Heroic

JumJum – “Lillebror” – EP

The duo JumJum released their debut EP “Lillebror” (“Little brother”) in December. I wrote about their single “Stannar du stannar jag” earlier, but they had a different band name then. It’s synth pop, somewhat minmalistic and with a nostalgic, a bit melancholic expression. And it’s hard to neglect their videos, videos that emphasize this nostalgic atmosphere with environments and scenes a Swede can relate to in various ways. They’ve made three so far, and here below is the moving but bright video to the title track.

Malin Kay – “End of Story”

Here’s another debut release. It’s Malin Kay, hailing from Umeå, who presents herself with this pop single, “End of Story”:

Teadoro – “Nightsky – Septembersolen”

Teadoro is a band that released their first single today. It may seem a bit odd with a single release in Spring with a song about the September sun, but the music feels rather Spring-like and I can’t help thinking about Ted Gärdestad in a sunny mood.

Heroic – “Voltaire” – video

The rock band Heroic released the video to the song “Voltaire” today, one of two songs they released last Friday. This is also a well produced video, a bit frightening as the singer Oscar Bätz is fighting with his demons.

Marigold

Billy the Zombie Kid – “The Blessing and the Curse” – EP

Billy The Zombie Kid is a band from Borlänge, who released the debut album “The Blessing and the Curse” a couple of months ago. It contains five songs with a melodic, alternative pop/rock spiced up with electronica, well a bit in the direction of The Killers. Here’s the title track “The Blessing and the Curse”:

Marigold – “Allt kommer bli bra”

The next band, Marigold is also from Borlänge. A month ago they released the single “Allt kommer bli bra” and last year the excellent EP “Och så kom regnet”. I can sense a part of The Killers here also, but here more in the direction of synth pop, as a melancholic, a bit eighties-like ambience sweeps into the room. Here’s the latest single together with “City Farewell” from the EP:

Sisilisko – “Waldeinsamkeit” – EP

I wrote about the duo Sisilisko, Albin Boman and Peter Engqvist, in the Autumn. Now they are back with the EP “Waldeinsamkeit”, an EP where their doom-folk music runs further into the dark woods to explore the mystique, nature and darkness. Here’s “The Woods” from the album:

Lerin/Hystad – “Mount Buzhou” – album

On the 25th of April the Swedish/Norwegian duo Simon Torssell Lerin and Bettina Hvidevold Hystad are releasing their debut album “Mount Buzhou”. The album title is taken from the name of a mountain in Chinese mythology, a mountain said to have supported the heavens.

The Chinese tradition also run through the music. In 2010 the duo travelled to Kunming in the south west of China, where over 1000 retired musicians gathered each day to play traditional Chinese music together. During two months they recorded this music, and later blended these recordings with their own instrumental music. Postrock and progressive rock meet Chinese traditions which create a very special atmosphere. Here’s one of the six songs on the album:

Read an interview with Lerin/Hystad on Alltformusik.se (in Swedish)

I Am Super Ape

Sigrin – “Million Dots” – album

Sigrin is what Anna Hansson calls her solo project and recently she released the debut album “Million Dots”. It’s an album that moves somewhere between Americana-influenced singer/songwriter-pop and indie pop, full of beatiful melodies and a comfortable warmth. There’s a fine variation in the arrangements and also in the ambience as she balances between the light and the dark. A quite enjoyable album and an impressive debut. Here are two songs:

Obsi – “She Turns Around”

Obsi is a new band from Göteborg with members from Lo Fi Funk, Augustifamiljen, Lucknow Pact and Fibes Oh Fibes. “She Turns Around” is the name of their debut single, a song that breathes of bossa jazz and a dose of indie. Here it is in a video created with clips from Jiří Trnkas “Ruka” and Eartha Kitt’s video for the turkish folk song “Uska Dara”.

I Am Super Ape – “Animals”

It’s been two years since I wrote about I Am Super Ape, hailing from Malmö. Here they are again in this colourful single and video, “Animals”. The video is produced and directed by Jakob Skote.

LCTRISC

Here’s a short post today with a clear electro pop theme.

Saigon House – “Into Your Arms Again”

Here’s the debut single from Saigon House. The band found their inspiration right in Saigon, and in the song you’ll hear recorded sounds from the city.

Tikkle Me – “Genius”

Tikkle Me with the third single from the upcoming album “What Is Real”. Album release April 16th!

LCTRISC – “Gas and Cigarettes”

New single and video from LCTRISC aiming at their debut album “The Fire In the Distant Future”, to be released in May.

Leppen – “Sova”

Finally Leppen with the single “Sova” from the EP “iställetförattprata” (release April 28th). Behind Leppen you find Dan Lepp who earlier played the organ in Grand Tone Music.

The Mondanes

Slow Show – “Nowhere”

A couple of days ago the indiepop duo Slow Show released the energetic and uplifting song “Nowhere”. The song is a remake of an earlier version from 2010, and was recorded together with eight other new songs in August last year.

Natten – “Omen” – EP

I wrote about the quartet Natten in the Autumn. Now they are back with new instrumental night escapades on the new EP “Omen”. With their mix of jazz, electronica and other influences they have carved out their own unique style, their own ambience, which I recognize when I listen. Imaginative and sometimes with a filmic vibe. Listen to the EP here:

The Mondanes – “Silver Spoon (live session)”

The Mondanes is a new quitet hailing from Göteborg. Here they are with the song “Silver Spoon” in a nice Byrds-vibing live session.

Colleagues – “Tears”

The band Colleagues doesn’t exactly pour out songs on the market, even though they have received quite some attention from the two songs they have released so far. “Parent’s House” came out in the Autumn 2012 which was followed by the music video “Visits” a year ago, and now the song “Tears” with an exuberant electro-indiepop.

Ronnie – “Angels”

You may have heard Ronnie Hagstedt before in the house duo The Lab Wizard or as the singer in the hard rock band Optimystical. On the new solo single “Angels” he also shows us that he’s got some soul vibes in his great voice, in a song that feels like classic souldisco in a modern costume.