Rickard Ahlgren has released his first official EP under the name danmarck. Here he continues with his grand-sounding furious rock he showed us in the Autumn on the single “Mayfire”. The garage is just a memory now as he heads out on the vast plains like a hurricane on the four tracks. He pushes his voice to the limit while melodic, alarming guitar lines sweep in over the soundscape. There’s something very direct and punk-like when he grabs a theme and just hammers on with an intense beat for two-three minutes, but you will also find traces of goth, alternative rock, industrial and other stuff. He writes that he’s found his inspiration to the songs from artists like Arcade Fire, Hurula, The Damned and Nirvana, influences he interweaves with his dark and ominous sound. Every song has its own character and you can listen to all four tracks here below and read his comments to each song:

Danmarck on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

About “All Hail”: “The lyrics are about various things, partly about the importance of being dedicated to something and partly about our need for a short-circuit of all IT, phones, computers and so on, “All we need is another short circuit”. Musically it’s inspired by Olle Ljungström and Hurula.”

About “Sessala”: “Is there light in here?”. “About our insecurity when we have to choose (not TV:s…:)). Is there anything good with what I’m doing right now..?
Musically inspired by av Thåström, Kite and Nicole Saboune.”

About “Anavia”: “Be who you want to be and be a role model. Do good. Musically inspired by Nirvana’s “Endless Nameless” (hiddden track on Nevermind) and also Nine Inch Nails and Sex Pistols.”

Secret Cameras, hailing from London, are warming up before the release of their debut EP with the second single from the record, “It Doesn’t Matter”. It’s a track that breathes of postpunk and alternative rock and which gives me plenty of Suede vibes. The song is quite intense, culminating in a massive sound explosion in the chorus, still with a sweet melody hook. The first single is also worth checking out. “Going Places” is a bit calmer and with the synths more in the foreground, but with the same dense, ambient sound and an ending where they pour in everything they’ve got.

Secret Cameras’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

I was actually going to write about the EP “Hollywood”, which I had saved from last year as I didn’t have time then. But suddenly the duo The Red Fuze releases another EP, “Moonlight Drive”, that claims my attention. It’s their fourth EP and an album where they leave their earlier garagerock sound for a sound where they head back to their roots.

Already in the first bars with a funkbluesy guitar lick in the starting track “Let Me Be Your Dog” I feel my foot begin to move with the beat. Then they stock up with a wonderful bluesrock full of life, with organ lines, a great groove and a catchy chorus. “Don’t Call Me Baby” makes me think of both Canned Heat and T.Rex but the highlight of the EP comes later with the title track. Here they serve vibes from The Doors mixed with an exhuberant bluesrock with rock’n’roll-piano in one of the best tracks I’ve heard with the band.

The Red Fuze site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

The trio SaidArtch, Moa McAllister, Judith Stocks and Elenoor Roovers, released their debut single “Cash or Visa” last summer and it’s a song that caught me immediately when I listened, a bluesy, garagerock-sounding track with sweet crunchy guitars and a heavy, driving beat. They followed up with the EP “In the Beginning of Time” in the Autumn and added two new songs, songs that get to breathe in a larger room, have more pop-melodic colours and vocal harmonies. While I didn’t quite get “Always Been Crying” the beautiful “Explode” did and shows that the trio have plenty of brushes to paint with.

SaidArtch på Facebook – på Spotify – på Apple Music

Lovisa Thurfjell knows how to tell someone to fuck off. The latest single “Ha d bra (dra åt helvete)” is that kind of song you would like to play when you’re so frustrated that smoke is coming out of your ears. But you keep it inside of you, mumble a “Have a nice day” and walk away. In this song Lovisa’s punk roots shine through in her new project Hundmänniska, and the band takes the opportunity to pour out everyhing they’ve got until they explode in a cacaphony, catches their breath and squeezes out the last anger in a finishing eruption.

Her album is scheduled for release on the 1st of March and this was the third single. I wrote about the first one, “Res dig upp”, in the Autumn, and later she also released “Inte längre” a more pop-sounding tune, which I have also added here below.

Hundmänniska on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music