The Low Frequency in Stereo are doing a batch of German dates in may and bringing fellow Norwegians Hypertext along for the ride:
04/30 - Drone Bar, Copenhagen (DK)
05/01 - Klub Drushba, Halle (GER)
05/02 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
05/04 - magnet Club, Berlin (GER)
05/05 - Gladhouse, Cottbus (GER)
05/06 - Kukuun, Hamburg (GER)
Russian label Self True Records has put out a new CD from Swedish sXe hardcore act Anchor called "First year" which collects all of the band's recordings so far: the 5-track m/store/product.php?productid=517">"Captivity songs" EP as well as two from their split with The Kind That Kills and one previously unreleased track. more info: myspace.com/selfxtrue" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/selfxtrue
Swedish hardcore act Raised Fist will be entering Studio Dug Out in Uppsala in April with producer/engineer Daniel Bergstrand to record a new album, their fifth overall.
Aftonbladet reports that The Soundtrack of Our Lives' show at the Swedish Consulate in LA got shut down by the cops: musik/article4683887.ab" target="_blank">https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article4683887.ab (in Swedish)
It's a damn shame I live too far away to have been able to attend.
Okay, one last promo mp3 before Friday's Danish Dynamite showcase. The River Phoenix are a band that manages to transcend their abominable name to deliver solid emopop on this particular track, "5 wheel drive". Nothing groundbreaking to be sure, but if you like soaring octave chords, heavy half-time choruses and earnest, keening vocals then these guys will surely satisfy. Sand off the dark edges from either mew or Lapko and you get the picture. Not quite as sugary as Jimmy Eat World's best material, but awfully close, so let's play it safe and file 'em under guilty pleasures for the time being.
As for the rest of the Danish Dynamite lineup, since there's no way I'll cover 'em all (even if I wanted to) I'll just pass along this zip file so you can familiarize yourself on your own time: m/file/4vn7n8" target="_blank">[click here]
The River Phoenix - 5 wheel drive
Swedish hardcore act The Change will do a couple German gigs in may:
05/20 - Knaack, Berlin
05/21 - Backstage, munich
The new David Sandström Overdrive single "These are the days" will be released in may.
morningside Records is streaming I Was A King's hyped self-titled album in full: morningsiderecords.dk/IWAK" target="_blank">https://morningsiderecords.dk/IWAK
Labrador will release the new mary Onettes EP "Dare" on April 29.
maia Hirasawa's new album "GBG vs STHLm" is now streaming at myspace: myspace.com/maiahirasawagbgvssthlm" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/maiahirasawagbgvssthlm
Swedish fuzzrockers Truckfighters will release their 3rd album "mania" on may 22 via their own Fuzzorama Records. Expect samples online soon.
It's been awhile since we've heard anything from Finnish act Brightboy, but they just uploaded a new track to myspace: myspace.com/brightboyspace" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/brightboyspace
Look for the new album "The decadance" in April?
Popmatters on the US release of The Soundtrack of Our Lives' latest record "Communion": matters.com/pm/review/71290-the-soundtrack-of-our-lives-communion/" target="_blank">https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71290-the-soundtrack-of-our-lives-communion/
Also at Popmatters today, a revisit of In Flames first four records on the occasion of their reissue treatment: matters.com/pm/column/71168-rise-of-the-joetunn-in-flames-in-the-1990s/" target="_blank">https://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/71168-rise-of-the-joetunn-in-flames-in-the-1990s/
Napoleon has a new single with yet another long parenthetical title: "I try to despise the ugly people (but the beautiful ones keep turning me down)". Watch the video: m/watch?v=k31FDO2b8lw&fmt=18" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k31FDO2b8lw&fmt=18
The Rollstons walk the fine line of droll, edging a bit towards slacker powerpop, but never quite falling off that cliff. There's a bit of starkness to them as well, though that could just be the ineffable Finnish-ness shining though the wah-wah guitar licks. However, the overriding constant has got to be quirk; influenced equally by modern indie and the funkiest of 80s post-punk junk. There's a straightforward pop song (or two) hidden beneath the surface here, but they're waving it above your head like a bully or an older sibling, keeping it just out of arm's reach. Even still: I think I like it, though I can't quite understand why.
The Rollstons - Defender of the frown