This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
02. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
03. Ole Paus - Den store norske sangboka
04. Maria Arredondo - For a moment
05. CC Cowboys - På Svalbard uten strøm
06. D.D.E. - 15 år live
07. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
08. Dance With A Stranger - Everyone needs a friend - The Very Best of DWAS
09. Ole Edvard Antonsen - Landscapes
10. Ole Ivars - Vi lever i håpet
11. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
12. Alejandro Fuentes - Tomorrow only knows
13. Minor Majority - Candy store (2 CD edition)
14. Pagan's Mind - God's Equation
15. Rein Alexander - Song for you
16. Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda
17. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
18. Jan Eggum - Hjerteknuser
19. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
20. Trond-Viggo Torgersen - Det du kan + noe rart & noe nytt
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Carola - I denna natt blir världen ny - Jul i Betlehem II
02. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
03. Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum och tång
04. Martin Stenmarck - Det är det pojkar gör när kärleken dör
05. The Refreshments - Christmas spirits
06. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
07. Christer Sjögren - Älskade andliga sånger
08. Christian Kjellvander - I saw her from here/I saw here from her
09. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
10. Petter - God damn it
11. Louise Hoffsten - Så speciell
12. Carl-Johan Vallgren - Livet
14. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
15. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
16. Thorleifs - Våra bästa år
17. Hardcore Superstar - dreamin' in a casket
18. Peter Jöback - Människor som du och jag
19. Sven-Bertil Taube - Alderville Road - Ord och toner av Evert Taube
20. Drifters - Ett liv med dig
Music from Sweden, the myspace arm of STIM, reports on more Swedish acts now confirmed for Eurosonic: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=149470349&blogID=331201141
Markis Sage, the skweee duo of genre founders Mesak and Rigas den Andre, have a new 7" out on Temporarily Morons. Hear samples at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/markissage
A Westside Fabrication reports that the votes are in and "Put me back together" has been voted as The Bear Quartet's most popular song, followed by "Fuck your slow songs" and "Before the trenches".
Ellekari Larsson from The Tiny will be doing some travelling over the next few months and is looking for possible solo gig opportunities: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=43267142&blogID=331214320
Jonna Lee's new single "And your love" is now posted for streaming on myspace along with the b-side "Comeback": https://www.myspace.com/jonnaleemusic
Said single will officially be released on January 23 and features guest vocals from Ed Hartcourt. Buy the album "10 pieces, 10 bruises" right here: [click here]
In honor of Buy Nothing Day, Swedish indie act Jämna Plågor have posted their debut EP for free download: https://nattlek.se/jamnaplagor/
Two White Horses, the brother/sister duo of Jakob and Lovisa Nyström (Isolation Years, Säkert!), have posted four new demo tracks on myspace including El Perro Del Mar and Abba covers: https://www.myspace.com/2whitehorses
The Open Up and Bleeds are going through even more lineup changes and have now announced that Jens Lager is leaving the band to concentrate on his other project The Comedy. As mentioned not too long ago, drummer Andreas Ohlsson recently left the band as well.
Marybell Katastrophy's (aka Marie Højlund from Tiger Tunes) proper debut 10" EP "This is the one" is available for streaming via Last.fm: https://www.last.fm/music/Marybell+Katastrophy/This+Is+The+One
It comes out December 6 via Merger and will only be available on vinyl or as a paid download.
I was listening to this Mari Boine's 2001 album "Eight seasons/Gavcci jahkejudgu" earlier this week and my wife had a revelation. "Isn't it interesting," she wondered, "how plains people have such similar music?" The Nordic tundra isn't exactly the American mid-west, but I think the comparison works. This particular track features a bluesy guitar riff that's not very folk at all, but listen to those plaintive melodies (no pun intended) and hear how well it fits. It's just as much "Home on the range" as herding reindeer is to cattle. The indigenous Sami people might not consider themselves cowboys, but they sure sound like 'em sometimes.
Mari Boine - Duottar rássi (Tundra flower)
6
Expectations are everything. My roommate was prepared for the glitzy, sex-saturated retelling of "Beowulf", and I was hoping for the meat of the original epic poem, obviously retooled by the talented Neil Gaiman, with a little flash added by director Robert Zemeckis. Alan had a great time; I sat limply in my chair, groaning through the plot changes and, in my opinion, stilted and strained dialogue (and the humorously awful depiction of Grendel), only occasionally fazed by what flickered upon the screen.
But here I find myself on the opposite side of the fence. Mostly I've heard a negative reaction to Jonas Lundqvist's record, and surprise at some of the positive press he's received. I'm not sure what people were expecting when they saw that the former drummer of Bad Cash Quartet was releasing his debut solo album on The Tough Alliance's own Sincerely Yours label. (Personally I expected this sort of well-trodden pop exploration.) The title track is definitely the peak of the album, and the song that holds up best to constant scrutiny, but "ADHD" is a summer-y, sun-bleached pop record in the vein of Håkan Hellström and The Clash's more playful, simplistic moments. I even hear elements of Springsteen and mid-career-era Rancid (think "Life won't wait"). Would I run into a crowded room proclaiming the brilliance of Jonas Lundqvist? Probably not. Will I be listening to this album in an attempt to stave off the strengthening shadows of the coming winter? Probably, yeah. It's fun. I have no problem with a successfully attempted pop record.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
It's Thanksgiving here in the US today, so there will be no news updates as I'm off to visit family and stuff myself full of food. But don't despair! There's still the daily mp3 post as well as a new chapter in Lars Garvey's "A Postcard Life" series plus the usual daily album review. Back in full force tomorrow (or maybe Monday at the latest).
Jonas Game