Robyn on tour in the UK:

10/31 - Audio, Brighton
11/01 - The Scala, London
11/03 - The village, Dublin
11/06 - Classic Grand, Glasgow
11/07 - Stylus, Leeds
11/08 - Club academy, Manchester

Check out the video for the new Robyn single "Handle me": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4UHNhVSrEM

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Mattias Bärjed - 99 pounds
02. TALK 1
03. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
04. Hyacinth House - Swedish signs on Monkey Island
05. Aerial - Secret goddess
06. Icos - Fly away
07. TALK 2
08. Robyn - Konichiwa bitches (Trentemøller remix)
09. Folke Rabe - Argh!
10. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
11. TALK 3
12. Audionom - In the streets
13. The Alpine - Trigger
14. Immanu El - Astral days
15. TALK 4
16. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jag har en vän
17. Logh - Thieves in the palace
18. Galento - Gunnar Hardings paraply
19. TALK 5
20. Promise and the Monster - Antarkis
21. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Heroica
22. Anchor - In the throes of passion
23. TALK 6
24. Repoman - Valley of snakes
25. Ulver - Shadows of the sun
26. Bobby Baby - Do not twist
27. TALK 7
28. Superfamily - Warszawa
29. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
30. Sinikka Langeland - Sus i myrull
31. TALK 8
32. Graveyard - Thin line
33. Mai - Snowing downtown
34. KVLR - Abomination
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan

Robyn will be releasing "Handle me" as her next single in the UK via her very own label Konichiwa Records. The digital version hits first on October 22 with the CD, 7" and 12" formats to follow on October 29. B-sides include remixes from Björn Yttling, Williams, OrtzRocka and Soul Seekerz plus an acoustic version of "With every heartbeat".

Robyn's excellent self-titled album will finally get a US release on December 4 via Interscope.

This week's radio show is all women:

01. Hello Saferide - I was definitely made for these times
02. TALK 1
03. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
04. Sahara Hotnights - Drive dead slow
05. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - I will always be your soldier
08. El Perro Del Mar - Party
09. Octavia Sperati - As fire swept clean the earth
10. TALK 3
11. Robyn - Cobrastyle
12. Montys Loco - Man overboard
13. Honey Is Cool - Summer of men
14. TALK 4
15. Those Dancing Days - Hitten (demo version)
16. Christel Alsos - Come on
17. Red Moon - Landslide
18. TALK 5
19. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
20. Sanna Kurki-Suonio - Minne
21. Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Enjoy the silence
22. TALK 6
23. Otur - Overture
24. Midaircondo - Perfect spot
25. Doughnuts - Drowning
26. TALK 7
27. Fe-mail - Jacob's leketøy
28. September - Satellites
29. Gåte - Sjå attende
30. TALK 8
31. Maia Hirasawa - Mattis & Maia (ft. Miss Li)
32. Stina Nordenstam - Parliament square (The Knife remix)
33. Munck//Johnson - Slavesong
34. Bertine Zetlitz - 500
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
37. Asha Ali - A promise broken
38. The Cardigans - I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer
39. TALK 10
40. Anja Garbarek - The last trick

In case you missed it, the music summer camp for girls that Marit Bergman helped found is called Popkollo and you can find out more information here: http://www.popkollo.se/
Non-Swedish speakers, check the 'English' link on the bottom left for more details.

Pitchfork sits down with Robyn to discuss the UK release of her most recent album, her next album and more: http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43759-robyn-talks-new-album-artistic-freedom-swedish-pop

Listmania! 2007 so far

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

The Guardian talks to Robyn, catching up with her as she gets ready to conquer the UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2039602,00.html

MP3: Bertine Zetlitz - 500

Bertine Zetlitz was introduced to me as the "Norwegian Robyn", which isn't really true at all. Yes, they are both successful female pop artists, but Robyn is all about sass and Bertine is cool to the point of being cold. Even though I'm usually all about attitude, there can be something very alluring about this standoffish approach. Desire for the unobtainable? On the other hand, it also runs the danger of falling flat when the emotional distance is kept too wide. Unfortunately, Bertine's latest album "My Italian Greyhound" falls prey to the latter more often than not - it's only the select 2-3 tracks that work as they should. The lead single "500" is the winner by far. The production is very Dr. Dre SoCal funk and the vocals are kept very subdued. You immediately get the sense that Bertine is being less than truthful and, later in the song, she makes it very clear what's really going on. At first I didn't really think the song was all that special - it's all a bit too unassuming if you're not paying close attention - but repeated listens have proven otherwise.

Bertine Zetlitz - 500

MP3: Margaret Berger - Naive (16)

Of all the Norwegian pop I've subjected myself to the past couple months, Norwegian Idol runner-up Margaret Berger is by far the best. Other promising Norwegian artists such as Marit Larsen have one or two great singles, but Berger's record "Pretty scary silver fairly" is all-killer, no filler. I'd say it's the catchiest pop album I've heard since Robyn's latest. There's plenty of songs worth posting, but I've decided to go with "Naive (16)" since that "Gentle on my mind" (John Hartford) loop gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Lyrically, there's nothing special going on, but it's simplicity is also its strength. See if the "I should've known better" refrain doesn't get permanently imprinted into your brain. I dare you! And besides, I don't need pop music to be deep - there's plenty of other artists who've got that angle covered. They can't all be Hello Saferide, y'know?

Margaret Berger - Naive (16)

Fluxblog has new tracks today from both Robyn and Santa Maria, the solo project of Concretes/Heikki vocalist Maria Eriksson: http://www.fluxblog.org/2007/02/things-i-abandon-only-abandon-me.html

Pitchfork reports that Robyn will finally unleash an expanded version of her 2005 self-titled pop masterpiece on the UK on April 2: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41133/Robyn_Says_Konichiwa_to_UK_With_Expanded_Roby
US folks will still have to import the damn thing, despite universal acclaim. Bummer.

Robyn finally has a video for "Konichiwa bitches": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_GnG1wO38
Genius.