We’ve met Tomeu Alcover and his nylon-stringed guitar before here on Meadowmusic. The songs we presented then finally found a home in November on his new album “Transparent”. Accompanied by drummer Robert Ikiz and bass player Kristian Lind he’s created a soft, beautiful album with his own mix of  jazz, latino, flamenco, folk and classical influences. You can listen to the whole album on his site.

Besides this solo album he also released another album in the same month, “Història Sobre Blanc”, but this time performing under the name Nit Project. This is also instrumental music, but using piano and synths in beautiful, slightly mellow and minimalistic arrangements. It feels filmic and has also been used as the soundtrack for the Spanish TV series “Història Sobre Blanc”. Listen to the other songs on Nit Project’s site.

Two and a Half Years (Tomeu Alcover, “Transparent”)
Juga amb mi (Nit Project, “Història Sobre Blanc”)

Today I’m starting this new year, 2012, here on the blog. I’m receiving more music than ever and I could only wish for more time to show it all to you here on Meadowmusic. Well, I’ll do my best, and we’ll see where we land.

I still have artists to write about from the Autumn, so I’ll start with one of these. First up is Kristoffer Hedberg, who released his third album, “Mina jag och du”, in the beginning of December. Lasse Lindh is the producer and together they have created an enjoyable album, with first of all a refreshed sound if I’m comparing with the earlier songs.

Yes, I write refreshed, because that’s how it feels. Before it was about singer/songwriter-pop with the usual set of instruments: guitars, drums, piano, harmonica etc. But here I meet arrangements and a production that look for new ways. While the compositions basically have the same character as before, now electronica, beats and other ideas have entered. Sometimes as the main ingredients in the arrangements and sometimes just to create space and paint new colours in the background.

He feels a little like a young Peter LeMarc for the 2010’s, with lyrics that least of all feel routine-like; they are written with care, warm and inventive. Here below you can download the first single, the somewhat Springsteen-vibing “Du och jag och Columbus” (“You and Me and Columbus”), but I can hardly say that it’s representative for the album as a whole. The arrangements are varying with it’s own idea for every song. You can listen to the album on Spotify and you can find Kristoffer on his site and on Facebook.

Du och jag och Columbus

I wrote about the electro pop band Storbritannien and their EP “Krita” in the beginning of this year. After some delays with the follow-up to their EP “Krita”, they are now back again with the new single Domino. They are releasing it today and gave me the opportunity to publish it here on Meadowmusic.

This will probably be the last post in 2011, so I would like to wish all the artists and all you listeners that come here a happy new year! I’ll see you next year, and judging from the incoming stream of music, we have a lot to look forward to in 2012.

Here’s “Domino” with Storbritannien:

Domino

After I wrote about Killer Clan of F.U.N.’s debut album in 2009, I came in contact with the band, and we started talking about a collaboration, which also was started soon thereafter. A little more than two years later we could present the band’s second album in the beginning of this Autumn, through my label Blindmen.

As it’s Christmas time the band wanted the entire album to be available for free download, and since the journey started, in a way, here on Meadowmusic, I thought it would be a good place to announce it in a post here. I have added three songs here below and if you’d like to listen and download the entire album you can visit Killer Clan of F.U.N.’s Bandcamp page.

I think it’s a wonderful album and also a fascinating journey to be a part of. They are a hard working rock band who have played at all possible and impossible scenes during the last two years. There’s an unstoppable and positive energy within this band that sometimes amazes me. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are playing a large venue or if they are playing on a small stage in front of a few visitors in pouring rain; it’s always 100% energy and focus. Well, I guess that’s what rock’n’roll really is about, a kind of joy of life through the music and a strong wish to share it with others.

“The World of Voodoo” is an album where the band pushes their rock frontiers even further. If the debut album mostly was about straight classic hard rock, now more influences have started to show themselves more clearly. One of them is a strong punk vibe you can hear in several songs, which goes hand in hand with the singer Maniac’s expression and lyrics. All in all it’s a great varied rock’n’roll adventure which I hope you will enjoy.

The band experienced a setback some week ago as the drummer Big Boned Barabas left the band, and they are now searching for a new drummer who can join them on tour next year.

To follow Killer Clan of F.U.N. you can visit their site or their Facebook page. The album is also available on Spotify.
If you like the cover illustration above I recommend having a look at Christian Wallin Illustrations‘ site. Christian is one of the guitar players of Killer Clan of F.U.N. and also works as an illustrator. He’s produced covers, logos and illustrations for a number of rock bands and rock festivals like for example Hardcore Superstar, Sister, Close Quarters, Skogsröjet et. al.

Cocaine On the Brain
Stay-In-Bed Day
I’m Dead

Every year I present some new Christmas songs in a post, and this year’s no exception. If you’d like to check out the songs from earlier years you can check them out here: 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

First up is ad dios. They have produced Christmas songs every year since a few years back, and now finally they have made a collection of these, together with new ones, on the album “Season of Tranquillity”. Here’s the opening track:
In the Bleak Midwinter

I wrote about Slottet and their new EP “Servants” a couple of weeks ago. Here’s their Christmas contribution:
A Cold Christmas

The Higher Elevations released their Christmas song in 2006, but since I haven’t presented it before, I thought it would fit perfectly in today’s post:
All These Winter Nights

Acid House Kings with their new Christmas single:
(I’m In) A Chorus Line 

Finally a contribution from Skånske Arne & Jonny Spöge who with “Kanske tomten har Facebook” (“Maybe Santa has Facebook”) finish a productive year with this follow-up to their debut singel “Gula lådan“:
Kanske tomten har Facebook

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Edit 20/12 2011 – added the new Christmas single from Acid House Kings