This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
02. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
03. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
04. Säkert! - Säkert!
05. Sara Isaksson & Anders Widmark - Pool of happiness
06. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
07. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
08. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
09. Marie Picasso - The secret
10. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
11. Jill Johnson - Music Row
12. Anna Christoffersson - One
14. Daniel Lemma - Somebody on your side
15. Mando Diao - Never seen the light of day
16. Peter Jöback - Människor som du och jag
17. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
18. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
19. Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum och tång
20. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
02. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
03. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
04. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
05. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
06. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
07. Jill Johnson - Music Row
08. Säkert! - Säkert!
09. Marie Picasso - The secret
10. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao 3
11. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
12. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
14. Peter Jöback - Människor som du och jag
15. Britta Persson - Kill Hollywood me
16. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
17. Elin Ruth Sigvardsson - A fiction
18. Petter - God damn it
19. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
20. Martin Stenmarck - Det är det pojkar gör när kärleken dör

MP3: Petter - Logiskt

The appeal of Petter's new single "Logiskt" depends almost entirely on whether or not you can get down with the Säkert! sample that anchors the song. It's a time honored cheap tactic, whether you're Puff Daddy or the KLF, but at least in this case the sampled track ("Någon gång måste du bli själv") wasn't already a hit. That makes it marginally more acceptable to my ears. However, the dealbreaker for me is that Petter simply isn't all that compelling as an MC. Obviously, I'm a big Annika Norlin fan, but that only goes so far.

Petter - Logiskt (ft. Säkert!)

The winners of Sweden's P3 Guld awards:

Female artist: Säkert! - Säkert!
Newcomer: Maia Hirasawa
Male artist: Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Song: Oh Laura - Release me
Group: Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
Hip-hop/soul: Petter - God damn it
Rock/metal: Arch Enemy - Rise of the tyrant
Dance: Minilogue - collected work
Pop: Jens Lekman - Night falls over Kortedala
Guldmicken (best live act): Timo Räisänen

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
02. Alf Robertson - Alf Robertsons bästa
03. Salem Al Fakir - This is who I am
04. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
05. Marie Picasso - The secret
06. Caj Karlsson - Rapport från dårhuset
07. Jill Johnson - Music Row
08. Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden
09. Sahara Hotnights - What if leaving is a loving thing
10. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
11. Säkert! - Säkert!
12. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao 3
14. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
15. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
16. Elin Ruth Sigvardsson - A fiction
17. Martin Stenmarck - Det är det pojkar gör när kärleken dör
18. Björn Skifs - I2I
19. Mats Bergmans - Jubileum
20. Miss Li - Songs of a rag doll

Britta Persson
Kill Hollywood me
Amigo Musik

Something must have happened in Sweden around the time artists like Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide, Säkert!), Frida Hyvönen and Britta Persson were young. Even as my musical tastes led me further from the introspective narratives of singer/songwriters from the United States and Britain, I've never been able to 'outgrow' many the female artists that populate the Scandinavian music scene. Many of these songstresses effortlessly combine the poppy with the shadowy, the quirky with the straight-forward, all without straining, overburdening, or warping the overall structure of their compositions. Britta Persson's "Kill Hollywood me" is no exception. The album kicks alive with "Cliffhanger" and its progression from guitars that feel as though they should lead into a huge 70s rock ballad, through wonderfully playful piano notes, and eventually to a bittersweet chorus, its chord progression never jarring the listener, though not unfolding in the way we've become accustomed to pop songs developing. All of the tracks on here are equally interesting to watch evolve in their idiosyncratic, sometimes eccentric, schemes; "Enter and leave" and "Happy hour" being my favorites. If you know what Britta Persson is about, then "Kill Hollywood me" is an organic continuation of her earlier work. If you don't, this album isn't a bad place to start.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

The nominees for this year's Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy, have been announced:

Rhythm:
Kapten röd - Stjärnorna finns här (SwingKids/Border)
Million stylez - From a far (Bonnier Music/Bonnier Amigo)
Governor Andy – Underhållningsmaskinen (KBC Music/Border)
Livelihood - Sagans Sånger (SwingKids/Border)

Pop/Electronica:
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Service/Border)
The Honeydrips - Here Comes The Future (Sincerely Yours/Playground Music)
Erik de Vahl - Oh! My Spine
The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes (Labrador/Border)

Rock/Rockabilly/Blues/Garage:
Murder by Guitar - On Parade (Human audio recordings/Sounds of Subterrania)
Maharajas - In Pure Spite (Low Impact Recordings/Sound Pollution)
Alex Face - Smell Like A Woman (Alleycat/Sound Pollution)
High Hats - Too Much Is Never Enough (Alleycat/Sound Pollution)

Hardrock/Metal:
Arch Enemy - Rise of the tyrant (Century Media/EMI)
Dark Tranquillity - Fiction (Century Media/EMI)
Hardcore Superstar - Dreamin' in a casket (Gain/Sony BMG)
Watain - Sworn to the dark (Season Of Mist/Sound Pollution)

Hiphop/R&B/Soul:
Timbuktu - Oberoendeframkallande (Juju Records/Playground Music)
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing (K-Werks/Border)
Ken - Äntligen hemma (Pope/Playground Music)
Basutbudet - Startpaketet/Pluspaketet (Devrim/V2/Bonnier Amigo)

Experimental:
Jean-Louis Huhta - Halfway Between the World and Death (Slottet Records/Dotshop.se)
Mårten Falk - Eclectric Guitar Experience (dB Productions/CDA)
Rolf Enström - Quarks (Caprice Records/CDA)
Tape & Minamo - Birds of a Feather (Headz/Dotshop.se)

Dance:
Mikael Stavöstrand - Various productions 2007
The Field - From here we go sublime (Kompakt)
Minilogue – Orglar (Minilogue Rec)
Hug - Heroes (Kompakt)

Folk/Ballad:
Ale Möller Band - Djef Djel (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)
Various Artists - Poem, ballader och lite blues - Återbesöket (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)
Lisa Rydberg och Gunnar Idenstam - Bach på svenska (Gazell Records AB/Bonnier Amigo)
Sofia Karlsson - Visor från vinden (Amigo/Bonnier Amigo)

Jazz:
Ludvig Berghe Trio - An unplayed venue (Moserobie Music Production/Bonnier Amigo)
e.s.t. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) - e.s.t Live in Hamburg (ACT/Bonnier Amigo)
Adåker, Milder, Stenson, Danielsson, Öström - Miles by Five (Touché Music AB/CDA)
Lennart Åberg & Norrbotten Big Band - Up north (Caprice Records/CDA)

Synth:
Emmon - The art and the evil (Wonderland records)
Endless Shame - Price of Devotion (KTOWN Records/Misty Music)
Mr Jones Machine – Återvändsgränd (Progress Productions/Border Music)
Terror Punk Syndicate - Extended Playtime (Progress Productions/Border Music)

Punk/Hardcore:
Wolfbrigade - Prey to the world (Agipunk/Unrest/MCR/Sound Pollution)
The Accidents - Summer dreams (Burning Heart/Epitaph/Bonnier Amigo)
Auktion - Spader ess (Cage Match Federation/Border)
The Mockingbirds - Always late and not even close (HepTown Records/Sound Pollution)

Singer/Songwriter:
Christian Kjellvander - I Saw Her From Here/I Saw Here From Her (Startracks/V2/Bonnier Amigo)
Kristofer Åström - Rainaway Town (Startracks/V2/Bonnier Amigo)
José González - In Our Nature (Imperial/Playground Music)
Mattias Bärjed - Originalmusiken till Upp till kamp! (Razzia/Bonnier Amigo)

Best Live Artist:
Familjen
Säkert!
Maia Hirashawa
Laakso

Digfi-prize (unsigned act):
Cocoanut Groove (Umeå)
Emily McWilliam's Desert Soul (Stockholm)
Cartwall (Piteå)
Knivderby (Jönköping)

Read more: https://www.manifestgalan.se/122.aspx

Dreamboy
It means the world to me
I Can Hear Music

This debut album by Dreamboy (from Stockholm, Sweden) is very impressive, and it received quite good reviews in Sweden and I think they've started to receive some good airplay lately. The album starts out brilliantly - all the best tracks are on the first half of the album, the songs on the second half are like weak imitations of what came before. If I had this album on vinyl, you would be able to come to my house in a few years and eat directly from the b-side, that's how great the difference is. Anyway, Dreamboy have that quirky American-sounding indie pop sound going, and a lot of the songs sound very much like Niccokick (especially the first two) and there's a bit of Shout Out Louds and Weezer in there as well. They've also managed to get a duet with the currently most sought-after duet partner in Sweden – Annika Norlin (Säkert!/Hello Saferide) on "Stockholm, we've got a problem" which is a great song about... Stockholm, but like some of the other songs, it contains some "clever" lyrical references that kind of bug me. That's a minor criticism though, this is an album well worth buying if you're after some well made and quite varied melodic indie rock that packs a punch!
- Simon Tagestam

The winners of the Swedish Grammis have been announced:

Best Album: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Dance/Hip-Hop/Soul: Adam Tensta – It's a Tensta thing
Best Folk/Visa: Sofia Karlsson – Visor från vinden
Best Group: Kent – Tillbaka till samtiden
Best Hard-rock: Mustasch – Latest version of the truth
Best Jazz: Rigmor Gustafsson – Alone with you
Best Songwriter: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Female Artist: Säkert! – Säkert!
Best Male Artist: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Live Act: The Hives
Best Song: Lars Winnerbäck w/Miss Li – Om du lämnade mig nu
Best Lyrics: Annika Norlin – Säkert!
Best Newcomer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
Best Producer: Salem Al Fakir – This is who I am
MTV-Prize for Best Video: Johan Söderberg (Familjen – Det snurrar I min skalle)
Export Prize: Bloodshy & Avant

Read more: https://www.grammis.se/?page=105

Discobelle has Anna Järvinen and Annika Norlin (Säkert!/Hello Saferide) performing a Swedish-language cover of Robyn's "With every heartbeat": https://www.discobelle.net/2007/12/27/varje-hjartslag/

The final list of this year's Swedish Grammi nominees have been confirmed:

Best Album
Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Sahara Hotnights - What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Dance/Hip-Hop/Soul
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing
Familjen - Det Snurrar I Min Skalle
Ken - Äntligen Hemma
Mange Schmidt - Känslan Kommer Tillbaks
Petter - God Damn It

Best Folk/Country
Abalone Dots - From A Safe Distance
Ale Möller - Band Djef Djel
Lars Demian - Välkommen Hit
Sofia Karlsson - Visor Från Vinden
Sven-Bertil Taube - Alderville Road - Ord & Toner Av Evert Taube

Best Group
Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Mando Diao - Never Seen The Light Of Day
Sahara Hotnights - What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
The Ark - Prayer For The Weekend
The Hives - The Black And White Album

Best Hard-rock/Metal
Entombed - Serpent Saints
Hardcore Superstar - Dreamin' In A Casket
Lillasyster - Hjärndöd Musik För En Hjärndöd Generation
Mustasch - Latest Version Of The Truth
Takida - Bury The Lies

Best Jazz
Alice Babs Med Jan Johansson & Georg Riedels - Orkester Illusion
Bitter Funeral Beer Band W Don Cherry & K. Sridhar - Live In Frankfurt 82
E.S.T. - Live In Hamburg
Nils Landgren - Funk Unit Licence To Funk
Rigmor Gustafsson - Alone With You

Best Songwriter
Annika Norlin - Säkert!
Benny Andersson - Bao 3
Joakim Berg & Martin Sköld - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Ola Salo - Prayer For The Weekend
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

