The Mary Onettes continue to explore the eighties on their third album “Hit the Waves”, which was released in March. We could listen to the splendid single “Evil Coast” already in the Autumn, and there’s more of that on the album, but then more in the way of straight hooky pop melodies, which there are plenty of among the ten tracks. The Cure still feels like a point of origin for the music, from where the band in a nostalgic ambition goes hiking in the domains of synth pop and New Wave-pop. Here’s the title track from the album.

The Mary Onettes’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp

Feather Revs released their debut EP “In Prism” last year, and seem to be working on their first full length album right now. The music head out for the large spaces, full of reverb, delays and distant guitars. They certainly don’t get lost among all the bouncing sounds, but carefully delivers an airy and dreamy indie rock with focus more on the ambience than the melodies, which appears more like ornaments in their planetarium. Listen here below to one of their tracks.

Feather Revs’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Bandcamp

Lean

Pierre Dackmo has released his solo debut this Spring with two songs which are said to be forerunners of an upcoming album. “Breven” (“The Letters”) is the name of the single release, which breathes of comfortable Swedish singer/songwriter-music in the spirit of Lars Winnerbäck.

Pierre Dackmo’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

A couple of months ago Michel Dida released the new mixtape “Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown”, and sounds like no other Swedish hip hop I’ve heard lately.

“Last year was a long year, mostly spent as a traveling man, I had a lot of fun, but i´ve also dealt with a lot of unhappy stuff. Music lost it´s touch and i was never psyched about writing. Summer was crazy, winter was dark. When the year was in it´s last days it felt necessary to summarize it….four or five feelings that remained became heavy is the head that wears the crown. Some kind of stepping stone between windowsill rap on youtube to a supposed ep and an album release.”

He creates a laidback atmosphere like we were sitting in a half full piano bar with a couple of bears in our hands, and he’s telling stories from the past year in his own special,  somewhat languorous and cool, but engaging voice. The words are pouring out with many references, references I don’t always get, but I nod and smile, because it’s entertaining and comfortable where we sit.

The samples come from Sampha, Jessie Ware, Mister Lies, JMSN,Rebecca & Fiona, My Tandem and Boi-1da, and the mixtape is free to download. Here are two tracks:

Dida on Twitter – on Soundcloud

Tennis Bafra, who last year released the acclaimed debut album “Abulia Jubilee”, continued this year with two songs of nice and dirty indie rock on the single “Snail Is Slow/DNA Express”. Interestingly the first song was written already in the nineties while the second one is a new composition. Rumour has it that that they are working on a new album right now.

Tennis Bafra’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp