Singer/songwriter Christian Kjellvander will be supporting The Cardigans on a number of dates around Europe as he tries to reach out beyond the confines of Sweden:

11/11 - Elserhalle, Munich (GER)
11/12 - Wuk, Vienna (AUS)
11/14 - Ark, Athens (GR)
11/15 - Decadence, Thessalonika (GR)
11/18 - Den Atelier, Luxembourg (LX)
11/19 - Melkweg Max, Amsterdam (NL)
11/21 - Grosse Freiheit, Hamburg (GER)
11/22 - Columbiafritz, Berlin (GER)
11/23 - Roxy, Prague (CZ)

Violinist Tomas Ebrelius will accompany.

According to a posting on the Christian Kjellvander website, the scheduled Nicolai Dunger/Christian Kjellvander shows in Helsingborg and Västerås (10/23-14) have been cancelled.

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
08. The Casual Brothers "Customers Choice EP"
13. The Libertines "Don't Look Back Into The Sun"
14. Magnus Carlson "Elin"
17. Heather Nova "River Of Life"
19. The Coral "Secret Kiss"
20. The Donnas "Too Bad About Your Girl"

Here's some different links for that new Christian Kjellvander video "Portugal": 56 / 100 / 300

Christian Kjellvander is doing a couple Swiss dates:

10/29 - ISC, Bern
10/30 - TapTab, Schaffhausen
10/31 - Ebullition Bulle
11/01 - Boa, Luzern

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?

Check out the new track "Portugal" from Christian Kjellvander's upcoming CD retrospective "Introducing the Past": Click here. You can also check out the video for the track from here. For more details and tourdates (all of which have been posted here before), head over to the microsite here.

Looks like that Nicolai Dunger "Tour Edition EP" that's coming out in advance of the upcoming jaunt with Christian Kjellvander (see 08/21 for dates) isn't really an EP at all. It's actually gonna be a single and here's the tracklist:

01. Hunger
02. Slaves (we're together like)
03. City sun

The first tracks are from the forthcoming album and the third is exclusive to this release. It hits stores October 8, but will be available at the shows for a special price. A video for "Hunger" is being done by Håkan Schüler/Maremma Produktion AB and should be out soon. And finally, Nicolai has been voted #18 of the top 33 sexiest men in the Swedish edition of Elle magazine.

I posted the tracklist for the new Startracks comp way back on 06/24 but this message from label mainman Fredrik Holmgren is too good to pass up:

"Ok, I said for years it will never happen to me. Now I'm down at the level of Bad Taste and Burningheart...
I'm sorry, I am really!
The first label compilation ever is to hit the stores 24th of September. It had to be done and honestly I find it of healthy quality. It's priced as a single (even lower then Universal dared too go ! :) ). Here are the final set list, even a exlusive one with Mr. Åström. And yes it even by the bands on it looks like yet another Burningheart comp. Kids I found those artist, launched them some I even invented and then BHR cashed in. I'm for real kid!"

That tracklist again, to refresh your memory:

01. Fireside - Throw it away
02. Christian Kjellvander -Broken Wheels
03. Kristofer Åström & Hidden truck - One good moment
04. Tiger Lou - Nova Lee
05. Loosegoats - Days of black (nights are light)
06. Kristofer Åström - 8 long years (previously unreleased)
07. Songs of Soil - Page
08. The Lost Patrol - Stating the obvious
09. Revolvo - Moscow mule
10. Jaffa de Luxe - Don't forget about Raquel
11. Candysuck - Popcorn
12. Leiah - Cover Discover
13. Starmarket - Mexican summer
14. Moneybrother - Thunder in my heart
15. Buck - Rock dream
16. Monster - Don't answer the phone
17. Refused - Pump the brakes

Here's the tracklist for that upcoming Christian Kjellvander 2xCD Introducting the Past" and where they came from:

CD1:
01. Portugal
02. Paige / Songs of Soil - "The Painted Trees of Ghostwood"
03. Live Ones / Loosegoats - "Form and the Feeling"
04. Staying there
05. Days of Black (nights are light) / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
06. Sacred Ground / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
07. River Raffle / Loosegoats - "Acoustic EP"
08. Jesus / Songs of Soil - "The Painted Trees of Ghostwood"
09. Form & the feeling / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
10. Feeling deluxe / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"
11. Juan de fuca (Live) / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"
12. Traveller (Live) / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
13. Marrow / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
14. Stum mountain men / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"

CD2:
01. Search / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
02. 1912 / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
03. Palace of dynasty / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"
04. Adversity / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"
05. Nez Perce / Loosegoats - "Her the City, et al"
06. A mother’s cry / Loosegoats - "Plains, Plateaus and Mountains"
07. Fender / Loosegoats - "Acoustic EP"
08. Israel / Loosegoats - "Disdialogic"
09. Homeward rolling soldier (Live) / solo - "Songs from a Two Room Chapel"

A single for "Portugal" plus two brand new songs is also being released in conjunction with the collection. The live tracks were recorded by P3 at Södra Teatern in Stockholm last February. Hey, isn't that the same stuff I've got over on the right?

Startracks will be releasing a new Christian Kjellvander 2xCD compilation called "Introducing the past" featuring various material from the back catalogue of his old projects Loosegoats and Songs of Soil plus three live tracks recorded by P3 at Södra Teatern and two new songs. One of the new songs, "Portugal", will be released as a single on October 8 with an unreleased b-side. The collection is released the same day, too.

Also coming soon from Startracks is that long-awaited label showcase compilation. It'll be in stores in September and you have a chance to win a copy by emailing rock@startracks.se your top five labels and why you chose them. Probably wouldn't hurt to say 1. Startracks, 2. Startracks, 3. Startracks, 4. Startracks, 5. Startracks because Fredrik Holmgren is such a kind, generous and handsome man. Where's my free copy, eh?

Nicolai Dunger will be releasing a new "Tour Edition" EP on that upcoming tour with Christian Kjellvander that will feature a few tracks from his upcoming album that he recorded with Mercury Rev.

Why wait until the press release goes out on Monday? Here's the dates for that upcoming Christian Kjellvander/Nicolai Dunger Swedish tour:

10/13 - Chinateatern, Stockholm
10/14 - Katalin, Uppsala
10/15 - Gävle Konserthus, Gävle
10/16 - Parkteatern, Örebro
10/17 - Konserthuset, Jönköping
10/18 - Konserthuset, Göteborg
10/23 - Konserthuset, Helsingborg
10/24 - Konserthuset, Västerås
11/07 - Kalmarsalen, Kalmar
11/08 - Loius De Geer Konserthuset

Tickets go on sale September 1.

That upcoming Nicolai Dunger/Christian Kjellvander tour I mentioned yesterday will actually be a co-headlining event with both artists receiving 50-50 billing. Dates are expected to be revealed on Monday.

Fireside's lastest album "Get Shot" is released in the US today. I wonder how it'll do? Look for more Scandinavian dates and possibly a full European tour later this fall.

In other Startracks-related news, Christian Kjellvander will doing a tour in October and November with his backing band Lazy Grace Frontier and Ebrelius Quartet plus support from Nicolai Dunger. Sounds like a good time to me! After that, he's gonna do some European dates in November before taking time off for recording in the US. Maybe some shows over in this part of the world too? Who knows?

Cobolt will be doing a 5-song EP for Startracks imprint StarEP that should be out sometime around September or October.

Leiah and Starmarket are both working on new records due out this spring.