Nikola Sarcevic - Lock-Sport-Krock (Burning Heart)
So the frontman for Millencolin wants to try the sensitive singer/songwriter thing. Why not? It certainly seems to be what's cool these days. The problem is that he really doesn't have anything interesting to contribute to the genre. Aside from a more acoustic-based instrumentation, some slower tempos and indulgent heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics, most of the songs here really aren't that different from Nikola's stuff with the full band. Turn on the distortion, lay down a faster drumbeat and you'd be listening to Millencolin. On the other hand, the music is certainly a lot more country than I anticipated, but it's merely adequate. It would be ridiculous for me to call him a poseur or anything, but the playing comes across as someone who is trying to ape the various basic trappings of the genre without actually feeling or understanding it. Picture a yellow cd cover with the title "Country for Dummies". Sure, it's got the proper rhythms, chord progressions and some nicely played pedal steel, but it's lacking any sort of authentic emotional weight or feeling. Part of the problem is that the guitar playing is way too simple. Dashboard Confessional can strum a few basic chords and win hearts of teenage girls, but it takes a bit of picking to get my attention, or at least a bit more developed melodies and harmonies. All in all, I shouldn't get too down on this because it's really not that bad, but I was really hoping for something more than a vanity project.

Nikola Sarcevic
Lock-sport-krock
Burning Heart Records

So the frontman for Millencolin wants to try the sensitive singer/songwriter thing. Why not? It certainly seems to be what's cool these days. The problem is that he really doesn't have anything interesting to contribute to the genre. Aside from a more acoustic-based instrumentation, some slower tempos and indulgent heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics, most of the songs here really aren't that different from Nikola's stuff with the full band. Turn on the distortion, lay down a faster drumbeat and you'd be listening to Millencolin. On the other hand, the music is certainly a lot more country than I anticipated, but it's merely adequate. It would be ridiculous for me to call him a poseur or anything, but the playing comes across as someone who is trying to ape the various basic trappings of the genre without actually feeling or understanding it. Picture a yellow cd cover with the title "Country for Dummies". Sure, it's got the proper rhythms, chord progressions and some nicely played pedal steel, but it's lacking any sort of authentic emotional weight or feeling. Part of the problem is that the guitar playing is way too simple. Dashboard Confessional can strum a few basic chords and win hearts of teenage girls, but it takes a bit of picking to get my attention, or at least a bit more developed melodies and harmonies. All in all, I shouldn't get too down on this because it's really not that bad, but I was really hoping for something more than a vanity project.
- Avi Roig

Even though Nikola Sarcevic just put out a solo album, that doesn't mean that Millencolin is being put aside. The band recently started writing songs and rehearsing for their sixth album. They plan to enter the studio in August and should hopefully have something out early next year.

German webzine Sellfish has posted an interview Nikola Sarcevic from Millencolin where they talk about his new solo album: http://sellfish.inserteffekt.com/_start.php?link=interviews/nikola.htm
And, as usual, there's the usual round-up of reviews for the week:

Alyson Avenue - Omega
The Bones - Straight flush ghetto
Erlend Oye - DJ kicks
Evergrey - The inner circle
Promoe - The long distance runner

Oswald and Henke from The Peepshows will be teaming up with Tomas from Bombshell Rocks to back fellow Burning Heart artist Nikola Sarcevic (Millencolin) when he does his record release party at Kelly's in Örebro, Sweden on March 26. As mentioned before, Nikola's debut solo album "Lock-Sport-Krock" comes out March 29 from BHR.

