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.

Check out some pics from the recent C.Aarmé/Alarma Man show at Club Surburbia.

The Caesars are doing a quick US tour in support of their recently released compilation album "39 Minutes Of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World)". The single "Jerk it Out" continues to gather more and more airplay (I heard it once myself on SF's Live 105) and will also be heard in an upcoming Michelob TV ad. They'll also be playing the Glastonbury in the UK on June 27. Anyhow, those US dates:

06/19 - San Francisco, Popscene
06/20 - Los Angeles, Spaceland
06/21 - Los Angeles, Viper Room
06/23 - New York, Sin'e
06/24 - Brooklyn, Southpaw
06/25 - Boston, Paradise

Fireside has posted a bunch of new pictures over at their website.

Via Home Groan Net comes these lo-fi videos of Groan Alone playing live opening for Lucinda Williams.

Martin Hagfos has now been confirmed to play the Øya festival along with a new backing band called "Cream of the Crop" that will feature some of Norway's best musicians. Check out the cast list: Martin Hagfors (Home Groan), Håkon Gebhardt (Motorpsycho, Tussler and HGH), Martin Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist), Lars Håvard Haugen (Hellbillies, Respatexans), Pål Flaata (Midnight Choir), Vidar Ersfjord (Velvet Belly), and Askil Holm.

Read a short review of the recent Radio Dept. show in London opening for Apples in Stereo.

Unioncarbideproductions.com sends word that they have received twenty promo copies of the new UCP single that will be given out at Hultsfred. Since not everyone can attend said fest, the aforementioned website will be holding a contest to give their copies away. Go here to find out how.

Bridge Records has posted an update on the label's recent activity. Head on over for the full skinny, otherwise note the most important thing is that the new Jam Session album is now out. Their intriguing description:

It all looks awesome, and sounds even better. This record has been doomed, but we stared Satan in his eyes and told him we would not give up until we got this shit out. Since this needs to be heard. Great melodic breakdowns and then it just erupts into manic, furious assault.

In other Bridge news, the label also has plans to release a 7" from The Accidents, a band which features members from Voice of a Generation, or what they call "fyllepunkös". They also have a new 7" coming out from I Ren Desperation, a new crust-style band with members from Nine, Totalitär and Millencolin. That one's a joint release with Finland's Combat Rock and Hater of God in the US, so be sure to check it out.

Some new bands have been announced for the Øyafestivalen Vika-scenen shows: Don Juan Dracula, Oslo Athletico, Wholy Martin, Point Shirley, and Lorenzo. More info here. (in Norweigan)

DigitalMetal.com reviews new albums from Enslaved and Passenger, the side project of Anders Friden from In Flames and Niclas Engelin from "the vastly under-rated" Gardenian.

Norway's Extol is heading over to the States for a number of dates. Shows on June 13 through July 1 are with Demon Hunter, Still Breathing and The Agony Scene and their latest album "Synergy" is out now from Century Media. The dates:

06/13 - Club Impact - Tacoma, WA
06/14 - Fat Tuesday - Spokane, WA
06/15 - The Zone – Yakima, WA
06/17 - Radio Rendezvous – Twin Falls, ID
06/19 - Meow Meow - Portland, OR
06/20 - JoshuaFest -Quincy, CA
06/21 - The Boardwalk -Sacramento, CA
06/22 - Showcase Theater - Corona, CA
06/23 - The Brickhouse - Phoenix, AZ
06/24 - TBA - Albuquerque, NM
06/25 - Sox Palace - Denver CO
06/26 - Ground Zero - Wichita KS
06/27 - The Door - Dallas, TX
06/28 - TBA - Little Rock AR
06/29 - El Torreon – Kansas City, MO
07/03-05 - Cornerstone Festival – Bushnell, IL
07/06 - The Oracle – Atlanta, GA
07/07 - Rocktown Skatepark – Nashville, TN
07/08 - Emerson Theater - Indianapolis, IN
07/10 - Sonshine Festival - Wilmar, MN

Children of Bodom and Soilwork will be teaming up for Japanese tour in September. Dates so far:

09/05 – Osaka, JAP - Big Cat
09/06 – Nagoya, JAP - Club Quattro
09/07 – Tokyo, JAP - Shibuya AX

MTV Nordic will broadcast their footage of this weekend's Stockholm Calling Festival on June 15 at 22:00 CET. Some of the bands scheduled to play the event include Christian Kjellvander & Lazy Grace Frontier, The Cardigans, De Stijl, and Thomas Rusiak.

P3 Musikjournalen reports that Håkan Hellström will be making a guest appearance on the upcoming Universal Poplab cover of the Morrissey classic "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Succesful". The song will be on the band's as-yet-untitled debut album, due out this coming fall. Their first single "Casanova Fall" is out now.

The new Accelerator comp comes out this week and it features some of the best indierock that Sweden has to offer. The tracklisting:

The Embassy - It never entered my mind
Radio Dept. - 1995
The Concretes - Forces
Laakso - Out of taste
Johan Borgert - Smal
David & the Citizens - Stop!
Bear Quartet - Load it
Isolation Years - Open those eyes
Moneybrother - Reconsider me
Franke - Aldrig förstå
Paper - Gone today gone tomorrow
The Knife - You take my breath away
Fireside - Thing on a spring

View the coverart here. Check out Club Accelerator's site here. To download the D&tC track, go here.

