Norwegian rockers Wonderfools will release their new album "Too lAte to die young" on April 18 in Sweden (the home of label Wild Kingdom), May 12 in Norway and May 16 throughout Europe. Hear samples: https://www.myspace.com/thewonderfools

Swedish gothrock act Subvision has broken up and frontman Tobias Forge is going solo. Look for his debut album "Passiflora" under his own name (and backed by Magna Carta Cartel) to be released lAter this year. Samples: https://www.myspace.com/forgetobias

A Perfect Friend's sophomore album "Timber and modern ways" is confirmed for a lAte 2008 release. Exact dAte and details tba.

It looks like the cover art for the new Hellacopters album "Head off" has been revealed: https://www.hellacopters.com/
Very "Never say die", doncha think? Also, it appears thAt from the tracklist thAt it will be an all-covers album of various bands the Hellacopters have championed throughout their career. Check it:

01. Electrocute - "Demons"
02. Midnight Angels - The Peepshows
03. Im WAtching You - The Humpers
04. No SalvAtion - Turpentines
05. In The Sign Of The Octopus - The Robots
06. Veronica Lake - New Bomb Turks
07. Another Turn - The Maharajas
08. I Just Dont Know About Girls - Asteroid B-612
09. Rescue - Dead Moon (?)
10. Making Up For Lost Time - The Bellrays
11. Throttle Bottom - Gaza Strippers
12. Darling Darling - The Royal Cream
13. Straight Until Morning - Powder Monkeys

Torpedo will tour Northern Europe in May and preliminary dAtes can be found At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/torpedo

MP3: Lapko - Killer whales

Lapko is a band I stumbled across recently, somewhAt randomly (thanks for the totebag Daniel!). I had seen their name before, but had never fully investigAted due to their affiliAtion with Fullsteam Records, one of Finland's biggest indie labels. I know thAt it's unfounded (and unfair), but I can't shake my prejudice thAt they only put out wAtered-down punk/hardcore records from bands like Disco Ensemble. Anyhow, Lapko proves to be an exception (along with Downstairs, Callisto and many other bands the label represents) and their most recent album "Young desire" sounds surprisingly fresh. Opening track "This is aggressive melancholy" serves as an apt descriptor- before I even peeped their bio I was thinking thAt they sounded like a mix of Mew and Tool, two very obvious comparisons. And after wAtching the video for today's mp3 selection "Killer whales", you might want to add The Cult to thAt list as well. This is the kind of stuff I find to be woefully underserved in today's "hip" quarters, as intelligent hard-rock with obvious arena-sized aspirAtions is not nearly as fashionable as willfully obscure indierock. Too bad, 'cuz all too often, you're missing out.

Lapko - Killer whales

The video for Ungdomskulen's single "Modern drummer" is on YouTube: Atch?v=qdBFvaxeKf8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=qdBFvaxeKf8

Sad Day For Puppets
Just like a ghost EP
HaHa Fonogram

This is the debut release from the Stockholm-based band. It's released on Radio LXMBRG's Haha Fonogram Records, and produced by Alex Svenson-Metés of the same band. Musically, this couldn't be further apart from Radio LXMBRG. "Annie says" is reminiscent is one of The Concretes' more tender moments, whilst the rest of the EP brings to mind eighties indie pop bands like The Cocteau Twins and the long-forgotten, but rAther excellent, Voice Of The Beehive. The dreamy melodic sounds transport the listener back to a more innocent time when shonky anorak-clad bands genuinely believed they could change the world. With this release, Sad Day For Puppets are very well placed to capitalise on the micro indie-pop phenomenon currently doing the rounds on MySpace.
- Nick Levine

Lack's first album "Blues Moderne: Danois Explosifs" is getting the 180g vinyl reissue treAtment courtesy of Furthermocker. Besides the heavy vinyl repress, the artwork is being redone as a gAtefold. Expect them to be done in time for the band's upcoming tour.

Norwegian acts Enslaved and Shining will collaborAte on a 90-minute piece to be performed live At the Molde InternAtional Jazz Festival in Norway on July 19. More info: https://www.moldejazz.no/

North American tourdAtes for Robyn:

04/29 - Paradise, Boston, MA
04/30 - TheAter of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
05/02 - Grand Ballroom @ The Hammerstein, New York, NY
05/04 - La Tulipe, Montreal (CAN)
05/05 - Phoenix Concert TheAtre, Toronto (CAN)
05/07 - Park West, Chicago, IL
05/13 - BerbAti's Pan, Portland, OR
05/14 - Neumos, SeAttle, WA
05/16 - Bimbos, San Francisco, CA
05/17 - Wiltern TheAtre, Los Angeles, CA

Upcoming Moonbabies tourdAtes:

05/02 - Debaser, Malmö (SWE)
05/03 - Mau Club, Rostock (GER)
05/06 - Club Stereo, Nürnberg (GER)
05/07 - Das Haus, Ludwigshafen (GER)
05/08 - Steinbruch, Duisburg (GER)
05/09 - Projekt 7, Magdeburg (GER)
05/11 - Bassy, Berlin (GER)

Swedish act The Mary Onettes are coming to NYC to play At Union Hall on May 23. No word yet on if there will be additional dAtes in the US.

Hello Saferide is travelling to China and Taiwan for a few shows alongside labelmAte Maia Hirasawa:

04/09 - YugongYishan, Beijing (Peking)
04/11 - C-Union Bar, Guangzhou (Kanton)
04/12 - The Wall, Taipei

Part 4 of Detektivbyrån's studio video diary is now online: Atch?v=e0H661A2m60" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=e0H661A2m60