The Ark have announced that they will cease to be after releasing a final greatest hits collection and doing one last tour: http://thearkworld.com/2010/12/08/greatest-hits-album-och-avskedsturne/
As with all "greatest hits" anthologies, The Ark's "Arkeology", due out February 23, will of course contain a new single entitled "Breaking up with god" as well as another new one called "The apocalypse is over".
ABBA now has an official singalong app: http://www.9to5mac.com/40754/official-abba-app-is-singalong-friendly
The new Penny Century single "James Hurley" will be released as a free download on 3pm CET Christmas Eve via Swedish music blog Absolut Noise.
has posted sample tunes from their two new singles coming out this month, "I'm gone" from First Love, Last Rites and "Bear" by In These Woods: http://nomethod.se/?p=270
I do believe that this is the first-ever video from excellent Norwegian jazz act In the Country. The band recently recorded a number of concerts while on tour in Norway and will be compiling the footage for a future live-DVD/artfilm/live-CD.
Out now on , the debut 7" from Swedish experimental/noise artist The Magic State aka Nadine Byrne: http://idealrecordings.com/news#rel118
If you were lucky enough to grab a copy of "Great Northern Recordings compilation no. 4", she had two tracks featured on that including the a-side "Spectrum".
Promise and the Monster has announced new tourdates for 2011:
02/19 - Northern Living Festival, Warsaw (POL)
03/26 - La Chapelle Sait-Jacques (Les Femmes S'en Mêlent), Vendome (FRA)
03/27 - Théâtre de la Cité Internationale (la Galerie) (Les Femmes S'en Mêlent), Paris (FRA)
03/28 - La Poudrière (Les Femmes S'en Mêlent), Belfort (FRA)
03/31 - University (Les Femmes S'en Mêlent), Nantes (FRA)
Ex-Abandon members continue where they left off, creating some of the most punishing doom Sweden has to offer: http://www.myspace.com/walkthroughfire420
I know not everyone out there has a memory like me, especially in these short-attention span times of instant gratification, but if you remember / act Now from way back when, they've flipped their name to Won and have a new LP out on imprint . Details/ordering info here: http://psychicmalmo.com/index.php?/project/psyke010/2/
I've yet to hear them myself, but I those dudes generally have good taste so I bet it's worth checking out.
No big surprise really: The Radio Dept. tops PopMatters' top 10 indiepop albums of 2010 list: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/134171-the-best-indie-pop-of-2010/
Also, coming in at #8, is fellow act Sambassadeur.
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week:
01. Robyn
02. The National
03. Belle and Sebastian
04. The Radio Dept.
05. Beach House
06. Sufjan Stevens
07. Kanye West
08. Arcade Fire
09. Radiohead
10. Håkan Hellström
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/
The new Adam Tensta album "Scared of the dark" is confirmed for release on March 14.
Listen to a new single from Swedish female electro duo Icona Pop: http://soundcloud.com/iconapop/still-dont-know
Sign up for their mailing list and get another track via email: http://www.iconapop.com/
has signed Swedish duo The Loveable Tulips and will be releasing a series of singles from them starting with "Fortune favours the brave" b/w "I'm just a heart".
Junip has announced a large number of new tourdates in Australia and Europe:
12/30 - The Falls Festival, Lorne, Victoria (AU)
12/31 - The Falls Festival, Marion Bay, Tasmania (AU)
01/01 - Southbound Festival, Busselton, WA (AU)
01/04 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria (AU)
01/06 - Sunset Sounds, Brisbane, QLD (AU)
01/08 - Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW (AU)
01/13 - Übel & Gefärlich, Hamburg (GER)
01/14 - Eurosonic Festival, Groningen (NL)
02/01 - Scala, London (UK)
02/02 - The Duchess , York (UK)
02/03 - Auntie Annies , Belfast (UK)
02/04 - Whelans , Dublin (IRL)
02/05 - Cyprys Avenue , Cork (IRL)
02/06 - Millenium Music Hall 2, Cardiff (UK)
02/07 - Old Fire Station, Bournemouth (UK)
02/09 - Azkena, Bilbao (ESP)
02/10 - Teatro Lara, Madrid (ESP)
02/11 - Rqazzmatazz 3, Barcelona (ESP)
02/12 - Epicerie Moderne, Lyon (FRA)
02/13 - Salumeria della Musica, Milano (ITA)
02/14 - Circolo degli Artisti, Rome (ITA)
02/15 - L'Usine, Geneva (CH)
02/16 - Südpol, Lüzern (CH)
02/18 - La Route Du Rock Winter Edition, St Malo (FRA)
02/19 - Northern Living @ Fabryka Trzciny, Warzaw (POL)
02/20 - Lido, Berlin (GER)
02/22 - De Kreun, Kortrijk (BEL)
02/23 - Trix, Antwerp (BEL)
02/24 - Doornroosje, Nigmegen (NL)
02/25 - Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
02/26 - Voxhall, Aarhus (DK)