Da Buzz are hitting the road in support of the new single "Alive":

05/30 - Umeå, Umeåfesten
07/31 - Eskilstuna, Ungdomsfestivalen
06/06 - Katrineholm, Stadsparken
06/07 - Malmö, Dockan
06/13 - Sollentuna, Sollentunamässan
06/27 - Ludvika, Ludvikafesten
06/27 - Motala, Vätternfestivalen
06/28 - Enköping, Enköpingsfestivalen
06/29 - Uppsala, Birjer Jarl
07/03 - Halmstad, Halmstad stadsfest
07/03 - Sölvesborg, Killibomdagarna
07/04 - Töreboda, Torget
07/10 - LYSEKIL Meddelas
07/11 - Luleå, Hamnspelet
07/12 - Lekvattnet, Sommarens höjdare
07/19 - Åsele, Åsele marknad
07/24 - Karlskoga, Stranddagar
07/25 - Sävsjö, Sävsjöfestivalen
07/26 - Visby, Burmeister
07/31 - Karlstad, Hamnfestivalen
08/01 - Skellefteå, Underbar
08/02 - Öostervåla, Folkets park

I fixed a typo in one of the Madrugada mp3 links. Sorry about that. They should all work okay now.

Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg will be holding a club three times a week all summer long called, ahem, Sommarklubben. Besides the usual DJs spinning there will also be live music. Scheduled so far:

06/06 - Royal Beat Conspiracy, Sparks of Seven
06/28 - Shout Out Louds, Homy
07/12 - David & the Citizens

More info when I get it.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy report that they are featured on a DJ Spooky mix that comes with the latest edition of Adbusters Magazine. Other artists including on the comp include Fugazi, Bad Brains, Sun Ra, and Public Enemy so check it out.

More entries on the ongoing media blitzkrieg from The Sounds - here's a number of upcoming American TV appearances they have scheduled:

05/22 - Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC, recorded in Las Vegas last week
05/26 - The View on ABC
TBA - Subterranean on MTV, more info to come

The Hellacopters have published their complete summer tour schedule:

05/31 - Donigton (GB) Download
06/07 - Nurburgring (D) Rock Am Ring
06/08 - Nurnberg (D) Rock Im Park
06/13 - Hultsfred (S) Hultsfredsfestivalen
06/14 - Berlin (D) Berlinova
06/15 - Oslo (N) Norwegian Wood
06/21 - Scheessel (D) Hurricane
06/22 - Neuhausen OE (D) Southside
06/27 - Kiruna (S) Kirunafestivalen
06/28 - Bonn (D) Rheinkultur
06/29 - Roskilde (DK) Roskildefestival
07/04 - Oulo (SF) Oluoln Yöt
07/05 - Turku (SF) Ruisrock
07/16 - Helsinki (SF) Olympiastadion w/The Rolling Stones
07/22 - Stockholm (S) Cirkus w/The Rolling Stones
08/02 - Korso (SF) Ankarock
08/30 - Jerez / Cadiz (ESP) Serie Z
09/12 - Stockholm (S) Gröna Lund
09/13 - Vitoria Gasteiz (ESP) Azkena

Burning Heart's latest signees Sparks of Seven have finally updated their website.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. A-Teens - Perfect Match
03. Outlandish - Guantanamo
04. HIM - Funeral of hearts
05. Darude - Music
06. Jennifer Brown - Weak
07. Kwan - Shine
08. Mew - Comforting Sounds
09. The Sounds - Rock n´ Roll
10. Equicez - Live From Pass It
11. Melody Club - Cover Girl
12. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - One Good Moment
13. Timbuktu - Ett Brev
14. Bertine Zetlitz - Girl Like You
15. The Jessica Fletchers - Let´s Go
16. Paragon - Försök Förstå
17. Surferosa - Neon Commando
18. Moon Gringo - Buzz Aldrin
19. Homy - Bus Stop
20. Pauline - Runnin´ Out Of Gaz

Challengers:
01. D-Coy feat. Acorn - I´ll Be There
02. The Cardigans - You´re The Storm
03. Charlie´s Magazine - Something That I Missed
04. Her Majesty - F.U.N.E.R.A.L
05. Elin Sigvardsson - Where To Start

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

Project-X will be having a record release show on May 31 for their new album "Modus Operandi" at Ground Zero in Växjö.

Here's the lineup for the 5th Fucking North Pole Festival which takes place over the next three days in Tromsø, Norway.

5/15 @ Driv: Amulet (Oslo), Turdus Musicus (Tromsø), Dominic (Bodø)
5/16 @ Driv: Misvær Ska Forening (Bodø), Lame Ducks (Oslo), Square (SWE)
5/16 @ Tvibit: Gatas Parlament (Oslo), Amulet (Oslo), Drunk (Oslo), Turdus Musicus (Tromsø)
5/17 @ Driv: DK (US), Os Replicantes (Brasil), Drunk (Oslo)
5/18 @ Driv: Mohammed(Horten), Los Fastidios (Italia), Nikkeby Lufthavn (Tromsø)

FNPF is the biggest independent rock festival in northern Norway and takes place twice a year. The next occurance is scheduled for sometime around September/October. More info here.

The German Phono Academy recently awarded Norway's Midnight Choir with a best album award in the rock/pop category for the album "Waiting for the Bricks to Fall". The award is given every quarter by "key industry representatives and respected music journalists" and qualifies the band for the album of the year competition.

This year's Nordic Council Music Award will be granted to an ethnic music artist. The nominees who will be competing for the 47k EUR prize:

Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra (DK)
Outlandish (DK)
Kimmo Pohjonen (FIN)
Gjallarhorn (FIN)
Kári Sverrisson (Faroe Islands)
Sigurður Flosason and Pétur Grétarsson (Iceland)
Steindór Andersen, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Sigur Rós (Iceland)
Mari Boine (NOR)
Solo Cissokho (NOR)
Ellika Frisell (SWE)
Ziya Aytekin (SWE)
Anna Thastum Kuitse (Greenland)

Read more. Previous winners of the prestigious award have been Sunleif Rasmussen (2002), Palle Mikkelborg (2001), and Kaija Saariaho (2000).

