This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
02. (03) Asha Ali - Coward heart
03. (06) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
04. (05) The Moonbabies - War on sound
05. (01) Lily Allen - Littlest things
06. (07) Regina Spektor - Samson
07. (NY) Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm
08. (08) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
09. (09) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
10. (11) The Shins - Phantom limb
11. (10) The Kooks - Ooh la
12. (12) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
13. (04) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
14. (13) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
15. (NY) Kings of Leon - On call
16. (19) Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
17. (14) Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
18. (16) The Long Blondes - Giddy stratospheres
19. (NY) Jamie T - If you got the money
20. (15) Amerie - Take control

Leaving the chart:
The Mary Onettes - Void
Grinderman - No pussy blues
Marit Bergman - Mama I remember you now

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Lily Allen - Littlest things
02. (03) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
03. (05) Asha Ali - Coward heart
04. (02) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
05. (06) The Moonbabies - War on sound
06. (07) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
07. (04) Regina Spektor - Samson
08. (08) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
09. (09) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
10. (12) The Kooks - Ooh la
11. (11) The Shins - Phantom limb
12. (14) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
13. (NY) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
14. (18) Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
15. (15) Amerie - Take control
16. (NY) The Long Blondes - Giddy stratospheres
17. (NY) The Mary Onettes - Void
18. (NY) Grinderman - No pussy blues
19. (NY) Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
20. (ÅT) Marit Bergman - Mama I remember you now

Leaving the chart:
The Pipettes - Judy
The Concretes - Oh no
Koop - I see a different you
Kleerup w/Robyn - With every heartbeat
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Desecration smile
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan said dance

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) The Shins - Phantom limb
02. (NY) Lily Allen - Littlest things
03. (08) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
04. (03) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
05. (01) Regina Spektor - Samson
06. (06) The Pipettes - Judy
07. (NY) Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
08. (07) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
09. (14) Koop - I see a different you
10. (04) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
11. (09) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan said dance
12. (12) The Concretes - Oh no
13. (15) The Jai Alai Savant - Arcane theories
14. (ÅT) Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
15. (17) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
16. (05) Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt
17. (11) Kleerup med Robyn - With every heartbeat
18. (10) Klaxons - Golden skans
19. (ÅT) Alex Gopher - Brian Leech
20. (NY) Redo Hot Chili Peppers - Desecration smile

Leaving the chart:
Melody Club - Fever fever
Marit Bergman - Mama, I remember you now
Bloc Party - The prayer
Ison & Fille - Hela dan varje dag
The Cinematics - Keep forgetting

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (05) Regina Spektor - Samson
02. (06) The Shins - Phantom limb
03. (01) The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
04. (NY) Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
05. (03) Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt
06. (02) The Pipettes - Judy
07. (12) Joss Stone - Tell me about it
08. (NY) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
09. (04) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan said dance
10. (ÅT) Klaxons - Golden skans
11. (07) Kleerup med Robyn - With every heartbeat
12. (NY) The Concretes - Oh no
13. (09) Melody Club - Fever fever
14. (17) Koop - I see a different you
15. (NY) The Jai Alai Savant - Arcane theories
16. (NY) Marit Bergman - Mama, I remember you know
17. (NY) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
18. (10) Bloc Party - The prayer
19. (14) Ison & Fille - Hela dan varje dag
20. (11) The Cinematics - Keep forgetting

Leaving the chart:
Cold War Kids - Hang me up to dry
Timbuktu - Karmakontot
[ingenting] – Suzanne (Vi kan inte gå hand i hand)
Weeping Willows - The burden
Juvelen - Hanna
Laleh - November
Superpumas - Clear

The first single from The Ark's forthcoming new album "Absolutely no decorum" will be out in January with the album itself to follow in late February. This will be the band's first release on the new label Roxy Recordings.

The Ark frontman Ola Salo will premiere his new symphonic piece "Linnæus Rex" on January 28 at Växjo Konserthus in his hometown of Växjö, Sweden for the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl von Linné. The composition is described as a "symphonic poem written for orchestra, choir and piano soloist" and will feature pianist Per Tengstrand at the debut. "Linnæus Rex" will also be performed twice on January 30th for the general public.

Apparently The Ark have cancelled all of their upcoming US dates 'cept for their rescheduled NYC show in late November. There go my Halloween plans. My wife is pissed.

Ola Salo of The Ark got himself into a diplomatic pickle at the opening of the new Swedish embassy in DC: http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=5314

The Guild, the band fronted by The Ark's Sylvester Schlegel, will finally release their debut album "Oh my Guild" on November 22.

The Ark will be returning to the US for a few select gigs later this month:

10/22 - Swedish Embassy (private show), Washington, DC
10/24 - TT The Bear's Cambridge, MA
10/25 - Bowery Ballroom, New York City, NY
10/27 - Lee's Palace, Toronto
10/28 - Schuba's, Chicago, IL
10/29 - 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
10/31 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
11/01 - Dante's, Portland, OR
11/03 - Slim's, San Francisco, CA
11/04 - Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA

Seeing them in Seattle on Halloween could not make my wife any happier.

Newly reunited act Don Juan Dracula will make their triumphant return to the live stage in September with an appearance at the Beijing Pop Festival, as well as a warm-up gig supporting The Ark back home in Norway. Details: http://www.donjuandracula.com/article/news_20060805.asp

Time Out New York interviews Ola Salo of The Ark: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/556/features/the_ark.xml

The Ark is reportedly working on a new album this summer.

New York Magazine on The Ark: http://www.newyorkmag.com/arts/popmusic/features/16636/index.html

Could there be a more perfect show than The Ark playing Gay Pride in San Francisco? Nope, I think not. Some new US tourdates for the band:

06/21 - The Troubadour, LA
06/23 - Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco
06/25 - Gay Pride Day (Outside stage), SF
06/26 - Schubas, Chicago
06/28 - Bowery Ballroom, New York
06/30 - TT The Bears, Boston