Differnet, Sophie Rimheden, Jens Lekman, The Legends, Paris, Slagsmålsklubben, The Kid and Hell on Wheels have all been confirmed for the Ohanami Saturday/Sound of Young Sweden Festival on May 22. Official event website: http://www.ohanamisaturday.com/

Bands confirmed for the Malmöfestivalen are Lisa Miskovsky, Bad Cash Quartet, Mattias Alkberg BD, Nina Rochelle, Cajsalisa Ejemyr, The Kid, Deportees, Niccokick, Sophie Rimheden and Under Byen (DK). More details: http://www.malmofestivalen.se/

There's a new festival in Fagersta, Sweden on May 22 with Differnet, Sophie Rimheden, Jens Lekman, The Legends, Paris, The Kid, Slagsmålsklubben and Hell On Wheels. There will also be film, theatre, workshops, graffiti, exhibitions along with other artistic ventures, so it's sure to be a good time. It's online quite yet, but more info will be posted soon at http://www.ohanamisaturday.com/

New pics of KVLR, The Kid and Soroyas up at Musique One Stop: http://www.photohenrik.com/mos/

Marit Bergman and The Kid will headline the Rookiefest show at Folkets Park in Huskvarna, Sweden on April 9.

Streaming playlist: Guest DJ: Orosco

And speaking of Broder Daniel, they just announced some new tourdates with The Kid:

02/12 - Mejeriet, Lund
02/13 - Popstad, Folkets Park, Huskvarna
02/14 - Folkets Park, Avesta
02/26 - Platens Bar, Linköping
02/27 - Arena, Karlstad
02/28 - Balders Hage, Älmhult
03/04 - The Tivoli, Helsingborg
03/05 - Palace, Kalmar
03/06 - 035-Festivalen, Diezel, Halmstad
03/12 - tba, Karlskrona
03/13 - Downtown, Örebro

No word on who might be playing bass yet.

Johnny Bråttom Records has changed the tracklist a bit on their upcoming "Vintervilla" CDR comp. Here's how it'll run now and it should be available next week:

01. Audrey - Scars in me
02. Ed Greene - Be patient
03. Lo-fi-fnk - Unighted
04. Love is All - Ageing had never been his friend
05. Holmes - Songs of ours
06. The Kid - On a hillside
07. Pete Thompson - Come on down
08. Sin Närmiljö & The Book of Daniel - Tourism

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Glitz - Away from you (FIN)
02. Technicolour - Fireflies (FIN)
03. Nina Rochelle - Taxi 43 (SWE)
04. The Rasmus - The first day of my life (FIN)
05. Garbo - Won't be in your way (DK)
06. Xantom - Miss you (DK)
07. Johnny Deluxe - Elskovspony (DK)
08. Zen Café - Piha ilman sadettajaa (FIN)
09. User - To feel (SWE)
10. Jonna - Kaikki talossa (FIN)

Challengers:
01. The Latin Kings - Cashen dom tas (SWE)
02. Klovner i kamp - Konger i kamp (NOR)
03. Fintelligens - Vaan sil on väliä (FIN)

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

01. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
02. The Refreshments - Rock 'n' Roll X-mas
03. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
04. Peter Jöback - Jag kommer hem igen till jul
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
06. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
07. Per Gessle - Mazarin
08. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
09. Lasse Stefanz - Det här är bara början
10. Lars Roos - För de som älskar
11. José González - Veneer
12. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
13. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
14. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
15. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull 14 visklassiker
16. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
17. Mats Ronander - Bästa
18. Bamse - Bamses dunder-hits
19. Broder Daniel - Cruel town
20. Lisa Ekdahl - En samling sånger

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
06. Paris "Rainy Day In London"
13. Bring Me The Fucking Riot...Man "Lolita Riotta"
14. The Legends "There And Back Again"
16. Guided By Voices "The Best Of Jill Hives"
17. Slow Train Soul "In The Black Of Night"
19. Primal Scream Ft. (Kate Moss "Some Velvet Morning"
20. The Bear Quartet "Ask Me, Don't Axe Me"

As you've probably already heard, the first couple bands for next year's Hultsfred fest have been confirmed: Broder Daniel, C.Aarmé, Rocky Dennis, The Legends, Snook and The Kid. The show isn't until next July, but tickets go on sale at the end of December. Details: www.rockparty.se