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

01. Robert Wells - Rhapsody in rock the complete collection
02. v/a - Fame Factory volym 5
03. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
04. Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt - Den andra skivan
05. Timbuktu - The botten is nådd!
06. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
07. Simson Dupont - Simson Dupont
08. Jill Johnson - Discography
09. Antique - Blue love
10. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
11. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
12. Moneybrother - Blood panic
13. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
14. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
15. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
16. Gloria - People like you and me
17. The Refreshments - On the rocks
18. Roxette - The pop hits
19. The Sounds - Living in America
20. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel

Aftonbladet has also published a short article discussing Magnus Carlson's (of the Weeping Willows) forthcoming solo album that he collaborated with Eggstone and film director Lukas Moodysson on. The record is called "Ett Kungarike För En Kram" and it hits stores on June 30. (in Swedish)

The Ark, Dom Galna Hundarna, The Narcissists, Shout Out Louds, Lola Barbershop and P-Danielsa are among the groups now confirmed for the Storsjöyran fest happening in Östersund this summer.

The guys from Looptroop are all hard at work on new projects. Promoe is in the process of doing a new solo album with a single to come in June. The other two guys, Cosmic and Embee aka Casual Brothers, have a new EP that also comes out in June that features a guest appearance by Christian Kjellvander of all people.

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

Leaving the chart:
(07) N.E.R.D. "Things Are Getting Better"
(09) Miss Universum "Fertilize"
(12) Millenia Nova Ft. Iggy Pop "Rockicide"
(13) The Knife "You Take My Breath Away"
(14) Radiohead "There There"
(15) Florence Valentin "Allt dom bygger upp ska vi meja ner"
(17) Ed Harcourt "Watching the Sun Come Up"
(18) Audio Bullys "The Things"
(19) Zwan "Lyric"

The Dandelions have added one more date to their upcoming London tour. The full itinerary is now as follows:

05/22 - Gaz's Rockin' Blues
05/23 - Dragon Bar
05/24 - Cobden Club
05/26 - The Beachclub at Notting Hill Arts Club (new)
05/27 - Eyelash at Pop

Lullacry and Naglfar have both announced that they will be making their US debuts at this year's Milwaukee Metalfest which takes place July 25-26. The new Lullacry single "Alright Tonight" comes out May 23 on Spikefarm Records and Naglfar's latest album "Sheol" came out last month.

Melody Club has annouced their full list of summer tour dates. Here's the schedule as of now:

05/14 - Hamburg (D) Molotow
05/15 - Düsseldorf (D) Unique
05/16 - Weinheim (D) Cafe Central
05/17 - Berlin (D) Bastard
05/18 - Kassel (D) K19
05/19 - Frankfurt (D) Cookys
05/20 - Dresden (D) Downtown
05/21 - München (D) Atomic Cafe
05/23 - Göteborg Liseberg / Okej Dagen
05/30 - Eskilstuna Blå
05/31 - Härnösand Högslättens Isstadion
06/06 - Drammen (NO) Working Class Hero
06/06 - Hultsfred Hultsfred Festival
06/06 - Visby Gutekällaren
07/01 - Östhammar Musikveckan
07/04 - Sundsvall Sundsvalls Gatufest
07/05 - Kristianstad Tivolirock
07/11 - Arvika Arvikafestivalen
07/19 - Mariehamn, Åland Rock Off Festival
07/23 - Hedemora Hedmora Parken
07/26 - Karlskoga Stranddagar
07/30 - Visby Gutekällaren
08/01 - Östersund Storsjöyran
08/02 - Stockholm Pridefestivalen
08/06 - Gävle Gävle Cityfest
08/08 - Emmaboda Emmabodafestivalen

Johan Bergqvist has posted all three songs from his new single in RealMedia format over at his (newly refurbished) website. Check em out in the upper right-hand corner.

Billboard reviews the US release of "Living in America" from The Sounds.

Stylus Magazine has named Norway's Rune Grammofon their label of the week.

Massproduktion has announced that they will be reissuing a remastered version of the very first Left Hand Solution seven-song EP "Shadowdance" on CD with five extra bonus tracks, three of which are previously unrereleased. It's been ten years since the recording first came out and serves as an almost-complete document of the era when Kicki Höijertz fronted the band.

The Flicker will be playing Club Clampers in Stockholm on May 17 and the first 25 attendees will receive a copy of their new CDr "Phases". Download an mp3 of the track "Consulation" right here.

DigitalMetal.com interviews the avant-metal band Solefald and black/dark metallers Aeternus.

Samson & Rourke recently published an interview with Anders Wendins of Moneybrother. (in Swedish)

The new Lost Patrol single "All Right" featuring Lisa Miskovsky comes out June 2. For those that don't know, LP is the solo project of International Noise Conspiracy frontman Dennis Lyxzen.

Even more bands added to Popaganda fest in Stockholm: Doktor Kosmos, Isolation Years, Superheroes, Miss Universum, José González, Tiger Lou, Carpet People, Mano & the tears, The Search, Blanka, Callahan, Ebon Tale and Anna Vnuk.

Starting on June 3 Swedish Radio P3 will have a week-long feature on Swedish music. Be sure to check it out and remember you can listen online at their website.

The Caesars recently had the single "Sort it Out" featured during an episode of the UK's most watched soap opera Eastenders. Listen to the track here. Like I've said before, expect big things from these guys. The band has also been confirmed for the 'new bands' stage at Glastonbury fest which takes place June 27-29.

The Ark, Hammerfall, Looptroop, Paola, Her Majesty, Evergrey, Moneybrother and Mando Diao have all be confirmed for Göteborgskalaset on August 8-16.

Mike Wead (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate), Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Notre Dame), Sharlee D'Angelo (Mercyful Fate, Witchery) and Simon Johansson (Memory Garden, Abstrakt Algenra) have all teamed up to form a new band called Firegod. Mike's statement on the current state of the group:

I'm more than thrilled to be joined by some of the guys I consider to be the most creative and talented in Scandinavia. Me and Simon [have] been working really hard for almost two years writing and demoing something like 40-45 tracks... These tracks will be the perfect frame for what I'm sure will become a concept album that will stand out among the rest! People into our older bands as well as our current ones WILL NOT be disappointed!

