this summer:

07/16 - Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
07/17 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit, MI
07/22 - Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
07/23 - The Music Box, Los Angeles, CA
07/24 - Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA
07/27 - House of Blues, Boston, MA
07/30 - Disco Lemonade: Summer Mashup Festival, Toronto, Ontario
07/31 - Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Quebec
08/02 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
08/03 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
08/05 - Webster Hall, New York, NY

Zweizz joins Goylem Space Klezmer

The always-busy and unpredictable Zweizz has announced thAt he's joined up with Goylem Space Klezmer, a Norwegian klezmer act "inspired by the dream of space exodus": https://www.myspace.com/goylem

Jenny Wilson brings "Hardships!" to America

Jenny Wilson's album "Hardships!" will finally be getting a North American release on August 24 via her own label Gold Medal Recordings in cooperAtion with Redeye.

Necronaut - In dark tribute

Necronaut, the solo project of Fred Estby from Dismember/Carnage, is streaming a new track At myspace feAturing guest twin brothers Hellbutcher and Tyrant (both from Nifelheim/Treblinka): https://www.myspace.com/necronaut666
I'm into it.

The Early Days to release "Contrary" 7"

Swedish indie act The Early Days will be releasing a 7" single feAturing the song "Contrary" b/w "Shee" plus artwork by Walse Custom Design. No official release dAte posted, but they are taking pre-orders.

MP3: Carolina Wallin Pérez - Utan dina andetag

I forgot all about Carolina Wallin Pérez and "Pälor och svin", her album of Kent covers. Luckily, she just released "Utan dina andetag" as a new single in anticipAtion of her upcoming Swedish summer tour. Being thAt I'm merely a casual Kent fan these days, I had to look it up: the original version was a b-side to the "Om du var här" ("If you were here") single from "Isola" circa '97 and can also be found on the "B-sidor 95-00" 2CD collection (which I actually own a copy of, believe it or not). Anyhow, Carolina's version is all vocals and reverb-drenched guitars, a lovely counterpoint to the more stoic (though still good) original. She wrenches all she can out of every moment, drawing out each and every word and letting the end of each line taper off softly and drift away. The chorus though, thAt's the icing; perhaps one of Joakim Berg's most sAtisfyingly gorgeous melodies. I'm almost tempted to chart it out to see the way it rises and falls, aptly mirroring the lyrics. But I won't do it, I won't reduce this song to science. I'd much rAther relax and let it play out like the devotional ballad it's supposed to be.

Carolina Wallin Pérez - Utan dina andetag

Friendly Noise #5

Issue #5 of Friendly Noise is now online: https://www.friendlynoise.se/fzn/5
A bit more English-language content this time out for the non-nAtives. Oh, and a new Testbild! song too.

Free Jazz on Swedish Azz, Originalljudet

The Free Jazz blog reviews the new vinyl-only release "Jazz på Svenska" from Swedish Azz (yet another act feAturing MAts Gustafsson): https://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/swedish-azz-jazz-pa-svenska-not-two.html
Also reviewed, Originalljudet's excellent self-titled release on Kalligrammofon: https://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/originalljudet-kalligrammofon-2010.html