This week we have 5 more selections for you, 2 Albums, 2 Single releases and a special Live Video.
Barrow (Denmark) with Album 'Like A Home'
We'll start off this with week with another album which has distinct Americana as well as Nordic Folk influences, and it's the release from Danish band 'Barrow' entitled 'Like A Home'. This is a band that have made a fair impression back home, being nominated as 'Best New Folk Talent' at the Danish Music Awards, with radio airplay too and a performance at the esteemed 'SPOT' Festival (and which we're going to one year...). 'Like A Home' is the comfy armchair of music releases, full of easy listening tunes, and tales of misadventures, strongest in softer tracks such as the gorgeous 'Like a Home', which has lovely cello and violin parts written too. But the quality is maintained in tracks such as 'Give Me Strength' and 'Like I', and we're delighted to include it in this weeks Monday Selection. https://www.facebook.com/barrowsongs/
Paper Tigers (Denmark) - album 'Color Atlas'
We like to cover a variety of styles, and in Paper Tigers we have a band that feels like it takes influences from some great UK rock bands (Kasabian to name but one), but that makes no apology for taking it in their own direction. Some of you might be familiar with their 1st album 'Head Over Heels', which is an impressive enough debut, but 'Color Atlas' sounds different, bigger, brighter and with a more distinct style of their own. 'Time is Money' is an early highlight, but 'She's Got the Vibe' fuses guitar and keyboards in a pretty blistering track, whilst 'Living is Easy' demonstrates Paper Tigers ability to write a simply belting Indie Rock ballad. Tracks such as 'Stab Me If You Dare' sound as if there's a Last Shadow Puppets influence, which is always a good thing, and this is an album with bold enough ambitions to get recognition on an International stage. https://www.facebook.com/papertigersdk/
Erik Fastén (Sweden) - new single 'Lights Out'
The number of Nordic Album releases due in October and November is pretty staggering (maybe we should try and cover an album a day in November), and one which we're particularly looking forward to is from Erik Fastén, a Swedish musician who has played with many different artists across genres, but is now releasing his own songs, as well as touring prolifically. 'Lights Out' is the new release, and it's a nicely written song, with thoughtfully delivered vocals, and carefully judged and subtle instrumentation which just adds extra emphasis to his voice. Previous releases which are well worth checking out include the very personal 'Overwhelmed'. The album is due out on 3rd November through Adore Music and Personal Space Records.
Wy (Sweden) - with single 'Gone Wild'
Even closer than the Erik Fastén album is the full length release from Swedish band 'Wy' (duo on 20th October), which is based around duo Ebba and Michel. Their debut EP 'Never Was' was previously released to widespread acclaim. 'Gone Wild' is a typically heart wrenching song about fear from Wy, opening with the lines 'What if my dog died when I was in Tokyo, What if dad died before I was twenty-four'. This is an emotionally written and totally captivating track that opens up into an incredible moment of hope, guitars briefly lighting the atmosphere and the lyrics ending 'maybe I'm almost sane, maybe I'm almost.... okay'. The album is entitled 'Okay' and will be released through Hybris / Better Call Rob records. http://wearewy.com/
Dead Vibrations (Sweden) with live video 'Reflections' (Live at Tapetown)
We keep meaning to make it to the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, they've had some great Nordic bands on previously (such as The Janitors), and this year Dead Vibrations from Sweden were on the bill. They've just signed to he UK label 'Fuzz Records', which is great news, and their debut album is due in 2018. For now we have a great live video for you, filmed as part of an excellent new set of sessions at Tapetown Studios, and in a collaboration between Tapetown, the excellent Sound of Aarhus and local music venues. The video captures the relentless intensity of Dead Vibrations track 'Reflections', in a blistering 4 minutes of psyched out noise. We'll bring you more details of their album release next year, and in the meantime please subscribe to the Live At Tapetown 'YouTube' Channel here: