One of Sweden’s first bands in industrial music, Enhänta Bödlar, was formed forty years ago and this is celebrated with a gig at Rönnells in Stockholm.
Valiant Dunkeldäld, also known by his stage name Uddah-Buddah, formed Enhänta Bödlar in 1982. Home-recorded cassettes were distributed through classified ads in the music press and soon the band achieved some notoriety for their extreme, synth- and noise-based music. In the first few years, the release rate was high and already in 1984 the LP Ogreish Guttural Wounds was released. In the later part of the 80s, the signs of life from Enhänta Bödlar slowed down, but in 2007 both the LP Akustisk böldpest and the CD Narkotisk nattvard were released.
Uddah-Buddah was back – not least on stage. After the long absence and the fact that the band’s early efforts as industry pioneers spiked the reputation, the demand for Enhänta Bödlar has increased internationally. In recent years, Enhänta Bödlar have played in Lithuania and the US, among other places.
Now Fanfar! together with Rönnells antikvariat in Stockholm, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Enhänta Bödlar. Welcome to Rönnells on Tuesday 6 December.
Date
Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Doors open at 18:30, concert around 19:30, doors closes 21:00.
The legendary band Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks turns 30 and Fanfar! is marking the occasion by releasing an elaborate collection of the band’s own favourites.
Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks was formed in Solna in November 1992 by the band’s eternal frontman Robert Johnson. Right from the start they put the pedal to the metal and the band’s signature style was equal parts Link Wray, Ennio Morricone, and rascally attitude.
Soon enough, they were a respected name in unabashed instrumental rock, both at home in Sweden and internationally. The breakthrough came with the album Fried on the Altar of Good Taste (2000) and the following year they were commissioned to score Fredrik Lindström’s comedy Känd från TV.
But soon enough – and typically for the band – they went against expectations and challenged their own audience by reincarnating as a synth duo. Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks have always gone their own way and they have done things with high quality after their own heart. 2017 saw the release of their latest original album – the acclaimed soundtrack (to a film that never made it to cinemas) Morte di Seeburg (also on Fanfar!).
Just in time for the 30th anniversary, we release Solna, Texas 1992-2022 – a limited edition vinyl compilation album. The lavish effort features Conny Nimmersjö of bob hund and KC BABY as executive producer. Conny has dug up the best master tapes possible from the archives and made sure the songs were remastered in the best possible way. A high quality product that we are very proud of.
Now we’re releasing another fantastic album with American indie rock legends The Mommyheads. On “Genius Killer”, the group continues to reinvent themselves.
Genius Killer is The Mommyheads’ new album, the eighth since their unexpected reunion in 2008.
Genius Killer is a very fresh sounding and inventive album with amazing attention to detail and unusually varied arrangements and instrumentation. The Mommyheads have raised an already high bar and this may be their definite work. Truly progressive, yet with the sense of melody completely intact.
The Mommyheads: Idealist (from Genius Killer, 2022)
Here’s a little something about each and every one of the tracks on Genius Killer.
Impulse Item
Amazing intro, followed by a smooth George Harrison/Beatles vibe, when the actual song starts (especially the guitar melody). Lovely ELO-like backing vocals in the chorus. The lyrics are very present and make you re-evaluate your life. ”…things to do that have lasting value”. We thought this would be the album’s pièce de résistance until we realized that the entire album is full of highlights.
Genius Killer
We like the somewhat chaotic arrangement and playing. Lots of stuff going on. The break with the synth arpeggios…. mmmm… The progster in you comes alive. Harmonically, it feels more like a ”typical” Mommyheads track, with all the great features that the Mommyhead-heads have come to know and love.
She’s a Fighter
We love the fact that the lead vocals are sung in two octaves simultaneously. Interesting time signature change! It reminds you of some Neil Young song. Love the organ that appears around three minutes in.
We Almost Lost It All
…offers some breathing space after a couple of busy, dense songs. Reflective. A happy/sad song. Reminds us of The Band at their peak, in part because of the laid back groove, Richard Manuel-like falsetto singing and tasty combination of organ and piano. Very vintage sounding song with lots of earthy, acoustic sounds.
Distill Your Love Into That Dying Light
Funky stuff. 70’s vibe and sounds. Kinda reminds us of Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Love the title: great advice. The lyrics read like a dystopian, yet hopeful, science fiction novel to us. And that bass guitar sounds thick and evil.
Idealist
Feels like it could have been a Todd Rundgren song (back when his albums were still relevant). Interesting lyrics. We all know people who fit the description perfectly. Some lines make you think of the band’s own Michael Holt. Coincidence?
Privilege
Another groovy thing. Love the tempo. ”Quirky power pop” in the best sense of all three words. Got a Todd Rundgren vibe from this one, too. Is that Jackie Simons singing parts of the song, along with Adam Elk?
Bittersweet
More breathing space for the listener. Probably needed. There’s already lots of musical information to take in. This feels like a more ”normal” The Mommyheads song, driven by the lead vocals and the thoughtful, poetic lyrics. We get an old school soul vibe from this one, albeit with pop harmonies. Some craziness during the end, though. Almost feels like T. Rex.
One And The Same
Love the acoustic guitar figure during the verse. This one also feels like a more typical The Mommyheads song. Which is like reconnecting with an old friend.
First Five Seconds
This one made us laugh out loud. Prog intro deluxe! And what follows does not disappoint. This makes the fact that King Crimson have stopped touring a tad less disappointing. (The riff is a bit like a King Crimson guitar figure played on organ instead). The lyrics suggest disappointment. “Was it all worth it?” If you ask us, the answer is ”yes”. And we’re not talking about the band. It was probably a smart move to not open the album with this one, but it’s a perfect ending: it leaves you fully satisfied, yet knowing you’ll soon be back for more.
Congratulations, The Mommyheads, on a magnificent album.
Today sees the release of the “4 Songs EP” by The Roxton Giants, the first sign of life from the group in fifty years. Their spaghetti-western-scented rocksteady has been lying fallow until Per Thorsell called in their record at an auction.
Little or nothing is known about The Roxton Giants. The band seems to have been active in or around Roxton, Texas in the late ’60s, possibly into the ’70s. The only known copies of their records turned up at an auction in Sweden the other year and the buyer – Per Thorsell, known from bands like Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks and The Hi-Winders – took a gamble and called them in. He was not disappointed. The reissue of the 4 Songs EP is the first sign of life from the group in 50 years.
From the EP we pick Greasy, an instrumental, lilting, and unsettling blend of ska/rocksteady and Italian spaghetti western. The song was recorded in the US probably in the late 60s and is reissued from the only known copy of the band’s perhaps only EP.
The summer starts with a strong sign of life from KC BABY, the small band with the big emotions. 1 / 1 000 000 (One in a Million) is the title of their new single.
With their new single and video, KC BABY want to tell you that they are alive and well. More music to come. An album is scheduled to be recorded this fall.
1 / 1,000,000 (pronounced “One in a Million”) is about the good and bad of settling for what you have.
Kajsa Magnarsson plays synth and sings, Conny Nimmersjö plays guitar and sings chorus, Christian Gabel has produced and recorded in Studio Cobra, and David Sabel plays bass.
1 / 1 000 000 is a summery indie song to sing along to. Kajsa is delighted to have brought in a house piano. Conny is mostly just delighted.
Video by Astrid Askberger.
KC BABY: 1 / 1 000 000, video by Astrid Askberger
Facts
Artist: KC BABY Title: 1 / 1 000 000 (En på en miljon, One in a Million) Format: Digital single Release: 2022-06-03 Producer: Christian Gabel Cover: Esther Jemth Photo: Hampus Andersson (photographer), Sara Björnstedt (stylist)
