Karin Ström is perhaps mostly known for her own electronica productions from before. After six years of producing in solitude, she felt the need for some company in the studio, which led to a collaboration with the producer Mark Ephraim (A Nighthawk, Sibille Attar, Sofia Knapp). Together with the musicians Kevin Barker (Feist), Parker Kindred (Godspeed You! Black Emperor), and Tyler Wood (Antony & the Johnsons) they recorded the two songs “New York” and “Los Angeles”   in Vibromonk Studios, Brooklyn. She says that these songs are the first songs in a larger project with songs about her relation to various cities.

Karin Ström’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

Rigas, with Henrik von Euler in the front, released this strong track, “Kungen” (“The King”), some month ago. It’s the second single from the album “Hundra år av vinter” (“Hundred years of winter”), which was released during Spring.

Rigas site – on Spotify – on Wimp

I wrote about YAST, or Youth and Student Travel, already in the first stumbling steps of this blog in 2008. They had just left their hometown Sandviken for Malmö, or at least they were in the process of doing so, and they had a couple of DIY-EP:s in their luggage. Now, five years later, they have just released their debut album, they work with the label  Adrian Recordings and right now they are touring in Europe.

When I listen to the new album it strikes me how well they had defined their music already back then, in the beginning. It’s still this dreamy, light indie pop, with a laidback attitude, a playful naivety and sweet melodies. But of course, they have a bigger sound now, it’s more polished, there are more and smoother vocal harmonies as well as guitar layers and their registry is wider. It’s an album that feels perfect for a summery, cloud-watching day and and album fit for a band that have one foot in the gound where they started and the other foot in a big step towards new destinations.

YAST on Tumblr – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp

I wrote about Per Sahlströms album “Cross the Line” three years ago. Since then he’s released another album, “Play the part of the random guy”, plus some single songs, where the latest one “Reconstruct Me” was released during Spring. “Play the part of the random guy” fits pretty well now; with it’s happy, light indie pop with doses of the sunny seventies, latino and dreamy folk pop, it feels refreshingly springlike, and like a good soundtrack for today. The first two songs here below comes from the album.

Per Sahlström on Spotify – on Bandcamp – on Soundcloud

Here’s a great and fun pop track from Faråker, aka Olle Blomström. Sounding like a Ted Gärdestad from Blekinge he reminds us that “Allt som är skit” (“Everything that sucks (in your life)), will go away, sooner or later. If we just tell him about it. The song is his second single on his way to his debut album, which he’s working on right now.

Faråker on Facebook – on Twitter – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud