Fluxblog posts a track from Peter Bjorn and John: http://www.fluxblog.org/2005/10/one-time-per-minute-is-enough-for-me.html

MP3: Peter Bjorn and John - Tailormade

Hidden Agenda is on a roll with US reissues of some amazing Swedish records. José González justifiably has been getting most of the press so far for "Veneer" (one of 2003's best albums), but we shouldn't ignore Peter, Bjorn and John and the album "Falling out" - one of 2004's best releases. I bought their 2002 self-titled debut release simply on strength of bassist Bjorn Yttling's prestigious production credits and have been a fan ever since. There's a good reason why they have the lead-off track on my "Reader's companion" compilation. The best part about "Falling out" is how the record works as a whole. It's a concept record, not in the way as say "Operation: Mindcrime", but that it's thematic in terms of the overall mood. I actually posted mp3s for every song from the record when it first came out, but here's one of favorites again for those that missed out the first time around.

Peter Bjorn and John - Tailormade

Here's the first list of names confirmed for the upcoming P3 Popstad fest in Stockholm on February 3-5: Bergman Rock, Christian Walz, The Latin Kings, Eric Prydz, Teddybears STHLM, The Concretes, Caesars Palace, Infinite Mass, Sophie Rimheden, Weeping Willows, Steve Angelo, Two Times The Trauma, Ison & Fille, The Killers, The Baboon Show, Ayesha, Peter Bjorn and John, Petter, The Sunshine, Axwell, The Plan, Andreas Tilliander, Richard Reagh & wwnb2, Anna Ternheim, Medina, Hanky and Panky, Florence Valentin, I Love You Baby!, The Nomads, Ted, Revlon 9, Tiger Lou, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, Tobias Lindén, Tristes Tigers, The Happiest Girl in The World, Hundarna från Söder, Nadie Affecta, Stella Rocket, [Ingenting], Midnight Monkeys, Sebastian Ingrosso, Johnossi, Fatfred and the Superfast Truckers and Damn!.

Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (16) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
02. (08) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
03. (02) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
04. (11) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
05. (04) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
06. (01) Bergman Rock - "I'm A Crab"
07. (10) Björk - "Who Is It?"
08. (NY) Radio LXMBRG - "L'Indiffirence EP"
09. (NY) Ison & Fille - "Vill va Highwon"
10. (05) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
11. (09) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
12. (NY) Faithless - "Miss U Less, See U More"
13. (NY) Ayesha - "Squaffie"
14. (NY) Keane - "This Is The Last Time"
15. (03) Embee - "Not Tonite"
16. (NY) Snow Patrol - "How To Be Dead"
17. (NY) Joanna Newsom - "Sprout and the Bean"
18. (ÅT) Richard Reagh + Wwnb2 - "Outlaw"
19. (15) Doktor Kosmos - "Distance Equals Rate Times Time"
20. (17) Peter Bjorn And John - "Teen Love"

Hot tracks outside the top 20:
Dizzee Rascal - "Dream"
Florence Valentin - "Där jag borde va"
Sophie Rimheden/Håkan Lidbo - "Shout"

Leaving the chart:
(06) Phoenix - "You Can't Blame It On. (Anybody)"
(07) Ed Harcourt - "Born In The '70s"
(12) Sahara Hotnights - "Who Do You Dance For?"
(13) Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
(14) 22-20s - "Shoot Your Gun"
(18) The Hellacopters - "Turn The Wrong Key"
(19) The Streets - "Blinded By The Lights"
(20) Starmarket - "Cologne"

Via Dagensskiva, here's this week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Bergman Rock - "I'm A Crab"
02. (02) The (International) Noise Conspiracy - "A Small Demand"
03. (06) Embee - "Not Tonite"
04. (09) The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
05. (NY) The Tough Alliance - "Holiday"
06. (03) Phoenix - "You Can't Blame It On. (Anybody)"
07. (05) Ed Harcourt - "Born In The '70s"
08. (NY) Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
09. (NY) Mando Diao - "God Knows"
10. (NY) Björk - "Who Is It?"
11. (NY) Bloc Party - "Helicopter"
12. (04) Sahara Hotnights - "Who Do You Dance For?"
13. (07) Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
14. (16) 22-20s - "Shoot Your Gun"
15. (19) Doktor Kosmos - "Distance Equals Rate Times Time"
16. (NY) Timo Räisänen - "Lovers Are Lonely"
17. (NY) Peter Bjorn And John - "Teen Love"
18. (NY) The Hellacopters - "Turn The Wrong Key"
19. (NY) The Streets - "Blinded By The Lights"
20. (08) Starmarket - "Cologne"

Hot tracks outside the top 20:
Florence Valentin - "Där Jag Borde Va"
Ayesha - "Squaffie"
Bright Eyes - "Take It Easy"

Leaving the chart:
(10) [Ingenting] - "Här Kommer Solen"
(11) Snoop Dogg Feat. Pharell - "Drop It Like It's Hot"
(12) Baby Shambles - "Killamangiro"
(13) Deportees - "Not Tonight"
(14) Mos Def - "Sex, Love & Money"
(15) Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"
(17) The Mo - "Howl In The Jungle"
(18) Richard Reagh + Wwnb2 - "Outlaw"
(20) The Concretes - "Seems Fine"

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/

The Venue will heading over to The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England to play the International Pop Overthrow Festival sometime between October 14-19. They say that fellow-Swedes Peter Bjorn and John and The Virtues might also be in attendance at the fest, but I can't confirm it yet. In other news, The Venue are currently working on a new EP for release sometime in September/October and negotiating with various production companies worldwide for other future projects. I'll keep you informed if I hear more.

