Fat Planet posts a track from Finnish freak-folk act Paavohharju: m.au/blog/2006/01/13/paavohharju-finland/" target=_blank>https://www.fatplanet.com.au/blog/2006/01/13/paavohharju-finland/

Tenderversion has posted a new free websingle from Swedish post-rock act Once We Were: m/mp3_singles.php" target=_blank>https://www.tenderversion.com/mp3_singles.php
The band's debut double-album (!!!) will be released later this year.

Also on the way from Tenderversion is the much anticipated full-length from Audrey. The band will be putting the finishing touches on the recording next week and it's due out in April.

Updated UK tourdates for JR Ewing:

01/19 - Barfly, Cardiff
01/20 - Barfly, Birmingham
01/21 - Barfly, Glasgow
01/22 - Barfly Fibbers, York
01/23 - Barfly, London
01/24 - Peel, Kingston
01/26 - Cavern, Exceter
01/27 - Koko (Club NmE), London

Sandy mouche has a new website to coincide with the release of their new album "...and poems for the unborn": mouche.com/" target=_blank>https://www.sandymouche.com/

Check out a live videoclip of Hardcore Superstar performing "my good reputation": m/downloads/reputation.wmv" target=_blank>https://www.hardcoresuperstar.com/downloads/reputation.wmv

Chavis Records reports that Swedish melodic rockers Violent Divine have wrapped up the recording of their debut self-titled album and will be releasing it in march. Listen to the first single "Rush you" here: m" target=_blank>https://chavisrecords.net/radio.htm

my full-length review of Thomas Denver Jonsson's latest album is now up at Indieworkshop: m/music/2217/" target=_blank>https://indieworkshop.com/music/2217/

Norway's Green Carnation will be touring North America with Beyond the Embrace beginning at the end of February:

02/24 - Broadway Joes, Buffalo, NY
02/25 - Valentines, Albany, NY
02/26 - Cabot St., Chicaopee, mA
02/27 - Knitting Factory, New York, NY
02/28 - Voodoo Nightclub, Akron, OH
03/01 - TNT’s, Clinton Township, mI
03/02 - Vnuks, Cudahy, WI w/Novembers Doom
03/03 - El Torreon, Kansas City, mO
03/04 - Hairy mary’s, Des moines, IA
03/06 - Club Vegas, Salt Lake City, UT
03/07 - The Core, Boise, ID
03/08 - The Boulevard, Spokane, WA
03/09 - Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
03/10 - Rock And Roll Pizza, Portland, OR
03/12 - The Roadhouse, Sacramento, CA
03/13 - Zen Sushi, Los Angeles, CA
03/15 - House Of Rock And Roll, El Paso, TX
03/17 - SXSW Festival, Austin, TX
03/22 - Thee Imperial, Jacksonville, FL
03/23 - Jesters, Fayetteville, NC
03/24 - Sector 7G, Augusta, GA
03/25 - The Social, myrtle Beach, SC
03/26 - Peppermint Beach Club, Virginia Beach, VA
03/28 - The Sidebar, Baltimore, mD
03/29 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA
04/01 - The marquee, Toronto, ON (CAN)

MP3: Motorpsycho - Go to California

It's been a few years since motorpsycho has done much of anything and I suspect that a lot of people have only heard of them in passing. maybe you know their contribution to the "In the fishtank" series in which they collaborated with the Jaga Jazzist horn section. Or perhaps you've heard of producer/musician Deathprod/Helge Sten and his long-time involvement with the band. Whatever the case may be, motorpsycho is this week's 'Flashback Friday' pick. I'm not as well-versed in the band's older, more jagged-edged material as I should be, so I've decided to post a track from their 2001 album "Phanerothyme". At this point in the band's career they decided to sound less like Jesus Lizard and a whole lot more like Yes. Sound confusing? I'm sure the transition baffled a lot of people. What remained intact the whole time though was their melodic sensibility - no matter what era of the band your listening to (even going into the band's more recent Krautrock exploration), you can always tell when it's motorpsycho. I figure this song is a good place to start. Can't wait for the new album "Black hole/Blank canvas" when it comes out on march 20. I have no idea what to expect.

