The release of Kaizers Orchestra sideproject Skambankt's new album "Hardt Regn" has been set for January 26.

Watch Kaizers Orchestra cover the Willie Nelson class "On the road again": http://www.nrk.no/p3tv/kaizers-covrer-willie-nelson/

MP3: Katzenjammer - Le pop

You should know by now that I love almost anything that manages to incorporate traditional folk into modern music, so you shouldn't be surprised that I'm enjoying Norway's Katzenjammer quite a bit. Countrymates Kaizers Orchestra are a good reference point, 'cept that KJ borrow more from bluegrass than purely European/Gypsy folk. And they're also a heckuva lot more fun, something very very obvious on "Le pop", the title track to their debut album. The 'grass isn't so apparent here as the lilting circus music takes center stage, but I assure you - it's there. And those tight vocal harmonies might have you thinking Pipettes, but they do just as well in rootsier settings. Regardless, I love the seasickness-inducing bombast and that's all that matters. Once again: very fun and right up my alley.

Katzenjammer - Le pop

The new Kaizers Orchestra vinyl-only live album "250 Prosent" will be released on October 10. Details: http://www.kaizers.no/articles/4/18/document238.ehtml (in Norwegian)

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Øystein Sunde - Meget i Sløyd
02. Diverse artister - Mgp Jr 2008
03. Tommy Tokyo feat Starving for M - Smear Your Smiles Back On
04. Smurfene - Smurfeparty
05. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
06. Jarle Bernhoft - Ceramik City Chronicles
07. Espen Lind - Army of one
08. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
09. Malin - Pang
10. Vassendgutane - Xo
11. Madrugada - Madrugada
12. Real Ones - All For The Neighbourhood
13. Ingenting - Kjempegreier
14. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
15. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
16. Bare Egil Band - Jeg er helt rå
17. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
18. Helge Trio Lien - Hello Troll
19. Celine - Bæstevænna
20. School - Destructive Sounds

Here is this week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Øystein Sunde - Meget i Sløyd
02. Jarle Bernhoft - Ceramik City Chronicles
03. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
04. Diverse artister - Mgp Jr 2008
05. Espen Lind - Army of one
06. Vassendgutane - Xo
07. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
08. Malin - Pang
09. Bare Egil Band - Jeg er helt rå
10. Ingenting - Kjempegreier
11. Madrugada - Madrugada
12. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
13. Celine - Bæstevænna
14. Helge Trio Lien - Hello Troll
15. Real Ones - All For The Neighbourhood
16. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
17. Lindstrom - Where you go I go to
18. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
19. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
20. Return - Best Of Both Worlds

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Bare Egil Band - Jeg er helt rå
03. Espen Lind - Army of one
04. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
05. Vassendgutane - Xo
06. Ingenting - Kjempegreier
07. Madrugada - Madrugada
08. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
09. Lindstrom - Where you go I go to
10. Real Ones - All For The Neighbourhood
11. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
12. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
13. Major Parkinson - Major Parkinson
14. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
15. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
16. Hovedøen Social Club - Que Viva Noruega
17. Too Far Gone - Livåt
18. Trygve Hoff - Tørrfesk og Ballader
19. Malin - Pang
20. Diverse artister - Sorgen og gleden: Matte Marit

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Ingenting - Kjempegreier
03. Lindstrom - Where you go I go to
04. Espen Lind - Army of one
05. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
06. Vassendgutane - Xo
07. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
08. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
09. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
10. Madrugada - Madrugada
11. Hilde Marie Kjersem - A Killer For That Ac
12. Too Far Gone - Livåt
13. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
14. Malin - Pang
15. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
16. Hovedøen Social Club - Que Viva Noruega
17. Diverse artister - Sorgen og gleden: Matte Marit
18. Real Ones - All For The Neighbourhood
19. Trygve Hoff - Tørrfesk og Ballader
20. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Espen Lind - Army of one
03. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
04. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
05. Vassendgutane - Xo
06. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
07. Madrugada - Madrugada
08. Too Far Gone - Livåt
09. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
10. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
11. Malin - Pang
12. Hilde Marie Kjersem - A Killer For That Ac
13. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
14. Ingrid Olava - Juliets Wishes
15. Lars Horntveth - Kaleidoscopic
16. Erik og Kriss - Verden vil bedras
17. Karin Krog - Oslo Calling
18. Thom Hell - God If I Saw Her Now
19. Morten Harket - Letter From Egypt
20. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Espen Lind - Army of one
03. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
04. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
05. Vassendgutane - Xo
06. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
07. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
08. Madrugada - Madrugada
09. Too Far Gone - Livåt
10. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
11. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
12. Malin - Pang
13. Malin - Pang
14. Morten Harket - Letter From Egypt
15. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
16. Ingrid Olava - Juliets Wishes
17. Celine - Bæstevænna
18. Real Ones - All For The Neighbourhood
19. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner
20. Erik og Kriss - Verden vil bedras

New German dates for Kaizers Orchestra:

11/11 - Musiktheater, Kassel
11/12 - Muffatwerk, München
11/14 - Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg
11/16 - Stahlwerk, Düsseldorf
11/20 - Longhorn, Stuttgart
11/21 - Postbahnhof, Berlin

Apparently the setlist on this tour will be filled by songs the band doesn't regularly play or hasn't played in awhile, so expect something special?

Here is this week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
03. Espen Lind - Army of one
04. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
05. Vassendgutane - Xo
06. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
07. Madrugada - Madrugada
08. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
09. Too Far Gone - Livåt
10. Paal Flaata - Old Angel Midnight
11. Svein Østvik - Kongen Av Mallorca
12. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
13. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
14. Malin - Pang
15. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
16. Farmers Market - Surfin' Ussr
17. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner
18. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
19. Gluecifer - Kings of rock
20. Terje Formoe - Hiv o'hoi - Kaptein Sabeltanns beste

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Espen Lind - Army of one
03. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
04. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
05. Vassendgutane - Xo
06. Too Far Gone - Livåt
07. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
08. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
09. Malin - Pang
10. Madrugada - Madrugada
11. Paal Flaata - Old Angel Midnight
12. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
13. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
14. Svein Østvik - Kongen Av Mallorca
15. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold On Be Strong
16. PK & Dansefolket - 20 beste
17. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner
18. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
19. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
20. Morten Harket - Letter From Egypt

Micke from Sweden (aka Micke Lohse of Atomic Swing) has confirmed that his new album "Waiting for the end" will be released on September 26 via Nordic Notes. As mentioned before, the album was produced by Janove Ottesen of Kaizers Orchestra and features guest contributions from artists such as Børge Fjordheim (Cloroform), Sjur Miljeteig (The Leather Fashion), John Lilja (Jackman, Thomas Dybdahl) and Morten Abel.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
02. Espen Lind - Army of one
03. Åge Aleksandersen - Katalysator
04. Return - Best Of Both Worlds
05. Kathrine Moholt - Sweethearts
06. Vassendgutane - Xo
07. Too Far Gone - Livåt
08. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
09. Madrugada - Madrugada
10. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
11. Harald Heide Steen jr. - Musikalske Minner
12. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold On Be Strong
13. Malin - Pang
14. Sogns - Det koster å vara kar
15. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
16. Svein Østvik - Kongen Av Mallorca
17. Morten Harket - Letter From Egypt
18. Åsmund Åmli Band - Panorama
19. Hovedøen Social Club - Que Viva Noruega
20. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons