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.

Listen to The Cardigans cover "Das Model" right here. (requires Flash, by way of cardigans.de) The track was originally intended for a Kraftwerk tribute in 2001, but is now available on the "For What It's Worth" maxi-single.

By popular demand, Opeth has added a date in Perch on their upcoming Australian tour: April 14 at The Globe.

Millencolin will be touring the States beginning in April with a West Coast jaunt featuring Rufio and then it's off to the East on 4/30 with American HiFi. The band is also playing the Hurricane and Southside fests in Germany in June. More details soon.

Wow! what a catchy song. It reminds me of all those movies from the 80s about confused teenagers. This is like "Breakfast Club". But in music. Really, really dope! Are they big in Sweden? Doesn't surprise me. They would probably drop like a bomb in the States as well.

That's Pharrell Williams from N.E.R.D discussing "Seven Days a Week" with Aftonbladet, the newest single from The Sounds. I'm not super keen on the band myself, but I totally agree that they'd go over well in the US. Wait and see! Read the article. (in Swedish)

KVLR got themselves a new bassist, a fellow by the name of Joel Borg. Again, be sure to check them out when they tour the US in March. Those 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/The Yellow Press, Mercy Mile
3/9 - San Fransisco, CA - Club Galia w/Low Rise, more
3/10 - Huntington Beach, CA - Liquid Den w/The Yellow Press, Taint
3/11 - Phoenix, AZ - Red Room w/The Yellow Press
3/12 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge w/Jelaous Sound
3/13 - Austin, TX - SXSW, TFT Records/Better Looking Records Showcase w/ Mark Gardner of Ride, Jealous Sound, more
3/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Soul Kitchen
3/15 - Stanford, CA - KZSU (www.kzsu.org)

Those dates are still subject to minor changes, but stop by and say hi if you can. I'll be traveling along with the band and am very excited.

Vintersong reports they are working on their new album. Described as a concept album, they say there will be "a story running through the album's entirety, and with a musical flow that includes small compositions between the "real" songs." The subject is said to concern man's hunger for science and faith. And the music? They say it will range "from mellow prog to extreme metal, to ambient and folky vibes, spiced with a lot of effective contrasts, changing directories but united under a solid musical kingdom."

Soilwork has set "Figure Number Five" as the title for their upcoming album. Look for it in the US on May 5 from Nuclear Blast, April 21 in Europe.

Håkan Hellström has decided to leave Broder Daniel he reveals in an MTVE interview to be broadcast on Monday. I'm really not surprised considering his success with his solo career. "I won't play with them anymore, but we are still very good friends," he says. The Up North Swedish Grammy special will also have interviews with Melody Club, The Sounds, Robyn, The Hives and Caesars Palace plus live performances by Awa, Masayah and Marit Bergman.

BBC's Radio One has chosen DJ Nils Noa to perform on The Essential Mix program in April. He's the third Scandinavian to appear on the program, but the first Norweigan.

Rapper Diaz and black-metallers Dimmu Borgir collaborating? Yes, it's true! Listen to a samples of the track "Smakebit" and hear for yourself. (Windows Media)

Okay, here's the full scoop on those upcoming Export Music Sweden (ExMS) showcase shows in the US in NYC, Austin (SXSW) and LA. The bands scheduled to perform: Lambretta, The $1000 Playboys, Pineforest Crunch, Marit Bergman, The Mo, The Teenage Idols, Prime Sth, Whyte Seeds, The Sounds, and User.

Kent will play Stockholm Stadium on June 6. Tickets go on sale February 28 and will cost 350 kr.

Aftonbladet reports that Ebba Grön is back. Read all about it. (in Swedish) They made an appearance last night at the Joe Strummer tribute at Club Debaser in Stockholm accompanied by ex-Clash member Mick Jones. Pretty cool, eh?

The initial lineup for Augustibuller fest in Lindesberg on August 1-2 has been announced. They are Last Days Of April, The Spitts, Satirnine, Valley Days, JR Ewing, Between Us, Radioaktiva Räker, Mimikry, Spoiler and Piper. More info here.

We're in cold Sweden at the moment making our new record. We've done quite a lot of singles for the album already but we keep changing some things around.

The Hives report that they are working on their new album. In an interview with NME, singer Howlin' Pelle reveals that the new music sounds "like The Sex Pistols meets Detroit Cobras meets Kraftwerk." Look for it around September.

Meshuggah will be doing a Scandinavian tour in March. The dates:

3/17 - Sthlm Göta Källare
3/18 - Malmö KB
3/19 - Göteborg Sticky Fingers
3/20 - Oslo Betong
3/21 - Gävle Nivå
3/22 - Örebro Contan
3/26 - Helsingfors (sf) Nosturi

Limbonic Art has broken up. The statement from guitarist Morfeus and guitarist/vocalist Daemon:

We feel that we have reached as far as we could in our collaboration, and do not feel as inspired as we should when it comes to [producing] new quality music. Everything is set for a new beginning for the both of us, and we desire to explore other aspects of our musical interests, so it is time to stop now. The circle is complete, begin another...

Katatonia has posted a second teaser mp3 from their new album "Viva Emptiness", this time for the song "Criminals". Go to their website to download it.

The Cardigans will be performing two acoustic songs on XFM in London on March 4 between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. They'll also be recording an extra track for airplay at a later date. Those not local or unable to pick it up on satellite can listen from their website. The station will also host a live chat with the band at the end of March.

Marit Bergman will be releasing a four-song EP in the US on March 19. The tracks to be included are "It Would Have Been Good", "Nightlife", "I Take My Wings Off You", and "Between the Lines". She'll also be doing those US ExMS shows along with The Sounds, et al. at CBGBs, SXSW, and LA. Yet another Swede ready to break across the ocean?

Dagbladet has posted a short interview with TSOOL. (in Swedish)

Preview the new Erlend Öyes album here.

Mörk Gryning are currently recording their new album at Dug Out Studio with producer Daniel Bergstrand. Look for it on June 6 in Sweden, Europe two weeks later.

