Eddie Wheeler is and has been a quite busy man. He has toured extensively, not only in Sweden, but also in England, Australia and in the US. Many recognise him from the Swedish TV show Raggadish, which followed him on an international tour in 2006. Besides the concerts Eddie is also a frequent speaker in schools, conferences and other events.

Sofar he has released a couple of EP:s and is just about to release another one, which will be celebrated with a concert at Pustervik the 20th of November. The EP is a taste of the coming full length album, to be released in spring.

The 2nd of December is the opening night for the Eddie Wheeler Christmas show at Kontiki in Göteborg, Sweden. A live club where independent artists will perform every Tuesday during three weeks in December. Eddie Wheeler himself in the company of Jacques Labouchere will be the first acts.

Here you can get to know Eddie Wheeler’s music in a couple of tracks. I think acoustic rock is a good description of his music. And it is a naked form of rock, with a mellow ambience, gripping and in some kind of way honest. Listen for yourself:

How Far
The First

Visit Eddie Wheeler’s site or his Myspace page to listen some more.

Classic psychadelia music is what I first hear when I listen to Mother and Sun. The experimental rock scene that started in the end of the sixties and evolved further in the beginning of the seventies. Somewhere there I find the roots of Mother and Sun. They sound heavier than their predecessors though and they add massive sounds that make they sound very special. Organs and synths help to create the atmosphere but it’s the complex guitars that is the base of it all. From the most broken-down guitar sounds to The Edge-sounding atmospheric tones. Interesting and varying, a lot of ambience and different.

Mother and Sun started in 2004 and has become an appreciated live act, foremost in the Uppsala area. Earlier this year they participated on the Psychadelia collection “Trip In Time vol III“, they will release a split album soon together with Mugwumps and in the end of this year they start recording a full length album.

Here’s a couple of great tracks:

Lasting the Circle
Time to Vertigo

Visit Mother and Sun on Myspace

Kim Stranne is a happy angry man. He has picked up the somewhat abandoned Swedish prog rock pen and sharpened it. He doesn’t forget, though, to sometimes pick up a softer brush instead, to celebrate life, people and love.

The music has a lot of variation; from softer ballads, to more dramatic rock to folk music inspired prog rock. Nice melodies, but he doesn’t complicate things, because the main purpose is to bring the message forward in a distinct and interesting way. And I think he succeds in this. The finishing touch is Kim’s voice that has that extra glow that can catch fire if needed and make the song ignite.

The lyrics are carefully written, and there is a poetic vein here that closes in on the subject in a different way than just pressing down opinions down the listener’s throat. And he has a good feeling for those frases and interesting titles that makes you want to listen more, and, if you like, take it with you afterwards.

Last year Kim Stranne & Kollektivet released their first album “Svart på vitt” and they are now in the studio recording the sequel, planned to be released in spring next year.
Here you can listen to and download two songs from “Svart på vitt”, “Aldrig” (“Never”) and “Jag litar inte på folk” (“I don’t trust people”), where the chorus line of the last song very well could serve as a slogan for the current intense Swedish debate over the IPRED law: “Jag litar inte på folk som inte litar på folk” (“I don’t trust people who don’t trust people”).

Aldrig
Jag litar inte på folk

Read more at Kim Stranne & Kollektivet’s site or go  to Myspace to listen more.

Behind this bandname hides Petter Hillström, who released his debut album “Hillström & Billy” on the 10th of November. If you are one of those that have started using your old record player again, then this release is perfect for you since the physical release of the album is on vinyl.

“American roots music and British folk with a light twist of modern pop” Petter describes his music. A good description, although in my ears the pop influence is more than a light twist in many songs. I have no problem with that since these songs are really good pop songs, and also quite varying, with nice melodies and sometimes with a retro feeling. This together with the more folk based tracks makes the album very interesting. Below you can listen to a couple of songs.

If you’re in Stockholm tonight, I can recommend a visit to the live club Bara Unplugged where Hillström & Billy will perform together with Mårten Lärka and Kinski.

If You Don’t Come Home
Hard to Grasp

Visit Hillström & Billy on Myspace

Lasse Franck is a skilled word juggler, that with his expressive, rather sensitive voice serves his lines in a pop/rock menu, with nice melodies. From softer pop songs, that remind me of Olle Ljungström, to rock with a drive.

Lasse sings in a way that really emphasizes the lyrics. And I accept the lyrics pretty fast, which can be layered personal reflections delivered with warmth and humour, where the afterthoughts make me smile, or provocations with his tongue in his cheek.

A full length album is being recorded in a collaboration with Pär Edwardson, Jonas Slättung and Kalle Thorslund, and will probably be released in spring 2009.
In the meantime you can get a taste of it by listening to three tracks:

Åka skridskor
Målaren
Inget val

Visit Lasse Franck on Myspace