Here’s the debut single from Nicole Sabouné in a video created by Mats Udd. Great song with a Sisters of Mercy-dark ambience but with a sound that rather reminds of the end of the seventies/beginning of the eighties. Nicole makes a great performance here with low tones that haven’t been heard since the days of Amanda Lear and shows a strong expression and an impressive vocal registry.
About a year ago I Wrote about The Litsos. The band has now released their second EP “Daylight Saving EP”, an EP where they explore some new directions with their music. On a couple of tracks I recognise them well from before with their new wave and post punkish The Cure-influences, while they on the wonderful melancholic ballad “Never, at All” follow a somwhat different path, or in the finishing song, the beautiful acoustic “Mourning Glory”, where they open the curtain to a different atmosphere, like if they woke up one morning and were inspired by the first serene sunlight.
It took the band Le Muhr five years to launch a follow-up to the debut album from 2007, “Generation destruktiv”. The EP “Flickorna på klubben” with it’s six tracks was released in the beginning of this year and feels like a kajal painted soundtrack to the big city’s decadent night life, viewed with cynical and ironic eyes. There’s a lot of the eighties in their synth-punk-new wave and the contents would probably have worked just as good back then as it works today.
The five-membered band Long Long Showers comes from Malmö and have so far released a self-titled album and they are underway with the release of a new EP. It’s a pleasantly messy alternative rock they show us, with a singer with his very own expression. Even though it’s possible to find references to other indie rock bands of today, my thoughts goes mostly to British rock and new wave from the early eighties. Listen for yourself below in a couple of songs.
In spring I presentedThis Vision‘s single “20th Century”. The song was a first taste of the upcoming album “The Golden Age We Lost”, which was also released later in Spring. Compared to their debut album from 2009, quite a few things has happened with their songs and their sound.
We’re still in the eighties’ new wave-scene, with big rooms , analogue synth sounds and melancholy. But there’s more air, it’s warmer and more mature. They have managed to create a romantic, dreamy, retrospective feeling of the eighties, which I think many of us who grew up then recognise. It’s an atmospheric album with a soft tranquility in it which you can sink into and enjoy from the first to the last song without getting tired of .
Here below you’ll find the first song, “Ashes”, the second single from the album, and also the music video to the first single, “20th Century”.
The duo Brotherhood released their debut album ”…Turn The Gold To Chrome…” in Spring. It’s about goth rock and new wave with a lot of inspiration from the eighties with references to bands like Sisters of Mercy, The Cure and Joy Division.
It’s an even and really enjoyable album which grows the more I listen. I can’t find any songs which make me directly go around humming the chorus, even if there’s a lot of good melodies and figures. The guitar production impresses me the most, which is varied, tasty, have a great sound and carries many of the songs.
Tobias Bergholm’s solo project, Lovers Forgive Me, is back with a new EP, “400 slag” (“400 Beats”). This EP differs quite a bit from the debut EP I wrote about earlier. The lyrics are now entirely in Swedish and the album feels more coherent. It’s also a different kind of darkness in these songs that have vibes partly from eighties’ new wave and partly from Swedish pop melancholy with a strong expression. And the songs have quite strong hooks too, especially the title song ”400 slag” and the song you can listen to here below, “Kärleksdöden” (“The Death of Love”).
I also took the opportunity to ask Tobias about the artist name, and he told me that the name came up 6 years ago when a band he had joined was going to be baptised. One of the suggestions was “Lovers Forgive Me”, but in the end another name was chosen. He got the idea when he was working in a clothes shop, where they were contantly playing music. He heard a song from the band Her Majesty with the line “Forgive me, Lovers Forgive Me for I am weak”. Right then, after he had just ended a relationship the words got to him. And when he was going to name his solo project 2 years ago, the line popped up again and just like Her Majesty named their band after a Beatles song, he named his project after one of their songs.
Joakim Jakobsson is a former member of The Search and last year he started the band Duellen (The Duel) together with Argentinian Brian Biezki. Brian soon left the band and instead the former The Search-members Tina Bergström and Mikael Saltzman plus Olle Bilius (Jeniferever) and Simon Lundström entered the band. Then in december the five-track debut EP was released.
It’s indie pop in Swedish, rather darkly colored, radiating with vibes from the eighties’ new wave scene. They vary smoothly from synth based songs to guitar driven ones without losing the atmosphere. Straight melodies that stick quite fast on a good EP that promises more.
The sound from the early eighties’ electronica and new wave echoes very clearly from the trio Storbritannien’s debut EP “Krita”. In spite of the old references it feels quite fresh and in a way authentic, like if they were some kind of darker predecessor to Lustans Lakejer.
The EP cointains four good songs all with a little different character, in Swedish, but if we’re talking about hit potential they have created a great hook in the chorus of “Säg det högt”.
Apparently new songs are coming up, as they have recently finished the recording of a new EP. If you’d like to keep track of this and listen to all the songs on “Krita”, you can find Storbritannien on Myspace.
The Courage is the name of Jesper Jonsson’s solo project. For two years he’s been working on his debut album and this April it was finally released.
About the album lyrics: “The lyrics for the songs on my first album describes my own metaphysical universe where I use symbols from eastern philosophy, Jungian psychology and noir movies, to tell the story of a small guy lost in a big city full of confused people.”
The music is an exciting mix, where I hear new wave, electro, soul and great pop tunes. On several tracks I can feel the vibes from an experimenting David Bowie. Here are two songs from the album:
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The Courage is the name of Jesper Jonsson’s solo project. For two years he’s been working on his debut album and this April it was finally released.
