Also posted today, Jason Christie's review of last night's Tack! Tack! Tack! show with Marit Bergman and Firefox AK: [click here]
Sounds like a great time was had. Pity if you missed it.

Live report: Marit Bergman + Firefox AK @ Tack! Tack! Tack!, London UK 05/15/06

Don't forget: Marit Bergman and Firefox AK are playing tonight at Tack! Tack! Tack!. I do believe that the show is completely sold out, so hopefully you already got tickets if you're planning on going. Look for a full report tomorrow.

MP3: Marit Bergman - This is the year

Marit Bergman plays Tack! Tack! Tack! in London on Monday, so of course I'm obligated to post a song from her today. I know a lot of folks (especially non-Swedes) know her from her fabulous "Adios amigos" single (see the equally amazing video right here), but I'm going to take you back to her first solo album "3.00 A.M. serenades". The production values aren't as high as "Baby dry your eye", but the songs are just as strong. This is the first song from that record and it's a doozy. Marit's trademark bittersweet lyrics and a huge chorus. Beautiful. As of this posting, there's less than 10 tickets left for the show, so be sure to hook it up now if you want in.
Bonus track re-post: Firefox AK - Habibi

Marit Bergman - This is the year

Less than 25 tickets left for Monday's Tack! Tack! Tack! show with Firefox AK and Marit Bergman! If you want in, you better get on it!

If you're on the fence about attending that Marit Bergman/Firefox AK show at Tack! Tack! Tack! May 15, I'm gonna let you in a secret that should hopefully help make up your mind: if you don't buy tickets before Monday, you will end up paying more money 'cuz the price goes up. It's pretty much a given that the show will sell out, so get on it if you want in. Remember: you snooze, you lose.

Marit Bergman's new album will be out September 6.

The third single from Sophie Rimheden's most recent album is now available for free download along with the Familjen remix: http://www.sophierimheden.com/
The track is called "Days go by" and it features guest vocals from the one-and-only Marit Bergman, so of course it's highly recommended.

No new mp3 today, but y'know what? We got the amazingly brilliant Marit Bergman to play Tack! Tack! Tack! in May with Firefox AK. How awesome is that? She'll be performing brand new material from her forthcoming album and you know it's gonna be an astounding show. I might even have to fly out - def not be missed. Presale tickets will be made available next month.

Marit Bergman's forthcoming album (her third overall) will be released in September.

The always-fab Marit Bergman has posted a homemade mash-up of her singing the lyrics to "Rent" by Pet Shop Boys over the music of "Timecode" by techno artist Justus Konhcke: http://www.myspace.com/maritbergman

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

The nominees for the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best pop female:
Amy Diamond - This is me now
Ane Brun - A temporary dive
Frida Hyvönen - Until death comes
Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
Robyn - Robyn

Best pop male:
Darin - Darin
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
Son of a plumber - Son of a plumber

Best pop group:
Alcazar - Dancefloor deluxe
Bodies without organs - Prototype
CDOASS - Extra fingers
Doktor Kosmos - Ett enkelt svar
Suburban kids with biblical names - #3

Best rock album (solo):
Christian Kjellvander - Faya
Freddie Wadling - Jag är monstret
Moneybrother - To die alone
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209
Tomas Andersson Wij - Tomas Andersson Wij

Best rock group:
Kent - Du & jag döden
Soundtrack of our lives - A present from the past
The Ark - State of the Ark
The Cardigans - Super extra gravity
The Hellacopters - Rock & roll is dead

Best composer:
Anders Wedin (Moneybrother) - To die alone
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn/Klas Åhlund - Robyn
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best lyrics:
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Jason Diakité - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best proder:
Anders Hansson & Alexander Bard
Bloodshy/Avant
Klas Åhlund
Laleh
Lars Halapi

Best hip-hop/soul:
Hearin'aid - The Boom Lucy
Jaqee - Blaqalixious
Looptroop - Fort Europa
Masayah - p.s.
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best hard-rock:
Candlemass - Candlemass
Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, unbowed, unbroken
Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
Meshuggah - Catch thirtythree
Opeth - Ghost reveries

Best jazz:
Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian - Goodbye
e.s.t. - Viaticum
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Snake city north
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - An intimate salute to Frankie
Torbjörn Zetterberg - Krissvit

Best club/dance:
Arash - Arash - new version
v/a - Inside Scandinavia vol 2
Hundarna från söder - Troika
September - In orbit
Spånka Nkpg - The City of the golden king

Open category:
Allan Edwall - Alla Allans visor
v/a - Du Beppe, Beppe Wolgers mästerverk
Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
The Latin Kings - Familia Royale
Totta Näslund - Totta 8: Greatest hits!

Best newcomer:
Amy Diamond
Bodies Without Organs
Darin
Frida Hyvönen
Laleh

Best album:
Bodies without organs - Prototype
Kent - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn - Robyn
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best artist:
Kent
Laleh
Moneybrother
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best music dvd:
Abba - Abba the movie
Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis
Evergrey - A night to remember
Marit Bergman - Marit Bergman - Live at Rival
Timbuktu - Funken styr våra steg

Best song:
Amy Diamond - What's in it for me
Darin - Money for nothing
Kent - The hjärta & smärta ep
Robyn - Be mine
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Full list of every category here: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2198&a=503182

Marit Bergman will be doing a couple more acoustic shows in NYC later this month with friend/cowriter/producer Åsa Jacobsson:

11/10 - Rothkos, NYC (11pm)
11/11 - Pianos, NYC (8pm)

She's also put the call out for local females who can join her onstage to provide some backup vocals. Marit is awesome, so if that's sounds like something you're up for, you should hook it up.

This week's Time Out New York which hits newstands on November 3 will feature an interview with Marit Bergman who is currently residing in NYC. Last week's issue including a preview of this past weekend's NYC Ark shows. Both artists are indeed worthy of your attention, so check it out. And don't forget that The Ark is playing a show tonight at the Mercury Lounge. I've been lucky enough to see them twice this year and they were amazing both times.

It's a small, small world that we live in. About a week ago my wife went to a meeting of the local weavers guild where a woman was talking about her upcoming trip to the Swedish speaking region of Finland so of course my wife mentioned something about this site and my interest in such things and so forth. So then this other lady relates a tale from one of her ealier trips to Sweden years ago where she stayed with some friends who had a surly punk-rocker daughter who later became a pop star. And who would that daughter be? Why, Marit Bergman of course. I can only imagine that this must've been during the Candysuck days, but I don't know for sure as it's all second-hand. As for my own Marit Bergman story: we met very briefly at SXSW in Austin when I was on tour with KVLR. I was totally out of my head from driving all night and probably made no sense, but whatever - it was years ago. I'm over it. So Marit, should you ever read this, I hope you're enjoying your stay in NYC. Hopefully we'll get some new music from you in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, here's a live track from Popstad 2003.