Agnetha's legacy (aka Attack Of The Swedes)

At some point, I will have to write about ABBA. They were the first band i ever got into...i was like 10 or 11. Back then, the fact that they were Swedish was a novelty. Now, being Swedish is no big deal...there's is a virtual Scandinavian invasion afoot. So Attack Of The Swedes, here we go

With Every Heartbeat-Robyn
You might remember Robyn from a few years back. She was this short Swedish chick with a Pink-esque look and had some minor hits (i think they both hit the Top 40) with Show Me Love and Do You Know What It Takes. Catchy tunes, yes...but kinda blended into the pop/r&b landscape (although i actually liked the former). And then she disappeared.

Well lo and behold, she's back. Now older, Robyn left the major labels and puts out her own music, using the web and MySpace to promote her music. She was linked up with Max Martin (future Britney Spears svengali) and was irritated that she lost control of her music. So she bailed. Kinda cool. I read about her on another blog...she had a song out last year (although the album is just out in the UK) called Be Mine. Insanely catchy, it should have been an enormous hit. Over skittering beats and massive strings, it's all angst and girlish tears (it opens with the fabulous line "it's a good thing tears never show in the pouring rain"...basically she sees her ex-boyfriend with another girl. It all features a fantastic spoken word interlude about the scarf that she gave him and the new girl. Honestly, shoulda been huge. Maybe still will...who knows.

Two other songs worth nothing hit the web. Robotboy (also great pop) and Konichiwa Bitches, which is about 2 minutes long in its original version and featuring a much lauded Trentemoller mix. Both good....

but this....simply gorgeous. Again, it's pop. But its brilliant. It's on the cd as well as being out on a single where its credited to Kleerup featuring Robyn. In any event, she opens the song singing
about how she and her love should keep working

maybe we can make it alright
we could better sometime
maybe we can make it happen baby
we could keep trying....

and then, in a moment that i can only call a "Joy Division" moment (i know sacrilege) the song literally sounds like it is lifting up...she sings...."but things will never change, so i don't look back, still i am dyin' with every step i take." And then the beat comes in. And thats it...she just walks away while the song goes on to talk about why the relationship will never ever work and how it hurts "with every heartbeat." Its a beautiful sad song. It reminds me of If You Leave by OMD, I am sure because of the subject matter and the phrase "If you leave, don't look back." Maybe its the companion piece or its her answer. But it has that same feel...surely one of the more beautiful melancholy Number 1's of the 80's. Please seek out this song...its wonderful and charming and cool.

Anyways, you can check it out on www.juno.co.uk or on www.beatport.com or on her website,http://www.robyn.com/index.html and you can check out some of the other songs i mentioned on her myspace site, http://www.myspace.com/robynmyspace

Lose You-Linda Sundblad

Another Swede and another MySpace denizen (http://myspace.com/lindasundblad), where i ran into her. This is a song that you could easily imagine hearing on the radio. It definitely sounds a bit like some of the better selections from Sheryl Crow...it has that casual rock-chick feel. Also, its very summer. Honestly, it reminds me a bit of the 70's...very Fleetwood Mac...i don't know, the chords or the organ sound.

Keeping with the blonde, gorgeous yet dark & melancholic Swedish vein, the song starts out all casual about meeting a boy

Pounding heart on a Saturday night sneaking peeks down my velvet skirt cutie talk not to witty or bright but your beauty was the kind that could hurt l could tell from the look in your eyes l was trigging your insanity l just knew l could see it that...

and then the song goes from a pensive meeting to a much darker and twisted place

...i would lose you, i would lose you from the start

Very Bergman, if you ask me.

Sit Down-Flunk

Ok. Not Swedish. Nobody knows this band. I think like 4 people outside of Norway (1 is me, 1 is Carlos). It's a shame. At the risk of labeling them with an adjective often considered bad, they are often lumped into the chillout genre. I consider them soul music, really.

This is their new single. It's beautiful, pensive, kinda sad sounding. Very late night. Very glass of red wine...you can check it out here....http://flunkmusic.com/personale/

but what i really want to write about is this song

On My Balcony-Flunk

3 minutes and 10 seconds of sexy sexy sexy. Has a vague hip-hop beat and a funky guitar. And that's kinda it, save the languid vocals of Anya Oyen Vister. Anya has a very Scandinavian voice...its hard to explain, but she has that chilly/warm combo that you hear in many artists from that area.

Like i said, the song is very sensual...i'd even say erotic, although not explicit in any sense.

Here comes summer
Beaming in through my bedroom window
There´s a song on the radio
You used to hum back then
Here comes summer
Still feels fresh as morning air
Today I'll just stay here
And do, well, whatever
I´ll do whatever
Please, make summer last forever
All I wanna do
Is sit here on my balcony
And think about you and me
And how happy we could be

And thats kinda it. From my perspective, the song is kinda ambiguous. You don't really know if they will be happy, i guess. However, its hopefully, not only in the tone, but i get this image of her on her balcony in the early morning, maybe her lover is still sleeping. Its early, both literally and in the relationship, and she's hopeful that it will always stay just like this. Summer as a metaphor for the beginning part of every relationship, before things get tough (and sometimes end...Linda Sundblad knows its gonna end right from the start)

go to Beatport, type in Flunk and then go to the album Morning Star....you can hear it there. Sexy sexy sexy, i swear.