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Scandiwegian Pop Goodness

Pepsi Max

23:07 / 07.12.06

Currently on a major Scandinavian tip.

Thread here about The Knife.
The ever-present Bjork.

Also revisiting Bellatrix (whose earlier stuff is intense) & Gus Gus.

So a couple of things:
1. Any recommendations for other acts that get people going?

2. Do these groups have anything in common apart from geography?

They all seem at home with technology but unlike the constipated English, they have no reservations about emotion, going OTT, generally cutting loose in soulful style (tho the results aren't soul music per se).

So even their cheesy stuff (Ace of Bass, Dr Alban) has a heart and rawness to it that puts a lot of Anglo pop in the shade.

And don't get me started on Abba as prog-pop...

Closed for Business Time

07:50 / 08.12.06

Huh.. where to start. Ok, being a 'wegian, I'll leave the swedish, danish and finnish stuff to someone from those countries. Oh wait, no, there is but one good danish band - Under Byen.

Norwegian outfits you should def check out:
Jaga Jazzist - post-jazz, formerly on Mo' Wax (or was that Warp..)
Biosphere - world's best ambient. Seriously.
Datarock - pretty much does what it says on the tin
Susanna & the magical orchestra - swooning and lush
Annie - bubblegum goodness (and pretty much everything on the label Telle too)
Nils Petter Molvær - nu-jazz chill
Royksopp - you should know these lads.
Minor Majority - the country's best male sulker on top of great melodies
Supersilent - stern avant electronica

And there are loads more.
Right. As good a place as any to start digging is here.

The Natural Way

12:59 / 08.12.06

MATE! NO. MORE. LISTS.

Closed for Business Time

13:08 / 08.12.06

What's with the aggro M!? I'm merely complying with (parts of) the thread demands... Are lists inherently a foul, boring thing? Or are you just in a bad mood? Explain yourself instead of barging in without any fukking thing to contribute with.

Closed for Business Time

13:12 / 08.12.06

Sorry, M!, I just now saw the exchange on "Albums of the year 2006" thread. I may be a complete retard today, so shall I take this to mean that I can't list worthy bands without providing lengthy words of what exactly makes them great?

No sarcasm intended. Advice sought.

Char Aina

13:31 / 08.12.06

Are lists inherently a foul, boring thing?

yes.

you don't need to be lengthy or exacting, but generally folks on barbelith expect you to explain yourself instead of barging in without any [...] thing to contribute.

tell us all about the bands.
make us understand why you mentioned them.

Closed for Business Time

13:38 / 08.12.06

toksik -

point taken. I #do# get why lists in general can be downright lazy and dumbing-down things.

And sorry, about the swearing and other snarkiness. Baaad boy... [SMACK]

The Natural Way

17:06 / 08.12.06

Hmm, on reflection that was rather harsh. You are new, afterall, and I don't want to come off as an angry dick. I'm sorry about that, Montes. I could of explained things as opposed to growling.

Anyway, hey-ho! Onwards!

Pepsi Max

04:35 / 11.12.06

Given that LosMontes is the only one to have actually contributed to the topic - Go LM!!!

Thanks for hints. I actually could have gone & seen Datarock last night BUT it was AU$45 and I'd have been by myself.

And as for Annie - a bubblegum exterior with a dark heart inside. Good good good.

Charlus

06:51 / 11.12.06

Me thinks...

Club 8
Laurel Music
Kings of convenience
Acid house kings
Sambassadure
Airliner
Field Mice

Among others. These groups are swedish as well as anything 'wegien' So I am not sure if they count.

Jack Fear

09:49 / 11.12.06

Yeah, that's in no way a list...

Must agree about Kings of Convenience, though. Gorgeous, gentle folk-pop, twining guitars and voices; the Simon and Garfunkel vibe updated wonderfully. Singer-guitarist Erlend Øye has a number of side projects as well, including the drolly-named Whitest Boy Alive.

They're Norwegian, too, not Swedish, so there's your western side of the peninsula covered.

A question about Susannah and the Magical Orchestra: I've heard a handful of tracks, but they've all been covers. Do they do any original material, or is it strictly an interpretive project? Not that I'm complaining, mind; anybody who can wring tears from "It's a Long Way To the Top If You wanna Rock 'n' Roll" is a stone genius, either way.

Jack Fear

09:55 / 11.12.06

Also: whatever happened to Eggstone? early 1990s, three-piece power-pop outfit out of Sweden, made at least one amazing record of sparkling, Beatlesque wonderfulness. They had a fantastic sound—retro and forward-looking, all at once. I thought they had it in them to be worldbeaters, or at least the Scandinavian XTC. Wha'hoppen? Were they, like so many others, killed by grunge?

Closed for Business Time

15:20 / 11.12.06

God Rest - S.A.T.M.O.'s latest LP (which I haven't heard) is apparently all covers. Their first long-play "List of Lights and Buoys" is a bit of both - covers and originals. Great stuff - top notch musicians. BTW - I recommend practically everything on their label, Rune Grammofon. Another quirky great 'wegian label is Smalltown Supersound/Superjazzz.

Closed for Business Time

15:22 / 11.12.06

BTW, never heard of Eggstone? More info?

Jack Fear

15:40 / 11.12.06

AllMusic Guide on Eggstone.

"Nearly official" website.

Amazing band. Somersault is one of my desert-island records.

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