Upcoming GAS toudates for Swedish indierockers The Horror The Horror:

03/23 - Nachtasyl, Hamburg
03/24 - Objekt 5, Halle
03/25 - mudd Club (Karrera Club), Berlin
03/26 - Pretty Vacant, Düsseldorf
03/27 - Kerosin, Augsburg
03/28 - Backstage, münchen
03/29 - Posthof, Linz
03/30 - Glashaus, Bayreuth
03/31 - Spandau, Hannover
04/01 - Ilses Erika, Leipzig
04/02 - merkker, Baden
04/03 - PmK Bögen, Innsbruck
04/04 - tbc, Klagenfurt
04/05 - Flex, Wien
04/06 - Rockhouse, Salzburg
04/07 - Cafe Pic, Kaufbeuren
04/08 - Sublime, Aflenz

Check out the video for "What to pass on / What to keep" from Denmark's Jomi massage: mbones.dk/video/jomi_massage_-_what_to_pass_on_what_to_keep.WmV" target=_blank>https://www.iambones.dk/video/jomi_massage_-_what_to_pass_on_what_to_keep.WmV
The clip was directed by Trine Omø (J. Faurholt & Sweetie Pie Wilbur, Figurines).

Hammerfall's song "Hearts on fire" has been chosen to be the Olympic theme to Sweden's Women's Curling Team. Seriously. They've already won the European and world title, so maybe they'll win the gold too. A video was filmed recently and a single will be released in Sweden. See a picture: mmerfall.net/scripts/admin/upload/060118.jpg" target=_blank>https://www.hammerfall.net/scripts/admin/upload/060118.jpg

Cover art and tracklist for the new album "From the sea" from Swedish post-rock act Galento: mboat.se/music.asp?part=1" target=_blank>https://www.dreamboat.se/music.asp?part=1

The winner has been announced in the Hemstad lookalike contest: mstad.blogspot.com/2006/01/winner.html" target=_blank>https://hemstad.blogspot.com/2006/01/winner.html

Swedish downer-country act Amandine reports that they finished recording two new songs which will be released on a new EP in late spring or early summer.

Check out the poster for Pelle Carlberg's upcoming UK jaunt: [click here]
And lookit that thar in the lower corner: I'm a sponsor? Sure, why not?

Finnish music blog Lupatarkastaja rounds up a mix of crushing dooooom metal, including Swedish artists Beneath the Frozen Soil and It Will Come: mizdat.info/2006/01/19/luuvitonen-doom-vko-3/" target=_blank>https://lupatarkastaja.samizdat.info/2006/01/19/luuvitonen-doom-vko-3/

Download a live set of Finnish electronic artist Karri O. playing live at Club Depo in Riga, Latvia on January 14: monorecords.com/livesets/karri_o_live_in_riga_140106.mp3" target=_blank>https://www.monorecords.com/livesets/karri_o_live_in_riga_140106.mp3

Ultimate metal interviews Norwegian avant-metal act Frantic Bleep: matemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=223675" target=_blank>https://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=223675

Digitalmetal has reprinted the press release for ex-Emperor frontman Ihsahn's new solo album: metal.com/news.asp?cid=7066" target=_blank>https://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=7066

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Håkan Hellström - Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
03. Sven-Ingvars - Livet är nu - 50 år det bästa med sven-ingvars
04. Agnes - Agnes
05. Laleh - Laleh
06. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
09. monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
10. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
11. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
12. Kent - Du & jag döden
13. Emilia De Poret - A lifetime in a moment
14. Darin - Darin
15. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
16. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
17. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
18. Ane Brun - Duets
19. Jan Johansson - Jazz på Svenska
20. Eva Dahlgren - Snö

Did you see that list of the top instrumental/post-rock albums over at music.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6776" target=_blank>Decoy music? Claiming the #1 spot is a band from Norway cleverly named Samuel Jackson Five. I had seen their name in passing before, but I had no idea what they sounded like so I immediately went out and got a copy of their record "Easily misunderstood". I'm not the biggest post-rock/instrumental aficionado, so I'm not exactly qualified to state whether or not the album deserves the #1 ranking, but I do like what I hear: looping, hypnotic riffs, loud epic passages and a pronounced Scandinavian sense of melody. Some of the tracks remind me a bit of Finnish post-rockers magyar Posse but then again, on tracks like the one I've posted today, you'll hear that SJ5 takes the "rock" part of the genre name much more seriously. It starts out quiet, but right around 2:30 they crank it up and kick out the jams.

Besides the recent webstore addition of a bunch of excellent releases from Norwegian experimental/electronic label melektronikk yesterday, I am now quite pleased to announce that I am now selling Closer's debut EP "Tokpela" exclusively as a cheap paid mp3 download. This band blew me away the very first time I heard them, so I'm excited to offer everyone else a chance to check them out. Also, for those of you willing to be patient, be aware that physical CDs of the EP are currently in production and I've been told that the packaging is extra special. So yeah, if you're an old fogey like me who that's still partial to physical objects, it might be worth it to wait. All you young whippersnappers, m/store.php?item=145">click here.

Details for Norwegian singer/songwriter Thom Hell's new upcoming album "Every little piece" are now online: mhell.com/FullArticleDetail.aspx?m=32&amid=179" target=_blank>https://www.thomhell.com/FullArticleDetail.aspx?m=32&amid=179
It comes out January 30.