Danish indierockers Leisure Alaska report that they are done recording their new album "It's a bear". No word on a release date yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Danish act Telli Bill (nee Renhite) just released their debut EP "Ego surfing" and you can preview two tracks at myspace: myspace.com/tellibill" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/tellibill

New records on the way from Häpna:

marcus Schmickler with Hayden Chisholm - Amazing daze
Eric malmberg - Verklighet & beat
Hans Appelqvist - Sifantin och mörkret

UK-based label PoppyDisc, the label run by Creation/Poptunes co-founder and Television Personalities member Joe Foster, has licensed The Fine Arts Showcase album "Radiola" for release.

Preview four tracks from Death By Kite's new album: myspace.com/deathbykite" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/deathbykite
As mentioned before, it's due out April 16 via Quartermain Records.

mIC Norway on magnet and his new album "The simple life": mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007032913281326014190" target=_blank>https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007032913281326014190

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. marie Lindberg - Trying to recall
02. Andreas Johnson - The collector
03. Nanne - Jag måste kyssa dig
04. Ingmar Nordströms - Ingmar Nordströms Saxpartyfavoriter
05. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
06. Jimmy Jansson - Sån e jag
07. Sophie Zelmani - memory loves you
08. Sebastian - The vintage virgin
09. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
10. Björn Skifs - Andra decennier
11. Timbuktu - Oberoendeframkallande
12. Lena Philipsson - Lena 20 år
14. Erik Segerstedt - A different shade
15. Peter Jöback - Flera sidor av samma man
16. martin Stenmark - Nio sanningar och en lögn
17. Weeping Willows - Fear & love
18. Tomas Andersson Wij - En introduktion till Tomas Andersson Wij
19. Lisa miskovsky - Changes
20. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao på turne

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. BigBang - Too much Yang
02. D.D.E. - No går det så det suse
03. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
04. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
05. Steinar Albrigtsen - moments of Peace
06. Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance
07. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
08. my midnight Creeps - Histamin
09. Askil Holm - Harmony Hotel
10. Ane Brun - Live in Scandinavia
11. El Axel - It Is What It Is
12. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
13. King midas - Sorry
14. El Caco - From Dirt
15. Skambankt - Eliksir
16. Øystein Sunde - Sundes verden
17. Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch
18. Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde
19. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
20. Ole Ivars - Jag trodde änglarna fanns

The tracklist for montt mardié's forthcoming double album "Clocks/Pretender":

Clocks:
01. In which we meet the clocks and a song is reveled (Too many songs unwritten)
02. Set sail tomorrow
03. Birthday boy (drama)
04. I will write a book
05. Let's get away from it all
06. 1969
07. Travelers
08. The windmill turns all the same
09. How I won the war
10. In which a sailor returns and we say good-bye for now (Set sail tomorrow)

Pretender:
01. Surprised (with Andreas mattsson)
02. metropolis (with Fredrik Hellström of Le Sport)
03. Once I was so in love that I followed (with Bobby Baby)
04. Castle in the sky (with Jens Lekman)
05. Hurry home (with The Legends)
06. Daughters (with Peder Stenberg of Deportees)
07. Hacienda (with Christian Zellinger)
08. När vi gett dom våld ska vi ge er kärlek (with Vapnet)
09. Grand Prix finals (with mr Suitcase)
10. Pretenders (with Hello Saferide)

As mentioned before, it comes out April 18 via Hybris. Buy the first single "The windmill turns all the same" and download a free track here: m/yoo7nl" target=_blank>https://tinyurl.com/yoo7nl

Via Discobelle, check out Swedish hip-hop artist Paragon covering The Knife's "Heartbeats": https://www.discobelle.net/2007/03/28/hjartslag/
Kinda lame that he's basically doing karaoke over the original track, but whatever. It's interesting enough.

The tracklist to the new Shout Out Louds single/EP "Tonight I have to leave it" has been revealed:

01. Tonight I have to leave it
02. Streams of whiskey - (Pogues cover feat. The Essex Green)
03. Tonight I have to leave it (Kleerup remix)
04. Tonight I have to leave it (The Russian Futurists remix)

The band's new album "Our ill wills" will be released on April 25 in Sweden and will come in a limited edition bonus edition featuring the bonus track "Don't get yourself involved". Releases in other territories will follow shortly thereafter.

MP3: Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle

Besides Logh (see m/index.php?n=27769">yesterday's post), the other hot new release this week is Familjen's debut full-length "Det snurrar i min skalle". The music is just so... joyous. Not to mention, deceptively simple. Run a three-note arpeggio through a phaser and there's your refrain. Naturally, there's a bit more to it than that, but the essence of Familjen's pop/electronica sound is uncomplicated fun. Perhaps the lyrics tell a completely different story, but hey - I don't speak Swedish so I don't really care. Besides, as I've mentioned many times before, growing up on a steady diet of death-metal killed most of my attention for lyrical detail. As long as Familjen mainman Johan T Karlsson isn't singing about killing babies or something, I'm cool. Or actually, maybe that would make it even better?

Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle

MP3: Logh - Thieves in the palace

Today's the day that Logh's new album "North" is officially released in Sweden and Bad Taste Records has kindly given me permission to post my favorite song from the record "Thieves in the palace". Like most of Logh's best work, the mood is dark and tense, but not necessarily in a "doom" sort of way. The best doom music is defined by an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness, something that Logh doesn't fully embody. They have moments of grimness, but the recurring lead guitar melody fills me with a warm sense of optimism. It's something about the way they let the note hang after the string-bend. Pay extra close attention to the way it morphs ever so slightly as it leads out of the breakdown into the song's final coda.
It's funny - every new Logh album is a bit different than the last and not quite what I expected. It always takes me more than a few listens to wrap my head around it and appreciate it, something I fear most (especially America) critics are loathe to do. I like immediate gratification, but I also know that the bands who stick with me the longest rarely make that sort of music. For that, Logh remains one of my all-time favorites and "North" fits in nicely with their ever-evolving progression. Very well done.

Logh - Thieves in the palace

The Hellacopters report that progress on their new album is going well. Once again, they are working with producer Chips K (Sator) and they plan to have it mixed by Henryk Lipp in early may. Expect a fall release.

Cardigans frontwoman Nina Persson makes a guest appearance on the new album from Swedish jazz artist Svante Thuresson. Read more: m/?sid=article&pid=read&id=6633" target=_blank>https://www.cardigans.com/?sid=article&pid=read&id=6633