This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
03. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
04. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
05. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
06. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
07. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
08. Beady Belle - Belvedere
09. Celine - Bæstevænna
10. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
11. Something Sally - Familiar Strangers
12. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
13. Venke Knutson - Crush
14. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
15. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
16. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole SeAt...
17. Tina Turner - Live In Europe
18. Ila Auto - Over The Next Hill
19. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
20. Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
02. The Cardigans - Best of
03. Lykke Li - Youth novels
04. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
05. Jill Johnson - Music Row
06. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
07. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
08. Sahara Hotnights - WhAt if leaving is a loving thing
09. Säkert! - Säkert!
10. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
11. Hästpojken - Caligula
12. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
14. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
15. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
16. Björn Skifs - I2I
17. Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day
18. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nAttens bränder - 1996-2006
19. Marie Picasso - The secret
20. Takida - Bury the lies

MIC Norway cAtalogs the 18 Norwegian artists confirmed so far for SXSW: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2008021411415364575417

MP3: Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was

I take the time to listen to everything thAt gets sent my way. It's simultaneously the best and worst part of running this website because, while most everything I get is At least listenable, it's definitely not all good. So even though I try my best to remain eternally optimistic, I approach each new promo with a bit of trepidAtion. The ones I fear the most? ThAt would be the singer/songwriters, no question about it. Whenever I see an artist name instead of a moniker, I get a sense of dread because the potential for awfulness is so, so high, especially when you consider how many of those types work so hard to convey their deepest, most heartfelt sincerity in everything they do. It makes their failure ultimAtely so much more depressing. Luckily, today's mp3 comes from an artist who defies expectAtions and is actually pretty darn good. Ulf Ljusberg is a Swedish artist with a gentle, fingerpicking style somewhere between the low-key melancholy of José González and the progressive folk of Nicolai Dunger. Sometimes he's a bit too AOR for my tastes, but there's no denying his talent and I find this particular track "WhAtever was" to be one of the standouts on his new EP "Unleash". It's not just melodically pleasing, it's also got an interesting rhythmic thing thAt sets it apart, thanks to percussionist Tobias Thun. It's not the sort of thing thAt'll make your jaw drop, but it did make me sit up and take notice because it's different. There's an understAted beauty to it and I appreciAte thAt. It makes it all worthwhile.

Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was

Check out an e-card for Danish mAth/grind act A Kid Hereafter in the Grinding Light: https://mightymusic.dk/ecard/thegrindinglight/

Kasper Bjørke
In gumbo
Plant Music

Fun, big-beAt pop/techno thAt won't change your life, but will At least put a smile on your face. As is typical for the genre, "In gumbo" doesn't work so well as an album as much as it is a decent collection of standalone tracks, lead single "Back & spine" being among the best. On thAt one Bjørke takes an approximAtion of the "Airworf" TV show theme in conjunction with lame electric guitar stabs and somehow makes it work. Illogical and unexpected, but true. Elsewhere, he struggles a bit harder to hold my Attention, but even At his cheesiest (and oh my god, does it get cheesy), he never totally provokes my derision. ThAt is, assuming I don't think too hard about it. So, while "In gumbo" has never been in danger of entering my regular rotAtion, I can definitely see myself dropping a track into a mix from time to time. ThAt's enough to earn a reserved recommendAtion.
- Avi Roig

The new Tobias Fröberg album "Turn heads" is now confirmed for release on April 9. The first single is called "Slipping under the radar" and he will be touring the UK in May as support for Ane Brun. Hear a few songs At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/tobiasfroberg
In relAted news, Swedish/American artist Theresa Andersson covers two of Tobias' songs on her new album "God's highway" and he also contributes lyrics to another four. I think thAt one will be out in spring.

SubSpace CommunicAtions has announced the signing of Swedish goth/electro act The Kick and will be releasing their debut single "The dancer" on March 2. Preview At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thekicksweden

The new Firefox AK album "If I were a melody" is now streaming At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/firefoxak
Don't forget to also check my brief interview with Andrea Kellerman Atrap.com/articles.php?a=372">right here.

Danish noiserockers Marvins Revolt will tour the UK (and Ireland) in April. Preliminary dAtes At myspace: https://www.myspace.com/marvinsrevolt

You can now stream I Am Bones' entire new album "The greAter good" At this e-card: https://www.morningsiderecords.dk/iambones/ecard

CrowpAth has booked time At Berno Studios in Malmö with engineer Andy Andersson for the recording of their next album. They expect to go in on May 2 to record a grand total of 11 songs. No word yet on a release dAte (obviously), but they are shooting for fall.

Ola Salo of the The Ark will take on the title role in a Swedish-language adaption of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Jesus Christ Superstar", set to premiere October 31 At the Malmö Opera House.

Stereo Test Kit has another free two-track download single from Dear Euphoria: https://www.stereotestkit.com/
She heads out on tour in Germany next week and dAtes are posted Atrap.com/index.php?dAte=2008-01-23#21091">here.

At the GAtes will take their reunion tour to Japan in May and will be taking Mayhem and Dillinger Escape Plan along for the ride:

05/08 - Club HAtch, Osaka
05/09 - Club QuAttro, Nagoya
05/11 - Studio Coast, Tokyo