In 2020 Swedish band Gula Blend (named after the infamous Swedish cigarette band) released their great debut album Inte idag (via Rama Lama Records) and now looks like they are gearing up to provide us with a new body of work.
No announcements have been made just yet, but we already have a fantastic first single “Helt hel” — an extremely fun and energetic garage/indie rock slice. It is released with a cool animated video, made by Jonathan Bjurbo.
Watch below and get the track here.
In about a month and a half, fuzzy Malmö art rockers Mary Anne’s Polar Rig will release Makes You Wonder, their sophomore album and the first one as a duo. It will be out March 24 via Rama Lama Records and available on CD and a limited gatefold double vinyl.
We have already heard singles “Dopamine Detox” & “Summer Girl”, and now the two-piece shares another preview, “It Goes”. It is a shapeshifting number that starts slowly and progresses along the way, comfortably mixing slow and quiet moments with a rich and expressive art rock sound.
The song also arrives ahead of the band’s debut UK shows that will be held in London at the Cavendish Arms on February 17 and at the Shacklewell Arms on February 18.
Listen below and pre-order the album here.
When not performing in the garage-tinged indie band Gula Blend, Malmö DIY musician Jesper Pettersson puts out great solo stuff as JERKA, where he can freely experiment with his sound and ideas.
After releasing a self-titled debut album in 2022, Jesper is now back with the fresh single “Lustigkurren” (Swedish for character/joker/wisecracker). It is a fuzzy, heady garage stomper that goes big and that is best played really-really loud.
Listen below and get the track here.
Swedish singer-songwriter Erik Björklund (known as the leader of Delsbo Beach Club and Blodmyren) has returned to Rama Lama Records with a new solo single “På min cykel” (On my bike).
An instantly appealing and melodic indie rock number, it is the first song taken out of his upcoming collection Låtar från en svunnen tid (Songs from the past) which is set for release digitally and on a limited CD on April 14.
Speaking of it, Erik says: “På min cykel” is about “the sense of freedom you get after a bike ride. I wrote this song instantly after coming home from a long journey by bike, recording it while still sweaty and a bit dizzy.
The record is called ‘Låtar från en svunnen tid” (Songs from the past) and as the title suggests it is a collection of older material, most of them over two years old and some way older than that. They are about the process of figuring out who I am as a 25-30-year old and new in the Stockholm underground scene. It is easy to get lost and forget who you really are. The lyrics deal with the slow therapeutic processing of a life with both bright and dark moments and facing those as you grow and are becoming an “adult for real”. It is also about a journey where I lost the joy in making music and finding my way back”.
Listen below and pre-order the release here.
Swedish tastemaker label Rama Lama Records had another stellar year, having released new albums from such bands and artists as Kindsight, Melby, NOVA BLAST, Guds Pengar, JERKA and Per och Olof, in addition to many cool one-off singles under the umbrella of Rama Lama Family Club and more!
We are big fans and all of the abovementioned names featured on the pages of this blog during the year. Now the label is sharing a new compilation, which features songs by these acts collected in one place — a cool opportunity to get familiar with one of the greatest independent music units around and get excited for more things to come in 2023.
Stream below and get the release here.
Acute Pop 