Rune Grammofon will be putting out an album of unreleased material from Arne Nordheim on March 17. It's called "Dodeka" and it will consist of 12 electronic pieces "composed from the basic and essential sound material gathered and constructed during Arne Nordheim´s fruitful period in Warsaw in the late sixties."

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

Leaving the chart:
(04) The Knife "Heartbeats"
(07) Foo Fighters "Times Like These"
(10) Ms Dynamite "Put Him Out"
(12) Paris "Streetlights"
(13) N.E.R.D. "Provider"
(14) Badly Drawn Boy "Born Again"
(15) Maceo Parker "Come By And See"
(16) Eve "Satisfaction"
(17) The Libertines "Time for Heroes"
(18) Calexico "Quattro"
(19) Zwan "Honestly"
(20) Red Hot Chili Peppers "Can't Stop"

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. The Sounds - Living in America
03. Emil Sigfridsson - Tillbaka till igår
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. Barbados - Rewind
06. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
07. A Teens - New arrival
08. The Haunted - One kill wonder
09. Melody Club - Music machine
10. The Knife - Deep Cuts
11. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
12. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
13. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
14. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
15. Eric Gadd - Life support
16. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
17. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
18. Roxette - The ballad hits
19. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
20. Joybells gospel choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker

The Ark, Entombed, Shenerah, and USCB Allstars have all been confirmed for Westgothafestivalen in Trollhättan on May 24.

The Swedish Hip-Hop Awards will be held April 25 in Stockholm. Nominees to be announced soon.

Guitar player Jens F. Ryland has left black-metallers Borknagar. Band mainman Oystein G. Brun says Jen's "decision is based on various personal reasons, but we would like to state that there is no conflict nor bad blood in relations to the break. On behalf of Borknagar, I wish him all the best for the future!" The band will enter the studio in March to record an album for a late 2003 release.

Children of Bodom guitarist Alexi Laiho recently joined Halford on stage in Japan for a rendition of the Judas Priest classic "Living After Midnight". CoB was the opening act on the Japan tour.

Was it just me, or did World Cafe not stream that TSOOL performance yesterday? Did I miss it? Anyone else record it?

Katatonia has put up a 45-second teaser of the new song "Evidence"on their homepage. As stated before, the new album "Viva Emptiness" comes out March 24.

The Hives won two categories at the recent NME awards: 'Best International Band' and 'Best Dressed'. The full list of winners is here.

Isolation Years will release the first single from the new album "It's Golden" on February 17. The track is called "Open Those Eyes" and I have no doubt it will be awesome. The album follows on March 14.

Madrugada is planning to release the song "Majesty" as the next single. It's already been doing quite well in the charts. The rumor is that they're doing an EP and it'll be out on March 5. No word on the b-sides at this time.

Read the transcript of MTVE.com's webchat with The Cardigans. There's actually some pretty good questions from the fans getting asked and answered.

Ulver reports that the "1993-2003: 1st Decade in the Machines" remix comp is now complete. Contributors include the band themselves, Alexander Rishaug, Information, Third Eye Foundation, Upland, Bogdan Raczynski, Martin Horntveth, Neotropic, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, Pita, Jazzkammer, V/Vm, and Merzbow. It'll be out in March on Jester Records.

In other Ulver news, the band also has announced their next EP will be called "A Quick Fix of Melancholy". It will contain three tracks and over 30 minutes of music that they say will "reflect the title." Author Christian Bök provides the lyrics.

Flow Magazine has themselves an exclusive mp3 from Paragon. The track is called "När Gon Spottar" and was produced by Michel Rocwell. Look for it on the upcoming debut album "Stadsbarn".

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

Leaving the chart:
(07) Turin Brakes "Pain Killer"
(10) Supergrass "Seen the Light"
(12) Ed Harcourt "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed"
(17) Dub Sweden "Walk Me Home"
(19) Paola "Interstellar Love"
(20) Her Majesty "I'm Fire C'mon!"

Big Bongo Records is doing a comp to be called Twenty Years Too Soon One Year Too Late - A Tribute To The Nomads" featuring contributions from Sewergrooves, The Hellacopters, Maryslim, bob hund, The Dictators, Entombed, Sons of Cyrus and Nitwitz. In case you are unaware, The Nomads are the forefathers of Swedish garage rock and two of the members now make up The Hellacopters' rhythm section. I don't have a release date, but it should be out soon.

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. The Sounds - Living in America
03. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
04. Barbados - Rewind
05. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
06. A Teens - New arrival
07. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
08. Melody Club - Music machine
09. The Knife - Deep Cuts
10. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
11. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
12. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
13. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
14. Thåström - På röda sten
15. Joybells gospel choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker
16. Nicke & Nilla - Pannkakor med sylt
17. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
18. Eric Gadd - Life support
19. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
20. v/a - Fame factory vol 2

Swedish singer/songwriter Sofia Loell has done a song to be featured in the upcoming Gwyneth Paltrow film "A View from the Top". Read more here. (in Swedish)

The new Lost Patrol record is scheduled to be out in May. For those that don't know, LP is the solo side project of Dennis Lyxzén from The (International) Noise Conspiracy. Among the various guests to appear on the album are singer/songwriter Lisa Miskovsky, David Sandström (The Facers, ex-Refused), Stefan Granberg (Randy), and Peder Stenberg (Bittersweet). Read more here. (in Swedish)

Nasum reports they have completed their new album "Helvete" which was recorded at the band's own Soundlab Studios by singer/guitarist Mieszko Talarczyk. The tracklisting:

01. Violation
02. Scoop
03. Living Next Door to Malice
04. Stormshield
05. Time to Discharge
06. Bullshit
07. Relics
08. We Curse You All
09. Doombringer
10. Just Another Hog
11. Drop Dead
12. I Hate People
13. Go!
14. The Final Sleep
15. Slaves to the Grind
16. Breach of Integrity
17. The Everlasting Shame
18. Your Words Alone
19. Preview of Hell
20. Illogic
21. Whip
22. Worst Case Scenario

May be worth a look: The 2002 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll. Top ranked albums from Scandinavian acts include The Hives (21), The Soundtrack of Our Lives (38), Röyksopp (82), Sondre Lerche (94), Sahara Hotnights (154), Division of Laura Lee (158), and even Immortal (225). I probably missed a few, too. The included article 'Party in Hard Times' also makes mention of the recent success of Swedish rock in the US and might be of some interest.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be appearing on the Jay Leno Show on Wednesday, February 19.

