Yes, this blog is still about swedish music and swedish artists; de la Mancha is not from la Mancha but from Göteborg. And this year they have released their first full length album “Atlas”.

If you’re in a hurry this is not for you. But if you can let go of time and immerse yourself fully into the music and just be there, then you have come to the right place. Because de la Mancha take the space they need to develop their songs to what they are supposed to be. Carefully they build ambiences from themes and melodies, often up to a grand crescendo.

There are a lot of influences here and I find vibes from Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Sigur Ros and the dreamy pop of Marjorie Fair. It has a lot of variation, it’s beautiful, it’s dreamy, well yes it’s great music this.

Listen to two tracks from “Atlas”:

The Kimono
Release All Light

Visit de la Mancha on Myspace and listen some more

Let yourself be swept away by the dreamy tones from Blicq. It fits perfectly a cold and gray November day like this. On atmospheric, beautiful backgrounds a little harder industry beat breaks in. It’s down-tempo, laidback and Ylva’s seductive, somewhat jazzy vocals paint melodies that drag me into the songs.

Blicq is a duo that consists of Anders Ekman and Ylva. They started creating music together in 2003. Sofar they haven’t released an album, but new recordings are underway, aiming for a debut album.

Here you can listen to and download three of their songs. On Last.fm you can continue to explore their music and download tracks. They also have a Myspace page you can visit.

Civil Pulse
Today
No Way Back

Things have been happening fast for The High Fives. They started out 2006 in Katrineholm, Sweden, in 2007 they toured all over Sweden and played at Hultsfredsfestivalen, they drank black absinth and turned a hostel upside down, and now in November 2008 they release their debut album “Work of Art” (Show Me the Money/Wonderland Records).

And their music runs pretty fast too. It’s indie pop/rock with a lot of energy with nice melodic hooks, and the latest addition to the band with two brass players emphasizes this even more. (extra pluses for saxophone solos). A party atmosphere I would say, positive and happy, and with this as a starting point I’m sure they will continue to get a lot of attention on their concerts and gather faithful crowds.

The third of November the album “Work of Art” is released, but you can get a taste of it here by listening to two great tracks from the record:

241
Duracell

Visit The High Fives on Myspace

I got a tip the other day about Jonas Tunander. Earlier this year he released the EP “You Took a Piece of My Heart”, which is available on på sin hemsida free for download.

He serves a pop/rock-mix where other influences can be sensed in the verses which erupts in nice catchy choruses. What catches me most in the end is Jonas’ vocals; he sings in a straightforward and open way that feels quite different.
I did recognise the way of singing somehow, but it wasn’t until I heard an electronica remix by Mars TV of the song “Get Your Feet Back On the Ground”, that I finally landed in the synth pop from the eighties and the vocals heard there.

You can listen to two tracks from “You Took a Piece of My Heart” below. The excellent remix, mentioned above, can be heard on Jonas Tunander’s site.
You can also visit him and the band on their Myspace page.

“Get Your Feet Back On the Ground”

Self-Pity Is All You Need
Get Your Feet Back On the Ground

Piano based pop with jazz influences they call their music, Silverpennies. A very good description, I think. If I place them on my music map they come somewhere close to Toto’s regions, although more towards pop.

In August this fall they released a six track EP “Andromeda”. And I’m having a really good time listening through the album. A nice sound, a lot of variation and imaginative songwriting. Straight pop melodies are interwoven with jazzy parts. I also sense four skilled musicians collaborating here, with great vocals from Adam Jonsson.

You can listen to and download “Andromeda” on their site, all for free. On their site they also blog more or less frequently, with a video blog now and then, so if want to know more about the band, I suggest you start there.
Of course the band also has a Myspace page.

I end this post with question:
What differs Silverpennies as a band from 99% of all other bands with four members in pop and rock?

Listen to a couple of tracks from “Andromeda”:

Left Behind
Big Black Tree