Doktor Kosmos turns 20

Doktor Kosmos will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with the release of two compilations, a best-of and a worst-of collection. More details to come.

Surprise! Doktor Kosmos to Umeå Open

Is it really news that Doktor Kosmos, the Umeå Open in-house band, is once again confirmed for the festival? At least they're not trying to pass them off as the secret act (again?).

Presenting: Psykakuten

Psykakuten is the name of a new project featuring Karolina Stenström of Steso Songs and guitarist Henrik Svensson from Moneybrother/Doktor Kosmos/Hets!/etc. Look for their debut single "If I could love I would" to be released via their own label Lyckan on May 5 with the self-titled album to follow on June 23. Samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/psykakuten

MP3: Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva

"Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva"? Why yes, they do, er did. I really appreciate the conceit of giving every single track on the new album "Hallå?" a self-referential song title. Plan a media strategy, write some songs, play some shows and yes, even hold a dreaded band meeting. But it's the act of putting out a record that serves as my favorite track. Normally I'd say that embracing a late 80s postpunk sound (funk bass and all, although not on this track) is a bad move, but they pull it off. It works especially well here since they manage to keep things on the straight and narrow pop tip. Phaser on the acoustic guitar? Wacky slapback on the snare? Sure! Why not? Small risks in terms of the big picture. Good times!

Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Johan Heltne - Din alkoholism är ingen alkoholism
02. TALK 1
03. Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos spelar på Tensta torg
04. Oliver North Boy Choir - New folder
05. Firefox AK + Laid - Once I was like you
06. TALK 2
07. THe Eight Arms Around You - Guilt ridden
08. Efterklang - Step aside
09. Orjan Hultén Trio ft. Fakir Karlsson - Untitled
10. TALK 3
11. Kornstad Trio - Intornette
12. Dmitry Fydorov - Greetings, D!
13. Disfear - Live the storm
14. TALK 4
15. I Are Droid - Time on time
16. Ihsahn - Unhealer
17. Juvelen - Don't mess
18. TALK 5
19. Henrik Rylander - Information and disinformation for alien civilizations
20. Namur - Draw us near
21. Lukestar - Clockworks of tomorrow
22. TALK 6
23. DS-13 - Prechewed rebellion
24. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
25. Sophie Rimheden - Go away
26. Anders Persson och Carl Smith - Morgonsol i April
27. TALK 7
28. Masshysteri - Monoton tid
29. NSI - 12
30. Zanussi Five - Azrah illusion / Street woman
31. TALK 8
32. Washington - Landslide
33. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
34. Bobby and Blumm - Hiss and rustle
35. Paragon - Aavisst
36. TALK 9
37. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia

Here's this week's radio show playlist:

01. Desert Planet - Riot sector 68
02. TALK 1
03. Grande - We did it all
04. Sara Berg - Crawl back from under
05. Dialog Cet - Buckfighter
06. TALK 2
07. Doktor Kosmos - Doktor Kosmos släpper en skiva
08. Halph - Weight
09. Bright Oak - The undertow
10. TALK 3
11. Juvelen - They don't love you
12. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
13. Little Jimmy Reeves - Sidetracked
14. TALK 4
15. Keith Canisius - Omorose
16. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
17. Lognhalsmottagningen - Bodybuilder
18. Markus Krunegård - Rocken spelar ingen roll längre
19. TALK 5
20. Firefox AK - Techno tears
21. Biker Boy - April song (Mr Bananas remix)
22. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Saved by the bell
23. TALK 6
24. Nina Kinert - Pets & friends
25. Familjen - Hög luft
26. Brainbombs - Down in the gutter
27. TALK 7
28. Anders Persson och Carl Smith - Morgonsol i April
29. Abduktio - Uutisia rintamalta
30. Nordvargr - Rektal B
31. Karin Holmberg + hab - Who we are
32. TALK 8
33. Lapko - Killer whales
34. Madrugada - Lift me
35. Kristofer Åström & Hidden Truck - What I came here for
36. TALK 9
37. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
38. Dreamboy - What have I done
39. The Tough Alliance - Lucky
40. TALK 10
41. Logh - Saturday nightmares

The new Doktor Kosmos album "Hallå?" will be released on April 2 via NONS. Look for them to tour Sweden in April as well.

NONS has revealed that Doktor Kosmos will release their new album "En ny skiva med Doktor Kosmos" next April.

