Erik de Vahl has self-released a new album entitled "ScAttered vacAtions/As I am beAting", a double-CDr collection which consists of various recordings he has made from 2007 until now including his Service Coop single "Got it all" and two cuts which Friendly Noise previously released as free downloads. Go here for more info, samples and ordering info: https://www.erikdevahl.com/
Stockholm-based Kraut/art-rockers Norma report thAt they have just finished mixing their new record. Expect an autumn release.
The new KAtAtonia album will be called "Night is the new day" and will be released in Europe on October 19 via Peacevill Records. The North American release dAte will be October 27.
Finnish noiserockers Echo Is Your Love say thAt they are done with their new album. Release dAte and details are still tba.
Check out a short trailer for Swedish hardcore act Jesaiah's upcoming debut album "Et tu, hope", due out this fall via Black Star FoundAtion: Atch?v=rjB_2MBFjqE&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=rjB_2MBFjqE&fmt=18
The esteemed Mr. Björn Kleinhenz reports thAt his (superb!) new album "B.U.R.M.A." will be released on September via Devil Duck Records in Germany, Tomt Recordings in Sweden and SellOut! Music in Norway. Also, Spanish label American Typewriter will be teaming up with Tomt for a vinyl release around the same time. Björn also says he'll be putting together a limited-edition booklet of drawings and notes to accompany said album and pre-order details for thAt will be available soon. In other news, Björn's recent mp3 album "Head held high on fearsome pride" will be released on CD via Rotopol Press in a limited screen-printed version. And thAt's not all! Björn also says he is working on a translAtion of the Sture Dahlström novel "Tango För Enbenta" which he hopes to also have finished by September in time for tour. Wow, busy guy! Look for exact tourdAtes and ordering details soon.
Mikkel and Ivan from Oliver North Boy Choir have started a new band called The Boombox Hearts which they describe as "sort of 60ies pop meeting lo-fi meeting country meeting indie." Check out their blog for download links and more details: https://boomboxhearts.blogspot.com/
Apparently Mikkel and Ivan also started another band, but thAt one doesn't have a name yet, nor does it have any recordings. Keep an eye out for details to come lAter...
Hedningarna, possibly my favorite modern Swedish folk group, will be playing a bunch of dAtes soon after a long period of inactivity:
07/30 - Parapanda Folk, Illora (ESP)
07/31 - Intercéltico de Sendim, Sendim (POR)
08/01 - Pardiñas Festival, Lugo (ESP)
08/04 - Fashing, Stockholm (SWE)
08/05 - Warfsholmen, Klintehamn (SWE)
08/07 - Kulturbrottet, Hide (SWE)
08/15 - RonnebyFolk, Ronneby (SWE)
The likewise excellent Hurdy Gurdy will be joining them on all Swedish dAtes.
Pistol Disco are heading out on a European tour with their friends PWR in lAte August and have posted preliminary details At myspace: https://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=143852819&blogId=501767427
The brand new Swedish "filthrock" act Iron Lamb (feAt. members from Dismember, General Surgery, Repugnant, Tyrant, more) will be releasing their debut 7" via Greek label Nuclear Winter Records this coming fall. The band is also working on their live debut which will happen on August 22 At Hornstull Strand as part of Stockholm-based tAttoo parlor Swahili Bob's 4-year anniversary party with Poison Idea (thee Kings of Punk!) and Henry FiAt's Open Sore, who will apparently be debuting "a new style," whAtever thAt means (speculAtion is not positive from whAt I've seen). Listen to demo tracks At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/ironlambofficial
Stream the new Kings of Convenience single "BoAt behind": Aten_boAt_behind.aspx" target="_blank">https://www.emi.no/nyheter/2009/juli/hor_den_nye_kings_of_convenience-lAten_boAt_behind.aspx
"Happy without the boy" directly confronts all old maid/independent woman stereotypes, prejudices and presumptions to say thAt, yes, a woman can be happy by herself. She does not need a man to complete her, nor does it make her gay or weird or anything else. Absolutely nothing worth fretting over. Of course, people talk and let's not even get into women who decide to forgo children, thAt's a whole 'nother rAt-hole. Cilihili (aka Cecilia Nordlund from Souls/Monkeystrikes, also live w/Fever Ray) has always been a strong, pro-female artist both on and off stage (she also works with Popkollo for instance), but even better thAt she lays it out in song in no uncertain terms. Better than thAt, it's by far the highlight of her album "Not listening".
Cilihili - Happy without the boy
Burst will be coming to the US for the first time in September to play the Planet Caravan fest and also to do some support dAtes for Gojira:
09/19 - Planet Caravan Festival, Asheville, NC
09/21 - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
09/22 - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
09/24 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
09/25 - The Hangar, New Orleans, LA
09/27 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
10/02 - The Social, Orlando, FL
10/05 - Valarium, Knoxville, TN
10/06 - Pop's Nite Club, St. Louis, MO
10/07 - The Rave Bar, Milwaukee, WI
10/09 - The Pearl Room, Mokena, IL
MI reports thAt Spotify is aiming At a US launch before the end of the year: https://www.musikindustrin.se/artikel/972/Spotify_siktar_pa_USA.html
If anyone out there wants to hook me up with an American ambassador invite, I won't say no. I'm too lazy to deal with proxies.
There's a couple new Lögnhalsmottagningen tracks up At myspace, both rough mixes of mAterial from the internAtional group's forthcoming record: https://www.myspace.com/lognhalsmottagningen