They expect to have an album out around early 2004.

The new Finnish death-metal "supergroup" Chaosbreed has posted a couple sample mp3s from their demo for downloading:

01. Wretched Life
02. Rotting Alive
03. FC/DC (Freedom Corps Death Crush)

As mentioned before, Chaosbreed features vocalist Taneli Jarva (ex-Sentenced, The Black League), guitarist Marko Tarvonen (Moonsorrow), guitarist Esa Holopainen (Amorphis), among others. The band is currently entertaining any serious offers for booking or label support and anyone wanting to get in touch should email them at chaosbreeders@hotmail.com.

David & the Citizens and The Knife are both receiving gold disc awards from Border Music in Sweden for sales of over 5000. It's part of a new initiative enacted by the company to encourage and reward independent labels. The ceremony will be held at Pustervik in Göteborg on May 23.

In other D&tC news, the band's album "For All Happy Endings" was just reviewed in English over at firesideometer.com.

Lovitt Records has announced they will start taking preorders of the new Division of Laura Lee collection "97-99" with songs from before they signed with BHR/Epitaph. Email mailorder@lovitt.com for more info or visit the label's website. You can also download a preview mp3 of the track "Stereotype" if you're curious about their old sound, which they describe as "reminiscent of the DC post-punk sound with a dash of Drive Like Jehu." The record hits stores June 16.

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.

Carnal Forge has announced that they have extended their contract with Centry Media for another two albums. Look for 'em on tour in America with the 2003 Metal Gods featuring Halford, Testament, Immortal, Primal Fear and Behemoth.

MTV Up North has moved to Thursdays with a new, extended format. Here's this week's chart:

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

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

Besides appearing on MTV Morning Glory back home in Sweden this weekend, The Sounds also have reviews published in US mags Billboard and Alternative Press. I'll try and track 'em down if I can.

Misconduct's video for their cover of Bob Marley's "Iron Lion Zion" will premiere on CTV's new program 'Nöjesnytt' on April 29. Singer Fredrik Olsson and bassist Andreas Wall will be on the show, too.

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. Jill Johnson - Discography
04. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
05. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
06. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
07. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
08. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
09. Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday light naive
10. The Refreshments - On the rocks
11. Roxette - The pop hits
12. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
13. Siw Malmkvist - Siws bästa
14. The Knife - Deep Cuts
15. Fireside - Get shot
16. Buddaboys - Lost people areas
17. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
18. Dilba - Revolution
19. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
20. The Sounds - Living in America

The Shout Out Louds are hard at work on their upcoming debut full-length which is now scheduled to come out September 29. They also have a new single coming out in May for the track "Hurry Up Let's Go" which will include an unreleased song as a b-side. And that's not all - they're even fitting in some touring:

4/25 - Borlänge, Klubb Desired
4/26 - Lund, Klubb Blender
5/7 - Oslo, So What
5/23 - Umeå Studion, Folkets Hus
5/28 - Örebro, Kåren
5/30 - Uppsala, Stones-festivalen
5/30 - Stockholm, Popaganda
5/31 - Linköping, Rocksensation, Herrgårn
5/31 - Kalmar, Skälby
6/6 - Göteborg, Pustervik w/Marit Bergman

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

Leaving the chart:
(06) Jurassic 5 Ft. Mya "Thin Line"
(12) Asian Dub Foundation Ft. Sinead O'Connor "1000 Mirrors"
(14) Sean Paul "Get Busy"
(16) Blur "Out of Time"
(17) Outlandish "Guantanamo"
(19) First Floor Power "Happy Endings"
(20) The Concretes "You Can't Hurry Love"

'Against All Evens' is the name of the upcoming Second Gothenburg Biennale to take place May 24 - August 24 at Gothenburg Konsthallen. The event is being billed as "a resistance against all that which is vapid, indifferent and toothless" and will be curated by artist/musician Carl Michael Von Hauswolff. 27 concerts are scheduled to take place including performances by Tommi Grönlund (Sähkö Rec.) with Petteri Nisunen (FIN), John Duncan, Kim Gordon, Russell Haswell, Florian Hecker, Phill Niblock, Pita, Franz Pomassl and more. More info here.

Get a preview of the new Hell n' Diesel single in RealAudio format: "Tears for the Wicked" / "Rebel" / "Speed Devil"
Preorders are already being taken over at the Shuffle Records website.

Live4Metal is reporting that Enslaved was forced to cancel their show at The Garage in London tonight as the promotor seems to have bungled the job. Their statement:

Only about 65 advance tickets were sold and the promoters could not afford to pay the deposit to bring Enslaved over from Norway and have pulled the gig. Live4Metal were happy to be official sponsors of the event, but we have not even had any official notice from them and are as mystified as the support bands, anybody who bought a ticket and no doubt Enslaved themselves. All I can say is that there is a lesson to be learnt here and budding promoters should most definitely learn to walk before they try to run. Being as we are fair, we are willing to listen to the promoters' side of the story... but we are yet to hear from them.

A little bird has informed me that the new C.Aarmé 4-song 7" and The New Mess 3-song gatefold EP are now done and ready for ordering from Deleted Art.

In my continuing quest to open your ears to new music, there's some new mp3s on the right. First is Jaga Jazzist with the title track from their upcoming US debut "Animal Chin". They do a combination of jazz with electronic elements that's actually really, really cool. Normally I wouldn't expect myself to get into something like that, but they're really good. Next is three tracks from The Haunted's performance at Popstad. If you're into metal, you should already know these guys. Ex-At The Gates/Seance, total Slayer-worship. Can't go wrong with that.

Dagensskiva reports that Kamera had a bunch of gear stolen along with Ed Hartcourt's favorite leather jacket from their show at KB in Malm�. Among the missing instruments are a Mexican-made Strat, an Ibanez SG-style guitar and an Ibanez SG-style bass. Read more.

Hell On Wheels have announced that "It's Wrong Being a Boy" will be their new single out on May 8. They'll be shooting a video for the track this evening around the rural suburbs of Stockholm.

Elisa TV has posted V�rttin�'s video for "Tuulen Tunto" (To Feel the Wind) for viewing: RealMedia 1 / RealMedia 2 / Windows
It was filmed on February 28 at Aleksanterin Teatteri by Deco Media for the Finnish TV program 'Levyraati'.

Mattias Alkberg of Bear Quartet is the recipient of the Arnold R�rlings-scholarship. Read more.

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine of all places has reviewed David & the Citizens "For All Happy Endings":

Who�s got "Swedish fever"? It's time to retire your Abba records-guilt free! David & The Citizens are the best thing to come from Sweden since the bikini team. They have a unique, unclassifiable sound that's been compared to Beck, the Rolling Stones, and Belle And Sebastian. Regardless of that, it�ll make you wanna pick up your accordion and start dancing. With catchy song titles like "Now She Sleeps in a Box in the Good Soil of Denmark," how could you go wrong? Definitely a must-buy.
- J.T. Kitzmiller

NRK has posted a plethora of pictures from the Inferno Festival in Norway. Immortal, Red Harvest and Opeth are just three of the bands featured. On-demand video footage coming soon, too.

The Knife will be doing the soundtrack for Christina Olofson's upcoming film "Hannah med H" ('Hannah with an H'). The full CD will include some 30-odd tracks and should be out sometime in fall. The move premieres on December 12.

From Sam Roberts' homepage on opening for TSOOL on a few dates around the US:

Our tour with The Soundtrack of Our Lives has also sadly come to an end. They were the model of Swedish hospitality from beginning to end, and we'd like to thank the band and crew for taking such good care of a bunch of Canuck drunks.
There wasn't a single show where they didn't blow our minds- they might just be the best live band in the world. Another thing we learned about our Scandinavian brethren is that they know how to party, and we have been on a strict regimen of vitamins and lentil soup since our return.
Adios for now you crazy bastards...

For an entirely different take than Pitchfork on Turbonegro's new album, read this review from Dagensskiva. (in Swedish)

Miss Universum's (Doktor Kosmos) debut album "Selfelected" comes out May 16. Uje Brandelius helped with the songwriting and Jens Lindg�rd produced. The first single "Fertilize" comes out April 25.

P3 reports that when the Dalai Lama comes to Sweden on June 3 the following artists will be playing: Thomas Dileva, Lisa Ekdahl, Anders Widmark, Sara Isaksson, and Chime Arkhang. Tomas Ledin will host.

Looptroop, Mikael Wiehe, Bob Hansson, Kajsa Grytt and Stefan Sundstr�m are all scheduled to play a big free concert at Mondo in Stockholm on May 11 in a show of solidarity and support for everyone convicted at the EU summit riots in G�teborg back in 2001.

Some new acts confirmed for Hultsfred: Randy, Ursula Rucker, Stefan Sundstr�m, Strebers, Isolation Years, Paola, Kajsa Grytt, Johan Bergqvist and Advance Patrol.

Some of the names for the upcoming Koneisto fest in Finland seem to have been leaked. Here's what I've heard so far: Miss Kittin, T.Raumschmiere, Erlend Oye, Uusi Fantasia, Ed Rush, Ralph Myerz & Jack Herren Band, Gilles Peterson, London Elektricity, Kuusumun Profeetta, Imatran Voima, Youngsters, Didier Sound Spectrum, Datarock, Kaptein Kaliber, and Seb Fontaine. The electronic music event takes place in Helsinki 7/25-7/27.

Here's an e-card for Oslo's Bertine Zetlizt. It includes a short English bio along with 3 song samples and a video.

Division of Laura Lee has a new CDS coming out May 26 for the track "Trapped In". B-sides will include the song "44" plus a live version of "Need To Get Some". Read more.

Pitchforkmedia.com has posted a review of Mika Vainio's new album "In the Land of the Blind The One-Eyed Is King". For those that don't know, Vainio is one half of the Finnish duo Pan Sonic.

Cult of Luna has unveiled their new website to match the cover art from the new album "The Beyond".

This year's pre-fest activities for Emmaboda have been cancelled due to organization problems. Here's a translated statement from the people behind the scenes at rassle.org:

Unfortunately we have some bad news. Our decision to run a pre festival fest again this year was taken in haste and we have therefore decided to cancel the event. We apolgise for this but we couldn't do anything about it as organisting it was proving more difficult than anticipated and there is not much we can do about it.

Sweden's best band? That's what Aftonbladet says. Check out these recent Fireside 4-star live reviews from the show at Sticky Fingers in Göteborg: Aftonbladet / Expressen (both in Swedish)

Here's the setlist:

Fernandez must die
All you had
Backwards over germany
Desolator
Follow Follow
Blue Monday (New Order cover)
Throw it away
Kilotin
Jerrico
Problem (to you)
Thing on a spring
Encore:
Sweatbead
Betrayer
Layer

The band will also be appearing on MTV Morning Glory this weekend, so check it out when it airs.

Kalas-touring acts Marit Bergman and Her Majesty have now both been confirmed to play the Popaganda fest in Stockholm on May 29-31. The other two new bands confirmed are Midnight Monkeys and Kaada from Norway.

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

01. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
02. Jill Johnson - Discography
03. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
04. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
05. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
06. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
07. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
08. The Refreshments - On the rocks
09. Buddaboys - Lost people areas
10. Fireside - Get shot
11. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
12. Roxette - The pop hits
13. Dilba - Revolution
14. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
15. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
16. The Knife - Deep Cuts
17. Rikard Wolff - Du får mig (om jag får dig)
18. Gloria - People like you and me
19. The Sounds - Living in America
20. Wahlströms - Allt jag vill ha

What are they thinking? Empire Magazine has put out a compilation entitled "Soundtrack of Our Lives" with tracks from artists such as U2, Orbital and Ash. Are they banking on confusion over the name or just totally clueless?

Revolution #9 has announced the creation of a new pop festival to occur this summer on July 18-19 at Bulltoftaparken in Malmö. It will be called the "We & You" fest and they expect to book about 25 bands, though no names have been revealed yet. More details soon.

Here's an interview with Jimmy Tenor in which discusses his new role of fatherhood along with his musical past, present and future. His upcoming tour dates were posted on the 14th.

The good folks at Chalksounds have revealed that they will reissuing Bear Quartet's classic album "Cosy Den" on vinyl this coming September. Keep your eyes peeled.And in even bigger BQ news, the band has announced that will also be putting out a new EP called "All Your Life" in May. Some of the other tracks to be included are"No More School", "Friend Friend" and "Disappearing Act". It was recorded and produced by the ever-so-talented Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Fireside) at his Studio Gröndal. Look for a brand new full length around August.

Denmark's The Alpine will be entering a studio in Sweden shortly to record their second demo. They'll also be playing at Lava/Kulturhuset in Stockholm while over they're there. The band is already receiving regular airplay on Danish P3 radio with the track "Ground Beneath Me" so things are definitely looking up for them. Check em out live, if you are so inclined:

4/18 - Paraplyen, Vejle (DK)
4/26 - Lava/Kulturhuset, Stockholm (S)
5/5 - Stidsholt Ungdomsskole (DK)
5/23 - Skråen, Aalborg (DK)
5/24 - Kulisselageret, Horsens (DK)
5/29-31 - SPOT09 fest, Århus (DK)
6/7 - Cafe' Von Hatten, Randers (DK)
6/25 - Nibe Festival (DK)

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

Leaving the chart:
(05) Shout Out Louds "100 Degrees"
(13) Interpol "Obstacle 1"
(15) Isolation Years "Open Those Eyes"
(17) David & The Citizens "New Direction"
(19) The Kills "Fried My Little Brains"
(20) Komeda "Reproduce"

Johan Bergqvist reports he has finished up shooting the video for his new single "This Could Be Our Time". And if you look to your right you'll see that you can download an exclusive mp3 of the track right now. But yeah, the video's done and the CD is being sent off to get mastered, so it's on track for its May release. Johan's also got plans for yet another video - on April 26 he's off to shoot one for the song "Lovelace" as he says he "found a nice location with a grand piano." I'll keep you posted.

People in the US - don't forget about Sahara Hotnights on Conan O'Brien tonight along with guest Adam Sandler.

Here's a bunch of pics from the 2001 Avrika fest, including acts such as The Hellacopters, TSOOL, Mustasch, Nasum, and The Haunted.

Problems arose when the grizzly bear appearing in the video went berserk...

Apparently there were some problems onsite at Turbonegro's video shoot for the song "Sell Your Body (To The Night)" which was being filmed in LA with help from the Jackass dudes. Read more at the the band's website.

"Their mesmerising guitar excursions are worthy of early Pink Floyd; the tunes are beyond brilliant; this is, without question, among the most supremely desirable stoner albums you are likely to hear all year" - James Delingpole, Sunday Telegraph, on "Every Time A Bell Rings An Angel Gets Its Wings"

Folks in London get the lucky opportunity to see Logh for free at 93ft East in London on April 14. The show starts at 7:30 and if I was you, I wouldn't miss it.

Been awhile since I heard from these guys, but the Diamond Dogs are going on tour:

4/21 - Monroes, Workingston (UK)
4/22 - Roadmenders, Norhhampton (UK)
4/23 - Markoni Club, Chelmsford (UK)
4/24 - Penningtons Live, Bradford (UK)
4/25 - Baths Hall, Scunthorpe (UK)
4/26 - Cheese and Grain, Frome (UK)
4/27 - Patti Pavilion, Swansea (UK)
4/28 - Camden Underworld, London (UK)
5/02 - Culturen, Västerås
5/08 - El Sol, Madrid (ESP)
5/09 - Stereo, Alicante (ESP)
5/10 - La Casa del Loco, Zaragoza (ESP)
5/13 - University, Granada (ESP)
5/15 - La Nasa, Santiago (ESP)
5/16 - Auditorium Intersecciones, Oviedo (ESP)
5/17 - Azkena, Bilbao (ESP)

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

01. The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
02. v/a - Fame Factory volym 4
03. Lisa Nilsson - Samlade sånger 1992-2003
04. Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
05. Mauro Scocco - Beat hotel
06. Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis Vreeswijks bästa
07. Jill Johnson - Discography
08. The Refreshments - On the rocks
09. Dilba - Revolution
10. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
11. Fernandoz - Vem får din kärlek i natt
12. Roxette - The pop hits
13. Gloria - People like you and me
14. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
15. The Knife - Deep Cuts
16. The Sounds - Living in America
17. Wilmer X - Lyckliga hundar
18. Rikard Wolff - Du får mig (om jag får dig)
19. Anders Widmark featuring Sara Isaksson - s/t
20. Kikki Bettan Lotta - Live från Rondo

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

Leaving the chart:
(12) The Donnas "Take It Off"
(13) Melody Club "Covergirl"
(16) Kamera "At Work"
(18) Ron Sexsmith Ft. Chris Martin "Gold In Them Hills"
(20) Lil' Kim Ft. Mr Cheeks "The Jump Off"

ZTV will begin broadcasting a TV version of Hitlisten, Sweden's official sales chart, compiled by IPFI affiliate GLF and published every Thursday.

Magnus Carlson from the Weeping Willows has his new Eggstone-produced solo album coming out July 9. Turns out he's getting even more outside help, this time from film director Lukas Moodysson (Fucking Åmal/Show Me Love, Tillsammans/Together)and Radio Dept. Lukas has reportedly helped out with some lyric writing while Radio Dept. and Magnus played together at their home in Malmö. The first single will be for the song "Jag ber dig", a cover of the Northern Soul-hit "Beggin'" with Swedish lyrics.

Moneybrother is heading on tour in support of his new, forthcoming album "Blood Panic". The dates:

5/21 - Stockholm, Södra Teatern
5/22 - Karlstad, Glada Ankan
5/23 - Oslo, So What
5/30 - Göteborg, Playground @ Pustervik
5/31 - Linköping, Rocksensation
5/27 - Malmö, Trenchtown @ KB

Mobbade Barn Med Automatvapen (MBMA) have a new 12" coming out in May called "Nu Ännu Drygare" with four songs. Breakmecanix and Embee (Loop Troop) handled the production and Timbuktu and Chords make guest appearances.

Here's an interview with Sami Liuski of Rovaniemi, Finland aka 8-Bit Rockers and Bangkok Impact among others. He talks about his upcoming touring activities and the Finnish electronic music scene, among other interesting topics. Those dates:

4/23 - Pianos, NYC, NY
4/24 - Rhode Island
4/25 - Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
4/26 - Touch Supper Club, Cleveland, OH
4/27 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, MI
4/30 - Noise Lab, Seattle
5/01 - Blackbird, Portland, OR
5/02 - Obscura Digital, San Fransisco
5/05 - Knitting Factory, Los Angeles
5/06 - Los Angeles
5/08 - Sin 13, San Antonio
5/09 - The Elysium, Austin, TX
5/10 - Mermaid Lounge, New Orleans
5/11 - Miami
5/13 - Highlight, Chappel Hill, North Carolina
5/14 - Heaven and Hell, Washinton DC
5/16 - Ivy South, NYC, NY, USA

Danish dance duo Junior Senior are heating things up over in Britain. Not only are they in the singles chart at #5 with "Move Your Feet", but they're also planning to do either dates over there in May, starting with Glasgow Barfly on the first and ending with Liverpool Barfly on the 11th.

Division of Laura Lee has lined up a few extra dates around their appearance at the upcoming Coachella fest near LA:

4/21 - Houston, Engine Room
4/22 - Austin, Emos
4/23 - Dallas, Gypsy Tea Room
4/25 - Phoenix, Mason Jar
4/26 - Indio, Coachella

UPDATED: David & the Citizens will be on P3 Pop on April 14 from 10pm till midnight. They'll be playing live and chatting with Hanna in studio. They'll be sure to play the song "Glued to the Light" from the new EP "New Direction" they say, but they'll also be premiering two brand new tracks. As this news implicates, the band is already making plans for their next record - they'll be hitting the studio in May with plans to get it out around September.

In Flames have revealed the details for their forthcoming EP entitled "Trigger". The track listing is as follows:

01. Trigger (single edition)
02. Watch Them Feed (new song)
03. Land Of Confusion (Genesis cover)
04. Cloud Connected (Club Connected Remix)
05. Moonshield (C64 Karoke Version)

Look for it soon on Nuclear Blast. In other news, the band recently returned home from their most recent trek across the US and had this to say on their website:

Hello all, thanx a million for the GREAT support from both old and new fans on In Flames/Mudvayne tour in the US. We had a great time, and as usual we met some really cool people on the road( talking about you, our wonderful fans) and we made some good friends in the other bands- Mudvayne, Grade 8, and Depswa - we really hope to meet up again soon!!!!
On the way home we were forced to make an emergency landing in New Foundland, due to some strange objects on the aircraft that needed closer attention. This of course scared the hell out of us, but luckily it was false alarm, so as we speak we are in Sweden, jet-lagged as hell, but really glad to be on safe ground at home again.
In the end of June we will go back on the road again on a headline spin across the US, bringing some great acts along with us (see soon for official update on this). The tour will take us to places we didn´t hit on the last tour and some that we did play... Hope to see ALL of you out there. Also, watch out for our video/EP for "Trigger" that will be out very soon

Swedish power-metallers Hammerfall have booked themselves a short Czech Republic tour along with the following festival dates:

6/27 - Bang Your Head - Balingen, GER
6/28 - Masters Of Rock, Vizovice, CZ
6/29 - Centre of Town, Jihlava, CZ
6/30 - Hall Lokomotiva, Plzen, CZ
7/04 - Sundsvalls Gatufest - Sundsvall, SWE
7/05 - Töreboda Festival - Töreboda, SWE
7/25 - Karlskoga Stranddagar - Karlskoga, SWE
8/30 - Bloodstock Metalfest - Derby, UK

Transport League has announced that Crash Music Inc. will license their most recent EP "Grand Amputation" for release in the US. It was originally released last year on their own label Hoffa Communications through MNW distribution. In other news, the band reportedly just did some time in the studio with producer J. Reivén (ex-LOK) working on a new demo.

Brand new feature: If you look to your right, you'll see I've now got myself a mailing list. So if you want to receive weekly mailings of the news I report, go right ahead and sign up. And just to make it more worth your while, I'm gonna try and throw in some special bonuses with each mailing, too.

The transcript to yesterday's XFM chat session with The Cardigans has been posted. Highlights: they are playing "Changes" by Black Sabbath live plus they recommend The Knife (see video link earlier today).

They may not be together as a band anymore, but Your Halo is a Radar will be getting a new album released in the US. No details yet, but I'll keep you posted. As for the former member's current projects, keep your eyes open for new stuff from Switchblade and The Je Ne Sais Quoi.

