Norwegian jazz combo Damp (ft. members from Shining, among others) is changing their name to Chrome Hill and will be releasing their third album "Earthlings" today, on November 17, via Bolage. Listen to samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/chromehill

The epic Shining/Enslaved collaboration "Nine nights in nothingness - Glimpses of downfall" was recorded by NRK when it was performed at Molde this summer and will be rebroadcast on the air and online in late August/early September. Details here: http://www.shining.no/v1/news.php

Shining (NOR) will be heading to Asia for a few dates in October:

10/02 - Beijing (NOTCH Festival), China
10/03 - Shanghai (NOTCH Festival), China
10/04 - Guangzhou (NOTCH Festival), China
10/06 - Tsuki-miru Kimi-omou, Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan

More venue information tba.

The White Heat webzine has a great feature on Norwegian avant/jazz/metal act Shining: http://www.white-heat.com/?page=articles&id=26

Norwegian acts Enslaved and Shining will collaborate on a 90-minute piece to be performed live at the Molde International Jazz Festival in Norway on July 19. More info: http://www.moldejazz.no/

US tourdates for Norwegian act Shining:

03/10 - Knitting Factory, NYC, NY
03/11 - The Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
03/13 - End Of An Ear (3:00 PM), Austin, TX
03/15 - Emo's Jr. (SXSW), Austin, TX
03/16 - Relax Bar, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

PopMatters has posted their big by:Larm round-up: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/55701/bylarm-2008-pining-for-the-fjords/
Highlights for them include Lykke Li, Ida Maria, Anna Järvinen, Sahg and Shining.

The people behind Norway's Øya Festival will be sending Hanne Hukkelberg and Shining over to NYC for a pre-SXSW showcase gig. Read more: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008021813321948850995

Norwegian avant-metal act Manes is currently without a record deal, so they are planning to use this time as an opportunity to explore their more experimental inclinations. Firstly, they have a new website where you can download a bunch of remix tracks (or you can also stream via Last.fm). Next, the band plans to re-record a couple tracks from the 1994-95 era record "Solve et coagula" as a collaboration with artists such as Niklas Kvarforth (Shining), Malefic (Xasthur), Geir Nilsen (3rd and the Mortal) and more and will also be soliciting remixes from the likes of Blud Aus Nord and Isis. The band is also working on an album of brand new material with the working title "Be all end all". So far they say they have about 35 minutes of material down and describe it as "a step forward, but also a step back." Otherwise, they promise other surprises and I'll be sure to keep you posted as soon as I hear anything.

The nominees for this year's Spellemanprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:

Female artist:
Ane Brun - Live In Scandinavia (Det Er Mine/V2)
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Sissy Wish - Beauties Never Die (Sony BMG)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)

Male artist:
Kenneth Ishak - Silver Lightning From A Black Sky (Division Records As)
Magnet - The Simple Life (Sony BMG)
Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
William Hut - Nightfall (Universal Music AS)

Pop group:
Blind Archery Club - The Union (Sony BMG)
Superfamily - Warszawa (Propeller Rec.)
The Royalties - The Royalties (Blister Music)
Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord Og Ögonblick (Sony BMG)

Electronica:
Alog - Amateur (Rune Grammofon)
Diskjokke - Staying In (Smalltown Supersound)
Salvatore - Days Of Rage (Racing Junior)

Rock:
BigBang - Too Much Yang (Warner Music/Grandsport Records)
Moving Oos - Peace And Love (Kong Tiki Records)
My Midnight Creeps - Histamin (MMC Records)
Raga Rockers - Übermensch (EMI/Pilot/Virgin)
The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss (Racing Junior)

Country:
Hellbillies - Spissrotgang (EMI Music Norway)
Hemisfair - Blue Blue Grass Of Home (Wilma Records/Playground Music)
Shit City - God Bless Our Home (Voices of Wonder)
Steinar Albrigtsen - Moment Of Peace (Sony BMG)

Metal:
Audrey Horne - Le Fol (Indie Recordings)
Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (Nuclear Blast)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Season Of Mist)
Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness (Season Of Mist)

Hip-hop:
El Axel - It Is Wha It Is (Pass It Records)
Madcon - So Dark The Con Of Man (Bonner Amigo)
Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time-The Wait (Tee Productions)

Folk:
Berit Opheim - Den Blide Sol (NorCD AS)
Ragnhild Furebotten - Endelig Vals (Talik Da)
Sigrid Moldestad - Taus (Heilo)
Trio Mediaeval - Folk Songs (ECM/Grappa)

Jazz:
Fossum-Aarum Quartet - F.A.Q. (Schmell)
Jon Balke - Book Of Velocities (ECM/Grappa)
Petter Wettre - Fountain Of Youth (Household Records)
Sharp Nine - Sudoku (The Real Thing Da/Staffan)
The Core - Office Essentials (Jazzland)

