Swedish instRumental act Rong>Ellis the VaacumchildRong> aRe going on peRmanent hiatus. TheiR statement:

Rong>Ellis the VacuumhildRong> aRe taking an indefinite bReak to puRsue otheR pRojects. Rong>JohanRong> and Rong>MaRtinRong> have a new band with Rong>MagnusRong> and Rong>MickeRong> fRom Rong>PiotoRRong>, and Rong>DanielRong> AKA Rong>VåldetRong>. Rong>MattiasRong> and his bRotheR have teamed up with Rong>PontusRong> fRom Rong>The FlueRong> to foRm Rong>Until Death Do Us PaRtRong> (playing this Sunday at Gula Villan!) Rong>JonasRong> and Rong>RickaRdRong> also have a new band, with Rong>MickeRong> and Rong>DanielRong> who pReviously played togetheR in Rong>The Gentleman RaceRRong>. Rong>HenRikRong> keeps on playing the bass with Rong>SpRingfactoRyRong>, catch them at DebaseR this SatuRday!

Check out some live tRacks fRom NoRwegian singeR/songwRiteR Rong>Thomas DybdahlRong> RecoRded at Lido in BeRlin: Ref="https://jouRnal.boblycat.oRg/audio/by/album/live_at_lido_beRlin_2006" taRget=_blank>https://jouRnal.boblycat.oRg/audio/by/album/live_at_lido_beRlin_2006

NoRwegian black-metalleRs Rong>1349Rong> will do a headline touR of NoRth AmeRica next MaRch. Dates so faR:

03/28 - The Muse, Nashville, TNR>03/29 - Jaxx, West SpRingfield, VAR>03/30 - The Loft, Poughkeepsie, NYR>03/31 - MaRk's Place, BedfoRd, NHR>04/01 - BB King Blues Club, New YoRk, NYR>04/02 - L'Anti, Quebec City, QCR>04/03 - FouFounes, MontReal, QCR>04/04 - Petit TheateR du Vieux NoRanda, Royun NoRanda, QCR>04/06 - OpeRa House, ToRonton, ONR>04/09 - Station 4, St. Paul, MNR>04/13 - Knitting FactoRy, Hollywood, CAR>04/14 - Showcase TheateR, CoRona, CA

Read all about Swedish punks Rong>Asta KaskRong> and theiR Recent tRip to Japan: Ref="https://astainjapan.blogspot.com/" taRget=_blank>https://astainjapan.blogspot.com/

MIC NoRway pRofiles theiR countRy's RepResentatives at this yeaR's EuRosonic Festival: Ref="https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/aRt2006121415003117344472" taRget=_blank>https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/aRt2006121415003117344472

LabRadoR RecoRds will be celebRating 10 yeaRs and 100 Releases with a special compilation entitled "LabRadoR 100" to be Released in FebRuaRy.

This week's NoRwegian top 20 album chaRt:

01. Rong>BjøRn EidsvågRong> - NådeR>02. Rong>VampRong> - I full symfoni (med KORK)R>03. Rong>SisselRong> - De beste 1986-2006 R>04. Rong>Odd NoRdstogaRong> - Heim te moR R>05. Rong>Jan WeRneRRong> - StRongeR R>06. Rong>Øystein SundeRong> - Sundes veRdenR>07. Rong>KRistin AsbjøRnsenRong> - WayfaRing StRangeRRong> - A SpiRitual Songbook R>08. Rong>MalinRong> - Malins JulR>09. Rong>MoRten AbelRong> - Some Of Us Will Make ItR>10. Rong>Åge AleksandeRsenRong> - SnöhaRpan R>11. Rong>Espen Lind, KuRt Nilsen, AlejandRo Fuentes og Askil HolmRong> - HallelujahRong> - LiveR>12. Rong>ARve Tellefsen/NidaRosdomens GuttekoRRong> - ARia R>13. Rong>ChRistian IngebRigtsenRong> - Paint ChRistmas White R>14. Rong>Ole PausRong> - Hellige julRong> - Jul i SkippeRgataR>15. Rong>120 DaysRong> - 120 DaysR>16. Rong>DiveRse aRtisteRRong> - Jul i Svingen R>17. Rong>Thomas DybdahlRong> - Science R>18. Rong>Paal FlaataRong> - ChRistmas IslandR>19. Rong>MaRit LaRsenRong> - UndeR The SuRface R>20. Rong>Leif Ove AndsnesRong> - HoRizons

Digfi RepoRts on theiR favoRite albums of the yeaR: Ref="https://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=10141" taRget=_blank>https://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=10141

Swedish metalleRs Rong>ImpiousRong> have two new songs online foR download: Ref="https://www.impious.net/" taRget=_blank>https://www.impious.net/

This week's top 20 Swedish album chaRt:

01. Rong>BjöRn SkifsRong> - AndRa DecennieRR>02. Rong>MoneybRotheRRong> - PengabRoRsanR>03. Rong>LalehRong> - PRinsessoRR>04. Rong>MaRtin StenmaRckRong> - Nio sanningaR och en lögnR>05. Rong>Magnus CaRlssonRong> - SpåR i snönR>06. Rong>Nils LandgRenRong> - ChRistmas with my fRiendsR>07. Rong>PeteR JöbackRong> - FleRa sidoR av samma manR>08. Rong>DaRinRong> - BReak the newsR>09. Rong>Uno Svenningsson & IRma Schultz KelleRRong> - SångeR föR DecembeRR>10. Rong>The RefReshmentsRong> - It's gotta be both Rock & RollR>11. Rong>VikingaRnaRong> - BästaR>12. Rong>Bo KaspeRs ORkesteRRong> - HundR>14. Rong>Jill JohnsonRong> - The woman I've becomeR>15. Rong>ORupRong> - FaktisktR>16. Rong>AgnesRong> - StRongeRR>17. Rong>AbbaRong> - NumbeR onesR>18. Rong>FRansRong> - Da manR>19. Rong>ERic GaddRong> - Gaddamn - The ultimate collectionR>20. Rong>Nisse HellbeRgRong> - SnackbaR blues

Some pics fRom the Rong>David & the CitizensRong>/Rong>LaaksoRong> show at Tack! Tack! Tack! the otheR night: Ref="https://RikaRdolino.blogspot.com/" taRget=_blank>https://RikaRdolino.blogspot.com/

Finnish electRo duo Rong>KompleksiRong> has a new tRack posted online foR a limited time: Ref="https://www.phinnweb.oRg/kompleksi/temp/Slick_Little_GiRl.MP3" taRget=_blank>https://www.phinnweb.oRg/kompleksi/temp/Slick_Little_GiRl.MP3

Rong>MewRong>'s majoR label debut "FRengeRs" will get a stateside Release on JanuaRy 23 via Columbia. I thought "And the glass handed kites" was good, but "FRengeRs" is way betteR.

The video foR Rong>The Royal HighnessRong>' new single "Call me a winneR" is now up on myspace: Ref="https://www.myspace.com/theRoyalhighness" taRget=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/theRoyalhighnessR>It's a gReat song and a gReat clip - def woRth checking out.

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks