It's hard for some of us to remember that Sweden wasn't always a place full of alluring pop albums. It wasn't always as cool as The Hives, Komeda, Jens Lekman, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Lykke Li,... It wasn't even as cool as noted in the lyrics below to the song "Sweden" by The Divine Comedy.
"I would like to live in SwedenWhen my work is done
Where the snow lies crisp and even 'Neath the midnight sun Safe and clean and green and modern
Bright and breezy—free and easy
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden—In Sweden
I am gonna live in Sweden
Please don't ask me why 
For if I were to give a reason It would be a lie
Tall and strong and blonde and blue-eyedPure and healthy, very wealthy
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden—In Sweden I'll grow wings and fly to SwedenWhen my time is come
Then at last my eyes shall see them
Heroes every one
Ingmar Bergman
Henrik Ibsen Karin Larrson Nina Persson
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden!
"No, once it was full of very gruesome bands - and that is what this link is all about.
I know I'm being repetitive, but saw Swedish crooner Jens Lekman again this past weekend at The Paradise and again he was totally amazing. His band this time had been scaled back by a few women, and they weren't wearing smocks this time, but they'd been joined by a cellist and Lekman's vocals were stronger than ever. Many people sing, but few have the vocal complexity of Lekman, whose voice is reminiscent of Pete Fijalkowski of Adorable/Polak and a young Gene Pitney, that is if either of them sang with the sweetness of Jonathan Richman.
At the end of the show Lekman entreated the audience of 700+ "I know that I say this at every show, and I don't think many people take me seriously, but I'd really like to sing a song to you one on one. So after the show, if there's a song you'd like to hear, just come up and ask me and I would like to sing it to you one on one." Knowing full well I would doubtless swoon (and hurt myself) if this happened, I declined.
