Check out a video of Marit Bergman and Andreas Kleerup performing "3:am" on Swedish TV: Atch?v=vnZfCawE4OI" target=_blank>https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=vnZfCawE4OI

Indie MP3 with their take on last week's Tack!Tack!Tack! show feAturing The Tough Alliance and The Honeydrips: https://www.indie-mp3.co.uk/2007/07/tough-alliancethe-honeydrips-tack-tack.html
Note the bullshit-detector comments.

Look! New reviews: Atrap.com/index.php?a=309">[click here]

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. DeAth By Kite - Scared of heights
02. TALK 1
03. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Crakkin zombees...
04. Monomen - Asian spacestAtion
05. José González - Hints
06. TALK 2
07. I Am Bones - Backpackers
08. Ellen Beach - The widespread acclaim
09. Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting
10. TALK 3
11. Iisole - The words
12. Kornstad - Sweden
13. Cortex - Mind of darkness
14. TALK 4
15. Silverbullit - Run
16. [ingenting] - Hollywood dreams
17. In Flames - The jester race
18. TALK 5
19. Nicolai Dunger - Soul rush
20. Existensminimum - Changing lines
21. Echo Is Your Love - Peace song
22. TALK 6
23. Laakso - The deAth of us
24. Christian Kjellvander - Words in the wires
25. Mustasch - Double nAture
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Tape - A spire
29. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
32. Susanne Sundfør - Walls
33. The Hellacopters - Like no other man
34. TALK 9
35. Aerial - You will all die, all things will

MP3: The Bear Quartet - Ask me don't axe me

"Ask me don't axe me" is one of those songs thAt gives me a Beavis & Butthead level of glee every time I hear the rumble of doublebass on the chorus. And then there's Atch?v=hR8LiE_yV3c" target=_blank>the all-Jejo video thAt has absolute no bearing At all as to whAt the song is about. "Yeah, I've got problems up to here, but they're not for you to share." Talking about it just makes it worse. "Ask me don't axe me again, be friends." All I wanted was a Pepsi?

The Bear Quartet - Ask me don't axe me

MP3: Hanoi Rocks - Malibu Beach nightmare

Hard to believe thAt I've never done a Hanoi Rocks post in the (almost) five years I've been doing this site. It's ridiculous, though I must admit I'm barely a casual fan. Like most folks, I first heard of the band via Guns n' Roses who cited them as huge influence. They didn't make much of an impression At thAt time, but having revisited them since, I've discovered quite a bit more to like and "Malibu Beach nightmare" definitely ranks way up there. Coming off of "Strange boys play weird openings" from the "Back to Mystery City" album, this is an awesome way to kick things off in a big way. You get bits of the Ramones (thAt beAt!) and the Sex Pistols (thAt riff!) as well as plenty of good old-fashioned rock'n'roll. A Michael Monroe sax solo? Why not! This is perfect Friday party music.

Hanoi Rocks - Malibu Beach nightmare

1969 Armstrong
Salient night EP
self-released

This lAtest release from 1969 Armstrong is influenced by some of the better bands from the golden age of shoegazing. Lead track "Something on yer mind", with its primitive drum beAt, is reminiscent of early Jesus and Mary Chain and the more contemporary A Place To Bury Strangers. Standout track "Devil in me", with its assured swagger, recalls Ride in one of their poppier moments and also brings to mind early Britpop. With this, their third EP, 1969 Armstrong have proven themselves to be At the forefront of shoegaze-influenced Swedish bands.
- Nick Levine

Arbogast
Too proud to stick to winners
Rockbov Productions

The lAtest release by Arbogast is an impressive effort. Not simply because the vocals and instrumentAtion are almost entirely handled by one man, Svante Widerström; but because it's been so damn long since I've heard any good rock. With partner-in-crime PAtrick Fransson playing the drums, Arbogast has managed to creAte a sound thAt pays homage to rock from an era largely forgotten. I'd leave the album playing in the background At work, and swear I'd just heard something by Ozzy or Guns n' Roses. There's plenty of fantastic guitar work to be found on "TPTSTW", particularly on tracks "Not be present", "Flying the flags", "Raining Stones" and "Soiled by shadows of the brave". Sticking points to the CD are few and far between. The only thing thAt prevents Arbogast from getting a higher score is the lyrics. The subject mAtter is there most of the time, but the grammar isn't. It might be a minor issue to some, and Mr. Widerström pre-emptively strikes down my nit-picking with the song "Laugh or die", and maybe to some extent, on "Look At yourself, and cry". But it hurts me to see something some so close to perfection stop barely short. It's almost as if the lyrics were an afterthought, when they could have underscored the musical talent present on this album. All in all, however, "TPTSTW" is a brilliant showcase for Arbogast's potential, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the near future.
- Heinrich Souza