Sahara Hotnights will be Conan O'Brien's musical guests on April 10. Check local listings for airtimes.

Kristofer Åström says that if you got a copy of his new CD "Dead End" with the title printed on the actual CD, you are one lucky dude. Apparently, only twenty copies exist like that. If you're one of those lucky folks, email him and he'll send you "Northern Blues" on vinyl along with some other goodies like t-shirts.

Cult of Luna has posted some new live photos. They also got an interview online over at DigitalMetal.com.

Swedish rapper Petter making a bid for international recognition? It seems that he's not only lined up a guest appearance on the new RZA (from Wu-Tang) album "The World According To RZA", but he's also doing some dubbing work for Tommy Boy Film's reissues of classic kung-fu movies. Read more.

Hank, the lead singer for Turbonegro, was hospitalized after taking a bottle to the head at a show in NYC on Sunday. He received ten stitches and was held overnight, but was back on stage for a show the next night. Read more.

The Knife has put the video for their latest single "You Take My Breath Away" online: big (10 mb) / small (3 mb) (requires Quicktime)

David and the Citizens will be having a release party for their new EP "New Direction" at Club Debaser in Stockholm on April 18. They'll be playing both the new EP and as-of-yet unreleased material from their upcoming second full-length. Oh, and they'll be DJing their favorite records, too. It's free, so why not? "New Direction" hits stores April 7.

The first Kaiku Sound and Video Art Festival will be taking place May 31 at Wiljami in Rovaniemi, Finland. Billed as "a night of sonic mayhem and visual eruptions", the festival series promises to "support and encourage the development of contemporary music/video artists in the north of Finland, and to provide a venue for new Finnish and visiting international electronic media artists in the region." Playing this time around are Pure & Berger (AUT/NOR), Emi Maeda (JAP), Ceniq (FIN), and Keränen / Roberts / Verhaverbeke (FIN/UK/FRA) and entry is free. More info here: http://www.valotalo.com/kaiku/

Word has it that Agnetha Fältskog is planning a comeback and will release a new solo album next winter. It will be her first release since "I Stand Alone" from 1987. Read more.

Safari Season are having tunes from their debut album "The Sound of the Sun" played all over American MTV during programs such as 'The Real World', 'Road Rules' and 'Extreme/All-Star Challenge'. It remains to be seen whether this means they will catch on with a wider, international audience, but it's definitely a good start.

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

The Cardigans are now scheduled to play a couple German festivals this summer: Rock am Ring on June 6, Rock im Park on June 7.

Christian Kjellvander is working on a video for the track "Homeward Rolling Soldier". Keep an eye out for it around March or April. In the meantime, check him out on tour:

03/05 - Oslo - So What
03/07 - Halmstad - Diezelfestivalern
03/08 - Nybro - Mejeriet
03/14 - Norrköping - Kulturkammaren
03/15 - Jönköping - Kulturhuset
03/17 - München/Germany - Orange House w/Brendan Benson
03/18 - Dresden/Germany - Star Club w/Brendan Benson
03/19 - Berlin/Germany - Magnet w/Brendan Benson
03/20 - Munster/Germany - Gleis 22 w/Brendan Benson
03/22 - Bochum/Germany - Matrix w/Brendan Benson
03/23 - Örebro - Strömpris
04/04 - Helsingborg - The Tivoli
04/05 - Ronneby - Föreningarnas hus
04/15 - Copenhagen/Denmark - Lille Vega
04/16 - Århus/Denmark - VoxHall

See the video for Dub Sweden's new single "Walk Me Home": Modem / Broadband

Wolf will be entering Abyss Studio in June with producer/engineer Peter Tägtgren to work on a new album. Look it around fall from No Fashion Records with cover art from Holm (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) that will include "a lot of fire." Sweet. They also plan to do a video and tour.

The lineup and dates for the upcoming Norweigan Zoom tour has been annouced. Scheduled to play are Helldorado, Johndoe, Nicolai and X.Lover. The dates:

3/5 - Luftslottet, Grimstad
3/6 - Checkpoint Charlie, Stavanger
3/7 - Caledonien Scene, Kristiansand
3/8 - Sort og Blå Scene, Porsgrunn
3/11 - So What!, Oslo
3/12 - Hulen, Bergen
3/13 - Meieriet, Sogndal
3/14 - Kroa, Volda
3/15 - Tapperiet, Molde
3/20 - Blårock, Tromsø
3/21 - Sinus, Bodø
3/22 - Hydranten, Hamar
3/27 - The Spitz, London

Norway's Sondre Lerche seems to be on his way up in the world, at least over here in the US. Read this feature about his recent show in Baltimore. More info and a sample here.

Lars Winnerãck is back from his self-imposed sabbatical and ready to work on his new album "Söndermarken", whose title is inspired by the Danish park. Read more here. (in Swedish)

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. C21 - You Are The One
03. St. Thomas -Long, Long Time
04. Winta - Emotions
05. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
06. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
07. Grant - Just The Thing
08. Sahara Hotnights - Alright, Alright
09. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane

Challengers:
01. The Embassy - It Never Entered My Mind
02. Håkan Hellström - Den Fulaste Flickan I Världen
03. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
04. Desmond Foster - Love, Love, Love
05. The Knife - Heartbeat

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

The Crystal Committee (members of Starmarket) and The Lost Patrol (Dennis from t(I)NC) have both been confirmed for the upcoming Umeå Open fest. Other acts already confirmed include Cult of Luna , Advance Patrol, Ison & Fille, Marit Bergman, My Left One, Paris, and Peckish.

Finish 'polka-metallers' Finntroll have posted a .zip file containing an mp3 of a new song entitled "Visor Om Slutet". It's the first recorded material they've made public since being joined by new vocalist Tapio Wilska. Look for the track to surface on a new release sometime in spring.

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.