Kickback Circus call themselves “Sweden’s smallest arena rock band”, and on their latest EP “Sounds Like a Plant” they show us what they mean by that. The first song “Flashlight Memories” has a synth pop touch with melodic loops á la Vince Clarke, but that first of all makes me think of Jon & Vangelis. The following two songs move the synths to the background and could be described as arena pop ballads, which in their romantic melancholy probably would have worked great as finishing songs at the dance night during the eighties as well as they work today. Not bad at all.

Kickback Circus’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

The two sistes Piroth continues with their plan of releasing a new song each season, the most recent one “På fältet” which is out now. Beautiful, acoustic and folk-melancholic, and as before illustrated above by the artist Kheira Linder. The third song, “Morgondimma” (“Morning Mist”) will be released in the end of May.

Piroths hemsida – på Facebook – på Spotify – på Wimp – på Soundcloud

Chirping is the name of an indie rock quartet from Stockholm. Last year they released a single and an EP, and now, about a month ago, two songs on the single “Flicker & Fade”. They sound like if a young The Edge from U2 had formed a band with Steve Kilbey from The Church, at least in the title track, while the second track “Such a Pretty Sight” makes me think a bit of Echo & the Bunnymen and The National, whom the band themselves also mention. Good songs and a nice new acqaintance.

Chirping’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

The Good Morning Spider, hailing from Malmö, released this indie-psychadelic video creation today, to their song “Doctors and Crackers”. The song is taken from their freshly released debut EP “A Peg In the Hole”; an EP I have’nt listened through quite yet, but which I will do of course after this excellent track.

The Good Morning Spider’s site – on Facebook – on Bandcamp – on Soundcloud

The Danish-Swedish band Afenginn was formed in 2002 and have now released five full length albums, counting the latest “Lux” which was released in the beginning of the year. I think it’s a wonderful album, where I felt just after a few bars that this was going to be a different and special experience.

They have their base in folk music, where maybe the balkan influence is what can be sensed most strongly, but I wouldn’t complain if someone called it classical music or jazz for that matter. It’s a blend of all this into their very own Afenginn brew, seductively beautiful, melancholic and which also gives me a strong filmic sensation as I listen. You can listen to the whole album on their Bandcamp page.

Afenginns site – on Facebook –on Bandcamp

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