As I see it, Nordic Folk takes a low spot in Sweden, but there are a big
number of festivals. But they either feature not just nordic (like Falun),
not just folk (like Musik vid Siljan) or simply a nice mixture of
traditional and progressive, better and lesser known, louder and more
quiet musicians - very fine, but just not quite the level NR offers IMHO.

Finding concerts (or even CDs) outside those festivals seems to be a
rather rare occasion and mostly done by accident basically.

Besides that there is quite good music coming from Sweden besides the Song
Contest (big thing up there!) - I would mention artists like Kent or Lisa
Nilson. But be sure will also find worse stuff than what you mentioned....

During my Halmstad year I also met I guy from St.Louis - he loved "Gods
Musicians" and kept playing it to the Swedes at the High School - coming
back to my office right after they banned him....

Klaus