Open class:
Frode Haltli - Passing Images (ECM/Grappa)
Live Maria Roggen - Circuit Songs (Jazzland)
Pust - Femkant (Pust Records)
Shining - Grindstone (Rune Grammofon)
The Source - The Source Of Christmas - Live (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)

Best music video:
Dimmu Borgir - The Serpentine Offering (Nuclear Blast)
Heroes & Zeros - A Strange Constellation (Nightliner/Universal)
My Midnight Creeps - Don`t Let’Em Bring You Down (MMC Records)
Turbonegro - Do You Do You Dig Destruction (Scandinavian Leather Recordings)
WE - Hurdy Gurdy (Nun Music)

Best Newcomer:
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations (Nightliner/Universal)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda (Simax Classics)
Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars (Heilo)

Best song:
Kurt Nilsen - "Push Push" (Sony BMG)
Madcon - "Beggin'" (Bonnier Music)
Postgirobygget - "Tidløs" (EMI Music Norway)
Sichelle - "Fuck Deg" (Eccentric Music)
Venke Knutson - "Holiday" (Universal)

Read more: http://www.spellemann.no/

Top 10s for 2007: Svein Egil Hatlevik (Zweizz)

Musikknyheter's favorite Norwegian albums of 2007:

01. Superfamily - Warszawa
02. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
03. The Grand - The Grand
04. The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss
05. The Moving Oos - Peace and Love
06. Monomen - Monomen LP
07. King Midas - Sorry
08. Skambankt - Eliksir
09. Shining - Grindstone
10. Truls and the Trees - Ailanthus

And their favorite Norwegian songs:

01. Superfamily - The Radio Has Expressed Concerns About What You Did Last Night
02. Moving Oos - Romancer
03. King Midas - West End Boys
04. Ida Maria - Oh My God
05. The Disciplines - Best Mistake
06. Monomen - Drum of glass
07. Raga Rockers - Aldri Mer
08. The Grand - Remedy
09. Lukas Kasha - Love Abuse
10. Susanne Sundfør - Walls

The playlist for this week's radio show, an all-winter theme:

01. Ricochets - Cold outside
02. TALK 1
03. Shining - Winterreise
04. Britta Persson - Winter tour
05. Svenson - In the snow
06. Weeping Willows - Christmas in prison
07. TALK 2
08. The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
09. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Blikktztunddonner
10. The Knife - Reindeer
11. TALK 3
12. Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
13. January Jaunt - Stuck in glaziers
14. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
15. TALK 4
16. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
17. E.S.T. - Strange place for snow
18. Sort Mel - Det grønne flesket
19. Notre Dame - A scrooge tale
20. TALK 5
21. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - Winter moment
22. Syster Lycklig - Bilden till snöstorm
23. The Book of Daniel - 3rd of December
24. TALK 6
25. Samuraj Cities - Cold feet
26. Amandine - Silver bells
27. Logcabin - View of frost
28. Silverbullit - Winter coat
29. TALK 7
30. In Flames - December flower
31. Viktor Sjöberg - On a winters day
32. The Bear Quartet - Blizzard
33. TALK 8
34. Brick - Gray day
35. Laakso - Merry Christmas
36. Strayfolk - Another year before the mast
37. TALK 9

Don't forget to vote for Sirius Blog Radio at the Plug Awards! Vote here: http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php
We are nominated under the category "Media (Obsessive) > Specialty Show Of The Year (Commercial Radio)".

Norwegian newspaper Adressa's top albums of the year:

01. The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy kiss
02. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
03. Moving Oos - Peace & love
04. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne sundfør
05. Superfamily - Warszawa
06. Shining - Grindstone
07. John Heitman/Mark Gregory - Chronicles
08. Kim Hiorthøy - My last day
09. Trulz And The Trees - Ailanthus
10. Texum - Different strokes for different folks
11. The Grand - The grand
12. Erlend Ropstad - Bright late nights
13. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
14. Samvirkelaget - Musikk
15. Heroes & Zeroes - Strange constellations
16. Draumir - The island

Read more: http://www.adressa.no/kultur/musikk/article993269.ece

Dagbladet's top 20 Norwegian albums of 2007:

01. Shining - Grindstone
02. Jonas Fjeld - Amerikabesøk
03. Superfamily - Warszava
04. Prins Thomas - Cosmo Galactic Prims
05. The Lionheart Bros. - Dizzy Kiss
06. BigBang - Too Much Yang
07. Supersilent - 8
08. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
09. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
10. Magnet - The Simple Life
11. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
12. DHG - Supervillain Outcast
13. Diskjokke - Staying In
14. Håkon Kornstad - Single Engine
15. King Midas - Sorry
16. Raga Rockers - Übermensch
17. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
18. Manes - How The World Came To An End
19. Ungdomskulen - Cry-Baby
20. Diverse Artister - NRK Sessions - Club 7 Scene

More info: http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2007/12/04/520147.html?11967690211196769021