Saint

Riddarna – “Hjärtat slår”

Riddarna are on their way with their third album “Under Jorden”, due for release on February 12th. The first single from the album is called “Hjärtat slår” and to me they sound better than ever before; rough rock with a dark ambience, skillfully played and groovy.

Saint – “The Song”

Saint came from Gambia to Malmö in 2012, where he’s still waiting for the final decision in his asylum case. Gladly, this doesn’t stop him from moving forward and creating music, and the debut album “Asylum” is being released later this year. His first single “The Song”, featuring Bramma, invites us to a groovy hip hop with a dense, a bit dark atmosphere, massive choirs and a great chorus.

Åkersbronx – “Bromance”

Already on their first single “Spela död“, the duo Åkersbronx showed their sense for groovy music and the second one, I’d say, shows it even more. This is uplifting hip hop which makes me happy, where the feet start moving, whether you like it or not, right at the start of the song when they pick up some speed with funky guitars and a big dose of joy of playing. The duo have started out great and I’m looking forward to their next song.

Hillman Lighthouse – “Change Your Mind”

And here’s some more groovy music, but now from a quite different genre. It’s about country rock, Americana and a power pop inspired chorus. Hillman Lighthouse is the name of the band and the song is called “Change Your Mind”. They have created a simply wonderful, dynamic sound with just the right patina from the early seventies and I fall head over heels for this. The debut album is being released in March.

We Are Legends

David Josephson – “Drömmaskinen”

David Josephson is a Swedish  singer/songwriter, currently living in Berlin, who with the single “Drömmaskinen” (“The Dream Machine”) takes his first step towards his second full length album. The song, released tomorrow, is a catchy energetic tune whiches breathes of indie pop as well as of classic Swedish pop melodies.

We Are Legends – “Begging For Amnesia”

And now to another catchy track, but more into the electro pop area. It’s the producer duo We Are Legends, based in Göteborg, who have released the single “Begging For Amnesia” with Caroline Ailin behind the microphone. Dance- and radio-friendly, sure, but also with a tasty, seductive arrangement with a great drive. The single comes in ten versions: different mixes, extended version and remixes.

Eluna – “Trädgårdsmästarinnans Tillförlitliga Tillflykt” – EP

Eluna, or Sebastian Josef Karika, is releasing his second EP later this week: “Trädgårdsmästarinnans Tillförlitliga Tillflykt”. It feels like safe refuge for me also as I listen to these four, both ambient and melodically beautiful, creations. It’s easy to get into the garden metaphor when I listen, either by looking through the  window, daydreaming or by getting out, finding a quiet corner in the garden and just admiring som flowers or fruits. It feels bright, calm but still eventful, with the electronic and the organic in symbiosis. Here’s sneak peek at the title track.

The Virtues

Here’s a new Friday collection with new singles, after a rather sporadic blog week. Rock is the common denominator this time.

The Virtues – “Let the Fish Spawn”

The Virtues are back with their fresh seventies rock sound, here in the single “Let the Fish Spawn”, taken from the compilation album “Yesteryears”. With four full length records in their backpack they also celebrate their ten years anniversary as a band this year.

The Grand Trick – “The Daily Dose”

The rock band The Grand Trick have been working with the producer Beau Hill (Ratt, Warrant, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan among others), who created a mix of the the song “The Daily Dose”. I think he really nailed this song, a song which was released in a different version last year, and is now being released as a single. It comes out as a dense rock track with a great drive and with vibes from the American nineties as well as a hint of the seventies.

Rideau – “Stand Still”

Now it’s a bit heavier rock with Rideu and their debut single “Stand Still”. They’ve created quite an interesting sound with their own mix of metal, stoner rock and hardcore. The band was formed by Gabriel Öberg and Carl Magnus Palm after the breakup of InSekt and are working on their debut album right now.

LGCY – “Noises”

I’ll finish with some indie rock from the band LGCY, who released this debut single, “Noises” in January.

The Mary Onettes are on their way with the follow-up to last years’s album “Hit the Waves”. It comes in the shape of a mini-album called “Portico”, in the beginning of March, and if “Hit the Waves” was like a movie adventure, “Portico:” leaves the earth and heads out into space on a sci-fi-inspired journey. The journey starts already this week with this greatsounding, spacy single, “Silence Is a Gun”:

The Mary Onettes’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Rara

It’s been five years since I wrote about Slowmotion Club, hailing from Malmö, but after a séjour in the eminent Sound of Wool they are now back with new material in the shape of a two-track single. It’s a darker Slowmotion Club we hear now, and with a sound that more belong to indie rock than Americana. I get quite a few Manic Street Preachers-vibes overall and in the first song “The Presidential Dilemma” the psychadelia era feels close in the verses, especially when it comes to the psychadelia Jefferson Airplane played in the sixties. Well, it’s two great songs and an excellent comeback for the band.

Slowmotion Club’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Bandcamp