PopMatters on ths US release of Finnish Eurovision champs Lordi and their album "The arockalypse": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/31996/lordi-the-arockalypse/

The End has officially signed Eurovision champs Lordi for the US: http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=7896
The band's most recent album "The arockalypse" will be released over here on March 20 with bonus tracks and a DVD. The band will play the Bamboozle Festival in May and will hopefully add more dates to their itinerary soon.

Interview: Lasse Kurki (Lemonator)

Finnish Eurovision champs Lordi will bring the "Hard rock hallelujah" to Germany and the UK in the coming months: http://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/news/CC0DE069B7F66CBDC22571B50033F7A6!opendocument

Hail to Lordi, this year's Eurovision champions! Search YouTube for videos.

I should've posted about this last week but, in case you didn't already know about it, Lordi (Finland's answer to Gwar) became a bit of a hot topic with their entry into the Eurovision Song Contest: http://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/news/4EFDEE109852C242C2257163003C7F8B!opendocument

Finnish theatrical rockers Lordi have signed an international deal with Sanctuary Records. The band plans to launch a "massive European tour" next spring under the tutelage of EMI-Clear Channel, the same team responsible for the international efforts of countrymates HIM and The Rasmus. Read the press release: http://www.lordi.org/press_uk.htm

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Promoe - These Walls Don´t Lie
02. Nightwish - Nemo
03. The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk
04. Nik & Jay - En dag tilbage
05. Venke Knutson - Scared
06. Elastinen - Syljen
07. Kings Of Convenience - I´d Rather Dance With You
08. Sahara Hotnights - Hot Night Crash
09. Various Artists - I Kan Ikke Slå Os Ihjel
10. A-Teens - I Promised Myself
11. Eskobar - Bring The Action
12. Petter - Repa skivan
13. Euroboys - One Way Street
14. Teddybears STHLM - Hey Boy
15. The Raveonettes - Heartbreak Stroll
16. Marit Bergman - I´ll Always Be Your Soldier
17. Deportees - Arrest Me ´Til It Hurts
18. Bergman Rock - Jim
19. Lordi - Blood Red Sandman
20. Safari - Crazy Dream Crazy Days

Challengers:
01. Infinite Mass - The Thief
02. Kemopetrol - My Superstar
03. Her Majesty - The Past Is Not A Good Idea
04. Gunnar - Haunted Honey Moon
05. Captain Murphy - Daddy Can Dance
06. Sondre Lerche - Days That Are Over

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

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Nightwish - Nemo
02. Promoe - These Walls Don´t Lie
03. Nik & Jay - En dag tilbage
04. Venke Knutson - Scared
05. Sahara Hotnights - Hot Night Crash
06. Elastinen - Syljen
07. Tue West - Sig Du Er Sikker
08. Eskobar - Bring The Action
09. C21 - All That I Want
10. Various Artists - I Kan Ikke Slå Os Ihjel
11. Petter - Repa skivan
12. A-Teens - I Promised Myself
13. The Raveonettes - Heartbreak Stroll
14. Christian Walz - Maybe Not
15. Marit Bergman - I´ll Always Be Your Soldier
16. Bergman Rock - Jim
17. Sugarplum Fairy - Stay Young
18. Teddybears STHLM - Hey Boy
19. Euroboys - One Way Street
20. Iron African - How We Get Down

Challengers:
01. Safari - Crazy Dream Crazy Days
02. Viva Vertigo - Viva Viva
03. Deportees - Arrest Me ´Til It Hurts
04. Kings Of Convenience - I´d Rather Dance With You
05. Lordi - Blood Red Sandman
06. The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk

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

Magnus from The Cardigans reports that "Long Gone Before Daylight" is currently being remixed for 5.1 sound systems at Medley Studios in Copenhagen. So yeah, those of you with home theatre stereo setups will be able to enjoy the record in full surround sound. No word on a release date yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Check out the Nordic Favorites compilation tracklist:

01. Bel Canto - You Rock My World Tonight
02. Eskobar - On The Ground
03. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
04. The Sounds - Living In America
05. Silje Nergaard - Be Still My Heart
06. Funkstar De Luxe W M Mann - Blinded
07. Gåte - Bendik Og År Olilja
08. Luke - Heavens On Fire
09. Grant - Just The Thing
10. Morten Abel - I'll Come Back And Love You Forever
11. Swan Lee - Tomorrow Never Dies
12. The Crash - Star
13. Maria Mena - Free
14. Kristofer Åström - All Lovers Hell
15. Cajsa Stina Åkerström - Himmel Över
16. Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
17. Lordi - Would You Love A Monsterman

Here's another mp3 from Randy's new album "Welfare Problems". The track is called "X-ray Eyes".

Fargo records has picked up Hederos & Hellberg's "Together in the Darkness" for release in the UK. The same label is also putting out the album in France and Spain this month. In related news, Silence is reporting that Mattias Hellberg is planning to record a solo album this summer.

I've already posted some of these dates, but here's a more complete list of the upcoming Gröna Lund shows this summer:

05/09 - Melody Club
05/23 - Dilba, Stephen Simmonds
06/18 - The Sounds
06/27 - Eric Gadd, Kaah
08/15 - Robyn
08/29 - Caesars Palace, Bad Cash Quartet
09/05 - bob hund
09/12 - The Hellacopters

Labrador Records will holding a mini-festival for the label featuring Chasing Dorotea, Laurel Music, Ronderlin plus Dj's: Pontus & Ramo (Douglas Heart) and Henrik Lyngåker (Sonic) at Bommens Salonger on May 9.

