Norwegian avant/metal label Duplicate Records is now doing direct sales of high quality mp3 downloads and are throwing in a bunch of extra tracks as a bonus for many releases: https://www.duplicate-records.com/mp3store.htm
In other label news, look for new 7"s from Lydia Laska and Carniwhöre this fall plus new CDs from both Enthral and Violated.
Danish indie act The Asteroids Galaxy Tour will finally release their debut full-length "Fruit" in Europe on September 21 with a North American/US release to follow on October 13.
It's not 100% Scandinavian, but I have a new mix I made up at the blog You Were There, Too entitled "Have heart": https://youweretheretoo.blogspot.com/2009/08/avi-roigs-playlist.html
Danish act Atoi has a neat new animated video for the single "Julio Jackson": https://vimeo.com/6109447
Sounds and looks pretty good!
Check out Bouvet, a new Oslo-based act featuring members from Death Is Not Glamorous and The First Cut: https://www.myspace.com/bouvetband
My first impression is that they're doing a heavy/melancholy alt-rock thing kind of like Lapko or maybe Heroes and Zeros, but not nearly as melodramatic as the former. Look for their debut 7" via Sound Fiction this fall.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Marit Bergman - Casey, hold on
02. TALK 1
03. Ponamero Sundown - Alcoholic deathride
04. Titiyo - If only your bed could cry (feat. Moto Boy)
05. The Bear Quartet - Millions
06. TALK 2
07. The Skull Defekts - Millions
08. Gösta Berlings Saga - Sorterargatan 3
09. TALK 3
10. Stefan and the Problematix - In the city
11. 1999 - Hated people
12. Astrid Swan - 2000 - 2010 (I'm not even 30)
13. Grande Roses - I don't wanna get back on that horse again
14. TALK 4
15. Blänk - Shirt off
16. Psychic Stunts - Wind up the sound
17. Baby Woodrose - Countdown to breakdown
18. TALK 5
19. AC4 - Let's go to war
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Röyksopp are coming over to the US for a few limited dates in November and will be bringing fellow Norwegian Anneli Drecker as their guest vocalist:
11/18 - Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
11/19 - Regency, San Francisco, CA
11/23 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
11/24 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
Copies of the brand new Bear Quartet album "89" are in-hand and ready for order: [click here]
Buy now and you might even get it before the official release date of 9/9/9, but only if you're lucky. Needless to say, this disc is absolutely essential.
Crunchy Frog has posted some liner notes about their forthcoming 2CD cover tribute/anniversary collection "Saluting the Crunchy Frog-a-logue": https://blog.crunchy.dk/post/SALUTING-THE-CRUNCHY-FROG-A-LOGUE.aspx
Danish artist Johnny Stage (Martin Hall, Sort Sol, Glamorama) will be releasing his debut solo album "Unknown album" in early 2010. The music is described as "sophisticated rock ala Roxy Music, Brian Eno and David Bowie" and more info can be found at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/johnnystage
Updated US tourdates for Swedish retro metallers Enforcer:
08/20 - Café Lura, Chicago, IL
08/21 - Blondies, Detroit, MI
08/22 - Ramalama Records Toledo, OH
08/23 - Club Garibaldi's Milwaukee, WI
08/25 - Club DownUnder, Burley, ID
08/26 - The Palace Lounge Missoula, MT
08/27 - Gusto's, Boise, ID
08/28 - Hell's Kitchen, Tacoma, WA
08/29 - Josephine's, Seattle, WA
08/30 - Kelly's Olympian Portland, OR
08/31 - Bubba Thrasher's Redding, CA
09/01 - MusicHead, Medford, OR
09/02 - Annie's Social Club San Francisco, CA
09/03 - The Second Wind, Santee, CA
09/04 - The Black Castle Los Angeles, CA
09/05 - The Jumping Turtle San Marcos, CA
09/06 - Mad Italian's Club 101 Flagstaff, AZ
09/07 - The Compound, Albuquerque, NM
09/08 - Whiskey Dix Bar, Lubbock, TX
09/09 - The Conservatory Oklahoma City, OK
09/10 - Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
09/11 - P.J's, Manhattan, Kansas
09/12 - Rockstar Sports Bar Ft. Worth, Texas
09/13 - Newby's Too, Panama City Beach, FL
09/14 - The Haven, Winter Park, FL
09/15 - The Pit, Jacksonville, FL
09/16 - The Dive Bar Raleigh Raleigh, NC
09/17 - The Smiling Moose Pittsburgh, PA
09/18 - Club Europa, Brooklyn, NY
09/19 - Sonar Club, Baltimore, MD
09/20 - Traxx Long Island, Ronkonkoma, NY
09/21 - Muddy River, Portsmouth, NH
09/22 - Now That's Class Cleveland, OH
I'm not too impressed by Enforcer myself, but tourmates Cauldron (CAN) might be worth checking out.
Norwegian hardcore act Okkultokrati (feat. member(s) from Haust) have just released their debut 7" EP "Knarkskog", but since it's limited to a mere 200 copies and we live in a digital age, they're kinda offering it as a free download. Go here for linkage: https://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=433682046&blogId=505488133
Swedish industrial act Agent Side Grinder have completed a new project for release on cassette noise label Hästen och Korset entitled "The Transatlantic Tape Project". As the title suggests, the music for this tape was recorded by trading recordings through the mail, all over the world. For samples and more info, go here: https://www.myspace.com/transatlantictapeproject
The excellent Danish noiserock label Play/Rec has returned from a long hiatus to announce the signing of Marvins Revolt, a fine match I must admit. The band will be going into the studio this week to record a new album (tentatively titled "We are the enjoyments that meet you") with T.J. Lipple (MGMT, Medications, Aloha) at Sauna Studio in Copenhagen for release on November 2. The Richter Collective will be handling the release in the UK as will Parabolica in Japan, just like their previous release "Killec". Hip Hip Hip has them covered in France and negotiations are underway for the US/North America. Expect an early 2010 release for all territories outside Euroland.
In addition to the news posted yesterday about The Amazing's upcoming vinyl release via Subliminal Sounds, I have been informed that the label will also be handling a worldwide CD and digital release of the album as well later this fall. Exact dates and tour info tba.