P3 Musikjournalen is reporting that legendary Swedish pop act Popsicle is reuniting for the Pet Sounds 25th anniversary. Read more: https://www.sr.se/p3/musikjournalen/arkiv.asp?DagensDatum=2004-12-02&Artikel=514605 (in Swedish)

Moneybrother is done with his new album and has confirmed that it will be called "To die alone" and will be released on March 2, 2005. The record was produced with Jari Happalainen (Bear Quartet) and the first single will be for the track "They're Building Walls Around Us" which will be released on January 26. Look for a video from director Karl Haglund (Stylewar) to be aired around the same time as well.

I was told it wasn't going public until Monday, but the cat is out of the bag now that Dagensskiva has posted it. Serves me right for being a nice guy, eh? Anyhow the big news is that Fireside is going on tour in January and taking it back to their roots by playing as a four-piece again. I don't think they're planning on recording anything new yet, but it's good to see that they're keeping the band alive. Dates:

01/13 - Mejeriet, Lund
01/14 - Slippery People @ Pustervik. Göterborg
01/15 - Club Feber, Trollhättan
01/20 - Nebraska, Gävle
01/21 - Pipeline, Sundsvall
01/22 - Scharinska, Umeå
01/28 - Accelerator @ Debaser, Stockholm
02/12 - Hotell Fjället, Björkliden

Stockholm-based instrumental post-rockers Ellis the Vacuumchild are supporting.

The article on the new wave of Finnish experimental/improv music from The Wire can be found online here: https://kieme.daug.net/wire/

Swedish neoclassical industrial act Puissance has signed with Vicious Recordings. The group has previously worked with Regain and Cold Meat Industry.

Well, it's December so that means it's time for a new album of the month. Kristofer Åström's "Loupita" is easily one of my top picks for the year, so it's quite the fitting choice for my end of the year spotlight. I'm sure mostly everyone is sick to death of me raving on and on about how good this is, but seriously, if you haven't given it a chance yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. I promise you won't be disappointed. I contemplated posting a new mp3 from the record, but instead decided to go with something a bit more special: a live recording of Kristofer singing the album highlight and lead single "The wild" with Britta Persson from Startracksdagen in Stockholm. Amazing. Can't wait to hear the new full-band album "So much for staying alive" when it comes out next March.

Just so aren't totally overloaded with Kristofer Åström stuff, I've taken down that old live set and put up the first half of a short live set from Silverbullit. I originally wanted to post a track from the brilliant new album "Arclight", but since I'm such a nice guy, I asked for permission first and was turned down. Boo! So we're going with the next best thing. Enjoy!

Niccokick sideproject Sounds Like Violence on tour across Europe:

12/15 - Wild At Heart, Berlin (GER)
12/16 - Underground, Koln (GER)
12/17 - OHK, Oostende (BEL)
12/18 - Het Muziek Cafe, Kerkrade (NL)
12/19 - Alex Skatehall, Osnabruck (GER)
01/08 - VEB, Siegen (GER) w/Razor Crusade
01/09 - Bei Chez Heinz, Hanover (GER) w/Tribute To Nothing
01/10 - White Ape, Rodgau (GER) w/Tribute To Nothing
01/11 - Magnet, Berlin (GER) w/Tribute To Nothing
01/12 - Tryptychon, Munster (GER) w/Tribute To Nothing
01/13 - KTS, Freiburg (GER)
01/15 - Ann & Pat, Linz (AUS)
01/16 - Konkav, Wien (AUS)
01/17 - Kulturladen, Konstanz (GER)
01/20 - Winston International, Amsterdam (NL) w/Cursed
01/21 - Ofenbunker, Landgraaf (NL)
01/22 - AJZ, Bielefeld (GER)

Sondre Lerche lists 24 of his most favorite songs that he heard for the first time this past year: https://www.sondrelerche.com/news.asp?id=87

Low Frequency In Stereo has been selected as one of Norway's acts to be sent to the 2005 SXSW Festival in Austin, TX.

Swedish hardcore act Misconduct will be heading out on a 10-year anniversary tour across Europe with support from US act Burn the 8 Track. Side by Side Records will be releasing a special best-of CD for the tour that will also include various as-yet-unnamed bonus tracks. Here's the dates booked so far:

03/04 - Thrillbeats Club, Dresden (GER)
03/05 - AJZ, Leisnig (GER)
03/09 - Café Charbon, Nevers (FRA)
03/27 - JUZ Korn, Hannover (GER) (Sunday matinee)

Viola has a special online Christmas calendar counting down the days until the holiday and offering lots of special treats: https://www.ifsociety.com/viola/joulukalenteri/

Finland's Callisto has just signed a license deal with Earache Records for their album "True Nature Unfolds", originally released on Fullsteam Records back in April 2004. Look for it to be rereleased internationally around February next year. In other news, the band will be hitting the road around Europe for the next couple weeks:

12/03 - Skylten, Linköping (SWE)
12/04 - Imperiet, Herning (DK)
12/05 - Wild At Heart, Berlin (GER)
12/06 - de Kar, Groningen (HOL)
12/07 - Juz, Saarlouis (GER)
12/09 - Le Clos Fleuri, Lyon (FRA)
12/10 - Squat, Luzern (SWI)
12/11 - 13 Eins, Ansbach (GER)
12/12 - Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
12/14 - Piwnica, Belchatow (POL)
12/16 - Club Depo, Riga (LAT) w/Abduktio, Armageddon clock
12/17 - Fontaine´s Palace, Liepaja (LAT)
12/18 - Green Christmas, Rakvere (EST) w/Paradise Lost, Echosilence, Waterdog, Solwaig

The first confirmed dates for Audrey's upcoming European tour:

02/11 - Astra Stube, Hamburg
02/12 - Stereo Wonderland, Köln
02/13 - Dreikönigskeller, Frankfurt
02/14 - Carambolage, Karlsruhe
02/15 - Prager Frühling, München
02/16 - Magnet, Berlin
02/18 - Juz, Saarlouis
02/19 - Cancoon Bar, Nancy
02/20 - tba, Dordrecht

Otherwise, the band is currently working on new material and recording demos for an eventual full-length album.

Music Export Norway is launching a new initiative of showcase events to be held in London. The first one scheduled will feature Ephemera, Bonk and The Brimstone Solar Radiation Band at the Infinity Club on December 2. Read more: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004120112181696679331