Danish band No Privacy has signed with US label Hard Soul who will release their debut full-length in january. An EP for the single "Beautiful Life" will be out in july. Hard Soul was founded by Trevor Randall, the executive VP from Acid jazz Records in London, the label that signed jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies and Mother Earth. Be sure to check out the 'message from our president' on the Hard Soul site: https://www.hardsoulrecords.com/

Fjärde Världen has updated their website with a ton of new downloads: jardevarlden.com/" target=_blank>https://www.fjardevarlden.com/

Norway's Surferosa will release their album "Shanghai my heart" in japan on june 19 via Labels/EMI. The band will fly to Tokyo on june 17 to promote the release, culminating in a show at Harajuku Astro Hall on june 22.

Some news from Ulver:

Los Angeles was strange. Blood Inside, gold outside. Friggin' Frank Zappa's guitar player, Mike Keneally, ended up going mad over our record. We are proud to probably not use much of it. We also had Tom McRae with band over for a day of improvising for the film "Uno". Some sort of moon unit we were in Ronan's own Woodstock, with pianos, acoustic guitars, cello, violin and of course Rhodes. We have four hours on record which will be edited down for an "unplugged" disc accompanying the final film score. Still in the making. "Uno" opens the Haugesund International Film Festival in August.
The score for Mona j. Hoel's film entitled "Zalo, Salmiakk og Kaffe" is done. Featuring Sámi siren Mari Boine and percussionist Marilyn Mazur, who's played with Miles Davis for crying out loud. We make a CD for you.
Oh beautiful harvest.

Check out the video for "Att dansa och slåss" from Peggy Lejonhjärta: https://www.engstrand.nu/pop_peggy.htm

Melody Club will release their brand-new single "Take me away" on june 30. A video is on the way and you can call either 08 52715195 (or +46 852715195 internationally) to hear a preview. Apparently it's just a regular phone line so no additional charges will apply besides standard long distance billing. In other news, the band got a favorable write-up in the UK mag Q. Check it:

With Duran Duran back in business and the Scissor Sisters leading the charge of the neo-'80s revivalists, Swedish dandies Melody Club arrive perfect timing. This debut, a Number 1 hit back home, is unashamedly cheesy, its electro power-pop tunes recalling A-ha and OMD, and carrying a sense of euphoria akin to Suede's "Coming Up". There are echoes, too, of Suede's world-weary comedown song on the slow, wooxy "My Soft Return", whole best of all is the disco-rock of "Stranded Love", its dazzling, hi-energy Euro-pop remining of Abba at their peak.

When will lazy reviewers stop feeling necessary to cite Abba in their reviews of Swedish music? At least it is sort of relevant here, but it's still annoying.

Updated European tourdates for jR Ewing:

06/16 - Club 3voor 12 Radio Show, Amsterdam (HOL)
06/17 - Winston, Amsterdam (HOL) w/Oil
06/18 - Simplon, Groningen (HOL) w/Oil
06/19 - Peace Dog Festival (HOL)
06/20 - Nighttown, Rotterdam (HOL) w/Oil
06/22 - KAB-Usine, Geneva (SWI)
06/23 - Sedel, Luzern (SWI)
06/24 - Reitschule, Bern (SWI)
06/25 - Textielhuis, Kortrijk (BEL)
06/26 - Osmose Festival, Clermont-Ferrand (FRA)
06/27 - Fury Fest, Lemans (FRA)
06/28 - Le CAT, Bordeaux (FRA)
06/30 - La Loco, Paris (FRA) w/Dillinja
07/01 - FO'MO Festival, Paris (FRA)
07/02 ­- Eurockeennes Festival, Belfort (FRA)
07/03 - Catalacum Festival, Limoges (FRA)

Push Music Group Sweden has purchased the record label MNW, as well as s56. Cripes! Whether or not all current bands on these label's rosters will stay remains to be seen, but I suspect that blood will be shed. Will somebody just release that new Silverbullit record already? Read more: https://www.musikindustrin.nu/mi/smpage.fwx?page=198&NYHETER=4691 (in Swedish)

Check out an e-card for the brand new Kings of Convenience album "Riot on an empty street", due out july 23: https://www.fs1.co.uk/ecard/kings/

Drummer Horgh (ex-Immortal) has left Grimfist due to his position in Hypocrisy. Because of the lineup change, the band will not play the With Full Force Festival in early july as planned and has 'decided to start the search for a new skinsman.' Interested parties are encouraged to contact the band at contact@grimfist.com.

The Lionheart Brothers are filming a video for the song "I Burn Myself On You" with directors joakim Faxvaag and Marcus Hukkelås (johndoe, Silence the Foe).

Check out the brand new Unleashed track "Winterland": https://www.centurymedia.de/century/mainarea/audio.aspx?id=unleashed__winterland.rm
The track comes from the band's new album "Sworn Allegiance", due out july 26 on Century Media.

MIC Norway profiles contemporary composer/electronic musician Terje Winther: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004061415363125632410

Aftonbladet reports on rock n' roll couple Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (The Hives) and Maria Andersson (Sahara Hotnights): je/story/0,2789,491763,00.html" target=_blank>https://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,491763,00.html (in Swedish)
The latter will be opening for the former on their upcoming US tour.

After five years together, bassist joakim Harju has left Construcdead. He just got married and is expecting to become a father, so it's no surprise he wants to change his lifestyle. But what is surprising is that he's also going back to reform his old band Face Down. As mentioned before, ex-Haunted vocalist Marco Aro reported the news that he was calling off his musical retirement to restart the project and it looks like members joakim Harju, joacim Carlsson (General Surgery) and Erik Thyselius (also in Construcdead, but not quitting) will be joining him. Harju says "This project will give me more time with my family and hopefully more creative satisfaction for me. I like to thank the band for a wonderful time and for all the good memories I've got, and to our fans, I hope that you will enjoy Face Down almost as much."

Here's some more details about that upcoming 7" from power-pop act The Higher Elevations coming out on Little Teddy Records: https://www.indiepages.com/littleteddy/records/755.html
The single will be released in Canada on july 15 through Poppolar Records as well.