Okay, I know it's totally goofy, but I posted an mp3 excerpt of the new Weird Al track that parodies The Hives. Download it on the right.

Scandinavianleather.com has put up a Turbonegro trivia contest to compete for special limited edition copies of the new album.

JR Ewing has two new interviews online, one from sandiegopunk.com and another from punk/porn site burningangel.com. And as said before, there's also been another date added on the upcoming Turbonegro/Surferosa Norweigan stadium tour on May 30 in Fredrikstad. Tickets are going fast, so be sure to get yours if you want to attend.

The Cardigans have posted an interview that Magnus did with Amir, Henrik and Mattias, the three gentlemen behind the recent videos. In other news, the band has added a woman named Eva on as their temporary sixth member to play keyboard, guitar and sing back ups on the upcoming summer tour dates. "She is very nice, 163 tall, brunette, a little older than us, very experienced in the Swedish music scene. And she is good looking," they say.

Bergland Productions has announced that Cucumber Slumber (feat. Ståle Storløkken of Supersilent) has started work on a new record and should have it out sometime this coming fall. The band's last album "New Cumber" came out in 2001.

The Sounds will be on David Letterman tonight. Check local listings for airtime.

StillHoldingOn.net recently did an interview with Swedish hardcore act Misconduct. The band also confirmed a bunch of shows on their upcoming European tour with 25 Ta Life. Go here for the latest.

KVLR has posted a whole bunch of new pictures from their recent time in the studio. They recorded a total of four new songs for their next album and plan to do the rest after they return from tour at the end of the summer. And yeah, like I said before, they've been getting assistance from Marcus and Lena of Komeda. If the rough mix stuff I've heard is any indication, the record is gonna be great. Can't wait.

The buzz-band Radio Dept. will be heading over to the US for a few select west coast dates:

07/10-13 - San Francisco, CA - Pop Holiday Fest at Bottom Of The Hill w/Even As We Speak, Aerospace, Pipas, Evening Lights, more
07/15 - Portland, OR at The Blackbird w/Aerospace, Pipas, Evening Lights, The Frenchmen
07/16 - Seattle, WA at Chop Suey

Håkan Hellström will be releasing a new single for the song "Mitt Gullbergs Kaj Paradis" on June 20 that'll include two new songs for b-sides. Just in time for the Kalas tour, eh?

Neovoid has posted a review of ex-black metal band Manes new album "Vilosophe". The label Code666 describes them as a mix of Katatonia, Radiohead and Aphex Twin, but I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that assesment myself. Katatonia yes, but that's a no-brainer for this sort of pop-infused avant metal. Anyhow, I agree that it's a good album and well worth investigating for people who are into different kinds of heavy music.

Read PopMatter's review of "Sky Pilots", the latest album from Finland's Flaming Sideburns.

The full schedule and set times for Pop Dakar have been published. Check it out. Bands scheduled to appear include Paris, Bear Quartet, First Floor Power, Radio Dept. and more.

Here's a short tour diary with photos and video from the recent Narcissists tour in Germany.

Swedish webzine Samson & Rourke has put up a featured review and contest for Logh.

Big news from Nasum! Bassplayer Jesper has decided to leave as to focus on his other band Burst, which he has been involved with for over 10 years with some of his childhood friends. There's no animosity on anyone's part, the time just came to make a decision between the two projects. Read the full statement from the band on the subject. In other smaller news, Nasum has added Urban Skytt from Regurgitate on 2nd guitar and put up a newly redesigned website. As mentioned before, the band will play a record release show for the new album "Helvete" at Hotel Continental in Örebro on May 24.

I first talked about it way back in March, but here's a new MIC Norway feature on the upcoming 'Midnight Sun' tour featuring Supersilent, DJ Strangefruit, Arve Henriksen and Sidsel Endresen that's coming to the UK later this month. Those dates again:

05/22 - Exeter, Phoenix
05/23 - Bath, Bath International Music Festival Pavillion
05/24 - Belfast, Crescent Arts Centre
05/25 - Salisbury, Salisbury Festival
05/26 - Birmingham, Medicine Bar
05/27 - Liverpool, Unity Theatre
05/28 - London, 93 Feet East

Unioncarbideproductions.com sends word that there will indeed be a promo CD from the band available at Hultsfred this year featuring newly remixed versions of the songs "Be Myself Again" and "San Fransisco Boogie". There's also word of a potential commerical release for the single, but nothing's been decided yet. Also by way of UCP.com, comes this article paying tribute to the band. Check it out.

Expressen reports that Timbuktu will be contributing music to the film "Hip Hop Hora". It was directed by Teresa Fabik and premieres on February 6. Björn Kjellman stars. Read more. (in Swedish)

The new album from The Perishers will come out in September with the first single "Sway" to drop in June.

Jakob Hellman, Helena Bergström, Kjell Höglund & Johan Johansson and Tomas Di Leva have all been added to the roster of the Visfestivalen which takes place in Västervik on July 10-12.

Dates scheduled so far for the upcoming Avrikafest tour, featuring the band Kamera along with various DJs and more:

05/30 - Oslo, So What
05/31 - Fredrikstad, Dis Café
06/01 - Göteborg, Sticky Fingers
06/03 - Malmö
06/04 - Örebro
06/05 - Linköping, Platens Bar
06/06 - Stockholm, Debaser/Ultrachrome
06/07 - Karlstad, Arena

Norway's Moonfog records, the label run by Satyr of Satyricon, has signed the new band Disiplin to their roster. The band was started by Savant M of Myrkskog back in 2000 and will be entering the studio in August to record their debut album. "It´s very rare that a new band on the scene succeeds in catching my interest on the strength of a demo alone," says Satyr, "apart from the obvious fact that I enjoy their music and that I have a great belief in their potential, I think they have that undistinguishable Moonfog sound." And the sound he's talking about? Well, Savant describes the band as "based on old school black metal with inspiration from thrash and death metal." Read a recent interview with the band here. (in Norweigan)

Check out the latest edition of reviews and samples from Brainwashed, including writeups on Scandinavian artists such as Supersilent, Erkki Kurenniemi, the "Arctic Hysteria - Early Finnish Avant-Gardeners" comp, and more.

Here's some new dates from Sunride:

06/12 - Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland w/Endstand
08/16 - Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland w/Sweatmaster, Minus SF
08/30 - FUZZFEST 2, Musikens Hus, Göteborg, Sweden w/Mushroom River Band, Terra Firma, Awesome Machine, more

The new album "Through The Red" comes out today and the band will be playing around Europe later this month.

The Hommos have rescheduled their gig at the Barfly Camden in London from May 26 to the 27th.

Johan Bergqvist has finished up work on the video for the song "Lovelace" and posted it online. Check it: low / high
The track comes from a mini-album that was released last September and is being reissued later this summer as a precursor to the forthcoming full length.

More US press for David & the Citizens: The album "For All Happy Endings" is now reviewed on indiepages.com.

Rumor has it that Thirdimension is planning a US tour in the near future.

Another sign things are probably not okay for The (International) Noise Conspiracy? Keyboardist Sara Almgren has been recruited by Marit Bergman to play guitar in her touring band. If you weren't already aware, Sara used to play guitar for the all-girl hardcore/metal act Doughnuts. They released a couple reconds on Victory in the mid-90s. Anyhow, Marit has decided to ditch the guitar on stage so she can, I assume, focus more on her singing. Look for her on the Kalas tour this summer, among other festival dates. In other news, my sources tell me she plans on doing five different cover tunes for her new EP "From Now On" which comes out on June 12. More details when I get 'em.

