NRK has posted profiles and samples for a lot of this year's By:Larm performers: http://app.nrk.no/musikk/artistar/3465096.html?p_saksunivers_id=20096 (in Norwegian)
See video of Morten Abel performing live on NRK Petre: http://www.nrk.no/kanal/nrk_petre/3443990.html
Danish hardcore act Complete has a newly designed website to coincide with the pending release of their new album "All Systems Go": http://www.completeband.dk/
If you paid close attention to the Swedish student radio chart yesterday you would've noticed that Edson was listed at #14 for their cover of "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", originally done by UK act The Darkness. Listen to their version for yourself: http://www.edson.nu/edson2/media/lyssna/songs/edsoncover.mp3
Pretty silly, but at least Edson can hit those high notes and I can never find fault with a whistle solo. In other news, the band will play seven shows in Germany the first week of March. Their latest album "Every Day, Every Second" was just released over there I do believe.
First Floor Power is doing a bit of touring:
01/30 - Kalmar Nation, Uppsala (SWE)
01/31 - Fritz's Corner (Debaser), Stockholm (SWE)
02/12 - Rytmeposten, Odense (DK)
02/13 - Stengade 30, Köpenhamn (DK)
02/14 - Voxhall, Århus (DK)
Jörgen Sandström talks to Blabbermouth about his decision to leave Entombed: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=18652
Blabbermouth has also confirmed that the death of Windir frontman Terje "Valfar" Bakken was caused by hypothermia. My condolences to his family and friends.
Nightwish keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen recently flew to London to oversee the recording of various orchestra parts for the band's upcoming album, tentatively due out this summer.
Ulver reports that Ronan Chris Murphy is mixing the new album "Blood Inside" at his Veneto West studio in Los Angeles. Murphy played in Freak Baby right before Dave Grohl joined the band back in the mid0-80s, but his most recent work has centered around mixing King Crimson albums, judging by his AMG discography. No exact release date, but expect it to come this fall.
In other Ulver news, the group has confirmed two feature film soundtrack assignments, one for Mona Hoel's "Freedom From Fear" and one for Aksel Hennie's "Uno" which will be a collaboration with UK-based singer/songwriter Tom McRae. There's more negiotations for other projects in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.
In somewhat Ulver-related news, mainman Garm's label Jester Records will reissue Origami Galaktika's album "Horisont" sometime before summer. The music for that was composed as a joint sound-picture exhibition with painter Bård Solhaug back in 2002. They say to look for new albums on the horizon from Kåre Jöao, Bogus Blimp and Rotoscope, too.
By way of Dagensskiva, here is the Swedish student radio top 20 for the week:
01. (02) Broder Daniel "Shoreline"
02. (01) Belle & Sebastian "I'm A Cuckoo"
03. (03) Shout Out Louds "Please Please Please"
04. (04) Tiger Lou "Oh Horatio"
05. (06) The Latin Kings "T.L.K."
06. (05) David & The Citizens "Graycoated Morning"
07. (08) Franz Ferdinand "Take Me Out"
08. (NY) The Von Bondies "C'mon C'mon"
09. (NY) Organism 12 "Sångfågel"
10. (NY) Nicolai Dunger "Here's My Song You Can Have It (Album Sampler)"
11. (10) The Thrills "Don't Steal Our Sun"
12. (15) Her Majesty! "You And Me Against The World"
13. (06) Bergman Rock "Help The Band"
14. (NY) Edson "I Believe In A Thing Called Love"
15. (11) Timbaland & Magoo "Indian Flute"
16. (12) Kamera "Suburban Boy"
17. (NY) Beezewax "Big Bad Car"
18. (NY) Obie Trice Ft. (Nate Dogg "The Set Up"
19. (NY) Jens Lekman "Rocky Dennis In Heaven EP"
20. (14) Disco Volante "Distort The South"
Leaving the chart:
09. Weeping Willows "Stairs"
13. Courtney Love "Mono"
16. Mazarine Street "Bourgeois Blood"
17. The Strokes "Reptilia"
18. Dizzee Rascal "Jus'a Rascal"
19. Backyard Babies "A Song For The Outkast"
20. Muse "Hysteria"