The Hellacopters have signed a deal with US label Liquor and Poker Music, the same people who put out the recent Hanoi Rocks album on these shores. Look for a proper domestic release of the most recent album "By The Grace Of God" coming soon, as well as the "Cream of the Crap! Vol. 2" b-sides and rarities collection. The US version of "BTGOG" will also include two bonus tracks, two videos and an EPK (electronic press kit).

Driller Killer offers an explanation for their recently cancelled French/Swiss tour: https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=21379

Updates tourdates for C.Aarmé:

04/15 - Studenttorsdag, Mondo, Stockholm
04/22 - Gump, Göteborg
04/23 - Stones, Kalmar Nation, Uppsala w/Cato Salsa Experience
04/24 - Pub bastun, Mariehamn, Åland (FIN)
04/28 - Kafé 44, Stockholm w/The Je Ne Sais Quoi
04/29 - Shindig, Effes, Visby
04/30 - Congero, Västervik w/Gentle Act Incident
05/06 - Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER) w/Kid Commando
05/07 - Scheune, Dresden (GER)
05/08 - Mikrokosmos, Magdeburg (GER)
05/09 - K4, Nürnberg (GER) w/The Sainte Catherines
05/11 - Backstage Club, Munich (GER) w/Standstill
05/14 - Jugendzentrum Crocodile, Wutha/Farnroda (GER) w/Tokyo Sex Destruction
05/15 - Schalchthof, Wiesbaden (GER) w/Standstill
05/16 - K-19, Kassel (GER) w/Standstill
05/17 - Tommy-Weissbecker-Haus, Berlin (GER) w/Disfear
06/17 - Hultsfredsfestivalen, Hultsfred
07/08-10 - Peace & Love 2004, Borlänge
07/15-17 - Arvikafestivalen, Arvika
08/06-07 - Augustibuller, Lindesberg

All dates are in Sweden, unless specified otherwise.

Startracks recording artist Christian Kjellvander has jumped on the bill for a couple of the West Coast Cardigans dates in the US. Pretty cool, but I'm still waiting to hear about a show in SF. Dates:

05/20 - Neumos, Seattle
05/21 - Roseland, Portland
05/25 - Troubadour, Los Angeles

Drummer/composer/producer Jaani Peuhu has left Finnish darkpop band Deadbabes citing the oft-used "musical and personal disagreements." Taking his place will be the Frech produce/ DJ/remixer Kris Kylven who has worked with bands such as Killing Joke, Eon and UX in the past. He'll also be taking on production and mixing duties for the band's next album. Vocalist Lasse Erjamo comments:

Its really sad that it ended up this way. Jaani played quite big role in the band but fortunately we found a real professional Kris Kylven to be behind [the] electronic drums. Our goals are set very high and it requires 100% concentration but Jaani was too busy with his other bands. Musically our style won't change radically, we have already done couple of songs together with Kris and it sounds really good. Show must go on and get better.

The groups live debut with the new lineup will be at the Baltic's biggest darkwave event, the Kunigunda Lunaria Festival in Lithuania on May 1. More info on that at www.dangus.net/kunigunda. As hinted at above, Jaani's other projects still going are his solo synthpop act Iconcrash and the gothic rock band Varjo.

I am now stocking the first Moonbabies album "June and Novas" in the mailorder department. Check it out. And speaking of which, they just got another nice review, this time from Mundane Sounds: https://www.mundanesounds.com/record_review.php?id=786

A bunch of news from the world of Pluxumberg: Fibes, Oh Fibes! just finished recording their debut album "Still Fresh" and will release it on May 3. Live dates and samples at www.fibes.info. Pluxus are back in the studio working on new material. And finally, all the Pluxemburg artists will be playing this year's Popaganda festival in Stockholm on May 28.

Former Stratovarius singer Timo Kotipelto talks about the recent, ever-increasing troubles with his former bandmate Timo Tolkki and his new solo album: https://pitriff.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=84&page=1

Check out the video for "Deep it is" from The Curtain: high / low

Reknown Norwegian musician/artist Kim Hiorthøy is touring North America as support for Múm. Dates:

06/23 - Museum of Fine Arts (Calderwood Courtyard), Boston, MA
06/24 - Cabaret Music Hall, Montreal, QC
06/25 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
06/26 - Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, IL
06/28 - Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
06/29 - Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

Check out an mp3 of Psychosonic Cindy's new single "Yeahbabyc´mon": https://www.psychosoniccindy.com/music/yeahbabycmon.mp3
It comes out in May on Dead Frog Records.

Niccokick and Snook are two of the bands heading out on the 'Hultsfred on Wheels' tour in Sweden. Dates:

03/23 - Sivans, Växjö
04/24 - Klubb La Luna, Örebro
04/27 - Mejeriets café, Lund
04/28 - Tivoli, Helsingborg
04/29 - Kalmar Nation, Stones, Uppsala
04/30 - Restaurang Trädgården, Klubb Lyckliga Gatan, Borås
05/01 - Gudskelov, Norrköping
05/04 - Bommens Salonger, Göteborg
05/05 - Kino, Karlskrona
05/06 - Platens Bar, Linköping
05/07 - Arena, Karlstad
05/08 - Svea, Jönköping
05/09 - Debaser, Stockholm

More info: https://www.rockparty.se/content/turne/2004/index.asp

Baby Woodrose is touring Europe:

04/15 - W2, Hertogenbosch (HOL)
04/16 - Waterfront, Rotterdam (HOL)
04/17 - Sojo, Leuven (BEL)
04/19 - Arena, Wien (AUS)
04/21 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (HOL)
04/23 - Printemps de Bourges Festival, Bourges (FRA)
04/24 - Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing (FRA)
04/25 - House Of Live, Paris (FRA)
04/26 - Le Plan, Ris Orangis (FRA)
04/27 - Le Cat, Bordeaux (FRA)
04/28 - Antigua Estacion, Oviego (SPA)
04/29 - Sala Capitol, Santiago de Compostella (SPA)
04/30 - El Sol, Madrid (SPA)
05/01 - Helldorado, Gasteinz (Vitoria) (SPA)
05/02 - Wha Wha, Valencia (SPA)
05/03 - Subsonic, Montpellier (FRA)
05/15 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FIN) w/Sweatmaster
07/15-18 - Dour Festival, Dour (BEL)

The new book/cd project "århus:nu" spotlighting the scene of Århus, Denmark is now done. It's 110 pages and covers local bands such as Under Byen, Tiger Tunes, Powersolo, Strumm, Singvogel & Peter Laugesen, Sofus Forsberg, Kurve, Jab Mica Och El and The Defectors along with labels and promoters like Morningside Records, Noisejihad, Bird Hits Plane Records, LJUD and Skand-All. The CD contains tracks from those same bands, of course. More info: https://www.aarhus-nu.dk/

Check out Swedish synthpop band Paris being interviewed from German TV: https://www.ok-magdeburg.de/news_kw16.rm