Other notables/honorable mentions:

Cult of Luna - The Beyond & s/t reissue (Earache)
Crushing doom in the vein of Neurosis and Isis, but with a touch of something else that separates them from the rest of the imitators. Hopefully these guys will tour the US because I bet they kill live.

Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Bud Fox)
Broder Daniel - Cruel Town (Dolores)
These are two of the best Swedish indiepop records this year and I think I actually like the former a bit more than the latter. Broder Daniel has some better songs when taken on their own, but the Shout Out Louds made a better album. I was hoping the latest Bad Cash Quartet would rate too, but it was a huge disappointment.

Zyklon - Aeon (Candlelight)
Ex-Emperor guitarist Samoth proves he can move on and still make quality music. One of the few black-metal releases this year that really caught my interest. Either the scene is stagnant or I've lost interest, not sure.

Motorpsycho & Jaga Jazzist Horns - In the Fishtank (Konkurrent)
It's about time the rest of the world was exposed to these guys. I can do without that one awful funk track, but the rest of this is great stuff. Hopefully the increased international profile of this release will help them get their own music recognized and appreciated.

Randy - Welfare Problems (Burning Heart)
I don't listen to much punk-rock these days, but Randy always delivers. Looking forward to the US tour in February.

The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight (Stockholm Records)
I was really put off by the mellow 70s vibe at first, but once I got over it I found out there were some pretty great songs here. Definitely not what I was expecting, but worth a second glance if you passed it over before.

Ricochets - Ghost of Our Love (White Jazz)
Tiger Lou - Trouble And Desire (Startracks)
Mustasch - Ratsafari (Majesty/Capitol)
Seven Feet Four - Departure/Arrival (Coalition)
Four solid releases from four very different acts. Nothing life changing here, but all still quite good and definitely worth investigating.

Jaga Jazzist - The Stix (Smalltown Supersound)
Supersilent - 6 (Rune Grammofon)
v/a - Money Will Ruin Everything 2xCD + Book (Rune Grammofon)
Norway is really a hotbed for experimental genre-expanding music right now and these three releases are a great place to start. You won't find that elusive "next big thing" here, just music that will make you think. Both Smalltown Supersound and Rune Grammofon are labels to keep an eye on.

Top ten: 2003

The Hives will premiere their brand new single at the P3 Gold Awards on January 23 at Storan in Göteborg. Other acts set to play include Nicolai Dunger, Lisa Miskovsky, Patrik Isaksson, Elin Sigvardsson, Timbuktu, Broder Daniel and Soundtrack Of Our Lives. As for the awards themselves, here's the nominees:

Guldmicken (best live act):
José González
Moneybrother
Randy
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best song:
The Cardigans - "For What It's Worth"
Per Gessle - "Här Kommer Alla Känslorna (På En Och Samma Gång)"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Broder Daniel - "When We Were Winning"

Best group:
Alcazar - "Alcazarised"
Bad Cash Quartet - "Midnight Prayer"
Broder Daniel - "Cruel Town"
The Cardigans - "Long Gone Before Daylight"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"

Best male artist:
Per Gessle - "Mazarin"
José González - "Veneer"
Moneybrother - "Blood Panic"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"
Lars Winnerbäck - "Söndermarken"

Best female artist:
Lisa Miskovsky - "Fallingwater"
Miss Universum - "Selfelected"
Pauline - "Candy Rain"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Elin Sigvardsson - "Saturday Light Naïve"

Best newcomer:
José González
Miss Universum
Moneybrother
Pauline
Radio Dept.

