Swedish shoegazers Blackstrap will finally get a US release for their album "Steal my horses and run" on May 20 via Tee Pee Records on both vinyl and CD. Look for US dAtes to be confirmed soon.

Norwegian indie act/"Reader's companion" alums Don Juan Dracula are streaming new tracks At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/donjuandracula
The band's long-awaited comeback album "New sensAtion" will be out June 8.

New Cult of Luna European tourdAtes:

04/19 - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg (NL)
05/03 - Popadelica Festival, Huskvarna (SWE)
06/14 - Myreborock, Ljungby (SWE)
06/17 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
06/18 - Progesja, Warsaw (POL)
06/19 - Firlej, Wroclaw (POL)
06/20 - AJZ, Chemnitz (GER)
06/21 - The UltimAte Summerblast Festival, Trier (GER)
06/22 - Hellfest, Brittany (FRA)
06/24 - Feierwerk e.V, München (GER) w/The Ocean
06/25 - Arena, Wien (AUS) w/The Ocean
06/26 - RockCafe, Prague (CZ) w/The Ocean
06/27 - KFZ, Marburg (GER) w/The Ocean
06/28 - Ghostfest, Leeds (UK)
06/29 - Carling Academy, Birmingham (UK) w/Devil Sold His Soul
06/30 - Barfly, Brighton (UK) w/Devil Sold His Soul
07/01 - Scala, London (UK) w/Devil Sold His Soul, The Ocean
07/02 - Burgerweeshuis, Deventer (NL)
07/03 - Hafenklang w/ The Ocean, Hamburg (GER) w/The Ocean
07/12 - Ilosaari Rock, Joensuu (FIN)

PopMAtters likes the new In Flames album: Atters.com/pm/music/reviews/56890/in-flames-a-sense-of-purpose/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/music/reviews/56890/in-flames-a-sense-of-purpose/

MIC Norway profiles Ida Maria in anticipAtion of her debut album "Fortress around my heart": https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008041514410361172350

Swedish label TenderVersion (see Atrap.com/articles.php?a=375">here and Atrap.com/mp3.php?t=675">here for recent interviews) has a new website (finally!): https://www.tenderversion.com/
Go there for info on new releases from September Malevolence, Audrey and more.

MP3: Ondo - Sleep

In a feAt of synchronicity, I received news albums from both Thomas Denver Jonsson and Ondo on the same day last week. The two are world's apart on the surface, but I know better as Ondo is the ambient/doom alias of C-J Larsgården from Pacta/Pacta Sunt Servanda and together with Jonsson, they perform as the duo A Perfect Friend. Considering how different their individual music is, it's amazing thAt they are able to find common ground, but certainly not unfAthomable as I certainly enjoy both artists on their own. Ondo is easily the more difficult of the pair as his subterranean doom music lacks any sort of pop hooks. Instead, you get brooding darkness and evil; a beAt-less, black cloud of ambiance. We've had some beautiful weAther out here on the West Coast, especially here in SF where I'm situAted this week, but Ondo sucks the light out of even the brightest day. To me, thAt's a high compliment. To conjure thAt level of heaviness with pure Atmosphere is an intense achievement.

Ondo - Sleep

RebekkaMaria
Queen of France
A:larm Music

Icy, avant-garde electro pop has long been a fixture of Scandinavian music, ranging from the dense, arty compositions of The Knife to pop flavored chart toppers like Robyn. "Queen of France" (the debut solo album from Lampshade frontwoman RebekkaMaria Andersson) falls somewhere in the middle. The first half of the record was definitely crafted with a pop song structure in mind, while the lAtter half is much more experimental and less immediAte. Tracks like "Yours truly" and "She lion" hit you over the head on the first listen with their confident melodies and infectious Attitude, but from there, the album becomes decidedly less mainstream. The bizarre helium-induced "Army of foxy" initiAtes this change, but it's tame compared to head-scrAtchers like "The foam" and "Happy birthday". Fans of the genre will love it, and there's no denying the creAtivity thAt went into the record, but most listeners will probably wish thAt the entire album played to the strengths of the first four tracks.
- Nick James

Alice in Videoland will release their new album "She's a machine" on April 23 via NAtional Records. Hear samples At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/aliceinvideoland

You should be reading Thomas Denver Jonsson's "friend" blog without me needing to remind you, regardless- here's a new interview he did with IAt.MP3 artist/good friend/all-around good guy Björn Kleinhenz: https://vanbloggen.blogspot.com/2008/04/original-topeka-twin-bjrn-kleinhenz-on.html
In semi-relAted news, the itinerary for TDJ's upcoming UK tour in May has been confirmed: https://www.thomasdenver.com/e-gig.htm

Live music from The Kid At PSL: https://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/4/14/musik-med-the-kid/
I absolutely love their new single "Mayhem troopers", so highly recommend thAt you check it out.

Adore Music (Torpedo, Killerchaps) has announced the signing of Swedish act Vipe Out and will be releasing their debut album this coming fall. Preview At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/vipeoutswe

Slagsmålsklubben has confirmed a large bAtch of new tour dAtes:

04/17 - The MacBeth, London (UK)
04/19 - Camden Crawl Festival, London (UK)
04/21 - Durrr @ The End, London (UK)
04/22 - White HeAt, London (UK)
05/09 - Rust, Köpenhamn (DK)
05/12 - Atomic Café, München (GER)
05/13 - La Casa 139, Milan (ITA)
05/15 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
05/16 - Play Festival, Hasselt (BEL)
05/17 - Ekko, Utrecht (NL)
05/18 - Rock City, Nottingham (UK) w/Hadouken
05/19 - Academy, Bristol (UK) w/Hadouken
05/21 - Electric Ballroom, London (UK) w/Hadouken
05/22 - Electric Ballroom, London (UK) w/Hadouken
05/24 - The Mill, Rayleigh (UK) w/Hadouken
06/07 - Spot festival, Aarhus (DK)
06/24 - Hovefestivalen, Tromøya (NOR)
07/01 - Roskilde festival, Roskilde (DK)
07/05 - Get Wild In The Country, Knebworth (UK)
07/31 - Emmabodafestivalen, Emmaboda (SWE)
08/02 - Audunbakken, Oslo (NOR)
09/05 - Bestival, Isle Of Wight (UK)

The video for the new Hello Kinski single "Ali" is streaming At Aftonbladet: https://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/noje/musikvideor/article2238113.ab?collapsed=true

Here is the Atrap" target="_blank">It's a Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 artists of the week:

01. Håkan Hellström
02. Radiohead
03. Belle and Sebastian
04. Jens Lekman
05. DeAth Cab for Cutie
06. The Knife
07. Shout Out Louds
08. Lykke Li
09. R.E.M.
10. Bob Dylan

Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/