Denmark's Mew will support REM on a few dates around Scandinavia this summer before heading off to Japan for the Summersonic festival:

06/17 - Provinssi Rock Festival (FIN) w/REM
06/21 - Gothenberg (SWE) w/REM
06/22 - Oslo (NOR) w/REM
06/23 - Stavanga (NOR) w/REM
06/25 - Horsens (DK) w/REM
08/11 - Skanderborg Festival (DK)
08/13 - Summersonic, Tokyo (JAP)
08/14 - Summersonic, Osaka (JAP)

Mew reports that they'll probably have a new single ready for release in February.

Denmark's Mew reports that their new album is nearing completion and just needs a few more vocal overdubs before it's a wrap. As mentioned before, the band is currently recording in LA with producer Michael Bienhorn (Korn, Marilyn Manson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden) and had set a tentative release date of November, though it looks likely that they will not meet that goal. In other news, the band has an interview featured in the latest issue of Tokion Magazine.

PopMatters reviews the Danish group Mew: http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/m/mew-frengers.shtml

Mando Diao has flown over to England for two weeks to record their new album. They'll be working with producer Richard Rainey who has worked with bands like U2, Mew, Lemonator and Mansun.

Denmark's Mew will be working with famous producer Michael Bienhorn on their next record. Michael's previous credits include Korn, Marilyn Manson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden and more. Mew will fly out to LA in June to record and the album should be done for a November release.

The end-of-the-year chart at MTV UpNorth:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Outlandish - Aicha
03. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
04. The Cardigans - You´re The Storm
05. Outlandish - Guantanamo
06. The Rasmus - In My Life
07. Killer - Naughty Boy
08. C21 - She Cries
09. A-Teens - Perfect Match
10. Mew - Comforting Sounds
11. Junior Senior - Rhythm Bandits
12. HIM - Funeral of hearts
13. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
14. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
15. Jon - Right Here Next To You
16. HIM - The Sacrament
17. Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd
18. Redrama - Hang It Up
19. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust
20. Winta - Emotions

Lake of Tears will enter the studio on February 13 to begin work on their new album, tentatively titled "Black Brick Road". An August release on Noise Records is expected.

German radio show "45 minutes", broadcast every second sunday at 7.30 pm on Radio Blau Leipzig, recently published their best-of-the-year lists and they contain a ton of Nordic acts. Here's some highlights:

Top 100 LPs 2003
01. The Bear Quartet "angry brigade" (A West Side Fabrication)
03. David & The Citizens "until the sadness is gone" (Adrian)
05. The Legends "up against the legends" (Labrador)
06. The Radio Dept. "lesser matters" (Labrador)
08. The Embassy "futile crimes" (Service)
10. Wan Light "let's wake up somewhere else" (Labrador)
12. Mew "frengers" (Sony)
13. Monastir "the modern sound for a loser generation" (A West Side Fabrication)
16. Peter Bjorn And John "s/t" (Beat That!)
17. The Crystal Committee "forever overhead" (Chalksound)
18. Dub Sweden "welcome to our world" (Silence)
21. Franke "optimismens hån" (Service)
22. Club 8 "strangely beautiful" (Labrador)
23. Komeda "kokomemedada" (Sonet)
32. The Concretes "s/t" (Licking Fingers)
42. Broder Daniel "cruel town" (Dolores)
50. The Cardigans "long gone before daylight" (Stockholm)
57. Laakso "miss you, i'm pregnant" (Adrian)
58. The Raveonettes "chain gang of love" (Dragnet)
73. Paola "stockcity girl" (Dolores)
83. Burek V "s/t" (A West Side Fabrication)
85. Carpet People "more bad weather coming out of the rain" (Chalksound)
88. Isolation Years "it's golden" (Stickman)
89. Douglas Heart "douglas heart" (Labrador)
93. Mando Diao "bring 'em in" (Majesty)
94. The Knife "deep cuts" (Rabid)
97. Ariel Kill Him "in the pyramid" (Kasual)
99. Edson "every day, ervery second" (Labrador)

For the rest of the list, as well as their singles chart, go here: http://www.pop-on-paper.de/

