KLoN

KLoN – “För högt/Hade du vart kvar”

We’ve met Jonnie Holmberg before as a drummer in Lilla Milo, a band I wrote about earlier this Spring. He has formed the producer duo KLoN together with Johannes Hansson, a duo that work with the conept that each song is sung by a different artist. So far they have released two singles, “För högt” and “Hade du vart kvar”, sung by Andrea Hatanmaa and Jonnie Holmberg repectively. It’s wonderful mix of soul funk and pop with a more contemporary angle on the the first one and a retro-seventies vibe on the second song. Listen for yourself:

Saintway – “It’s Over now”

The two brothers John and Adam Kristiansson, hailing from Lund, form the duo Saintway. A couple of weeks ago they released the debut single, “It’s Over Now”, a well produced track which breathes of countrypop, decorated with beautiful melodies and neat vocal harmonies.

Beat the Heart – “Waiting For a Sequel” – EP

I bumped into the band Beat the Heart a couple of times last year, and their “Glebe Market” became a favourite of mine. They have a new EP out now, “Waiting For a Sequel”, with grand, ambient pop, from which I’d be happy to share a couple of tracks with you:

Caravan Cult – “Escape the Looney Bin”

Here are two songs from Caravan Cult’s debut EP “Escape the Looney Bin”. It’s a great debut from the band, with a pleasant melancholy in their indiepop/rock, a bit in the direction of The National.

Garmisch

Samuraj Cities – “Atlas”

Samuraj Cities started out in 2006 as a duo with label backing, but now they describe themselves as a music collective with a DIY spirit. They caught my attention with the new video to the song “Atlas”, a video they released last month. The song is taken from their excellent album “Metallic” from last year. I haven’t presented this album before so I added “Boulevard” from the album also. “Atlas” breathes of The Cure, like if they have taken some of that sound and wrapped it in a large, warm blanket, made of wool from black indie sheep.

Fjärilseffekten – “Hopp” – video

The trio Fjärilseffekten, Hampus Blomberg, Hannes Wiklund and Anton Fernández, hailing from Södertälje, sent me this live-recorded pop song, which they build up sweetely. I love the banjo playing also, which fits like a glove in the arrangement. Last year they released the EP “Dansa som en idiot”, earlier this year the single “Brinner upp” and are now aiming for their first full length album.

Monte Nour – “Busy Day”

Philip Larsson started Monte Nour as a solo project, which last year grew and became a five-membered band. The debut single is called “Busy Day”, a happy-sounding song which makes me think of Paul McCartney and Rufus Wainwright.

Garmisch – “Fishes” – album

Here’s another wonderful album I missed last year, but which I was reminded of recently as the band Garmish, hailing from Malmö, put up a new remastered version of the album “Fishes” on Spotify. The song “Native Son” was the song I heard first which made me fall for this band immediately. It’s a musical interpretation of  Richard Wright’s novel with the same name, and is the most beautifully fragile song I’ve heard in a while. The album then is an exciting adventure in various directions with a lot of different ingredients like electronica, hip hop, funk and other stuff. They seem to do whatever they feel like but have created their own Garmisch ambience which works. Some of the songs are featured in movies, like for example “They Seem To Be Intelligent” in the New York documentary “Nathan’s Famous” and “And Now We Stand Against the Wall” in the upcoming Canadian movie “Sour Diesel”.

Leppen

Lctrisc – “The Closer That We Get”

Lctrisc let us peek a bit more at their debut album with the new single “The Closer That We Get”. This time they have added soul and disco flavours to their playful, catchy electro pop.

Veronica Keding – “Det är slut nu”

Veronica Keding, whom I wrote about in the Autumn, has continued to release new songs since then, and earlier this year she launched this single “Det är slut nu” (“It’s over now”). This time it’s darker, no surprise considering the subject, and with a tasty balance between house synths and hammering bass lines. Love the crescendo in the end which makes me think of Swedish synth pop from the eigthies when Lustans Lakejer had their big days.

Leppen – “Iställetförattprata” – EP

A couple of weeks ago Leppen released the EP I mentioned a couple of times as I wrote about the earlier singles. The overall theme on the EP is an unexpected crush he went through in Summer 2012 and which turned his life upside down. The third song “Inte en sekund till” is just as strong as the earlier singles:

Cmbstn – “My Friend” – video

Combstn:s song “My Friend“, is out now as a music video also, and it certainly deserve attention. They write that the video will be followed by a second part, which will be released soon when the next single “One of Us” is launched.

Boeoes Kaelstigen – “Be the Lights”

The duo Boeoes Kelstigen are back with a new single, the dreamy and beautiful “Be the Lights”. The song was co-written together with Hanna Brandún, more known as Name the Pet. As a b-side they have added their excellent, retrosynth-sounding cover of Icona Pop’s song “Just Another Night”.

Humfree Bug Art

Humfree Bug Art – “Hawaii”

One of my favourite bands from last year, Humfree Bug Art, are back with a new single. “Hawaii” is the main attraction,  a song the singer Arvid Jonsson describes as “a gay love song, sung by bearded straight men.”.

Sibirien – “Eld”

Sibirien is a project run by David Björk. In the Autumn he released the debut EP “Snart regnar stormen in” and a couple of weeks ago the new single “Eld”. Here he’s hooked up the large reverbs from the eighties in a fine, melancholic song, which give me a ceratain feeling of being a movie soundtrack.

Raindear – “Grown Ups”

Behind Raindear we find the singer Rebecca Bergcrantz. Earlier this year she released the debut EP “The Game” and now the video to one of the songs on the EP, “Grown Ups”, is also available.

The Jamhouse Riot – “City Lights Out”

The Jamhouse Riot, whom I wrote about in 2012, are announcing a series of three singles. First up is this track, “City Lights Out”, their own mix of hard rock and garage rock, bitwise with vibes of Guns’n’Roses.

Brother North

Brother North – “Brother North” – album

I talked about the duo Brother North in the Autumn as they rolled out their first songs. Now they have released their debut album; eight songs of (mostly) acoustic singer-songwriter warmth spiced up with beautiful string arrangements. The earlier singles “Rain Song” and “Silent Running” are strong songs, but there are more gems to discover, like for example the grand-sounding “Skyward Light” or the romantic “Pool of Her”, which you can listen to here below. A beautifully shimmering debut with summer vibes.

Alice Boman – “Over”

Here’s a new single from Alice Boman, “Over”, taken from her upcoming EP, “EP II”. The song was recorded in her apartment by herself, in the same beautiful lofi-spirit as the earlier songs.

Varjen – “Against The Country”

Niklas Sibelius, or Varjen as he calls himself, will release his second EP “Against The Country”on the 9th of May. Four songs that makes me think of Tallest Man On Earth and which grow on me with each listen. It’s a dryer and and closer sound this time and a great follow-up to the last EP “Hardland“. Here’s the first single and the title track of the EP:

Luna Green – “Swedish Strawberries”

Luna Green release her second solo album tomorrow, “Swedish Strawberries”. Just like with the last album Niclas Frisk participates as a producer, co-writer and guitarist on some of the tracks. Here’s the title song, a seductive, smooth pop song, with quite a few Lana del Rey-vibes.