Music Connection Magazine has posted a profile on Danish producer/engineer Thomas Troelsen who is currently working on Junior Senior's new album and whose resumé includes Whyte Seeds and Melody Club along with US acts Le Tigre and Beck: https://www.musicconnection.com/currentissue/crosstalk/crosstalk.lcgi
Thomas was also a recent recipient of P3 Denmark's "Respekten" award. Read more on that here: https://www.dr.dk/p3/p3guld/respekten.asp (in Danish)

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. The Ark - State of the Ark
02. Daniel Lindström - Daniel Lindström
03. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
04. Lasse Stefanz - Röd Chevrolet
05. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
06. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
07. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
08. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
09. Arne Domnérus - Best of Dompan
10. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
11. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
12. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
13. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
14. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
15. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin vol. 1
16. Markoolio - Bäst off
17. Melody Club - Face the Music
18. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK
19. Blacknuss - Gold
20. Silverbullit - Arclight

PopMatters reviews the latest Amorphis album "Far from the sun": https://popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/amorphis-farfrom.shtml

MTVe lists their top 20 videos of the year: https://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=5265
Scandinavian hightlights include Melody Club (#20), Soundtrack Of Our Lives (#16), The Hives (#3), Annie (#7) and Kings Of Convenience (#1).

Top 10s for 2004: Robert Samsonowitz (Deleted Art/rbrt.org/The New Mess/Satanic Surfers)

Swedish synth-poppers Melody Club are heading to Italy for a couple gigs in mid-February:

02/17 - Zoobar, Rome (ITA)
02/18 - Rainbow Club, Milano (ITA)

Enslaved
Isa
Tabu Records

If this album was from someone else other that Enslaved, I'd probably recommend it wholeheartedly. However, considering the band's reputation as one of the longest-running and most progressive black-metal acts ever, it is sadly disappointing. There's just too many plodding, grim (read: boring) riffs that go nowhere. Every time they break away from same ol' tired formulas and decide to change up the rhythm or build upon the Melody, the results are fantastic. It just doesn't happen nearly enough. I still think Enslaved are one of the world's best BM bands, I just wish they'd do more to keep moving the genre forward.
- Avi Roig

Holiday For Strings
Demo
self-released

This Stockholm quintet plays a heady mix of experimental art-rock and more accessible, subtle rock. Singer Magnus usually steers you in the direction the rest of the band wants to go. The natural weariness of his voice on "Touch the tiger" works well with the song's understated Melody, while the heavy, robotic effects on it provide one of the many odd hallmarks of the more free-form "Brest". The band uses repetition in the same way that Stereolab does, with subtle lines setting up a rhythmic hook instead of beating you over the head with boredom (as repetition can do in the hands of less capable musicians). Guitarist Oscar adds some potent crackles, buzzes and other sound effects, giving some of the songs a Sparklehorse feel. Holiday for Strings experiment without falling into the trap of self-indulgence. Hopefully this demo will get a proper release soon.
- Matthew W. Smith

New mp3 today from Finland's Cleaning Women. I can't possibly begin to do this band justice, so let's have their bio do the talking:

Three guys in drag, clinking away like monkeys in heat at their home-made instruments made out of clotheshorses and pickle jars, hollering vaguely nonsensical slogans about the importance of cleaning.

Sounds like a gimmick, right? Well, if you're a cynic like me, then you're probably feeling quite skeptical right now. Hopefully, you're also still a bit curious though because if you pass on these guys, you're missing out. In some ways, Cleaning Women are like the Finnish version of Doo Rag: they get your attention through contrivance, but you stick around because the music really is quite good. "Ricewestern", the song posted today, is the first track from the band's 2001 debut album "Pulsator" and the sound is a bastard mix of funky metal percussion and distorted bass, glazed with a vocal Melody that almost sounds lifted from the Finnish folk tradition. Intriguing, no? Investigate!

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart, the final one for the year:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. Nephew - Superliga
03. Mando Diao - God Knows
04. Clemens - Raptus
05. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
06. Nightwish - Wish I Had
07. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
08. Dhani - Girl Talk
09. Jonna - Sateen Jälken
10. Black Belt - All to You
11. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
12. Eskobar - You Got Me
13. Burhan G - Take U Home
14. Ayesha - Squaffie
15. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
16. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
17. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
18. Infinite Mass - Fire Fire
19. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee
20. Lambretta - Chemical

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

Here's the final top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen for the year:

01. Negative - In my heaven (FIN)
02. Apocalyptica - Bittersweet (FIN)
03. Smak - Hallanvaara (FIN)
04. Melody Club - Baby (SWE)
05. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
06. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
07. Kapasiteetti- yksikkö - Usko parempaan (FIN)
08. Searching for Nurmes - Halti (NOR)
09. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
10. The Soundtrack of our lives - Bigtime (SWE)

New challengers return on January 13.

The nominees for the 2004 Swedish Grammy awards have been announced. Here's most of em:

Best newcomer:
Ana Johnsson - "The Way I Am"
Anna Ternheim - "Somebody Outside""
Deportees - "All Prayed Up"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog"
Raymond & Maria - "Vi ska bara leva klart"

Best album:
Christian Walz - "Paint By Numbers"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best artist:
Gyllene Tider - "Finn 5 Fel!"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best song:
Raymond & Maria - "Ingen vill veta vart du köpt din tröja"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont"
Nic & The Family - "Hej Hej Monika"
Gyllene Tider - "Tuffa tider/Sten vid en sjö i en skog"
Shirley Clamp - "Min kärlek"

Best pop (female):
Anna Ternheim - "Somebody Outside"
Lena Philipsson - "Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan"
Marit Bergman - "Baby Dry Your Eye"
Sophie Zelmani - "Love Affair"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"

Best pop (male):
Christian Walz - "Paint By Numbers"
Di Leva - "Tiden faller"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog"
Mattias Alkberg BD - "Tunaskolan"
Tomas Andersson Wij - "Stjärnorna i oss"

Best pop group:
Alcazar - "Dancefloor - Deluxe"
Deportees - "All Prayed Up"
Gyllene Tider - "Finn 5 Fel!"
Melody Club - "Face The Music"
Raymond & Maria - "Vi ska bara leva klart"

Best rock album (solo):
Kristofer Åström - "Loupita"
Lars Winnerbäck - "Vatten under broarna"
Nicolai Dunger - "Here's My Song You Can Have It..."
Stefan Sundström - "Hjärtats melodi"
Ulf Lundell - "Ok Baby Ok"

Best rock group:
Sahara Hotnights - "Kiss & Tell"
Silverbullit - "Arclight"
Teddybears Sthlm - "Fresh!"
The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives"
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Origin Vol. 1"

Best songwriter:
Anna Ternheim
Christian Walz & Ollie Olson
Marit Bergman
Per Gessle
Stina Nordenstam

Best lyrics:
Anna Ternheim
Jens Lekman
Lars Winnerbäck
Marit Bergman
Tomas Andersson Wij

Best producer:
Christian Walz
Johan Forsman & The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Lars Halapi
Pelle Gunnerfeldt & The Hives
Teddybears Sthlm & Phat Fabe

Best hip-hop/soul:
Damn! - "Youth Style"
Embee - "Tellings From Solitaria"
Infinite Mass - "1991"
Ison & Fille - "Ison & Fille"
Promoe - "The Long Distance Runner"

Best hard-rock/metal:
Dismember - "Where Ironcrosses Grow"
Entombed - "Unreal Estate"
Europe - "Start From The Dark"
In Flames - "Soundtrack To Your Escape"
The Hellacopters - "Strikes Like Lightning"

Best club/dance:
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Da Buzz - "Dangerous - The Album"
Guidelines - Must Be The Music"
Hird - "Moving On"
Stonebridge - "Can't Get Enough"

Best jazz:
Goran Kajfes - "Headspin"
Kullrusk - "Kullrusk"
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - "We Will Always Be Together"
Rigmor Gustafsson And The Jacky Terrasson Trio - "Close To You"
The Torbjörn Zetterberg Hot Five - "Förtjänar mer uppmärksamhet"

Open category:
Alice Babs & Nisse Linds Hottrio - "Alice Babs & Nisse Linds Hot-Trio"
Anders F Rönnblom - "F-Box"
Blacknuss - "Gold"
Stefan Nilsson - "Så som i himmelen"
Titiyo - "Best of Titiyo"

Check out the full list here: https://www.ifpi.se/02.images/01.top/02.subnav_pdf/08.grammis/pdf/Grammisnomineringar_2004.pdf

New mp3 now posted from Finnish trio 22 Pistepirkko. These guys have been around since the mid-80s cranking out album after album of unique, genre-expanding pop. I just recently got a hold of their 2xCD retrospective collection and am thoroughly intrigued. They started out way back when with a bit of a fuzzy garage-rock sound, but this song comes from their later synth-driven era. The Melody reminds me a bit of Kent, but like with all their material, they add just a little something special to make it their own. There's so much good stuff in that set, I just know I'm gonna have to start slogging through their entire discography soon. Oh, and the band is currently working with producer Kalle Gustafsson from Soundtrack of Our Lives on a new album for release sometime next year. Should be cool.

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. HIM - And Love Said No
03. Nephew - Superliga
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Nightwish - Wish I Had
06. Black Belt - All to You
07. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
08. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
09. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
10. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
11. Burhan G - Take U Home
12. Ayesha - Squaffie
13. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
14. Eskobar - You Got Me
15. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
16. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
17. Beats And Styles - Fire
18. Deportees - Not Tonight
19. The Solution - My Mojo Aint Working No More
20. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee

Challengers:
01. Majid - My Struggle
02. The Ark - One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young
03. Jonna - Sateen Jälken
04. Infinite Mass - Fire Fire
05. Mando Diao - God Knows

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

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Smak - Hallanvaara (FIN)
02. Kapasiteetti- yksikkö - Usko parempaan (FIN)
03. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
04. Searching for Nurmes - Halti (NOR)
05. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty (NOR)
06. Apocalyptica - Bittersweet (FIN)
07. The (International) Noise Conspiracy - A small demand (SWE)
08. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
09. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
10. Melody Club - Baby (SWE)

Challengers:
11. Negative - In my heaven (FIN)
11. Brolle Jr - Sound of a drum (SWE)
12. The Soundtrack of our lives - Bigtime (SWE)

Timo Räisänen has confirmed a February 16 release date for his debut solo album "Lovers are Lonely". The artwork will be handled by the very talented Henrik Walse, whose recent work includes album covers for artists such as Thunder Express, Melody Club and The Hives.