Casablanca

Casablanca is a name used by several different acts, including a Stockholm classic rock band, a disco group, a Japanese rock and blues four-piece, a Portuguese hard rock band, an Italian rock band, and an indie-pop band. One hip-hop artist with the name also works with Da Flyy Hooligan.

Stockholm classic rock band

The Stockholm, Sweden band debuts with the single “Downtown” in January 2010. Its line-up includes Anders Ljung on vocals, Ryan Roxie and Erik Stenemo on guitar, Josephine Forsman on drums, and former professional footballer Mats Rubarth on bass. Ljung also has a background with Space Age Baby Jane, Roxie plays with Roxie 77 and Alice Cooper, Stenemo is also in Melody Club, and Forsman plays with Sahara Hotnights.

The band releases “La Voix” in 2010 alongside its performance in Melodifestivalen 2010. That recording appears in two studio versions, one with guest vocals from Malena Ernman and one by the band alone. The group later releases its debut album, Apocalyptic Youth, in 2012. The album includes “Downtown” but does not include “La Voix”.

Videos are made for “Downtown” and “Love and Desperation”. The band begins touring for the album, but the tour is interrupted when Ryan Roxie returns to Alice Cooper’s band. The group continues to play occasional shows between Alice Cooper tour commitments.

A second album, Riding a Black Swan, follows in the same general style as the debut, with a harder sound and a retained 1970s influence. Reviews are stronger than for the first album. The band also tours for this release in 2013 and 2014, again with a temporary touring guitarist in place while Roxie is away with Alice Cooper.

The debut album receives strong reviews in Sweden and abroad, and UK magazine Classic Rock nominates the band for Best New Band of the Year.

Other acts with the same name

Another Casablanca is a disco act produced by Harry Baierl and Helmut Rulofs, known for songs including “The Girl of Lucifer”, “China Wall”, “Angel Of Night”, and “Hot Nights In Ibiza”.

There is also a rock, soul and blues four-piece from Japan, a Portuguese hard rock band formed in 1988, an Italian rock band, and an indie-pop five-piece whose members include Jacob Wheldon, Callum Akass, Tom Herzberg and Tom MacColl, after earlier performing as Lo-Fi Culture Scene.