06/26/08
Text: Nik Mercer
Sweden is a misinterpreted country.
We like to imagine that musicians from the small Scandinavian nation are simply pop innovators like American artists, but with a different spin and underlying aesthetic. The Sound of Sweden can't be so neatly described, though, and their pop music is intrinsically different from ours.
Their songs may be, for the most part, in English; they may use similar equipment and constrain themselves to the same guitar/bass/drums lineup that we do; they may compose tracks that hoover around the four-minute mark; they may draw inspiration from the same creators that preceded us; they are not like us, however.
First and foremost, the Swedes' control of the English language is subversively contrary to ours. When Lykki Li or Jens Lekman sing of love, they express different experiences, conveniently constructed in a pop manner than alludes to unilateral and exact understanding; when Shout Out Louds or Peter Bjorn & John write of relationships and breakups, they transmit entirely different meanings conveyed through the mechanisms of mainstream indie-rock that imply only one meaning.
If only it were that simple! The Swedish experience is vastly different from the American experience, and any word a Swede pens intrinsically contrasts any word an American does.
So don't think of Service Records as another New Order-loving, post-punk-adoring collective that's prepared to pump out electronic pop ballads and guitar-driven rock songs in order to quench our undying need to always have music blasting.
Where in the U.S. will you find a manifesto like Service's, centered around the following slogan?:
Service is a permanent vacation, catalog its only luggage.
Nowhere. These Stockholm natives are in an orbit of their own, and we ought not attempt to bring them under our fold and stick them in our system.
Service brought us Studio, The Embassy, Jens Lekman, The Tough Alliance, and many more creatives, and for that alone, we must be thankful.
Now, the independent label's got a chain of new releases to doll out to listeners or all varieties, and Anthem wants to make sure you all know that and buy in to the utterly from-the-heart company.
First, there's a Jens Lekman remix release, Sipping On the Sweet Nectar, the Epic Remixes. The three-track digital download is a disco reinterpretation of our favorite European crooner. Stream one of the Bogdan Irkük edits in the media player to the right and buy the thing already!
Second, there's Jackpot's debut Service single for "Uno Dos Tres." We highly recommend that you give these neo-Kraut-rockers a listen as they're something extraterrestrial and dark, yet bizarrely comforting and familiar.
Third, there's The Embassy's newest single, "State '08," an electronic-infused jam that's reminiscent of New Order cuts of old paired with the beachy vibe of TTA. If you're looking for a sweet and melancholic gem for those Summer days at the beach or road trips down the 1, you've found it with "State '08." Stream the song in the media player to the right.
Fourth, Kool DJ Dust has made a killer joint, "The Quest" that has us finally convinced: the Swedes ain't all that bad on the dance floor. You can download the tune right here, but why not head over to the Service page and grab if from them?
Finally, Anthem would like to request that all its readers join Service. For the low price of €21 you'll be granted access to all of Service's digital offerings and opted into a music community that is truly rewarding. Plus, you'll sleep easy knowing you've helped them perpetuate. Sign up!
