The always-excellent international music blog Fat Planet has posted a bit about Peter, Bjorn and John this week: http://fatplanet.com.au/
It doesn't hurt that he gives me personal props either. Cheers Stuart! Thanks!
Esbjörn Svensson Trio has a new website and a sample of a track from the new album "Viaticum": http://www.est-music.com/
Check out the video for "Summers all gone" from Elmo Red: http://www.diapazam.se/video/elmovideo.mov
Vocalist Øystein Hægeland has left Norwegian avant-metal act Arcturus. No reason was given for his departure.
Music (for robots) posts about Swedish electronic artist Johan Skugge: http://music.for-robots.com/archives/000691.html
Norway's Aura Noir will tour South America in April. Preliminary dates:
04/15 - Concepcion (CHI)
04/16 - Santiago (CHI)
04/17 - Show La Serena (CHI)
04/20 - Buenos Aires (ARG)
04/22 - Bogota (COL)
04/23 - Cali (COL)
04/24 - Quito (EQU)
04/27 - Curitiba (BRA)
04/28 - Belo Horizonte (BRA)
04/29 - Porto Alegre (BRA)
04/30 - Sao Pablo (BRA)
Finally, the results of the MTVe UpNorth awards, as decided by their 2004 chart performances:
Best UpNorth artist: The Rasmus - In the shadows
Best Nordic hip hop act: Promoe - These walls don't lie
Best Nordic rock act: The Hives - Walk idiot walk
Best Nordic pop act: Junior Senior - Move your feet
Best Nordic electronic act: Röyksopp - Apple
Best Swedish act: Eskobar - Love strikes
Best Norwegian act: Maria Mena - You're the only one
Best Danish act: Outlandish - Guantanamo
Best Finnish act: HIM - And love said no
Best Nordic video: The Crash - Still alive
Dates for the upcoming Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, Mnemic and Hypocrisy tour:
04/05 - Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY
04/06 - House Of Blues, Chicago, IL
04/07 - Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI
04/08 - Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
04/09 - Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
04/10 - Lo-Fi Café, Salt Lake City, UT
04/12 - Graceland, Seattle, WA
04/14 - The Pound, San Francisco, CA
04/15 - House Of Blues, Anaheim, CA
04/16 - Key Club, Los Angeles, CA
04/17 - Venue Of Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ
04/19 - Back Room, Austin, TX
04/20 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
04/22 - Al Rosa Villa, Columbus, OH
04/23 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
04/26 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
04/27 - The Social, Orlando, FL
04/29 - Jaxx, W. Springfield, VA
04/30 - Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
05/01 - B.B. Kings, New York, NY
05/03 - Le Capitole Theatre, Quebec City, QC
05/05 - Opera House, Toronto, ON
05/07 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
Dagensskiva is taking votes for the best album of 2004: http://www.dagensskiva.com/tavling/skivor2004/tavling2004.asp
Dimmu Borgir reports that they are taking it easy for most of 2005 to rest and record a new album. The band also might be rerecording their acclaimed second album "Stormblåst" sometime soon, but nothing's confirmed quite yet. Sounds like a bad idea to me, but whatever. I guess the Ozzfest crowd might buy it.
Finntroll's entire 1998 "Rivfader" demo has been posted for download: http://www.bioinf.nl/~joeri/finntroll/rivfader_demo/
HIM frontman Ville Valo is reportedly working on a solo album to be released sometime before the next full-band CD which is due out around September/October. The music is supposedly country-influenced, but I suspect it'll end up more like typical sensitive singer/songwriter stuff, but I'll take anything as long as it's better than Lost Patrol (the solo project of t(I)NC frontman Dennis Lyxzén).