First Aid Kit <--- Young talent!

The sisters Klara Söderberg, 15, and Johanna Söderberg, 17 is the duo First Aid Kit. And what a duo! Despite the fact that they hate being called sweet - that's just what they are. They are singing sweet folk-pop and you wouldn't guess their early age from their lyrics. They were discovered by Karin Dreijer from The Knife and Fever Ray and that's why their debut EP Drunken Trees is released on her label Rabid Records. The EP was named Drunken Trees after watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth that mentions how trees lean and look drunken when the permafrost is melting. Insightful title!

The story of First Aid Kit gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I feel proud when two young girls with a lot of creative joy can put together such a great debut EP on their own. It can only go one way from here and that's forward! This is two young women that takes their music seriously, so don't let their sweetness fool you ;-)

As you might tell, Im already a fan of First Aid Kit, and i think you should be too. So check out their music at Spotify, and the videos below, the Fleet Foxes cover is wonderful! And if you like it, buy it!

Pssst! They are doing a UK tour at the moment, make sure to check out the tour dates on their official website.

First Aid Kit - Hard Believer


First Aid Kit - Summer Session no 1: Universal Soldier [Buffy Saint-Marie]


First Aid Kit - Summer Session no 2: Simple Man [Graham Nash]


First Aid Kit - Cover: Fleet Foxes Tiger Mountain Peasant Song


Press Photo Josefin Klavus

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Find out more about the sisters on their official website and on their Myspace!
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Wildbirds & Peacedrums

If you are in the mood for something different and experimental this week, you should listen to Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Its been called experimental folk, freak folk, psychedelic and jazz and the reason why is that you never know what's coming next. I feel hints from bands like Cocorosie, Mars Volta and others. Both sweet and hard at the same time [just like their name].

David Coleman at No Ripcord has interviewed them and if you want to find out more i suggest you keep reading there ---> Interview Wildbirds & Peacedrums

I have a feeling that Wildbirds & Peacedrums work really well as a live band, and that's why they keep on touring successfully over the world. Have you seen them live? Let us know what you thought of it! Also, check out the videos below, the track [and video] My Heart is great!

You can listen to Wildbirds & Peacedrums at Spotify and you can also buy their music at iTunes music store!

Wildbirds & Peacedrums - My Heart


Wildbirds & Peacedrums - There is No Light


Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Doubt/Hope


Press Picture

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If you want to find out more about Wildbirds & Peacedrums, check out their Myspace.
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Melissa Horn

Recently i fell in love with Melissa Horn. Her sweet voice in combination with those sad lyrics of love speaks to the melancholic and romantic part of me that seems to take over my mood on rainy days like this. I think she's wonderful and is amazed that i didn't hear that much about her before. She has talent, and hopefully she will be one of our great female vocalists in the future.

Melissa sound to me like the female version of Lars Winnerbäck, so it seems only natural that she has recorded the duet Som jag hade dig förut with him. She released her debut album Långa Nätter in 2008 and the song by the same name is one of her best known songs. Melissa is also the daughter of the Swedish folk/jazz Maritza Horn.

You can listen to Melissa at Spotify and at Youtube [embedding is disabled...] and buy her music at iTunes music store.

Press Picture

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Find out more about Melissa at Myspace.
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Sofia Karlsson

Sofia Karlsson is one of our great female vocalists in Sweden. With folk songs that travels straight to the heart. Its like that familiar and safe feeling of unconditional love and it makes me happy inside to listen to her clear and uncomplicated voice. That's how I want life to feel [instead it feels more like PJ Harvey most of the time...].

With multiple albums under her belt, the latest one Söder om Kärleken earlier this year, she is definitely one of the major names in Swedish folk/singer/song writer music. Sofia was brought up in a musical home in Stockholm and she mentions influences like Cornelis Vreeswijk [One of Sweden most popular fol singers of all time, of Dutch origin] Dolly Parton, Tracy Chapman, Gillian Welch and Monica Zetterlund [Swedish jazz singer].

