The Low Frequency in Stereo are doing a bAtch of German dAtes in May and bringing fellow Norwegians Hypertext along for the ride:
04/30 - Drone Bar, Copenhagen (DK)
05/01 - Klub Drushba, Halle (GER)
05/02 - BeAtpol, Dresden (GER)
05/04 - Magnet Club, Berlin (GER)
05/05 - Gladhouse, Cottbus (GER)
05/06 - Kukuun, Hamburg (GER)
Russian label Self True Records has put out a new CD from Swedish sXe hardcore act Anchor called "First year" which collects all of the band's recordings so far: the 5-track Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=517">"Captivity songs" EP as well as two from their split with The Kind ThAt Kills and one previously unreleased track. More info: https://www.myspace.com/selfxtrue
Aftonbladet reports thAt The Soundtrack of Our Lives' show At the Swedish ConsulAte in LA got shut down by the cops: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article4683887.ab (in Swedish)
It's a damn shame I live too far away to have been able to Attend.
Okay, one last promo mp3 before Friday's Danish Dynamite showcase. The River Phoenix are a band thAt manages to transcend their abominable name to deliver solid emopop on this particular track, "5 wheel drive". Nothing groundbreaking to be sure, but if you like soaring octave chords, heavy half-time choruses and earnest, keening vocals then these guys will surely sAtisfy. Sand off the dark edges from either Mew or Lapko and you get the picture. Not quite as sugary as Jimmy EAt World's best mAterial, but awfully close, so let's play it safe and file 'em under guilty pleasures for the time being.
As for the rest of the Danish Dynamite lineup, since there's no way I'll cover 'em all (even if I wanted to) I'll just pass along this zip file so you can familiarize yourself on your own time: [click here]
The River Phoenix - 5 wheel drive
Scandipop interviews Swedish pop sensAtion Velvet: https://www.scandipop.co.uk/?p=633
Maia Hirasawa's new album "GBG vs STHLM" is now streaming At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/maiahirasawagbgvssthlm
PopMAtters on the US release of The Soundtrack of Our Lives' lAtest record "Communion": Atters.com/pm/review/71290-the-soundtrack-of-our-lives-communion/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/review/71290-the-soundtrack-of-our-lives-communion/
Also At PopMAtters today, a revisit of In Flames first four records on the occasion of their reissue treAtment: Atters.com/pm/column/71168-rise-of-the-joetunn-in-flames-in-the-1990s/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/column/71168-rise-of-the-joetunn-in-flames-in-the-1990s/
Napoleon has a new single with yet another long parenthetical title: "I try to despise the ugly people (but the beautiful ones keep turning me down)". WAtch the video: Atch?v=k31FDO2b8lw&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=k31FDO2b8lw&fmt=18
The Rollstons walk the fine line of droll, edging a bit towards slacker powerpop, but never quite falling off thAt cliff. There's a bit of starkness to them as well, though thAt could just be the ineffable Finnish-ness shining though the wah-wah guitar licks. However, the overriding constant has got to be quirk; influenced equally by modern indie and the funkiest of 80s post-punk junk. There's a straightforward pop song (or two) hidden beneAth the surface here, but they're waving it above your head like a bully or an older sibling, keeping it just out of arm's reach. Even still: I think I like it, though I can't quite understand why.
The Rollstons - Defender of the frown
The esteemed Viktor Sjöberg will be curAting four nights At The Loft in San Diego, CA during the month of May and will be presenting a few American artists as well as a performance of his own V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble (ft. local players from UCSD and elsewhere) as well as his friend and sometime bandmAte Jens Lekman. Full details: Ation.html" target="_blank">https://elefanten.blogspot.com/2009/03/structures-sonores-presentAtion.html
The Washington Post Express talks to Darkane as they wrap up their lAtest US tour: https://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/03/profane_arcane_and_the_sinus_drain_darka.php
Swedish melodic hardcore act Atlas Losing Grip (ft. members from Enemy Alliance, Sista Sekunden) has enlisted Rodrigo Alfaro from SAtanic Surfers as their new vocalist. Listen to a new track At myspace called "HeartbeAt": Atlaslosinggrip" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/Atlaslosinggrip
Fans of any of the other aforementioned bands will not be disappointed. Also note the upcoming live dAtes in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece. (Atlas-losing-grip-nu-med-rodde.html" target="_blank">via)
Here's the video for the new Andreas Tilliander single "Caught in a riot": Atch?v=i_rMYKjLeLg&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=i_rMYKjLeLg&fmt=18
Check out The Psyke Project's brand new video for the track "Panic": Atch?v=EUkD9P_GLiA&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=EUkD9P_GLiA&fmt=18
Easily my favorite track off their lAtest release "Apnea".
Word has it thAt Suburban Kids with Biblical Names will be playing NYC Popfest in mid-May.