Kent
Kent is probably my all time favourite Swedish band. They're huge in the Nordic Countries but not very well-known anywhere else. That is probably because the band sings in Swedish. I'm not that fluent in Swedish but their language has never been a problem for me. Their indie rock/pop is filled with beautiful melodies, melancholy and joy. It seemed at some point like they were unable to make an album that wouldn't be fantastic, but unfortunately their latest albums have not been that great. Fortunately they made quite many really good ones before.
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit has become one of the most popular folk groups out there and for a good reason. The singing sisters make absolutely fantastic catchy Americana songs with excellent vocal harmonies. Everything in their music is in its right place.
Shout Out Louds
This fantastic indie rock band was on their way to fame in the mid 00's, but then something happened. They kept making good music, but indie rock was getting less popular and big audiences forgot this band. Their sound is fantastic. This is what the 00's indie rock sounds like at its best.
The Hives
The Hives managed to do something crazy. they lifted noisy garage punk into the mainstream. Of course some true fans of the genre might think that The Hives are not really a representative of that genre, or that they are a sellout, but I think they managed to make the best out of this genre using great melodic structures in music that largely used to be just noise.
Millencolin
Millencolin represents musical genre that is usually called skate punk. Their songs are fast and very American in style. It's difficult to grasp the idea that these guys are actually from Sweden rather than some American college. This is for all you NOFX fans out there.
The Hellacopters
The Helicopters make absolutely fantastic garage rock with melodic guitars and true rock spirit. Pianos and electric guitars work perfectly together and there are long and enjoyable jam sessions in their songs. This kind of style was really popular in late 90's in the Nordic Countries and Hellacopters is one of the best examples of the genre.
Weeping Willows
Weeping Willows make big sounds and carry great emotions in their music. This indie rock band has sometimes been referred to as the Morrissey of Sweden, since the lead singer has somewhat similar singing voice. Their songs have quite a lot of melancholia in them, but they manage to be very radio friendly at the same time.
Peter, Björn And John
This band is mainly known for their one hit single that hit the charts all around the world. Most people will recognise their song Young Folks even if they don't know who's performing it. Not all of their songs are this catchy though. They also have some really experimental stuff with crazy electronic sounds. Still, at best they make excellent and catchy indie pop-rock.
Chirping
Chirping plays upbeat indie rock with some 80's style synth sounds. The high-treble bass and disco drumming makes it sound a lot like 00's indie bands, but the melodies are more interesting than with most bands like this.
The Royal Concept
If you like the French indie pop band Phoenix, you will definitely like The Royal Concept as well. If I heard their music on the radio, not knowing what it was, I would definitely think it was Phoenix. Upbeat indie pop-rock with disco beats and peppy mood.
Those Dancing Days
Those Dancing Days is a cool indie rock band that plays upbeat songs that work really well on the dance floor. The female vocals are trained and the band does their work perfectly. I would like to have a bit rougher sound to make this sound more authentic, but it's still good the way it is.
The Concretes
The Concretes is an authentic indie band, where the vocals are a bit off-key and lo-fi. The electric guitars take the main stage, even though the danceable drumming is also very noticeable. The choruses are catchy and peppy. What's not to like.
Grizfolk
I am not exactly sure if this band should be on my list. They make massive pop-rock music, which is not too bad, but the production is overly produced which makes their sound really cheesy. At least the melodies are interesting enough.
Friska Viljor
Friska Viljor combine folk aesthetics with strange instruments and effects. Their melodies are great and the sound is endearingly brilliant. I can almost hear something similar to Grandaddy here, except this music doesn't have as deep melancholy and beauty.
Les Big Bird
This rock band plays quite big sounding songs, where overdriven guitars buzz and screech, but there is still melodic structures which are pleasant to listen to. There are some elements of stoner rock here as well. The album covers are absolutely brilliant!
Dungen
Dungen is one of the most original sounding Swedish bands. They play psychedelic jams that intertwine with more melodic pop-structures. They sometimes sing in Swedish, but most of their music is instrumental. They play long songs full of different parts.
The Genuine Fakes
This power-pop band has some 60's influences, but also heavy influences from 90's American power pop bands. Melodies work brilliantly and they have a good sense of drama raising and lowering the intensity between verses and choruses.
The Amazing
The Amazing is one of the most interesting bands on this list. They play long beautiful songs with clear electric guitars painting melancholic atmospheres. For those, who know Finnish Liekki, this is sort of similar, but sung in English. Great music for lazy Saturday afternoons.
Molly Nilsson
She uses synth sounds that seem very cheap and tacky, but makes art from that. her laconic singing voice does not stretch very high, neither very low, but it still carries emotions that are cool and in sync with the lo-fi electronica of her music.
Johnossi
Johnson plays beautiful quiet folk music, where two guys sing with delicate voices and acoustic guitars pick simple structures with a lot of echo. This is very beautiful music for those who appreciate simple sounds, great songwriting and nice vocals.