Best rock:
Arch Enemy - "Anthems of Rebellion"
Cult Of Luna - "The Beyond"
Mörk Gryning - "Pieces of Primal Expressionism"
Nasum - "Helvete"
Satirnine - "Void of Value"

Best dance:
Jesper Dahlbäck - total production 2003
Eric Prydz - total production 2003
Forss - "Soulhack"
Hundarna från Söder - "Hundarna Från Söder"
Plej - "Electronic Music From The Swedish Leftcoast"

Best pop:
Franke - "Optimismens Hån"
The Knife - "Deep Cuts"
Radio Dept. - "Lesser Matters"
Sophie Rimheden - "Hi-Fi"
Tape - "Milieu"

Best hip-hop/soul:
Advance Patrol - "Utskrivna"
Fattaru - "Jordnära"
Ken - "Det Bortglömda"
Latin Kings - "Omerta"
Timbuktu - "The Botten Is Nådd"

For more info, go to P3 Gold's website.

Last Saturday BBC6 DJ Steve Lamacq did a special 'Rebel Playlist' feature on Soak the Sin, Bad Cash Quartet and Kamera, three bands that caught his interest from the Access All Areas seminar/festival in Stockholm. Check out the playlist here and listen to it on-demand for the rest of the week from here. (see 'Listen Again')

Bad Cash Quartet and Laakso will be headlining the Rookie festival minitour beginning next February. Rookie is arranged by Rockparty, the same people behind Hultsfred fest and features 15 local acts at each stop. Details coming soon, I'd imagine.

New at Rockfoto.nu: pics from the Access All Areas seminar including Bad Cash Quartet, Bear Quartet, The Concretes, David & The Citizens, First Floor Power, Hell On Wheels, José Gonzales, Kamera, Melody Club, Soak The Sin, Teenage Idols, Whyte Seeds and more.

Via pHinnWeb: International Helsinki/Manchester-based electronic music label Mate Recordings has updated their website with news of upcoming live events, Roger's "Art Schools, Art Students" tour, upcoming plans for Bynatone and a new Kompleksi CDR comp that's being circulated.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
03. Mew - 156
04. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
05. Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning
06. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
07. Redrama - Hang It Up
08. Lene - It´s Your Duty
09. Kamera - Fragile
10. The Rasmus - In My Life
11. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
12. User - To Feel
13. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
14. Mustasch - Black City
15. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
16. Paperboys - On The Low
17. Turbonegro - Sell Your Body (To The Night)
18. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
19. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
20. Span - Papa

Challengers:
01. The Sonnets - Tale Told By The Cynical
02. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Långsamt
03. Nathalie Nordnes - Only Because
04. Equicez - Barnslig
05. Baby Woodrose - Pouring Water

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. v/a - Lilla Melodifestivalen 2003
02. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
03. Per Gessle - Mazarin
04. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
05. User - User
06. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
07. Fred Åkerström - Freds bästa
08. Pauline - Candy rain
09. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
10. Ainbusk - En samling
11. E.S.T. - Seven days of falling
12. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight prayer
13. Robyn - Don't stop the music
14. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
15. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
16. Mustasch - Ratsafari
17. Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughs bästa
18. Lars Winnerbäck & Hovet - Söndermarken
19. Jill Johnson - Discography
20. Sten & Stanley - Samlade tv-hits

Darkane has postponed plans to begin recording their next record due to guitarist Klas Ideberg recent surgery for a slipped disc in his back and also because the band wants more time to finish building their own studio. They are still planning on a springtime release through Nuclear Blast.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
03. Mew - 156
04. The Rasmus - In My Life
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning
07. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
08. Lene - It´s Your Duty
09. Kamera - Fragile
10. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
11. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
12. Paperboys - On The Low
13. Mustasch - Black City
14. Killer - Naughty Boy
15. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
16. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
17. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
18. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
19. Fattaru - Bättre
20. Span - Papa

Challengers:
01. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
02. Redrama - Hang It Up
03. Turbonegro - Sell Your Body (To The Night)
04. Bosson - You Opened My Eyes
05. User - To Feel

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Nominees in the Swedish categories for the Swedish Hit Music Awards:

Best Swedish group:
Moneybrother
Alcazar
Robyn
A-Teens

Best Swedish Song:
Da Buzz - Alive
Per Gessle - Här kommer alla känslorna
Miio feat. Daddy Boastin' - När vi två blir en
Håkan Hellström - Kom igen Lena

