Swedish pop music blogging

By Michael J.W. Stickings

(Maybe I'm running out of ideas. Maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I'm just taking a short break from politics. Whatever the case -- and it's a lovely Saturday evening here in Toronto, with many more pressing things to do than blog -- it's time once again here at The Reaction for some music. Enjoy.)

So... Swedish pop music...

No, not ABBA. I despise ABBA.

And not Roxette, although I actually like them quite a bit. Remember "Listen to Your Heart" (of which there are a couple of really good covers -- one pop, one dance -- by the Belgian "dance-house-trance" group DHT)? Remember Joyride -- their third (and best) album?

No, I'm talking about Anna Ternheim (official site) and Lisa Miskovsky (official site).

I discovered Ternheim at Radio Paradise a while back and have become a big fan. While searching YouTube for some videos, I came across Miskovsky -- thanks to Gr8Muzik (who has a fine collection of videos from all sorts of interesting artists).

Here, below, are:

-- Ternheim's "Lovers Dream" (feat. Fyfe Dangerfield), from her first U.S. release, Halfway to Fivepoints (2008), which is more or less Separation Road (2006), her excellent second album.

-- Miskovsky's "Sweet Misery," from her third album, Changes (2006).