Promoe's (Looptroop) second single from his forthcoming album "The Long Distance Runner" is called "These Walls Don't Lie" and the 12" is just about to hit stores. Production was handled by DJ Large and you can hear a sample here: http://www.looptroop.nu/music/soundclips/thesewalls.mp3
Dolores Recordings has signed Umeå-based soul/country act Deportees and will be releasing an EP from the group in March. The full-length album will follow in the fall.
Hanif will have a record release show for their new Dead Frog Records EP "Stich of Happiness" at Bommens Salonger in Göteborg on February 6.
PopMatters reviews the US release of Isolation Years' "Inland Traveller": http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/i/isolationyears-inland.shtml
Excerpts from Swedish Radio program P3 Rock's top albums of the year, as voted on by listeners:
05. Entombed - Inferno
06. Turbonegro - Scandinavian Leather
08. Opeth - Damnation
09. Cult of Luna - The Beyond
10. The Haunted - One Kill Wonder
12. Mustasch - Rat Safari
13. Nasum - Helvete
15. Grand Magus - Monument
The full list is here: http://www.sr.se/p3/rock/
Askil Holm is doing a couple dates up in Finnmark, the far north of Norway:
01/21 - Smutthullet, Alta
01/22 - Den siste rein, Lakselv
01/23 - Redrum, Hammerfest
01/24 - Alfreds kro, Kautokeino
He'll be backed on this tour by Eirik Engan (drums) and Aleksander Gifstad (bass) from Namsos as his usual band is currently busy with other projects.
Here's the top 20 Swedish albums of the week, as reported by Aftonbladet:
01. Carola - Guld platina & passion - det bästa
02. Per Gessle - Mazarin
03. Sophie Zelmani - Love Affair
04. Jill Johnson - Roots and wings
05. Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
06. Georg Riedel orkester - Barn på nytt
07. José González - Veneer
08. Peter LeMarc - Det som håller oss vid liv
09. Miio - På vårt sätt
10. The Latin Kings - Omertà
11. Bergman Rock - Bergman Rock
12. Markoolio - I skuggan av mig själv
13. Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita
14. Bo Kaspers orkester - Vilka tror vi att vi är
15. Helen Sjöholm / Anders Widmark - Genom varje andetag
16. The Knife - Deep Cuts
17. Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
18. Björn Rosenström - Var får jag allt ifrån?
19. Christer Sjögren - För kärlekens skull
20. Ulf Lundell - En eld i kväll
Swedish thrashers Wolf will be entering Flatfish studios tomorrow to start work on filming a video for the song "Wolf's Blood". The theme is supposed to be "Thin Lizzy at 'Top of the Pops' '77 meets Judas Priest at Budokan in '81." If you're metal enough, I guess you probably know exactly what they mean. Anyhow, the track comes from the band's forthcoming third album "Evil Star", due out February 24 through MNW/No Fashion Records. Full tracklist:
01. Evil Star
02. American Storm
03. The Avenger
04. Wolf's Blood
05. Transylvanian Twilight
06. Devil Moon
07. Out of Still Midnight
08. The Dark
09. Black Wing Rider
10. (Don't Fear) the Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult)
Check out the video for "Watch Out" from Danish metal act Raunchy: http://www.nuclearblast.de/media/NB_1242.ram
Children of Bodom have been selected as Iced Earth's opening act on their upcoming US tour. Dates:
04/18 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH
04/19 - Pop's, St. Louis, MO
04/20 - Metro, Chicago, IL
04/21 - Quest, Minneapolis, MN
04/23 - Harpos, Detroit, MI
04/24 - The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI
04/25 - Odeon, Cleveland, OH
04/26 - Guvernment, Toronto, ON
04/28 - The Medley, Montreal, QC
04/29 - BB Kings, New York, NY
04/30 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
05/01 - Palladium, Worcester, MA
05/02 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC
05/04 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
05/05 - House of Blues, Orlando, FL
05/07 - House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
05/08 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
05/09 - Backroom, Austin, TX
05/10 - Deep Elm Live, Dallas, TX
05/12 - Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
05/14 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
05/15 - Graceland, Seattle, WA
05/17 - Avalon, San Francisco, CA
05/18 - The Galaxy, Santa Ana, CA
05/19 - tba, Phoenix, AZ
Word on the street is that Finland's Nightwish will be coming over to the US for some dates in August. So far the only date confirmed is August 20 at The Palladium in Worcester, MA, but I'm sure we'll see more details soon.
Here are some of the nominees for the Swedish Grammies:
Best Pop Female:
Jill Johnson - Roots and Wings
Lisa Miskovsky - Fallingwater
Miss Universum - Selfelected
Pauline - Candy Rain
Elin Sigvardsson - Saturday Light Naive
Best Pop Male:
Magnus Carlson - Ett Kungarike För En Kram
Per Gessle - Mazarin
José González - Veneer
Peter LeMarc - Det Som Håller Oss Vid Liv
Mauro Scocco - Beat Hotel
Best Pop Group:
Alcazar - Alcazarized
Bo Kaspers Orkester - Vilka Tror Vi Att Vi Är
Da Buzz - More Than Alive
David & The Citizens - Until The Sadness Is Gone
The Knife - Deep Cuts
Best Rock Album (solo):
Eagle-Eye - Cherry Sub Rosa
Christian Kjellvander - Introducing The Past
Lars Winnerbäck och Hovet - Söndermarken
Moneybrother - Blood Panic
Thomas Rusiak - In The Sun
Best Rock Group:
Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
Broder Daniel - Cruel Town
The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
Fireside - Get Shot
Randy - Welfare Problems
Best Songwriter:
Karin & Olof Dreijer
Per Gessle
Lisa Miskovsky & Joakim Berg
Peter Svensson
Moneybrother (Anders Wendin)
Best Lyrics:
Timbuktu (Jason Diakté)
Per Gessle
Peter LeMarc
Nina Persson
Lars Winnerbäck
Best Producer:
Joakim Berg/Simon Norberg
Karin & Olof Dreijer
Pelle Gunnerfeldt
Jari Haapalainen
C. Öfwerman, C. Lundquist & P. Gessle
Best Hip-hop/Soul:
Advance Patrol - Utskrivna
Kaah - Jideblasko
Ken Det - Bortglömda
The Latin Kings - Omerta
Timbuktu - The Botten Is Nådd!
Best Hard Rock:
Backyard Babies - Stockholm Syndrome
Evergrey - Recreation Day
The Haunted - One Kill Wonder
Mustasch - Ratsafari
Opeth - Damnation
Best Jazz:
E.S.T. - Seven Days Of Falling
Rigmor Gustavsson - with I Will Wait For You
Nils Landgren and The Fleshquartet
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Plays Loud For The People
Oddjob - Koyo
Bobo Stenson/Lennart Åberg
Best Club/Dance Song:
Hundarna Från Söder - Hundarna Från Söder BAM
Koop - Waltz For Koop - Alternative Takes
Physics - First Flight NSD
Plej - Electronic Music From The Westcoast
Sophie Rimheden - Hi-Fi Mitek
Best Pop/Dance Band:
Barbados - Hela Himlen
Fame - Give Me Your Love
Jan Johansen - X My Heart
Jill Johnson - Discography
Lasse Stefanz - Det Här Är Bara Början
Go here for the full list: http://www.ifpi.se/02.images/01.top/02.subnav_pdf/08.grammis/pdf/Grammisnomineringar_2003.pdf
The third Moder Jords Massiva album "Från Luften" is currently being worked on and is on-track for a March release.
Nordic folk label NorthSide Records reports that they'll be putting out a new Wimme solo joik CD and a Gjallerhorn DVD in the near future. They also say that Väsen is working on another trio CD to coincide with their fall US tour. Fellow acts Triakel, Harv and Hedningarna (instrumental only, sadly) are working in the studio on new material and Garmarna and Hurdy Gurdy Project will soon follow. Tentative US tour dates for later this year:
Garmarna: September 10-20, 2004
Väsen: September 17-27, 2004 (east) / October 28-November 7, 2004 (west)
Harv: October 1-17, 2004
Aly Bain & Ale Möller: February, 2005