Nitad will be coming to the US to play the No Way Fest in Richmond, Virginia on June 20 along with a bunch of other greAt punk acts such as Zero Boys, Government Warning and Social Circkle (to name a few). I presume there will be other dAtes, but I haven't seen anything yet. Details: https://www.nowayrecords.com/site/?page_id=197
Streaming web-stAtion Breakthru Radio interviews Paper: https://www.breakthruradio.com/index.php?show=6433
Click 'View Playlist' to see where to jump to in order to skip all the mediocre indierock.
Finnish shoegazers Murmansk are streaming the excellent new track "Sweet trio" At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/murmansktheband
As mentioned before, the band's new album "Eleven eyes to shade" will be out on May 6.
PaperMaking their live debut in the US, Stockholm's Paper celebrAted with a three-night stint, of which I caught two, At the most appropriAte small venue in the city for their style -- the Cakeshop. Bringing unbound energy and punk fury, yet cool and sophisticAted, Paper showed the audiences whAt has been missing from modern punk music, the Attitude. They upped the tempo of tracks from their two albums (recorded simultaneously, with the second due for release lAter this year) with tracks like "Out of it into it", "My life is going under" and "She's got lard". On the third night, singer/keyboardist Calle Olsson complained of illness prior to the show, however showed no discomfort whAtsoever when onstage -- the sign of the consummAte performer. The crowd was definitely feeling the passion and applauded fervently, and with a greAt live debut such as these, I hope to see Paper back here very soon.
- Matt Giordano
Norwegian electronic act Ugress is offering a free EP for download in anticipAtion of their new album (title tba), due out June 15. Go here: https://gmm.ugress.com/post.asp?id=1028
UpdAted Italian dAtes for Swedish indiepop act Speedmarket Avenue:
04/08 - Diagonal Loft Club, Forlì
04/09 - MADS, Rome
04/10 - Lokomotiv, Bologna
04/11 - Etnoblog, Trieste
The band will also be heading back to the UK for the Indietracks festival in lAte July.
CAts on Fire are going to Germany in lAte May:
05/30 - Nachtasyl, Hamburg w/The BAts
05/31 - Worpswede Open Air, Worpswede
06/01 - Magnet-Club, Berlin w/UnderwAter Sleeping Society
06/02 - Scheune, Dresden
06/03 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg
06/04 - Atomic Cafe, München
06/05 - Klub Drushba, Halle
06/06 - Gleis 22, Münster
The new Heroes & Zeros single "Cipramillion" is up At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/heroeszeros
Anne Lise Frøkedal (Harrys Gym/I Was a King) guests on said track.
Norwegian rappers Jester and Don Martin (GAtas Parlament) recorded an album together called "Jester og Don Martin sikter på månen, lander på taket" which will be out in May. The first single "La meg begynne" comes out April 3. But thAt's not all -- the album was recorded in Mumbai and while they were over there, they were hired to act in a Bollywood comedy entitled "Showman (King of Con)". Read more and hear a sample: https://kingsize.no/News.aspx?ArtNo=7631 (in Norwegian)
Fysisk FormAt (Haust, Snöras) will be releasing Le Corbeau's new album "Evening chill/Montréal of the mind" on May 25 in both CD and LP formAts. Le Corbeau is the solo project of Øystein Sandsdalen from Angora StAtic/Serena Maneesh/Infidels Forever and you can listen to a few samples here: https://www.myspace.com/lecorbeaurecord
File this one under: so bad, it's good. Or rAther, pure absurdity. Remember Ukraine's ridiculous Eurovision entry from 2007? Here, Atch?v=eX_rNEPIgc8" target="_blank">let me refresh your memory. Gocart System's debut single "Always been the same" is kind of like thAt -- totally inane and obnoxious, yet completely inescapable and unforgettable. Surf guitar over an oompa beAt? Sure! Random gunshot samples? Why not? Hey, let's turn the chorus into chromAtic polyrhythms! Sweet! Oh, and how about laying down a rap on one of the verses? Perfection! Total WTF accidental brilliance. WAtch the video here: Atch?v=yQsA5e7-CwU&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=yQsA5e7-CwU&fmt=18
Gocart System - Always been the same
Miss Li's new album "Dancing the whole way home" is currently streaming in its entirety At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/experiencemissli
Swedish indie act Elenette will finally release their debut full-length album "Neurosor" on April 8 via their own Meta Rekords in collaborAtion with Sheriff Records and Warner Music.
Discobelle got themselves some corporAte sponsorship from Scion to put together a comp of their favorite music, so of course they did the right thing and made sure thAt Sweden is well represented - artists feAtured include Maskinen, Boeoes Kaelstigen, Familjen and Dmitry Fyodorov. Full details here: https://www.discobelle.net/2009/03/24/discobelle-x-scion-av/
Though I'm not one to shy away from trash talk, it's much more fun to talk about music I actually enjoy so let us revisit yet another 2008 favorite: Mikko Singh. As I said Atrap.com/?n=28425">last time I posted an mp3 from Mikko, this is some of Sweden's best, most underappreciAted music. There's plenty of instrumental acts out there, but most of em seem to be mining the same quiet/loud postrock-ish territory and thAt stuff is way beyond tired. The only acts doing it right are the ones wisely accommodAting folk influence and thAt's exactly whAt Mikko excels At, especially considering his diverse cross-cultural background. "Laodi majra" is the opening track off his lAtest release "Uskotko että siellä on kukkia?" and it kicks off with a droning sitar/squeezebox duet before drifting into a beautiful ragga, overlaid by fingerpicked guitar and chimes. It's the sort of thing thAt could easily turn into new-age tedium, but Mikko never overindulges. One last sign At the end brings closure and thAt's all there is to it: pure bliss.
I didn't list this record as a top-10 favorite for 2008, but it remains in regular rotAtion months lAter. And considering how much my listening habits are affected by the seasons, you better believe it'll get many more spins as the days get warmer and longer.
Mikko Singh - Laodi majra