Best Female Artist
Anna Järvinen - Jag Fick Feeling
Laleh - Prinsessor
Miss Li - God Put A Rainbow In The Sky
Sonja Aldén - Till Dig
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Live Act
Lars Winnerbäck
Lena PH & Orup
Takida
The Hives
Timbuktu

Best Song
Lars Winnerbäck & Miss Li - Om Du Lämnade Mig Nu
Mange Schmidt Feat. Petter - Giftig
Sahara Hotnights - Cheek To Cheek
Salem Al Fakir - Good Song
The Ark - The Worrying Kind

Best Male Artist
Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Moneybrother - Mount Pleasure
Måns Zelmerlöw - Stand By For…
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Timbuktu - Oberoendeframkallande

Best Newcomer
Adam Tensta - It's A Tensta Thing
Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Oh Laura - A Song Inside My Head, A Demon In My Bed
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am
Säkert! - Säkert!

Best Producer
Benny Andersson - Bao 3
Björn Olsson - Never Seen The Light Of Day
Björn Yttling - Writer's Block & What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
Jon Joshua Schuman & Kent - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

Best Lyrics
Annika Norlin - Säkert!
Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum Och Tång
Jason Diakité - Oberoendeframkallande
Joakim Berg - Tillbaka Till Samtiden
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

MTV-Prize for Best Video
Adam Tensta - My Cool (Dir: Marcus Lundin)
Familjen - Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (Dir: Johan Söderberg)
Kent - Ingenting (Dir: Mattias Montero/Adam Berg)
Slagsmålsklubben - Malmö Beach Night Party (Dir: Andreas Nilsson)
The Ark - Prayer For The Weekend (Dir: Magnus Renfors / Kindpeople)

Read more: https://www.grammis.se/?page=96

The playlist for my radio show this week featured all of my favorite songs from 2007:

01. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
02. TALK 1
03. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle
04. The Skull Defekts - The secret
05. Ted Gärdestad - Räcker jag till
06. TALK 2
07. CS Nielsen - Black spots
08. Kornstad - Turkey, Texas
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. The Bombettes - I wanna
11. TALK 3
12. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
13. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
14. The Bell - I am history
15. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
16. TALK 4
17. Mainliners - Olivia
18. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
19. Karin Ström - Ordlös
20. TALK 5
21. Fun - I've got a truck
22. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
23. Juvelen - Hanna
24. TALK 6
25. Laakso - Worst case scenario
26. Closer - Sensing the wake
27. Asha Ali - A promise broken
28. TALK 7
29. Paper - My life is going under
30. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
31. Lukestar - White shade
32. TALK 8
33. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
34. Aerial - You will all die, all things will
35. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
36. TALK 9

Next week (12/29) I'm doing another special theme show on Swedish postpunk.

Top 10s for 2007: Martina & Daniel Ledinsky (Razzia Records)

Top 10s for 2007: It's a Trap!

The boring, entirely predictable nominations for this year's Rockbjörnen:

Female artist:
Amy Diamond
Miss Li
Robyn
Sonja Aldén
Säkert!

Male artist:
Danny Saucedo
Lars Winnerbäck
Magnus Uggla
Måns Zelmerlöw
Ola Svensson

Group:
Kent
Mando Diao
Sahara Hotnights
The Ark
The Hives

Best newcomer:
Danny Saucedo
Miss Li
Måns Zelmerlöw
Oh Laura
Salem Al Fakir

Best song:
Kent: Ingenting
Lars Winnerbäck: Om du lämnade mig nu
Magnus Uggla: Pärlor åt svin
Måns Zelmerlöw: Cara Mia
Ola Svensson: Natalie

Best album:
Kent: Tillbaka till samtiden
Lars Winnerbäck: Daugava
Magnus Uggla: Pärlor åt svinen
Ola Svensson: Good Enough
The Ark: Prayer for the Weekend

Best live act:
Kent
Lars Winnerbäck
Mando Diao
The Ark
The Hives

Go here to vote: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesliv/musik/rockbjornen2007/article1324994.ab