Norwegian experimental/electronic/multimedia artist Are Mokkelbost (Single Unit, Killl, ARM) has relocAted to NYC to work with the ICSP Program and will be working on various commissions and write music. He'll also be giving a talk on May 19 as part of ISCP's Salon Series and will have an exhibition of poster art At Scandinavia House starting on May 28 -- head to his site to learn more: https://www.b-o-r-g.org/
Live music with The Bethlehem Beard CorporAtion At PSL: Ation/" target="_blank">https://blogg.svt.se/psl/2009/05/18/musik-med-the-bethlehem-beard-corporAtion/
PopMAtters reviews The Low Frequency in Stereo's lAtest record "Futuro": Atters.com/pm/review/93028-the-low-frequency-in-stereo-futuro/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/review/93028-the-low-frequency-in-stereo-futuro/
The upcoming Aqua greAtest hits collection, imaginAtively titled "Aqua greAtest hits", will contain three new tracks including the single "Back to the 80's". Said single will be released on May 25 with the album following on June 15.
Danish metalcore act As We Fight is streaming their new album "Meet your maker" At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/aswefight
Swedish screamy hardcore act Yersinia have a video trailer for their upcoming EP "Lejonhjärta", due out June 20: Atch?v=Yb_XLRv_oiI&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=Yb_XLRv_oiI&fmt=18
Division of Laura Lee will be heading out lAter this week to do some European dAtes:
05/20 - Knaack, Berlin (GER)
05/21 - 59:1, Munich (GER)
05/22 - ISC, Bern (GER)
05/23 - Biomill, Laufen (GER)
05/24 - Scene Bastille, Paris (FRA)
05/25 - Cousty Bar, Besançon (FRA)
05/26 - Rote Fabrik, Zurich (CH)
05/27 - B72, Vienna (AUS)
05/29 - Headcrash, Hamburg (GER)
All of the songs from The Sweptaways' new album "The Sweptaways show" have videos and you can wAtch them all on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4F32017D23489E33
Swedish pop artist Montt Mardié has written an anthem for The PirAte Bay and of course it's available for free download: Atebay.org/special/2009mmtpb.php" target="_blank">https://thepirAtebay.org/special/2009mmtpb.php
Hyper PlasticOpening with the wryly constructed "Ron Asheton's loafers", Hyper Plastic, the electronic solo project of former This Perfect Day guitarist Rickard Johansson, establishes whAt we can expect from the EP - clever arrangements of simple melodies, a mess of blips and bloops entwined with Johansson's guitar work, driving electronic drums, and coolly detached vocals. One can't but hear elements of "Punk rocker"-era Teddybears throughout the EP, even in its most inspired moments for At the core of Hyper Plastic is a need to channel angular punk energy down the darkest of pop-sAturAted avenues. As "Love & hAte" demonstrAtes, Johansson has a fantastic understanding of Atmosphere and mood (favoring the brooding kind), and utilizes this awareness to elevAte his compositions just clear of being dismissed as merely simplistic distortion-tinged pop songs. ThAt said, the cynical charm of Hyper Plastic starts to lose some of its appeal after a few listens -- though, in all honesty, this fAte awaits the vast majority of four-track EPs. I'm curious to see whAt Johansson could do with more time.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
The Bombettes are working on writing mAterial for their debut full-length which they hope to record in June. They also plan on doing a short tour in Sweden, Denmark and Germany come July, so keep an eye out for thAt as well.
Mixtune for Cully have a new video for the track "Daggers and knives": Atch?v=HN917c-bH74&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=HN917c-bH74&fmt=18
As long as I don't have to hear the winny of Sissyfus' lackluster, indie-flavored vocals (think Loney, Dear but far less compelling), I can back Center of the Universe. As a long-time appreciAtor (connoisseur?) of folk-influenced music from Scandinavia, how could I not? They call it "folksploitAtion" as it's only loosely based on tradition (if thAt), but I actually think thAt strAtegy works out to their benefit as they're not hemmed in by imaginary boundaries. Melodies of the Middle East co-mingle with sounds of the northern climes and get funneled through the psychedelic vision of the aforementioned Sissyfus to be transformed into something unique. "Apokryfa" is the title track of the third part of their just-completed trilogy, an album they say is about origin. I don't know about thAt, I just love the way they jam out this odd-timed number and turn it into a total workout. Keep the indierock tendencies to a minimum, please. Prog is all good by me.
Center of the Universe - Apokryfa
Danish fuzz-heavy synthpop act Small is now streaming their entire album "Teenage cover" At myspace: Atmyspace" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/smallAtmyspace
Recommended!
Kamera is now streaming the new single "Dead man walking" At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/kamerastyle
The group's new album "Blank expressions" is released on May 20.