Bortglömda texter 1: 26/1-2007

Satt och tittade igenom min externa hårddisk där jag sparat typ allt från de senaste fem åren, och hittade ett dokument som jag inte hade något som helst minne av: "MB-blog.doc". Efter att ha grävt djupt i minnet fick jag fram en suddig bild av att vi startade någon sorts personal-blogg på Musicbrigade, där jag jobbade - det vi i huvudsak gjorde på Musicbrigade var att streama och sälja musik och musikvideor, och tanken med den här bloggen var nog att vi i personalen skulle tipsa besökarna om det vi gillade.

När jag nu läste igenom de få inlägg jag hann göra innan företaget gick i konkurs tyckte jag att det var riktigt bra texter, och det roliga med dem var att de var någon sorts minnessammanfattningar, så jag tänker lägga upp dem här under de kommande dagarna. Några av dem var på engelska och några på svenska - fråga mig inte varför, för det kommer jag verkligen inte ihåg. Men hur som helst - här kommer den första, från 26 januari 2007:

The best music in the world

I thought that for my first Musicbrigade blog I'd start with an introduction - a brief "musical history of Pop-Sara" maybe.

I had the fortune of having a big sister who liked good music, so I started off quite early with not just listening to chart music. Then I moved to Uppsala to study at the university, and discovered a great little record shop (Musikörat) where the staff were happy to help me discover new good music. 

They first led me to American alternative rock, like The Posies, Afghan Whigs and Smashing Pumpkins, but then one day in 1993 at Musikörat - I don't really remember why - I asked if I could listen to the Swedish band This Perfect Day's debut album "Rubber Soul". 

The first song started off with guitar, violin, and a voice singing "I heard a singer on the radio, he sang about a girl named Jane. He thought their love was always meant to be - must be the dumbest singer I've ever heard". My love life wasn't going too well, so those words were like the best I'd ever heard - so I didn't even finish the song, but bought the album immediately. 

It was beautiful: a bright pink jelly pudding on a background of green and blue stripes - the cover was made by Lars Sundh, who I soon discovered made most covers for Swedish indie bands in the early 90's.

That album started my everlasting love affair with Swedish indie. About a year later I started my own fanzine, Fozzie, for which I've since interviewed about a hundred Swedish bands and quite a few international bands too. I also booked bands at the best live venue in Uppsala between the years 1996 and 1998, when the Swindie scene was blossoming.

I don't listen exclusively to Swindie, of course, but for some inexplicable reason it's always Swedish bands that I like the best - with one exception: Snow Patrol. The best band in my world is, and will probably forever be, Eggstone - the legendary trio from Malmö, owners of world renowned Tambourine Studios. I'm still hoping that they will make another album even though it's been ten years since their last one.