Its possible to listen to Sofia Karlsson on Myspace and Spotify, but you can also buy her albums on Klicktrack.

Sofia Karlsson - Dina Händer [Live Swedish TV]


Sofia Karlsson - Smält Mig Till Glöd


Sofia Karlsson - Du Var Där


Press Photo

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Find out more about Sofia Karlsson on her official website or on her Myspace.
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[ingenting]

The Swedish Stockholm based pop band [ingenting] has been hyped lately. Everyone seems to look forward to their show on the Way Out West festival this week. Straightforward pop performed in Swedish is always enjoyable :) The singles Punkdrömmar and Släpp in Solen has been played frequently on the radio and makes us want more!

The third album Tomhet, idel tomhet is released in September on Labrador Records. The theme [according to the band] is emptiness, life, death and religion. Until then you can enjoy them on Youtube or at the WoW festival in Göteborg [Gothenburg] this weekend.

[ingenting] - Punkdrömmar


[ingenting] - Släpp in Solen


[ingenting] - Dina Händer är Fulla av Blommor [live]


Pssst! Check out the fake band in the videos! :)

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Check out the official website and Myspace.
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The Sound of Independent Sweden [part II]

David Coleman is back with the second part of the article about the Swedish music scene [based on location]. Im wondering if its possible to hear the difference between music depending on where its made in Sweden? Check out what David says about that. Oh, and remember to read the second part of The Sound of Independent Sweden!

Read the second part of the article here --->
The Sound of Independent Sweden [part II]

Is it possible to hear the difference between music depending on where its made in Sweden? For instance, is there a special Gothenburg sound, in your opinion?
I think it's difficult for an outsider to hear subtle differences between artists from different regions of Sweden in the same way as I can when listening to British or even American bands. That said, the 'Balearic' electronic pop thing seems to be very specific to Gothenburg. The Tough Alliance, Air France, The Embassy, Boat Club, perhaps even Studio – that's one version of a Gothenburg sound, but then you have bands from the same city like Wildbirds and Peacedrums who are doing something entirely separate.

I think the similarities between artists on specific labels are more noticeable. There's a distinct Labrador sound, for example, and the Sincerely Yours and Service artists seem to be approaching their work in similar ways.

You seem to have a very deep intrest and knowledge about Sweden and Swedish music, [some people call them swedophile's]. Where did your intrest come from? Was it your Swedish girlfriend that made you discover Swedish music?
My fiancée, Emma, comes from Halland. We met in October 2000 [in Sheffield] and she introduced me to a few of the more poppy artists [Sahara Hotnights, The Ark, Mando Diao, etc.], while simultaneously subjecting me to some less enjoyable sounds such as "schlager". Ugh.

She's certainly the reason why I've visited Sweden so many times, but if I'm honest I was already interested in Swedish music before we met. The two early triggers were my first 'proper' gig [a pop-punk band called Fungus, who had a deal with Parlophone in the mid-to-late nineties] and an amazing mixtape that I received from a No Ripcord reader called Magdalena, which introduced me to The Bear Quartet, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and others. I guess the love affair started there and the great music I've discovered subsequently has only served to fuel it further.

Which one is your top 5 list of Swedish musicians/bands [and the favorite album by each artist]?
Ah, that's a difficult one. I struggled to narrow the list down to fifty for the feature! Ok, in no particular order:

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Wildbirds and Peacedrums - The Snake
The Embassy - Futile Crimes
The Knife - Silent Shout
Vapnet - Jag vet hur man väntar

Happydeadmen's Silent Sigh City and Bear Quartet's Human Enough are probably my favourite songs.

Official song 2009 | Stockholm Pride

Marit Bergman is the creator of the official Stockholm Pride song this year. The song Casey hold on is now possible to download for free at the Stockholm Pride website, so take the chance while its possible! Its a classic Marit pop song, a perfect song for Pride :)

Marit has also released the album The Tear Collector recently, its available for download and on Spotify.

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Find out more about Marit Bergman at Myspace and the official website.
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