Gustav Haggren is an extremely busy musician! It’s obviously not enough that he has a solo project, plays with two other songwriters, Christian Cuff and Helena Arlock, and is coordinating a world band (yes, they are spread all over the world); he is also touring all the time! Go and check out his tourdates for 2007…jesus!

Nevertheless, it seems like it’s among the seasick sailors that Gustav likes it best. And it’s from this constellation the songs below comes from.

The first song I heard is from 2004, “Vagabond’s Polka”, and it feels like I’m invited to Montmartre, Paris. There’s a fantastic Tivoli-feeling here!
And when I listen to “Something Weihtless” I hear great pop with hit potential. Overall, there is an incredible mix of songs I find with Gustav and the Seasick Sailors.

On Friday the 26th of September, they will celebrate the release of their new album “Brilliant Hands” on Tivoli in Helsingborg. Check out the info on their Myspace page.

Listen and download some tracks (Vagabond Polka is a live song with a slightly less sound quality, but I have included it because of the great feeling here. I hope I’m excused ;-)):
Something Weightless
Nightlife
Vagabonds Polka
Distant Mornings

Visit the band:
Gustav and the Seasick Sailors on Myspace
Their homepage and blog

Keep cool
Jeppe

I know it’s maybe a month away or less, but imagine a fierce autumn night when the winds blow cold and hard. You come into a warm house and sit down in your favourite sofa and long for summer. But when you listen to the melancholic and beautiful melodies from Amandine your thoughts just stop wandering away and you start enjoying the present.

With a mix of Swedish folk and americana arrangements, edged by vocals not far away from José González , Amandine brings impressions and warmth that digs deep into my soul.

The band begun 2001 in Sandviken, Sweden, under the name Wichita Linemen, but moved to Malmö in 2004 and changed their name to Amandine. In autumn 2004 they got a contract with the Brighton label Fat Cat Records, and 2005 they released the debut album “This Is Where Our Heart Collide”.

After this the band has released some EP:s and a second album, and toured around Europe and in the USA.

Here’s a video clip from Amandine’s concert in New York 2005:

Enjoy some songs from Amandine:
Heart Tremor
Secrets
Soldiers Hands

Visit the band:
Amandine on Myspace

Keep cool,
Jeppe

Do you feel your thoughts are gathering speed, inventing more and more stories about the future and the past, slowly building up to anxiety?

Well here’s a remedy that could work:

Find a comfortable armchair, sit down, close your eyes, breathe deeply and listen to “Not Your Child” first, and then “In Your Arms” and why not the entire album “Wash Away the Past” which Karl invites you to download for free.

Karl is sometimes called a Swedish Peter Gabriel, and partly this is how I hear it also, as he sometimes produces the same feelings from his music. Wonderful. But I do feel that there is something else, another kind of closeness in Karl’s music and lyrics that gives a different kind of experience from listening.

One obvious example of this you’ll find in the song below “När jag blev mindre igen” where Karl sings in Swedish. This is a song that’s not part of the album, lyrics by Niklas Aurgrunn and that makes me dive into a feeling as if my entire life passes by in a few moments.
From the album “Wash Away the Past” you’ll also find below his collaboration with singer Sara Dahlgren : “Song to the Frozen People”.

Listen and enjoy:

Not Your Child
In My Arms
Song to the Frozen People (med Sara Dahlgren)
När jag blev mindre igen (text av Niklas Aurgrunn)

Ladda hem “Wash Away the Past” från Last.fm

Karl på Myspace

Dream pop Jon Rinneby calls his music. And I think that’s a good description of the music. It’s dreamy, airy and slightly sleepily melancholic.

This is about Jon’s latest album “I’m In a Sideshow”, a 12 track album, that was released this spring/summer. The entire album can be downloaded from his home page.

To me this is pure pop music at it’s best, according to my definition. And pop music to me is first and foremost about melodies, melodies that flows like honey into my head when I listen. This happens all the time as I’m listening to the songs on “I’m In a Sideshow”. “Simple” melodies, so obvious and pleasant, but not recognisable from other songs. It’s just Jon Rinneby and it’s great.

The melodies are whistled, sung, crooned, sometimes almost whispered. On a couple of tracks (20 Million People, Let’s Dig a Hole) he’s helped by Maria Andersson and on a couple of other tracks, Karin Verbaan (Do You Still Need Me, Butterfly) which brings a nice contrast into the songs. Karin is also doing backing vocals on other tracks. It’s in some way minimalistic but still not, and often the verses lead into big sounding refrains with nice backing vocals. Well, I think it’s best you listen for yourself.

Dreampop according to Jon Rinneby:

Do You Still Need Me?
20 Million People
If You Want Me To Stay
I’m In a Sideshow

Download the album from Jon Rinneby’s home page

Jon Rinneby on Myspace

As a true grunge fan, I find it very hard to dislike Chris Michols. To me, his voice sound very special, even though I can hear pieces of Eddie Wedder, Chris Cornell and Lane Staley in him. In other words: not a bad voice at all.

And luckily, his songs are not bad either. On the contrary, I would say that they are really good. If I have to describe them in words, I would say that it’s about a wonderful kind of laidback grunge with a touch of singer/songwriter. But, it’s probably better that you listen for yourself.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris anyday now would be approached by a bigger record label, that want to spread his music all over the world. I rather hope that it would happen soon. Because he’s simply to good to be only heard by a few.

The best part is that Chris allows us to take part of his music for free. He has uploaded his latest album, “The Long Road”, on his home page, chrismichols.com, and set it up free for download. There you can also come in contact with Chris, read about him, see where he plays live, among other things. You can also find him on Myspace.

Here are four songs from “The Long Road”:

These Memories
Fade In Fade Out
I Want to Go Home
Hard to Let Go

Download the entire album:
The Long Road (192 kbps, zip-fil, 58MB)