More World Cup fever, courtesy of Uje Brandelius (aka Doktor Kosmos) and NONS: http://www.bollenbollenbollen.se/

Hets
Live @ Debaser, Stockholm, 04/22/06

Hets are something of a Swedish indie "supergroup", with members from Laakso, Doktor Kosmos, Fireside and Moneybrother. With those bands in mind, you don't really expect Hets to play Swedish punk sung in Swedish, but that's exactly what they do. Everyone seems to mention Mattias Alkberg BD when they talk about Hets and I can see why, since Hets do sound like MABD (although I don't think MABD should be the only people allowed to make punk music sung in their native language). Living in London, it's not every day I get to witness a concert like this, so perhaps I'm overreacting slightly, but I really enjoyed this show and I think I will now look into getting my hands on Hets' album (I assume and hope that the punk ethos is reflected in the price of their CD).
- Simon Tagestam

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Björn Skifs - Decennier sånger från en annan tid
02. Son of a Plumber - Son of a Plumber
03. Jill Johnson - The christmas in you
04. Monica Zetterlund - Z - det bästa med monica zetterlund
05. Darin - Darin
06. Lena Philipsson - Jag ångrar ingenting
07. Thåström - Skebokvarnsv 209
08. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
09. Björn Afzelius - Björn Afzelius bästa
10. Nanne - Alltid på väg
11. Eva Dahlgren - Snö
12. Laleh - Laleh
13. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
14. Brolle Jr - Brolle jr tolkar cornelis - en stund på jorden
15. Bodies Without Organs - Prototype
16. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - A present from the past
17. Sophie Zelmani - A decade of dreams 1995-2005
18. Carola - Jul i betlehem
19. Jussi Björling - Från operans värld till svenska sånger
20. Peter Lemarc - Sjutton sånger - lemarc sjunger lemarc

The nominees for the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best pop female:
Amy Diamond - This is me now
Ane Brun - A temporary dive
Frida Hyvönen - Until death comes
Jenny Wilson - Love and youth
Robyn - Robyn

Best pop male:
Darin - Darin
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Mauro Scocco - Herr Jimsons äventyr
Peter LeMarc - Sjutton sånger - LeMarc sjunger LeMarc
Son of a plumber - Son of a plumber

Best pop group:
Alcazar - Dancefloor deluxe
Bodies without organs - Prototype
CDOASS - Extra fingers
Doktor Kosmos - Ett enkelt svar
Suburban kids with biblical names - #3

Best rock album (solo):
Christian Kjellvander - Faya
Freddie Wadling - Jag är monstret
Moneybrother - To die alone
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209
Tomas Andersson Wij - Tomas Andersson Wij

Best rock group:
Kent - Du & jag döden
Soundtrack of our lives - A present from the past
The Ark - State of the Ark
The Cardigans - Super extra gravity
The Hellacopters - Rock & roll is dead

Best composer:
Anders Wedin (Moneybrother) - To die alone
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn/Klas Åhlund - Robyn
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best lyrics:
Håkan Hellström - Ett kolikbarns bekännelser
Jason Diakité - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
Joakim Berg - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Thåström - Skebokvarnsv. 209

Best proder:
Anders Hansson & Alexander Bard
Bloodshy/Avant
Klas Åhlund
Laleh
Lars Halapi

Best hip-hop/soul:
Hearin'aid - The Boom Lucy
Jaqee - Blaqalixious
Looptroop - Fort Europa
Masayah - p.s.
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best hard-rock:
Candlemass - Candlemass
Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, unbowed, unbroken
Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
Meshuggah - Catch thirtythree
Opeth - Ghost reveries

Best jazz:
Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian - Goodbye
e.s.t. - Viaticum
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Snake city north
Putte Wickman & Jan Lundgren - An intimate salute to Frankie
Torbjörn Zetterberg - Krissvit

Best club/dance:
Arash - Arash - new version
v/a - Inside Scandinavia vol 2
Hundarna från söder - Troika
September - In orbit
Spånka Nkpg - The City of the golden king

Open category:
Allan Edwall - Alla Allans visor
v/a - Du Beppe, Beppe Wolgers mästerverk
Peps Blodsband - Äntligen!
The Latin Kings - Familia Royale
Totta Näslund - Totta 8: Greatest hits!

