Anna Hamilton offers quite a spectra of music. From a dance-influenced, shrewd electronic pop to dramatic songs alone with a piano. She is quite resourceful with the arrangements and has a sense of melody that makes each song grow into something unique.

But first of all I’m fascinated by her voice, a voice that sometimes sounds with sharpness and clarity and sometimes with a Björkian-Morisetteian frailty that catches the atmosphere in the songs. In one track I can hear her let go of all this and release something that makes me sense a great rock voice.

On Anna’s site, you can listen to her music. For those of you who know Swedish she also presents a really nice blog. A blog where you can follow the development of her music and also get to know her, all in a pleasant mix.

Here are two tracks you can listen to and download, with Anna Hamilton:

Umbrella
Dedication to Mr Sandman

In December last year I reviewed The Argument’s “Summer/Winter Nights”; a very interesting album, indie pop, experimental and with a special feeling. This summer this was followed by “Everything Depends”, a 7-track album.

Even if the two albums have some things in common, I think that “Everyhing Depends” feels very different from “Summer/Winter Nights”. This record feels more open and accessible, with more focus on the indie pop part than the experimental parts. I recognise the sound, but it feels dynamic, acoustic than lo-fi. It’s a more uniform album and just like its predecessor the songs are strong with great melodies.

Like before, the entire album is available for free at The Argument’s Bandcamp page. You can also meet the band on Myspace. Here are a couple of tracks from “Everything Depends”:

Nothing Remains
Yet There Is Hope

Johannes Vidén & Bluebird Association have released a 4-track EP, “Days of Defeat”, to give us a taste of their upcoming album.  And it turns into a nostalgic trip back in time, where my thoughts first of all go to The Band, but also to Springsteen and to the passionate sixties.

Four tracks of somewhat different character, but with the same nice, roomy retro ambience. Three of the songs are in English and one in Swedish. I really like the English ones, but my favourite one is the song in Swedish, “Den sista färden”, which contains lyrics inspired by Harry Martinsson’s “Vägen till Klockrike” (“The Road”).

Johannes has a fervor and a glow in his voice that really lifts the songs. Sometimes he reminds me of Levon Helm, but more often of Magnus Carlsson in Weeping Willows, and when he sings in Swedish I can feel a touch of the warmth from Plura Jonsson in Eldkvarn.

You can listen to the entire EP “Days of Defeat” on their Myspace page, and here below you can explore and download two of the tracks:

Time That You Love Me
Den sista färden

I’m listening to the album “Hemma” (“At Home”) from One Man Freac Show, a really nice surprise. I haven’t listened to OMFS before, so I didn’t have any expectations at all, but this was a very strong album, right up my alley.

Fredric Johansson, who is behind One Man Freac Show, has created a varying and interesting album in the realms of Indie pop. I hear some Ed Harcourt and get some vibes from Foo Fighters, in some tracks when he gets some pace. But in the end this sounds suprisingly unique and fresh, and with very interesting songwriting.

I will definitely listen to this record a lot more. If you like the tracks below, you can visit One Man Freac Show’s site and download the entire album “Hemma”. To listen more you can go to his Myspace page or visit Last.fm.

Here is a couple of songs and a video from “Hemma”:

Johnny You’re OK

With Being Alone
TV Family

Behind the band name Death Ends Here we find Simon Lussi, a singer/songwriter that walks his own path. He tells us that he started out with acoustic singer/songwriter music, was inspired by metal core and hip hop and tried to combine all this in his own way.

And this resulted in his own mix of acoustic softness, aggressive songlines and a darker metal atmosphere. Armed with only an acoustic guitar and smooth vocals he does a really good job here.

Last spring he finished the EP “Abandon All”, which is available, both for listening and downloading, on Death Ends Here’s Myspace page. Here are a couple of tracks from the EP:

Burden On Me
Combined