Pitchfork reports the hyped techno producer Lindstrøm (aka Hans-Peter Lindstrøm) will be working with fellow Norwegians 120 Days on the band's sophmore album: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41200/Exclusive_Lindstrom_to_Produce_New_120_Days_Jams

London-based club night White Heat is hosting a special Smalltown Supersound show in London on February 27 featuring 120 Days, Bjorn Torske and Takka Takka. More info: http://www.whiteheatmayfair.com/

MP3: Blackstrap - To far gone

Blackstrap are a band I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about in the future as the powers-that-be are pushing them hard. They've got that fresh nü-gaze sound - not too dissimilar from Norwegian acts 120 Days or Serena Maneesh, but will less of the Krautrock drone and more melody. They've also got a much more pronounced rock'n'roll flair ala BRMC, but their Swedish flavor probably leans 'em more towards The Soundtrack of Our Lives. I like it, but there's a distinct lack of personality. It's hard not to listen to everything they do without comparing it to some other band, just as I've done. And I still think Silverbullit is the best band of this style - something that is all too apparent considering that this album starts out exactly the same as Silverbullit's "Arclight". Go find yourself an mp3 of "Run" and compare it to "Winning speech" on Blackstrap's myspace profile. It's ridiculous.

Blackstrap - To far gone

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance
02. William Hut - Nightfall
03. Askil Holm - Harmony Hotel
04. Skambankt - Elixir
05. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
06. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
07. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
08. Herodes Falsk/Tom Mathisen - De beste
09. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
10. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
11. 120 Days - 120 Days
12. Ane Brun - Duets
13. Tungtvann - 96% Tungtvann
14. Jan Werner - Stronger
15. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
16. Ole Ivars - Jag trodde änglarna fanns
17. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
18. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
19. Shining - Grindstone
20. Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive

120 Days will support Ratatat for a batch of North American dates in late March:

03/21 - Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, IL
03/23 - Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
03/24 - In the Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
03/26 - Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
03/27 - Neumos, Seattle, WA
03/28 - Richard's on Richards, Vancouver, BC
03/29 - WOW Hall, Eugene, OR
03/30 - Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
04/01 - Glass House, Pomona, CA
04/02 - Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA
04/10 - Loft, Atlanta, GA

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance
02. William Hut - Nightfall
03. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
04. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
05. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
06. Herodes Falsk/Tom Mathisen - De beste
07. Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss
08. Jan Werner - Stronger
09. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
10. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
11. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
12. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
13. Bjørn Berge - I'm The Antipop
14. 120 Days - 120 Days
15. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
16. Tungtvann - 96% Tungtvann
17. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
18. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
19. Morten Abel - Some Of Us Will Make It
20. Malin - Malin på månen

The winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, aka the Norwegian Grammys:

Female artist: Marit Larsen - Under The Surface (EMI Music Norway)
Male artist: Thomas Dybdahl - Science (Universal Music AS)
Pop group: Minor Majority - Reasons To Hang Around (Big Dipper Records)
Electronica: Lindstrøm - It's A Feedelity Affair (Smalltown Supersound)
Rock: 120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Metal: Enslaved - Ruun (Tabu Recordings)
Hip-hop: Darkside Of The Force - El Dia De Los Puercos (C+C Records)
Jazz: Atomic - Happy New Ears! (Jazzland)
Open class: Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykestrasse 68 (Propeller Recordings AS)
Best newcomer: 120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Best song: Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes, Askil Holm - Hallelujah (Playroom/SonyBMG/Universal)
Music video: Marit Larsen - Don't Save Me (EMI)
Spellemann: Vamp
Hederspris: Sissel Kyrkjebø, Bjørn Eidsvåg and Åge Aleksandersen

Read more: http://www.ifpi.no/spellemann/vinner.html

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance
02. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
03. William Hut - Nightfall
04. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
05. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
06. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
07. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
08. Jan Werner - Stronger
09. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
10. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
11. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
12. 120 Days - 120 Days
13. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
14. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
15. Malin - Malin på månen
16. Rockettothesky - To sing you apple trees
17. Morten Abel - Some Of Us Will Make It
18. Leif Ove Andsnes - Horizons
19. Datarock - Datarock
20. Åge Aleksandersen - Snöharpan

Smalltown Supersound will release their new "Sunkissed" mix CD on January 20 in Norway, May elsewhere. Artists contributing include Erot, Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas, Serena Maneesh (Riton mix), 120 Days (Mental Overdrive mix), Rune Lindbæk, Kango, DiskJokke, Bjorn Torske and more.

