It’s easy to smile when you listen to the synth pop collective Vampyramiden’s EP “Tåglånet” (“The train loan”). It’s a tale in five parts about a couple of guys that escapes their boring hometown by “borrowing” a train. Told in a naïve and charming way with bizarre elements. Inevitably I come to think about Torsson in the way they sound, with some party ambience, lofi and synths added.

And it’s Vampyramiden’s ambition to deliver these kinds of stories in this format. They have promised a singel on the same theme in the end of the summer and you can keep track of this at Vampyramiden’s Myspace page.

Here are the two first chapters of “Tåglånet” (in Swedish). The following three is available on their Myspace page where you can also download the EP for free.

En stad och en trollkarl
Vi åker genom Sverige (med tåg)

In 2008 the band Street Fighting Man released their debut singel “Raise It”. And the same summer they entered the studio to record their debut album. And then…nothing.

Until now. The story doesn’t say if they’ve been locked inside the studio since then, but I do know that they have released a new singel from the upcoming album “The Shadow”.

“Learning to Die” is the name of the song, and it’s a great piece. To me it becomes a nice mix of Queen, Supertramp and a big chunk of Bowie in a cool arrangement with beautiful vocals. There is a bonus track also, in quite a different style, so it’ll be very interesting to see later on how the album will sound.

Learning to Die
State of Grace

You can find Street Fighting Man on Myspace or on Facebook (where you also can listen to previews of several songs from the album).

Here’s the video to the debut singel “Raise It”, från 2008:

Chris Laney has quite a list of qualifications as a producer and as a songwriter. He’s also a solo artist and in April he released his second album, “Only Come Out at Night”.

He gets help from a number of guests on the album, among them some well-known names like Bruce Kulick (Kiss), Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy, Mötörhead), Conny Bloom (Hanoi Rocks, Electric Boys), Ian Haugland (Europe) and Zinny Zan (Shotgun Messiah, Zan Clan), which also gives us a hint to what kind of music it’s about. And of course it’s about hard rock, more precisely the eighties’ hard rock.

It becomes Chris’ own special version of the eighties where he, between sticky rock choruses, glammy choirs and guitar solos, weaves in some metallic darkness and agressive energy. All in all an even and strong album, where Chris shows his strength as a songwriter.

I saw him live at Stockholm Rockout the 1st of May, which was one of the best performances on the festival. Obviously more people agreed with me as he will come back for Stockholm Rockout Festival part 2 on the 10th-11th of September.

You can find Chris Laney on his site, on Facebook and on Myspace. His albums are available on Spotify. Here are two tracks from “Only Come Out at Night”.

Only Come Out at Night
Rockstar

It’s time to start again after a short summer break. And I begin with Shotgun Language, aka Gustav Berry.

This May he released the single “It Leaves Me Worried”, a song that breathes fifties rock, and earlier this year the album “Nerve”, a collection of songs with the same lo-fi sound, caught on his tape recorder at home, and serves us pop gems, country and fifties rock. A little like if Buddy Holly, Neil Young and John Lennon met in someones home and recorded outtakes for their new album.

All tracks can be heard and downloaded on Shotgun Language’s Bandcamp page. You can also meet Shotgun Language on Myspace.

It Leaves Me Worried

Pearl, earlier member of the electronica band Zeitgeist, calls himself Pearl Fiction going solo. He has released his debut single, “The Ruby Fever”, a song that breathes the eighties and Prince. Joining him on this track is Kitty Jutbring from Kitty and the K.

You can find Pearl Fiction on Myspace

The Ruby Fever

The Ruby Fever: