Mikael Persson has played in different bands during thirty years, but it took until 2011 before he released his solo debut album “Moving With Mrs. Carter”. After a couple of  EP:s he’s now out with the follow-up album “Marks & Bleeds”, an album where he has invited guests as songwriters and musicians like Greg Copeland, Janni Littlepage, Luisa Jordan-Killoran, Citizen K among others.

It’s a rather varied record which revolves around country rock and Americana and Mikael’s dark, laidback and expressive vocals. There’s quite a few excursions with other influences too; I can hear Irish folk vibes, nice power pop-like choruses, the Dire Straits-sounding “St. James’ Park” and a beautiful cover of Yazoo’s “Only You” to name a few. There’s plenty of guitar candy on the album as well as a great sense of sticky melodies, which you have two good examples of here below. The album is available on Spotify and on Wimp.

Some 50 Roads
Man With Hound By His Cottage

The quintet Rambling Nicholas Heron, hailing from Göteborg, started out in 2006 and have since then released ten album DIY-wise, that is, on CDR:s, cassettes and the like. But they waited until last year, though, before they released their first official full length album “Cannot Feel At Home In This World Anymore”.

It’s an album that breathes of the seventies in what they call indie-folk-rock-boogie-blues. You can find numerous references to artists from that decade on this varied album, as they pass from country songs, playful american folk, boogie grooves, blues rock and other stuff. I like their simple sound, which keeps it all in line together with the singer’s special tone, which I would describe as a mix of how Dylan could sound in the seventies, Canned Heat and Steve Miller. There’s a lot to enjoy on this album: Strong compositions and hooks with quite a few great melodies, a delicious guitar sound, a dynamic production sweet for the ears and from time to time a groove that makes my feet involuntarily move to the beat.

Rambling Nicholas Heron’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

Chirping is the name of an indie rock quartet from Stockholm. Last year they released a single and an EP, and now, about a month ago, two songs on the single “Flicker & Fade”. They sound like if a young The Edge from U2 had formed a band with Steve Kilbey from The Church, at least in the title track, while the second track “Such a Pretty Sight” makes me think a bit of Echo & the Bunnymen and The National, whom the band themselves also mention. Good songs and a nice new acqaintance.

Chirping’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud

I stick with the Led Zeppelin-vibes in this second post for the day. At least when it comes to the starting track “The Club” on Kusk’s new EP “The Ride Is All”, which was released earlier this year. They say themselves that they have been inspired by The Black Keys and The White Stripes, which feels even more obvious as the second song “Be, Do” comes up and when they after that takes it a little more easy in the suggestive “Mr. Swanky”. Great stuff all four songs, with a nice ambience, where each song has it’s own character. Here are two song plus the video to “Mr Swanky”.

Kusk on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud

The quartet Marrakech, hailing from Umeå, have taken their band name from a song by Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Marrakech Express”. And even if CSN is not exactly what comes to my mind, when I listen to Marrakech’s first single, I land somewhere in that era. What I hear is psyckadelic rock and blues rock, flavoured with the fact that they sing in Swedish. In the song “Mitt Liv” (“My Life”) I’m reminded at first of Cream but soon I feel quite a few Led Zeppelin vibes. That feeling remains to some extent when I listen to the second song “Robert Johnsson”, but overall I feel more influence from Black Sabbath than from anything else. Listen for yourself here below.

Marrakech on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud