finnish yacht rock cover act Lauantain Toivotut will release their new album "Aamuksi kotiin" on November 19 and will celebrate with a small batch of shows around the country. Dates and samples: https://www.myspace.com/lauantaintoivotut
I recommend track #2, "Olen neitsyt".

finnish folk act Värttinä is going through some lineup changes: https://www.varttina.com/main.site?action=news/view&id=115&ngid=1

Soundcheck Magazine talks to finnish act Hundred Million Martians: https://www.soundcheck-magazine.net/martians.html

Combat Rock has confirmed that the debut album from finnish punks Another Sinking Ship will finally be out on November 19. Samples and tourdates at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/anothersinkingship

Meleeh has been forced to cancel their upcoming finnish tour due to complications from their vocalist's recent surgery: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=86577905&blogID=444556837

Updates tourdates for finnish act Boomhauer:

11/02 - Plan B, Moscow (RUS)
01/21 - tba, Örebro (SWE)
01/25 - The Rambler, Eindhoven (GER)
01/26 - Bei Chez Heinz, Hannover (GER)
01/27 - Sonic Ballroom, Cologne/Köln (GER)
01/28 - Atelier Art & Cafe, Wohlen (GER)
01/30 - Sunny Red, Munich/München (GER)
01/31 - Kunstkeller o27, Fürth (GER)

More dates tba.

The story of finnish folk act Värttinä, "Korkeelta ja kovvoo", from author Kimmo Nevalainen was originally published in 2001 and now he's done a follow-up revision with the title "Värttinä – Mierontiella ja punaisella matolla". The official release date is October 25 and there will be a celebration at Tavastia Club on October 28 in Helsinki. For all us non-finnish speakers, keep an eye out for an English version by author Jim Thompson in 2009.

finnish act Medeia are keeping a tour diary: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=45782339&blogID=442939047
Finns always have the most ridiculous antics on the road it seems.

finnish experimental/folk act RinneRadio will release their 20th anniversary collection "20" (duh) on November 14.

The Washington Post Express on finnish viking/folk-metal act Ensiferum: https://www.expressnightout.com/content/2008/10/swords_sonic_sorcerers_ensiferum.php
Worth reading, if just for the epic metal war question near the end.

finnish indiepop act Regina is now streaming their new single "Saanko jäädä yöksi?" at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/reginaxxx

Killing the Legacy interviews finnish hardcore act Third Man Down: https://killingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2008/10/interview-third-man-down.html

The finnish Music Information Centre has recently undergone some organizational changes: https://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/mainframe?readform&C5079E85F6D24D0BC22574E8002476BB

Swedish crusties M:40 have started to line up 2009 tourdates:

01/20 - Tvo, Turku (FIN)
01/21 - Klubi, Tampere (FIN)
01/22 - Lutakko, Jyväskylä (FIN)
01/23 - tba, St. Petersburg (RUS)
01/24 - tba, Petrozavodsk (RUS)
04/08 - Köpi, Berlin (GER)
04/09 - Zoro, Leipzig (GER)
04/10 - Gerberstrasse, Weimar (GER)
04/11 - AJZ, Neubrandenburg (GER)

All finnish and Russian dates are with finnish act Büfo and the dates in Germany are with fellow Swedes End Of All.

Colossus Projects, a label run by the finnish Progressive Music Association, is putting out a tribute to 70s Swedish progg called "Rökstenen" and here is the tracklist:

01. The Samurai Of Prog (ITA) - Drottningholmsmusiken, Sats 1 (Blåkulla)
02. Simon Says (SWE) - Tajgan (Kaipa)
03. Revelation (ITA) - Björnstorp (Atlas)
04. Black Bonzo (SWE) - Här kommer natten (Pugh Rogefeldt)
05. Villebråd (SWE) - Rockgift (Trettioåriga Kriget)
06. Keybridge (ITA) - Den skrattande grevinnan (Kaipa)
07. Richard Marichal (VEN) - Fran Det Ena Till Det Andra (Kaipa)
08. Echoes (VEN) - Andra Sidan (Trettioåriga Kriget)
09. Willowglass (UK) - Oceaner Foder Liv (Kaipa)
10. Anja (SWE) - Mount Everest (November)
11. Darxtar (SWE) - Cosmic Love (Ralph Lundsten)
12. Wasa Express (SWE) - Apkalops (Egba)
13. Pensiero Nomade (ITA) - Jatten Feeling (Flasket Brinner)
14. Mist Season (FIN) - Promenader (Ragnarök)
15. In The Labyrinth (SWE) - Worlds on Fire (Handgjort)
16. Soniq Circus (SWE) - Stockholm (Pugh Rogefeldt)
17. The Moor (SWE) - Grävmaskinen (Pugh Rogefeldt)
18. Jinetes Negros (ARG) - Mars (Blåkulla)
19. The Grand Trick (SWE) - The Black Riders (Bo Hansson)
20. Pseudo Sun (SWE) - En Av Oss (Life)
21. Mattijs Herder (HOL) - Two Hours Over Two Blue Mountains... (Älgarnas Trädgård)
22. The Chair (SWE) - Naked Man (Rag I Ryggen)
23. Gösta Berlings Saga (SWE) - Esso Motor Hotel (Arbete & Fritid)
24. Moosequartet (SWE) - Vi Valde Inte Våldet (Fickteatern)
25. Magnolia (SWE) - Ganska långt från Sergel (November)
26. Daal (ITA) - Var Glad Var Dag (Ragnarock)
27. Tkingdkeys (FIN) - Ingenting (Samla Mammas)
28. Anima Morte (SWE) - The Old Forest (Bo Hansson)
29. Kate (FIN) - Disease (Dice)
30. Sinkadus (SWE) - Death (Dice)
31. Vanilla Project (ITA) - Gånglåt (Atlas)
32. Contrarian (US) - Sirenernas Sang (Blåkulla)
33. Survival (HOL) - Sebastian (Atlas)
34. Beardfish (SWE) - Pop Poem (Made In Sweden)
35. Karmic Jaggernaut (US) - Greed (Dice)
36. Trion (HOL) - På Gata (Atlas)
37. Pax Romana (FIN) - Solnedgången (Blåkulla)
38. La Bocca Della Verità (ITA) - War (Dice)
39. Jerry Johansson & Dan Fröberg (SWE) - Kontinuerlig Drift (Bonus Track)

More info: https://www.myspace.com/colossusprojects