Johndoe's new album "Pyromantikk" has been confirmed for a September 27 release date.

Check in with Johndoe's studio diary as they record their new album in Stockholm: http://www.johndoe.no/dagbok.html

Streaming playlist: Native tongue

The Lionheart Brothers are filming a video for the song "I Burn Myself On You" with directors Joakim Faxvaag and Marcus Hukkelås (Johndoe, Silence the Foe).

Norwegian band Johndoe recently travelled across the border to Sweden and recorded a song with producer extraordinaire Pelle Gunnerfeldt. Read more: http://www.adressa.no/kultur/article.jhtml?articleID=490708 (in Norwegian)

Norway's Johndoe is the subject of a documentary called "Vi skal aldri bli til no" by film student Espen Sem Sørmos. It features footage of the band live from their Trøbbeltur in 2003 and from By:larm last February. The film will premiere the documentary film festival in Volda on April 23.

Better late than never, Panorama.no lists their top picks from 2003:

Best Norwegian single:
01. Girls Keep Secrets in the Strangest Ways – Ephemera
02. Lay Lady Lay – Magnet feat. Gemma Hayes
03. Fuck the World – Turbonegro
04. Salt & Pepper – Kaizers Orchestra
05. Et Sunnhetstegn – Johndoe
06. Think Twice – Ralph Myerz And The Jack Herren Band
07. Breaking news – Amulet
08. Skull EP – Martin Horntveth
09. You're the One that I Want – Jim Stärk feat. Claudia Scott
10. Lorraine EP – Lorraine

Best Norwegian album:
01. On Your Side – Magnet
02. The Ghost of Our Love – Ricochets
03. Waffy Town – Julian Berntzen
04. Evig Pint – Kaizers Orchestra
05. It's a Record – Sergeant Petter
06. The Perfect Cure – Lorraine
07. Scandinavian Leather – Turbonegro
08. Stray Dogs – Thomas Dybdahl
09. Hin Bordende Sod og Sø – Ásmegin
10. No Time Wasted – Jim Stãrk

Johndoe will release their new 7" for the song "Gi gass" on January 19. A previously unrelreleased version of the titletrack from their last record "Ja takk til trøbbel" will be the b-side. You can check out a couple new concert dates around Norway on their website, too.

Adressa's top 10 Norweigan CDs of 2003:

01. The Ricochets - The Ghost of Our Love
02. King Midas - Romeo turn
03. Magnet - On Your Side
04. Thomas Dybdahl - Stray Dogs
05. Johndoe - Rastløs Rock `n Roll
06. Julian Berntzen - Waffy Town
07. Sgt. Petter - It`s a record
08. Dipsomaniacs - Praying Winter
09. Motorpsycho & Jaga Jazzist - In the Fishtank
10. Lionheart Brothers - White Angel, Black Apple

Read more: http://www.adressa.no/kultur/article.jhtml?articleID=462217

Johndoe is putting out a new 7" on January 5 for the song "Gi gass" from their most recent album "Ja takk trøbbel". The b-side will be the exclusive track "Ja takk til trøbbel".

Johndoe is touring Norway starting in October. Dates so far:

10/03 - Sogndal
10/04 - Haugesund
10/10 - Åndalsnes
10/11 - Florø
10/13 - Trondheim
10/14 - Bodø
10/15 - Tromsø
10/16 - Harstad
10/17 - Kabelvåg
10/18 - Nesna
10/19 - Sandnessjøen
10/21 - Tønsberg
10/24 - Notodden
10/25 - Bergen
10/29 - Kristiansand
10/30 - Stavanger
10/31 - Larvik
11/06 - Ålesund
11/08 - Oslo
11/12 - Ås
11/13 - Fredrikstad
11/14 - Moss
11/20 - Gjøvik
11/22 - Kristiansund

Johndoe is getting quite a bit of favorable press for their new album "Ja takk til trøbbel" and they've posted a bunch of links to new reviews and interviews on their homepage. (in Norweigan)

Check out the video for "Et Sunnhetstegn" from the Norweigan band Johndoe right here. The band's new album "Ja Takk til Trøbbel" comes out September 15.

