Swedish~ Stereo~

Monday morning is a great time to start week with some good live performances and I have something to show you right for this case!
Fund Rosa Bandet fighting with breast cancer has arranged its annual concert last week this time involving some real pop-veterans.
Lisa Miskovsky preparing her new album "Violent sky" that's going to be out very soon performed her first single "Lover" from it. Legendary singer Helen Sjöholm premiered her single "Kvinnan För Dig" - cover of Billy Joel's "She's Always A Woman" with Swedish lyrics by Tomas Andersson Wij, this song is from forthcoming Helen's tribute album "Euforia - Helen Sjöholm sjunger Billy Joel". Peter Jöback is also ready for new release of his live-album "En kväll med Peter Jöback" that will include his latest single "Inte redo än" so this song was also performed during concert. And the last performance was by Bo Kaspers Orkester who's just released album "New Orleans" but were singing their old song "Ett Ögonblick I Sänder".
Lovely set from respectable artists so enjoy performances right below.

Officially Queen of Swedish dance-pop September's back with brand new single "Resuscitate Me" and we're giving you first full listen of new song!
The word "comeback" is gonna sound a bit weird for most as it was just year before when September did a hard promotion with bunch of her hits leading by world-hit "Cry For You" but still real hardcore fans were waiting for completely new stuff as the last studio album "Dancing Shoes" was released 3 years ago and since that Petra Marklund worked on pushing her old stuff around the world with different re-editions and compillations.
So finally it's here, brand new single "Resuscitate Me" written and produced among others by Cutfather responsible for Basshunter's "Saturday", Kylie's "Get Outta My Way" and Shayne Ward's "Gotta Be Somebody".
Talking about the song, "Resuscitate Me" sounds a lot in conception of Brittish "Cry For You - The Album" and on the other hand using formula of Agnes' international breakthrough tracks particularly international version of "I Need You Now". It's a melodic radio-friendly dance-track with loads of strings and Petra's hot vocal containing tonnes of personality in every single key. Single will be released on November 17th and new album "Love CPR" is planned for beginning of next year. Check full-length song right here right now!

This Autumn gave us two happy news from Nina Persson - vocalist of legendary Swedish band The Cardigans!
First one is that Nina and Nathan Larson gave birth to their first child - son Nils on 30th September. Family's feeling fine and currently lives in New York. Our congratulations to parents and little Nils!
Second news are regarding music activity of Nina. Georg Wadenius, famous Swedish musician, is releasing new compillation "Reconnection" in collaboration with some popular artists like Abba's Frida (Anni-Frid Lyngstad), Peter Jöback, Kleerup and Helen Sjöholm. Mostly it's acoustic calm tracks with gentle live instrumentals and cover for Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" made by Nina is not exception. It's the melancholic beautiful song with acoustic sound that could be easily found on any Nina's previous projects albums so this work should be welcome among hungry The Cardigans fans. Also you should check Frida's cover of Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken" below and samples of other tracks here.

Like many other Swedish pop-artists Carola's preparing for annual Christmas tour due to dates on her site it's gonna be really active tour. Earlier this year I've given you a tip to her tribute-concert devoted to Elvis and Barbra Streisand covers in Dalhalla. It was showed on TV4 and later it was released on DVD and due to tracklist the concert was really massive and if you're Carola's fan... Oh are you Carola's fan and still don't have it? I don't believe you! Well, however as the last Carola's studio album (not considering compillations and covers-albums) was released 4 years ago there are a lot of fans missing completely new stuff and before Royal Wedding this year they've got new Carola's single "Det är bara vi". Now Carola's presenting new piece of her music with the song "Still Love You" - beautiful classic schlager-ballad a bit in a style of "Det är bara vi" but more powerful and emotional, I bet no one Carola's ballads fan will be disappointed.

New single "Nyckelring" from Style has arrived to the radio and probably it's the best song we've heard since band's comeback.
I'll remind you that this famous band with very long music history came back in 2009 with compillation of best hits and fresh single "Vill ha dej, igen". After that band has released two other fresh singles "Långsamt" and "Love kiler" which felt a bit worse in chart but still were noticed by audience. Here's another try of band with new single and this time with quite new sound. "Nyckelring" is still synth track but this time with a huge movement to RedOne's electro-pop with impressive production, nice melody and big radio-hit potential. Release of new album due to Style's Facebook page is planned for November.