Best newcomer:
Amy Diamond
Bodies Without Organs
Darin
Frida Hyvönen
Laleh

Best album:
Bodies without organs - Prototype
Kent - Du & jag döden
Laleh - Laleh
Robyn - Robyn
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Best artist:
Kent
Laleh
Moneybrother
Robyn
Timbuktu

Best music dvd:
Abba - Abba the movie
Cornelis Vreeswijk - Cornelis
Evergrey - A night to remember
Marit Bergman - Marit Bergman - Live at Rival
Timbuktu - Funken styr våra steg

Best song:
Amy Diamond - What's in it for me
Darin - Money for nothing
Kent - The hjärta & smärta ep
Robyn - Be mine
Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö

Full list of every category here: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2198&a=503182

The first acts have been confirmed for next year's Umeå Open: Christian Kjellvander, The Pipettes (UK), Midaircondo and Jenny Wilson. What, no Doktor Kosmos? And hey, how about flying me out again?

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Jenny Wilson - "Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward"
02. (03) LCD Soundsystem - "Disco Infiltrator"
03. (04) The Sunshine - "She's My Television"
04. (02) Josh Rouse - "It's the Nighttime"
05. (12) Svenska Akademin - "Du Vill Så Du Kan"
06. (13) El Perro Del Mar - "Here comes that Feeling (21)"
07. (15) Missy Elliott - "Lose Control"
08. (05) Turbonegro - "High On The Crime"
09. (06) Röyksopp - "Only This Moment"
10. (07) Mattias Alkberg BD - "Politix"
11. (08) Daft Punk - "Technologic"
12. (09) Doktor Kosmos - "När Min Pojke Går På Stan"
13. (10) The Hellacopters - "Everything's On TV"
14. (11) Hello Kinski - "The story of Eric and Jerry"
15. (14) Timbuktu - "Det Löser Sig"
16. (16) White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"
17. (17) Thievery Corporation - "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter"
18. (18) Sambassadeur - "New Moon"
19. (19) Queens of the Stone Age - "In my head"
20. (20) Juliette & The Licks - "You´re Speaking My Language"

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Robyn - Robyn
02. Carola - Störst av allt
03. Kent - Du & Jag Döden
04. Amy Diamond - This Is Me Now
05. Nanne - 20 år med Nanne
06. Sofia Karlsson - Svarta ballader
07. Timbuktu - Alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö
08. Doktor Kosmos - Ett enkelt svar:
09. Electric Banana Band - Electric Banana Band och Trazan & Banarnes bästa
10. Shirley Clamp - Lever Mina Drömmar
11. Helena Paparizou - My Number One
12. Caroline W. - Bossa Supernova
13. Jill Johnson - Being Who You Are
14. Laleh - Laleh
15. Eldkvarn - Atlantis
16. Bo Sundström - Skåne
17. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
18. Moneybrother - To Die Alone
19. Darin - The Anthem
20. Christer Sjögren - Love Me Tender

Kinda off-topic, but still interesting: the Washington Post is running a net-diary documenting a journalist's trip to Finland: http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/finlanddiary/?nav=sc

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Jenny Wilson - "Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward"
02. (06) Mattias Alkberg BD - "Politix"
03. (04) The Sunshine - "She's My Television"
04. (18) The Hellacopters - "Everything's On TV"
05. (11) Timbuktu - "Det Löser Sig"
06. (05) Queens of the Stone Age - "In my head"
07. (15) Foo Fighters - "Best of you"
08. (07) White Stripes - "Blue orchid"
09. (08) Turbonegro - "High On The Crime"
10. (02) Eels - "Hey Man (Now You´re Really Living)"
11. (NY) Doktor Kosmos - "När Min Pojke Går På Stan"
12. (13) Turin Brakes - "Fishing for a dream"
13. (12) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The Hazel Ridge"
14. (19) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - "Funeral Face"
15. (NY) Sambassadeur - "New Moon"
16. (NY) Juliette & The Licks - "You´re Speaking My Language"
17. (17) The Lost Patrol - "Golden Times"
18. (NY) Svenska Akademin - "Du Vill Så Du Kan"
19. (16) New Order - "Jetstream"
20. (20) Daft Punk - "Technologic"

Leaving the chart: Hal, Thievery Corporation, The Tough Alliance and Maximo Park.