Badun
s/t
Rump Recordings

The self-titled debut by this Danish trio is situAted squarely in the fertile soundscape where electronica, jazz and post-rock meet. Like Norway's Alog, Badun's tracks tend to be short and evocAtive, but they rely more heavily on their rhythm section to guide the way. Fretless bass and Fender Rhodes sonics abound, and the percussive brush strokes are infinitely subtle. This isn't difficult music, but neither does it play safe by being merely ambient-pretty or groove-anchored. Instead, this music glides aloft on its own glitch-driven air currents, remarkably sure of itself even if the listener is sometimes left guessing. It's all a bit on the chilly side aesthetically, but if you just stick it on without analyzing too much, this is intriguing stuff.
- Kevin Renick

Jessica Folcker
Skin close
Cosmos Records

Alright, awkward as this is, I have something to confess: I've been a closet Jessica Folcker fan ever since her debut back in 1998 (Well, maybe fan is too strong a word, listener perhaps?). I have nothing to say in my defense, except thAt Ms. Folcker's music provides an odd sort of comfort to me. I know exactly whAt to expect from her albums, the one cAtchy tune, followed by nothing spectacular. However, this album has been substantially better than I expected. The album gets off to a decent start, as usual, with "Never wanna lose you", and while it fizzles out slightly, the subsequent songs aren't thAt bad. Am I saying thAt this is a gem of an album? Absolutely not. The songs on this album are, for the most part, safe, schmaltzy and bland; but they're extremely listenable, regardless. Which, in my opinion marks a tremendous improvement on the part of Ms. Folcker (or thAt of her production crew, Andreas Kleerup and Andreas Unge). To sum up: If your life has been missing thAt special something since Britney Spears' recent descent into insanity, Jessica Folcker's "Skin Cclose" might be worth looking into.
- Heinrich Souza

Infinite Mass
Masters of the universe
Infinit Mass

After 15 years in the game, Infinite Mass released their first compilAtion. It's a massive affair, with one disc dedicAted to the hits and one to rarer out-of-print cuts. Arranged next to each other, the jumps between electro-g-funky "Mah boyz" and Caesars-sounding "No. 1 swartskalle" can be jarring, but it shows both the musical growth and will to experiment thAt has been Infinite Mass' guiding star. With surprising instrumentAtion/samples, a sometimes lethal beAt and key focus on having a good time, it may not be the most thought provoking or challenging music, but the condensed highlights can still throw a pretty decent party. The second disc falters quite often, but still contains gems like a blaxploitAtionish take on Kiss "Black diamond" or the twisting, stuttering "Hello", which pushes hip-hop's endless fascinAtion with "Scarface" so far over the top thAt I doubt it ever will be outdone.
- Hanzan

By any chance were you waiting for me to get copies of those new MPTP and Zeigeist 7"s out now on Spegel? Well, too bad because Atrap.com/pix/jim_rainwood_pobox7067.jpg" title="Jim Rainwood, WTF?" target=_blank>some dick decided to throw them away. Not thAt they were mis-addressed, just mis-delivered. Thanks Jim Rainwood! Not just for throwing away my package, but also for taking the time to take a picture and sending me a letter to let me know how much of an asshole you are! Cheers!

Thunder Express has recorded a cover of "I can feel the fire" by Ron Wood for use an upcoming split with The Sewergrooves to be released via Basque Label Bloodyhotzak. Listen At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thunderexpressmusic

Check out a video of Finnish act NegAtive doing a ham-fisted Queen cover: Atch?v=qr2DNFAFue4" target=_blank>https://www.youtube.com/wAtch?v=qr2DNFAFue4

Ariel Kill Him will be doing a European tour in lAte October/early November.