This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group top 10 tracks of the week:

01. The Killers – When You Were Young
02. Nikola Sarcevic – Love Is Trouble
03. The Killers – Sam's Town
04. Sufjan Stevens – Chicago
05. The Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
06. Cat Power – The Greatest
07. Anna Ternheim – Feels Like Sand
08. The Killers – Enterlude
09. The Killers – Bones
10. The Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

And the top 10 albums of the week:

01. The Arcade Fire – Funeral
02. The Knife – Deep Cuts
03. Cat Power – The Greatest
04. The Radio Dept. – Pet Grief
05. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
06. Radiohead – OK Computer
07. The Knife – Silent Shout
08. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
09. The Radio Dept. – Lesser Matters
10. Jens Lekman – Oh You're So Silent Jens

Want to make your own playlist count? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Agnes - Stronger
02. Nisse Hellberg - Snackbar blues
03. Lisa Nilsson - Hotel Vermont 609
04. Anna Ternheim - Separation road
05. Peter Jöback - Flera sidor av samma man
06. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Hund
07. Vikingarna - Bästa
08. Lisa Miskovsky - Changes
09. Mats Bergmans - Den stora dagen
10. Marit Bergman - I think it's a rainbow
11. Koop - Koop islands
12. Anne Sofie von Otter - I let the music speak
14. Mando Diao - Ode to ochrasy
15. Di Leva - Hoppets röst
16. Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Tuesday wonderland
17. Christian Falk - People say
18. Rydell & Quick - Rockoholic
19. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
20. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao på turné

This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group top 10 artists of the week:

01. The Knife
02. Radiohead
03. Belle and Sebastian
04. The Radio Dept.
05. Anna Ternheim
06. The Decemberists
07. The Killers
08. Beck
09. Death Cab for Cutie
10. Kent

And the top 10 albums of the week:

01. The Arcade Fire – Funeral
02. The Knife – Silent Shout
03. The Knife – Deep Cuts
04. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
05. Cansei de Ser Sexy – Cansei de Ser Sexy
06. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
07. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
08. The Radio Dept. – Pet Grief
09. Radiohead – OK Computer
10. Belle and Sebastian – If You're Feeling Sinister

Want to make your own playlist count? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lisa Nilsson - Hotel Vermont 609
02. Anna Ternheim - Separation road
03. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Hund
04. Vikingarna - Bästa
05. Peter Jöback - Flera sidor av samma man
06. Nisse Hellberg - Snackbar blues
07. Lisa Miskovsky - Changes
08. Mats Bergmans - Den stora dagen
09. Koop - Koop islands
10. Marit Bergman - I think it's a rainbow
11. Christian Falk - People say
12. Anne Sofie von Otter - I let the music speak
14. Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Tuesday wonderland
15. Di Leva - Hoppets röst
16. Mando Diao - Ode to ochrasy
17. Rydell & Quick - Rockoholic
18. Viktoria Tolstoy - Pictures of me
19. Patrik Isaksson - Patrik Isaksson
20. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006

This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group top 10 artists of the week:

01. The Killers
02. Death Cab for Cutie
03. Anna Ternheim
04. Radiohead
05. Beck
06. Sufjan Stevens
07. Bloc Party
08. The Knife
09. The Radio Dept.
10. Yo La Tengo

The far less exciting top 10 tracks for the week:

01. The Killers – When You Were Young
02. The Killers – Sam's Town
03. Anna Ternheim – Feels Like Sand
04. Anna Ternheim – Girl laying down
05. The Killers – Read my mind
06. Anna Ternheim – Lovers Dream
07. Beck – Think I'm In Love
08. The Killers – For Reasons Unknown
09. The Killers – Bones
10. Anna Ternheim – Such a lonely soul

Want to make your own playlist count? Join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Anna Ternheim - Separation road
02. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Hund
03. Peter Jöback - Flera sidor av samma man
04. Lisa Miskovsky - Changes
05. Marit Bergman - I think it's a rainbow
06. Promoe - White man's burden
07. Deportees - Damaged goods
08. Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Tuesday wonderland
09. Mats Bergmans - Den stora dagen
10. Vikingarna - Bästa
11. Mando Diao - Ode to ochrasy
12. Amon Amarth - With Oden on our side
14. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
15. Di Leva - Hoppets röst
16. Eva Eastwood - Ton of heart
17. Basshunter - LOL
18. Rydell & Quick - Rockoholic
19. Patrik Isaksson - Patrik Isaksson
20. Anne Sofie von Otter - I let the music speak

