A pleasant new acqaintance, new at least for me, is Lo Kivikas. Last year she released her debut EP “Master of Your Mind”, produced by Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, and you can listen to a couple of tracks from the EP here below.

It’s a nice mix of country, blues and rock, rather peaceful and intimate. Lo has a special voice, maybe like a bluesier Marianne Faithfull, and her voice fits perfectly in these nice arrangements, backed by these skilled musicians. Hammond, harmonica, lap-steel, violins colour the music and brings the best out of each song.

If you’d like to listen more, you should visit Lo Kivikas’ Myspace page.

Lay Down
One More Little Lifetime

Excuse the little break this week, but now I’m back again, and I and others will continue to present great music on this page. And I think it’s perfect to start with Moose Trail. We have written about Ulf Ljusberg before, and this time we see him in the company of Tobias Thun in Moose Trail, a band they have continuously developed beside their other projects.

In 2005 they released an EP, and now they are following this with the release of the song “Oh Lord”, which you can listen to here below. And I wouldn’t mind if this country and americana inspired music, with a nice touch of Nick Cave’s darkness, would lead to a full length album. According to plans, they will have Moose Trail have it’s live debut in the near future. To keep yourself informed of this, you can visit Moose Trail’s Myspace page, where you also can listen to more tracks.

Oh Lord
Return of the King
Hard to

Silver Saddle maybe isn’t that unknown to many of you. 2004 they released their debut album “Four Miles From Here” (Bubba Music / In The Sticks Records), an album that won quite some recognition. Since then they have also released the album “Northern Skyline”.

The music is a calm, warm and mellow americana, which feels so natural and basic that it’s hard to believe that this band originates from the south of Sweden. Listen for yourself in these tracks:

Radio Song
Gone
Don’t Give a Damn

If you’d like to listen more you can visit Silver Saddle’s site or their Myspace page.

I’m enwrapped in a very nice sound as I listen to Six Figure Transatlantic. Their americana-tasting pop reminds me of  Neil Young and CSN&Y from the early seventies, and in the close acoustic feeling that’s present I can almost sense the presence of Damien Rice. In some songs the early Radiohead knocks on my shoulder. Soft, pleasant, really good songs, well, really worth listening to.

The songs here give a taste of their forthcoming debut album, which will be released this spring. They have earlier released a couple of EP:s, which you can listen to at their site. The EP “Movers & Shakers” you’re also invited to download for free. You’ll also find Six Figure Transatlantic on Myspace.

Pink Heart
A Storm Is Coming
Isabel

I hope find it as great as I to start the Saturday with nice and well-played country with influences from bluegrass, blues and pop. Well, Americana could be some kind of overall description. Little Green is the name of the band and they have just released their debut album this month “Crossing Lanes” (Rootsy), and below you’ll find a couple of tracks from the album.

They offer a wide spectrum of songs, from pure country-pop tunes to bluegrass to more bluesy tracks. Great melodies and it feels rather soft, where the nice laidback vocals set a comfortable mood in most songs. It’s a quintet of skilled musicians and they mix a range of instruments into the arrangements, which feel really elaborated. I also like the fact that they give som space for these solo instrument parts, small pearls that take the songs up one level, with for example brilliant guitars, mandolins, harmonica, and fiddle.

A Heartbeat Less:

Meet Little Green in two songs from “Crossing Lanes”

Merry Go Round
It’s Alright

Visit Little Green on Myspace to listen more and read about their album