Plain Fade vocalist/guitarist Juho Koivuaho has been diagnosed with leukemia and is currently being treated at Tampere University Hospital. Results so far have been positive and of course I wish him well in his recovery. As for the rest of the band, they've got new songs written and have plans to put together a new album, but of course everything is currently on hold until Juho is better.

Unique Danish artist Ea Philippa has finally started to record her 2nd album, the follow-up to 2005's bewildering and enchanting "Fjerne himle".

Sofia Talvik's new video for the single "As summers pass" is now online: https://www.lastfm.se/music/Sofia+Talvik/+videos/6916695
Her new album "Jonestown" will be released on August 27 and she will also be making a special live track for each song together with one of her favorite artists, the first of which is up now on myspace and features fellow Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee: https://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36327176

Cocoanut Groove has a new song posted on myspace especially for midsummer: https://www.myspace.com/cocoanutgroove

Glad midsommar! Be sure to check out our first report back from Hultsfred: [click here]

Karin Ström has posted a new remix track she did for the Swedish rapper Miki: https://www.myspace.com/datadamen

Finally, a new Convoj single: https://www.youareawesome.se/html/body_yaa____-_it_s_up_to_you_to_kee1.html
Expect the long-awaited full-length debut to be released in September.

Listen to Zeigeist's brand new single "Wrecked metal" (and b-side remix) at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thezeigeist

New fall dates for Under Byen:

10/02 - AB, Brussels (BEL)
10/03 - La Maroquinerie, Paris (FRA)
10/04 - Le Ciel, Grenoble (FRA)
10/05 - ISC, Bern (CH)
10/06 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg (GER)
10/07 - Szene, Vienna (AUS)
10/09 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
10/10 - tba, Berlin (GER)

JuJu Records is offering a Timbuktu live album (w/Damn!) as a free download: https://www.jujurecords.nu/downloads/live.zip

Finnish hard-rockers Slideshaker report that their third album is finally done being tracked and is ready for mixing. No word on a release date yet, but two rough mixes are posted on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/slideshaker

The Goner's new EP "Hind hand" is done and available for mailorder direct from his self-run label Svarta Marknaden: https://svartamarknaden.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/hind-hand-released/
As I mentioned before, I've heard some pre-mixes of the material and it's stunning. Definitely recommended.

Danish artist/producer Troels Abrahamsen is retiring his many aliases such as SuperTroels and Mockin' Bird and will henceforth work using his given nomenclature: https://supertroels.dk/wp/?p=369

The latest Music Export Finland newsletter is now online: https://musex.fi/mxf/news?articleId=158

LowCut interviews weirdo Finnish hard/doom-rockers Mr. Peter Hayden: https://www.lowcut.dk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=225:mr-peter-hayden&catid=34:interviews&Itemid=55