This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
02. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
03. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
04. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
05. Venke Knutson - Crush
06. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
07. BigBang - Something Special - The Best
08. Celine - Bæstevænna
09. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
10. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
11. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
12. Arne Benoni og Lynn Anderson - I'm Coming Home
13. Diverse artister - Idol 2007
14. Jan Werner - Eg veit i himmelrik ei borg
15. CC Cowboys - På Svalbard uten strøm
16. Anne Grete Preus - Om igjen for første gang
17. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
18. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
19. Superfamily - Warszawa
20. Solveig Slettahjell - Domestic songs
Danish act The Fashion has signed an international deal with Epic Records in the US with similar major deals set for other territories. Read more: http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=20631 (in Danish)
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Marie Picasso - The secret
02. Jill Johnson - Music Row
03. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
04. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
05. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
06. Björn Skifs - I2I
07. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
08. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao 3
09. Mats Bergmans - Jubileum
10. Martin Stenmarck - Det är det pojkar gör när kärleken dör
11. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
12. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
14. Elin Ruth Sigvardsson - A fiction
15. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
16. The Solution - Will not be televised
17. José González - In our nature
18. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
19. Louise Hoffsten - Så speciell
20. Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum och tång
Paper has confirmed the tracklist for their debut full-length "An object": http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=64764246&blogID=346170296
It comes out March 15 via Novoton Records.
Pitchfork reports that (vastly overrated) Norwegian pop songstress Annie has a new single and album on the way: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/47888-annie-returns-with-new-single-preps-album
The video for Jonna Lee's latest single "And your love" (ft. Ed Harcourt) is now on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH1nxuJxEgs
It's a far, far darker clip than you might expect.
IAT.MP3 artist Imagine I Had Hands provides a bit of an update as to what they're up to: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=80051513&blogID=346123833
The gist: things are quiet right now, but they hope to have an album ready by summertime.
Check out another teaser video for the new Barra Head album "Go get beat up" featuring the track "Gradiska" set to animation from Sarah Bodil Hansen: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=25808913
Elias and the Wizzkids' folsky indiepop isn't the sort of thing I'd expect to hear from the label Hybris, but then again, as one of Sweden's most forward-thinking labels, they revel in defying expectations. "I wish" is an incredibly charming upbeat number with fun, self-depreciating lyrics and a driving country feel. The beauty is in its simplicity - a few quick verses with an easy setup ("I wish I had...") followed by a smirky, self-satisfied chorus. The third verse breakdown leads to self-discovery and then we get a big double-chorus finale to wrap things up. Pop perfection? It's mighty close. Sometimes the classic formulas are all you need.
Elias & the Wizzkids - I wish
Pitchfork adds The Honeydrips to their recommended list: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/47401-here-comes-the-future
See our own review of said album right here
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Opening with the ambitious "Lifeache", a track combining the Britpop sensibility of James with the soaring, cinematic approach of bands like Hope of the States and The Boxer Rebellion, Markovic effortlessly combine their melodic leanings with dark arrangements, laying out a thesis-of-sorts for the album to follow. "MakeBeliever" forces its way out of the layered ending of "EMO"; drumming reminiscent of Bloc Party's faster compositions accompanying the wiry, distorted opening, and building to the fuller sound that defines Markovic's "Adoreus". While there is much for anglophiles to rejoice in on the record, Markovic haven't in any way rejected their Scandinavian standing. "Crayons" has an "Isola"-era Kent feel to it, and numerous other songs seem indebted, if only slightly, to the influence of Jettie and Mew, especially the closing pair "Poem" and "Sweet surrender". Markovic's debut almost outlines the organic progression of the melancholy of the mid-90s into the pop music of today, yet "Adoreus" merely reminds us of previous and contemporary efforts, and is in no way hindered by these comparisons. There are echoes of the Britpop scene and 90s Swedish indie rock (and the 'older' feel of the production on "Adoreus" helps augment this nostalgic element), but echoes are all they are - Markovic are very much their own being. If this is what they are capable of on their first record, Markovic has a wonderful career ahead of them.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Swedish punkrockers The Accidents will be releasing a new EP via Italian label Nicotine Records. Details to come.
Norwegian act Rumble in Rhodos will be going into Athletic Sound Studio in Halden to begein recording a new album with producer Kai Andersen (Madrugada, Ricochets, Saint Thomas, etc.). Assuming all goes according to plan, expect an April 28 release via Black Balloon Records in Norway with an international release to follow soon thereafter. The band will tour Europe with fellow Norwegians Dominic starting in late March with homeland dates to follow in May.
The winners of the Swedish Grammis have been announced:
Best Album: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Dance/Hip-Hop/Soul: Adam Tensta – It's a Tensta thing
Best Folk/Visa: Sofia Karlsson – Visor från vinden
Best Group: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Hard-rock: Mustasch – Latest version of the truth
Best Jazz: Rigmor Gustafsson – Alone with you
Best Songwriter: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Female Artist: Säkert! – Säkert!
Best Male Artist: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Live Act: The Hives
Best Song: Lars Winnerbäck w/Miss Li – Om du lämnade mig nu
Best Lyrics: Annika Norlin – Säkert!
Best Newcomer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Producer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
MTV-Prize for Best Video: Johan Söderberg (Familjen – Det snurrar I min skalle)
Export Prize: Bloodshy & Avant
Read more: http://www.grammis.se/?page=105
Markovic