This Saturday we've got new episode of "Så mycket bättre" and this time artists made covers for Di Leva's biggest hits. Thomas Di Leva is one of the most special artists of Sweden, popular but performing not so accessible music for most of non-Swedish listeners, so to be honestly there weren't songs I've fallen for but still we had amazing Petra Marklund that automatically made whole thing interesting for me. This time Petra as expected showed her new side with indie-smelling track "Vem ska jag tro på" with emotional rise in the end, you should check this performance. And as I can't recommend you any other covers I'm attaching another old Petra's cover for Dilba's classic hit "I'm Sorry" that she performed in the beginning of her career.

Preliminary selection of two Melodifestivalen-2011 participants are coming closer to the hottest point - live final that will be held in around a week when on November 8th we'll see 5 finalists competing to get just two tickets to Melodifestivalen. So very soon we'll know who will perform with hugest Swedish stars on one stage and hopefully will become new schlager-star and we're glad to present you our biggest hope of Webbjoker-contest - Engla who's competing with the song "Don't Stop" - very fresh jazzy track delievered with impressively strong and beautiful Engla's vocal, anthemic pop-chorus and completely ecstatic key-change growing and growing till the last note.

Hi Engla. It's amazing that you're in competition, strong pop-song built by all rules of schlager-contest but still in experimental and fresh sound is brilliant decision. Was it your plan when you started to work on the song for the contest or "Don't Stop" has come naturally before you with Sargon Jakob who has written the song decided to send it to Webbjokers-contest?

Hi! Well, I met Sargon and we decided to start working together. He told me that he would write me a song and that he had a something that he was already working on, although he couldn’t promise anything. After a couple of days he called me and presented me the song and I thought, “Hmm…this is Schlager candy,. I want this one” hihi. The idea with the Webbjoker came up and we decided to try it out.

You have such a well-trained professional vocal, I suppose it's Christina Aguilera who provided backing vocals for "my heart is on the rush" part, do you have some music education behind or in a process of studying?

I’m blushing :) I wish it was Xtina! I started an education, but dropped out after a year. The rest comes from the Universe and from training. But Sargon gets out the best of me when we record which is great help in the studio.

Sure living in Sweden it's hard completely not to follow Melodifestivalen as viewer, but have you dreamed entering it before as artist or this idea has appeared just recently?

Yes! It was a dream and still it is, because it is Sweden’s greatest and finest music competition. And to stand in the front of the Swedish people and represent them would be an honor.

Next year already has such a huge names like Danny, Sanna Nielsen, Linda Bengtzing. What do you consider as your strongest side to stand a fight with well-established melo-stars?

All these artist are very talented! But I think and do believe that I deliver something that is a bit different. I will give the Swedish audience something new and fresh. I have to believe in myself and my song, and I really do!

Question that maybe sounds a bit unoriginal but I just have to ask you. Which Melodifestivalen song(s) can you call your biggest favorite(s)?

Carola – Främling! Even though I wasn’t born haha!

Ok, let's imagine that you're already invited to MF. Can you tell conception of your dream performance, just forget about budgets, scale of Globen, allowed number of team members on the stage and so on, free your imagination and tell how do you see yourself on the stage of Melodifestivalen?

Wow! My concept would be filled with feelings but as a true artist I don’t want to reveal anything, even though it is just an imagination. I also would like to thank everyone who has voted for me and please continue.

Thank so much for interview Engla, we keep our fingers crossed, wish you best of luck and ask everyone who lives in Sweden - please DON'T STOP voting for this amazing song sending sms 142 to number 72211, cost is just a 3,60 kr, not a big price to get such a wonderful song to Melodifestivalen-2011! See you in Globen dear Engla!

THANK YOU!

Here's 7384th reason for Swedish pop fan to dream about live in Sweden. You can wake up in the morning, switch on TV and watch ads with Sarah Dawn Finer singing cover of classic Osvaldo Farrés' hit "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" covered before by The Pussycat Dolls, Julio Iglesias, both ex-spicies Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and many-many others. Just like other covers performed by Sarah this version is again very personal, beautiful and seems like no one can so easily own the song like she does perhaps, perhaps...no, for real, for real, for real!

