Are you a fan of music from Finland? Probably not. Should you be? Probably. The band LAPKO hails from this otherwise forgotten country (here is the U.S. at least) and is better than most of the shit you’ve been listening to lately. Their 2007 release, Young Desire, features stand-out tracks such as “This Is An Aggressive Melancholy” and the title track “Young Desire” that can be heard on their MySpace page. This is yet to be available in the U.S., but for your sake I hope that changes soon.

For fans of: Mew, Thrice, Tiger Lou, Lovedrug
European tour dates: Click here

The brains of Rasmus Kellermen are fascinating. He is the man behind Sweden’s Tiger Lou and is slowly becoming one of my favorite song writers. Their latest effort, The Loyal (released on V2 overseas) is still looking for a home here in the states, but for now you can find many tracks off it such as the title track “The Loyal” as well as the ever-catchy “Patterns” streaming on their home page. For a glimpse into the mind of Kellermen, check out his frequently updated blog about the making of their 3rd studio album.

“Patterns” – Tiger Lou (mp3)