Kent is reportedly in the studio working on their next record, the follow-up to the very mediocre "Vapen & Ammunition" from 2002. It should be out sometime this fall.

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish albums from Aftonbladet:

01. Roland Cedermark - Så skimrande var aldrig havet
02. Europe - Med vidöppna fönster
03. Edguy - Hellfire club
04. Per Gessle - Mazarin
05. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
06. Sara Löfgren - Starkare
07. Weeping Willows - Presence
08. Owe Thörnqvist - Då nu alltid/Bästa
09. Tomas Ledin - Med vidöppna fönster
10. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
11. Carola - Guld platina & passion
12. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
13. Michael Michailoff - In God I trust
14. Patrik Isaksson - Vi som aldrig landat
15. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
16. Ale Möller band - Bodjal
17. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
18. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
19. Stefan Andersson - Strangers house
20. Mikael Wiehe - Kärlek & politik

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish albums from Aftonbladet:

01. Europe - Med vidöppna fönster
02. Tomas Ledin - Med vidöppna fönster
03. Per Gessle - Mazarin
04. Sara Löfgren - Starkare
05. Weeping Willows - Presence
06. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
07. Owe Thörnqvist - Då nu alltid/Bästa
08. Roland Cedermark - Så skimrande var aldrig havet
09. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
10. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
11. Patrik Isaksson - Vi som aldrig landat
12. Carola - Guld platina & passion
13. Mikael Wiehe - Kärlek & politik
14. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
15. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
16. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
17. The Mo - Night at the zoo
18. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
19. Stefan Andersson - Strangers house
20. Svante Thuresson - Bästa

Relevant winners of the NRJ Radio Awards:

Best Nordic artist: The Rasmus
Best Nordic song: The Rasmus - "In the shadows"
Best Swedish male artist: Per Gessle
Best Swedish female artist: Lisa Miskovsky
Best Swedish group: Kent
Best Swedish newcomer: User
Best Swedish song: Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"

Go here for the rest: http://www.sr.se/p3/musikjournalen/arkiv.asp?DagensDatum=2004-01-26&Artikel=357934

This coming March, Swedish indie label Planekonomi will release the debut EP "Angry Knees" from Monkeystrikes. This new band features vocalist Cecilia Nordlund and bassist Johan Karlsson of the seminal Swedish rockband Souls and the recording was produced by Nille Perned (Wannadies, Kent). But that's not all! I've got a semi-exclusive preview mp3 for you to enjoy. Check it out on the right.

Here's the winners of the Aftonbladet Rockbjörnen awards:

Best female artist: Lisa Miskovsky
Best male artist: Per Gessle
Best song: "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)" - Per Gessle
Best album: "Mazarin" - Per Gessle
Best group: Kent
Best newcomer: Pauline

As you can see, Per swept the competition and Kent won yet again in a year when they didn't even release an album. *yawn*
Read more: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,420749,00.html

Singer/songwriter Jens Lekman is retiring his alias Rocky Dennis with a special limited edition EP entitled "Rocky Dennis in Heaven". Here's the tracklist:

01. Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song
02. Rocky Dennis in Heaven
03. Jens Lekman's Farewell Song to Rocky Dennis

Look for it the first week of January from Service. File under Lekman.

Aftonbladet gets Kent's reaction to some of the year's top picked CDs: http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,409597,00.html (in Swedish)

Also from Musikjournalen comes this confirmation of yesterday's news that Kent is working on new material.

The Göteborgs-Posten is reporting that Swedish rock superstars Kent are working on a new CD: http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=286&a=147795 (in Swedish)
Gotta do something when you're only nominated for one mere Rockbjornen.

The write-ins have been tabulated and the nominees for the 25th annual Rockbjornen have been announced. Here's the categories I care about:

Best Swedish male:
Per Gessle
José González
Moneybrother
Timbuktu
Lars Winnerbäck

Best Swedish female:
Carola
Lisa Miskovsky
Pauline
Robyn
Elin Sigvardsson

Best Swedish group:
Alcazar
Backyard Babies
Broder Daniel
Kent
The Cardigans

Best Swedish song:
Per Gessle - Här Kommer Alla Känslorna
Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
Backyard Babies - Minus Celsius
Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd
Broder Daniel - When We Were Winning

Best Swedish album:
Moneybrother - Blood Panic
Broder Daniel - Cruel Town
The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
Per Gessle - Mazarin
Lars Winnerbäck - Söndermarken

Best Swedish newcomer:
José González
Jamie Meyer
Moneybrother
Pauline
Elin Sigvardsson

Finland's The Rasmus is also nominated in the best international song, group and album categories. Go here to vote: http://www.rockbjornen.se

Go here to vote for your choice of the "world's best song." No, you don't get to write-in your pick, but rather you are forced to choose between various hits from a diverse Swede-heavy roster of artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Cure, Kent, Broder Daniel, Queen, Europe and even The Ark.

Here's the nominees for the NRJ Radio Awards categories that are relevant to this site:

Best Nordic artist:
Per Gessle
Outlandish
The Rasmus
Lene Marlin
Jay-Kid

Best Nordic song:
The Rasmus - "In The Shadows"
Outlandish - "Aicha"
Per Gessle - "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)"
Beats And Styles - "Dynamite"
Lene Marlin - "You Weren't There"

Best Swedish male artist:
Per Gessle
Timbuktu
Bosson
Dr Alban
Jamie Meyer

Best Swedish female artist:
Sahlene
Robyn
Lisa Miskovsky
September
Dilba

Best Swedish group:
Kent
Da Buzz
The Sounds
Alcazar
Antique

Best Swedish newcomer:
September
Miio
User
Fame
Ana

Best Swedish song:
Per Gessle - "Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)"
Da Buzz - "Alive"
Alcazar - "Not A Sinner, Nor A Saint"
Timbuktu - "The botten is nådd"
Lisa Miskovsky - "Lady Stardust"

Winners will be announced during the live broadcast awards show on January 25 in Stockholm. Go here to cast your votes: www.nrjradioawards.com.

Royal Downfall is offering their entire new album "08.00 - 16.00" for free download on their website under the creative commons license agreement. "It's impossible to make money selling records these days unless you're Kent or Per Gessle," said drummer Janne Olofsson to And the Sound netzine, "We're only interested in having people hear us, come see us live, buy shirts, and so forth."

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

Martin Sköld (Kent), Amir (Infinite Mass) and Dregen (Backyard Babies) are doing a DJ tour together under the name Kalas Soundsystem. Dates:

10/31 - The Tivoli, Helsingbord
11/01 - Palace, Kalmar
11/05 - Strömpis, Örebro
11/07 - Folkets Park, Huskvarna
11/08 - Silk, Västerås
11/14 - MC Evans, Borås
11/15 - Luftkastellet, Malmö
11/21 - Arena, Karlstad
11/22 - Träffen, Nyköping
11/28 - O'Learys, Östersund
11/29 - Stadt, Hudiksvall
12/03 - Öst 100, Stockholm
12/04 - HC, Sälen
12/05 - O'Learys, Härnösand
12/06 - Blå Kök & Bar, Umeå