IPO Stockholm 2024
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Artists From Stockholm
The Alloy Six – Formed by members of quintessential psychedelic garage rockers, The Moving Sounds and The Fourtune-Tellers, The Alloy Six play rock n’ roll influenced by the late ‘60s and early ‘70s music scene. Fuelled by Hammond organ and 12-string guitar, along with razor sharp distortion, solid drumming and spot-on bass, their sound will be an instant hit with fans of artists such as The Doors, The Electric Prunes, and 13th Floor Elevators! Their latest album, Monday Mirror, is available on limited edition vinyl or via many fine streaming services!
Kristofer Axen – Whether you call it soft pop or prog rock, the melodies of Axen’s songs shine through. He takes inspiration from greats such as The Beatles and Elliott Smith and mixes it up with various forms of 70s prog rock, glam, and soul! His recent Cross-Word Tears album will therefore also appeal to fans of Stevie Wonder, ABBA and ELO!
The Beautiful Art of Decay – Influenced by The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Ziggy Stardust era Bowie, this Stockholm quintet are “the other ones…the ones on the other side of the street…the ones your mother warned you about”…in other words, they write and play great rock n’ roll. Check out their We Are The Other Ones EP to see and hear what we mean! Their next EP is being launched one song at a time on their Soundcloud and Spotify pages…check back often to hear them all!
Janne Borgh Fanclub – Whether solo or in any of his band incarnations, Borgh certainly knows his way around a great melody and a catchy hook! He was a member of the first Swedish mod-revival band, The Moderns, who released an album on EMI-Parlophone and toured the UK with Echo & The Bunnymen in 1980. Fans of classic power pop and Americana bands – from The Beatles, Badfinger, and Big Star to The Records, The Replacements, Tom Petty and Cheap Trick – will love his new rockin’ outfit and their recent album on the Kool Kat label, Byronesque.
Dee Rangers – They combine the best of sweet power pop jangle, keyboard-laced psychedelic garage mayhem, and early pop punk a la The Ramones, and have been doing so consistently since the mid-‘90s! All You Need Tonight, their seventh (and rather aptly named) latest album resides “…largely somewhere in the ‘60s,…there is a real Scouse late 80’s / early 90’s vibe, hints of Power Pop, oodles of Mod Pop and a sort of Groovy Austin Powers 1967 vibe…” (Don Valentine, I Don’t Hear A Single blog) Classic Swedish psychedelic-power-garage-pop at its finest!
Electric Sweethearts – Inspired by the musical landscape of rough indie-music, the band strives towards creating captivating rhythms and melodies to excite the listener. Their recent singles run the range from frenetic angular guitar pop to psychedelia and anthemic rock, and will leave you both guessing and begging for more!
Forsberg Borgh Intensity – A wonderful joining of forces, fronted by Lasse Forsberg, main man of Stockholm band Mary Maple, and Janne Borge, main man of Janne Borge Fanclub (see above). It’s definitely gonna rock the pop melodies!
Great Park Avenue – Combining their Swedish post punk roots with a heavy dose of ‘70s British punk pop and mod influences, Great Park Avenue are set to take the world by storm! Just check out the punchy hooks on their recent Limitless Prolific Divineness EP and their energetic IPO debut to see and hear what we mean!
The Greeting – One of the many projects of Richard Öhrn, guitarist for Uppsala jangle pop darlings, In Deed, who played IPOs Liverpool and Stockholm in 2018. Think big guitars, big melodies, and catchy choruses with a few surprising twists and turns, with nods to punk, Britpop, and of course, powerpop. Or better yet, check out their self-titled EP and their IPO showcase.
La Paz – Deep, dark, and intense, while retaining an uplifting folk pop sense of melodicism: This is La Paz, a three guy/one gal prog pop outfit from Stockholm. Imagine Stevie Nicks fronting Rush, and you almost get the picture…or better yet, just check out their EP, First, and come to their IPO showcase to see and hear them for yourself!
Leon Ra Lindström & Celebrate the Sun – It’s been awhile, but they’re back in at IPO, having last played in 2006, in their former hometown of Liverpool, UK! They still deliver driving indie rock songs that retain a pop ethic of hooks and harmonies. Their debut self-titled CD has earned comparisons to both The Beatles and Coldplay!