Some new UK dates for 120 Days:

02/26 - Club NME/Astoria, London (UK)
02/27 - White Heat/Madam Jojos, London (UK)

This week's Norwegian top 20 album chart:

01. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
02. William Hut - Nightfall
03. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
04. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
05. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
06. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
07. Jan Werner - Stronger
08. 120 Days - 120 Days
09. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
10. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
11. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
12. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
13. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
14. Morten Abel - Some Of Us Will Make It
15. Rockettothesky - To sing you apple trees
16. Malin - Malin på månen
17. Åge Aleksandersen - Snöharpan
18. Anne Nørdsti - Her vil jeg bo
19. Ole Ivars - Ole Ivars så klart
20. Mari Boine - Idjagiedas - In The Hand Of The Night

For the Eardrums reports that 120 Days is already letting themselves be co-opted by Jaguar: http://eardrums.blogspot.com/2007/01/120-days-in-new-jaguar-commercial.html

This week's Norwegian top 20 album chart:

01. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
02. William Hut - Nightfall
03. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
04. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
05. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
06. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
07. Jan Werner - Stronger
08. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
09. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
10. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
11. 120 Days - 120 Days
12. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
13. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
14. Morten Abel - Some Of Us Will Make It
15. Åge Aleksandersen - Snöharpan
16. Anne Nørdsti - Her vil jeg bo
17. Ole Ivars - Ole Ivars så klart
18. Malin - Malin på månen
19. Leif Ove Andsnes - Horizons
20. Rockettothesky - To sing you apple trees

This week's Norwegian top 20 album chart:

01. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
02. William Hut - Nightfall
03. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
04. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
05. Odd Nordstoga - Heim te mor
06. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
07. Sissel - De beste 1986-2006
08. Jan Werner - Stronger
09. 120 Days - 120 Days
10. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
11. Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes og Askil Holm - Hallelujah - Live
12. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
13. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
14. Morten Abel - Some Of Us Will Make It
15. Malin - Malins Jul
16. Åge Aleksandersen - Snöharpan
17. Malin - Malin på månen
18. Diverse artister - Jul i Svingen
19. Rockettothesky - To sing you apple trees
20. Leif Ove Andsnes - Horizons

The nominees for the 2006 Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian Grammy, have been annnounced:

Female artist:
Elvira Nikolaisen - Quiet Exit (Sony BMG)
Marit Larsen - Under The Surface (EMI Music Norway)
Mira Craig - Mira Mira (Homemade Records)
Male artist:
Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde (Petroleum/Sony BMG)
Odd Nordstoga - Heim Te Mor (Universal Music AS)
Thomas Dybdahl - Science (Universal Music AS)
Pop group:
Delillos'85 - Suser Videre (Universal Music AS)
Jim Stärk - Turn Around And Look (Sweet Recordings)
Minor Majority - Reasons To Hang Around (Big Dipper Records)
Electronica:
Lindstrøm - It's A Feedelity Affair (Smalltown Supersound)
Splaxxter Watts - The Shakeout (Cafe Superstar DA)
The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams (Smalltown Supersound)
Rock:
120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Bonk - Bonk Against Nothing (Racing Junior)
Madrugada - Live At Tralfamadore (EMI Music Norway)
The Low Frequency In Stereo - The Last Temptation Of... (Rec 90)
The School - Espionage (Kong Tiki Records)
Metal:
Benea Reach - Monument Bineothan (Tabu Recordings)
Enslaved - Ruun (Tabu Recordings)
Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Regain Records)
Keep Of Kalessin - Armada (Tabu Recordings)
Hip-hop:
Darkside Of The Force - El Dia De Los Puercos (C+C Records)
Karpe Diem - Rett Fra Hjertet (Bonnier Amigo Music Norge)
Tungtvann - Siste Skanse (C+C Records)
Jazz:
Atomic - Happy New Ears! (Jazzland)
Helge Sunde/Norske Store Orkester - Denada (Act)
Håkon Kornstad/Håvard Wiik - The Bad And The Beautiful (Moserobie)
Ken Vandermark/Paal Nilssen-Love - Seven (Smalltown Superjazzz)
The Thing - Action Jazz (Smalltown Superjazzz)
Open class:
Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykestrasse 68 (Propeller Recordings AS)
Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook (Universal Music AS)
Mari Boine - Idjagiedas - In The Hand Of The Night (Universal Music AS)
Terje Isungset - Igloo (All Ice Records/Grappa)
Wibutee - Sweet Mental (Sonne Disk)
Best newcomer:
120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Elvira Nikolaisen - Quiet Exit (Sony BMG)
Marte Wulff - Jacket (It's Definitly Records)
Mira Craig - Mira Mira (Homemade Records)
Rockettothesky - So Sing You Apple Trees (Trust Me Records)
Music video:
Bjørn Eidsvåg M/Elvira Nikolaisen - Floden (Sony BMG)
Christel Alsos - Come On (Sony BMG)
Grand Island - Us Annexed (Racing Junior)
Marit Larsen - Don't Save Me (Emi)
The White Birch - Seer Beliver (Racing Junior)

The rest of the categories are here: http://www.spellemann.no/nomine.html