Motorpsycho - Go to California

Håkan Hellström
Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått
Dolores

This isn't a new album as such from Håkan, but a compilation of unreleased, live and cover songs. Like most of these things, it's mostly for fans and it would be a stupid place to start if you're thinking of checking out Håkan Hellström for the first time, since any of his three other 'proper' albums are better. That aside, if you're indeed a fan already, then I think this album is a must. There are twelve songs on here: two superb (the first two), three very good, three good, one ok, and three that are quite terrible. Six of the songs are covers and half of them work, the others are the previously mentioned terrible songs (I won't complain if Håkan decides to never sing in English ever again). Perhaps you've already calculated this, but this means that there are nine songs here for you to discover and cherish. Now, I regret to say this but I've read somewhere that Håkan's taking a break for a little while (fair enough, he just became a dad). I'm very glad he decided to release this album before he stops making music temporarily so that all of us Håkan fiends got something to calm our hunger with until the next fix. With these songs and some upcoming Håkan clones (it's inevitable, so bring them forth!) I think we might just be able to survive.
- Simon Tagestam

Christian Kjellvander
Faya
Startracks

I've been a fan of Christian Kjellvander for a long time, I really like his old band Loosegoats, and I adored his last solo album and the Songs of Soil record that he did with his brother was better than butter. So for a long time now I've been a bit baffled that I haven't listened to "Faya" more than I have. I've only put it on with the intention of 'checking it out', or for me being able to review it. The songs on the album give a bit of more 'refined' impression than on his earlier releases (a bit more mature, I guess), but they also lack something that has been the key to Kjellvander's songs previously. Sure, the songs are pretty good, but I expect something more than standard alt. country numbers from someone like Christian Kjellvander and I try to tell myself that "Faya" is just nothing but a singular half-good album in a great career which will surely be followed by much greater things. Yeah, this is what I think will happen and in the future it will make perfect sense when you think of how "Faya" was such an obvious stepping stone for the greatness that came afterwards (just like how Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, for example, have released some dubious stuff throughout their careers). These are not just mere fantasies! Oh well, they are, but soon they'll be facts! FACTS!
- Simon Tagestam

Pet Politics
In my head
Catbird Records

I have been reliably informed that Pet Politics is a name of a song by Silver Jews. Pet Politics is from Sweden and doesn't really sound anything like Silver Jews at all. He sounds a lot like Lou Reed. This is a good thing as Lou really isn't that great anymore. The 4 tracks on this EP are pretty flawless. magnus Larsson, the one man band behind Pet Politics, has a similar observational lyrical style to Lou Reed too. This is best demonstrated on "Provence" which is an ode to Southern France in which Larsson narrates a nostalgic tale that zips along at a frenetic pace akin to a speed rain. Can't fault this at all really.
- Nick Levine

Sci-fi Skåne
Känslan av att jorden krymper växer
Silence

Sci-fi Skåne consists of Thomas Öberg and Jonas Jonasson, both of Bob Hund/Bergman Rock fame. I used to be a very big fan of Bob Hund when I was younger, but lost interest in them about 7 years ago. Sci-fi Skåne has been described as 'synth blues', and that term alone makes me shiver. But it's in fact a fair description since this whole album is as horrible as those two ill-fitting words make me feel. It could have been better though. Last year Sci-fi Skåne released the single "Jag har aldrig bott vid en landsväg" which sounded like Bob Hund in the good old days, and that song alone is the reason why I decided to give this album a listen. But there's nothing to match that song on this album, what we get instead is just a bunch of dreary songs that makes me feel like I'm trapped in a hole full of old mustard while listening to them. I would gladly recommend Bob Hund's "Omslag: martin Kann" for anyone who's interested in some fine Pere Ubu-like indierock sung in Swedish, but don't bother with this release, it's just a complete waste of time.
- Simon Tagestam

The Soundtrack of Our Lives
A present from the past
Universal

TSOOL are famously prolific, so no one's surprised that this b-sides/rarities compilation is a two-disc set (or that it was nominated for a Swedish Grammy). TSOOL are also famously talented, so there are songs here that other bands would love to have as a-sides or at least album tracks. B-sides often sound like afterthoughts, thrown together at the last minute. There are a few in that category on this release, like the sitar-noodling instrumentals "Playstation bordello" and "Cleaning session raga". But happily they're the exception, not the rule. Drawn-out rockers "Dow Jones syndrome" and "Galaxy gramophone" showcase frontman Ebbot Lundberg's ability to shift from a world-weary voice to a defiant yell and back as the songs dictate. I'm baffled as to how the brass-tinged epic "We're gonna get it right" wasn't/isn't a single, and the previously unreleased "Side effects" is a good softer, acoustic song with dreamlike synth playing from martin Hederos. What's next from the group? "Origin, vol. 2", as originally intended? Hopefully something sooner rather than later.
- Matthew W. Smith