It’s not too often I receive non-electronica instrumental music. It’s nice then to listen to Folkvang’s colourful tones.

The band name comes from nordic mythology and gives us a hint of the music’s ambience. I find their roots in the seventies’ progressive rock, within the softer, ambient and melodic parts of that genre. It’s often enshrouded in a northern Swedish melancholy, which testifies about large unpeopled landscapes, lakes, solitude and the stillness of nature. There is a nordic calmness in the music, which feels pleasant to enter and be inside.

Folkvang released their first album this year, and you can listen to it on Spotify or listen to parts of it on Myspace. You can also meet the band on Facebook. Here is a song from the album:

Ensamhetens Famn

Friska Viljor is back with a new album, “For New Beginnings”. i.e. they were already last fall, but for various reasons I didn’t get around writing about it then.

They say that the album is a new start where they have left the heartaches for stories about happiness, sorrow and hope and that musically they are heading for something different.

And yes, it can be noticed, it feels a bit more serious, a little deeper. I recognize their catchy folk pop, but it’s slightly restrained, the choirs aren’t that fat as on “Tour de Hearts” and in their jumps betweeen genres I can hear new influences.

Like I said, it’s as catchy as before, the melodies sticks and the characteristic vocals are in the front.

You can find Friska Viljor on their site or on Facebook. On Spotify you can listen to all their albums.

If I Die Now
Wohlwill Strasse

If I Die Now (live on MTV Home):

Today we have a new coworker here on Meadow Music, Morten Frisch. He presents himself like this:
“The first album I ever owned was Extra vol 1. I got the CD for free when I developed photos from my very own disposable camera after a family vacation in France in 1998. The album contains hits like “Öppna din dörr”, Tommy Nilsson and “It’s Raining Men”, Weather Girls. A lot of things have happened since, but my strong interest for music remains. I’m studying now and reading the fantastic book Punken Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain for the third time.”
He starts with a presentation of Crying Day Care Choir:

Crying Day Care Choir consists almost exclusively of members from the indie folk band Monde Yeux. On CDCC’s Myspace page you can read the story about four friends escaping Stockholm for the south of Sweden after an eye opening trip to Argentina.
And it’s hard not to draw paralells to the music. Monde Yeux is still in Stockholm while CDCC have taken off their shoes and socks and is playing happy indie-folk music on a southern moor, a late summer’s eve.

I fell directly for the song “July”, and it’s hard not to fall in love with the nice folk-pop arrangement they have created. With guitars and ukulele they create a happy sing-along feeling which stick in my mind.

Crying Day Care Choir – July

That the songwriting and sound of Ellinor Skagegård & 5th Season is influenced by Joni Mitchell and Carole King is noticed. It’s a nice mix of pop, ballads and folk music where Ellinor’s voice in the front is warm, delicate and with a certain feeling of musical.

In the beginning of this summer they released the 13-track debut album “First Time”, which you can listen to on Spotify. You can also meet Ellinor & 5th Season on Myspace.

Here are a couple of songs from “First Time”:

Why Does a Good Thing Have to End
First Time

Recently Born 53 released their album “Foreign Accent”, an album where they serve 15 songs in a soft mix of americana and blues. For me it’s foremost a journey through Dylan-land, and that they present an excellent cover of  “Million Dollar Bash” feels quite natural. Strong songwriting and an intimate, open, basic sound with great guitars makes this a very nice experience. Here are the two opening tracks on “Foreign Accent”:

New Day
Foreign Accent

You’ll find Born 53 on Myspace and on Spotify you can listen to the entire album.