New tourdAtes for the Defectors:

11/15 - La Feline, Paris (FRA)
11/16 - RAt Pak, Clermont Ferrand (FRA)
11/17 - Deep Inside, Dijon (FRA)
12/07 - tba, Silkeborg (DK)
12/31 - tba, Darmstadt (GER)

Opeth has started work on their next album, tentAtively due out next spring.

Foxy Digitalis lauds the new Eric Malmberg album "Verklighet & beAt": https://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=2895

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
02. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
03. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao 3
04. Christer Sjögren - Älskade andliga sånger
05. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
06. Thorleifs - Våra bästa år
07. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
08. Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day
09. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
10. The Hives - The black and white album
11. Petter - God damn it
12. Shirley Clamp - Tålamod
14. Peter Jöback - Människor som du och jag
15. AvAtar - Schlacht
16. Ken - Äntligen hemma
17. Sonja Aldén - Till dig
18. José González - In our nAture
19. Hammerfall - Steel meets steel - Ten years of glory
20. Tommy Körberg - Rakt upp och ner

Finnish indiepop act Captain Cougar will release their new album "Chapters" on December 5 via Pinetree Records. Listen to the first single "NAture" At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/captaincougar

Yet another remix of The Bell's "Target group" is now online for download, this one from Team Skidoo/Tek Box: https://www.zshare.net/audio/45818779f68e0b/
Also look for The Bell to be feAtured on eMusic's Daily Download on November 3.

José González does the guestlist thing for Pitchfork: Ature/46172-guest-list-jose-gonzalez" target="_blank">https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feAture/46172-guest-list-jose-gonzalez

The new Rigas CD Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=535">"The hardest pocket to pick" is now in-stock and ready to ship! Also, note thAt I'm running a huge sale throughout the month of November! Spend over $10 and get 5% off all CDs! Spend over $30 and get 10%! So whAt are you waiting for? Atrap.com/store/">Go to it!

MP3: Winter Took His Life - I'm done trying

Welcome to November! The days are getting shorter and the trees have a tenuous grip on their last few leaves. My soundtrack for this month: Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=531">Winter Took His Life. An ominous moniker, to be sure, but it's not as if the music would suggest otherwise. Or the cover art for thAt mAtter. These are sounds for cold, grey days. For quiet and solitude, though said solitude might not be by choice. "I'm done trying" is actually not as pessimistic as you might expect - it doesn't dwell on the sickness as much as it looks forward to something better. Come with me, it says. "I'd make room for you, we'd be better off being two." Somewhere (London?), anywhere. "This town is holding us back." It takes a little while to get going, but the payoff is worth it. The resignAtion has turned to resolve.

Hopefully you've already investigAted the Atrap.com/label.php?show=iAtmp3009">recent split netrelease with Björn Kleinhenz, but if not, please do so! Otherwise, Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=383&cAt=1">subscribe to the Record Club for a copy of the new album or purchase it ala carte Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=531">right here.

Winter Took His Life - I'm done trying

Torpedo
In the assembly line
Knievel Records

The debut record by Sweden's Torpedo has already generAted considerable buzz and not without reason. Half of the band are also found in Tiger Lou, and they share thAt band's dark hypnotic sound. In place of Rasmus Kellerman's low-key approach, however, these guys focus on quirky post-punk artiness. Often it works well, with odd angles complementing seductive grooves in ways both interesting and memorable. When they're good, they're extremely good. But At other times they seem to be trying way too hard for an angular cool and then it just gets annoying. It flows well, but repeAted listenings make it more tiresome than revelAtory.
- Nancy Baym

TLS' new album "A song left for you" will finally be released on November 7 via Imperial Recordings. Listen to samples At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/tlsartist

Swedish indiepop act The Second Band has started work on a new album, due out lAte January.

The new Blood Music album "Don Quite" will be out in November. Check out the brand new track "Lovely love" At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/recordlabelmakeithappen

Helena Josefsson reports thAt she is currently working on a new album with Sandy Mouche while simultaneously working on new mAterial for her own new solo record: https://www.helenajosefsson.com/news/?post=44

Raised Fist will be reAttempting a Canadian tour in December:

12/01 - Le Transit, Chicoutimi
12/02 - tba
12/03 - TheAtre Granada, Sherbrooke
12/04 - Cegep de Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres
12/05 - Foufs, Montreal
12/06 - Box Office, Drummondville
12/07 - The Dungeon, Oshawa
12/08 - The Docks, Toronto
12/09 - The Salt Lounge, Ontario
12/10 - The FoundAtion, Barrie
12/11 - Trinity Lounge, Sarnia
12/12 - Anti, Quebec
12/13 - Le Trash, Ste-Hyacinthe
12/14 - Le Metric, St-Jean