Best Swedish hip-hop/r'n'b
Looptroop - Don't Hate The Player
Timbuktu - The botten is nådd
Advance Patrol - Min musik
Fattaru - Bättre

Best Swedish video
The Concretes - You Can't Hurry Love
The Knife - Heartbeats
José González - Crosses
The Cardigans - You're The Storm

Best Swedish rock
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
The Sounds - Living In America
Millencolin - E20 Norr

Best 'ZTV-färsking':
Satirnine - Hey No Hell
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Pauline - Runnin' Out Of Gaz
José González - Crosses

Winners be announced November 9 on ZTV. More info: http://www.ztv.se/shma/

Shout Out Louds - "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (Bud Fox)
To be completely honest, this record really surprised me. The previous EP didn't exactly blow my socks off, so I wasn't really expecting too much. Which is not to say it was bad, because it wasn't - it just didn't seem like the band had it in 'em to rise above mediocrity. So yeah, this CD is some decent Swedish pop rock. The uptempo garage rock stuff from the EP is still here on quite a few tracks, but I think those are actually the weaker songs. I prefer the slower mid-paced, more Broder Daniel-esque stuff, such as the opener "The Comeback" (probably my fave song on the record). The singer can tend to sound a bit like Elmer Fudd at times, but I consider it to be part of his charms. I also like the simple, three-color artwork, too. Though not amazing, it's far far better than similarly styled stuff like the new Bad Cash Quartet. Even at just 40 minutes, I think they could've trimmed it by a song or two.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
02. Per Gessle - Mazarin
03. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
04. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
05. User - User
06. E.S.T. - Seven days of falling
07. Fred Åkerström - Freds bästa
08. Bubbles - Bless
09. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
10. Pauline - Candy rain
11. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
12. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight prayer
13. Robyn - Don't stop the music
14. Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
15. Mustasch - Ratsafari
16. Ainbusk - En samling
17. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
18. Lars Winnerbäck & Hovet - Söndermarken
19. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
20. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Sub rosa

Pitchfork reviews "Everdom" from Anders Ilar: www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/i/ilar_anders/everdom.shtml

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Mew - 156
03. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
04. Lene - It´s Your Duty
05. The Rasmus - In My Life
06. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
07. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
08. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
09. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
10. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
11. Killer - Naughty Boy
12. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
13. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
14. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
15. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
16. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
17. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
18. Paragon - Lev Ditt Liv
19. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
20. Fattaru - Bättre

Challengers:
01. Mustasch - Black City
02. Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning
03. Paperboys - On The Low
04. AYA - Other Side
05. Kamera - Fragile

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
02. Per Gessle - Mazarin
03. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
04. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
05. User - User
06. Pauline - Candy rain
07. Fred Åkerström - Freds bästa
08. E.S.T. - Seven days of falling
09. Mustasch - Ratsafari
10. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight prayer
11. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
12. Lars Winnerbäck & Hovet - Söndermarken
13. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
14. Bubbles - Bless
15. ABBA - ABBA Gold - greatest hits
16. Robyn - Don't stop the music
17. Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughs bästa
18. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Sub rosa
19. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
20. Kent - Vapen & ammunition

Parasol is now the official US outpost for all things Startracks. That means Tiger Lou (US tour in November/December), Kristofer Åström, Christian Kjellvander, Starmarket, Moneybrother, The Lost Patrol, Fireside and more we be readily available for purchasing domestically come mid-October. Jim, why don't you tell me these things before posting about them on the Parasol blog?

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There
03. The Rasmus - In My Life
04. Mew - 156
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
07. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
08. Lene - It´s Your Duty
09. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
10. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
11. Killer - Naughty Boy
12. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
13. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
14. Fattaru - Bättre
15. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
16. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
17. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
18. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
19. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
20. Nu - Any Other Girl

Challengers:
01. Safri Duo - Fallin´ High
02. Paragon - Lev Ditt Liv
03. Dub Sweden - Ice In My Fire
04. Whyte Seeds - So Alone
05. Racing Ape - Daddy's

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.