The Man – Don’t let the name fool you…The Man is actually comprised of the duo of Andreas Johansson and Peter Ågren, and together they create some of the most lushly arranged soft pop ballads we’ve heard in quite a while! Think of The Beatles, Barry Manilow, Nilsson, Brian Wilson, ELO, and Elton John all rolled into one…if you don’t believe us that they could be that good, just check out their IPO showcase!
Noise Detectors Inc – A supergroup featuring members of Eager Beaver, The Joints, The Piltdown 5, and Stupidity (see below), you can be sure they will make a joyous noise to put a smile on your face and set your feet dancing. Their sound is a mix of power pop hooks and mod-punk energy, with a bit of soul and ska thrown in for good measure! Check out their Six by Four EP and more recent digital singles, or better yet, come see and hear them do their thing live at IPO!!
Louice Ottosson – An innovative artist with a philosophical feminist edge to her lyrics, Ottoson has been a fixture on the Swedish indie music scene since 2011, and was actually the first to win P4 Next twice in Sweden’s Radio Östergötland. Her most recent EP, Tusen Songs, is filled with happy pop songs with more serious undertones.
Råttanson – A DIY one-soul garage band playing a blend of garage rock, pub rock, rock, power pop, surf, punk, blues and country. “Over 30 minutes of fast, fuel-driven energy. It’s like The Monkees on acid at rush hour, sucking in some Barracudas along the way and spitting it all out in the name of garage, beat and rock ‘n’ roll. Time for some proper shaking!” (The Garage Club) Their brand-new EP, Trebled Region, is due out just in time for their IPO showcase!!
Rooni – Stockholm has long been known as the breeding ground of great power pop bands, and Rooni are no exception! Whether mixed with a touch of modern indie-rock or bubblegum/glam circa 1972, they deliver the insanely catchy goods that power pop fans live for! They’ve got a slew of recent singles (perhaps a hint of things to come on their next album?), one of which, Paul Stanley, made the top 40 on Alicante Live Music, alongside entries from the likes of Belle & Sebastian and Two Door Cinema Club. We can’t wait for these guys to release their next full-length!!
Jonathan Segel – Segel is best known in indie pop circles as the violinist and guitarist in Camper von Beethoven, but throughout his over quarter century with the band, he has continued to make his own records in a variety of genres ranging from guitar-based rock music to way-avant-garde electronic music and many places in between. His latest release is actually a series of EPs created during his residency at Stockholm Elektron Musik Studios in 2023. Anyone who can appreciate a beautiful melody – whether delivered in new age, psychedelic, prog, or rock style – will dig it!
Slim Loris – This Stockholm-based quartet blends modern Indie and ‘60s/’70s-inflected Pop/Rock with Americana and a pinch of Swedish melancholy. They “… create beautiful, melodic songs with emotional vocals that address love, inner tranquility and consciousness, and possess a charismatic singer capable of captivating any fan of Indie music”. (mostdef.blogspot.se) Their recently released full length, Red Loris Yellow Loris, “…is a blend of new rock, old pop and ‘70s vibe sounds. It comes to us so clear and devoid of any profound drive. The album doesn’t feel like it is pining for money or attention. Quite the opposite. [It] feels as if it is happy in its own little rocking world. It’s making its own music, for its own pleasure. We’re just lucky enough to listen” (TJPL News).
Håkan “Hawk” Soold (of Plastic Pals) – IPO is thrilled to present a rare solo showcase by the lead singer/guitarist of The Plastic Pals. Since their early days in 2005, The Plastic Pals have been known for their catchy blend of fiery guitars, psychedelic grooves, and sardonic lyrics with a touch of soul wrapped up in power-pop melodies, earning comparisons to such artists as Television, The Dream Syndicate, Alex Chilton, Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. They have three full-length albums to their credit, the latest being 2018’s Psychic Reader, and have been busy in the studio working on a fourth album to be released later this year. We anticipate “Hawk’s” solo show will only turn down the heat of the guitars just enough for his vocals to really shine through.
Stupidity – Ever heard the term “keep it simple, stupid?” Well, when applied to rockin’ garage punk pop, it can be some of the most joyous fun-filled mayhem to get you up on the floor and dancing, as these guys from Stockholm have known for a mighty long time, with numerous full-length albums and singles to prove it. Their latest full-length, Waking Up The Band, also features Keith Streng of The Fleshtones on vocals. They still do the “rawkous” garage thang just about better than anyone, and were a huge hit at IPO Copenhagen last year…we therefore can’t wait to see and hear them do their thing again this year in their hometown!