Supersilent and Arve Henriksen are touring the UK in May. The dates:

5/22 - Exeter, UK
5/23 - Bath, UK
5/24 - Belfast, Ireland
5/25 - Salisbury, UK
5/26 - Birmingham, UK
5/27 - Liverpool, UK
5/28 - London UK

Hammerfall will be heading to Japan in March with Nocturnal Rites.

The next Melody Club single will be for the song "Covergirl". It comes out on March 24.

The recording of the new album has now taken its first steps towards the end. This time, to make it all even better, they have added new angles and approach to it all which will make the last album look pale compared to this one! DZO are creating a monster and they do not know if it will guide them or kill them. To be continued...

That's Dimension Zero describing the recording progress on the new album "This is Hell".

Turbonegro has finalized the track listing for their new album "Scandinavian Leather":

01. Intro: The Blizzard Of Flames
02. Wipe It Till It Bleeds
03. Gimme Some
04. Turbonegro Must Be Destroyed
05. Sell Your Body (To The Night)
06. Remain Untamed
07. Train Of Flesh
08. Fuck The World
09. Locked Down
10. I Want It All
11. D.I.B. (Drenched In Blood)
12. Le Saboteur
13. Ride With Us

Look for it on April 28 from Burning Heart Records.

There will be another five bands added to those Swedish showcase shows that I posted about yesterday. I'll let you know who they are as soon as I can.

Drummer Jensa Paulsson has left Grave, citing work and family issues. He will be replaced by Cristofer Barkensjö of Kassmos who the band says "is an excellent drummer and has been a friend of ours for a long time... we are very happy to welcome him in the band."

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. Acorn - One Day
03. Jon - Right Here Next To You
04. User - You Belong
05. The Spitts - That´s my girl
06. Last Days Of April - All Will Break
07. Christian - Min Fremtid
08. The Lungz - It´s Alright
09. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane

Challengers:
01. Trucker - I Feel So Sick
02. Paperboys - Find My Way
03. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
04. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
05. Beats & Styles - Smilin´

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

Don't forget the big Popstad show on P3 Live today (and tomorrow) at 10 am Pacific. Featured bands to perform include The Sounds, Moneybrother, Melody Club and more. Listen here. Click the 'Lyssna' link.

I didn't see the link to it the other day, but here's the cover art for Beyond Dawn's upcoming album "Frysh". Their last album "Electric Sulking Machine" was a fantastic and original piece of brooding, dark pop and I expect no less from the new one. I hope those guys come through with that promo for me - I'm really excited to hear it.

Check out the new videos from Håkan Hellström and Roxette.

Look for Buck to be touring in the near future, hot on the heels of their highly regarded new "Rock Dream" EP on Startracks. The dates so far:

02/13 - Esklistuna, Etrea Clubnights @ Blå
02/14 - Stockholm, Accelerator @ Debaser
02/26 - Lund, Klubb Buster @ Mejeriet
03/15 - Malmö, KB w/ Comet Gain and The Radio Dept.

Opeth reports they may push back the release of the upcoming album "Damnation" to May. Their currently hectic touring schedule seems to have gotten the best of them and they feel they wouldn't be able to promote it properly with a March/April release.

Katatonia has scheduled a European tour to support the release of the upcoming album "Viva Emptiness". Lullacry and Pornorphans will support in Finland, To Die For and Daylight Dies on the rest. The dates:

4/2 - Tavastia Helsinki, Finland
4/3 - Lutakko Jyväskylä, Finland
4/4 - Tuiskula Nivala, Finland
4/5 - Säätämö Turku, Finland
4/8 - TBA Hamburg, Germany
4/9 - TBA Berlin, Germany
4/10 - TV Studio Krzemionki Krakow, Poland
4/12 - TBA Munich, Germany
4/13 - TBA (East), Germany
4/15 - TBA, Germany
4/16 - TBA, Germany
4/17 - TBA Frankfurt, Germany
4/18 - TBA Stuttgart, Germany
4/19 - Dioxin Schindellegi/Schwyz, Switzerland
4/20 - Transilvania Live Milan, Italy
4/22 - Alpheus Rome, Italy
4/23 - La Gabbia Bassano de Grappa (VI), Italy
4/24 - TBA Marseille, France
4/25 - K.G.B Barcelona, Spain
4/26 - Caracol Madrid, Spain
4/27 - Le Son Coimbra, Portugal
4/29 - Republicca II Valencia, Spain
4/30 - Koslow Bordeaux, France
5/1 - La Locomotive Paris, France
5/2 - Splendid Lille, France
5/3 - Rock City Nottingham, UK
5/4 - Bierkeller Bristol, UK
5/6 - Bierkeller Manchester, UK
5/7 - Ca -ouse Glasgow, UK
5/8 - Rio Bradfo -, UK
5/9 - -e Underworld/ULU London, UK
5/10 - Eland Gent, Belgium
5/11 - Tivoli Utrecht, -e Ne -erlands
5/12 - TBA Essen/Bochum, Germany
5/14 - Vega Copenhagen, Denmark
5/15 - TBA Goteborg, Sweden
5/16 - TBA Oslo, Norway
5/15 - TBA Stockholm, Sweden

If I installed a message board, would you use it? Just curious - let me know. Otherwise, there's always the guestbook.

Here's the winners of today's P3 Gold Awards:

Best Male Artist – Håkan Hellström "Det Är Så Jag Säger Det"
Best Grouppp – Kent "Vapen & Ammunition"
Best Female Artist – Marit Bergman "3.00 A.M. Serenades"
Best Newcomer – The Sounds
Best Live – The Ark
Best Dance – Håkan Lidbo "Sexy Robot"
Best Rock/Metal – Opeth "Deliverance"
Best Hiphop/Soul – Looptroop "The Struggle Continues"
Best Pop – Doktor Kosmos "Reportage!"

For more info and to listen to the presentation, go here. And don't forget to check out P3 Live over the next two days as a lot of the nominees will be performing.

More dates have been added to the upcoming Sahara Hotnights tour with Ikara Colt and Washdown. They are as follows:

02/27 - Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
02/28 - Maxwell's Hoboken, NJ
03/01 - North Star Philadelphia, PA
03/02 - Black Cat Washington, DC
03/03 - Alley Katz Richmond, VA
03/04 - Cats Cradle Carborro, NC
03/05 - The Echo Lounge Atlanta, GA
03/06 - Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL
03/07 - The Social Orlando, FL
03/08 - The Orpheum Tampa, FL
03/10 - Shim Sham Club New Orleans, LA
03/13 - TBA Austin, TX
03/14 - Stubbs Austin, TX
03/15 - Trees Dallas, TX
03/16 - Green Door Oklahoma City, OK
03/17 - TBA Albuquerque, NM
03/18 - Mason Jar Phoenix, AZ
03/19 - Roxy Los Angeles, CA
03/20 - TBA Los Angeles, CA
03/21 - Slim's San Francisco, CA
03/22 - Dantes Portland, OR
03/23 - The Royal Vancouver Canada 03/24 - Graceland Seattle, WA
03/28 - El Torreon Kansas City, MO
04/02 - Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY

As previously noted here, there's going to be quite a few Scandinavian acts at this year's SXSW festival in Austin Texas. Ten from Sweden, seven fren Denmark and Norway and 3 from Finland and Iceland. The three bands Sondre Lerche, Madrugada and Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band will perform together at a Scandinavian showcase show and the rest will be playing other seperate dates during the event. For more info about the Norweigan acts go here. For a list of all the bands performing, go here.

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. A Teens - New arrival
03. The Sounds - Living in America
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
06. v/a - Fame Factory volym 3 final 2002
07. Melody Club - Music machine
08. Barbados - Rewind
09. Thåström - På röda sten
10. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
11. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
12. Sophie Zelmani - Sing and dance
13. The Knife - Deep Cuts
14. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
15. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
16. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
17. Tyskarna från Lund - Metamorphobia
18. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
19. The Hellacopters - By the grace of god
20. Benny Anderssons orkester - Benny Anderssons orkester

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

Leaving the chart:
(14) The Raveonettes "Attack of the Ghost Riders"
(15) Oasis "Songbird"
(17) Massive Attack "Special Cases"
(18) Johnny Marr & The Healers "Bangin' On"
(19) Teenage Idols "Teenage Idols from Outer Space"

KVLR are currently busy rehearsing like crazy to prepare for their upcoming recording session later this month. The band says they plan on laying down the tracks for six new songs. They also report that there might be a US release planned for "The Great Collapse" (one of my favorites from last year) to coincide with their coming US tour and SXSW appearance. No details yet, but I'll keep you informed.

Logh reports that they have decided to scrap their current recordings for the almost-finished new album and start over again. No word on why, but they're back at square-one doing drum tracks again.

The following Swedish bands have been chosen to appear on the next Deep Elm "Emo Diaries" comp: Surrounded (Vaxjo), Iamuse (Halmstad), The National Anthems (Sunne), and So Sad Althea (Halmstad). I've heard none of em, but this that comp series usually at least a couple great bands on it. For instance, that's how I found out about Last Days of April.

Look for The Venue on tour in the US:

3/7 - The Casbah, San Diego, CA w/Brian Jonestown Massacre
3/8 - Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA w/Brian Jonestown Massacre
3/11 - the Echo, Los Angeles, CA
3/14 - Friends, Austin, TX - SXSW Bella Union show case
3/18 - TBA, Bay Area/San Fransisco, CA
3/19 - TBA, Bay Area/San Fransisco, CA

Some more details on that upcoming Millencolin single: there will be a special Swedish language version of the track ("Battery Check") called "E20 Norr". The Swedish version will be the b-side for the international release plus a new song called "Bowmore". Preview the artwork here. The band is working on even more tourdates, too. Look for them in England and Scotland in early March and the US in April or May.

Stickman Records has decided to re-release the Motorpsycho 3-LP "Timothy's Monster" box-set. Numbering will continue right where they left off at 1721 and the label promises to have enough copies for everyone who wants one.

Check out the video for the new Cardigans single "For What It's Worth" from MTVE.com.

Blabbermouth reports that Meshuggah has plans for a US headline tour in the near future. Rumor has it, the opener will be Strapping Young Lad.

Here's a list of some of the new Swedish acts announced for the upcoming Umeå Open fest to take place March 26-29: Meshuggah, Fireside and The Teenage Idols. Other acts already confirmed to play include Mando Diao, The Hellacopters, Melody Club, Doktor Kosmos and The Haunted.

Sigh. It was only a matter of time, but Virgin Records Sweden has contacted me and kindly asked me to remove the mp3s from their artists (Nicolai Dunger, Melody Club, Caesars Palace and The Ark). And I do mean kindly - no threats or anything, just a polite request. Maybe we'll work something in the future for authorized downloads, but until then there will be no more Virgin artists represented on the playlist. Kind of a pity since they are some of my favorites, but that's the way it goes.