Laakso will be heading into the studio soon to lay down the tracks for their debut full length. They say to expect a good live sound as evidenced already on their debut EP "Long Beach".

The terminally underappreciated Notre Dame, led by the multitalented Snowy Shaw (Dream Evil, ex-Mercyful Fate, Illwill, etc.), reports that they have completed work on the new album "Creepshow Freakshow Peepshow". Originally titled "Vaudeville le Devil", the album will be the first lacking guitarist Jean-Pierre De Sade and should be out later this year from Osmose Productions.

There's a new message board in town: http://www.itsatrap.com/wforum/index.php
I'm still working out some kinks, but it should be up and running just fine for the most part.
UPDATE: Everything is pretty much good-to-go. Whatcha waiting for? Come say hi.

Satirnine has posted their upcoming European tour itinerary:

04/24 - Amsterdam, The MAX - NL
04/25 - Den Bosch, W 2 - NL
04/27 - Cologne, Live music Hall - DE
04/29 - Hamburg, Logo - DE
04/30 - Berlin, Columbia Fritz - DE
05/1 - Hannover, Musikzentrum - DE
05/2 - Schweinfurt, Alte Stadt bahnhof - DE
05/3 - Trier, Exil - DE
05/4 - Munchen, Backstage - DE
05/6 - Dornbin, Condrad Sohm - AUT
05/7 - Vienna, Arene - AUT
05/8 - Graz, Orpheum - AUT
05/10 - Milan, Leoncavallo - IT
05/12 - Zurich - Abart - CH
05/13 - Basel, Kaserne - CH
05/14 - Wil, Remise - CH
05/16 - Lyon, MJC - F
05/17 - Barcelona, Mephisto - E
05/18 - Madrid, Gruta 77 - E
05/20 - Valencia, Roxy - E
05/21 - Vigo, Nashville - E
05/22 - Gijon, Cafe albenitz - E
05/23 - Girona, Atzavara - E
05/24 - La Rouche Sur, Le fuzz - F
05/25 - Rennes, Mondo Bizarro - F
05/26 - Tours, Festival - F
05/28 - Portsmouth, Wedge wood room - UK
05/29 - Birmingham, Academy - UK
05/30 - Leeds, Jospehs Well - UK
05/31 - Glasgow, King Tuts Wah Hut - UK
06/3 - London - Garage – UK
06/12 - Hultsfredsfestivalen
08/2 - Augustibuller

Check out this review and pictures from Logh's show in Köln. (in German)

Pitchfork covers a couple joints from the cold, cold north today. They review both Turbonegro - "Scandinavian Leather" and Jaga Jazzist - "Animal Chin". The latter is a group I've actually been listening to a lot and can definitely recommend. The former, well... the less said the better I think.

Here's a streaming video interview with The Ark in English. It includes some political discussion along with behind-the-scenes footage from an acoustic TV performance.

The Sounds US press onslaught has begun. Are they the 'next big thing'? Can they be stopped? The band reports that they have articles in Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly, FHM, In Style (Dave Grohl Quote), Jane (The Donnas review the album), and W along with the previously mentioned Paper profile. They've also finally confirmed their upcoming dates with the Ravonettes and Vue:

05/24 - Minneapolis, 7th St. Entry
05/25 - Milwaukee, Vnuk's Lounge
05/27 - Chicago, Double Door
05/28 - Cleveland, Beachland Ballroom
05/29 - Detroit, Magic Stick
06/02 - New York, Bowery Ballroom
06/03 - Boston, Paradise Rock Club
06/04 - Philadelphia, North Star
06/05 - Washington DC, 9:30 Club

And don't forget that they're doing other headlining dates in the US, too. Keep your eyes peeled.

KVLR reports they are just about done with six songs for their new album which they have been working on in the studio with Marcus and Lena from Komeda. The material has been described as "poppy." Next up, they plan to hit the road for awhile after which they'll return to the studio to record the second half of the album. Dates confirmed so far:

05/31 - Umeå @ Scharinska Villan w/Logh
06/12 - (D) Trier, Ex House
06/13 - (D) München, Atomic Cafe
06/16 - (D) Frankfurt, Cookys
06/17 - (D) Marburg, Cafe Trauma
06/18 - (D) Hannover, Bei Chez Heinz
06/19 - (D) Berli, Magnet
06/20 - (D) Hamburg, Molotow
06/21 - (D) Kiel, Kieler Woche (Delta Radio Stage)
06/22 - (DK) Fredericia, Kulturmilitzen

The Klerks' new video for the single "Shame" premieres on Wimans ZTV on Monday April 28. They've also got a couple tourdates lined up for the near future:

04/27 - Göteborg, Chalmers Cortegen
04/29 - Örebro, Festivalborg
05/7 - Växjö, Studentkåren
05/8 - Kalmar, Studentkåren
05/9 - Hässleholm, Perrong 23
05/16 - Borlänge, Borlange

Bad Taste Records has posted an mp3 of the title track from Logh's upcoming EP "The Contractor and the Assassin". Check it out. Again, that'll be out May 5.

Check out the Fireside playing live on MTV Morning Glory. The extra guitarist is apparently Calle Olsson.

The lineup for the comp in honor of the Mjuk i Mössan fest in Emmaboda has just been released. Go to rassle.org for more info. Otherwise, here's the tracklist:

01. Comet Gain - Never die
02. john.wayne.shot.me - Introducing the mechanical reindeer
03. Hank - Table 5 (and eating nachos)
04. Laakso - Sunday night
05. Speedmarket Avenue - You set the terms
06. Talking to Teapots - Me, you, Janie and Drew
07. Sagor & Swing - Popkarusellen
08. La Masa - Min megafon
09. Niccokick - I drink to get thrilled
10. Tullycraft - Miss Douglas county
11. The Radio Dept. - Lean back, lean forward
12. Björns Vänner - Tiden (egentligen "Den enda lögn du har kvar")
13. Surrounded - Exit serenade
14. Florence valentin - Haninge punks
15. Her Majesty - Rules to follow
16. Paris - Tonight
17. Bring me the fucking riot...man - Red wine riot
18. Sonny Crocket - Suppose
19. Dr. Higgins - Den vanliga människan

Misconduct just came back Studio Phlat Planet in Gothenburg with Fredrik Reinedahl (Passenger, In Flames, more) where they were working on their new album. The working title is "Fight Back" and the label describes it as "the best and most varied record Misconduct ever delivered." Also, if you preorder it now you can get a special limited edition digipack before the release date in May with extra songs, video and more. The first 250 orders also get "a Special Gift from the band," whatever that means. And as mentioned a looooong time ago, the band is heading out on the road this summer with NYC hardcore act 25 Ta Life. The dates so far:

06/12 - (GER) Bremen/Wehrschloss
06/13 - (GER) Hannover/Faust
06/14 - (GER) Chemnitz/Talschock
06/15 - (GER) Berlin/Knaack-Klub
06/16 - (GER) Tba
06/17 - (HOL) Tba
06/18 - (HOL) Leuwarden/Gloppe Festival
06/19 - (BEL) tba/tbc
06/20 - (FRA) Straßbourg/La Laterie
06/21 - (FRA) Paris/Street Fest
06/22 - (ESP) St. Feliu de Guixlos
06/23 - tba
06/24 - (POR) Lisbon/Tba
06/25 - (ESP) Madrid/Tba
06/26 - (ESP) Tba
06/27 - (FRA) Perpignan/Crockmore
06/28 - (FRA) Nantes, Hardcore Fury Fest w/Sick of it All, Suicidal, Madball,
06/29 - (FRA) tba
06/30 - (ITA) tba
07/01 - (AUS) Vienna/Arena
07/02 - (AUS) Dornbirn/Conrad Sohm
07/03 - (GER) Eisenach/Crocodiel
07/04 - (GER) Leipzig/Conne Island

Startracks/V2 has a DVD out entitled "Hidden Scenery". It features the video for "All Lovers Hell" from Kristofer Åström along with "How Come Your Arms Are Not Around Me" and "Leaving Song" from a live performance he did in Berlin back in 2002. Other artists on it include Christian Kjellvander, Eskobar plus international acts Grandaddy, Elbow, Mercury Rev and more.

Bear Quartet have been confirmed for the free Pop Dakar music fest May 24 at Gula Villan in Stockholm. Other bands scheduled to play include First Floor Power, Grand Tone Music, Radio Dept., Hell on Wheels, Paris and more.

Here's a track-by-track review of that Finnish psych comp I mentioned yesterday.

Some metal gossip for y'all: Michael Amott of Arch Enemy has revealed that he is indeed romantically involved with frontwoman Angela Gossow. Here's a short response from Angela on the subject. Personally, I could care less, but I guess lots of uptight heshers are upset as evidenced by the comments. Whatever.

"It's Finnish, it's fucked, and it's also of historical import." SF's Aquarius Records has made the comp "Arktinen Hysteria: Suomi-Avantgarden Esipuutarhureita" one of its records of the week. Check out their site for reviews, samples, and mailorder info. Also covered: Ved Buens Ende, 1349 Rykkin, Eturivi and more.

Logh is starting to put together plans for a headlining Scandinavian tour. Here's the dates so far:

5/18 - NOR Porsgrunn, Rockeklubben
5/19 - NOR Oslo, Mono
5/24 - SWE Stockholm, Debaser
6/5 - FIN Turku (Åbo), Elohopeaklubi (Down By The Laituri Festival)

Don't forget their remaining dates with Fireside, too. The new EP "Contractor and the Assassin" comes out May 5 with the full-length album "The Raging Sun" to follow later that month. More info and cover art pics on Logh's site.

Opeth has posted a number of pics from the "Deliverance" and "Damnation" recording sessions. Pretty cool.

Samon & Rourke reviews a couple demos including Ellis The Vacuumchild, whose members include Joel Borg, now also playing bass with my pals KVLR. Mp3s are there for downloading, too.

Hemmalaget.nu has put up a couple tunes for you to preview from Paragon and Ison & Fille. Check it.

The Japanese version of "Someone New" from Eskobar was released last week. It was done together with the Japanese band Natural High. More info. The band is also scheduled to play the Paléo Festival Nyon in Switzerland on July 26. Tickets go on sale April 29 and can be had from here.

I put up a bunch of the pictures that were taken on the KVLR tour up at Indie Workshop. Kind of a tour diary, more of a photo journal. Anyhow, there's some dece pics worth checking out. Also be sure to check out this site for some great pics from the Flagstaff show. A digital camera just can't really compete with true quality B&W photography.

Umeå Open, the first big fest of the year starts tonight. I'll try to get reports and photos as soon as I can.

Mattias from The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be on 104.3 FM in NYC on March 30 at 9pm. More info and streaming information can be found here.

Word has it that "You're The Storm" will be the next single from The Cardigans. Apparently the band has even re-entered Tambourine Studios to record some brand new b-sides for it to be included along with a few earlier versions of the song.

Arve from Supersilent will be performing solo on 5/10 at Mai Jazz, an international jazz festival in Stavanger, Norway. More info here. In other Supersilent-related news, Helge aka Deathprod has finished mixing and mastering the new album from Shining. The band is a jazz quartet from Norway led by Jørgen Munkeby (ex. Jaga Jazzist) and the record will be out 5/12 on Jazzland.

Sahara Hotnights are going worldwide! They'll be playing in Australia with The Datsuns beginning in late April/early May and also hitting Tokyo, Japan on May 6. The details:

04/24 - Brisbane Australia, The Waterloo
04/26 - Sydney Australia, Metro
04/28 - Melbourne Australia, Hi Fi Bar
05/01 - Adelaide Australia, Enigma Bar
05/02 - Perth Australia, The Globe
05/06 - Tokyo Japan, Astro Hall

Kristofer Åström has hinted that he might be doing another EP this summer and definitely a new album next year. Nothing definite yet, as he says it's mostly up to Startracks, his label.

The Legends will be featured on the May single from Labrador Records. They are described as "C-86 and northern soul influenced punkpop" by the label and they put up a preview mp3 for the track "Make It All Right". Check em out this Friday at Klubb Instant Feelings in Stockholm.

The new single from Carpet People was sent out to Swedish radio today, so be sure to call in and request it. I've got a promo copy of the album and can confirm that it's really, really good. Lots of good stuff coming from Chalksounds in the near future, so pay attention! The album hits stores April 11.

Here's some video footage of Surferosa playing at So What in Oslo. The band will be opening for Turbonegro with JR Ewing on the upcoming big Norweigan tour. I think they sound kinda like the Norweigan version of The Sounds, but whatever.

Monastir is hitting the road in support of their new album "The Modern Sound For A Loser Generation" which comes out Monday. The dates so far:

3/28 - Lund, Blekingska Nationen
3/29 - Oslo, Mono
4/10 - Stockholm, Tantogården
4/31 - Göteborg, Sticky Fingers
5/2 - Hässleholm, Perrong 23
5/3 - Lidköping, Nätverket
5/17 - Gävle, Musikhuset
7/19 - Norberg, Rockaway Beach
7/18 - Skellefteå, Trästock

The details for this year's big Kalas tour have been announced. And yes, the rumors are true: scheduled to perform are Håkan Hellström, Lars Winnerbäck, Timbuktu & Damn, Magnus Carlson, Marit Bergman and Her Majesty. One local band gets to open each show, too. Here are the dates:

7/10 - Norrköping, Folkets Park
7/11 - Kalmar, Kalmarsundsparken
7/13 - Visby, P18/Visborgslätten
7/17 - Örebro, Brunnsparken
7/18 - Skövde, P4/Heden
7/19 - Lysekil, Pinneviken/Gullmarsvallen
7/24 - Malmö, Mölleplatsen
7/25 - Varberg, Varbergs Fästning
7/26 - Göteborg, Bananpiren
7/31 - Säter, Skinnbo Udde
8/2 - Stockholm, Universitetet

In Flames, Mando Diao and The Sounds have been confirmed for the Piteå Dansar Och Ler fest which will take place July 23-27. More info here.

The two HIMs of the world have apparently come to an agreement over use of their names. The 'evil' H.I.M. of Finland (which stands for 'His Infernal Majesty') has finally settled with the Chicago band of the same name and will now be able to release records in the US under their acronym. The details of the deal have not been released, but you can read a touch more of the back story here. (from Blabbermouth)

Hi, I'm a moron. In my haste of getting those Hederos & Hellberg mp3s up, I didn't properly investigate the song titles well enough. The first track is actually called "Songs from Silence" and I should've known that. It's not like I don't have the album or anything. Thanks Steffo.

