The duo Old Amica, which I wrote about earlier this year, have now released their debut album “Debris”. They continue to explore their special sound landscapes they introduced us to in their earlier releases. They write that although there are no overall theme for the album, many songs is about loosing the feeling for a home.

And the music in itself has no obvious genre home. There is a feeling of folk music and influences from for example Neil Young, but the acoustic parts are equally interwoven with electronic pads, sound figures and beats, in songs that can be experienced as ambient as well as traditionally built melodic songs. It’s mellow and reflects solitude and vast landscapes, but there is also a warmth and softness, well maybe humility is a better word, like if they have covered everything with a nice blanket to rest on.

Johan Kisro, one half of the band, tells that the band name originally comes from a sailing boat named “Amica” that his family owned when he was a kid. When they duo started playing together he found some old photos of the boat and thought that it would fit as a band name. Old Amica, which could be translated to “old friend”, refers to the two members as well as a symbol for people and events that pass by in life. A nostalgic feeling in other words, which is reflected in the music.

You can listen to the album on their site or on Spotify. They also have a Facebook page. Here are two songs from “Debris”:

New Start
Summer Morning Light

Support the artist: Buy “Debris” – on iTunes – on Amazon

Elias and the Wizzkids’ second album “Just Do It!” was released last year, but since I didn’t write about it then, I thought that it would appropriate to do it now. Especially since the starting track of the album “Waste of Time” totally hooked me up, a song that I think was among the absolute best pop songs last year, and it became even stronger with the brilliant nostalgic music video by Mats Udd.

Besides the the nice sense of melodies, the text theme and Elias Åkesson’s characteristic voice, I can’t say that the song is typical for the album. Instead you’re invited to a most varied journey where they get inspiration from pop from the sixties and the seventies, from disco, synth pop from the eighties, indie and much more, without digging too much in one place in any song. You can listen to this fine album on Spotify and you’ll find the band on their site.

Waste of Time

Support the artist: Buy “Just Do It!” – on iTunes – on Amazon

Bring the Mourning On releases another track for free from their album “Going, Going, Gone”, which I wrote about earlier this year. It’s the excellent “Eye of the Beholder”, which you can listen to and download below, accompanied by a video made by Björn Wahlström (Idle Hands).

You can listen to the entire album on the band’s site, on Bandcamp or on Spotify.

Eye of the Beholder

Buy “Going, Going, Gone” – on iTunes – on Amazon

Caviare Days released their debut single “The Awakening” last month. The title track shines of references from Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane from the end of the sixties, while the second track “Allure” feels more experimental and difficult to place in time, though also with psychadelia vibes and a large dose of folk music.

The band consists of the two sisters Lina and Maja Westin backed by a band with drums, violin, keyboards and guitars. The single is a first taste of the debut album, to be released next year. Their name is taken from a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “Tender Is the Night”.

Read more on Caviare Days’ site and on Facebook. The single is available on Spotify.

The Awakening

Buy “The Awakening” – on iTunes – on Amazon

Simon & Garfunkel goes indie could be a description for the band Oriel Joans‘ music. It may be a little exaggerated but it’s not only the band’s vocal harmonies that lead me to this referral, but also the feeling from melodies and clear references from folk music in the songs. At the same time it feels indie, where it doesn’t get too sweet or predictable and they seem to follow their own path. An excellent combination I think, which works great for me.

Last year they released the self-titled debut album, earlier this year the EP “Ghostly” and here below you can listen to the latest song, the single “Chin Up”. Listen to all this on Spotify or on their site.

The band name comes from a pseudonym, Ori L Joans, which in turn came from a music project that started the band, under circumstances that are little cloudy. An internal reference, so to speak, where they felt that the name felt right, they changed it a little and went on with the band.

Chin Up

Support the artist: Buy Oriel Joans’ music – on iTunes – on Amazon