UPDATE: The nice people at Virgin are looking into working out an arrangement in the future. Nothing yet, but we'll see. As for now, get a preview of "Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils?", the new 2xCD from Virgin/Dolores showcasing the label's past and present artists. It comes out February 24 and will be celebrated with a party at Club Debaser in Stockholm. Scheduled to appear and spin records are Ebbot from The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Jocke Åhlund from Caesars Palace, Reine Fiske from Dungen and more. Tickets go on sale on the 7th. Oh, and the tracklist for the album:

CD1.
01. Caesars Palace - Subhuman Girl
02. Håkan Hellström - Fulaste Flickan I Världen
03. Dungen - Horizon
04. Alf - Mitt I Malmö City
05. Grammar School Boys - Baby Blue
06. Franke - Aldrig förstå
07. Jose Gonzales - Dead Waits On Velveteen
08. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Jehova Sunrise
09. Broder Daniel - You Bury Me
10. Silverbullit - I Had To Tell You
11. Hello Goodbye - Pussycat
12. Whyte Seeds - Lost My Love
13. Sagor & Swing - Flickan & Jätten
14. The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Up For Sale
15. Paola - Rainbow In The Dark
16. Nicolai Dunger - Hey Mama

CD2.
01. The Mascots - The Girl That You Are
02. The Shakers - Who Will Buy (These Wonderful Evils)
03. The Wizards - See You Tonight
04. The Jackpots - King Of The World
05. Tages - Fantasy Island
06. Annaabee-Nox - Always On My Mind
07. Outsiders - Iside Of Me
08. Fabulous Four - 438 South Michigan Avenue
09. T-Bones - I Want You
10. Charlie & Esdor - Dagen Är Över
11. Steampacket II - Fruitseller Oldman's Song
12. Pugh - Här Kommer Natten
13. Ola And The Janglers - I Can't Wait
14. Mecki Mark Men - Midnight Land
15. Hansson & Karlsson - Tax Free
16. Trolls - Alone
17. The Deejays - Striped Dreams Checked Fear

And on a similar note, increased traffic levels mean I need to cut back on the amount of music I have for download anyways. If someone else is willing to externally host the stuff, by all means, let me know. Otherwise, five tracks at a time going forward plus the usual live sets.

Beyond Dawn reports that they've finally solidified a release for their new album "Frysh". Look for it in May from Peaceville.

In BD related news, side-project Wrongside has finished recording their debut MCD for a release in April on Duplicate Records. Described as "a strange mix of noisy rock, playful electronica and lo-fi melancholy among other things," they say "it should appeal to BD fans and probably a lot of other people as well." Preorder it now: duplicaterecords@hotmail.com.

Also from the BD camp, word is that Virus is nearly done with their debut album for Jester Records. Now tentively titled "Carheart" (as opposed to the original title "The Drama Hour") they describe it as "outlandishly cool and mindbogglingly mindboggling." To me that describes most everything from Jester, but hey, check it out and decide for yourself.

The new Katatonia album has been finalized. It's called "Viva Emptiness" and you can preview the cover here. It'll be out on March 24 from Peaceville. The tracklist:

01. Ghost of the Sun
02. Sleep
03. Criminals
04. A Premonition
05. Will I Arrive
06. Burn the Remembrance
07. Wealth
08. One Year from Now
09. Walking by a Wire
10. Complicity
11. Evidence
12. Omerta
13. Inside the City of Glass

The band promises preview mp3s shortly. I'll keep you posted.

Here's a message of interest from Burning Heart that may be worth investigating:

We have a very special treat for you. In cooperation with Burning Heart Records Turbojugend members will have the chance to listen to the new Turbonegro album "Scandinavian Leather" before everybody else!!! The official street date is the 28th of april. If your chapter is interested in setting up a pre-listening party, have your President get in touch a.s.a.p. with El Presidente (party@bitzcore.de) and Montse (montse@burningheart.com)

Looks like The Soundtrack of Our Lives have been added to the bill of the next Coachella Fest on April 27 and 28. Check the TSOOL US site under 'schedule' for updates.

Peter, Björn and John have lined up the following shows:

1/31 Västerås, Culturen (+Venue & Virtues)
2/1 Stockholm, Debaser
3/28 Hässleholm

The band also says they are planning on doing a new single and video in March.

Download the new video for the song "Eagleheart" from Stratovarius here. Be forewarned, it's a 40+ meg .avi file.

Rumor has it that Motorpsycho will reissue their album "The Tussler" later this year with ten bonus tracks. Apparently it's a soundtrack to the Italian film of the same name and was originally released in 1994.

Some of the bands for the upcoming Emmaboda festival have been announced. The Swedish acts include Doktor Kosmos, Laakso, Whyte Seeds, Speedmarket Avenue, Teenage Idols, Mando Diao and Talking to Teapots. More info here.

Madrugada will doing a tour of Norway right before heading over to the US to play SXSW. The dates:

2/5 - Bredtveit Fengsel, Oslo
2/6 - Hydranten, Hamar
2/7 - Folken, Stavanger
2/8 - Hulen, Bergen
2/9 - Hulen, Bergen
2/13 - Uka 2003, Lillehammer
2/14 - Drammen teater og kulturhus, Drammen
2/15r - Studentenes Hus, Gjøvik
2/18 - Rust Club & Scene, Ørsta
2/19 - Strøget, Tromsø
2/20 - Sinus Bodø
2/21 - Studentersamfunnet, Ås
2/22 - Rockefeller, Oslo

MTVE.com put up the video for "Candy Kane" from Caesars Palace. It's pretty entertaining, so check it out. Nothing like doing donuts in a Volvo, eh?

Sophie Zelmani covers Bob Dylan's song "Most Of The Time" for the soundtrack of the upcoming movie "Masked and Anonymous". The film will star Dylan himself along with John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson and Jeff Bridges. More info here.

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

01. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
02. The Sounds - Living in America
03. Melody Club - Music machine
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. Magnus Uggla - Klassiska mästerverk
06. Barbados - Rewind
07. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
08. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
09. The Knife - Deep Cuts
10. Thåström - På röda sten
11. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
12. Eric Gadd - Life support
13. The Hellacopters - By the grace of god
14. Johannes Kotschy - And that's why I love you
15. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
16. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
17. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
18. Kent - B-sidor 95-00
19. Hans Martin - Landet där solen ej går ner
20. Roxette - Ballad hits

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

Leaving the chart:
(13) Mando Diao "The Band"
(15) The Coral "Dreaming of You"
(16) The Hellacopters "Carry Me Home"
(17) The Datsuns "Harmonic Generator"
(18) Echoboy "Automatic Eyes"
(19) The Music "Getaway"
(20) Audio Bullys "We Don't Care"

The nominees for the Swedish Grammys (Grammis) have been announced. Here's a few of the categories:

Best Newcomer:
Marit Bergman – 3.00 AM Serenades
Brolle Jr – Rebellious Heart
Awa Manneh – Sounds Like Me
Melody Club – Music Machine
The Sounds – Living In America

Best Artist:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
The Hellacopters – By The Grace Of God
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music

Best Group:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
Caesars Palace – Love For The Streets
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
The Sounds – Living In America
Weeping Willows – Into The Light

Best Pop/Rock Male:
Brolle Jr – Rebellious Heart
Eric Gadd – Life Support
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Christian Kjellvander – Songs From A Two-Room Chapel
Ulf Lundell – Club Zebra

Best Pop/Rock Female:
Marit Bergman – 3.00 AM Serenades
Paola – Stockcity Girl
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music
Frida Snell – Black Trillium
Sophie Zelmani – Sing and Dance

Best Album:
The Ark – In Lust We Trust
Caesars Palace – Love For The Streets
Håkan Hellström – Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Kent – Vapen & Ammunition
Robyn – Don’t Stop The Music

Best Lyrics:
Joakim Berg (Kent)
Håkan Hellström
Ulf Lundell
Ola Salo (The Ark)
Timbuktu

Best Composer:
Joakim Berg (Kent)
Jörgen Elofsson
Håkan Hellström
Andreas Mattson & Niclas Frisk
Ola Salo (The Ark)

Open Category:
v/a – Chess På Svenska
Bob Hund – 10 År Bakåt & 100 År Framåt
v/a – Nationalsånger
Svenska Tjejrockband 1966–1999 – Från Plommons Till Drain
Träd Gräs Och Stenar – Ajn Schwajn Dra

Best Hip Hop/Soul:
Ison&Fille – Vår Sida Av Stan
Looptroop – The Struggle Continues
Awa Manneh – Sounds Like Me
Masayah – Masayah
Timbuktu – Watt’s Dö Madderfakking Diil?

Best Hard Rock/Metal:
The Hellacopters – By The Grace Of God
In Flames – Reroute To Remain
Mustasch – Above All
Opeth – Deliverance
Pathos – Katharsis

The rest of the list is here.

"More than just an album; it's an unforgettable experience." Kerrang magazine gives Cult of Luna's new album "The Beyond" 5 out of 5 Ks. Read the entire review.

Don't forget to check out the wrap-up report for the Rockbjörnen over at Aftonbladet. More pics here, too.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Jon - Right Here Next To You
02. Andreas Johnsson - Waterfall
03. Christian - Min Fremtid
04. Kent - FF
05. The Klerks - She, She, She
06. Bombshell Rocks - On My Way
07. Madrugada - Majesty
08. The Spitts - That´s my girl
09. The Sounds - Seven Days A Week

Challengers:
Caesars Palace - Candy Kane
Last Days Of April - All Will Break
Jamie Meyer - Psycho
The Lungz - It´s Alright
Swing Fly feat. ADL and Ayo - Come Get It

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

Read this scandalous interview with Nina Persson of The Cardigans. (in Swedish)

The Cardigans are also beginning their media blitz in anticipation of the new album "Long Before Daylight". They'll be making quite a few TV appearances in the near future:

2/11 - TV4 Documentary
2/12 - ZTV Wimans
2/13 - TV4 Nyheterna (report)
2/14 - TV4 Nyhetsmorgon (2 tunes + interview)
2/15, 2/16, 2/18 - MTV Morning Glory (performance + interview)
2/16 - SVT Söndagsöppet (performance + interview)

Roxette gets a medal from the king. Read all about it. (in Swedish)

Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks disputes claims made in Mötley Crüe's bio "The Dirt".

Spiritual Beggars are set to do the following shows in the UK with support from Clutch before heading off to Japan on their own:

4/07 – Dudley, UK @ JB's
4/08 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage
4/09 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 3
4/10 – London, UK @ Mean Fiddler
4/17 – Nagoya, Japan @ Club Quattro
4/18 – Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya AX
4/20 – Osaka, Japan @ Big Cat
4/22 – Hiroshima, Japan @ Club Quattro

The up and coming group Paris is heading out on a Swedish tour. The dates:

2/06 - Visby Effes
2/07 - Växjö Lokal Bar
2/12 - Stockholm Rabbit Fighter
2/15 - Linköping Flamman
3/01 - Stockholm Yoshimitsu
3/08 - Norrköping Kulturkammaren
3/12 - Lund Mejeriet (w/Melody Club)
3/28 - Uppsala Kal3/Nation
4/10 - Göteborg Gump

A number of Swedish artists will be coming together on February 20 at Club Debaser in Stockholm to honor the memory of Joe Strummer from The Clash. The list of names is long, but here they are: Infinite Mass, Weeping Willows, Thåström, Randy with Howlin Pelle (The Hives), Ian and Ebbot from Sountrack Of Our Lives, Joppe Pihlgren, Nomads, Dregen & Nicke Borg (Backyard Babies), Jocke Åhlund (Caesars Palace, Teddybears STHLM), Eggstone and Brända Barn. Wow. Tickets are limited, so act fast.

Opeth will tour Australia in April. Dates coming soon.

In Flames has lined up the following summer festival gigs:

6/14 - Provinsirock / Finland
7/25 - Piteå Dansar och Ler, Piteå / Sweden
8/23 - Summer Breeze / Germany
8/24 - Metal Fest Vienna / Austria

Melody Club seems to have gotten a favorable write-up in Aftonbladet for their live show. There's a decent video clip posted, too. (in Swedish)

Turns out the info yesterday about The Ark's trip to Belguim was false. Members Ola and Sylvester are actually spending today on a press mission in Amersterdam.