In June I told you about amazing collaboration between new Swedish club sensation Alex Sayz and sweet Sibel Redzep in new trance track "United As One". Finally we've got video treatment for this song. Probably best Sibel's video so far, very nice shot with loads of erotic scenes (yes, we have a week of erotic music videos started yesterday by Robyn) in slow motion, though water falling in slow motion is not the newest idea I still think that it's very beautiful and it works. However Alex and Sibel don't seem to have a wish to participate in all this love fest so they just have a dinner throwing food to each other with nothing but love in their eyes. And no, they're not gonna lick a cream from each other, they're just too hot to make it standard!

Robyn probably should take awards of the most active Swedish pop-star of 2010, it's difficult not to hear any news about her at around week. However these news were long-awaited. Video for new single "Indestructible" opening road for third third part of trilogy "Body Talk" is released and after a short period of tasting new single I can say it's officialy amazing! Robyn always find a keys and words simple but touching and understood to anyone so her songs turn to be something much more sighnificant and deep than common pop-stuff and the latest single proves it one more time. Video for "Indestructible" turned to be quite erotic thing with loads of sex scenes and Robyn in some sort of artificial veins with different color blood running randomly inside. Quite futuristic and hypnotizing picture.

Finally we've got some real music news from Play!
Girls were in the spot whole year after re-union in the beginning of the year on the show "Made in Sweden" and realesing #1 single "Famous" and successful album "Under My Skin" in April they were touring a lot in Sweden. Recently girls have got offer from Disney Channel to record soundtrack for new film "Avalon High" and extremely recorded the song "Destiny" just for one day so it's gonna be soundtrack to the final scene. And it should be perfect final song as "Destiny" is modern epic ballad sounding quite internationally but still it's Play in every key.
Credits for the great find to our priceless friend FizzyPop!!

E.M.D. seems to finally define date of their long-awaited second album "Rewind" on December 3rd (I guess many dreamed about such Christmas present) and ready to perform new official single - another cover from 90s - "What Is Love" by Haddaway. Another big hit from the past in Sweden and undoubtfully another successful single of E.M.D.
Already tomorrow E.M.D. are planning to perform new single on Idol-show (contest that gave birth to every of them - Erik, Mathias and Danny) but single is already digitally on sale so below and here you can listen promo-snippet of E.M.D.'s "What Is Love" that turned to be unexpectedly dark and tragic but very beautiful ballad. Check it!

The Beatles was theme of the last week Idol show - difficult but more difficult theme sometimes gives opportunity to see better who's the more skilful performer.
Geir Rönning performed one of the biggest hits of The Beatles "Love Me Do", it was very active performance - expressive and full of life but it felt like Geir who is undoubtfully high professional showed all sides of his talent during previous performances so this time it was already a bit boring. Jay Smith's rock voice surprisingly well worked in "A Hard Day's Night", Jay tries to be more open and free on the stage, not that he manages quite enough to prove his status of the biggest favorite of this season but still he has a lot of space to grow. Elin Blom's "Can't Buy Me Love" was very gentle and feminine and it was the song right for her perfectly fitting her voice. On the other hand "Helter Skelter" wasn't perfect choise for Olle Hedberg but he showed public different side of his vocal that he used before singing "Sex On Fire". And time has come for coming back Minnah Karlsson who left Idol previous week but as Alice Hagenbrant has left the show it was decided to bring Minnah back and what a grand comeback it was! She performed "Twist and Shout" and it was probably the best performance of the night (as it turned to be the most viewed among Idol-performances afterwards I'm not far from the truth) - she was twisting, shouting and be a real torn on the stage. Linda Varg seemed very comfortable with rock-ballad cover of "Ticket to Ride" that's probably lack energy a bit so wasn't received well by jury but still it was beautiful. Andreas Weise has made another musical performance of "All You Need Is Love", again it was hard to say something bad about vocal as vocally Andreas is growing constantly. Daniel Norberg was singing "The Long and Winding Road" - lovely and romantic performance, maybe a bit boring as there wasn't space to show Daniel's voice. And finally Linnea Henriksson performed "Help!" looking a lot in a style of 60s, probably it was too complicated vocally for her voice but still it's Linnea so performance was really entertaining. Finally Geir and Linda took the least of votes and Linda has left this time. Very sad fact but still I don't believe that such a talented charismatic artist will be lost for long. Next week theme will be 90s so come back if you want to see Jay covering Backstreet Boys and Elin making Britney.

Finally one of the best singles of the year "Lovekiller" by Darin Zanyar gets video out and it turned even darker than we expected by previews released before. It starts with shot of police investigating crime scene with singing dead Darin (a bit scary moment but we're gonna get many after). Later his soul's standing up and running walking through something representing afterlife worlds and getting to wardrobe when we meet that misterious lovekiller - quite hot lovekiller I should say looking like younger sister of Angelina Jolie, who's making her dark bloody work. And we're carried to the church where murderer is sued and Darin sing amazing culmination of the song that's touching to goosebumps especially in such decorations, idea is definitely that honey's gonna be judged for her crime sooner or later so take care of love dear readers so you're not gonna suffer as Darin or his love murdered afterwards.

Recently EMD and Molly Sandén visited kids Gabba Gabba show on SVT. Molly sang about her sport hobby and EMD about problems of brushing teeth being on tour. All of them looking gorgeous these days so you need to watch it. EMD could easily make it as their new video and Molly as brunette looks hotter than ever, doesn't she?
Thanx for the tips to Swedish Rush.

Danish artist Bryan Rice's presenting new album "Another Piece Of Me" with duo of our Swedish sweetheart Emilia Rydberg "Watch The Stars" released earlier this year as soundtrack for Danish reality-show "Veninder på 1. klasse". If you've missed it I'm here to remind you!
It's a modern romantic pop-song mixing r'n'b and pop in quite tasty and stylish music dish perfectly combining vocals of these nice artists. I'd also advice you to check whole album of Bryan as one of the most interesting Scandinavian pop-releases of this Autumn.
But wait as we're here for Emilia and still there's no hint about her new records let me show another international duet she recorded with Hungarian artist Dobrády Ákos year before. "Side by side" is beautiful classic European ballad, very touching and again voices of Dobrády and Emilia work together with amazing harmony.

Yesterday I've realized that I've missed one of the best rock-albums of the year, I really hope that forthcoming Grammis will fix my fault but finally I can do it myself.
Rock duo Johnossi has got to the spot of Swedish and international public already few years ago when they released 2 albums and has got interest to their music across Europe, US and Japan, not missing opportunity of active touring all over the world wherever they were invited. This year they've made a most successful shot in Sweden with album "Mavericks" that reached #4 and I'd like to dig it a bit.
"Mavericks" is dark intro-track leading you through the tunnels of the magic music world of Johnossi, the more you listen the more you realize you're not gonna leave this world so easy being lost in melancholic guitar riffs and mystic echoes of this music. "Dead end" is the latest single from the album, more life-assering and driveous with beautiful electric gutar sound and The Killers vibes. "Houses" present Johnossi with a new side, melody-massive with relaxed lazy rhythm. "Roscoe" finally gives some more hopeful rays of light with huge poppy melody of chorus and hard beat in verses. "Bed on Fire" is acoustic ballad unexpectedly decreasing high energy of the album. "What's the Point" was released as the first single (getting to Top-20) and turned to be powerful Summerish rock-single with amazing mix from Bassflow that I'd recommend to all pop-fans. "No Last Call" is filled with rock'n'roll atmosphere and nice rhytm-section. "Come Along (There's a Gene)" brings our back to melodic path but more complicated and hypnotizing with soft guitar riffs. "Worried Ground" is sad but still pulsing with life in mysterious sound of Johnossi. And the final album track is "Sickness" - calm and peaceful song at least as much calm as Johnossi can afford themselves to be.
Here are both singles from "Mavericks" but I'd advice you to shut your eyes when you'll be listening as imagination paints a better pictures for this music.