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (03) Bergman Rock "Help The Band"
02. (01) The Radio Dept. "Pulling Our Weight EP"
03. (NY) The Strokes "Reptilia"
04. (06) The White Stripes "The Hardest Button To Button"
05. (05) The Chemical Brothers "Get Yourself High"
06. (NY) Basement Jaxx "Good Luck"
07. (08) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "We're All In Love"
08. (09) Niccokick "Turn 27 EP"
09. (10) Dizzee Rascal "Jus'a Rascal"
10. (12) Bubba Sparxxx "Deliverence"
11. (04) Monastir "The Shape Up EP"
12. (NY) The Darkness "Christmas Time. (Don't Let The Bells End)"
13. (13) Chicks On Speed "Wordy Rappinghood"
14. (02) Essex Green "By The Sea"
15. (15) Chords Ft. Timbuktu And Miki "Wrap Your Chops"
16. (NY) José Gonzalez "Remain EP"
17. (14) The Knife "Handy-Man"
18. (17) Mew "She Came Home For Christmas"
19. (18) The Raveonettes "Heartbreak Stroll"
20. (NY) The Carnation "New Sensation"

Leaving the chart: 07. The Coral "Bill Mc Cai"
11. Holly Golightly "Walk A Mile"
16. The Mountain Goats "Palmcorder Yajna"
19. Timbuktu med Peps "Dynamit"
20. Alice In Videoland "Got To Go"

Dates have been confirmed for Opeth's 'Lamentations Over America Tour 2004'. Support will come from Moonspell and another as-yet-unnamed band, possibly Devildriver (ex-Coal Chamber). Details:

01/20 - Reds, Edmonton (CAN)
01/21 - MacEwan Hall, Calgary (CAN)
01/23 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver (CAN)
01/24 - Graceland, Seattle, WA
01/25 - Roseland, Portland, OR
01/27 - House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
01/28 - Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
01/29 - Canes Bar & Grill, San Diego, CA
01/30 - House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
01/31 - Avalon, San Francisco, CA
02/02 - Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
02/03 - Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
02/05 - Trees, Dallas, TX
02/06 - Backroom, Austin, TX
02/07 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
02/09 - Masquerade, Tampa, FL
02/10 - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL
02/11 - House of Blues, Orlando, FL
02/13 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
02/14 - Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
02/15 - 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
02/16 - Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH
02/18 - Quest, Minneapolis, MN
02/19 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL
02/20 - Harpos, Detroit, MI
02/21 - Saratoga Winners, Latham, NY
02/22 - Club Soda, Montreal, CAN
02/24 - Opera House, Toronto, CAN
02/25 - Steel Music Hall, Rochester, NY
02/26 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
02/27 - Irving Plaza, New York, NY
02/28 - Palladium, Worcester, MA

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (03) The Radio Dept. "Pulling Our Weight EP"
02. (07) Essex Green "By The Sea"
03. (17) Bergman Rock "Help The Band"
04. (09) Monastir "The Shape Up EP"
05. (06) The Chemical Brothers "Get Yourself High"
06. (02) The White Stripes "The Hardest Button To Button"
07. (01) The Coral "Bill Mc Cai"
08. (05) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "We're All In Love"
09. (08) Niccokick "Turn 27 EP"
10. (NY) Dizzee Rascal "Jus'a Rascal"
11. (13) Holly Golightly "Walk A Mile"
12. (14) Bubba Sparxxx "Deliverence"
13. (11) Chicks On Speed "Wordy Rappinghood"
14. (12) The Knife "Handy-Man"
15. (NY) Chords Ft. Timbuktu And Miki "Slap Your Pops"
16. (NY) The Mountain Goats "Palmcorder Yajna"
17. (09) Mew "She Came Home For Christmas"
18. (18) The Raveonettes "Heartbreak Stroll"
19. (20) Timbuktu Med Peps "Dynamit"
20. (NY) Alice In Videoland "Got To Go"

Leaving the chart:
10. Yo La Tengo "Today Is The Day EP"
15. Laakso "Demon"
16. The Cardigans "Live And Learn"
19. Fattaru Ft. Masayah "Ton För Ton"