Two new [ingenting] tracks are now streaming At the band's website: https://www.nadazipp.se/
They've also posted a few details concerning their upcoming album "Tomhet, idel tomhet" for those of you who can read Swedish.
Here's a little something I picked up last weekend while vacAtioning in Astoria, OR, a seaside town with a strong Finnish heritage. I can't say I know much about Pekka Himanka, but I stumbled across his album "Jäi Lappiin sydämein" (Lappland remains in my heart? Online translAtors can only do so much for me here) in a local record store, previewed a few seconds for quality control At the listening stAtion and figured, "why not?" Who couldn't use a bit of Finnish tango in their life? Besides being relevant to my interests (obviously), the chance of me stumbling across anything like this in the foreseeable future is nil. Old Suomi crooners don't just show up in bargain bins around here and it's not like I know enough to rAte them, even if they did. One curious note to add: I don't remember if I've ever heard Pekka on an Aki Kaurismäki soundtrack, but he does carry the tag on Last.fm. Perhaps someone with more free time (and perhaps, Finnish comprehension skills) can track down which movie(s) his music appears in? It would be good to know.
Pekka Himanka - Jäi Lappiin sydämein
Hoob Records (The Splendor) will be releasing the new album "Vesper" from Swedish jazz/folk act New Tango Orchestra on September 23. Expect Swedish and German tourdAtes to follow in the fall, in the meantime, head to their website to hear samples of old mAterial: https://www.nto.nu/
Well worth checking out I'd say.
ZME Music interviews Swedish indiepop act Liechtenstein: https://www.zmemusic.com/rock/interview-with-liechtenstein/
Swedish melodic hardcore act Enemy Alliance are wrapping up production of their new album and have posted the new track "Where night falls all day long" for streaming At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/enemyalliance
The new album "Ihmisen poika, pedon poika" from legendary Finnish hardcore act Terveet Kädet will be released on July 22 via Longplay Music. Apparently there's a UK tour in the works as well?
In addition to the long-awaited Atrap.com/?n=24577">Final Exit discography LP + live DVD, Monument Records has confirmed the signing of Umeå sXe hardcore act Forever Young and will be releasing their new CD very soon. Samples At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/foreveryounghc
Kning Disk has confirmed thAt they will be releasing Erik Enocksson's new album "Man tänker sitt" on August 21. It will only available on limited (499 copies) gAtefold vinyl, so act fast if you want one. Full details/samples: https://www.kningdisk.com/02_releases_kd070.asp?id=1070
Most guitar-based ambient artists seem intent on obscuring their sound source, not so with Finnish duo The Gentleman Losers. There's no mistaking the origin of these sounds, though they do indulge in heavy effects now and then. "Ballad of Sparrow Young" is typical of the group: circular guitar figures overlaid by a languid lead melody along with a few other subtle accompanyments. Yes, they do stray towards the new-age end of the musical spectrum, but in typical Scandinavian fashion, feelings of melancholy erase any indicAtions of "mere" peacefulness. And yes, I know it's also not exactly the sort of thing thAt will make you sit up and pay close Attention, but listening does have its rewards.
The Gentleman Losers - Ballad of Sparrow Young
Swedish melodic hardcore act Atlas Losing Grip have a new song called "Time to waste" streaming At myspace: Atlaslosinggrip" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/Atlaslosinggrip
Gaffa reports thAt Copenhagen Records (Carpark North, Nephew) has seized the honor of being the first Danish label to offer lossless-quality music files for sale: https://gaffa.dk/nyhed/33351 (in Danish)
Björn Kleinhenz will be touring extensively this fall:
09/24 - Hasenschaukel "About Songs / Reeperbahnfestival", Hamburg (GER)
09/25 - tba, Hannover (GER)
09/26 - Amp, Münster (GER)
09/27 - Kamp, Bielefeld (GER)
09/28 - Rotopol Gallery, Kassel (GER)
09/30 - tba, Cologne (GER)
10/01 - Cobra, Solingen (GER)
10/03 - tba, Frankfurt (GER)
10/04 - Cafe Video, Gent (BEL)
10/06 - Pop In, Paris (FRA)
10/08 - Mariaberg, Rorschach (CH)
10/09 - Kulturwerk 118, Sursee (CH)
10/10 - tba, Zurich (CH)
10/12 - Tikis Pub, Geneve (CH)
10/14 - La Salumeria del Rock, Reggio Emilia (ITA)
10/16 - Bar Sartea, Vicenza (ITA)
10/20 - Stille Post, Görlitz (GER)
10/22 - Schokoladen, Berlin (GER)
10/24 - House Show, Erlangen (GER)
10/29 - tba, Copenhagen (DK)
Keep an eye out for his new record "Burma" -- it's excellent.
Sincerely Yours' lAtest release is a new full-length album from JJ entitled "No. 2": https://www.sincerelyyours.se/yours0115.php
There are two version of The Skull Defekts' new album "The temple". First we have the CD version, an continuAtion of the "rock" direction exhibited by the band on "Blood spirits & drums are singing". Drums, guitar, vocals and more drums playing riff-oriented jams -- they may not usually concede to typical pop idioms such as verses, chorus and so-on, but it most definitely rocks in solid head-nodding fashion. We also have the 2xLP version of "The temple" which takes all of the the same songs as the CD and augments them with extra interludes, as recently heard on the more electronic/experimental/drone oriented "The drone drug" album. Personally, I prefer the former for it's more concise execution; as much as can appreciAte the band's droning tendencies in all guises and forms, it's the rhythm-and-drum heavy sound thAt gets me going. "Knives, birds, stones & pyramids" is the opening salutAtion of "The temple" and it lays out everything you need to know: this is pure cult ritual set to a pounding beAt and illustrAted with cryptic symbols and pagan imagery. Sex and violence, man and beast -- it all comes together. In lesser hands, such other-worldly tourism might come across as preposterous, but they never over-sell it. Even without the message intact, as on the album's instrumentals, it's still all quality head-jammers.
The Skull Defekts - Knives, birds, stones & pyramids
A new ordinance goes into effect on July 1 in Göteborg prohibiting street musicians from performing without a permit: https://www.thelocal.se/20362/20090630/
Jerry Bowman of Musik enligt Jerry/The Tram Sessions/TV4 responds: At-inget-tysta-er.html" target="_blank">https://musikenligtjerry.blogspot.com/2009/06/lAt-inget-tysta-er.html (in Swedish)