Solefald reports they will soon have a video for the track "Mont Blanc Providence Crow". It will contain material from Oslo, Paris, and Manchester, along with various TV studio-filmed segments. The band also recently received money from Norsk Tekstforfatterfond to put towards a new album, so they will be heading over to Iceland in June "in order to get inspired and to write new material expanding the musical expression even further." The latest album "In Harmonia Universali" just came out this week and is already gathering positive reviews. I have yet to hear it, but they have definitely proven to be one of the most interesting 'metal' bands in the past. Probably worth checking out. And yes, metal is in quotes for a reason.

MTV UK has put up a Cardigans micro-site featuring all sorts of goodies like an album preview, videos, and photos. There's also another one from One.Tel here. And lastly, people who have already purchased the album can go here for even more exclusive content.

Randy has put up some pictures from recent video shoot for the new song "A Man in Uniform".

Here's some pictures of TSOOL playing Philadelphia on March 22.

The Sounds say they are planning to come back to the US in May before the start of the European festival season. Details when I get 'em. They've also announced that Kamera will be the openers on the upcoming Swedish tour. I've never heard them, but they have samples on their website.

In other rumor news, that MC3 show featuring Nicke from The Hellacopters (among others) was apparently recorded for a future DVD release. Again, no details yet, but I'll pass news along when I hear it.

No rest for the weary, eh? KVLR will be hitting the road again in June to support their latest release "On Planted Streets". A new single might even be in the works, too. Only Germany has confirmed dates so far, but here they are:

6/12 - Ex House, Trier
6/13 - Atomic Cafe, München
6/17 - Cafe Trauma, Marburg
6/20 - Molotow, Hamburg
6/21 - Kieler Woche (Delta Radio Stage), Kiel

Askil Holm's first show on the 'Daydream Receiver Tour 2003' will be in his hometown of Namsos, Norway on March 29. Tickets and more info can be found here. The rest of the dates will be announced shortly.

The Whyte Seeds have announced two dates in Sweden:

3/25 - KB, Malmö
3/26 - Nalen, Stockholm

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Roxette - Opportunity Nox
03. Mew - Comforting Sounds
04. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
05. Kwan - Shine
06. C21 - You Are The One
07. Winta - Emotions
08. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
09. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
10. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth

Challengers:
01. Sparkler - Tiger
02. Isolation Years - Open These Eyes
03. Remedeeh - Learning Lessons
04. Evolver - Love Confidential
05. Slalom - Camshaft

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

Export Music Sweden (ExMS) has put up pictures from the recent showcase at SXSW in Austin. Check it.

P3 Swedish radio will be broadcasting from the Umeå Open this Saturday with performances from Isolation Years (acoustic), Paris, and The Crystal Committee. The broadcast starts at 8:03 pm / 11:03 am Pacific Time and you can listen at the P3 website. Click 'lyssna'. I'll try my best to get some recordings, if I can. I might be getting some pictures, too.

Svenska Akademien + Moder Jords Massiva Propaganda, Voice Of A Generation, DGPP, and User have all been confirmed for the upcoming Augustibuller fest to take place in, you guessed it, August. More info here.

"We don't give a fuck! It's not our problem. Let the tanks roll..."

Thank you Marduk for that great commentary on the war in Iraq.

Grave has offered their apologies to fans on account of the cancellation of the planned European tour with Defleshed. The explanation:

The European tour that was planned for March and April 2003 has been cancelled due to problems with the bookings and scheduling of the tour.
With only 3 weeks to go before the start of the tour we had not recieved what was agreed upon in terms of booked and confirmed shows.
We feel that in such a situation we will rather wait until we can go on a full European tour and play for all of YOU rather than just a few selected countries and shows.
We want YOU to know that Grave really wants to and will tour as soon as we get the opportunity to do a successful tour.

The band still plans on doing their upcoming US tour with Goatwhore, Immolation, and December. The dates so far:

05/27 - Don Hills New York City, NY
05/28 - The Depot Baltimore, MD
05/29 - tba
05/30 - Showplace Theatre Buffalo, NY
05/31 - Newport Music Hall Columbus ,OH
06/01 - Agora Theater Cleveland, OH
06/02 - tba
06/03 - House Of Blues Chicago, IL
06/04 - The Lab St Paul, MN
06/05 - tba
06/06 - Graceland Seattle, WA
06/07 - Meow Meow Portland, OR
06/08 - The Pound San Francisco, CA
06/09 - Galaxy Theatre Santa Ana, CA
06/10 - Key Club Los Angeles, CA
06/11 - Brick By Brick San Diego, CA
06/12 - Huntridge Theatre Las Vegas, NV
06/13 - The Mason Jar Phoenix, AZ
06/14 - Launch PAd Albuquerquee.NM
06/15 - E-9 El Paso, TX
06/16 - Canyon Club Dallas, TX
06/17 - The Backroom Austin, TX
06/18 - Zeppelins New Orleans, LA
06/19 - Masquerade Atlanta, GA
06/20 - tba
06/21 - tba
06/22 - tba
06/23 - Factory 324 Roanoke, VA
06/24 - Hooplas Virginia Beach, VA
06/25 - Ziggy's Winston-Salem, NC
06/26 - Jaxx West Springfield, VA
06/27 - Chantilly's Manchester, NH
06/28 - The Chance Poughkeepsie, NY
06/29 - Stone Pony Asbury Park, N.J

Check it: The BBC's One World spotlight on Norway, 'Part Three - The Oslo Experience.'

I already talked a little about it I think, but here's the info about the upcoming 'Midnight Sun' tour featuring various Norweigan artists in the UK. Set to perform are Supersilent, DJ Strangefruit, Sidsel Endresen, and Arve Henriksen. The dates:

5/22 - Exeter, Phoenix
5/23 - Bath, Bath International Music Festival Pavillion
5/24 - Belfast, Crescent Arts Centre
5/25 - Salisbury, Salisbury Festival
5/26 - Birmingham, Medicine Bar
5/27 - Liverpool, Unity Theatre
5/28 - London, 93 Feet East

Northside Records reports they've got some new CDs in the works. First is "Bárru" from joiker Wimme. Hedningarna singers Liisa Matveinen and Tellu Turkka provide guest backing vocals on threetracks which were recorded at the Holiday Inn during 2002's Nordic Roots Festival in Minneapolis. There's also three video tracks from the same fest on the disc. The label also has a new Hedningarna 'ice-priced' (low-priced: ~$5 or so) comp with a few new tracks in the works along with a new album from Frifot, too.

The Virtues have confirmed the release dates for their new album. Look for it in Scandinavia on March 24, April 26 for the US.

My pals KVLR will be entering Komeda Studios soon to record six new tracks. They describe them as "more rough, energetic, poppy and weird than before, all songs recorded live." I'm definitely excited - all the ones they played on tour sounded really good. And to the guys in the band and the message you posted - you're welcome! 'Twas my pleasure taking you guys out on the road - I had a blast. I'm gonna steal your photos you left me and post my own road journal soon.

Burning Heart has announced that they've signed Sparks of Seven from Göteborg. Their debut album is expected in 2003 and the label describes their sound as "the missing links between Union Carbide Productions, Stone Roses and Primal Scream." They'll be playing Nalen in Stockholm on March 26 with Her Majesty and Whyte Seeds.

Göteborg's Morlocks have broken up. Here's what they had to say about it:

Even if the band Morlocks is buried, the three members will continue their musical work in other constellations, so keep your eyes and ears open!
Morlocks will also take the opportunity to thank all of you who has supported and helped the band during the years, and above all our wonderful audience. You will surely be missed!

Send all 'last hellos' to morlocks@nangijala.com.

Andrea Hagen has announced that she has ceased working under the name Hagalaz Runedance and will ressurect her old moniker Nebelhexe (fog-witch). She also is said to be working on a musical project/theatre piece with Martin Walkyier (ex-Skyclad, Sabbath). Read the full statement here.

Christian Kjellvander had added a couple solo dates in Switzerland to his tour itinerary:

05/13 - Luzern Switzerland, Schüür-Bar
05/14 - Lausanne Switzerland, Bleu Lézard
05/15 - Bern Switzerland, ISC w/Isolation Years
05/16 - Winterthur Switzerland, Gaswerk w/Pinkostar and Valium Speed

Some nine days and 4000 miles (~6437 km) later, I'm back home and exhausted. We had a blast and I'm happy to report that everything went quite smoothly. Pictures will be forthcoming! For those that might be interested, I've got a bit of leftover KVLR merch to sell. How's $12 ppd sound? Order more items and I'll make it worth your while. The list:

KVLR - Great Collapse CD and/or 12" vinyl
KVLR - On Planted Streets CD
KVLR - Let Me Worry Some More 12" vinyl
The Crystal Committee - Forever Overhead

North American orders only, please. Everyone else can order direct from Chalksounds. Email me and we'll work out the details.

And now back to the news! Updates will be a bit slow today as I bring myself back up to speed and catch up with everything I missed.

Deleted Art is starting to accept pre-orders for the new 4-song 7" from C.Aarmé and the gatefold ep from The New Mess. They just shipped off the masters to get pressed, so expect them to start shipping in early April. And if you act now, they promise to throw in a free button along with first dibs on the limited colored vinyl. Email 'em at mailorder@deletedart.org to get on it.

The debut album "Ruminate" from The Virtues will come out April 26 on San Francisco's Zip Records. They describe it as "Northern Soul" and say "it shimmers with originality and melodicism. In the vein of The Posies and Ron Sexsmith."

Isolation Years are heading out on the road in support of their new album "It's Golden", which you can preview here. The dates:

4/4 - Skellefteå, Pinkerton
4/5 - Östersund, Tingshuset
4/10 - Linköping, Herrgårn
4/16 - Halmstad, Diezel
4/17 - Malmö, KB
4/18 - Gbg, Playground@Pustervik
4/19 - Köpenhamn, Rust
4/25 - Lund, Mejeriet
4/27 - Sthlm - Södra Teatern/KGB
5/2 - Oslo, So What

Division of Laura Lee are heading out on a Swedish tour, too. Their dates:

4/2 - Vänersborg, Roccad
4/4 - Västerås, Västerås Kulturhus
4/5 - Gbg, Chalmers Kårhus
4/9 - Mariehamn, Pub Bastun
4/10 - Sthlm, Kafé 44
4/11 - Sthlm, Klubb Accelerator @ Debaser
4/12 - Norrköping, Kammaren
5/2 - Lund, Wermlands Nation

Sanctum has decided to cancel their upcoming planned US tour citing the unstable world condition and the possibility that they might not be able to make the journey when the time comes. Their statement:

We can't risk to give our word for something we might not be able to hold. We're very sorry about this decision, to be precise it sucks and it was not easy to make. we have been looking forward to perform, to see old friends and make new ones.

Surely you heard about the flying sheep head incident at the Mayhem show in Norway? Well, here's a pic of the damage. It also turns out that victim Per Kristian Hagen is suing the band for lost income as a result of the injury. He says he's still a fan, but says "if it turns out I've got permanent injuries after this, it's important to have some sort of record to refer to... since I can't work for awhile."

The Ark's fourth single from "In Lust We Trust" will be for the song "Disease". Preview it here along with the b-side "Opera".

Finntroll/Impaled Nazarene guitarist Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta died at age 25 on Sunday morning. There's no word on what happened or what this means for the bands' future, but I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything. My condolences.

Check out Paola's new single and video for the song "Interstellar Love" right here.

Picked up the guys from KVLR at the airport yesterday. They're a little jet-lagged, but otherwise very excited to head out on tour. Should be a lot of fun! The dates, yet again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-in Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - Tag Teen Center w/Mercy Mile, The Yellow Press
3/9 - SF, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise, Century Schoolbook, Fuck the Hope You Gave Me (ex-Fury 66, Audiocrush, Yaphet Kotto), Science of Yabra
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge
3/13 - Austin, TX - Momo's TFT/Better Looking Records Showcase w/Mark Gardner of Ride, Jealous Sound + more
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - Sacramento, CA - 1020 J w/Sputterdoll, No Avail

One of my favorite bands, Katatonia, is heading out across Europe with some help from Finntroll. The dates:

4/16 - Nachtleben/Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
4/17 - Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland.
4/18 - Terminal Export, Nancy, France
4/19 - Dioxin, Schindellegi/Schwyz,Switzerland
4/20 - Midian Club, Vicenza, Italy
4/21 - Alpheus, Rome, Italy
4/22 - Transilvania Live, Milan, Italy
4/24 - Crockmore, Perpignan, France.
4/25 - K.G.B., Barcelona, Spain
4/26 - Caracol, Madrid, Spain
4/27 - SWR VI, Barroselas, Portugal
4/29 - Republicca II, Valencia, Spain
4/30 - West Rock, Cognac, France
5/01 - Rail Theatre, Lyon, France
5/02 - Splendid, Lille, France.

Some more dates have been announced for the upcoming In Flames/Mudvayne US tour. Here's the current itinerary:

3/08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Metropol
3/10 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre
3/11 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
3/12 - Pittston, PA - The Staircase
3/14 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
3/15 - Orlando/ Lake Buena Vista (FL) - House Of Blues
3/17 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
3/18 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave / Eagles Ballroom
3/19 - Cleveland, OH - Odeon Concert Club
3/21 - Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
3/22 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Egyptian Room
3/23 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom
3/25 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
3/26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Coca Cola Bricktown Event Center
3/28 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheatre
3/29 - San Antonio, TX - Sunset Station
3/30 - McAllen, TX - Villa Real Conv. Ctr.

Finland's The Rasmus are doing a short Swedish tour in support of their new album "Dead Letters" which comes out March 21. The dates:

4/9 - Stockholm, Klubben
4/10 - Göteborg, Valand
4/11 - Köpenhamn, Lilla Vega
4/12 - Helsingborg, The Tivoli

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

01. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
04. The Refreshments - On the rocks
05. The Sounds - Living in America
06. Barbados - Rewind
07. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
08. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
09. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
10. The Knife - Deep Cuts
11. Melody Club - Music machine
12. Thomas Rusiak - In the sun
13. The Radio Dept. - Lesser matters
14. A Teens - New arrival
15. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
16. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
17. Slaptones - Simplify
18. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
19. The Haunted - One kill wonder
20. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det

Listen to the new Isolation Years single "Open Your Eyes". Very different from their first record, but still quite good. Can't wait to hear the full album!

