Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Per Gessle - Mazarin
02. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
03. Tomas Ledin - I sommarnattens ljus
04. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
05. Anna-Lotta Larson - Tidlöst
06. Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughs bästa
07. Anders Johansson - If it's all I ever do
08. Tommy Körberg - Gränslös - det bästa med
09. Per Myrberg - Sommarnatt Per Myrberg sjunger Taube
10. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
11. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
12. Magnus Carlson - Ett kungarike för en kram
13. Robyn - Don't stop the music
14. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
15. Da Buzz - More than alive
16. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
17. Moneybrother - Blood panic
18. Alcazar - Alcazarized
19. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
20. Uno & Freda - Samling

The full program for the Yran fest in Östersund, Sweden on July 31-August 2 has been confirmed. Head on over to their website for the full scoop. Some of acts playing include Shout Out Louds, Håkan Hellström , Melody Club, Looptroop, In Flames, Kajsa Grytt, Lars Winnerbäck, Carola, The Sounds, Randy, Mando Diao and many more.

Pitchfork has posted a review of "Käärmelautakunta" from Alamaailman Vasarat today:

"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but pick up and move to Finland. In the summer, it's almost unbearably hot where I live, my rent's too high, and no offense family, but you're just not cutting it. Furthermore, the Fins [sic] have the best music: in the last year I've been fortunate enough to jam to new records by Circle, Luomo, Värttinä, Gjallarhorn, Pharaoh Overlord, Uzva and now Alamaailman Vasarat. They say it's cold there. They say people drink profusely and go for weeks without talking. Never mind all that, I'll just stake out a Helsinki street corner somewhere, slip a Sibelius disc in the Walkman, and witness the magic. I'm going to do that right now."

Read the rest.

Mikael Gustafsson aka Mikeadelica is starting work on the first Swedish hip-hop film "Elementz", what many are saying is supposed to be the Swedish version of "8 Mile". The storyline will center around two Stockholm gangs, Elementz and Pitch Shift. No word on what artists will be appearing in said film yet, though. Mikael is no stranger to director-work either - previous credits of his include videos for Petter, Blues, Pain, Robyn and A-teens. Read more. (in Swedish)

Okay, I think things here are pretty much back on track. After further discussion with my webhost it appears that yes, they bungled the switching of a hard drive this past weekend and lost about 5 days worth of database data. Luckily, Google had it cached and I've been able to recover most of it exactly as it was before. I'm still a bit peeved at the situation, but there's not much I can do. Anyhow, I only have one day's worth of data to recover and that ain't bad. Also, anyone who signed up for the newsletter after Monday needs to do so again, too. So yeah, now let's get back to your regular programming...

Magnus was kind enough to send me some pics from KVLR's recent show with Logh at Scharinska Villan in Umeå this past Saturday. Check 'em out.

Hardcore Superstar has posted a bunch of pictures and video clips from their recent video shoot for the track "Honey Tongue".

Morten from A-ha is thinking of going into the bakery business. No really! Read this.

Thearkworld.com has posted yet another live video from the band's Stockholm show on April 30, this time it's "Joy Surrender".

Backdraft has recruited Greg from Raging Slab to be their new singer. The band plans to concentrate on songwriting this summer and will enter the studio sometime in July to record an new album for an October release.

Parasol/Hidden Agenda Records will release Club 8's latest record "Strangely Beautiful" on June 17 in the US. It's the band's fifth album overall, the third to see a domestic stateside release. In care you didn't know, Parasol are the people who introduced The Soundtrack of Our Lives to the States along with other acts such as Thirdimension, Ronderlin, Acid House Kings, Starlet, Mans Wieslander, Permer, Lasse Lindh, and Waltz For Debbie.

IndieWorkshop lauds the US release of "C'mon Let's Pretend" from the Sahara Hotnights. If you thought the 2nd album (the first one released in the US) was good, you ain't heard nuttin.

PopMatters reviews the new retrospective comp from Division of Laura Lee.

Pitchforkmedia.com gives the thumbs-up to Junior Senior.

Sparks of Seven has confirmed their summer tour schedule:

07/04 - Fjällbacka, Mega Wakeboard Contest
07/10 - Arvika, Arvikafestivalen
07/23 - Stockholm, Fritz Corner, Kulturhuset w/José González
08/01 - Hässleholm, Sommarfesten
08/02 - Lindesberg, Augustibuller
08/07-09 - Rasslebygd, Emmabodafestivalen

Check out the entire program for the Stockholm Jazz Festival right here.

SVT has published the summer schedule for the program "Allsång på Skansen":

06/24 - After Shave, Buddaboys, Per Gessle and Jerry Williams & The Boppers
07/01 - GES (Glennmark, Eriksson and Strömstedt), Sanne Salomonsen and Staffan Scheja
07/08 - Alcazar, Håkan Hellström, Kalle Moraeus/Bengan Jansson, Robyn and Tommy Körberg
07/15 - The Ark, Björn Skifs, Jill Johnson and Micke Nord
07/22 - Charlotte Nilsson, Jeerk, Ludvig Andersson, Per Myrberg and Style
07/29 - Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson, Black Noise, Fame, Jörgen Mörnbäck and Rigmor Gustavsson
08/05 - Benny Anderssons orkester & Helen Sjöholm, Carola, Lasse Berghagen and Robert Gustafsson

The Knife has given two songs to Robyn for the American edition of her album "Don't Stop The Music"? Read more. (from Musikjournalen, in Swedish)

Randy, Nasum, The Haunted, Raised Fist, The Pricks, The Liptones, Sparks of Seven, Bowser, Misconduct, Orange Crunch and Alice in Videoland have all been added to the Augustibuller lineup.

I just switched the site over to a php-based content management system. Please let me know if you see anything amiss or feel free to sound off in the forum. Otherwise, be sure to update your bookmarks and links accordingly. Thanks.

I've also added the first half of a live set from Norway's Madrugada for you to download. I'm not exactly sure when or where it's from, but it's good stuff.

Some of the acts confirmed for Finland's upcoming Tuska festival: Children Of Bodom, Stratovarius, Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus, The 69 Eyes, Opeth, Amorphis, Tarot, The Haunted, Arch Enemy, Finntroll, Lost Horizon, Moonsorrow, Thunderstone, Norther, Lullacry, and Rotten Sound. The event takes place on July 11-13 in Helsinki at Kaisaniemi Park. More info can be found here.

Hardcore Superstar has tentatively set August 25 as the new release date for their upcoming album.

The Rasmus has announced their complete summer tour dates:

05/23 - Art Rock Café, Ilmajoki (FI)
05/30 - Hot. Vaakuna, Kouvola (FI)
05/31 - Nosturi, Helsinki (FI)
06/02 - Gröna Lund, Power Summer Party, Stockholm (SWE)
06/06 - Rock im Park, Nürnberg (DE)
06/08 - Rock am Ring,Nürburgring (DE)
06/14 - Provinssirock, Seinajoki (FI)
06/19 - Midsummer festival, Raumanmeri (FI)
06/20 - Midsummer festival, Jämsä Himos (FI)
06/21 - Midnight Party Planet festival, Kouvola (FI)
07/03 - Festival, Midtfyn (DK)
07/05 - Tivolirock, Kristianstad (SWE)
07/06 - Ruisrock, Turku (FI)
07/09 - Harju-festival, Kangasala (FI)
07/11 - Hotelli Vantaa, Vantaa (FI)
07/12 - Kirkastusjuhlat, Aitoo (FI)
07/13 - Satamarock, Lappeenranta (FI)
07/18 - Tavastia, Helsinki (FI)
07/19 - Tammerfest, Tampere (FI)
07/23 - Mariehamn, Åland (FI)
07/24 - NRJ Summer, Gotland (SWE)
08/01 - Storsjöyran, Östersund (SWE)
08/02 - Kukkaisrock, Tampere (FI)
08/03 - Ankkarock, Vantaa (FI)
08/07 - Rally-happening, Jyväskylä (FI)
07/08 - Välipuistorock, Lapua (FI)
08/09 - Harjavalta (FI)
08/10 - Skanderborg Festival (DK)

In other news, the band will be filming a new video for the song "In the Shadows" with Baranga Film in Stockholm on May 21. The single hits Germany on June 30.