Some of the bands set to play the Slottsfjell Festival in Tønsberg, Norway on August 1-2: Madrugada, Bjørn Rosenstrøm, Nils Petter Molvær, Saybia, Equicez, Surferosa, Mohammed, Don Juan Dracula, Baby Woodrose, Ricochets, Amulet, Johndoe, JR Ewing. More info: www.slottsfjellfestival.no

The Cardigans are now scheduled to play a couple German festivals this summer: Rock am Ring on June 6, Rock im Park on June 7.

Christian Kjellvander is working on a video for the track "Homeward Rolling Soldier". Keep an eye out for it around March or April. In the meantime, check him out on tour:

03/05 - Oslo - So What
03/07 - Halmstad - Diezelfestivalern
03/08 - Nybro - Mejeriet
03/14 - Norrköping - Kulturkammaren
03/15 - Jönköping - Kulturhuset
03/17 - München/Germany - Orange House w/Brendan Benson
03/18 - Dresden/Germany - Star Club w/Brendan Benson
03/19 - Berlin/Germany - Magnet w/Brendan Benson
03/20 - Munster/Germany - Gleis 22 w/Brendan Benson
03/22 - Bochum/Germany - Matrix w/Brendan Benson
03/23 - Örebro - Strömpris
04/04 - Helsingborg - The Tivoli
04/05 - Ronneby - Föreningarnas hus
04/15 - Copenhagen/Denmark - Lille Vega
04/16 - Århus/Denmark - VoxHall

See the video for Dub Sweden's new single "Walk Me Home": Modem / Broadband

Wolf will be entering Abyss Studio in June with producer/engineer Peter Tägtgren to work on a new album. Look it around fall from No Fashion Records with cover art from Holm (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) that will include "a lot of fire." Sweet. They also plan to do a video and tour.

The lineup and dates for the upcoming Norweigan Zoom tour has been annouced. Scheduled to play are Helldorado, Johndoe, Nicolai and X.Lover. The dates:

3/5 - Luftslottet, Grimstad
3/6 - Checkpoint Charlie, Stavanger
3/7 - Caledonien Scene, Kristiansand
3/8 - Sort og Blå Scene, Porsgrunn
3/11 - So What!, Oslo
3/12 - Hulen, Bergen
3/13 - Meieriet, Sogndal
3/14 - Kroa, Volda
3/15 - Tapperiet, Molde
3/20 - Blårock, Tromsø
3/21 - Sinus, Bodø
3/22 - Hydranten, Hamar
3/27 - The Spitz, London

Norway's Sondre Lerche seems to be on his way up in the world, at least over here in the US. Read this feature about his recent show in Baltimore. More info and a sample here.

Lars Winnerãck is back from his self-imposed sabbatical and ready to work on his new album "Söndermarken", whose title is inspired by the Danish park. Read more here. (in Swedish)

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In The Shadows
02. C21 - You Are The One
03. St. Thomas -Long, Long Time
04. Winta - Emotions
05. The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghostriders
06. The Cardigans - For What It´s Worth
07. Grant - Just The Thing
08. Sahara Hotnights - Alright, Alright
09. Caesars Palace - Candy Kane

Challengers:
01. The Embassy - It Never Entered My Mind
02. Håkan Hellström - Den Fulaste Flickan I Världen
03. Kashmir - Surfing The Warm Industry
04. Desmond Foster - Love, Love, Love
05. The Knife - Heartbeat

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

The Crystal Committee (members of Starmarket) and The Lost Patrol (Dennis from t(I)NC) have both been confirmed for the upcoming Umeå Open fest. Other acts already confirmed include Cult of Luna , Advance Patrol, Ison & Fille, Marit Bergman, My Left One, Paris, and Peckish.

Finish 'polka-metallers' Finntroll have posted a .zip file containing an mp3 of a new song entitled "Visor Om Slutet". It's the first recorded material they've made public since being joined by new vocalist Tapio Wilska. Look for the track to surface on a new release sometime in spring.