Download the song "Nobody Without You" off of the upcoming debut solo album from Nikola Sarcevic of Millencolin: http://www.burningheart.com/mp3/nikola_sarcevic_-_nobody_without_you.mp3

Millencolin got themselves a newly designed webpage: http://www.millencolin.com/

It's been talked about here before, but now it's official: Nikola Sarcevic of Millencolin will be releasing a solo album. The disc will be called "Lock-Sport-Krock" and will be out on Burning Heart on March 29. Here's what Nikola had to say about it:

"Last summer I entered [Kalle from TSOOL's] Svenska Grammofon Studion in Gothenburg to record something that would eventually turn out as an album. Together with Henrik Wind (the Peepshows), Thomas Falk (Bombshell Rocks), Mieszko Talarczyk (Nasum) and some other friends and musicians, I recorded 13 songs, of which 11 will be on the album. Soundwise, the material ranges from Boogie-Woogie to Country and Folkrock. I think the word love is mentioned in each and every song, so If there is a "Theme of the album", it's definitely LOVE. Otherwise I would say that the songs are quite different to each other and a lot different to what I've done with Millencolin. I hope you will check it out!"

Millencolin says they are done doing demos at Soundlab and are very pleased with the results so far. They also recorded a cover version of an unnamed "Swedish punk classic" featuring a guest vocalist that's due to appear on the Burning Heart "Heart Attack" comp out sometime in May. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more exact details soon.

Millencolin are currently holed up in Soundlab, the studio they co-run with Mieszko from Nasum, recording some demos. After that, it's back to their regular space in Örebro for more rehearsals and writing.

Here's a collage of pics from Millencolin's afterparty at Café Opera following their "Best Swedish Rock" win at the Swedish Hit Music Awards.

Winners of the Swedish Hit Music Awards for Swedish categories:

Best Swedish artist: Alcazar
Best Swedish song: Per Gessle - "Här kommer alla känslorna"
Best Swedish hiphop/r&b: Timbuktu
Best Swedish rock: Millencolin
Best Swedish video: The Knife - "Heartbeats"

Finland's The Rasmus also won for best foreign song with their track "In the Shadows".

Nominees in the Swedish categories for the Swedish Hit Music Awards:

Best Swedish group:
Moneybrother
Alcazar
Robyn
A-Teens

Best Swedish Song:
Da Buzz - Alive
Per Gessle - Här kommer alla känslorna
Miio feat. Daddy Boastin' - När vi två blir en
Håkan Hellström - Kom igen Lena

Best Swedish hip-hop/r'n'b
Looptroop - Don't Hate The Player
Timbuktu - The botten is nådd
Advance Patrol - Min musik
Fattaru - Bättre

Best Swedish video
The Concretes - You Can't Hurry Love
The Knife - Heartbeats
José González - Crosses
The Cardigans - You're The Storm

Best Swedish rock
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
The Sounds - Living In America
Millencolin - E20 Norr

Best 'ZTV-färsking':
Satirnine - Hey No Hell
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
Pauline - Runnin' Out Of Gaz
José González - Crosses

Winners be announced November 9 on ZTV. More info: http://www.ztv.se/shma/

Rescheduled US tour dates for Millencolin, who will be supported by Wakefield and Senses Fail:

11/19 - Jannus Landin, St. Petersburg, FL
11/20 - DV8/Marquee, Jacksonville, FL
11/21 - Cats Cradle, Carrboro, NC
11/22 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC
11/23 - Irving Plaza, New York City, NY
11/25 - Trocadero Theatre, Philladelphia, PA
11/26 - Metropolis, Montreal, PQ (CAN)
11/27 - Kool Haus, Toronto, ON (CAN)
11/28 - St Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
11/29 - The Metro, Chicago, IL

The band also reports that they recently mixed and mastered a recording of their show from the Stockholm, Arenan last March for possible use on an upcoming DVD. And lastly, the band's skatecontest 'Millencolin Open 2003' will be held at the park Brädcentralen in Örebro, Sweden at the end of October.

Millencolin checks in to announce that the make-up dates for their cancelled US tour are now being scheduled and will kick off November 19 in Florida. Details soon. Otherwise, the band is busy writing songs for the next album. In related news, bassist Nikola recorded some singer/songwriter kind of stuff with members from The Peepshows, Bombshell Rocks and Soundtrack Of Our Lives. Maybe for an eventual solo album? And lastly, guitarist Mathias is in the studio too, but this time as producer working with the Swiss band Snitch.