The songwriter, producer and musician Magnus Bergman has just released his fourth solo album “I Mexico” (Tailor Maid). An album that was a pleasant surprise and real entertaining to listen through.

Magnus has managed to create an album with a lot of variation. The base is in a Swedish singer/songwriter pop with interesting and thoughtful lyrics and with influences from classic rock, americana and country in various songs. Really good melodies that together with Magnus personal and expressive voice create a nice, special atmosphere.

Börja om från början (from the album “Reflektor”):

Here a couple of songs from the album “I Mexico”:

I Mexico
Ett himlens hål

Visit Magnus Bergman on Myspace and checkout the album “I Mexico” on ITunes

I hope find it as great as I to start the Saturday with nice and well-played country with influences from bluegrass, blues and pop. Well, Americana could be some kind of overall description. Little Green is the name of the band and they have just released their debut album this month “Crossing Lanes” (Rootsy), and below you’ll find a couple of tracks from the album.

They offer a wide spectrum of songs, from pure country-pop tunes to bluegrass to more bluesy tracks. Great melodies and it feels rather soft, where the nice laidback vocals set a comfortable mood in most songs. It’s a quintet of skilled musicians and they mix a range of instruments into the arrangements, which feel really elaborated. I also like the fact that they give som space for these solo instrument parts, small pearls that take the songs up one level, with for example brilliant guitars, mandolins, harmonica, and fiddle.

A Heartbeat Less:

Meet Little Green in two songs from “Crossing Lanes”

Merry Go Round
It’s Alright

Visit Little Green on Myspace to listen more and read about their album

Like a little mountain brook with the clearest water, sometimes floating still and sometimes purl, striding through small waterfalls; that’s how I feel when I listen to Maja Alderin’s voice. Already the first time I heard “Darlin'” it got to me. There’s something catching, touching, magical about Maja’s voice that I won’t even try to explain in words, as I may only make a mess of it for myself. Listen for yourself is probably the best advice.

She is a singer/songwriter with guitar in hand, even if she sits down in front of the piano sometimes as in “Til’ Your Heart Stops” below. Beautiful pop melodies that trips along, dynamic arrangements, and a light melancholy that doesn’t prevent the light and happy feelings in the music. A little inspiration from country sometimes and sometimes more dramatic, but… so beautiful. A voice to fall in love with.

Darlin’
Til’ Your Heart Stops
Let Go Now

Visit Maja Alderin’s site and her page on Myspace

I wrote earlier about Shotgun Crackers here on Meadowmusic, and I have listened a lot to their songs. I get a real feeling of joy when I listen to them.
The band has just completed their new EP “Kpptsch” (is it maybe the sound of the snare and the cymbal?) and they release it here on Meadowmusic first, for everyone to download!

It’s just as playful as before but it sounds more “mature”. And I mean that in a positive sense, the guys in the band are incredibly musical and play well together. That was a fact also before, but now it feels like they really have found eachother and feel more secure with what they do.

In the songs you can listen to here, Shotgun Crackers are not afraid to try new directions and play with the music and the result is so nice and liberating.
The singer, Fredrik, is really good and in the only song in Swedish, he sounds startingly like Håkan Hellström!

Congratulations for being one of the first who can download the new EP from Shotgun Crackers!

Khpptsch:

1. Trevor
2. Happiness of Flowers
3. Runner Runner
4. Allt va vi vill ha

Shotgun Crackers on Myspace

Keep cool,
Jeppe

A couple of years ago Henrik Åström released the album “Miracle” and he is now on his way to release his second album, aiming for the beginning of 2009. And it feels nice to be able to listen in on some tracks here below.

I would like to call Henrik’s music downscaled pop. Which is a quite stupid thing to say since nothing is downscaled from anything; it is what it is and maybe also what it should be. But something makes me want to differ Henrik from the singer/songwriter-genre that comes from another direction with Dylan and others in the background. Here I feel more pop in the melodies, even if I sense the folk influence in the verses sometimes.

And the way I hear it now, no upscaling is needed; the guitars and the piano is quite enough for these beautiful melodies and emphasize the closeness and the thoughtfulness. And the whistle-melody in “Oscar Wilde” is forever stuck in my mind…

Oscar Wilde
A Soldier and a Fool
The Heart

Visit Henrik Åström on Myspace