Coming later this month on the new Service label coop, a new single from The Embassy: https://www.theembassy.info/

Mattias Alkberg has laid MABD to rest, but has also assured his fans that he will continue making music in many, many forms: https://www.mabd.se/?p=87
Hardcore, orchestral pop, whatever... wait and see!

Maukka Perusjätkä of The Heartburns will be filling on drums for I Walk the Line when they leave on tour next week as Jussi Kenttämaa is currently experiencing some health problems and needs to undergo surgery before he can rejoin the band on stage. Get dates at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/iwtlfinland

Cold Meat Industry is reissuing the 1995 Brighter Death Now "easy listening" album "Necrose evangelicum" as a special 2-disc digipack with a bonus live disc. More info: https://www.coldmeat.se/mailorderitem.asp?id=2475

Kira Skov (ex-Kira and the Kindred Spirits) is currently mixing her new album in LA and reports that it is confirmed for a September 1 release in her home country of Denmark. More details when I get 'em.

It looks like their recent extended stay in Iceland has paid off: Danish act Munich has signed with renown Icelandic label Smeekleysa and will release their full-length album "Those who dare" in June. Listen to the band at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/munichdk

There's a new single by Nordpolen called "Skimret" on now on Sincerely Yours: https://www.sincerelyyours.se/yours0080.html
Listen at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/nordpolen

The long-awaited Licking Fingers Swedish music comp "Thank You For The Music" will finally be out on May 28 and the label will celebrate with a party that evening at Pet Sounds Bar in Stockholm. Here's the tracklist, as best I can tell:

01. Anna Järvinen - Svensktalande Bättre Folk
02. Jens Lekman - The Opposite Of Hallelujah
03. Lykke Li - Everbody But Me
04. Those Dancing Days - Dischoe
05. Friska Viljor - Old Man
06. Shout Out Louds - South America
07. The Concretes - The Sentence
08. First Floor Power - The Jacket
09. Pacific! - Runaway To Elswhere
10. Kleerup/Lisa Milberg - Music For Girl
11. The Radio Dept. - Freddy And The Trojan Horse
12. Studio - No Company
13. Peter Morén - Social Competence
14. Loney, Dear - Your Time Will Come
15. Wildbirds And Peacedrums - Liar Lion
16. El Perro Del Mar - Glory To The World
17. The Tiny - Too Heavy A Burden
18. Frida Hyvönen - See How I Come Into Town
19. Speedmarket Avenue - Sirens
20. Idiot Kid - Wide Awake
21. Nicolai Dunger - God's Waitingroom

Norwegian artist Hanne Hukkelberg has contributed a track called "Lucy" to the soundtrack of the new movie "Narnia: Prince Caspian". Listen here: https://media.nettwerk.com/HanHu_Luc.mov

Sad news from Finland:

Jani "Jantsa" Kärkkäinen, the founder and longtime editor of Finnish punk fanzine Toinen Vaihtoehto, was found dead last Sunday. He was born in 1969. Kärkkäinen was found drowned by the sea shore.

Jantsa started editing Toinen Vaihtoehto in 1989. This DIY, A5-sized magazine was the forum that the Finnish punk scene used to inform about gigs, events, records, new addresses and other stuff like that. Before the time of the Internet, its value was priceless (however the 1-year subscription, some 10 issues, cost just about 30-40 Finnish marks, that's like two 7" EPs). In the mid to late 90s Toinen Vaihtoehto's circulation was around 1,500 copies of which 1000-1200 were subscriptions. That's really good for a DIY punk publication in a country as small as Finland. So far, the latest issue is #211.

Jantsa had to give up editing the magazine - and playing in Juggling Jugulars - in 2006 after a severe brain haemorrhage. He survived, but had to use an electric wheelchair for the rest of his life.

After Jantsa's ill-condition Toinen Vaihtoehto was on a small hiatus and since then it've been edited by a new editor-in-chief. As far as we know, it will continue to publish.

For more on TV and Jani "Jantsa" Kärkkäinen go here: https://www.punkinfinland.net/tv/

As In RebekkaMaria is collaborating with French beatbox artist Tez on a project called "A Switch Box Tale" which will premiere the opening night of the Spot Festival. Other Danish artists participating (along w/various other international artists) include Pharfar, Donna Cadogan and Morten Varano/Moussa Diallo. Read more: https://www.spotfestival.dk/index.php?sid=1551&cid=8882&1210602171 (in Danish)

PowerSolo have been forced to cancel their upcoming North American tour due to the Danish teacher strike: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=36039410&blogID=394059841

Pluxus/Pluxemburg has a new website: https://www.pluxemburg.com/

Ex-Refused/Final Exit members Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström have started a brand new hardcore band together called AC4. The lineup features Dennis on vocals, David on bass, Kalle from The Vectors on guitar and Jens from Regulations on drums.

Download a preview clip of the new Antennas single "Lies": https://www.novoton.se/sounds/Antennas_Lies.mp3
Said track is the first taste of what to expect from the band's forthcoming record "Feeling feline tonight", due out in September via Novoton Records. B-sides for said single include remixes by Oscar Tillman (Holiday For Strings) and Radio LXMBRG plus a cover version by The Baboon Show.