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

01. The Sounds - Living in America
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. Melody Club - Music machine
04. Barbados - Rewind
05. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
06. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
07. Eric Gadd - Life support
08. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
09. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
10. Roxette - Ballad hits
11. Hans Martin - Landet där solen ej går ner
12. Helen Sjöholm - Visor
13. The Hellacopters - By the grace of god
14. The Knife - Deep Cuts
15. v/a - Fame Factory volym 1
16. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
17. Joybells Gospel Choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker
18. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
19. Nicke & Nilla - Pannkakor med sylt
20. Kent - B-sidor 95-00

Swedish songwriter Jeanette Olsson wrote the single "Haven't Told You" for Kelly Rowlands' (Destinys Child) new album "Simply Deep", due out February 10. Apparently, Billboard magazine calls Jeanette "Sweden's best kept secret."

For those curious, Nicolai Dunger's backing band on his upcoming European tour will be as follows (dates in yesterday's post):

Jari Haapalainen (Bear Quartet, Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck, Heiki) - drums
Jonas Kullhammas (Jonas Kullhammar Quartet, Nacka Forum) - saxophone, flute, clarinet
Thomas Tjärnkvist - guitar
Johan Berthling (Vega, Nacka Forum) - upright bass
Kjell-Erik Eriksson (Hoven Droven, Triakel) - violin

I'm not sure if the same folk will be continuing on with Nicolai to America, but I'll let you know when I find out. (tack Niklas!)

Norweigan singer/songwriter St. Thomas recently finished up with his recording session in Nashville for his next album. Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Will Oldham) produced 22 songs were completed, including covers of "Don't Believe In A Mushroom" by Ring and "Who'll Stop The Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. And that's not all - quite a group of illustrious guests will appear on the album, too:

Tony Crow (Lambchop)
Matt Swanson (Lambchop)
Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel and Bablicon)
Howe Gelb (Giant Sand)
Espen Mellingen (Ai Phoenix and Poor Rich Ones)
Bosse Litzheim (Ai Phoenix)

Five of those tracks ended up the on just-released EP "A Long Long Time". Listen for the title-track single on Norway P3 Radio. A video will be coming out soon, too.

New live set today! This time we've got The Ark live from Hultsfred 2001, as broadcasted on P3. I edited out all the between song banter, but if you're also interested in the full version, just ask.

The Sounds got themselves a new, internationally flavored website. Well, it's actually not that different, but they do have quite a bit more info in English. Like I've said before, keep your eyes on this band - they have a lot of potential to be big.

Download the new Fireside track "Throw It Away" right here! Startracks is also encouraging people to post responses in their guestbook. My first impression is that it sounds like a mix of the newer "Elite"-style with a touch more of their hardcore roots. Anyhow, I'm still excited for when the new album comes out.

Värttinä celebrates their 20th anniversary this year and has a new album coming out called "Iki". It won't be in stores until March 11, but you will be able to mailorder it weeks ahead of time from NorthSide. The label also promises to provide advance mp3s from the band in the near future, along with previews of new releases from Mari Boine and Frifot.

Photos and video from The Soundtrack of Our Lives/Cato Salsa Experience show at the Graceland in Seattle on 11/23/2002 are available here.

Dimension Zero are set to enter the studio on February 10 with producer/In Flames frontman Anders Fridén to record their new album, to be titled "This IS Hell". Look for it around September/October on Regain Records.

The working-title of the album is "Satan Berzerker-Mongo", which is a quite suiting title. It's gonna be a berzerk album. Many different songs (slow moody ones, to fast insane ones), but still recognizable as Dødheimsgard. Don't know any song-titles yet, they are in still in inside the head of Aldrahn, who's spent the last few months in a phsychiatric hospital.

That's black metal drummer extraordinaire Carl Michael Eide (Cadaver Inc., Aura Noir, DHG, and more) describing the direction of the band's new album in an interview with Voices from the Darkside. Read the rest here.

Corporation 187 will support Arch Enemy on their upcoming Scandinavian tour. The dates:

1/26 - Stockholm, Debaser
1/28 - Oslo, John Dee
1/29 - Göteborg, Musikens Hus
1/30 - Halmstad, Diezel
1/31 - Helsingborg, Tivoli

Here's the dates for the upcoming Melody Club Scandinavian tour:

1/22 - Stockholm, Göta Källare
1/23 - Stockholm, Cafe 44
1/24 - Göteborg, Trädgårn
1/31 - Strömstad ,The Cod
2/01 - Älmhult, Balders Hage
2/06 - Linköping, Corallen
2/07 - Växjö, Folkets Park
2/13 - Uppsala, Harrys
2/15 - Karlskoga, Wictoria
2/18 - Täby, Musikhuset Runan
2/19 - Norrköping, Kulturkammaren
2/20 - Sälen, HC
2/22 - Nybro, Mejeriet
2/26 - Svedala, Gamla Brandstationen
2/27 - Göteborg, Trädgårn
2/28 - Karlskrona, Bio Bar & Matsal
3/06 - Oslo (NO), So What
3/07 - Bergen (NO), Kvarteret
3/08 - Halmstad, Diezel
3/12 - Lund, Mejeriet
3/14 - Malmö, KB
3/15 - Helsingborg, Tivoli
3/28 - Umeå, Umeå Open

Don't forget to watch The Soundtrack of Our Lives tonight on The Late Show with David Letterman.

69-Hard will be filming the video for "Gone Gone Gone" this weekend. The track is the first single for the upcoming album "Blues from Hell", to be released sometime in February. The album comes out late March on Idle Hands Records.

Moonfog labelmates Khold will joining Satyricon on their upcoming European tour. Dates are here.

The split 7" from The Hives and The Pricks will see a fourth and final pressing in February. Only 100 copies will be available for mailorder, so pre-order it now from Hard-on Records.