Brolle is the artist that I hardly try to fall for and and this is my new try. Finally artist who makes crowds of Swedish audience wild and constantly makes Top-10 singles and not less successful albums deserves some attention.
Well, one of the most popular Popstars show artists - Brolle presents new single - "Lovers' Battlefield". As the whole music concept of Brolle it's a guitar pop song with a bit screaming vocal and epic half-acoustic instrumental. Earlier this year Brolle released another single "Anything She Wants" from his "Best Of" compillation so fans should have not wait too long and here is brand new single that Brolle performed today at Nyhetsmorgon.
By the way recently I've discovered song "Solo i Stlm" in the list of MF-2008 rejects - right in a month after MF-2008 final Brolle released single "Solo i Stockholm" so with a big confidence we can suppose Brolle was one of rejected schlager-candidates two years ago.

I've just found out that for almost half a year of this blog life I never told you about one of my most favorite Swedish projects ever - Vacuum, so I will now!
Vacuum turned to be unexpectable sensation of 1996 when Alexander Bard who was well-known for his international massive pop-project Army Of Lovers has put the group on hold and started completely different project - not less extravagant but in its own way. Dark synth-pop sung by androginy-styled vocalist Mattias Lindblom and Alexander with another new face Marina Schiptjenko on keyboards, they sang about science, religion, culture, the whole conception turned to combined fresh idea in accessible and strong pop-music so it turned to be a blast on international level and many parts of Europe have given up without a fight after debut single "I Breathe". It has also peaked at #2 in home country and debut album "The Plutonium Cathedral" reached #12 that's not bad at all. Without pause Vacuum released the album "Seance at the Chaebol" that was more targetted to other European countries. In the end of 90s Alexander turned to new project Alcazar and only Marina and Mattias were left as active members of Vacuum (with Anders Wollbeck as permanent songwriter from the beginning of the project) and soon they released two re-editions of the last album with some new songs so all the singles of band - "Science Of The Sacred", "Let The Mountain Come To Me", "Pride In My Religion", "Tonnes Of Attraction", "Icaros", "Starting Where The Story Ended" were still floating around European radiostations and music channels.
When Marina has left the band and gone to BWO Mattias and Anders released new album "Your Whole Life Is Leading Up To This" - less commercial and darker electronic with singles "Fools Like Me", "They Do It", "The Void" demonstrating refreshed side of Vacuum. Through last 10 years Anders and Mattias also worked as songwriting team with many Swedish and international artists like Alcazar, Julie Bethelsen, Rachel Stevens, Nouveau Riche, Magnus Carlsson, Daniel Lindström, Monrose, Tarja Turunnen, Cinema Bizarre, Garou and many others.
Few years ago "Your Whole Life Is Leading Up To This" has got re-edition with new songs "Walk On The Sun" and "Only Human" and though it's not the latest singles I'd like to show you these songs, they are different but both amazing, when "Walk On The Sun" is powerful rhythmic pop-rock radio-killer, "Only Human" is more gentle acoustic-guitar based song - thoughtful and touching to goosebumps with amazing vocal of Mattias.
Vacuum still keeps releasing new songs, recently performing set of new ones so I hope soon I'll be able to tell you about their next album.

Today count of 100 candidates for Melodifestivalen decreased to 50 and we like the rest of the biggest MF- and ESC-fans keep following this schlager-race that's gonna finish in 2 weeks on November 8th when we'll know names of 2 winners and participants of Melodifestivalen-2011. I'll remind you that on October 27th there'll stay only 20 songs, October 29th - 15, October 31st - 10 and after that every day one song will leave competition before 5 finalists will be defined and will participate in live final. Happily I can announce that 17 of left 50 songs are from list of my top-supported artists (and 4 are in Top-10) so here they are. Good luck guys!

Coffee anyone? Ok, it's Monday morning not Tuesday yet but I wouldn't refuse to get musical cup of coffee from one of our newfound loves - Tuesday. Recently she gave lovely performance at Efter Tio and I'd like to share it with you. Ah, I forgot to bring some cream! Here it is with few other nice performances from Efter Tio - our another sweethearts Sarah Dawn Finer and Shiri with brilliant acoustic performances of their hits. It's gonna be a great week so wake up!

it's around 2 weeks before new Stephen Simmonds' album "Anomie" will apear in stores (at November 10th) and we can already check snippets of all tracks here.
Due to samples all who was scared to completely lose old good soul-sound of Stephen should breathe out calmly as at least half of this 10-tracks album has a lot of parallels with previous Stephen's albums. I've already presented to you latest Stephen's singles "Adiyeah" and "Just Love" - amazing ballad-track that's going to be officially released very-very soon.
Talking about other songs - you can find pretty wide music-range of Stephen still keeping whole album on his stable orbit - so "Armageddon" and "Too Close" are breathing with familiar inspiring melody-structure of Mr. Simmonds' soul-stuff but in more contemporary wrap, also you can find funky "Falling Down" and raggae-pop "Never Learn", "Anomie" is more outgoing bridge between darker 90s pop-soul of the artist and fresh side presented with first single "Adiyeah", the album is finished with "Lisa" - epic track sounding like religious anthem, massive and spiritual.
Greatest find in tracklist is cover of Titiyo's "Longing for lullubies" that Stephen performed few years ago for P3 Guldgalan, falling in love with it I couldn't even dream to get it in studio-version, check it below and hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!

Dansbandskampen keeps sorting out participants and we've got already Rigo & The Topaz Sound and Sweetshots out, new episode again had great songs choises - a lot of modern international hits and Melodifestivalen covers but this time I can say there were more of successful covers. CC & LEE performed beautiful version of Håkan Hellström's "Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg", stomach of pregnant band's part - Lena Ström already looks big but I really hope nothing will interrupt such a grand series of their performances. Wizex performed very nice cover of Salem Al Fakir's "Keep On Walking" with a slight touch of French music. Jeppez and the Cowboys has made loveable danband-country cover of Katy Perry's "Hot'n'cold". Elisa's covered in more traditional way Kent's "Utan dina andetag" - song that sounds good in all possible versions. And another Melodifestivalen-song was performed by Pure Divine "The Worrying Kind" - nice anthemic baseline and synths along with proper vocal performance has made it another worthy highlight of the show.

TV4 starts new show "Så mycket bättre" (So much better) that I told you about before. During 8 series you'll be able to see Lasse Berghagen, Lill-Babs, Petter, Thomas Di Leva, Petra "September" Marklund, Christer Sandelin and Plura Jonsson who had to spend a week living in one house and singing covers for each other hits. First day that was shown today was devoted to Lasse Berghagen's songs. Biggest highlight of the show was to finally see and listen Petra Marklund with beautiful cover of Lasse's classic hit "Teddybjörnen Fredriksson". Another nice covers were done by Lill-Babs, Thomas Di Leva and Christer Sandelin (from Style), it's a bit hard to judge such a retro-stuff but still it looks like a nice idea to collect such a different but popular artists and make them to arrange tribute-nights for each other (sure I can't wait for September's night!). Watch whole show here.

Kent's releasing new double single with two A-sides "Ismael" and "Varje gång du möter min blick" from their latest #1 album "En plats i solen". Great double-shot with two tracks which in my opinion suits Autumn mood mostly.
"Ismael" is energetic electro-track with beautiful synth-keys, "Varje gång du möter min blick" is more thoughtful dark song with dramatic intro and rock-arrangement breathing with old Kent's albums sound. "Ismael" has already peaked at #13 that sounds definitely good for already released before album-track.
Hope next singles will be "Team building", "Passagerare" and "Minimalen" though if Kent's new trend is to release album tracks I don't mind having them all released on one EP!

There are pretty much happening with Robyn constantly this year so I've got a bunch of stuff to tell about.
First of all Robyn performed her first #1 hit in Sweden "Dancing On My Own" at American VMA with Deadmau5, unfortunately it was just around minute cut but still if there's any of European artists who can refuse to get it, please stand up! So here at 6.07 you can watch Robyn performing "Dancing on My Own" in the mix.
Right now before release of the third part of her trilogy "Body Talk" Robyn is presenting her new single "Indestructible", acoustic version of this song was presented on the second part of "Body Talk" so as it was expected it has got electro-arrangement in a style of "Hang With Me" and "Dancing On My Own" but a bit less commercial and sounding more like remix of previous version (in my opinion).

However that's great to get new material from Robyn and soon we're gonna get another 4 new songs on "Body Talk Pt. 3" - "Time Machine", "Call your girlfriend", "Get myself together" and "Stars 4-ever", the rest is 5 songs from the first part and 5 songs from second. Check whole tracklist below and cover above.
And finally you should check fresh lovely performance of early Robyn's hit "Show Me Love" right in the centre of Stockholm at Sergels Torg, it's wonderful how you completely flow into this performance, beautiful!

Hold on guys! Time for a bit of metal rock. As you've mentioned I try to open you different sides of Swedish music and rock part of this world also deserves attention, it doesn't mean I'm gonna scare you with some too extreme rock-styles, only commercial melodic bands.
New breakthrough on a metal stage was recently arranged by Göteborg's band Minora. This group exists already 8 years and already managed to overcome complete break 4 years ago but few years ago they've come back and finally stepped out on the road of success performing and making new material so finally this year we've got fresh single "A New Dawn" and real plans for debut album that's gonna be released very soon. Talking about "A New Dawn" - it's piano-based powerful rock-song song with beautiful tune blasting in a chorus and expressive pleasant male vocal. Amazing Autumn rock-sountrack!
If you like "A New Dawn" I would also recommend you another Minora's track "Between the window glass".

Ladies and gentlemen, here's a brand new (already fifth!) video of this year Swedish pop-sensation Eric Saade for his new single "It's Gonna Rain" written by Fredrik Kempe.
Just like clip for Eric's biggest success - single "Manboy" it's live video with the cut form Summer tour of Eric (it's gonna rain, it's rain manboy so you're gonna see a lot of wet Eric) but like in a case of "Manboy" not to keep fan bored by version that they played for months we're getting new live-version of the song with live instruments that's really appreciated and creative solution. No more words, check it right here right now (or here)!

Pop-rock-band Sugarplum Fairy appeared back in 2004 with leaders Victor and Carl Norén who turned to be brothers of singer Gustaf Norén of already established then Mando Diao. Band has made a blast from the very first steps. Melodic brit-pop singles like "Stay Young" and "Sweet Jackie" put them on the spot not only in Sweden but internationally as well. So along with constantly promoted and relatively successful music in Sweden they worked on their career in Germany and Japan. Single "The Escapologist" could be seen on many music channels around Europe. After a band have taken pause year before we're getting both Norén brothers back solo in approximately the same time.
Firstly Carl Norén premiered his new single "The Anger" presented his music as more melancholic and thoughtful than probably would be expected by Sugarplum Fairy fans.
In a few days another brother - Viсtor will perform his own single "When We Were 10" under a new name Viktorious and it's something completely different but very exciting as due to trailer his new music promises to be impressive electro-pop debut with extravagant and controversial image of the artist so we carefully keep our hand on a pulse of both projects.

Last week on Idol was again full of successfull songs choises - modern and fitting contestants excellent. Level was equally high (even/especially for those who weren't my personal favorites) so it was hard to guess who will leave the show this time.
Minnah Karlsson was singing Donkeyboy's "Ambitions" that was just made for her voice but needed a bit more of Minnah's unlimited energy. Otherwise Daniel Norberg's performance turned to bee weaker than his previous ones as Andreas Johnson's "Glorious" is too complicated song that not anyone can fight with. Alice Hagenbrant chose Kelly Clarkson "Breakaway" and it was her completely best performance on Idol since audition. Andreas Weise presented Robbie Williams's "Feel" very strong vocally but a bit too tragic and static. Can anyone imagine The Knife on Idol? Can actually someone properly perform The Knife's song like "Heartbeats" live? Now I know that Linnea Henriksson can anything and this was her another performance that you enjoy from the first till the last second. Amazing voice and artistic craziness is unbelievable combination that Linnea manages to show by different side in every show. Linda Varg this time stopped experiments and performed in format that she came to on Idol with. Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" could easily be her own song. Olle Hedberg performed Oskar Linnros' "Från och med Du" and it was another performance not worse than original version. Elin Blom cover of Pink's "I Don’t Believe You" was a bit too calm and a bit too happy. Jay Smith performed Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", vocally perfectly but I need more expression and life from Jay on the stage. Last performance was from Geir Rönning his version of Toto's "Rosanna" was as professionally high as always.
Finally two who collected the least amount of voices were Minnah and Alice, after duel Minnah left competition but in a few days Alice announced that she can't stay anymore on Idol and can't get joy of it so she wanted to go away, Minnah was taken back and will perform again in next show with theme The Beatles.