Earlier Fredrik Johansson was songwriter and guitarist in the hard rock band Link and later in Laguna Stardust. After a life crisis in 2005 he decided to step forward and grab the microphone, first as a singer in the band Exil, then in Riket and now as a solo artist under the name Karl Fredrik. Last month he released the solo debut album “Ingenstans Man” (“Nowhere Man”).

It’s an even and good album, but rather varying, especially in the verses where he moves from americana-influenced songs to eighties retro to Kent-vibing ambiences, while the refrains often ends up in a grand rock crescendos. Interesting self-revealing lyrics carried by a voice with just the right blackness.

You can find Karl Fredrik on his site and on Facebook. Listen more on Spotify.

Säg Ingenting
En Gång

Björn from electro band Slagsmålsklubben and Tjompa from indie rock band The High Fives have a child together which is called City. And last month the duo City released their EP “Ex-Files”, six tracks with retro dance-pop with messy, unpolished vocals, which is of course the way to do it if one would produce dance pop. It’s summer vibes and party time.

Listen more on Spotify or on their Facebook page.

Kom igen Tjompa

Kim Strannes new album “Ett Arv” is undoubtely the strongest album I’ve heard from Kim Stranne so far. It feels like he’s lifted the entire production to something more intimate, naked, unique and more beautiful than ever before.

At the same time I hear a sharpness and a roughness in his voice that demands more attention than before and that makes him stand out. A strong album you can listen to on Spotify. Visit his site and his Facebook page.

Ett Arv

The duo Degrees, hailing from Tranås, is back with a new album, “Dream On Dreamy”. Compared to their EP “Pt III”, which I wrote about last year, they don’t hold back on anything this time. It’s grand pop from the beginning to the end, bombastic enough to fill out the sound space on any big arena.

Last time I called it synth pop, but I feel now that they have passed the limits of where I would place them just within the electronica spheres, even if these intruments are still central. It’s grandiose pop with a lot of warmth and melody on this even and strong album. An album which reach a crescendo in the 8 minute long “Idiot Dreaming” and then takes us down to dreamy soundscapes to the finishing track “Dream On Dreamy”.

You can listen and download the album on their Bandcamp page. You can also visit their site, their Facebook page or listen on Spotify. Here’s a song and a video from the album:

At Least Rock & Roll Won’t Leave a Hole In My Back

Acid House Kings release another song from their latest album “Music Sounds Better With You”. It’s “Under Water”, with lots of summer vibes and with most of the ingredients needed for a classic pop song.
Listen for yourself and download below.

Under Water