This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
03. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
04. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
05. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
06. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
07. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
08. Beady Belle - Belvedere
09. Celine - Bæstevænna
10. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
11. Something Sally - Familiar Strangers
12. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
13. Venke Knutson - Crush
14. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
15. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
16. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole Seat...
17. Tina Turner - Live In Europe
18. Ila Auto - Over The Next Hill
19. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
20. Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
03. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
04. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
05. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
06. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
07. Celine - Bæstevænna
08. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole Seat...
09. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
10. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
11. Venke Knutson - Crush
12. Nymark Collective With Kristin Asbjørnsen - Bessie Smiths Revisted
13. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
14. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord og Øgonblick
15. Ugress - Unicorn
16. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
17. Nora Brockstedt - Nora - For Swingende
18. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
19. BigBang - Something Special - The Best
20. Ila Auto - Over The Next Hill

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

01. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Legs for arms
04. Dmitry Fyodorov - 1b-1
05. Northern Fields - Never take the beauty
06. TALK 2
07. Barra Head - Undermine
08. Fläskkvartetten - Som glas (ft. Nina Persson)
09. Benea Reach - New waters
10. TALK 3
11. Firefox AK - Winter rose (Tellevika remix)
12. Dansdepartementet - Svarta brev
13. Randy - Little toulouse
14. TALK 4
15. Britta Persson - At 7
16. M:40 - Brännmärkt
17. Mechanical Bird - Martha
18. TALK 5
19. Marvins Revolt - Multiple fractures
20. The Drawbacks - Straight lines & circles
21. Isolation Years - Say-nothing day
22. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
23. TALK 6
24. Little Dragon - Recommendation
25. FAP - Sjömannen
26. Cortex - Animals (...looking at me)
27. TALK 7
28. Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was
29. Mayhem - Deathcrush
30. Alog - St.Paul sessions II
31. TALK 8
32. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
33. Mainliners - Bourbon and ice
34. Mando Diao - San Francisco Bay
35. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer
36. TALK 9
37. Matts Katt - Refused was fucking murdered

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
03. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
04. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
05. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
06. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
07. Venke Knutson - Crush
08. Celine - Bæstevænna
09. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
10. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
11. WE - Tension & Release
12. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
13. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
14. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
15. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
16. Nora Brockstedt - Nora - For Swingende
17. Solveig Slettahjell - Domestic songs
18. CC Cowboys - På Svalbard uten strøm
19. BigBang - Something Special - The Best
20. Erik og Kriss - Verden vil bedras

MP3: Madrugada - Whatever happened to you?

The new Madrugada album is far too emotionally charged to be subjected to standard music criticism. The death of guitarist Robert Burås looms large over the proceedings, so to find fault is to be a callous, unsympathetic jerk. Fortunately, the band has bowed out with a more than adequate swan song so such considerations are null and void. All things considered, it's amazing they even finished the album at all as Robert's signature guitarwork is keystone to Madrugada's sound. It's readily apparent from the very first track "Whatever happened to you?", a song of treachery and betrayal. Even with the multiple guitar tracks on this recording, the thing most evident about Robert's playing is his use of space and dynamics. Chords are left hanging open and ringing out, providing perfect counterpoint to Sivert Høyem's vocals. Sometimes it's just a single note, whatever the mood calls for. But no matter what, he never overplays and it's this restraint that is his greatest asset. For Madrugada to continue on without him beyond paying tribute would be treasonous. That they left us with such a fine piece of work is a gift.

Madrugada - Whatever happened to you?

MIC Norway on Madrugada's fifth and final self-titled album, due out next week: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008011814393498766765
Preview the entire record at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wearemadrugada

Madrugada has now added the new track "Hour of the wolf" to their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/wearemadrugada

MIC Norway profiles up-and-coming artist Ingrid Olava: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008011614540976899519
Her upcoming debut album "Juliet's wishes" was produced by Frode Jacobsen of Madrugada and will be out in March.

Stream five tracks from Madrugada's forthcoming self-titled album: http://www.platekompaniet.no/cache/published_575.asp

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

01. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
02. TALK 1
03. Death By Kite - Sweet M
04. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
05. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
06. TALK 2
07. Don Juan Dracula - Take me home (Johan Angebjörn remix feat. Sally Shapiro)
08. Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
09. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Dreams at the film club (feat. Nina Kinert)
10. TALK 3
11. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
12. Madrugada - Tonight I have no words for you
13. Majessic Dreams - Have to go
14. TALK 4
15. Pavan - The bird
16. Bröderna Lindgren - Om en guldfisk (feat. Kristofer Åström)
17. The Tarantula Waltz - Where I end and you begin
18. Adam Tensta - They wanna know
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Mot stjärnorna
21. Gravy - Rock scientists
22. Jonas Game - ADHD
23. TALK 6
24. Linus Larsson & John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
25. Idiot Kid - Go to sleep
26. Mats Öberg - Cool water - på Den Gyldene Freden
27. TALK 7
28. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
29. The Bear Quartet - I would be poor
30. Peloton - Aranburu
31. Royal Downfall - Lightning strikes twice
32. TALK 8
33. Made In Sweden - Winter's a bummer
34. Erik Enocksson - The state the sea left me in
35. Asha Ali - Coward heart
36. TALK 9
37. A-ha - Celice

Norwegian act Rumble in Rhodos will be going into Athletic Sound Studio in Halden to begein recording a new album with producer Kai Andersen (Madrugada, Ricochets, Saint Thomas, etc.). Assuming all goes according to plan, expect an April 28 release via Black Balloon Records in Norway with an international release to follow soon thereafter. The band will tour Europe with fellow Norwegians Dominic starting in late March with homeland dates to follow in May.

Madrugada's new video for the single "Look away Lucifer" is viewable here: http://www.emi.no/madrugada/video.asp

There's now a bit more details in English on Madrugada's site concerning the new album and all the various guests contributors involved: http://www.emi.no/madrugada/

MIC Norway provides a few more details about Madrugada's upcoming single + album: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007121011373821524834

Madrugada's new single "Look away Lucifer" is now on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wearemadrugada
The band's new self-titled album is confirmed for release in Norway on January 21.