DigitalMetal.com declares that Solefald's new album "In Harmonia Universali" positions them as "as leaders of the avant-harde, depth metal movement." Sure, that works for me I guess. Read the full review.

The first slew of bands confirmed for Trästocksfestivalen which takes place in Skellefteå from July 17-19: Christian Kjellvander, The Concretes, Monastir, The Bear Quartet, Totalt Jävla Mörker, Peter Bjorn And John, KVLR and Darcy.

Here's the bands confirmed to play Mit Nästa Liv which takes place July 18-19 at Ljungnäs, just north of Kalmar in Sweden: Rocky Dennis, The Kid, Ed Greene, Dialog Cet, Handsome Train, Myredpocketbook, Dorotea, Eisenhower, Hormones in Abundance, Rough Bunnies, Cat and Dog Dialogue, and Javelins. More info: www.mittnastaliv.tk

The Sounds will be on WXRK 92.3 in New York this Sunday at 11 pm. The band's official site says "KROQ", but they're just confused because the station goes by the name "K-Rock." Visit the station's website here.

Villa Records, in conjunction Johnny Bråttom Records, just put out an anti-war comp entitled "Support". The tracklisting:

01. José González - Heartbeats
02. Alarma man - Fuck you, you fucking fuck
03. Boy Omega - Come to my house
04. Sin närmiljö - Rudad
05. Björn Kleinhenz - A day and a night
06. Niccokick - I drink to get thrilled
07. Bremen Brotröster GmbH - Main theme from Mr Kaputt's birthday party
08. Songs from the empire - You are my sunshine
09. The book of Daniel - Soultraffic through friday
10. Kubot - Regnvals
11. I am Ferguson - Right hand pain
12. Music 77 - Snow white
13. Chelsea's corner
14. DJPJGJ - Gutt trumset
15. Quit your dayjob - Look! A dollar!
16. Dorotea - Let's give it a shot
17. Johan Norefalk - Never ends

View the cover art here.

In other Villa news, the label has said that the Boy Omega/The Book Of Daniel split 7" has been delayed, but they hope to have it by June. They will also be releasing a new CDr called "Blues for Papa Nyll" from The Appalachian Foothill Brothers, a new band featuring Gustafsson-brothers: Daniel from The Book Of Daniel and Martin from Boy Omega.

This week's roundup of new records from Musikindustrin.nu features releases from Carola, Colony 5, Crystal Blue and many more. They also have a focus piece on the new Lost Patrol record. (in Swedish)

Aftonbladet reports that Per Gessle (one half of Roxette) is planning on touring in support of his new solo album. Read more. (in Swedish)

Fireside, Brolle JR, The Mo, Florence Valentine, De Stijl and Elin Sigvardsson are now on the bill for Piteå Dansar Och Ler fest.

Even more bands added to Hultsfred: Timbuktu w/Damn!, Discharge, Junior Senior, Florence Valentin, Phunky Drakes, Soundclash: Topaz vs. Axxion Pack, Elin Sigvardsson and Johan Borgert.

And for the We & Yous fest we now have The Radio Dept., Dr. Higgins, José Gonzales, Sandy Mouche, Speedmarket Avenue, Ant, Gisel, Hospital, The Winston Solution, Adria, The Dannys Says and Homeland.

By way of Unioncarbideproductions.com comes word that the coming UCP box-set will be entitled "Career Opportunities 1986 - 1993". The webmaster over there also says he's gotten some new videos and photos recently and will be posting them online in the near future. I'll keep you informed.

Now streaming in mp4 format over at Black Box Recorder is Niko Skorpio's "Delta Amoeba" and "the SKORPIOns" EPs. The music is described as "the sonic experimentation and aesthetic of an underground noise album but somehow channels recent "electronica" without compromise. Imagine if trip-hop star Tricky gave up the reefer, moved to Finland, and got depressed and lost his mind... and you'll be on the right path." Sound intriguing, does it not?

Backyard Babies have confirmed that Joe Barresi will be the producer on their forthcoming album. Some of his previous credits include artists such as Sheryl Crow, Limp Bizkit, Monster Magnet, Kyuss, QOTSA, Hole and L7. Recording starts in Sweden in June with mixing to follow in LA.

Christian Kjellvander's new video for "Homeward Rolling Soldier" is now available for viewing: low / med / high

Backyard Babies frontman/guitarist Dregen is recovering nicely from his mugging injuries and the band has resumed rehearsals and preparing demos for their upcoming album. In other news, the band has also made their first foray into the world of sports by becoming an official endorser of their local hockey team, Njckey Club. The endorsement consists of the BB skull logo being stenciled onto one of the face-off circles.

Remember to watch Conan O'Brien on November 26 to see The Soundtrack of Our Lives perform.

Sweden student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
(10) The Crash "New York"
(11) Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Machine"
(13) Peter Bjorn And John "I Don't Know What I Want Us To Do"
(17) The Distillers "City of Angels"
(18) Marit Bergman "This Is the Year"
(20) Adam Green "Dance With Me"

The Knife (ex-Honey is Cool) has got a new record coming out. The first single and video "Heartbeats" will drop January 7 with the album "Deep Cuts" following on January 27.

After a rare concert appearance on Halloween, Notre Dame frontman Snowy Shaw went straight back to Fredman Studio in Sweden to record the next album from Dream Evil. The planned title is "Evilizer" and Snowy contributed four tunes. Work Notre Dame's next album will continue soon.

Watch the video for "The Band" from Mando Diao:

Real: High / Low   Windows: High / Low

Listen to Peter, Bjorn and John play live on P3 here and here. For those that don't know, the members of PBJ have connections to artists such as Caesars Palace, TSOOL, The Plan, Marit Bergman, and Nicolai Dunger among others.