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
02. Christian Kjellvander "Portugal"
06. The Latin Kings "Cashen dom tas"
10. The Kid "Baton Rouge"
15. The Strokes "12:51"
16. Björns Vänner "Vad ska jag med ett foto på dig? "
19. José Gonzales "Crosses EP"
20. The Warlocks "Baby Blue"

By way of Dagensskiva, here is thist week's Swedish student radio top 20:

Leaving the chart:
06. Nicolai Dunger "Hunger"
14. Rocky Dennis "Maple Leaves EP"
15. Captain Murphy "I'm A What"
18. Franz Ferdinand "Darts Of Pleasure"
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Fortune Faded"
20. Broder Daniel "When We Were Winning"

Also coming soon from Dolores is the debut single "Baton Rogue" from Göteborg's The Kid. Cover art is here. More info soon, they say.

Trapdoor Fucking Exit has put up the video for the song "Short Term Investment", recorded live at Umeå Punkfest in 2001. Check it out.

Amulet recently filmed a video for the single "Breaking News". They say it "involves a low key gig at an abandoned house and a deathdefying girl in a van who brings terror to the city of Oslo." I'll let you know if they post in online.

Turbonegro's complete festival schedule for the summer:

06/02 - Flippaut festival, Bologna, Italy
06/05 - Ruisrock, Turku, Finland
06/12 - Hultsfred Festival Hultsfred, Sweden
06/20 - Kick off Festival, Wiesen, Austria
06/21 - Southside Festival, Neuhausen, Germany
06/22 - Hurricane Festival, Schlessel, Germany
06/27 - Roskilde Festival, Denmark
06/28 - Open Air, St Gallen, Switzerland
07/05 - London, Meanfiddler (clubshow) UK
07/12 - T in the Park, Kinross, Scotland, UK
08/07 - Nordland Musikkfestukke, Bodö, Norway
08/08 - Öya festivalen, Oslo Norway
08/09 - Wrightegaarden, Langesund, Norway
08/23 - Reading Festival, Reading UK
08/24 - Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Outlandish - Guantanamo
03. A-Teens - Perfect Match
04. Her Majesty - F.U.N.E.R.A.L
05. Jennifer Brown - Weak
06. HIM - Funeral of hearts
07. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
08. The Cardigans - You´re The Storm
09. Melody Club - Cover Girl
10. Darude - Music
11. Mew - Comforting Sounds
12. Kwan - Shine
13. Equicez - Live From Pass It
14. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
15. Elin Sigvardsson - Where To Start
16. Timbuktu - Ett Brev
17. Paragon - Försök Förstå
18. Pauline - Runnin´ Out Of Gaz
19. Surferosa - Neon Commando
20. Homy - Bus Stop

Challengers:
01. Jon - This Side Up
02. Antique - Moro Mou
03. Fireside - All You Had
04. The Concretes - You Can´t Hurry Love
05. Kamera - At Work
06. C21 - She Cries

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

Labrador Records is now distributed by Mortes Nois in Estonia. For more info email mrnois@hot.ee.

Dolores Records has announced they will be releasing a limited edition CD single for the new supergroup Vanessa and the O's on June 10. The band features ex-members of Popsicle along with James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and is described as electronic pop in French. Crazy, eh? More info soon.

Bad Taste Records is the label of the month over at the Danish radio program New Rocking Sounds which airs Tuesdays at 8pm on 93.7 in Århus. They'll be interviewing Last Days of April, Logh and various others from the roster along with playng tunes from said bands. Be sure to check it out or wait for the clips to hit the online archives.

Listen to "Mattias Alkbergs Begravning" from Planekonomi, another band featuring Mattias from Bear Quartet. More info here. Look for 2 EPs this fall and a full-length sometime next year.

One of my pals over at indieworkshop.com reviews the new Flaming Sideburns album today.

"No one has satisfactorily explained why a country of 4.5 million generates so much music: is it the dark winters? Subsidised music lessons? Rubbish TV?" - John Bungey, The Times (UK)

Norweigan music appears to be making quite a few headways beyond their borders as evidenced in this article from MIC Norway. Turbonegro and Jaga Jazzist might be the first names to come to mind for most folk, but now there's also Beady Belle, Tord Gustavsen, Per Arne Glorvigen, and St. Thomas to pay attention to.

Johnny Bråttom Records will be holding a record release show on May 30 at Kulturkammaren in Norrköping for their forthcoming "Svensk Populärmusik Volym Två" compilation. The bands scheduled to appear are Slagsmålsklubben, recent Dolores-signees Cdoass, Bremen Brotröster GmbH, Björn Kleinhenz, and The Flu. As for the tracklisting of said comp, it is as follows:

01. Cdoass - The Box
02. Niccokick - Run, Run, Run
03. Björn Kleinhenz - How Long Is The Night?
04. Slagsmålsklubben - Filter Fabric Facts (DJ Upperkurt Instrumental Remix)
05. Idiot Savants - Daily Routine
06. Music 77 - Kameror
07. Pete Thompson - Folk Song
08. Lola Barbershop - Ticket To Happiness
09. The Kid - Baton Rouge
10. Junip - Turn To The Assassin
11. The Topeka Twins - Hunting Song
12. Menteroja - Call Me
13. Bremen Brotröster GmbH - Greater/Better
14. The Flu - Golden Hair
15. Celestine - Sunflower
16. José González - Heartbeats
17. Café Polymorf - A Good Time
18. Quit Your Dayjob - Pissing On A Panda
19. Joni - Frank Xerox
20. Ane Brun - Are They Saying Goodbye?
21. Sandy Mouche - A Year

Aftonbladet reports that famed Swedish videomaker Jonas Åkerlund is working with Blondie on the single "Good Boys" in LA. The new album ""The Curse of Blondie" comes out around September or October. Åkerlund's previous credits include artists such as Satyricon, Madonna, Metallica and The Prodigy.

This new album will be 'harder' than the previous one and more guitars. To sum it up: a groovier album!

That's Peter Tägtgren of Pain describing work on the new album. He says he's already finished all of the backing music along with five of the thirteen vocal tracks and should be able to have it out sometime this fall on Stockholm Records.

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

01. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
02. Alcazar - Alcazarized
03. Eddie Meduza - Live(s)!
04. v/a - Fame Factory volym 5
05. Moneybrother - Blood panic
06. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
07. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
08. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
09. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
10. Jill Johnson - Discography
11. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
12. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
13. Antique - Blue love
14. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
15. Monia - Söderns hjärtas ros
16. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
17. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
18. Simson Dupont - Simson Dupont
19. Fame - Give me your love
20. The Sounds - Living in America

Tomas Ledin is going on tour in support of his new live album "I Sommarnattens Ljus" which comes out on June 2. The dates so far:

07/08 - Öja Slott, Öja
07/19 - Bergs Slussar, Linköping
08/03 - Stadsparken, Örebro

The lineup for Sommarrock, which takes place July 10-12 in Svedala, Sweden: Mikael Wiehe, Bubbles, Joddla w/Siv, Advance Patrol, The Ark, Danne Stråhed, Häjkån Bäjkån Band, The Mo and Di Leva.

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

Leaving the chart:
(10) Randy "A Man in Uniform"
(11) Solomon Burke "Soul Searching"
(12) Fireside "All You Had"
(13) Magnus Carlson "Jag ber dig"
(16) Queens Of The Stone Age "Go With The Flow"
(18) The Go-Betweens "Caroline and I"
(19) David & The Citizens "New Direction"
(20) Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"

The full details for Finland's Koneisto Festival has been released. Some of the artists scheduled to appear include Björn Torske, Ralph Myerz & Jack Herren Band, Erlend Oye (acoustic set + "magnificent singing DJ set"), Datarock, Jori Hulkkonen, Rinneradio (feat. Dj Slow, Siiri Nordin and MC Paleface) among many others. The acclaimed electronic music festival was the first of its type for all of Scandinavia and the selection of performers "seeks to establish an interesting balance between commercial and experimental music" over the event's 9 stages. It all goes down in Helsinki from July 25-27 and more info can be found from the fest's official website.

Blabbermouth reports that HIM will be touring Europe in support of Ozzy Osbourne and Godsmack this September. I'll keep you posted.

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