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

01. (01) The Donnas "Take It Off" 02. (03) Shout Out Louds "100 Degrees" 03. (02) Placebo "The Bitter End" 04. (04) Missy Elliott Ft. Ludacris "Gossip Folks" 05. (06) Isolation Years "Open Those Eyes" 06. (07) Liam Lynch "United States Of Whatever" 07. (NY) The Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt.1" 08. (05) Satirnine "Hey No Hell" 09. (12) Whyte Seeds "Slow Motions" 10. (NY) Lil' Kim Ft. Mr Cheeks "The Jump Off"

11. (NY) Franke "Ställs Mot Dig" 12. (10) Christian Kjellvander "Broken Wheels" 13. (NY) David Lindh & Hail Marys "Glad I Found You" 14. (NY) USCB Allstars "Watch Me Roll" 15. (14) Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck "One Good Moment" 16. (NY) Macy Gray "When I See You" 17. (09) Håkan Hellström "Den fulaste flickan i världen" 18. (NY) Timbuktu "Ett brev" 19. (08) Aimee Mann "Pavlov's Bell" 20. (NY) Brendan Benson "Metarie"

Leaving the chart:
(11) Coldplay "Clocks"
(13) Laakso "Long Beach"
(15) The Dysfunctionals "Payback Time"
(16) Pearl Jam "Love Boat Captain"
(17) Ed Harcourt "All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed"
(18) Caesars Palace "Candy Cane"
(19) Ben Harper "With My Own Two Hands"
(20) Erlend Öje "Sudden Rush"

It's been quite some time since I heard anything about them, but Bad Cash Quartet has now been confirmed for Popaganda fest at Universitetsområdet in Stockholm to take place May 29-31. Other bands confirmed for the fest include The Embassy, Florence Valentin, Crystal Committee, The Junior, The Concretes and Buck.

Melody Club is setting their sites on Germany. Their album will get a release there on May 5 to be followed by a tour:

5/14 - Hamburg (D) Molotow
5/15 - Düsseldorf (D) Unique
5/16 - Weinheim (D) Cafe Central
5/17 - Berlin (D) Bastard
5/18 - Kassel (D) K19
5/19 - Frankfurt (D) Cookys
5/20 - Dresden (D) Downtown
5/21 - München (D) Atomic Cafe

Listen to The Cardigans cover "Das Model" right here. (requires Flash, by way of cardigans.de) The track was originally intended for a Kraftwerk tribute in 2001, but is now available on the "For What It's Worth" maxi-single.

By popular demand, Opeth has added a date in Perch on their upcoming Australian tour: April 14 at The Globe.

Millencolin will be touring the States beginning in April with a West Coast jaunt featuring Rufio and then it's off to the East on 4/30 with American HiFi. The band is also playing the Hurricane and Southside fests in Germany in June. More details soon.

Wow! what a catchy song. It reminds me of all those movies from the 80s about confused teenagers. This is like "Breakfast Club". But in music. Really, really dope! Are they big in Sweden? Doesn't surprise me. They would probably drop like a bomb in the States as well.

That's Pharrell Williams from N.E.R.D discussing "Seven Days a Week" with Aftonbladet, the newest single from The Sounds. I'm not super keen on the band myself, but I totally agree that they'd go over well in the US. Wait and see! Read the article. (in Swedish)

KVLR got themselves a new bassist, a fellow by the name of Joel Borg. Again, be sure to check them out when they tour the US in March. Those dates, yet again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-In Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - Tag Teen Center w/The Yellow Press, Mercy Mile
3/9 - San Fransisco, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise, more
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge w/Jelaous Sound
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase w/ Mark Gardner of Ride, Jealous Sound, more
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - Stanford, CA - KZSU (www.kzsu.org)

Those dates are still subject to minor changes, but stop by and say hi if you can. I'll be traveling along with the band and am very excited.

Vintersong reports they are working on their new album. Described as a concept album, they say there will be "a story running through the album's entirety, and with a musical flow that includes small compositions between the "real" songs." The subject is said to concern man's hunger for science and faith. And the music? They say it will range "from mellow prog to extreme metal, to ambient and folky vibes, spiced with a lot of effective contrasts, changing directories but united under a solid musical kingdom."

Soilwork has set "Figure Number Five" as the title for their upcoming album. Look for it in the US on May 5 from Nuclear Blast, April 21 in Europe.

Håkan Hellström has decided to leave Broder Daniel he reveals in an MTVE interview to be broadcast on Monday. I'm really not surprised considering his success with his solo career. "I won't play with them anymore, but we are still very good friends," he says. The Up North Swedish Grammy special will also have interviews with Melody Club, The Sounds, Robyn, The Hives and Caesars Palace plus live performances by Awa, Masayah and Marit Bergman.

BBC's Radio One has chosen DJ Nils Noa to perform on The Essential Mix program in April. He's the third Scandinavian to appear on the program, but the first Norweigan.

Rapper Diaz and black-metallers Dimmu Borgir collaborating? Yes, it's true! Listen to a samples of the track "Smakebit" and hear for yourself. (Windows Media)

Okay, here's the full scoop on those upcoming Export Music Sweden (ExMS) showcase shows in the US in NYC, Austin (SXSW) and LA. The bands scheduled to perform: Lambretta, The $1000 Playboys, Pineforest Crunch, Marit Bergman, The Mo, The Teenage Idols, Prime Sth, Whyte Seeds, The Sounds, and User.

Kent will play Stockholm Stadium on June 6. Tickets go on sale February 28 and will cost 350 kr.

Aftonbladet reports that Ebba Grön is back. Read all about it. (in Swedish) They made an appearance last night at the Joe Strummer tribute at Club Debaser in Stockholm accompanied by ex-Clash member Mick Jones. Pretty cool, eh?

The initial lineup for Augustibuller fest in Lindesberg on August 1-2 has been announced. They are Last Days Of April, The Spitts, Satirnine, Valley Days, JR Ewing, Between Us, Radioaktiva Räker, Mimikry, Spoiler and Piper. More info here.

We're in cold Sweden at the moment making our new record. We've done quite a lot of singles for the album already but we keep changing some things around.

The Hives report that they are working on their new album. In an interview with NME, singer Howlin' Pelle reveals that the new music sounds "like The Sex Pistols meets Detroit Cobras meets Kraftwerk." Look for it around September.

Meshuggah will be doing a Scandinavian tour in March. The dates:

3/17 - Sthlm Göta Källare
3/18 - Malmö KB
3/19 - Göteborg Sticky Fingers
3/20 - Oslo Betong
3/21 - Gävle Nivå
3/22 - Örebro Contan
3/26 - Helsingfors (sf) Nosturi

Lots of new music today! I feel like I've been skimping on the metal, so I put up a live set from Mustasch recorded just the other day from Popstad on P3. They sound like a mix of "Kill 'Em All"-era Metallica and Soundgarden fronted by a guy who reminds of Dio and Ian Astbury of The Cult. And yes, those are all good things. I doubt they'll win, but the band is also up for a Swedish hard rock Grammy this year.

Next up is a track from the band KVLR. I'm going to be accompanying these guys on a short US tour next month, so you know I'm definitely into them. The track comes from the new retrospective collection "On Planted Streets" which combines all of their older releases on one CD. Those dates again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-In Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - TBD w/The Yellow Press
3/9 - SF, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise + more
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge w/The Jealous Sound
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - TBD

Speaking of Popstad, Chili.se has a bunch of pictures and reviews of the show. (in Swedish)

Check out this deal on the new Crystal Committee album from Chalksounds. Available for Swedes only.

Export Music Sweden (ExMS) is doing another series of showcase concerts this year at CBGBs in NYC, SXSW, and LA. The performers include The Sounds, Prime Sth, Whyte Seeds, Marit Bergman and The $1000 Playboys. The NY shows are March 10-11, SXSW is March 14-15 and then Spaceland in LA on the 16th plus the 17th at the Troubadour. Last time around, this concert series was the event which introduced America to The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Sahara Hotnights. I suspect there will be at least one new hit act from this year's crowd, too.

Check out the video for 69-Hard's forthcoming single "Gone Gone Gone" right here. It comes out on February 28 with the b-sides "The Bullets" and "Fuck Authority". The new album "Blues From Hell" follows on March 28.

Check out some pictures from Madrugada's recent tour of Europe here.

The Cardigans finally got themselves a new website.

And whaddya know? Meshuggah has a new site, too. No definitive word yet, but there's a headlining US tour in the works for the future.

KVLR are currently busy rehearsing like crazy to prepare for their upcoming recording session later this month. The band says they plan on laying down the tracks for six new songs. They also report that there might be a US release planned for "The Great Collapse" (one of my favorites from last year) to coincide with their coming US tour and SXSW appearance. No details yet, but I'll keep you informed.

Logh reports that they have decided to scrap their current recordings for the almost-finished new album and start over again. No word on why, but they're back at square-one doing drum tracks again.

The following Swedish bands have been chosen to appear on the next Deep Elm "Emo Diaries" comp: Surrounded (Vaxjo), Iamuse (Halmstad), The National Anthems (Sunne), and So Sad Althea (Halmstad). I've heard none of em, but this that comp series usually at least a couple great bands on it. For instance, that's how I found out about Last Days of April.

Look for The Venue on tour in the US:

3/7 - The Casbah, San Diego, CA w/Brian Jonestown Massacre
3/8 - Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA w/Brian Jonestown Massacre
3/11 - the Echo, Los Angeles, CA
3/14 - Friends, Austin, TX - SXSW Bella Union show case
3/18 - TBA, Bay Area/San Fransisco, CA
3/19 - TBA, Bay Area/San Fransisco, CA

Some more details on that upcoming Millencolin single: there will be a special Swedish language version of the track ("Battery Check") called "E20 Norr". The Swedish version will be the b-side for the international release plus a new song called "Bowmore". Preview the artwork here. The band is working on even more tourdates, too. Look for them in England and Scotland in early March and the US in April or May.

Stickman Records has decided to re-release the Motorpsycho 3-LP "Timothy's Monster" box-set. Numbering will continue right where they left off at 1721 and the label promises to have enough copies for everyone who wants one.

Check out the video for the new Cardigans single "For What It's Worth" from MTVE.com.

Blabbermouth reports that Meshuggah has plans for a US headline tour in the near future. Rumor has it, the opener will be Strapping Young Lad.

Here's a list of some of the new Swedish acts announced for the upcoming Umeå Open fest to take place March 26-29: Meshuggah, Fireside and The Teenage Idols. Other acts already confirmed to play include Mando Diao, The Hellacopters, Melody Club, Doktor Kosmos and The Haunted.

Best wishes,
El Presidente for Turbojugend St. Pauli

Check out a profile on Norweigan jazz group 1300 Oslo right here.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Spitts - That´s my girl
02. Jon - Right Here Next To You
03. Last Days Of April - All Will Break
04. The Lungz - It´s Alright
05. Christian - Min Fremtid
06. Madrugada - Majesty
07. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane
08. Kent - FF
09. Bombshell Rocks - On My Way

Challengers:
01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Thomas Rusiak - Spinning
03. The Mo - The Mo
04. Acorn - One Day
05. User - You Belong

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

Big surprise: Kent won the Music Control Airplay Award for 'Most Played Swedish Artist'.

Randy has revealed that they are finished with their new record "Welfare Problems" and passed the whole thing off to Burning Heart to get in pressed. It's still not due out until April, but here's the track listing:

01. Dirty Tricks
02. A Man in Uniform
03. Bad, Bad, Bad
04. We're All Fucked Up More or Less
05. Cheap Thrills
06. X-ray Eyes
07. Welfare Problems
08. Cheater
09. Ruff Stuff
10. My Heart, My Enemy
11. Devilish
12. Dirty and Cheap

Seven Feet Four have a new album called "Departure/Arrival" coming out on Coalition Records in March, but you can preview the track "Auto Emotion" now. The band will be touring Scandinavia beginning late March and then heading out across Europe in April with JR Ewing.

This time we are heading for the ultimate and so far it sounds very promising. The new material is pretty diverse but in general the songs have more POWER. Hard-hitting and straight forward, with more natural flow. So that the energy and force comes straight back to you.

That's bassist Magnus Olsfelt of the The Crown discussing the songwriting progress on the new album. The band, now reunited with original vocalist Johan Lindstrand after one album utilizing the services of Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates, Skitsystem), have booked time at Studio Fredman in May for their next album. Look for it around early September on Metal Blade Records.

In Flames will be touring the US with Ministry and Mudvayne in March. Dates soon. In other news, Aftonbladet has posted the streaming video of the band's performance from the Rockbjörnen: Real / Quicktime

The Sounds are doing a number of Scandinavian shows before they head over to America for SXSW in March. The dates:

2/7 - Växjö, Kaskad Folkets Park, Popstad
2/8 - Luleå, Kåren
2/12 - Oslo, So What!
2/13 - Sogndal, Mejeriet
2/14 - Bergen, Kvarteret
2/15 - Stavanger, Folken
2/20 - Århus, VoxHall
2/21 - Köpenhamn, Stengade30
2/22 - Roskilde, Gimle
2/26 - Halmstad, Kåren
2/27 - Eskilstuna, Blå
2/28 - Kinna, Överlida
3/1 - Älmhult, Balders Hage

"Batter Check" will the next single from Millencolin, due out in March. The band also has some new dates lined up for around the same time:

3/13 - Stockholm, Arenan
3/14 - Skelefteå, Folkparken
3/21 - Göteborg, Kåren
3/22 - Lund, Mejeriet
3/23 - Oslo, Rockefeller

Esteemed British music mag NME has nominated The Hives for 3 categories in its 2003 Carling Awards. They are 'Best International Band', 'Best Live Band' and 'Best Dressed'. The full list of nominees is here.

The upcoming KVLR tour is coming together quite nicely! Stop by and say hi, why doncha?

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-In Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - TBD w/The Yellow Press
3/9 - SF, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - TBD

I updated yesterday's post with new info about Nicolai Dunger's backing band and their other music experience. Thanks again Niklas!

Dates are currently being booked for KVLR's West Coast/Southwest tour in early March. If you can help, please let me know.

Stickman Records reports that Motorpsycho has US and Japan tour plans in the works. No dates yet, but I'll keep you posted. The label also has revealed the title for the forthcoming Isolation Years record: "It's Golden". Again, no date yet, but I'll let you know.

Amorphis is working on mixing their new album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, Moonspell, Sentenced) at Finnvox Studios. They expect to finished by the end of the month. No word yet on a new label for the band.

Keep your eyes on Norweigen electronic act Röyksopp as they're touring seven US cities in March. European sales are already climbing and accolades are accumulating, but they've yet to catch on fully over here. Will they break? Hype sure is building.

In a sign of potentially bigger things to come, booking agency Luger has now taken on the band Paris. Is the return of new-wave nigh?

DJ Embee (Loop Troop) is currently finishing up work on his new EP with Organism 12 and PSTQ. Four tracks and instruments, two produced by Embee, two by Breakmecanix. Look for it around late February or early March on JuJu Records.

Also from JuJu is the new Timbuk/Promoe (also Loop Troop) "Blind Justice" 12". It comes out on the 27th.

Here's an interesting short interview with Galder of Old Man's Child and Dimmu Borgir. Now resigned to just being a studio-only project, OMC's new album "In Defiance of Existence" just came out in Europe and will be out in the US on March 25 from Century Media.

Darkthrone will be adding exclusive new film footage to the Peaceville CDrom reissues of four of their old albums. As for what the footage will contain, here's what they had to say:

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto will film many hours at their stronghold somewhere in the wilderness in Norway. Like a reality-Darkthrone documentary. Every of the four album will contain at least 5 minutes of this rare piece of filming. They will drink, drink, listen to music, drink etc.....many things will be revealed. They will also interview eachother about all the Peaceville-albums. They will film that much, so it can edited to be a 30 min. documentary

NorthSide Records has new preview mp3s up on their website for upcoming releases from Värttinä and Mari Boine. Check 'em out. (scroll about 2/3rds of the way down the page)

Classic Swedish deathmetal band Dismember is currently working on their next album. The title is "Where Ironcrosses Grow" and it's due out around September on Hammerheart Records. Produced once again by drummer Fred Estby with help from engineer Olle Sandqvist, the new material is described as "darker, a little less melodic and more aggressive than ever" and lyrically "headed even more in the direction of describing war at its ugliest, stories about sick minds creating sick situations and loads of religious criticism." In other words, business as usual.

Finally got some new CDs in the mail yesterday. That means a new mp3 to your right. Huzzah!

I'm excited because I just got word that KVLR will be heading to the States in March for a West Coast tour. I'll post the dates when I get them.

Okay, I'm a moron. The new Randy album was produced by (the stellar) Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Fireside), except for one track which was produced by Jocke Åhlund of Caesars Palace. Sorry about my slip-up. Anyhow, I'm still very excited to hear it. It's getting mastered on Monday the 27th and the artwork by Henke Walse gets proofed today. Henke did the cover of the last record, too.

And speaking of Pelle Gunnerfeldt, Entombed are currently hard at work in the studio under his direction for a new album due in spring on their own Threeman Recordings. The basic tracks were done at a different studio, but Pelle is handling the vocals and the mix. As I've said before, I love his work, so I'm very interested to hear how this will come out.

The (Int'l) Noise Conspiracy frontman Dennis is starting work on the next Lost Patrol album. No info on the label or date yet. As for the rest of t(I)NC, they will all be in LA in February to rehearse the new album. Come March, it's back to Sweden for a regrouping and then into the studio around May or June.

Here's a stream of The Soundtrack of Our Lives playing on the David Letterman show. (Real Player)

Here's some new dates for Nicolai Dunger! Finally, I'll be able to see him play.

Europe
1/23 - Dieppe (F) Scéne nationale de Dieppe
1/24 - Colmar (F) Le Kraken
1/25 - Belfort (F) La Poudriére
1/26 - TBA
1/27 - Bern (CH) ISC
1/28 - Bruxelles (B) Le Botanique (w/Mary Timmony)
1/29 - Paris (F) Mains d'oeuvres
1/30 - Nantes (F) L'Olympic
1/31 - Evreux (F) MJC A I'Abordage
2/01 - Lilles (F) Le Grand Mix

Read my reviews of the new albums from Ulver and Björn Olsson over at indieworkshop.com. Look for the links on the right, under 'Featured Reviews'.

TV4 Gothenburg has put up an acoustic set from The Soundtrack of Our Lives back on their website. Check it. (thanks to tsool.tk)

The movie Jungle Book 2 comes out in February featuring a track called "Jag vill va som du" from Dungen. A double A-side single with that song plus "Har du vart i Stockholm" comes out February 10.

Energy Rekords has signed EBM/Electro act 8kHz Mono. You can sample them on the "Virtual Energy vol.4" comp.

Even more award nominees! This time, the Manifest awards, Sweden's alternative to the (Swedish) Grammy:

Pop/Rock
The Bear Quartet - Ny våg (A West Side Fabrication/MNW)
David & The Citizens - For All Happy Endings (Adrian Recordings/Border)
Doktor Kosmos - Reportage! (NONS/MNW)
Marit Bergman - 3.00 A.M. Serenades (Sugartoy/Border)
Embassy - Futile Crimes (Service/Border)

Hardcore/Punk
In Flames - Reroute to remain (Nuclear Blast/MNW)
Thåström - Mannen som blev en gris (Mistlur/MNW)
Spiritual Beggars - On fire (Music For Nations/Zomba)
Totalt Jävla Mörker - Det ofrivilliga lidandets maskineri (Distortion/Border)
Vomitory - Blood rapture (Metal Blade/Border)

Hip Hop/R&B/Soul
Loop Troop - The Struggle Continues (David Vs Goliath/Burning Heart)
Timbuktu - Wåtts Dö Madderfakking Diil? (Juju/Playground)
Heli - Öronknark (Streetzone/Border)
Masayah - Masayah (Swing-A-Ling/MNW)
Ison & Fille - Vår sida av stan (Hemmalaget/V2)

Postrock/Electronica
Hans Appelqvist - Tonefilm (Komplott)
Mokira - Plee (Mille Plateaux/Border)
Nova Express - One (Rocket Number Nine)
Pallin - Far From Yokohama (URU)
Testbild! - The Double Life Of Testbild! (Radio Khartoum)

Dance
Adam Beyer - Ignition Key (Truesoul)
The Mighty Quark - Silverdale (Play)
Eerik & Arvid - Shimmer (Raw Fusion)
Koop - Waltz for Koop (Superstudio/Diesel/Sony)
Sunday Brunch - No resistance (SVEK/Goldhead/Next Stop)

Folk/Worldmusic
Ellika Frisell & Solo Cissokho - Tretakt Takissaba (Xource/MNW)
Golbang - Saali nó (Stran)
Harv - Töst (Drone/CDA)
Olle Lindvall (Drone/CDA)
Sumer - Iraq (Sw/Eden/Border)

Lyrics
Mattias Alkberg (Bear Quartet)
Timbuktu
Uje Brandelius (Doktor Kosmos)
Ison & Fille
Petter Herbertsson (Testbild!)

Live Artist
Doktor Kosmos
Jmyhaze Beatbox
Spotrunnaz
In Flames
Ellika Frisell and Solo Cissokho

Best Newcomer
Totalt Jävla Mörker
Hans Appelqvist
Marit Bergman
Sunday Brunch
Embassy

Winners will be announced at the ceremony on January 31 at the Kulturhuset in Stockholm. The Teenage Idols, Ison & Fille, Totalt Jävla Mörker, and Jmy Haze Beatbox will perform.

The good people over at Chalksounds have finally gotten their online store up and running. The featured album for sale is "On Planted Streets" from KVLR, one of my faves. Highly recommended. Besides their own label's goodies, you can also order records from bands such as Fireside and Isolation Years. Again, both highly recommended.

Grave will be playing this year's coming March Metal Meltdown V to take place in Irvington, New Jersey on March 7-8. The new album "Back From The Grave" comes out January 28th on Century Media.