Here's an updated lineup for the 5th annual Nordic Roots Festival which takes place in Minneapolis from September 18-21: Filarfolket reunion, Ellika Frisell and Solo Cissokho, Maria Kalaniemi with Sven Ahlbäck and Johan Hedin, Gjallarhorn, Harv and the Swedish trio Nåra.

STIM reports that The Hives made it to #4 on the LA Times list of top 50 bands around today. Iggy Pop, White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age took the top spots and fellow Swedes Soundtrack of Our Lives came in at a respectable 15.

Blood Music, Björns vänner, CK, Corduroy utd., Dub Sweden, Florence Valentin, Hell on Wheels, Paris and The Danny Says have all been confirmed for the Rundgångsfestivalen in Wämöparken on May 31.

P3 Musikjournalen has posted a whole slew of new confirmations for Kirunafestivalen, Storsjöyran, Spinnrock, Gatufesten. Midtfynsfestivalen and Norbergfestivale.

More on the Mando Diao drama, from Aftonbladet. (in Swedish)

Download two mp3s samples from the upcoming Nine album "Killing Angels": "Inferno" and "Discontent OD". Look for it in stores around August/September on Burning Heart.

Logh has been announced as the support act for Fireside on their upcoming Swedish tour. Congrats! And besides that, they've got quite a bit of other touring coming up. The dates:

03/20 - Prinzenbar (Docks), Hamburg, GER
03/21 - Magnet, Berlin, GER
03/22 - Starclub, Dresden, GER w/The Kills
03/23 - Gebaedue 9, Köln, GER w/The Faint
03/24 - Normal Records, Köln, GER
03/26 - La route du rhum, Nantes, FRA
03/27 - Local Transmission, Bordeaux, FRA
03/28 - Atzavara Club, St Feliu de Guixols, Girona, ESP
03/29 - Sala Moby Dick, Madrid, ESP w/The Donnas
03/30 - Sala Azkena, Bilbao, ESP
04/02 - Le Gibus, Besançon, FRA
04/03 - BOA, Luzern, CH
04/04 - Rockplanet, Pinarella di Cervia, ITA
04/07 - Szene Wien, Wien, A w/Cameran
04/08 - Orange House, Munich, GER
04/09 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, GER
04/10 - Schwimbad Musik Club, Heidelberg, GER
04/12 - La Guintuette Pirate, Paris, FRA
04/13 - Freebutt, Brighton, UK
04/14 - 93ft East , London, UK
04/15 - Club Fandango @ Dublin Castle, London, UK
04/16 - Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, SWE w/Fireside
04/18 - Grand, Uppsala, SWE w/Fireside
04/24 - Herrgårn, Linköping, SWE w/Fireside
04/25 - Village, Västerås, SWE w/Fireside
04/29 - Kägelbanan, Stockholm, SWE w/Fireside
04/30 - Blå, Oslo, NOR w/Fireside
05/01 - Mejeriet, Lund, SWE w/Fireside

The Sounds say they are playing San Diego tonight on their website. No word on what club, but I'm sure if you're down there it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Zillion Digits aka David Sandström (ex-Refused) will be playing Klubb Modos in Umeå on March 22. I've been hearing good things about this, so check it out if you can.

Download an mp3 of 69-Hard's song "The Bullets", taken from the forthcoming album "Blues From Hell" due out April 11 on Idle Hands Records. Preorders are being taken at the label's website so act now, especially if you want a copy of the limited 3-song single.

There's going to be a new comp coming out called "Nordic Favourites" featuring 17 tracks from 17 artists including Silje Nergaard, Gåte, Bel Canto, Morten Abel, Maria Mena, The Rasmus, Junior Senior, The Sounds, Kristofer Åström, The Crash, and Lordi. Look for a "massive" Nordic TV ad campaign in the near future.

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

01. v/a - Melodifestivalen 2003
02. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
03. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
04. The Refreshments - On the rocks
05. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
06. Wilmer X - Lyckliga hundar
07. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
08. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
09. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
10. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
11. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
12. The Sounds - Living in America
13. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
14. Kajsa Grytt - Är vi på väg hem?
15. The Knife - Deep Cuts
16. Ted Gärdestad - Droppar av solregn
17. Anders Widmark featuring Sara Isaksson - s/t
18. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
19. Barbados - Rewind
20. A Teens - New arrival

Lars Winnerbäck's new album "Söndermarken" has already gone gold in Sweden. Look for him on tour this summer over there.

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

Leaving the chart:
(09) Whyte Seeds "Slow Motions"
(15) USCB Allstars "Watch Me Roll"
(16) Dj Format Ft. Chali 2na & Akil "We Know Something You Don't Know"
(17) Simian "La Breeze"
(18) Håkan Hellström "Den fulaste flickan i världen"
(19) Lars Winnerbäck "Åt samma håll"
(20) Millencolin "E20 Norr"

Kent has lined up another show this summer: the Park festival in Moss, Norway on June 14. Also playing are Kaizers Orchestra and Vibeke Saugestad.

UPDATED: Finntroll, Impaled Nazarene, and (maybe) Children of Bodom will be doing a benefit/memorial show at Nosturi in Helsinki on March 25 for Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta. The price of entry will be a 10 euros dontation with all proceeds going to cover expenses for Teemu's family. The funeral will be on March 29.

The Finnish band Amorphis have signed with EMI to release their next album, the self-produced "Far From The Sun". The first single "Day Of Your Beliefs" comes out in April, the album to follow in May. This will be the band's first major label release following a long relationship with Relapse Records.