Finland's Lullacry will play the Rock im Ring festival in Italy on July 5.

Arve from Supersilent will be performing solo at the Copenhagen Jazz festival on July 11.

Isolation Years have announced that their next single and video will be for the title track from the album "It's Golden". It will be released tomorrow on May 15.

The only song that made me cry this year was a cover of the Stooges’ "No Fun". There's something cruel about stripping the classic rock song of its menace and symbolism — this was, remember, the last tune the Sex Pistols mangled together onstage before imploding in '78 — and killing it softly, only to resurrect it anew as a small and beautiful ballad.

LA Weekly has published a profile on the sadly defunct group Hederos & Hellberg. They talk about how the project started, why they had to stop making music, and various other topics.

Swedish power-metallers Hammerfall will be recording a live album sometime during their upcoming tour. They expect to have it out this fall on Nuclear Blast. The dates they have scheduled:

05/15 - Santiago, CHL @ Estadio de Chile
05/16 - Buenos Aires, ARG @ Hangar
05/17 - São Paolo, BRA @ Olympia
05/18 - Curitiba, BRA @ Palacio de Cristal
05/20 - Rio de Janeiro, BRA @ ATL Hall
05/23 - Guadalajara, MEX @ Hard Rock Live
05/24 - Mexico City, MEX @ Cine Americas
06/27 - Balingen, GER @ Bang Your Head Festival
06/28 - Vizovice, CZR @ Masters Of Rock
06/29 - Jihlava, CZR @ Centre of town
06/30 - Plzen, CZR @ Hall Lokomotiva
07/04 - Sundsvall, SWE @ Sundsvalls gatufest
07/05 - Töreboda, SWE @ Töreboda Festival
07/25 - Karlskoga, SWE @ Karlskoga Stranddagar
08/30 - Derby, UK @ Bloodstock Metalfest

Blabbermouth reports that Dimmu Borgir (NOR), Hypocrisy (SWE), Children of Bodom (FIN) and Nevermore (US) are teaming up for a US tour sometime between November 8 and December 16. More info soon. Otherwise, Dimmu is hitting the road around Europe beginning in September to support the new album "Death Cult Armageddon", due out September 8 on Nuclear Blast:

09/10 – Tromsø, NOR @ Driv
09/11 - Bodø, NOR @ Sinus
09/13 - Trondheim, NOR @ Samfundet
09/14 - Hamar, NOR @ Hydranten
09/16 - Kristiansand, NOR @ Bingen
09/17 - Stavanger, NOR @ Folken
09/18 - Bergen, NOR @ USF
09/20 – Athens, GRE @ Rodon Club
09/21 - Athens, GRE @ Rodon Club
09/30 – Hamburg, GER @ Markthalle
10/01 - Halle, GER @ Schorre
10/02 – Amsterdam, NETH @ Paradiso
10/03 - Tilburg, NETH @ 013
10/04 - Antwerpen, NETH @ Hof Ter Loo
10/05 – London, UK @ LA 1
10/06 – Paris, FRA @ Elysee Monmatre
10/08 – Lisboa, POR @ Paradiso
10/09 – Porto, POR @ Hard Club
10/10 – Bergara, SPA @ Sala Jam
10/11 – Valencia, SPA @ Republicca
10/12 – Barcelona, SPA @ Razzmatazz II
10/14 – Milan, ITA @ Alcatraz
10/15 – Pratteln, SWI @ Z7
10/17 – Budapest, HUN @ Petöfi Hall
10/18 – Wien, AUT @ Planet Music
10/19 - Stuttgart, GER @ LKA Longhorn
10/20 - Nürnberg, GER @ Löwensaal
10/21 - Köln, GER @ Live Music Hall
10/24 – Tampere, FIN @ Pukkahuone
10/25 - Helsinki, FIN @ Nosturi
10/27 – Stockholm, SWE @ Klubben
10/28 – Malmö, SWE @ KB
10/29 – Oslo, NOR @ Rockefeller
11/01 – Moscow, RUS @ Gorbunova Culture Club

Finland's Sähkö Records, the label of Pan Sonic member Mika Vainio, has two new releases: "Blake's Love" from Blake and "Future" from Skatebård, who is also associated with Tellektro Records.

Check out this Dagensskiva featured interview with the grindcore band Nasum.

Sweden's Streetzone records has signed a licensing deal with Europe's Pias Recordings to release The Narcissists abroad. Look for the first single taken from the album "Planet Euthanasia" on June 2 in both vinyl and CD formats.

Norway's "renowned and unique contemporary trio" POING will be heading to Japan from May 15-28 to collaborate with a group of 4 Japanese composers. They will be performing at various venues including music/concert halls, museums, clubs and at the Asahi Breweries, who just happen to be a sponser of the tour. Read more here and here.

Grand Tone Music's new album is called "Go To Hell" and it marks the debut of new members Patrick Andersson on bass and Andreas Söderström on lap-steel, synth and trumpet. They say it's a bit more sparse and expressive in sound than the last one as they tried to improvise more in the studio.

Norweigan singer/songwriter Ane Brun will finally have her first album "Spending Time With Morgan" coming out this week. She's no stranger to the Scandinavian scene, as she's toured before and shares backing musicians with Jesse Malin and Yukon AK. Musikindustrin.nu compares her to Ani DiFranco, but I have yet to hear her myself.

Read more about the week's new releases from MI here. (in Swedish)

The Rasmus, Robyn, Mendez, Antique, Da Buzz, NG3 and Bounce are among the artists now confirmed for the Power Summer Party on June 2 at Gröna Lund.

The webzine And the Sound has just published an interview with up-and-coming garage rockers De Stijl. Or I guess they call themselves "minimalist punk-rock". Apples and oranges.

More bands added to Hultsfred: Turbonegro, Hell on Wheels, Da Nada (Inkfish vs. Antiloop), Samuel L. Session, The Concretes, Homy and Kristian Anttila.

Magnus from The Cardigans reports that "Long Gone Before Daylight" is currently being remixed for 5.1 sound systems at Medley Studios in Copenhagen. So yeah, those of you with home theatre stereo setups will be able to enjoy the record in full surround sound. No word on a release date yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Check out the Nordic Favorites compilation tracklist:

01. Bel Canto - You Rock My World Tonight
02. Eskobar - On The Ground
03. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
04. The Sounds - Living In America
05. Silje Nergaard - Be Still My Heart
06. Funkstar De Luxe W M Mann - Blinded
07. Gåte - Bendik Og År Olilja
08. Luke - Heavens On Fire
09. Grant - Just The Thing
10. Morten Abel - I'll Come Back And Love You Forever
11. Swan Lee - Tomorrow Never Dies
12. The Crash - Star
13. Maria Mena - Free
14. Kristofer Åström - All Lovers Hell
15. Cajsa Stina Åkerström - Himmel Över
16. Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
17. Lordi - Would You Love A Monsterman

Here's another mp3 from Randy's new album "Welfare Problems". The track is called "X-ray Eyes".