MP3: Anna Ternheim - Feels like sand

I think it's safe to say that no one expects Anna Ternheim to top "Shoreline" anytime soon. Her emotionally devastating take on the Broder Daniel anthem was absolutely perfect, a notion further reinforced by her lukewarm follow-up EP of all cover songs. I thought she was a fine artist before "Shoreline", but that's the song she'll be remembered for. So now that Anna has a new record out, what's the expectation? To be completely honest, I didn't have high hopes, but perhaps that's a good thing because "Separation road" is surprisingly good. I'd say it's even better than her debut, despite the lack of any transcendent moments like "Shoreline". It's consistently strong the whole way through thus proving Anna's stature as a fine singer/songwriter. The lead single "Girl laying down" is great (and can be viewed as part of this week's video mix), but that CCR guitar riff that anchors "Feels like sand" gets me every time. It's dingy and dark during the verses and then it opens up into something delicate and lovely. There's many other songs just as post-worthy, but their charms are more subtle and that classic guitar hook gets stuck in my head every time I hear it.

Anna Ternheim - Feels like sand

Check out the video for Anna Ternheim's new single "Girl laying down": http://www.annaternheim.com/?sid=archive&folder=videos&id=-10965

Anna Ternheim's new album "Separation road" will be released on September 27 and the first single "Girl laying down" premieres on Swedish Radio P3 this Friday.

Pitchfork reviews the US release of Ane Brun: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/brun_ane/temporary-dive.shtml
I'd say that Anna Ternheim is more fit to follow in José's footsteps than Ane, but that's mostly just splitting hairs. It's nice to see her get good press regardless. For the record, I much prefer her "Duets" album over "A temporary dive".

Upcoming international dates for Swedish singer/songwriter Christian Kjellvander:

06/08 - Chalk Farm @ Barfly, London (UK)
06/21 - Centre Culturel Suedois, Paris (FRA) w/Anna Ternheim, Ane Brun, The Tiny, Wendy McNeill
06/29 - Cultural Center in Palma/Waiting for Waits festival, Palma, Mallorca (ESP)

For a full list of dates including his Swedish tour supporting Lars Winnerbäck, go here: http://www.christiankjellvander.com/

Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim on tour around Europe:

03/19 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
03/20 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
03/21 - Prime Club, Köln (GER)
03/22 - Ampere, München (GER)
03/24 - Szene Wien, Wien (AUS)
03/26 - Schüür, Luzern (CH)
03/27 - Saltzhaus, Winterthur (CH)
03/29 - Kaserne, Basel (CH)
03/30 - ISC, Bern (CH)
04/04 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
04/05 - Lantaren/Venster, Rotterdam (NL)
04/17 - Café de la Danse, Paris (FRA)
04/18 - National Teater, Vendome (FRA)
04/19 - La Lunes les Pirates, Amiens (FRA)
04/20 - Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing (FRA)
04/21 - Scène Nationale, Dieppe (FRA)
04/22 - Le Ciel, Grenoble (FRA)
04/23 - Le Poste á Galène, Marseille (FRA)
04/24 - Thèatre Galli, Sanary Sur Mer (FRA)
04/28 - Le Printemps de Bourges, Bourges (FRA)
05/05 - Ole Bull Scene, Bergen (NOR)
05/06 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NOR)

Montys Loco
Man overboard
NONS

An opening track strong enough to belt Tyson 'round the chops. "Man overboard" is produced by Björn Yttling to provide that "Swedish sound" mixed with a lot of Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette from the female duo. A folk hum, musical underlays, dubs and effects, plus mixed up quirky yet always emotive lyrics give the finese. Given the Cardigans unique early sound on "Emmerdale" and "Life!" albums, it is easy to see why Montys Loco are slated to support them on the band's Scandinavian tour (ahead of Anna Ternheim we hear). There's a warble lyric thing going on in places and if singer Anja Bigrell let herself go a bit she would be out into Björk wilderness - at least, that is, via the production - mind, there are artists out there falling into the same strength, one to start with is Sara Culler. And why do these sort of record stop short of hitting full wackiness a la Imogen Heap? Leaves one thinking only: radio. All told this album is WOW!
- Jason Christie

The Centre Culturel Suédois in Paris is putting on a series of Swedish music showcase shows:

03/07 - Peter von Poehl, Magnus Tingsek
04/25 - Frida Hyvönen, Hello Saferide
06/21 - Christian Kjellvander, Anna Ternheim, Ane Brun, The Tiny, Wendy McNeill

More info: http://www.ccs.si.se/

Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim on tour in GAS:

03/19 - Knust, Hamburg (GER)
03/20 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
03/21 - Prime Club, Cologne (GER)
03/22 - Ampere, Munich (GER)
03/24 - Szene Wien, Vienna (AUS)
03/26 - Schüür, Luzern (CH)
03/27 - Salzhaus, Winterthur (CH)
03/29 - Kaserne, Basel (CH)
03/30 - ISC, Bern (CH)