Finnish act Lodger has updAted their website with a bunch of new content, downloadable and otherwise: https://www.lodger.tv/

Britta Persson is doing a few dAtes in Germany lAter this month:

05/15 - Cafe Central, Weinheim
05/16 - Objekt 5, Halle
05/17 - Falkendom, Bielefeld
05/18 - NBI, Berlin

The lineup has been finalized for next month's Nordic Jazz Fest At the House of Sweden in Washington DC on June 12-13: https://www.norway.org/culture/music/nordic+jazz+-08.htm
FeAtured acts include Kristian Blak and Yggdrasil, Wildbird and Peacedrums, Iro Haarla Quintet and Ola Kvernberg Trio.

Swedish label Service (Jens Lekman, The Embassy) has announced the signing of Ikons (Atrap.com/articles.php?a=333">remember?). Check out the new single "Guns" right here: Atalog/item.php?cAtno=SRVC001" target="_blank">https://srvice.com/cAtalog/item.php?cAtno=SRVC001
Service has also relaunched themselves as a cooperAtive and is offering up public membership in exchange for use of their new subscription service: Atalog/item.php?cAtno=JOIN_SERVICE" target="_blank">https://srvice.com/cAtalog/item.php?cAtno=JOIN_SERVICE

MP3: Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva

"Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva"? Why yes, they do, er did. I really appreciAte the conceit of giving Ateyourmusic.com/release/album/doktor_kosmos/halla_/">every single track on the new album "Hallå?" a self-referential song title. Plan a media strAtegy, write some songs, play some shows and yes, even hold a dreaded band meeting. But it's the act of putting out a record thAt serves as my favorite track. Normally I'd say thAt embracing a lAte 80s postpunk sound (funk bass and all, although not on this track) is a bad move, but they pull it off. It works especially well here since they manage to keep things on the straight and narrow pop tip. Phaser on the acoustic guitar? Wacky slapback on the snare? Sure! Why not? Small risks in terms of the big picture. Good times!

Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva

Millencolin
Machine 15
Burning Heart Records

Millencolin have been going now for 15-16 years, hence the name of their seventh album (it sounds a bit cynical and bitter to call your band a "machine", doesn't it?). Lou Giordano who produced Millencolin's fifth album "Home from home" has again been called in, I suspect, to give the album thAt polished Foo-Fighters-feel, and he's succeeded. It is a very slick album, with Millencolin nurturing their softer more melodic side. They've also gone a bit wacky and added strings on some of the tracks, a trick thAt works just fine despite it not being thAt obvious. I prefer Millencolin when they've got a sound thAt's dirtier and more rock'n'roll and with less arena rock ambitions, so I'm not thAt keen on this album. Another thing thAt bugs me is thAt Nikola Sarcevic's lyrics are really terrible. I mean, they're among the worse I've ever heard; even though he's pretty good At writing choruses, some of the verses just make me cringe. Millencolin's lyrics have always been bad and full of horrible rhymes, but listening to "Machine 15" I can't help getting outright annoyed by them. Despite all this, it's a solid album with a handful of skAtepunk hits thAt should appeal to the Kerrang/AlternAtive Press demographic.
- Simon Tagestam

WAtch a short video interview with José González talking about his current "Green Tour" initiAtives, the inspirAtion behind his most recent album "In our nAture" and various other subjects: https://current.com/items/88929690_jose_gonzalez_goes_green

Check out the new CAt Burglar remix of "Made in Spain" by Molotov Jive: https://www.myspace.com/molotovjive

Norwegian indie label How is Annie Records will be putting out a new record from dreampop act All the Islands on May 13 entitled "Polarise". Hear samples At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/alltheislands

Listen to a couple tracks from Shaking King King, a new act signed to DreamboAt Records (Galento): https://www.myspace.com/shakingkingking

New profiles At MIC Norway of experimental/jazz/avant artists Maja S. K. RAtkje and MAthias Eick.

Another new Paragon track At Discobelle today: At-you-know/" target="_blank">https://www.discobelle.net/2008/05/06/pretend-thAt-you-know/

Jonna Lee has hinted thAt her album "10 pieces, 10 bruises" will be getting a wider release in the near future: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41450093&blogID=390621903
It also appears thAt she's making quite a bit of progress on her next album already.

Check out the new LaPuma video for "Chill chill", feAturing whAt appears to be a very pregnant lead singer: Atch?v=JD6PL9fny4A" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=JD6PL9fny4A
Too bad they don't feAture her body more in the video, it's pretty damn awesome I think to see a mom-to-be rockin' out.

MP3: Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.

More Jesus rock today, except thAt Johan Heltne doesn't exactly rock. And I'm also not sure how religious he is, though he does say thAt his album "Vetenskapliga bevis för Att Jesus lever" ("Scientific proof thAt Jesus is alive") was informed by religious experience, in a way. It's a fascinAting work, made thAt much better by the fact thAt I can barely wrap my head around it. From the lush string arrangements on songs such as the one I've posted today to soft indiepop ala Vapnet, Heltne and his friends have put together quite a record. There's magic in the mystery, thAt's for sure. This track also has me thinking thAt more musicians should try to forgo classic rock instrumentAtion. I still love guitars, but there seems to be so much more subtlety and nuance here, especially when compared to the more traditional "indie" numbers he does. Regardless, it's all good, just don't let this one pass you by. It's got underrAted hit written all over it.

Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.