Fargo records has picked up Hederos & Hellberg's "Together in the Darkness" for release in the UK. The same label is also putting out the album in France and Spain this month. In related news, Silence is reporting that Mattias Hellberg is planning to record a solo album this summer.

I've already posted some of these dates, but here's a more complete list of the upcoming Gröna Lund shows this summer:

05/09 - Melody Club
05/23 - Dilba, Stephen Simmonds
06/18 - The Sounds
06/27 - Eric Gadd, Kaah
08/15 - Robyn
08/29 - Caesars Palace, Bad Cash Quartet
09/05 - bob hund
09/12 - The Hellacopters

Labrador Records will holding a mini-festival for the label featuring Chasing Dorotea, Laurel Music, Ronderlin plus Dj's: Pontus & Ramo (Douglas Heart) and Henrik Lyngåker (Sonic) at Bommens Salonger on May 9.

Here's an updated lineup for the 5th annual Nordic Roots Festival which takes place in Minneapolis from September 18-21: Filarfolket reunion, Ellika Frisell and Solo Cissokho, Maria Kalaniemi with Sven Ahlbäck and Johan Hedin, Gjallarhorn, Harv and the Swedish trio Nåra.

STIM reports that The Hives made it to #4 on the LA Times list of top 50 bands around today. Iggy Pop, White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age took the top spots and fellow Swedes Soundtrack of Our Lives came in at a respectable 15.

Blood Music, Björns vänner, CK, Corduroy utd., Dub Sweden, Florence Valentin, Hell on Wheels, Paris and The Danny Says have all been confirmed for the Rundgångsfestivalen in Wämöparken on May 31.

P3 Musikjournalen has posted a whole slew of new confirmations for Kirunafestivalen, Storsjöyran, Spinnrock, Gatufesten. Midtfynsfestivalen and Norbergfestivale.

More on the Mando Diao drama, from Aftonbladet. (in Swedish)

Watch the new video for "On the 54" from The Dandelions right here.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. HIM - Funeral of hearts
02. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
03. A-Teens - Perfect Match
04. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
05. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
06. Mew - Comforting Sounds
07. Kwan - Shine
08. Jennifer Brown - Weak
09. Surferosa - Neon Commando
10. Melody Club - Cover Girl
11. Moon Gringo - Buzz Aldrin
12. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
13. Whyte Seeds - Slow motions
14. Dub Sweden - Walk Me Home
15. Timbuktu - Ett Brev
16. Empire Dogs - The Dogs
17. Nik & Jay - Elsker Hende Mere
18. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
19. Equicez - Live From Pass It
20. Pauline - Runnin´ Out Of Gaz

Challengers:
01. The Jessica Fletchers - Let´s Go
02. Darude - Music
03. Outlandish - Guantanamo
04. K Ragnstam - Perfect Vacation
05. Paragon - Försök Förstå

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Kamera has announced a bunch of new dates for the summer:

05/30 - Fredriksta (NOR)
05/31 - Oslo (NOR), So What
06/01 - Västerås
06/02 - Stockholm, Debaser
06/03 - Jönköping
06/04 - Göteborg, Nefertiti
06/05 - Halmstad
06/06 - Linköping, Platens Bar
06/07 - Karlstad, Arena
06/26-29 - Skellefteå, Skellefteåfestivalen
07/05 - Sundsvall, Gatufesten
07/10 - Arvika, Arvikafestivalen
07/04-12 - Visby, ZTV Sommarstad Gotland
07/13 - Malta
07/19 - Torquay (GB)
07/20 - Brighton (GB)
07/23 - Åland, Rock Off Festival (tbc)
08/08 - Norrköping, Karnevalen

Pitchforkmedia reviews the American release of "C'mon Let's Pretend" from the Sahara Hotnights. Whaddya know? They actually like it.

Moonbabies have got a couple gigs lined up:

05/02 - Fredericia, Ungdomens hus w/The Violet Hour
05/03 - Copenhagen, Huset w/The Violet Hour

Reports are coming in on the big concert yesterday at Gröna Lund with Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Ark and Mando Diao: tsool.tk / Dagens Nyheter / Expressen

In other Mando Diao news, the band has reportedly fired organist Daniel Haglund. Haglund was apparently taking time off to spend time with his family and was given the news when he tried to return.

And the Sound is saying that Niklas and Thomas from Him Kerosene are rumored to be starting a new band. Nothing's confirmed yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
02. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
03. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
04. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
05. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
06. Jill Johnson - Discography
07. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
08. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
09. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
10. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
11. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
12. Lasse Tennander - Därifrånochhit sånger 1974-2003
13. The Refreshments - On the rocks
14. Antique - Blue love
15. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
16. Roxette - The pop hits
17. The Knife - Deep Cuts
18. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
19. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
20. Dilba - Revolution

More from Aftonbladet: An article on Marie Fredriksson's (Roxette) recovery from brain surgery.

Don't forget to download the new free Soviac single today. Check it. The song is called "Boogie Woogie" and it's taken from the upcoming album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti" due out later this fall.

A grand total of 100 (!!!) new bands were confirmed for Roskilde Fest today. Some of the acts mentioned include The Cardigans, Christian Kjellvander, Immortal, The Hellacopters, TSOOL, Satirnine, Gåte, Turbonegro, The Sounds, Cato Salsa Experience and The Raveonettes and a plethora of Scandinavian hip-hop artists: Advance Patrol (SWE), Denmarks Finest (DK), Equicez (NOR), Loose Cannons (SWE), Mad Con (NOR), Organism 12 (SWE), Son Of Light (NOR), Static & Nat Ill (DK) and Suspekt (DK). Read more.

Did you miss Hardcore Superstar last night at Chalmers in Göteborg? Well, you can watch a video of the song "Honey Tongue" from that performance.

Lullacry has postponed the release of their new single "Alright Tonight" to May. No reason was given for the delay.

Norway's Gluecifer has announced a couple dates for this summer:

05/31 - Jæren, NOR
06/06 - Working Class Hero Festival, Drammen NOR
08/16 - Raumarock festival Åndalsnes NOR

The band also reiterated their plans to come back to the US, hopefully this coming fall. Their exact words from the website: "For our very patient fans in the US... we are R E A L L Y looking forward to coming back & playin' for y'all!!!!!"

New Line Records has finally launced a website which of course has info and downloads for label darlings The Sounds.

Misconduct has been confirmed for the Kaktus Festival which will take place at an airfield in Arboga on July 18-19. Other artists playing include The Venue, Peter, Björn and John, The Virtues and Charta 77.

Stockholm Records artists Thee Ultra Bimboos are doing a few dates around Scandinavia in May:

05/02 - Västerås, Rockstad Västerås (Culturen)
05/03 - Malmö, KB
05/04 - Oslo, So What
05/05 - Göteborg, Pusterviksbaren
05/07 - Hultsfred, Metropol
05/08 - Stockholm, Nalen

Motorpsycho is planning a Japanese tour for December, but there's no details yet. Their side-project The International Tussler Society will also be doing some shows around Norway in August such as the Øya festival in Oslo on August 7-9. There may be some dates in Europe, too. Stay tuned.

Silence Records has put up a streaming sample of "Happy Endings" from First Floor Power.

