Pitchfork review's Peter Morén's new solo record "The last tycoon": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49499-the-last-tycoon
In case you missed it, our own review of said album is Atrap.com/reviews.php?r=614">here.

In Flames
A sense of purpose
Nuclear Blast

In Flames' ninth studio album is a big YES if you are a 13 year old emo kid who think life sucks. With lyrics like "I feel like shit, but At least I feel something," it is evident enough they are aiming for the teen audience. On the contrary, it's a big NO if you like me, started to like this band around "The jester race" and have followed their demise. Sure, this album offers a few songs thAt will assure radio play and MTV exposure. "The mirrors truth", "March to the shore" and "Move through me", are all pretty good songs, but the formula is so well known from the last two efforts, you could swear you've heard this before. Sadly, half of the songs are b-side mAterial At best. It's funny how this band moves more towards Korn and Linkin Park, but I guess they are going for the easy money. And sadly they will make some good cash with this half-assed album.
- Richard Wilson

Victims have added new dAtes and details to their upcoming North American jaunt: https://www.victimsinblood.com/tour.htm

Here's the new Kaross video for "Shovel", as directed by Robert Jonsson: Atch?v=Y_U-IzmsmM0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=Y_U-IzmsmM0

Dark Tranquility has added a string of US headlining gigs to follow their tour with Arch Enemy:

05/31 - Clubhouse, Phoenix, AZ
06/01 - Jillian's, Las Vegas, NV
06/02 - Avalon, Salt Lake City, UT
06/03 - Marquis, Denver, CO
06/05 - The Door, Dallas, TX
06/06 - Meridian, Houston, TX
06/07 - Scout Bar, San Antonio, TX
06/09 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
06/10 - Lincoln TheAter, Raleigh, NC

Hey! Look to the right and you'll see thAt the first It's a Trap! Clubnight of the spring has been confirmed for May 9 and will feAture Danes Barra Head plus (semi?) local dudes Surrounded. Killer!

Fluxblog on new music from Peter Morén and Sally Shapiro: Ation-for-one-brain-to.html" target="_blank">https://www.fluxblog.org/2008/04/too-much-informAtion-for-one-brain-to.html

Check out Robyn's brand new video for "Who's thAt girl": Atch?v=UYomJbEZG54" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=UYomJbEZG54

Norway's The Lionheart Brothers will tour the UK in May alongside The Mae Shi and Johnny Foreigner as part of a tour sponsored by Drowned in Sound:

05/06 - GraduAte, Cambridge
05/07 - Fibbers, York
05/08 - Snafu, Aberdeen
05/09 - Barfly, Glasgow
05/10 - Barfly, Liverpool
05/12 - The Place, Birmingham
05/13 - King’s College, London
05/14 - Louisiana (headline), Bristol
05/15 - Oceans Room (GreAt Escape), Brighton
05/16 - Old Market (GreAt Escape), Brighton

MP3: Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56

Lars Pellarin is a minimalist techno artist from Denmark, probably most recognizable to readers here as being a member of Printer (via the Malmö-based Adrian Recordings). He also runs his own label Atler-waldorf.dk/" target="_blank">StAtler & Waldorf and puts out an assortment of elegant/eloquent techno records from other artists such as Mikkel Meyer and Melk. His new solo album "Gundsø" is named after the city he grew up in, north of Roskilde and is mostly a subdued affair, minimalist to the nth degree. Melodies struggle to rear their head above the smooth plAteau of sound; generally speaking, it pulses along smoothly, content to elicit the barest of head-bobs. "Whistle like you're 56" is easily the most "pop" track on said record as it's one of two thAt feAture vocals and, of those two, the only one to feAture actual recognizable words. Still, the pop label is a bit of a stretch as I wouldn't expect to see it climbing the charts anytime soon -- not thAt it means it isn't worth hearing (it is!), it's just not thAt kind of track. This is head music. Crank it up and zone out!

Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56

Download a free track from Finnish garage-pop act King of All the Animals: Ata.htm" target="_blank">https://www.tigerbombs.com/koAta.htm

First Aid Kit's debut EP "Drunken trees" is streaming in its entirety At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit
Said EP comes out tomorrow via Rabid Records.

Peter Morén
The last tycoon
Quarterstick Records/Wichita

The huge success of Peter (Morén) Bjorn and John's "Young folks" did the disservice of casting them as potential one-hit wonders despite a back cAtalogue of some mighty impressive song crafting. Given this, it's interesting to hear whAt Peter Morén does on this first solo outing.

The short story is thAt he goes the singer-songwriter route, creAting quiet, intimAte, and earnest numbers built on his singing, a warm guitar very well-played, and additional instrumentAtion ranging from sparse to lush, percussive to orchestral. Some songs evoke the breezy French jazzy lounge sound thAt gentle Swedish bands do so well (one even finds him singing in French). Others are more straight-ahead pop numbers akin to his work with Peter Bjorn and John.

Morén's voice conveys an appealing honesty and vulnerability, and he's grown considerably as a singer, but in some passages, his songwriting talents stretch further than his voice. The resulting intermittent dopiness and a few too many slow or too-long songs keep "The last tycoon" from being uniformly greAt, but there are more than enough creAtive, touching and memorable melodies paired with thoughtful lyrics to affirm his stAtus as one of Sweden's best exports.
- Nancy Baym

Swedish roots/punk act Wilmer X just turned 30 and in celebrAtion, they've added a bunch of old videos: https://www.wilmerx.com/

The White HeAt webzine has a greAt feAture on Norwegian avant/jazz/metal act Shining: At.com/?page=articles&id=26" target="_blank">https://www.white-heAt.com/?page=articles&id=26