“Between Two States” is what Kallocain, hailing from Norrköping, has called their debut album. I get a feeling that this could have been one of Radiohead’s side projects that never was released, in the end of the nineties. At the same time I get vibes from the seventies, americana and singer/songwriter. It all blends into a mix where I’m thrown between softer tracks with beautiful acoustic guitars and tracks with dirty indie guitars, all in a common mellow atmosphere.

It’s an even and interesting album, where each song deserves attention, which made it hard to choose two songs you can listen to. The first track “Firecracker” below, is the track that differs most from the other songs on the album, with more pop vibes and synth sounds.

You can listen to “Between Two States” on Spotify or on Ge.tt. You can also find Kallocain on Facebook.

Firecracker
Genesis

The last time I wrote about Jamin Pirnia, his own name was the headline, and Jamin’ With Jamin was mentioned in the text as a new project. And it’s under the name Jamin’ With Jamin that he’s continued to perform, a project in constant change, musically and when it comes to the members, but with Jamin and his music as the core and heart of the project. For some time, though, some members have remained with the project, like for example Linda Sunesdotter on violin.

Finally in Autumn Jamin’ with Jamin released a studio production, the four track EP “Live Now”, produced by Jens Andersson (The Ark). And it’s quite a different sound on this recording than the ones Jamin has released earlier. Closer to the stage than the scene I would say, where the drama is more apparent in this mix of cabaret-folk-indie-disco-pop, most notably in the re-recorded Lipstick Killer.

In July last year I also had the opportunity to see Jamin’ With Jamin live, and it was a wonderful concert. There are few artists I know of, that can create such a feeling of togetherness between the artist and the audience, like Jamin. And the songs grow in such an intense way I think would be impossible to recreate in a studio, they experiment and change. A recommended experience.

Here are two songs with Jamin’ With Jamin. Listen to the EP on Spotify or on Bandcamp. You can also find Jamin’ With Jamin on Facebook.

Live Now
Dosell

The duo Mutual Friends released the album “The Cabin” in the autumn. 10 beautiful tracks with folk music, americana on the border to country, acoustic and coloured with mandolin, banjo and harmonica.

The vocals feel very special with a dark voice that sort of marks the entire atmosphere of the music and gives it a more mature feeling, like if Johnny Cash would join in anytime, even if the style maybe lies more in outskirts of his territories.

You can listen to “The Cabin” on Spotify. I’m afraid that I haven’t found any other page with the band’s music, besides the ordinary 30-s snippets on for example Itunes and Amazon. The band also has a Facebook page.

Boys On Bicycles
Winter In July

That the band Heart-Sick Groans is inspired by american folk music and Bob Dylan is nothing new, and I’ve written about them before. The singer in  Heart-Sick Groans, Johan Brännström, takes it one step further though, as he digs his way straight down into the folk soil, in his new EP “My God How the Money Rolls In”.

To really create the right feeling for this music, the EP is even recorded on an old tape recorder.

You can listen to the EP and Johans earlier works on his Bandcamp page. You can also find Johan Brännström on Myspace. Heart-Sick Groans’ music is available on their Bandcamp page.

Born On Your Birthday
Come See Me Sometime

I find it interesting to listen to voices in completely new contexts. If it’s a skilled singer he usually manages to produce new layers of emotions that you couldn’t feel in the other genre. It’s like viewing a person from a new angle, the entire picture changes and becomes more complete, and this also affects the way you listen to the former work.

I’ve written about Makkan Johansson and his band Saigon Sickness before, and he has moved here from an alternative, darker rock to americana, as the singer in the band The Medicine Show. It’s about well-trodden paths which moves from country rock to a more rootsy american folk and country.

And they do this really well. Makkan shows a different register and personality here, and the band delivers a row of inviting melodies and songs.
I’ve been listening to their debut album, which is not out yet though, and if you like to be updated about this, you can follow the band on Facebook or on Myspace. Here are two songs from the album:

Paper Love (The Tide Will Turn)
Happy When I’m Drinking