Veronica Maggio
Veronica Maggio's beautiful singing voice is the main thing in this music. The songs could be a bit more interesting when it comes to melodies, but she can definitely carry emotion with her voice and piano alone. She sings in Swedish, but that doesn't bother me at all.
Nina Kinert
Nina Kinert makes absolutely beautiful singer-songwriter music with her fantastic singing voice and beautifully melancholic piano. Her singing is otherworldly, high and echoey. I had not heard her music before, but I am definitely going to listen more of her. Subtle strings with simple piano make everything just perfect.
Hello Saferide
Quiet and beautiful indie pop with excellent female vocals and strange synth sounds. This is really cool music which can also be seen in the album covers. The melancholic songs are subtle but make me really emotional with their quiet and sad beauty.
Neneh Cherry
I don't really care for Neneh Cherry's recent albums that much, but she made some fantastic songs back in the 90's when you could hear popularity of trip-hop in her music. At best, her great vocals get heard properly without too much interference from electronic sounds.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a band that could not have existed in any other time than 00's. Their songs have strong folk influences, but fast drumming and electric guitars bring that indie-disco sound to their music. Vocal harmonies are beautifully done and the songs have many interesting instruments on top of the normal band.
Acid House Kings
Acid House Kings is a completely misleading name for this band. Their music is beautiful indie pop in the style of Belle & Sebastian. The melodies are fantastic and vocal harmonies are carried out perfectly. Very endearing sound.
Factory
Factory has 70's style overdriven electric guitars and synthesisers that make lo-fi industrial sounds over high-pitched male vocals. There's almost something like Nintendo sounds in how their music. The lyrics are in Swedish, but the main thing is catchy choruses and strange nintendo sounds.
Fever Ray
Fever Ray makes haunting and dark, yet very beautiful music, where echoes and synths have a huge role. The female vocals have great deal of echo and they are a bit off-key to give that air of cool into this music that could almost be called new wave of trip-hop.
Daybehavior
This electro band plays dark and industrial sounding songs where all sorts of cool synthesiser sounds are used together with strange effects. There are great female vocals singing the melodies with a lot of echo on the background.
Tråd
This electronica band makes music that is all about the sound and variety of samples, effects and synths. I don't really like the vocals sung with robotic vocoder and I would enjoy this band much more if they made instrumental music.
Everywhere
Everywhere makes big sounds with traditional kind of guitar indie approach. you can hear the Swedish accent in the vocals. Songs are catchy and rise high in the choruses. Piano brings a great addition to otherwise very guitar driven sounds.
Eskobar
Eskobar was on the brink of a breakthrough in early 2000's, but for some reason they were forgotten quite quickly. They make melancholic indie pop songs with excellent vocals. The guitars are mainly clear and blinky.
Lars Winnerbäck
This singer-songwriter makes quite traditional sounding Americana songs, the only difference is that he sings in Swedish. He pronounces it beautifully with his deep baritone. The acoustic guitars are picked brilliantly and there are some fantastic vocal harmonies there.
Eagle-Eye Cherry
This fellow was known to anyone who was watching MTV at a certain period. His song, Save Tonight was playing in radios all the time. This folky rock stuff is quite good compared to many other similar things out there.
Ted Gärdestad
This guy must be the Elton John of Sweden. His songs sound exactly like Elton John's ballads in the early 70's. Man and piano with some glam-rock aesthetics. Very cheesy, but at the same time very enjoyable.
Siri Karlsson
This is highly original music. Traditional Scandinavian kind of folk music with more modern jazz sounds, deep double bass and melancholic melodies. Excellent music for meditating on your own. You can almost see an enchanted forest with a small forest lake in front of you as you listen.
Esbjörn Svensson Trio
Now, this is the kind of modern jazz I really like. Piano has a large role here, but the drums, bass and some electronic effects make this much more interesting. The mood is calm and quite haunting. Really, really good stuff!
Rebecka Törnqvist
Phenomenal jazz vocals with excellent quite commercial backgrounds. This is the kind of music you would expect to hear in a red velvet decorated jazz salon, while sipping down your old-fashioned in your 30's style mafioso suit while a woman in a cocktail dress goes from table to table singing beautiful and seductive melodies.
ABBA
Now, of course this list would not be complete without ABBA. The biggest Swedish band in the history. Pretty much everyone in the world has heard their music. Their excellent melodies and disco aesthetics are kind of cheesy, but you still have to love them, because this was the music that people my age grew up with.
Roxette
Another band that is on this list for purely nostalgic reasons. Rosette was one of the first bands I ever listened to after children's music. They have a great deal of cheesy hit songs with exceptionally 80's kind of sounds. It sounds so old and yet at the same time it's so familiar that you can't dislike it that much either.
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