The New Mess is now a quartet as live guitarist Adam has decided to sign on fulltime. Look for them to be playing a lot more around Sweden very soon.

Opeth is doing very well with their current US tour. A number dates are already sold out, so if you plan on seeing them you should get your tickets ASAP.

Most anticpated releases of 2003? Read what MTVE.com has to say on the issue. Besides the new Cardigans album, the list of anticpated Nordic releases in on page two and three.

Christian Kjellvander will be doing a Scandinavian tour starting at the end of the month in support of his fantastic "Songs from a Two-Room Chapel". The dates so far:

1/29 - Hultsfred / Metropol
1/30 - Linköping / Herrgår´n
2/1 - Sandviken / Dinos
2/5 - Sandviken / Kungen
2/6 - Umeå / Humlan
2/7 - Skellefteå / Pinkerton
2/8 - Östersund / Gamla Teatern
2/22 - Lund / Stadshallen Feat. Ebreliuskvartetten
2/23 - Göteborg / TBA Feat. Ebreliuskvartetten
2/24 - Uppsala / Katalin Feat. Ebreliuskvartetten
2/25 - Stockholm / Södra Teatern Feat. Ebreliuskvartetten
2/26 - Malmö / KB Feat. Ebreliuskvartetten
3/5 - Oslo / So What
3/7 - Halmstad / Diezelfestival
3/8 - Nybro / Mejeriet
3/14 - Norrköping / Kulturkammaren
3/15 - Jönköping / Kulturhuset

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

01. Melody Club - Music machine
02. Kent - Vapen & ammunition
03. The Sounds - Living in America
04. Robyn - Don´t stop the music
05. v/a - Fame factory vol 2
06. Håkan Hellström - Det är så jag säger det
07. Christian Kjellvander - Songs from a two-room chapel
08. Eric Gadd - Life support
09. The Hellacopters - By the grace of god
10. Björn Skifs - Ingen annan
11. Kent - B-sidor 95-00
12. Hans Martin - Landet där solen ej går ner
13. Mando Diao - Bring´em in
14. Roxette - Ballad hits
15. v/a - Fame Factory volym 1
16. Joybells Gospel Choir - Oh happy day - 14 gospel klassiker
17. v/a - Chess - på svenska
18. Fredrik Kempe - Songs for your broken heart
19. Anders Widmark ft. Sara Isaksson - Anders Widmark ft. Sara Isaksson
20. The Ark - In lust we trust

Håkan Hellström is going to be doing a Scandinavian tour, too. The dates:

2/19 - Lillehammer, Bingo'n
2/20 - Sogndal, Meieriet
2/21 - Oslo, Rockefeller
2/22 - Bodö, Samfundet
2/26 - Kristiansand, Vaskeriet
2/27 - Stavanger, Folken
2/28 - Bö, Kroa
3/1 - Ålesund, Högskolen
3/2 - Halden, Studenthuset

The archive is being updated. Done. I'm also still waiting for a mailorder shipment of new CDs before I update the playlist. Patience, my friends. I may however have some live mp3s from The Ark coming soon. We shall see...

A new Fireside mp3 for the track "Throw It Away" will be available next Monday from Startracks! The album isn't coming out till April.

Finland's HIM recently spent some time shooting the video for "Funeral of Hearts" with director Stefan Lindfors. Check out some pics from the shoot here.

Dungen will be on P3 Live January 20. You can listen online over at the P3 website.

Poet Bob Hansson has a spoken word album called "Kör Solen Kör" coming out January 27. Guests on the record include Ola Salo (The Ark) and Thåström. The first single will be "En Helt Vanlig Dag" featuring Ola.

Caesars Palace is finally gonna make it over to England, this time with Echoboy. If you remember, their December tour with (International) Noise Conspiracy was cancelled. Anyhow, The Caesars (as they're known outside Sweden) have an EP single for the song "Jerk It Out" coming out February 24, the follow-up to "(I´m Gonna) Kick You Out" which is already out. The album "Love For The Streets" comes out May 19 over there. As I've said before - watch out for this band. I expect big things. And I'm not the only one either - read this profile from Britain's Q Magazine. Here's the dates:

January 13 The Barfly, Camden
January 15 The Old Firestation, Bournemouth
January 18 The Junction, Cambridge
January 22 The Boston Arms, London
January 22 Arts Centre, Colchester
January 23 Casbah, Sheffield
January 24 Sumo, Leicester
January 26 The Barfly, Liverpool
January 27 King Tuts, Glasgow
January 28 The Cockpit, Leeds

Also on Q's 2003 bands to watch list is The Hellacopters. Read what they have to say here.

Eggstone will be the backing band and production talent on the new solo album from Weeping Willows frontman Magnus Carlsson. It will be his second attempt at going at it alone following his debut "Allt är Bara Du Du Du" from 2001.

Curious about Swedish jazz? Read this interesting article/interview concerning the recent activities of the Norrbotten Big Band.

The Cardigans will premiere a new song entitled "For What It's Worth" at the upcoming Rockbjörnen Awards on January 27. The show will be broadcasted on Swedish television and will also feature 'comeback' performances from Thomas Rusiak and Dilba along with contemporaries In Flames, Håkan Hellström, The Sounds, Mando Diao and Melody Club.

In Flames will be touring the US beginning in late March. Dates soon.

Be sure to check out 'Rock Over Sweden' today on Rocket 95.3 FM Stockholm. Listen here live or go here for more info. The program starts at 5pm local time. Or maybe not - the show is every other Monday, but it seems like today's scheduled broadcast ain't gonna happen. Next week?

Now scheduled to play the January 18 date of the Inferno Fest in Oslo is a one-off performace by a cover band made up of members from Dimmu Borgir, Red Harvest, The Kovenant, Blood Red Throne, Mayhem, and Susperia. They will reportedly run through various songs from much-respected metal artists such as Death, Black Sabbath, Slayer, and Anthrax and the whole thing is to be recorded for a possible future release on Edgerunner Records. Other bands scheduled to play the fest include Immortal, Children of Bodom and Taake.