El Perro Del Mar's brand new single "How did we forget" is now up and streaming At the Licking Fingers website: https://www.lickingfingers.com/

New European dAtes for Norwegian pop supergroup The NAtional Bank:

03/26 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
03/27 - Rotown, Rotterdam (NL)
03/28 - Vera, Groningen (NL)
03/29 - Petrol Club, Antwerp (BEL)
03/30 - Botanique, Brussels (BEL)
03/31 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
04/01 - Atomic Cafe, Munich (GER)
04/02 - Le Point Ephemere, Paris (FRA)
04/03 - Luxor, Cologne (GER)
04/04 - Lido, Berlin (GER)
04/05 - Lille Vega, Copenhagen (DK)
04/06 - Voxhall, Aarhus (DK)

Animal Alpha's entire new album "You pay for the whole seAt, but you'll only need the edge" is currently streaming on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/animalalpha
I like this a lot more than I thought I would. Nothing mindblowing, mind you, but if you think the idea of mainstream hard-rock band with a screamy female vocalist sounds vaguely interesting, it might be worth checking out. At the very least, they are good At whAt they do.

Abduktio will do a few dAtes around the Baltics in May: https://www.kapina.org/abduktio/live.htm

European tourdAtes for Dear Euphoria:

02/19 - Prinz Willy, Kiel (GER)
02/20 - Schokoladen, Berlin (GER)
02/21 - Feinkostlampe, Hannover (GER)
02/22 - MuK, Giessen (GER)
02/23 - Kino Central, Magdeburg (GER)
02/24 - Hans Wurst, Berlin (GER)
02/25 - Noch Besser Leben, Leipzig (GER)
02/26 - Das Bett, Frankfurt (GER)
02/27 - Grüner Jäger, Hamburg (GER)
02/28 - Steinbruch, Duisburg (GER)
02/29 - Amp, Münster (GER)
03/02 - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam (NL)
03/02 - La Fleche D'Or, Paris (FRA)

Look for UK dAtes to be announced soon.

PopMAtters on the lAtest from Nicolai Dunger alter-alias A Taste of Ra and his album "Morning of my life": Atters.com/pm/music/reviews/a-taste-of-ra-morning-of-my-life/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/music/reviews/a-taste-of-ra-morning-of-my-life/

NPR reports on Finnish music, spotlighting acts such as Lordi, Don Johnson Big Band, 22-Pistepirkko, Värttinä and more: Ates/story/story.php?storyId=18227013" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/templAtes/story/story.php?storyId=18227013

Via LambgoAt comes word thAt Children of Bodom have completed work on their new album "Blooddrunk": At.com/news/view.aspx?id=10107" target="_blank">https://www.lambgoAt.com/news/view.aspx?id=10107

NRK reports thAt Music Export Norway is making inroads in London: https://www.nrk.no/musikk/1.4606111 (in Norwegian)

Reunited Swedish metal legends At the GAtes have revamped their website: AtthegAtes.se/" target="_blank">https://www.AtthegAtes.se/

Angel, a trio consisting of Ilpo Väisänen (Pan Sonic), Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (Lost In Hildurness, Múm), have a new album called "Kalmukia" out now on Editions Mego. Go here for more info: AtaloguePage#emego087" target="_blank">https://www.editionsmego.com/twiki/bin/view/Editionsmego/CAtaloguePage#emego087

MP3: C.Aarmé - Dustin

Remember when Atrap.com/index.php?dAte=2008-01-21#21042">I told you thAt C.Aarmé had a new EP in the works? Well, said EP is in my hands (er, on my harddrive) and I'm happy to report thAt it easily obliterAtes all competition. So nAturally I am honored to provide you one track for download today and would strongly encourage you to hear the rest via myspace. As to the sound, well it picks up right where they left off so all the usual conjecture applies. Intense. Bitter. Raw. No dumb overdubs, just pure, unadulterAted rock'n'roll. Wind them any tighter, they're bound to snap. Beware!

C.Aarmé - Dustin

Caitlyn
Brain vs heart
ZYX Music

If The Perishers cheered up a bit and moved to Southern California, I wouldn't be surprised if their first effort after escaping the harsh, dark winters of Norrland to sound something like "Brain vs heart". Caitlyn have put together a very clean pop record, treading carefully between their radio friendliness and ability to write a solid indie-pop song. There's plenty of gloss and sun on "Brain vs heart", but it doesn't feel superficial with a compromise between reached between style and substance instead of a trade off. The only true downside of the record is thAt the tempo, rhythm, and style is very similar throughout - this does lend itself to the creAtion of a solid album, but it also generAtes a feeling of 'false familiarity' with songs you haven't heard, thus stealing a bit of the 'newness' of a previously unknown track and giving the record a bit of a 'more of the same' feel as it progresses. All in all, the album quite good, and "Brain vs heart" pleasantly takes you from point A to point B... though a few sharp left turns and scenic detours wouldn't have hurt either.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Swedish punks Sista Sekunden will tour Europe starting in lAte February alongside Japanese act D.S.B. under the banner of the "Radical Sharp Shooter" tour. Check myspace for preliminary dAtes: https://www.myspace.com/sistasekunden

Fame Factory also-ran Alexander Schöld has a new single called "Jag hAtar dig" out now on Universal Music. His Melodifestivalen entry "Den första svalan" will be debuted on February 16 and a full-length album will come out in August.