Swedish Music Primer (pop edition)

Part of a five-part series that will begin and end today


SUP EVERYONE. Did you know  Sweden is a musical mecca? yeah I thought so! After all, they did bring us the world's best pop group ever....

okay, so I love ABBA. just like everyone else that breathes oxygen.


but did you know what OTHER great bands/performers have hailed from Heaven/Sverige??? NO, NOT JUST THE A-TEENS OR ACE OF BASE. Although "Beautiful Life" is catchy shit:





my sister loved Ace of Base when we were kids. so I grew up listening to a lot of Ace of Base. it became my standard thing, whenever "The Sign" was played, to imagine the elaborate music video I would direct for it, if ever given the chance. this video would include the following:


- my stuffed animals dressed as Indians.
- Zuck Park (google it)
- some kind of gigantic gong?


anyway, this music video has ever yet to see the light of day. and you know, I just remembered this whole thing like six months ago. weird, weird.


MOVING ON


speaking of my sister! she's just discovered the total and complete awesomeness that is ROBYN.  


yes, ROBYN. our Scandinavian psychogoddess:

seriously- she's really the begin-all and end-all of Swedish pop music these days. this bitch is fierce. and regarding her SNL appearance last month, I hope this finds her a lot more popularity stateside. like wtf, why isn't she as big as Katy Perry?


then, perhaps a little more deviant and under-the-radar (my scary old boss once talked trash on her...whatev) is Lykke Li. I don't know what it is about this woman- I read somewhere comparing her to Stevie Nicks of our generation, which I see. but if Stevie had grown up eating that gross Swedish fish Al kept trying to make me eat while there.

dear Lykke, can I give you my phone number? XOXOXOX BRITTANY

but let's go into lesser-known territory.

case 1:  Laleh

Laleh was introduced to me via Max, my Swedish music guru while I was there. Listen to her, she's pretty...mmm, enticing?

case 2:  Oh Laura

Oh Laura has unfortunately since dissolved...but this band put out one perfect, folky album. "Black and Blue" is my favorite, which is like, almost a song defending abusive love. don't defend that stuff, kids!

case 3:  Pelle Carlberg

I actually was supposed to interview this dude, but he never responded to my messages. nevertheless, imagine Jens Lekman, take him down a notch and voila! you've got Pelle.

speaking of! here's Jens!

AND AN AEROSOL CAN OF COURSE

case 4:  Anna Ternheim

this girl is an INCREDIBLE singer-songwriter. like, she's a dynamo. the amount of talent in her Swedish body is mindblowing. she just put out a new album, too!

case 5:  Sophie Zelmani

just for this song:

as for RAWK MUZAK, check out the Hives and Mando Diao.

The Hives have the best names ever, ever, ever.

I WANT THOSE CLOTHES.

And Mando Diao! 

For something a bit newer and more indie, there is I BREAK HORSES. I haven't really listened to them much, but they seem cool and are opening for M83 later this year.

Truth is, there's a lotttttttttttttttttttttt of great Swedish music out there (the Sounds, Peter Bjorn and John, Caesars, Little Dragon, the Knife, Kent) and I'm barely scratching the surface. but I really want to go back to Stockholm like immediately now. yes, there is good music all over but especially from Sweden! 

to include this installment:  

hej hej!

what's your favorite?