Swedish Pop

i've noticed a phenomenon of interesting pop music coming out of sweden lately, and i know i'm not the only one.  it seems they must have a pretty good scene going over there, and i thought i'd showcase some of the groups/artists i've heard.  luckily for my purposes here, many also have interesting music videos, so here's what i found on youtube:

Jens Lekman - You are the Light

The Concretes - You Can't Hurry Love

Acid House Kings - That's Because You Drive Me

(there are several videos like this on youtube that are apparently from a sing-along karaoke dvd)

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats

this is a commercial for sony bravia and it's where i first heard his music.  it's a really good commercial.

Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have to Leave it

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks

i'm sure you've already heard this a million times and may or may not be mad at me for getting it stuck in your head again

pretty good stuff, huh?  at the very least their accents are funny/endearing.

Doveman

doveman is thomas bartlett; who is apparently an in-demand rock pianist in new york who covered the whole soundtrack to footloose.  the movie is a little before my time, and i have never seen it; but i think it's safe to say his version is a little different.  you can read more about it on his website.

Stevie Wonder

i found this early recording of stevie wonder's on youtube.  it's one of my favorite songs, which i first heard played by sonny rollins, but i love the lyrics, so it's nice to hear a vocalist sing it as well.  it's interesting to hear him at such a young age in a sort of transitional style between popular jazz and soul.  on a side note, thinking of tenor saxophonists and stevie wonder, someone once told me that they heard stevie wonder sit in with someone and play john coltrane's giant steps and that he sounded great.  impressive, stevie.

The Thrills

i first got this album some months ago and initially wasn't that impressed.  i mean, it was good, but nothing that special.  and that may still be true, but after coming back to it after a while and listening to it a few more times, i'm really digging it.  i love the theme of the album (all the songs deal with life as a teenager), which is kind of appropriate for the sort of nostalgic power pop they play.  indeed, the concept of nostalgia should probably be applied to the musical aspects of the album as well when listening.  they aren't trying to do anything especially cutting edge, and once you accept that, i think they've got a pretty good album here.  here's "there's joy to be found... the boy who caught all the breaks" (that's right, two tracks in one!)

Cloud Cult

thinking about folk songs about haunting ghosts from last post, i was reminded of cloud cult's "the ghost in our house" from the album feel good ghosts (2008).  i love the eccentric, innocent sound of singer/songwriter craig minowa's voice.  

Hayden

elk lake serenade (2004)

i recently missed an opportunity to see this guy play live, which is unfortunate because i would be curious to see if his songs would sound just as warm and intimate in a live setting.  there's something sad and nostalgic about this album, which is embodied in "1939," a song about a ghost of a girl who drowned in the writer's current home.  moments of it sound much like adem to me, but it is appropriately more haunting.

The Four Mints

i just heard this song on the radio and wanted to share it.  it sounds like any generic rip off of a temptations song, but i think the modification of the folk/kids song is what does it for me.  "life with you would be a dream..."