The new Jacob Faurholt album "Hurrah hurrah" is finished and mastered so there's been a new track posted on myspace: myspace.com/jacobfaurholt" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/jacobfaurholt

The first edition of Hwem's new "Free Hwem Serie" works in now online and it comes from the Kanada Brothers aka Swedish drone artist Claus Haxholm: m001" target="_blank">https://www.archive.org/details/freehwem001

A trailer for a music video? Hmmkay... here's a preview of Egil Olsen's new clip "Wannabee": m/watch?v=LyiHE54b1GQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyiHE54b1GQ

Listen to the Japenese version of "Young folks" by Shugo Takumaru: media.com/article/download/45394-shugo-tokumaru-young-folks-peter-bjorn-john-cover-stream" target="_blank">https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/45394-shugo-tokumaru-young-folks-peter-bjorn-john-cover-stream

The material that Under Byen recorded live with the Danmarks Radios Underholdningsorkester back in April will be released as an EP in early November.

Danish indierockers I Am Bones have another new song on myspace: myspace.com/iambonesband" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/iambonesband

Aversionline rounds up some new Finnish hardcore from the acts Cutdown, Last Laugh, and Ratface: m/blahg/2007/09/07/cutdown-last-laugh-and-ratface/" target="_blank">https://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2007/09/07/cutdown-last-laugh-and-ratface/
I agree with Andrew: no one else is doing raw, metallic, pissed-off hardcore quite like the Finns. I'm normally not that into a lot of this stuff (I'm way more West Coast than East), but there's no denying it when it's done well.

There's two new Rigas tracks on myspace: myspace.com/rigasthemoron" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/rigasthemoron
The new album "The hardest pocket to pick" will be released on October 17 via Flora & Fauna.

The Je Ne Sais Quoi has posted more new tracks from their forthcoming album "Rhythm" on myspace: myspace.com/thejenesaisquoi" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/thejenesaisquoi

MP3: Dag Vag - Popitop

If you've been paying attention, you'll note that I've added m/store/product.php?productid=506">all m/store/product.php?productid=504">of m/store/product.php?productid=507">the m/store/product.php?productid=491">various m/store/product.php?productid=505">CDs from the mNW "Klassiker" reissue series to the webstore recently so naturally I've been spending a bit of time getting acquainted with them. Besides the "Svensk postpunk" comp, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Dag Vag collection. I was expecting something a bit more punky, but they're actually more of a pop band with reggae influences. Or 'Transkontinental Rockreggae', as they put it. Not only that, but they're still around! I had no idea. Considering the strong reggae influence and the time period, you could definitely compare Dag Vag to the Clash albeit without the politics. I suppose it's possible that Dag Vag could be radicals (I wouldn't know, my Swedish still sucks), but they sound more like a party band to me and that's okay. Listen to today's mp3 and you'll immediately know what I'm talking about. Popitop? Is that even a real word? Does it matter? Oh, and crowd noise/gang singalongs always equals party jams. Enjoy!

Dag Vag - Popitop

MP3: Enemy Alliance - Government subsidized ghetto

I've been going through a bit of a punk rock renaissance as of late, getting back in touch with my roots and figuring out how it relates to my life here and now. I know it can be argued that punk is meaningless now (and has been for quite some time), but nothing else quite affects me in the same way. It's not just the music - punk had always been about more than that - it's also the values and the spirit of community it represents. As for the "indie" scene? Give me a break, that's not a scene at all. So while I could easily get up on my soapbox and pontificate on the subject all day, it must be pointed out that it really does come down to the music in the end. Lots of mediocre bands coast on being good dudes who "support the scene" or whatever, but they never stand the test of time. Good bands, even if they aren't doing anything particularly groundbreaking, are timeless. That's kind of how I'd describe the new split from Enemy Alliance and The Indecision Alarm. It sounds so incredibly familiar, yet fresh and alive. You can hear it in the sincerely of both band's performance. There's a certain wistfulness that calls to mind midwestern acts of yore, but for Enemy Alliance, the sound is far more Southern California. Fast skate-rock beats and huge harmonized choruses. Nothing original there, but the delivery is so good I could care less. It makes me feel like a kid again.

Enemy Alliance - Government subsidized ghetto

Interview: Aerial

Catch both Enemy Alliance and The Indecision Alarm on tour together while you still can:

09/06 - mTC, Köln (GER)
09/07 - JUZ, Ebersberg (GER)
09/08 - Triebwerk, Wiener Neustadt (GER)
09/09 - Gala Hala, Ljubljana (SLO)
09/11 - Arena, Wien (GER)
09/12 - Café Central, Weinheim (GER)
09/13 - Alter Stadtbahnof, Schweinfurt (GER)
09/14 - Kuba, Julich (GER)
09/15 - Regenbogen, Hameln (GER)

I'll probably do another post on TIA next week, so check back. Oh, and check in with a tour diary on the shows they've played so far myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=93318173&blogID=307366535" target="_blank">right here.

Hey, look! A brand new interview IAT faves Aerial! m/index.php?a=322">Check it out!

As mentioned numerous times recently, September is the fifth anniversary of It's a Trap! and I am running my first-ever reader's poll on account of this grand occasion. m/limesurvey/index.php?sid=54434&lang=en" target="_blank">Go fill it out! And remember, it's 100% anonymous and none of the questions are required so only answer the questions you want. And then, when you're done, enter to win a copy of m/label.php">the entire IAT discography. Your participation is appreciated!