Lollop Rose is a six man band with a slightly unorthodox mix: besides guitar, bass and drums – you also find cello and accordion in the band. This is used to create music that is a blend of various influences but still unmistakeably molded into their own great style.

There is a very close and intimate acoustic feeling throughout and they mix songs that have drive and energy with more mellow songs that have a slight melodramatic touch. I get some folk vibes from the verses that are craftily turned into pop melodic choruses. I have to mention David Gustavsson’s vocals that have a strong expression which provides that little extra to make the songs take off properly.

From what I hear, they are even better live. And in a clip from the club Bara Unplugged, you can see some of their stage presence – as well as finally find out what happens backstage. :-)

Listen and download some songs:

Fred
Nothing
This Is It

Visit Lollop Rose on Myspace to listen more and download songs.

Lollop Rose’s site

It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does I feel great. To listen to a song that hooks me up from the first verse line, and then even better if it comes without a warning. This happened to me the other day as I sat down to listen to “A World to Save” with Golden Kanine, after a tip here on the blog. I was caught instantly by the the melody, the feeling, the style, the voice. And the song, well, it held me there all through and kept me listening. And it is a song without a real chorus and with a trumpet solo (or is it the trombone?) in the middle!

Yes, Golden Kanine is very special, and not only for the strange name :-). When I listen to their first album from 2007, with songs like “7th Sin” and “Absence”, I hear rock with a lot of energy, good melodies, alarming guitars and the special voice and expression of Andreas Olrog, driving and slightly melancholic.

With the two new songs here, “A World to Save” and “Cough” I meet another sound. It’s calmer with an acoustic feeling, and yes, the trombone player Marcus has entered the band.

I really like their former work, but the two last songs has put a spell on me. The band is on their way to record their next album, which is to be released in the end of the year/beginning of next year. I hope you can help me out here by visiting Golden Kanine’s Myspace page and tell them to hurry up, so that we may hear the rest of the songs from the new album.

A World to Save
Cough
7th Sin
Absence

The two brothers Bernövall was bored out on the Uppsala plains. So they started a band, Sleazy Romance. Just like that.

And yes, it turned into something special. As some kind of softer Jesus & Mary Chain. Unruly vocals, beautifully fragile, on top of guitar carpets that fill the entire room, but with nice dynamics in between. And, in all of this, good melodies.

Sleazy Romance is about to record their debut album. It’s planned to be released in the beginning of next year, so, until then, spread the word and the songs below. The track “Emilie Scott” will appear in a new version on the upcoming album.

Listen:

Middleclass Love
Lipstick
Emily Scott

Visit Sleazy Romance on Myspace

Jonna Enckell, singer in Project Hate MCMXCIX, has released her solo debut album “Siren On” under the same name as the title. And she has travelled far from the death metal areas where her band resides.

This is music made of far softer tones. It is a grand, piano-based music, with classical influences and bordering territories where Sarah Brightman has been the queen for quite some time.

Jonna has a very beautiful voice and it is very easy to dream yourself away to the melancholic melodies. I get images of vast landscapes, maybe of green Irish hills or the whipping waves against high cliffs, and I feel that this might as well be the soundtrack to a big epic movie.

Here you have four beautiful pieces to take in, listen to and download:

Purple Heart
The Gift
Salitine
Alarm

Visit Siren On and Jonna on her home page
and on Myspace

Gustav Haggren is an extremely busy musician! It’s obviously not enough that he has a solo project, plays with two other songwriters, Christian Cuff and Helena Arlock, and is coordinating a world band (yes, they are spread all over the world); he is also touring all the time! Go and check out his tourdates for 2007…jesus!

Nevertheless, it seems like it’s among the seasick sailors that Gustav likes it best. And it’s from this constellation the songs below comes from.

The first song I heard is from 2004, “Vagabond’s Polka”, and it feels like I’m invited to Montmartre, Paris. There’s a fantastic Tivoli-feeling here!
And when I listen to “Something Weihtless” I hear great pop with hit potential. Overall, there is an incredible mix of songs I find with Gustav and the Seasick Sailors.

On Friday the 26th of September, they will celebrate the release of their new album “Brilliant Hands” on Tivoli in Helsingborg. Check out the info on their Myspace page.

Listen and download some tracks (Vagabond Polka is a live song with a slightly less sound quality, but I have included it because of the great feeling here. I hope I’m excused ;-)):
Something Weightless
Nightlife
Vagabonds Polka
Distant Mornings

Visit the band:
Gustav and the Seasick Sailors on Myspace
Their homepage and blog

Keep cool
Jeppe