Kissing With Confidence

Just why are there so many great Swedish bands out there? It's a question that's troubled musicologists for decades. Or perhaps it hasn't. But still, it's an incontrovertible fact that there are quite literally oodles of ridiculously talented types hailing from that particular part of Scandanavia.

Take the relatively obscure Kissing Mirrors, for instance. Now, it's quite possible that I'd never even have got around to listening to this band had it not been for the fact that Kissing Mirrors is one of the many projects who blog favourite Sarah Nyberg Pergament AKA Action Biker has contributed to over the past few years. And guess what? They are ineffably poptastically marvellous! Just have a squizz at these two videos of the band playing at last year's Rip It Up festival in Sweden. They're pretty much guaranteed to get you swinging your pants in a Trevor & Simon Singing Corner stylee from the start:

Kissing Mirrors - Let's Kill Cupid


Kissing Mirrors (featuring Sarah Action Biker & Mikael from The Honeydrips) - Whims & Fancies


Mildly Interesting Pop Fact: Kissing Mirrors also have a song called XXXX Me Like A Millionaire - although quite what Castlemaine lager has to do with all this, I don't know.

You can order the Let's Kill Cupid 7" from the Snow Day Records website.

"five minutes with you"

The Honeydrips is the solo project of Mikael Carlsson, formerly of Dorotea. To my ears, every Honeydrips song I've heard seems to have a different flavour to it, although 80s influences come to the fore in every single one.

(Lack Of) Love Will Tear Us Apart, featuring guest vocals from Hanna Goranson from Cat5, stormed into my affections last year with its insistent bassline and dreamy vocals. (Right click and save as)

The Honeydrips - (Lack Of) Love Will Tear Us Apart mp3

Now I Wouldn't Know What To Do has usurped it with twee loveliness! A simple, beautiful sentiment with melody and instrumentation to match.

The Honeydrips - I Wouldn't Know What To Do mp3

Both songs were released as singles and also feature on The Honeydrips' album, Here Comes The Future, which can be purchased on CD from Sincerely Yours or as a download from Klicktrack (a mere £4.40 for the album in mp3 form!).

Find out more from the official website or listen on The Honeydrips myspace page.