A particular blue-and-gold flag has been flapping on my musical map for the last few weeks now, and there are reasons why above and beyond home furnishings:

• The awesome bangin’-beat blog Palms Out Sounds recently posted about a hot club track from a new group called Maskinen. Watch the video for “Alla Som Inte Dansar” and you’ll see the visuals are straight-up Justice, the delivery right in the wheelhouse of Dan Le Sac v. Scroobius Pip. I recently played this on The Circuit, and it’s a great song with just one dirty little secret: the provocative translation of the chorus.
• S.O.S.: Abba drummer dead at 61.
• “Yours truly, Jens Lekman.“
• Some Y-Rock listeners picked up on a track introduced to them by Sat Bisla on our Passport Approved show: “Better When You’re Naked” by the Swedish group Ida Maria. (The lead singer of the same name is Norwegian by birth, but we’ll let her slide. This time.) Earnest stuff, I hear some Pretenders in there. Sadly, most of their material is still only available for purchase on the other side of the pond. Learn your exchange rates.
• I’m From Barcelona, 20+ members strong, visit Philly in late April for one of just two East Coast shows.

And let’s not forget some of Sweden’s more usual suspects: The Sounds, The Hives, The Cardigans, The Knife, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Field, Peter Bjorn & John, The Concretes, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Caesars (”Jerk it Out”), Army of Lovers, Hellacopters, Meshuggah, The Radio Dept., Sally Shapiro, Neneh and Eagle-Eye Cherry (by birth!), Robyn, The Shout Out Louds, Millencolin, Whale (”Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”), Lo-Fi-Fnk, Mando Diao

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