finnish indie/postrock act Myne has a new track on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/wearemyne

finnish bitpop favorites Desert Planet will release their brand new album "Moonrocks" on March 19 at home and on April 8 in GAS via 9pm-records. They describe the record as "more electropunk, more action-game oriented and more science fiction influenced than earlier" and will be unveiling a a free downloadable single on March 7. The group will also be posting a tour movie featuring a collage of footage from their tours these past few years plus a few live tracks and a video for the new track "Green fireballs".

finnish powerpop act Hundred Million Martians have confirmed that their new album "Marseille" will be released on March 26 with digital downloads available one week earlier on March 19. Samples at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/hundredmillionmartians

finnish alt-country act The Latebirds are playing a one-off US showcase gig at Mercury Lounge in NYC tomorrow March 4. Hear samples: https://www.myspace.com/thelatebirds

Johnny Superhero
Choices
Around Your Neck

Starting with Downstairs' "Oh father", I rounded off my week of new music with another finnish act - Johnny Superhero - and successfully reverted back to the 19 year old I was in 2003. A strange, though very coherent mix of the early indie rock sounds of Failure, Mineral, Archers of Loaf, and, to a lesser extent, Pavement, "Choices" could easily have come out anytime between 1995 and the early 2000s, though this 'dated' element only adds to the album's charm. Instead of being enjoyed from a somewhat detached, archaeological standpoint, Johnny Superhero make their recreation of the early steps of indie engaging and unique. "Time" could almost pass as a Bear Quartet song, breaking at its midpoint in a distinctly similar way to how "Parking lot" ruptures in being at the end of Mineral's "The power of failing". "Schiphol" continues along in a similar vein, though also harkens back to Last Days of April's early, slower recordings. If you remember this transitional stage of music, the shift from grunge to art-rock and the avant-garde, from hardcore and punk rock towards music that is far more comparable to the efforts of today's scene, then "Choices" is worth more than just a few minutes' examination.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Dusted reviews the new CD retrospective "Valkenee" from 80s finnish hardcore act KTMK aka Kansanturvamusiikkikomissio: https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4050

finnish act Negative is keeping a video diary as they record their next album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkNPXNvBRxY

Swedish label Release the Bats! will be putting out a few new releases from finnish artist Uton in the near future. First up will be a 3CD split release with the label Last Visible Dog entitled "Deep inside the dream" featuring various old recordings. After that, there will be a Uton + Antony Milton collaboration LP under the name "NthNth/SthSth". Both will be out this coming spring with exact release dates to be confirmed soon.

finnish act Kirlian Crossing has rereleased both their "Acid test reels" and "Margin reels" free download series. Get them here: https://www.verdurarecords.com/kirliancrossing/relseries.htm

The new album "Black wave rising" from finnish punkrockers I Walk the Line is finished and the track "Stigmatized" is now posted on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/iwtlfinland
It will be out in Finland on April 2 via Combat Rock Industry with international releases to follow later on in the year through a host of different license partners. The title track will also be released as a 7"/CD single on March 12 b/w the exclusive track "Lost chapter".

finnish electronic/multimedia artists Pink Twins will be participating in a group exhibition of finnish artists at the MoMA affiliated PS1 in New York City, set to open this coming June. The Pink Twins contribution will be a multi-channel video installation. Other museum installations in the Pink Twins' future include something at Repeat All at El Museo de la Imagen y del Sonido in São Paulo, Brazil this April as well as a Helsinki City Art Museum exhibition set for August.

finnish artist Jimi Tenor and West-African musicians Kabu Kabu (as heard together on the "Joystone" album) will perform together at Cargo in London on March 20 as part of the "Karen P presents... Broad Casting" series put on by Red Bull Music Academy Radio.

finnish psych act Von Hertzen Brothers have confirmed their new album "Love remains the same" will be released on April 30. The first single "In the end" will get a digital release on February 25 and will be available for streaming that very same day via myspace: https://www.myspace.com/vonhertzenbrothers

finnish indie act Daisy has a new website to go with the release of their new album "It's about time", due out this week: https://www.daisyband.com/

Upcoming tourdates for legendary finnish act 22-Pistepirkko:

02/22 - Sirkus, Hämeenlinna (FIN)
02/23 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN)
02/29 - Z-one, Varkaus (FIN)
03/01 - Karjala-talo, Joensuu (FIN)
03/06 - Hulen, Bergen (NOR)
03/07 - Driv, Tromsoe (NOR)
03/08 - Sinus, Bodoe (NOR)
03/09 - John Dee, Oslo (NOR)
03/11 - Debaser, Stockholm (SWE)
03/13 - Sticky Fingers, Göteborg (SWE)
03/14 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
03/20 - Tobakken, Esbjerg (DK)
03/21 - Voxhall, Aarhus (DK)
03/22 - Det Bruunske Pakhus, Fredericia (DK)
03/23 - Vega, Copenhagen (DK)
03/26 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
03/27 - Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL)
03/28 - KFZ, Marburg (GER)
03/29 - Gleis 22, Münster (GER)
03/30 - Laboratorium, Stuttgart (GER)
04/01 - Rote Fabrik Ziegel Au Lac, Zürich (CH)
04/02 - Pallace, St.Gallen (CH)
04/03 - B72, Wien (AUS)
04/04 - Arge, Salzburg (AUS)
04/05 - Puschkin, Dresden (GER)
04/06 - Moritzbastei, Leipzig (GER)
04/08 - E-Werk, Erlangen (GER)
04/09 - Rosenkeller, Jena (GER)
04/10 - 59:01:00, München (GER)
04/11 - Forum, Bielefeld (GER)
04/12 - Gladhouse, Cottbus (GER)
04/13 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
04/24 - Woodstock, Tallinn (EST)
04/26 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
04/30 - Atlantik, Freiburg (GER)
05/01 - ISC, Bern (CH)
05/02 - Cafe De La Danse, Paris (FRA)
05/03 - Le Vauban, Brest (FRA)
05/04 - 6 par 4, Laval (FRA)
05/05 - Mezz, Breda (NL)
05/07 - Waterfront, Rotterdam (NL)