In other Silence-related news, Träd, Gräs & Stenar are heading over to England to two dates in England and Brighton on May 21 and 22 respectively. The full list of their upcoming dates:

05/21 - London, 291 Gallery w/No-Neck Blues Band
05/22 - Brighton w/No-Neck Blues Band
05/28 - Västerås, Taj Mahal
05/29 - Oslo, So What
07/19 - Möja (Stockholm archipelago)

Watch the video for "New Direction" from David & the Citizens.

Turbonegro has announced the addition of a new gig at the Garage in London on May 12. Here's what their upcoming European tour itinerary now looks like:

04/30 - Göteborg, Lisebergshallen
05/01 - Stockholm, Munchen Bryggeriet
05/02 - Malmö, KB
05/03 - Hamburg, Grosse Freiheit, DE w/Division of Laura Lee
05/04 - Hamburg, Grosse Freiheit, DE w/DoLL
05/06 - Amsterdam, Melkweg, NL w/DoLL
05/07 - London, Garage, UK w/DoLL
05/08 - Glasgow, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, UK w/DoLL
05/09 - Manchester, Hope & Grape, UK w/DoLL
05/10 - Birmingham, Acedemy 2, UK w/DoLL
05/11 - Dublin, Whealans, IRL w/DoLL
05/12 - London, Garage, UK w/DoLL
05/13 - Paris, La Tranbendo, F w/DoLL
05/15 - Bergara, Sala Jam, E w/DoLL
05/16 - Madrid, Aqualung, E w/DoLL
05/17 - Barcelona, Apolo, E w/DoLL
05/19 - Milano, Transilvania, IT w/DoLL
05/20 - Zurich, Rote Fabriek, CH w/DoLL
05/21 - Stuttgart, Longhorn, DE w/DoLL
05/22 - Munchen, Elserhalle, DE w/DoLL
05/23 - Köln, E-werk, DE w/DoLL
05/24 - Bielefeld, PC 69, DE w/DoLL
05/25 - Berlin, Columbia halle, DE w/DoLL
05/27 - Stavanger, Siddishallen
05/28 - Bergen, Haukelandshallen
05/29 - Trondheim, Trondheim Spektrum/Nidarøhallen
05/31 - Oslo, Oslo Spektrum

Due to an undisclosed family emergency, Millencolin has been forced to cancel the remaining dates on the second leg of their US tour to return back home to Sweden.

MTVE.com has the new video for "You're the Storm" from The Cardigans.

If you didn't already see it listed, Robyn is doing some touring this summer:

06/28 - Gamleby, Folkets Park
07/05 - Sundsvall, Sundsvalls Gatufest
07/23 - Tylösand, Hot Tylösand
07/24 - Hudiksvall, Stadsfesten
07/25 - Gävle, Rocknatta
07/26 - Piteå, Piteå Dansar och Ler
08/02 - Östersund, Storsjöyran
08/10 - Göteborg, Liseberg
08/15 - Stockholm, Gröna Lund

Here's a MIC Norway profile on Sondre Lerche with links to a number of interviews such as the CNN one linked here yesterday. Among other things, it says that Lerche is featured on the cover of this month's Index Magazine and he is also currently in Bergen, Norway working on his new album with producer Jørgen Træen (aka Sir Duperman). Look for him on tour in the US in May with Nada Surf and Ed Hartcourt.

Also by way of MIC Norway come this article on the Music Export Norway showcase as South by Southwest in Austin last March. Featured bands included the aforementioned Sondre Lerche, Madrugada, Ralph Myerz & the Jack Herren Band, Cadillac, Span and We.

This is pretty amazing: Junior Senior - "Move Your Feet". Definitely not the sort of thing I'm normally into, but that video is just too awesome.

Did you know the last Saturday in May is 'Swedish Music Day'? Me neither.

The following acts have been confirmed for the Siesta fest in Hässleholm on May 30-31: The Ark, Marit Bergman, Dynamo Chapel, David & The Citizens, Christian Kjellvander, $1000 Playboys, Her Majesty, Whyte Seeds, Last Days Of April, Lotta Wenglén Band, Joddla med Siv, Pete Thompson, Loserville plus a number of yet-to-be-named demo bands.

Lars Winnerbäck, Mikael Wiehe and Wilmer X have all been added to the bill of the Piteå Dansar Och Ler fest.

Entombed-side project Project Hate has set "Hate, Dominate, Congregate, Eliminate" as the name of their new album. Look for it later this year from Entombed's own Threeman Recordings label.

Dimmu Borgir has lined up a couple dates in the Netherlands for October:

10/02 – Amsterdam, NETH @ Paradiso
10/03 – Tilburg, NETH @ 013

In other news, the band has reportedly spent the last few weeks at Studio Fredman recording a new album. No word on when to expect it.

Jeez, what a slow news day. Ain't hardly nothing happening at all.

In an amazing feat of quick turnaround, I got two new mp3s ready from that P3 broadcast yesterday at the Umeå Open. Check it out on the right.

Gearhead will be putting out "Oslo City", the latest album from Norway's Mensen on April 8 in the US. Nicke Anderssen of The Hellacopters produced, so it definitely might be something worth checking out. Some mp3s can be found here.

Carola, Jennifer Brown, Robyn and Lisa Nilsson have all been added to the Piteå Dansar Och Ler (Piteå dances and smiles) fest.

Pitchfork reports the Jaga Jazzist will finally be getting a proper US release through the label Gold Standard Laboratories (GSL). As is the case with a lot of 'new' artists taking their first steps on US soil, the release will be a compilation of already-released material under the name "Animal Chin". Look for it in stores on April 7. It also seems that the labels Ninja Tune and Smalltown Supersound are working on reissuing their older works and a few of em may even already be available for mailorder. Not to mention, there's also talk of a US tour. Wait and see.

The Cardigans have confirmed even more festival appearances this summer:

6/6 - Rock Am Ring, Germany
6/7 - Rock In Park, Gemany
6/9 - Pink Pop Festival, Holland
6/29 - Werchter Festival, Belgium

Northside has three new records available for preorder: Mari Boine's new album "Eight Seasons", her remix album entitled, uh, "Remixed" (featuring mixes by Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Those Norwegians, more), and the new Wimme CD which is called "Bárru". So yeah, order 'em from their website or wait until April 22 when they hit the shelves.

Starmarket has put up an mp3 of a new demo track they did called "Remembrance". Download it now.

Courtesy of Nordic Sounds magazine, MIC can now present a unique perspective on Nordic musical life as we bring you an Irishman's encounter with Nordic culture. National but not nationalist. Nurturing. cooperative but slightly protectionist. No it isn't a country's foreign policy. It's the response of Irish Times' music critic Michael Dervan to the contemporary music scene he encountered on visits to all five Nordic countries.

Read more. (from MIC Norway)

Chaosbreedis the name of a new Finnish "death metal supergroup" featuring Nalle Österman on drums (ex-Gandalf), Oppu Laine on bass (ex-Amorphis, Mannhai) Marko Tarvonen on guitar (Moonsorrow), Esa Holopainen also on guitar (Amorphis), and Taneli Jarva on vocals (ex-Sentenced, The Black League). Apparently they are currently rehearsing material to be recorded this summer at the famed Sunlight Studios in Stockholm with producer Tomas Skogsberg. They plan to circulate a demo online sometime this spring and are looking to secure a record deal in the near future. Anyone interested in offering them a contract or maybe booking them can get a hold of em at chaosbreeders@hotmail.com.

I've got a busy workday ahead of me, so updates may tend to be a bit slow. Bear with me. And lots of new links coming soon, too.

UPDATE: I'm finally done for the day and the links page has a ton of new sites on it. Enjoy!

Here's some pics from day one of the Umeå Open. Thanks Magnus!

