Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Innan mörkret faller
02. TALK 1
03. TIAC - Boredom
04. Brainbombs - Who can you trust
05. Ted Gärdestad - Helena
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - China Blue
08. Viktor Sjöberg - The sensation of your head on my chest
09. Marvins Revolt - Deliberate deeds
10. TALK 3
11. Abalone Dots - Under the rain
12. The Bear Quartet - The lost kid office
13. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake up
14. Watain - Underneath the cenotaph
15. TALK 4
16. The Tiny - Closer
17. Supersilent - 8.4
18. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
19. TALK 5
20. The Skull Defekts - The secret
21. Lukestar - White shade
22. Pay TV - Fashion report
23. Wolfpack - Enter the gates
24. TALK 6
25. Tigerbombs - Shaking the tree
26. Familjen - Ivanhoe & Rebecca
27. Giant Robot - Public = shopping
28. Eskju Divine - Hold on
29. TALK 7
30. The Bell - On and on
31. DHG - The snuff dreams are made of
32. Trio Mediaeval - Det lisle bånet
33. TALK 8
34. Peter Bjorn and John - It beats me every time
35. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
36. Kaizers Orchestra - Kontroll på kontinentet
37. TALK 9
38. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D.

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

Short stories plus the songs to accompany them from Finnish artist Arttu Tolonen (Giant Robot): http://www.arttu.org/

Finnish hip-hop act Giant Robot will finally release their third album next year around spring.

MP3: Giant Robot - Helsinki rock city

I won't pretend to be any sort of hip-hop expert, but I know what I like when I hear it. For people already in the know, I've barely scratched the surface of Scandinavian hip-hop with yesterday's video mix, but realize that we all have to start somewhere. No disrespect to Looptroop, long considered one of Sweden's leading crews, but my favorite stuff is almost always done in the act's native tongue or performed with live backing. A perfect example would be Timbuktu backed by Damn! - that stuff is unfuckwithable, regardless of whether or not you can understand what they're saying. However, that's not who I'll be posting today. I've posted about the Finnish band Giant Robot before, but it's been awhile and I really like them, so I figure now's as good a time as any to revisit. The band's soulful live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics immediately remind me of Michael Franti (Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Spearhead), but Giant Robot tends to concentrate more on the music than the message. They've got important things to say, but they're also a party band that knows how to get the floor moving. Today's track "Helsinki rock city" is a surefire crowd-pleaser in the hometown, no doubt. I think it works just as well abroad. To be completely honest, I prefer the band's second album "Domesticity" (2004), as opposed to "Crushing you with style" (1999) - the record this track came from. Both are good, but the later record has more hot songs and flows better as a whole. Anyhow, today's posting is still a fine place to start.

Giant Robot - Helsinki rock city

Finland's Giant Robot hasn't been all that active recently, but they've got a couple special gigs coming up and will also being some sort of studio session at the end of the July. Curious as to what else those dudes are up to? Check it: http://www.giantrobot.fi/

It's been awhile, but Finland's Giant Robot are reactivating to play three shows in March in which they'll be providing the soundtrack to a Brazilian film from 1929. Read more: http://www.giantrobot.fi/

Download a free track from Finland's Giant Robot as part of a promotion for Olympus: http://www.olympusamerica.com/Downloads/giantrobot.asp
I wonder whey they chose an anti-consumerism song? Seems kinda silly, doncha think?

Here's some samples from the new single "The flock" from Finnish electro artist Mr. Velcro Fastener: http://www.stars-music.com/stars/releases.php
The guest vocalist on the track is Tuomas Toivonen from Giant Robot. The new MRVF full-length comes out in January.

Podcast: Feel-good summer mix

Top 10s for 2004: It's a trap!

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Elegi (SWE)
02. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
03. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
04. Peggy Lejonhjärta - Att dansa och slåss (SWE)
05. Steep - Complete lack of ideals and integrity (FIN)
06. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
07. Týr - Regin smidur (DK)
08. Nightwish - Wish I had an angel (FIN)
09. The Knife - Heartbeats (SWE)
10. Giant Robot - Get up (FIN)

Challengers:
11. Hybrid Children - Barricade boy (FIN)
12. Promoe - Long distance runner (SWE)
13. Anna Ternheim - To be gone (SWE)

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
02. Steep - Complete lack of ideals and integrity (FIN)
03. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
04. Týr - Regin smidur (DK)
05. The Rasmus - Guilty (FIN)
06. Nightwish - Wish I had an angel (FIN)
07. The Knife - Heartbeats (SWE)
08. Johnny Deluxe - Drömmer jeg? (DK)
09. Humane - Crucify (FIN)
10. Giant Robot - Get up (FIN)

Challengers:
11. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
12. Lars Winnerbäck - Elegi (SWE)
13. Peggy Lejonhjärta - Att dansa och slåss (SWE)

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Steep - Complete lack of ideals and integrity (FIN)
02. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
03. Týr - Regin smidur (DK)
04. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
05. The Rasmus - Guilty (FIN)
06. Nightwish - Wish I had an angel (FIN)
07. Ana Johnsson - Don't cry for pain (SWE)
08. Snook - Mister Cool (SWE)
09. Johnny Deluxe - Drömmer jeg? (DK)
10. Humane - Crucify (FIN)

Challengers:
11. Giant Robot - Get up (FIN)
12. The Knife - Heartbeats (SWE)
13. Virgo - Bubbles (DK)

The new Giant Robot EP "Home Entertainment" has been confirmed for an October 6 release. Read a preview for a recent show in St. Petersburg, Russia: http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/1008/features/a_13683.htm