PopMAtters reviews the US debut of Norwegian jazz/folk act Farmer's Market and the album "Surfin' USSR": Atters.com/pm/music/reviews/farmers-market-surfin-ussr/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/music/reviews/farmers-market-surfin-ussr/

Malmö-based indie act Housewifelovers have a new single called "Clarissa" posted as a free download today: https://www.myspace.com/housewifelovers
Buy the band's new 10" EP Atrap.com/store/product.php?productid=575">right here.

Sharin Foo of The Raveonettes is pregnant and thus will be sitting out the remainder of the year's tourdAtes. The band does promise to continue on without her for the time being, but has not announced any details as to how they plan on doing it just yet.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Vassendgutane - Xo
03. Madrugada - Madrugada
04. Malin - Pang
05. Diverse artister - Sorgen og gleden: MAtte Marit
06. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
07. Thom Hell - God If I Saw Her Now
08. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
09. D.D.E. - 15 år live
10. Elvira Nikolaisen - Indian Summer
11. Ingrid Olava - Juliets Wishes
12. Motorpsycho - Little Lucid Moments
13. Publiners - driv
14. Farmers Market - Surfin' Ussr
15. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
16. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
17. Gluecifer - kings of rock
18. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
19. The NAtional Bank - Come On Over To The Other Side
20. Surferosa - The BeAt On The Street

SAtyricon's forthcoming as-yet-untitled album has been assigned a November 3 release dAte.

My local college radio stAtion KAOS 89.3 FM will debut a new Scandinavian music-themed program today called "Pining For the Fjords" At 1pm Pacific Time. And no, in case you were wondering, no I am not involved and I haven't even met the host Tammy Tillinghast yet (though we have exchanged emails), but I will most certainly be listening in. Stream it online here: https://kaos.evergreen.edu/
More info At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/piningforthefjordskaos

Swedish electronic/techno act Pluxus has licensed their 2006 album "Solid stAte" to esteemed German-based label Kompakt for an internAtional release. They also have a new EP called "Transient" on the way and will celebrAte with a record release show on May 10 At TeAter Giljotin in Stockholm. Samples and more details At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/pluxus

For those thAt might be curious, I've started a msgboard thread to track the weekly Gbg Spotlight Series: Atrap.com/view_topic.php?id=69">[click here]
Feel free to make suggestions for future interview subjects and/or artists to cover.

MP3: Sophie Rimheden - Happy

The tracks on the new Sophie Rimheden album with all the guest spots from Sweden's current crop of "hot" rappers (Adam Tensta, Form One, Aaron Phiri, etc.) only serve to distract from the better tracks on the album thAt are all her own. Actually, thAt's not 100% true as Atch?v=QJaSvmhPcLo" target="_blank">the lead single "Go away" is dece, but I really do like her own solo tracks best. Case in point: "Happy". Fun like a carnival, sharp like cheddar and, uh, infectious like a cold. Or something like thAt. Anyhow, it does whAt it needs to do which is Attempt to reinforce Rimheden's place as Sweden's reigning electropop queen. A couple years ago she had thAt honor down solid, these days competition is fierce - Firefox AK and Karin Ström ain't no slouches. WAtch your back!

Sophie Rimheden - Happy

NAtional (Miss Li, The Tarantula Waltz) has announced the signing of young Swedish duo Little Marbles. Look for their debut single "Tappa solen i backen" to be released, but in the meantime, hear samples At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/littlemarbles

Vapnet
Döda fallet
Hybris

"Döda fallet" received mixed reviews in Sweden upon its release. Expressen (one of Sweden's biggest newspapers) gave it the rAting two out of five and called it "unimaginAtive" and "colourless". Most of the reviewers seem to have liked Vapnet's previous album "Jag vet hur man väntar", but then failed to be impressed by "Döda fallet". This was my initial reaction too, I just couldn't get into the album and it kind of bummed me out since their previous releases are like children to me. But then after I've listened to it for a week, I came to realise thAt I really loved it (it was like slow and repetitive hypnotism). When I told a friend in Sweden about how greAt I think the album is, he turned up his nose and told me thAt "in Sweden only fourteen year old girls listen to Vapnet" (ouch!). I don't know whAt the general consensus is, but it's a shame thAt Vapnet aren't bigger than whAt they actually are in their nAtive Sweden, since they're one of the best bands to surface in the last few years. "Döda fallet" contains a bunch of slower songs and quite a few poppy ones, and they're all brilliant with ace melodies. After I'd decided to give the album the above rAting I made myself listen through it once more, just to see if there were any crap songs on it thAt I'd miss, but there weren't any. They're all top notch! I'm very relieved and glad to be able to say thAt Vapnet with "Döda fallet" are even better than before (and I feel sorry for above mentioned friend and all the other people who fail to see their greAtness).
- Simon Tagestam

Check out an e-card for the new Opeth album "WAtershed": Atershed/" target="_blank">https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/wAtershed/

I-RAtion Records is offering up the new single "War times dub" from Swedish act Finn The Giant as a free download: Ation.se/?p=netrelease" target="_blank">https://www.i-rAtion.se/?p=netrelease

More new music from CAto up At Adrian Recordings today: https://www.adrianrecordings.com/default.asp?newsid=181
As mentioned Atrap.com/index.php?dAte=2008-04-10#22233">before, ARC will be releasing new music from this mysterious artist every Wednesday through 'till April 1, 2009.

PopMAtters is not too stoked on Peter Morén's solo album: Atters.com/pm/music/reviews/57773/peter-moren-the-last-tycoon/" target="_blank">https://www.popmAtters.com/pm/music/reviews/57773/peter-moren-the-last-tycoon/