Pitchfork does the guest list thing with The Tough Alliance: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/46213-guest-list-the-tough-alliance

The nominees for this year's Spellemanprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:

Female artist:
Ane Brun - Live In Scandinavia (Det Er Mine/V2)
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Sissy Wish - Beauties Never Die (Sony BMG)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)

Male artist:
Kenneth Ishak - Silver Lightning From A Black Sky (Division Records As)
Magnet - The Simple Life (Sony BMG)
Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
William Hut - Nightfall (Universal Music AS)

Pop group:
Blind Archery Club - The Union (Sony BMG)
Superfamily - Warszawa (Propeller Rec.)
The Royalties - The Royalties (Blister Music)
Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord Og Ögonblick (Sony BMG)

Electronica:
Alog - Amateur (Rune Grammofon)
Diskjokke - Staying In (Smalltown Supersound)
Salvatore - Days Of Rage (Racing Junior)

Rock:
BigBang - Too Much Yang (Warner Music/Grandsport Records)
Moving Oos - Peace And Love (Kong Tiki Records)
My Midnight Creeps - Histamin (MMC Records)
Raga Rockers - Übermensch (EMI/Pilot/Virgin)
The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss (Racing Junior)

Country:
Hellbillies - Spissrotgang (EMI Music Norway)
Hemisfair - Blue Blue Grass Of Home (Wilma Records/Playground Music)
Shit City - God Bless Our Home (Voices of Wonder)
Steinar Albrigtsen - Moment Of Peace (Sony BMG)

Metal:
Audrey Horne - Le Fol (Indie Recordings)
Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (Nuclear Blast)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Season Of Mist)
Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness (Season Of Mist)

Hip-hop:
El Axel - It Is Wha It Is (Pass It Records)
Madcon - So Dark The Con Of Man (Bonner Amigo)
Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time-The Wait (Tee Productions)

Folk:
Berit Opheim - Den Blide Sol (NorCD AS)
Ragnhild Furebotten - Endelig Vals (Talik Da)
Sigrid Moldestad - Taus (Heilo)
Trio Mediaeval - Folk Songs (ECM/Grappa)

Jazz:
Fossum-Aarum Quartet - F.A.Q. (Schmell)
Jon Balke - Book Of Velocities (ECM/Grappa)
Petter Wettre - Fountain Of Youth (Household Records)
Sharp Nine - Sudoku (The Real Thing Da/Staffan)
The Core - Office Essentials (Jazzland)

Open class:
Frode Haltli - Passing Images (ECM/Grappa)
Live Maria Roggen - Circuit Songs (Jazzland)
Pust - Femkant (Pust Records)
Shining - Grindstone (Rune Grammofon)
The Source - The Source Of Christmas - Live (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)

Best music video:
Dimmu Borgir - The Serpentine Offering (Nuclear Blast)
Heroes & Zeros - A Strange Constellation (Nightliner/Universal)
My Midnight Creeps - Don`t Let’Em Bring You Down (MMC Records)
Turbonegro - Do You Do You Dig Destruction (Scandinavian Leather Recordings)
WE - Hurdy Gurdy (Nun Music)

Best Newcomer:
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations (Nightliner/Universal)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda (Simax Classics)
Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars (Heilo)

Best song:
Kurt Nilsen - "Push Push" (Sony BMG)
Madcon - "Beggin'" (Bonnier Music)
Postgirobygget - "Tidløs" (EMI Music Norway)
Sichelle - "Fuck Deg" (Eccentric Music)
Venke Knutson - "Holiday" (Universal)

Read more: https://www.spellemann.no/

Swedish indie act Bianca recently completed work on their new album "Wasting our time" and have posted a bunch of tracks on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/biancaband

Tobias Fröberg will travel to New Orleans to produce a new album from Swedish/American artist Theresa Andersson. He'll also be working as co-producer on Existensminmum's next album. As for his own solo work, look for the new record "Turn heads" to be released soon.

Swedish troubadour Thomas Denver Jonsson has a new track up on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thomasdenverjonsson

Södra Promenaden talks to Moderat Likvidation about their upcoming reunion show: https://sirling.blogg.se/1198963306_hall_dr__stefan_och_f.html (in Swedish)

Sincerely Yours welcomes 2008: https://www.sincerelyyours.se/video/forza2008.html

Regain Records and Infernus present the new Gorgoroth lineup: https://www.regainrecords.com/viewItem.php?id=176

Check out Finnish act Pink Twins as recorded live in Moscow: https://netaudio.ru/musica-excentrica/add-noise/sess001/

Upcoming albums on the way from Norwegian drum wunderkind Paal Nilssen-Love: https://www.paalnilssen-love.com/news.php
For tours, go here: https://www.paalnilssen-love.com/upcomingtours.php

Listen to Elias and the Wizzkids sing "Happy new year": https://www.myspace.com/eliasandthewizzkids

Check out Andreas Bertilsson's creepy new video for "Början och slutet": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a1Wb7F5xIo

Kirlian Crossing's final volume of the "Madness and repeat" free download series is now online: https://www.verdurarecords.com/kirliancrossing/madness.htm

José González has a new, slightly less-awful website: https://jose-gonzalez.com/
It's readable, but it's still a pure-flash, full-screen mess.

Finnish hardcore label Fullhouse Records has announced the signing of Out of Breath. Look for a new MCD in the near future and hear samples here: https://www.myspace.com/fullhouserecords