5.15.2007

A few weeks back the good people over at SwedesPlease commented on a post we had here about some great bands from Sweden's past and well I got to thinking... yeah there were a lot of great Swedish bands overlooked by time. So in honor, a Jukebox tribute to some of Sweden's tortured garage souls. Enjoy!

[MP3] The Fabulous Four -438 S Michigan Avenue
Yeah, not that Fab Four but I suppose we'll let the name slide. This band was mostly known for some low quality covers that charted locally. However, this instrumental rocker with a low down fuzz groove and its wild biker flick sound effects has all the grit and craziness needed to cement them as having at least one great listen. Fuzz, rocks, motorcycles and screams; what else do you need?

[MP3] The T-Boones-I want You
Containing members of the much lauded (here anyway) Baby Grandmothers. The T-Boones were a premiere garage force in the Swedish scene. This has all the ferocity and candor of a true garage classic. Played, sung and radiating from the hips in ripped torrents of chords, the lyrics are short and to the point but be damned if you don't know exactly the feeling.

[MP3] Jackpots -King Of The World
A sugary sweet pop number that belies Sweden's knack for writing... well sugary pop songs. A sweet lilt and a catchy chorus distract from what proves to be a really creepy possesive love song. Breezy and cool in the verses and then out of nowhere BAM there are choruses about locking a woman away for not loving him. Eh, its still damn hummable. Up the duality.

[MP3] The Tages-Fantasy Island
A great swedish talent that here moves away from their merseybeat and mod influences to hit up some eastern raga action. A swirling, heady affair with phased organ and sitar aplenty. Somehow sweet and sinister at the same time.

[MP3] Hansson & Karlsson-Tax Free
Before Bo Hansson was writing prog odes to the Lord of the Rings, he and Jan Karlsson made some acid inflected wanderings into the ether. Taking on the Hendrix classic Tax Free, the band brings new respect for the organ and stomps and trills through in prime fashion. Hell no Swedish list would be complete (not that this one is) without at least some mention of these guys.

[MP3] The Deejays-Striped Dreams Checked Fear
We'll end it on a deliciously trippy note. The Deejays serve up a deliriously demented acid rocker that peaks in a haze and clamor. Deep and dark throughout, this is a complete ode to the bad trip. Alternating a cadence interpolation of 'o come all ye faithful' with a mantra of "I want to look inside your head," this is a warning and an advertisement for acid culture in one. A hell of a song that tears itself at the seams.
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posted by dissensous at 11:48:00 PM

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

great jukebox selection!
my favourites there are Hansson & Karlsson and the T-Boones track.

- a regular Raven reader from the UK.

11:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice one! Lost of good stuff here, I did a very similar post just the other day: http://monkeybastard.blog.com

Although I gotta tell ya Tax Free is a Hansson & Karlsson original, the Hendrix version was the cover.

7:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, one more thing: Tages were named simply "Tages", not "The Tages".

7:41 AM  

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