Lisa Wermelin – Constantly having a soundtrack in the background to her life, Wermelin wants to make music that deeply connects with the listener. This she does with a combination of folk meets power pop melodies and clear vocals that fans of artists such as Carly Simon, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell will be sure to appreciate. Her latest release, Songs From The Other Side, is her first in collaboration with Eliot Wilder of The Revenants, and is available on many fine streaming platforms.
That Driving Beat – Is it true that Northern Soul gets better the farther North you go? This group from Stockholm is here to answer that question with a most emphatic “YES!” as they bring their original brand of earthquaking, mindshaking & heartaching soul stompers and pop ballads to IPO…we can hardly wait!!
The Virtues – Blending traditions from Americana Pop, Britpop, and classic Swedish pop, The Virtues will appeal to a wide array of pop fans – and have been doing so for quite some time! Their Yesteryears CD is actually a 10-year retrospective of their first 10 years as a band, and is a great way to get to know them! Not to rest on their laurels, their newest album, Oh Dear, earned some rave reviews and recognition as one of the best of 2017 among the pop cognoscenti. If you like Teenage Fanclub, Led Zeppelin, Sufjan Stevens, The Shins, Neil Young et al, and have not yet had a chance to check out The Virtues, you should most definitely do so…NOW!
The While – What a special treat this is! We had one of Sweden’s best power pop bands, The Genuine Fakes, at IPO Stockholm a few times, pre-COVID. As The While, they’re back fronted by one of their (and our) heroes, Fredrik Norberg of Stockholm Legends, Popsicle! Beyond cool, and it promises to be an amazing joining of forces!
Swedish Artists From Outside of Stockholm
Swedish Polarbears – A quartet from Karlstad who take their inspiration from The Byrds, Big Star, and Teenage Fanclub, but mix their harmonies and jangle with enough fuzzy guitars to satisfy those who love to rock! Their latest album, The Great Northern, has been described as “The La’s meet the The Byrds and The Beach Boys and then they all go out to Starbucks to have breakfast. Beyond that words fail me…these guys are so good I want to kill myself. Seriously — I give up. Just shoot me now.” (Steve Simels, Powerpop.blogspot.se) And yes, they really are that good…just come to their IPO showcase to see and hear for yourself!
International Artists
Sasha Bach – Drawing on influences from his New York upbringing as well as his Danish roots, this Copenhagen-based artist has entertained audiences around the world. There is practically no genre that is off limits – his range includes everything from pop/rock to R&B/soul to folk-singer ballads and even a bit of disco and rap! Whether solo or backed by a band, his warm vocals and heartfelt delivery can’t help but draw you in!
Jody & The Jerms – Formed in Oxford in the Summer of 2019, Jody & The Jerms have been writing, recording and playing their blend of melodic and uplifting indie/alt rock ever since – with national airtime on Radio X (UK), Sirius XM (USA), RTVE (Spain) and multiple BBC-affiliated outlets. They made quite an impression at IPO Liverpool over the past two years with their “…seemingly effortlessness melodies and choruses which embed themselves in your head for days” (XS Noise), so we’re thrilled to have them back at both IPOs Liverpool and Stockholm as part of their 2024 summer tour. If you haven’t done so already, check out their third album, Wonder, which fans of artists such as Blondie and The Bangles will love!
Helen Maw – A talented young singer/songwriter who has been penning and performing her own music since her teens and shows no signs of slowing down. She’s been performing all over her home town of Liverpool, and as far afield as Madrid, and has been getting both radio airplay in Europe and America and music industry buzz since the release of her first single in 2019. Her style ranges from ballads with classical undertones to anthemic piano pop. Fans of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and Nora Jones should check out her IPO showcase and pick up a copy of her brand-new debut album, Growing Pains.
Cal Ruddy – A dynamic young Liverpudlian singer/songwriter with an old school rockabilly/country/Americana style that will put a smile on your face and set your toes tappin’. Fans of Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and The Everly Brothers will dig his debut full length album, Elliston Place, and his latest release, The Edenhust Session EP.
Silent Forum – Based in Cardiff, London, Bristol & Barcelona, Silent Forum offers quirky hooky textured pop-post-punk. Their recent Domestic Majestic album, released on Libertino Records, uses tongue-in-cheek humour throughout, with lyrical themes revolving around self-care in the face of the difficult and mundane early-2020s, covering topics as broad as working from home and following yoga tutorial videos. Fans of Talking Heads, They Might Be Giants, and Tame Impala will love these guys!