The Cardigans have been confirmed for the Glastonbury festival which takes place on June 27. More info here.

Interested in the new Nasum album? The band has put up a full preview page with the album cover, tracklist and some samples. Check it out.

Thirdimension has added two of their videos to their site. Go to the 'Pleasure' section to check 'em out. The band admits they're kinda old and maybe not "not among our top ten-list of videos", but they say "the latter one ["Yes Equals No"] is quite cool." Works for me.

Get a preview of the new Moonbabies song "Fieldtrip USA". Like I said yesterday, Chalksounds is putting out some great pop records soon and the upcoming album "The Orange Billboard" is no exception. Good stuff.

On April 1, Burning Heart records will unleash the new Turbonegro site www.scandinavianleather.com where they say you'll find "mp3's, tourdates, bio, photos, video, competitions, e-cards and games." As much as I dig some of their old stuff and respect the band, I find the new album to be a bit too polished and boring. Eh, on the other hand, it's still better than most of the dreck out there I suppose. Those of who just discovering the band, buy one of the recent reissues - that's where it's at.

The nominees for the Swedish Hip Hop Awards have been announced. Check it.

Norwegian/Senegalese kora master Solo Cissokho won the BBC World Music Award for his album "Tretakt Takissaba" which was recorded together with Swedish fiddler Ellika Frisell. Cissokho has worked for many years on his goal of fusing "African griot-tradition with traditional Norwegian folk music," as stated by MIC Norway. For those that are unaware (as I was), the kora (or cora) is a Senegalese string instrument. Read more about it here.

More from MIC Norway:

Despite strong presence of Norwegian artists on the national Top 40 album charts, the sales trend is negative. The February figures from the Association of Norwegian Record Distributors indicate a 21% decline in sales of Norwegian records compared to 2002. Despite this, the mood on the Norwegian music scene is still very positive.

Read more.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. v/a - Melodifestivalen 2003
02. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
03. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
04. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
05. The Refreshments - On the rocks
06. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
07. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
08. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
09. Wilmer X - Lyckliga hundar
10. Evergrey - Recreation day
11. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
12. The Sounds - Living in America
13. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
14. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
15. Anders Widmark featuring Sara Isaksson - s/t
16. Kajsa Grytt - Är vi på väg hem?
17. Rikard Wolff - Du får mig (om jag får dig)
18. The Knife - Deep Cuts
19. Ted Gärdestad - Droppar av solregn
20. Isolation Years - It's golden

The Hives have been added to the bill of the V Festival which takes place August 16-17 at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire. Apparently it will be their only UK appearance this year. Other bands confirmed for this fest include Echo And The Bunnymen, Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tickets are available at www.wayahead.com.

The Concretes will finally be releasing their self-titled album on May 1. The lead single "You Can´t Hurry Love" is already out. The band is also opening for Ed Harcourt on the following dates (sorry, no venue information):

3/31 - Stockholm
4/2 - Göteborg
4/3 - Malmö

The mighty Hellacopters are coming over to the UK in April to do some shows and a live session with John Peel. Pretty cool, eh? Now if they'd come back to America. SUpport will come from The Peepshows. Anyhow, the dates:

4/7 - London Scala
4/8 - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
4/9 - Live on John Peel, Radio 1
4/10 - Birmingham Academy 2
4/11 - Camber Sands Weekender
4/12 - Dublin Temple Bar
4/13 - Manchester Academy 3
4/14 - Leeds Cockpit
4/15 - Bristol Fleece & Firkin
4/16 - Brighton Concorde 2
And in Europe, too:
4/17 - Nijmegen (NL), Doornrossje
4/18 - Zwolle (NL), Hedo
4/19 - Kassel (D), Spot
4/20 - Erfurt (D), Spot
4/21 - Bremen (D), Schlachthof

Meshuggah has finally got confirmed dates for their upcoming US tour with Strapping Young Lad:

4/25 - Graceland - Seattle, WA
4/26 - Roseland - Portland, OR
4/27 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
4/29 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
4/30 - The Edge - Palo Alto, CA
5/01 - The Palace - Los Angeles, CA
5/02 - The Scene - San Diego, CA
5/03 - Galaxy Theater - Santa Ana, CA
5/04 - Marquee Theater - Phoenix, AZ
5/06 - Stubb's B-B-Q - Austin, TX
5/07 - White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
5/08 - Canyon Club - Dallas, TX
5/09 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
5/10 - The Other Side - Tulsa, OK
5/11 - Headliner's - Louisville, KY
5/12 - Clutch Cargo's - Pontiac, MI
5/13 - The Metro - Chicago, IL
5/14 - Quest Club - Minneapolis, MN
5/15 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
5/16 - Peabody's Down Under - Cleveland, OH
5/17 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA - New England Metal & Hardcore Fest
5/18 - Birch Hill - Old Bridge, NJ
5/19 - Jaxx - West Springfield, VA w/Hate Eternal
5/20 - The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
5/21 - Village Underground - New York, NY
5/22 - North Six - Brooklyn, NY
5/23 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
5/25 - Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QUE
5/26 - Club Rocket - Toronto, ONT

Swedish dis-core band Skitsystem are finally heading out on their first European tour. For those that don't know, the band is fronted by ex-At the Gates/The Crown, current Great Deceiver singer Tomas Lindberg. He plays guitar in this band, too. Fellow crusties Victims are opening. The dates:

4/21 – Hamburg, GER - Rote flora
4/22 – Potsdam, GER - Archiv
4/23 – Mülheim, GER - AZ
4/24 – Bielefeld, GER - AJZ
4/25 – Stuttgart, GER @ TBA
4/26 – Amsterdam, NETH - Villa Friekens

Download two mp3s samples from the upcoming Nine album "Killing Angels": "Inferno" and "Discontent OD". Look for it in stores around August/September on Burning Heart.

Logh has been announced as the support act for Fireside on their upcoming Swedish tour. Congrats! And besides that, they've got quite a bit of other touring coming up. The dates:

03/20 - Prinzenbar (Docks), Hamburg, GER
03/21 - Magnet, Berlin, GER
03/22 - Starclub, Dresden, GER w/The Kills
03/23 - Gebaedue 9, Köln, GER w/The Faint
03/24 - Normal Records, Köln, GER
03/26 - La route du rhum, Nantes, FRA
03/27 - Local Transmission, Bordeaux, FRA
03/28 - Atzavara Club, St Feliu de Guixols, Girona, ESP
03/29 - Sala Moby Dick, Madrid, ESP w/The Donnas
03/30 - Sala Azkena, Bilbao, ESP
04/02 - Le Gibus, Besançon, FRA
04/03 - BOA, Luzern, CH
04/04 - Rockplanet, Pinarella di Cervia, ITA
04/07 - Szene Wien, Wien, A w/Cameran
04/08 - Orange House, Munich, GER
04/09 - Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, GER
04/10 - Schwimbad Musik Club, Heidelberg, GER
04/12 - La Guintuette Pirate, Paris, FRA
04/13 - Freebutt, Brighton, UK
04/14 - 93ft East , London, UK
04/15 - Club Fandango @ Dublin Castle, London, UK
04/16 - Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, SWE w/Fireside
04/18 - Grand, Uppsala, SWE w/Fireside
04/24 - Herrgårn, Linköping, SWE w/Fireside
04/25 - Village, Västerås, SWE w/Fireside
04/29 - Kägelbanan, Stockholm, SWE w/Fireside
04/30 - Blå, Oslo, NOR w/Fireside
05/01 - Mejeriet, Lund, SWE w/Fireside

The Sounds say they are playing San Diego tonight on their website. No word on what club, but I'm sure if you're down there it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Zillion Digits aka David Sandström (ex-Refused) will be playing Klubb Modos in Umeå on March 22. I've been hearing good things about this, so check it out if you can.

Download an mp3 of 69-Hard's song "The Bullets", taken from the forthcoming album "Blues From Hell" due out April 11 on Idle Hands Records. Preorders are being taken at the label's website so act now, especially if you want a copy of the limited 3-song single.

There's going to be a new comp coming out called "Nordic Favourites" featuring 17 tracks from 17 artists including Silje Nergaard, Gåte, Bel Canto, Morten Abel, Maria Mena, The Rasmus, Junior Senior, The Sounds, Kristofer Åström, The Crash, and Lordi. Look for a "massive" Nordic TV ad campaign in the near future.

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. v/a - Melodifestivalen 2003
02. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
03. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
04. The Refreshments - On the rocks
05. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
06. Wilmer X - Lyckliga hundar
07. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
08. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
09. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
10. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
11. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
12. The Sounds - Living in America
13. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
14. Kajsa Grytt - Är vi på väg hem?
15. The Knife - Deep Cuts
16. Ted Gärdestad - Droppar av solregn
17. Anders Widmark featuring Sara Isaksson - s/t
18. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
19. Barbados - Rewind
20. A Teens - New arrival

Lars Winnerbäck's new album "Söndermarken" has already gone gold in Sweden. Look for him on tour this summer over there.

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

Leaving the chart:
(09) Whyte Seeds "Slow Motions"
(15) USCB Allstars "Watch Me Roll"
(16) Dj Format Ft. Chali 2na & Akil "We Know Something You Don't Know"
(17) Simian "La Breeze"
(18) Håkan Hellström "Den fulaste flickan i världen"
(19) Lars Winnerbäck "Åt samma håll"
(20) Millencolin "E20 Norr"

Kent has lined up another show this summer: the Park festival in Moss, Norway on June 14. Also playing are Kaizers Orchestra and Vibeke Saugestad.

UPDATED: Finntroll, Impaled Nazarene, and (maybe) Children of Bodom will be doing a benefit/memorial show at Nosturi in Helsinki on March 25 for Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta. The price of entry will be a 10 euros dontation with all proceeds going to cover expenses for Teemu's family. The funeral will be on March 29.

The Finnish band Amorphis have signed with EMI to release their next album, the self-produced "Far From The Sun". The first single "Day Of Your Beliefs" comes out in April, the album to follow in May. This will be the band's first major label release following a long relationship with Relapse Records.

Picked up the guys from KVLR at the airport yesterday. They're a little jet-lagged, but otherwise very excited to head out on tour. Should be a lot of fun! The dates, yet again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-in Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - Tag Teen Center w/Mercy Mile, The Yellow Press
3/9 - SF, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise, Century Schoolbook, Fuck the Hope You Gave Me (ex-Fury 66, Audiocrush, Yaphet Kotto), Science of Yabra
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge
3/13 - Austin, TX - Momo's TFT/Better Looking Records Showcase w/Mark Gardner of Ride, Jealous Sound + more
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - Sacramento, CA - 1020 J w/Sputterdoll, No Avail

One of my favorite bands, Katatonia, is heading out across Europe with some help from Finntroll. The dates:

4/16 - Nachtleben/Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
4/17 - Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland.
4/18 - Terminal Export, Nancy, France
4/19 - Dioxin, Schindellegi/Schwyz,Switzerland
4/20 - Midian Club, Vicenza, Italy
4/21 - Alpheus, Rome, Italy
4/22 - Transilvania Live, Milan, Italy
4/24 - Crockmore, Perpignan, France.
4/25 - K.G.B., Barcelona, Spain
4/26 - Caracol, Madrid, Spain
4/27 - SWR VI, Barroselas, Portugal
4/29 - Republicca II, Valencia, Spain
4/30 - West Rock, Cognac, France
5/01 - Rail Theatre, Lyon, France
5/02 - Splendid, Lille, France.

Some more dates have been announced for the upcoming In Flames/Mudvayne US tour. Here's the current itinerary:

3/08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Metropol
3/10 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre
3/11 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
3/12 - Pittston, PA - The Staircase
3/14 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
3/15 - Orlando/ Lake Buena Vista (FL) - House Of Blues
3/17 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
3/18 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave / Eagles Ballroom
3/19 - Cleveland, OH - Odeon Concert Club
3/21 - Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
3/22 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Egyptian Room
3/23 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom
3/25 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
3/26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Coca Cola Bricktown Event Center
3/28 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheatre
3/29 - San Antonio, TX - Sunset Station
3/30 - McAllen, TX - Villa Real Conv. Ctr.

Finland's The Rasmus are doing a short Swedish tour in support of their new album "Dead Letters" which comes out March 21. The dates:

4/9 - Stockholm, Klubben
4/10 - Göteborg, Valand
4/11 - Köpenhamn, Lilla Vega
4/12 - Helsingborg, The Tivoli

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
04. The Refreshments - On the rocks
05. The Sounds - Living in America
06. Barbados - Rewind
07. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
08. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
09. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
10. The Knife - Deep Cuts
11. Melody Club - Music machine
12. Thomas Rusiak - In the sun
13. The Radio Dept. - Lesser matters
14. A Teens - New arrival
15. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
16. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
17. Slaptones - Simplify
18. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
19. The Haunted - One kill wonder
20. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det

Listen to the new Isolation Years single "Open Your Eyes". Very different from their first record, but still quite good. Can't wait to hear the full album!

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

Leaving the chart:
(11) Coldplay "Clocks"
(13) Laakso "Long Beach"
(15) The Dysfunctionals "Payback Time"
(16) Pearl Jam "Love Boat Captain"
(17) Ed Harcourt "All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed"
(18) Caesars Palace "Candy Cane"
(19) Ben Harper "With My Own Two Hands"
(20) Erlend Öje "Sudden Rush"

It's been quite some time since I heard anything about them, but Bad Cash Quartet has now been confirmed for Popaganda fest at Universitetsområdet in Stockholm to take place May 29-31. Other bands confirmed for the fest include The Embassy, Florence Valentin, Crystal Committee, The Junior, The Concretes and Buck.

Melody Club is setting their sites on Germany. Their album will get a release there on May 5 to be followed by a tour:

5/14 - Hamburg (D) Molotow
5/15 - Düsseldorf (D) Unique
5/16 - Weinheim (D) Cafe Central
5/17 - Berlin (D) Bastard
5/18 - Kassel (D) K19
5/19 - Frankfurt (D) Cookys
5/20 - Dresden (D) Downtown
5/21 - München (D) Atomic Cafe

Nine's new album has been pushed back to a August/September release, but Jacob Bannon (Converge) has signed on to do the artwork.

On March 28 The Knife will release the third single from their latest album "Deep Cuts". The track is called "You Take My Breath Away" and it featured guest vocals from Jenny Wilson. The b-sides will be two remixes by Emmon and Puppetmasters. A video is also on the way from Puppetmasters member Henry Moore Selder.

Division of Laura Lee will have a CD of their old material reissued in the US this spring from Lovitt Records. It's gonna be called "97-99" and Chad Clark at Inner Ear did the mastering. In the meantime, you can download a preview mp3 on this page.

Remember that item I posted about The Haunted being upset with their label Earache? Well, it seems that singer Marco Aro is calling that whole interview "total bullshit". Read more. (from Blabbermouth)

Katatonia has put up a third and final sample from their forthcoming album on their website. This one's called "Ghost of the Sun". I managed to track down a copy of the three-song promo they released and can report that it definitely sounds good. I'm excited to hear the full-length when it finally comes out on March 24.

The new video for HIM's "Funeral of Hearts" premieres February 28 on Viva, Viva Plus and MTV Central. TV4 in Finland will debut it March 4 on 4POP along with a 'Making of the Video' program.

Listen to P3 between 8 and 9pm on March 4 to hear The Sonnets perform a few live acoustic tracks and do an interview.

Promopop will be holding a showcase event at Lava/Kulturhuset in Stockholm on April 26. The bands scheduled to perform: Wendy, By Heart, The Alpine (DK), Planet Superfly, The Leeches, and Paris.

a-ha has announced the title of their new double live album will be "How Can I Sleep With Your Voice in My Head". It doesn't come out until March 24, but you can listen to preview snippets here. The tracklist:

CD1
Forever Not Yours
Minor Earth Major Sky
Manhattan Skyline
I’ve Been Losing You
Crying In The Rain
The Sun Always Shines On TV
Did Anyone Approach You?
Swing Of Things
Lifelines
Stay On These Roads
Hunting High And Low
Take On Me
Living Daylights
Summer Moved On

CD2
Scoundrel Days
Oranges On Appletrees
Cry Wolf
Dragonfly
Time and Again
Sycamore Leaves
Video track: tour diary

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. The Sounds - Living in America
04. Barbados - Rewind
05. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
06. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo
07. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
08. Thomas Rusiak - In the sun
09. A Teens - New arrival
10. Melody Club - Music machine
11. The Knife - Deep Cuts
12. Slaptones - Simplify
13. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
14. The Haunted - One kill wonder
15. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
16. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
17. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
18. Nicke & Nilla - Pannkakor med sylt
19. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
20. Eric Gadd - Life support

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

Leaving the chart:
(09) The Cardigans "For What It's Worth"
(13) Fireside "Throw It Away"
(16) Mull Historical Society "The Final Arrears"
(17) Reef "Give Me Your Love"
(19) Eminem "Sing For The Moment"
(20) Her Majesty "I'm Fire C'mon!"

"Sweden's most requested demoband" Florence Valentins will be putting out an EP on April 14 called "Allt Dom Bygger Upp Ska Vi Meja Ner". The band plans to play a number of festival gigs this summer, too.

Gloria has a new album called "People Like Me And You" coming out on March 24. The first single will be a cover of the Talking Heads song "This Must Be The Place".

After touring the US for four weeks together, Cato Salsa Experience and The Soundtrack of Our Lives will play together again - this time in Malmö on March 7 and Lund on the 8th.

Stratovarius has announced they will be filming their upcoming show in Milan, Italy for release on a future DVD. The band also says they will be performing a 'secret' show in their native Finland sometime before their next tour. Look for details to be announced on their webpage.

Listen to The Cardigans cover "Das Model" right here. (requires Flash, by way of cardigans.de) The track was originally intended for a Kraftwerk tribute in 2001, but is now available on the "For What It's Worth" maxi-single.

By popular demand, Opeth has added a date in Perch on their upcoming Australian tour: April 14 at The Globe.

Millencolin will be touring the States beginning in April with a West Coast jaunt featuring Rufio and then it's off to the East on 4/30 with American HiFi. The band is also playing the Hurricane and Southside fests in Germany in June. More details soon.

Wow! what a catchy song. It reminds me of all those movies from the 80s about confused teenagers. This is like "Breakfast Club". But in music. Really, really dope! Are they big in Sweden? Doesn't surprise me. They would probably drop like a bomb in the States as well.

That's Pharrell Williams from N.E.R.D discussing "Seven Days a Week" with Aftonbladet, the newest single from The Sounds. I'm not super keen on the band myself, but I totally agree that they'd go over well in the US. Wait and see! Read the article. (in Swedish)

KVLR got themselves a new bassist, a fellow by the name of Joel Borg. Again, be sure to check them out when they tour the US in March. Those dates, yet again:

3/7 - Santa Cruz, CA - Drop-In Center w/Science of Yabra, The Yellow Press
3/8 - Redding, CA - Tag Teen Center w/The Yellow Press, Mercy Mile
3/9 - San Fransisco, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise, more
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge w/Jelaous Sound
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase w/ Mark Gardner of Ride, Jealous Sound, more
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - Stanford, CA - KZSU (www.kzsu.org)

Those dates are still subject to minor changes, but stop by and say hi if you can. I'll be traveling along with the band and am very excited.

Vintersong reports they are working on their new album. Described as a concept album, they say there will be "a story running through the album's entirety, and with a musical flow that includes small compositions between the "real" songs." The subject is said to concern man's hunger for science and faith. And the music? They say it will range "from mellow prog to extreme metal, to ambient and folky vibes, spiced with a lot of effective contrasts, changing directories but united under a solid musical kingdom."

Soilwork has set "Figure Number Five" as the title for their upcoming album. Look for it in the US on May 5 from Nuclear Blast, April 21 in Europe.

Håkan Hellström has decided to leave Broder Daniel he reveals in an MTVE interview to be broadcast on Monday. I'm really not surprised considering his success with his solo career. "I won't play with them anymore, but we are still very good friends," he says. The Up North Swedish Grammy special will also have interviews with Melody Club, The Sounds, Robyn, The Hives and Caesars Palace plus live performances by Awa, Masayah and Marit Bergman.

BBC's Radio One has chosen DJ Nils Noa to perform on The Essential Mix program in April. He's the third Scandinavian to appear on the program, but the first Norweigan.

Rapper Diaz and black-metallers Dimmu Borgir collaborating? Yes, it's true! Listen to a samples of the track "Smakebit" and hear for yourself. (Windows Media)

Okay, here's the full scoop on those upcoming Export Music Sweden (ExMS) showcase shows in the US in NYC, Austin (SXSW) and LA. The bands scheduled to perform: Lambretta, The $1000 Playboys, Pineforest Crunch, Marit Bergman, The Mo, The Teenage Idols, Prime Sth, Whyte Seeds, The Sounds, and User.

Kent will play Stockholm Stadium on June 6. Tickets go on sale February 28 and will cost 350 kr.

Aftonbladet reports that Ebba Grön is back. Read all about it. (in Swedish) They made an appearance last night at the Joe Strummer tribute at Club Debaser in Stockholm accompanied by ex-Clash member Mick Jones. Pretty cool, eh?

The initial lineup for Augustibuller fest in Lindesberg on August 1-2 has been announced. They are Last Days Of April, The Spitts, Satirnine, Valley Days, JR Ewing, Between Us, Radioaktiva Räker, Mimikry, Spoiler and Piper. More info here.

We're in cold Sweden at the moment making our new record. We've done quite a lot of singles for the album already but we keep changing some things around.

The Hives report that they are working on their new album. In an interview with NME, singer Howlin' Pelle reveals that the new music sounds "like The Sex Pistols meets Detroit Cobras meets Kraftwerk." Look for it around September.

Meshuggah will be doing a Scandinavian tour in March. The dates:

3/17 - Sthlm Göta Källare
3/18 - Malmö KB
3/19 - Göteborg Sticky Fingers
3/20 - Oslo Betong
3/21 - Gävle Nivå
3/22 - Örebro Contan
3/26 - Helsingfors (sf) Nosturi

Limbonic Art has broken up. The statement from guitarist Morfeus and guitarist/vocalist Daemon:

We feel that we have reached as far as we could in our collaboration, and do not feel as inspired as we should when it comes to [producing] new quality music. Everything is set for a new beginning for the both of us, and we desire to explore other aspects of our musical interests, so it is time to stop now. The circle is complete, begin another...

Katatonia has posted a second teaser mp3 from their new album "Viva Emptiness", this time for the song "Criminals". Go to their website to download it.

The Cardigans will be performing two acoustic songs on XFM in London on March 4 between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. They'll also be recording an extra track for airplay at a later date. Those not local or unable to pick it up on satellite can listen from their website. The station will also host a live chat with the band at the end of March.

Marit Bergman will be releasing a four-song EP in the US on March 19. The tracks to be included are "It Would Have Been Good", "Nightlife", "I Take My Wings Off You", and "Between the Lines". She'll also be doing those US ExMS shows along with The Sounds, et al. at CBGBs, SXSW, and LA. Yet another Swede ready to break across the ocean?

Dagbladet has posted a short interview with TSOOL. (in Swedish)

Preview the new Erlend Öyes album here.

Mörk Gryning are currently recording their new album at Dug Out Studio with producer Daniel Bergstrand. Look for it on June 6 in Sweden, Europe two weeks later.

Rune Grammofon will be putting out an album of unreleased material from Arne Nordheim on March 17. It's called "Dodeka" and it will consist of 12 electronic pieces "composed from the basic and essential sound material gathered and constructed during Arne Nordheim´s fruitful period in Warsaw in the late sixties."

This week's Swedish college radio chart (from Dagensskiva):

Leaving the chart:
(04) The Knife "Heartbeats"
(07) Foo Fighters "Times Like These"
(10) Ms Dynamite "Put Him Out"
(12) Paris "Streetlights"
(13) N.E.R.D. "Provider"
(14) Badly Drawn Boy "Born Again"
(15) Maceo Parker "Come By And See"
(16) Eve "Satisfaction"
(17) The Libertines "Time for Heroes"
(18) Calexico "Quattro"
(19) Zwan "Honestly"
(20) Red Hot Chili Peppers "Can't Stop"

Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. The Sounds - Living in America
03. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. Barbados - Rewind
06. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
07. A Teens - New arrival
08. The Haunted - One kill wonder
09. Melody Club - Music machine
10. The Knife - Deep Cuts
11. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
12. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
13. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
14. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
15. Eric Gadd - Life support
16. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
17. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
18. Roxette - The ballad hits
19. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
20. Joybells gospel choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker

The Ark, Entombed, Shenerah, and USCB Allstars have all been confirmed for Westgothafestivalen in Trollhättan on May 24.

The Swedish Hip-Hop Awards will be held April 25 in Stockholm. Nominees to be announced soon.

Guitar player Jens F. Ryland has left black-metallers Borknagar. Band mainman Oystein G. Brun says Jen's "decision is based on various personal reasons, but we would like to state that there is no conflict nor bad blood in relations to the break. On behalf of Borknagar, I wish him all the best for the future!" The band will enter the studio in March to record an album for a late 2003 release.

Children of Bodom guitarist Alexi Laiho recently joined Halford on stage in Japan for a rendition of the Judas Priest classic "Living After Midnight". CoB was the opening act on the Japan tour.

Okay, here's the winners of the Swedish Grammis:

Best artist: Kent
Best song: Kent - "Dom andra"
Best album: Kent - "Vapen & ammunition"
Best pop/rock group: Kent
Best pop/rock, female: Robyn
Best pop/rock, male: Håkan Hellström - "Det är så jag säger det"
Best newcomer: The Sounds
Best lyrics: Joakim Berg (Kent)
Best composer: Joakim Berg (Kent)
Best producer: Martin von Schmalensee, Zed (Kent)
Best hard-rock: Opeth - "Deliverance"
Best jazz: Oddjob - "Oddjob"
Best folk: Stefan Sundström - "Sundström spelar Allan"
Best club/dance: Koop - "Waltz for Koop"
Best hip-hop/soul: Timbuktu - "Watt's dö madderfakking diil"
Open category: v/a - "Nationalsånger"
Government export prize: The Hives

Jeez, does Kent really need to win any more awards? I mean, c'mon now! Anyhow, for the full list of winners, go here. (in Swedish)

Your Halo Is A Radar have been disbanded. Why? Lack of time, careers, paranoia, creative differences, blah blah blah... The usual crap.

Read the full statement from the band.

In Flames reports they are in the middle of working on new material for an album to come this summer. They also say they're excited about the upcoming Ministry/Mudvayne tour: "We are all getting eager to go out on the road again. After all, we´ve had 2½ months off now, and it´s about time to get out there and have some fun."

Here's some new Peter, Björn & John tourdates:

3/15 - Trondheim
3/16 - Oslo
3/22 - Stockholm, DJing at Debaser
3/25 - Jönköping
3/27 - Linköping, DJing at Herrgårn
3/28 - Hässleholm

Kristofer Åström is heading out on the road for probably the last time in awhile as he will most likely be concentrating on Fireside in the future. Here's the dates and be sure to check out his new EP "Dead End" when it comes out March 10:

3/14 - Helsingborg Tivoli - w/Peter Hermansson on piano
3/18 - Uppsala Katalin
3/19 - Sthlm Nalen
3/20 - Malmö KB
3/21 - Lund Stadshallen
3/22 - Göteborg Bommens Salonger
3/23 - Umeå Stationen - w/Peter Hermansson on piano

A number of new bands have been confirmed for the Emmaboda fest including Cato Salsa Experience, Paris, Björns Vänner, Pamplonas, La Masa and Bring Me The Fucking Riot Man. Paris and Cato Salsa have also both been confirmed for this year's Hulsfred fest along with Cult of Luna.

The winners of this year's Norweigan Alarm awards are as follows:

Best live band: Turbonegro
Best metal album: Satyricon - Volcano
Best pop album: Thomas Dybdahl – That Great October Sound
Best rock album: JR Ewing – Ride Paranoia
Best music video: Kaada – No You Don't
Best hip-hop/rap album: Gatas Parlament – Holdning over underholdning
Best jazz album: Dadafon – Visitor
Best song: Satyricon – Fuel For Hatred
Best electronica/techno album: Jaga Jazzist – The Stix
Alarm prize: Ephemera

Metal-Reference.com recently did an interesting interview with Ulver mainman Trickster G aka Garm. Read it here.

Carcrash Records has set the release dates for Dialog Cet's "Konsumera Era" on March 24 and QGMR's "Quiet Is Not Loud" on March 3.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
03. User - You Belong
04. Trucker - I Feel So Sick
05. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane
06. Beats & Styles - Smilin´
07. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
08. Jon - Right Here Next To You
09. Paperboys - Find My Way

Challengers:
01. Kaah -Du Kan Få Mej
02. Freak Kitchen - Nobody´s Laughing
03. St. Thomas -Long, Long Time
04. Winta - Emotions
05. Blues - Gamla Tider

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Check out this video of The Cardigans playing live on MTV's Morning Glory.

All the new material is ready and we have also mastered our own pre-production and it sounds awesome in our ears. We rehearse like we are possessed every day and will continue to do so until we go into studio.

That's Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir talking about the band's preparations to go into Studio Fredman on March 3 to record their new album.

Cult of Luna will touring the UK with ISIS in March. If you like heavy music, I highly recommend you check both these bands out. The dates so far:

3/12 – Manchester, UK - Roadhouse
3/13 – Cardiff, UK - Ms1
3/14 – Brighton, UK - Concorde
3/15 – London, UK - Mean Fiddler