Ranging from death metal to dance-pop, Sweden boasts one of the most diverse and creative music scenes in the world and along with Australia and the United Kingdom, one of the most successful countries in breaking through to North American audiences.
Popular Music from Sweden
Sweden’s most successful acts can be split roughly into 2 genres:
- the Euro Pop of ABBA, Roxette and Ace of Base, typified by a dance-oriented sound, frothy lyrics and slick production;
- the blend of rock n roll genres of The Hives, The Cardigans and Mando Diao, that take inspiration from punk, indie, garage and 60s-flavoured pop and rock.
Falling into both the pop and the rock categories is Moneybrother, an opinionated, effusive, playful performer with a wiry swagger and a sexual charisma that puts Justin Timberlake right back into The Mickey Mouse Club.
The Birth of Moneybrother
Musican and vocalist for a number of punk rock outfits in his early career, including the acclaimed ska-punk band Monster, Anders Wendin went solo in 2002 and created an alter ego in response to the glut of despondent metal and alternative rock music in the Swedish music industry. After the success of a 4-track EP Thunder In My Heart, released in 2002 under the name Moneybrother, Wendin released his debut full-length CD entitled Blood Panic (2003).
Bursting with soulful rock sublimely blended with reggae and punk details, Blood Panic’s press release introduced Moneybrother as “Bruce Springsteen fronting ABBA”. Its first single Reconsider Me exploded onto Swedish radio and both single and album went on to garner numerous awards, including Rock Album of the Year at the Swedish Grammys. It was an instant classic and continues to sound fresh 4 years after its initial release.
Repackaged for American Audiences
Two years later he released his second album called To Die Alone (2005), which spawned the sweeping, disco-tinged hit single They’re Building Walls Around Us and had Moneybrother fully embracing both his inner Bruce Springsteen and his penchant for soulful drama. The album was another huge success and it was decided to repackage the singles from both albums with three B-sides as a compilation for North American audiences.
The 6-track EP entitled They’re Building Walls Around Us was released in North America in September 2006 to critical acclaim – in fact many Western critics noted that they didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as they did. Meanwhile back at home, Moneybrother released his first Swedish album, Pengabrorsan (2006), an album of covers by some of his favourite artists, such as Tom Waits' Downtown Train.
Mount Pleasure
In August 2007, Moneybrother released Mount Pleasure, his fourth (third in English) album, which went straight to #1 on the Swedish charts in its first week. It earned more Springsteen comparisons; particularly the first single Just Another Summer sounds like a sequel to Born to Run. There are also elements of alt-country in the vein of Wilco and The Jayhawks and even references to Thin Lizzy on the track Will There Be Music?.
Owing as much to ABBA as he does The Clash, Moneybrother’s music is dramatic pop rock that’s earned him comparisons to U2, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Presley. His songs are clearly influences by a wide array of musical genres but they still sound fresh and thoroughly modern.
If it comes across as over the top, it’s meant to. Big, emotionally wrought, dramatic, Moneybrother takes a standard emotion, thought and reaction and magnifies it. He believes that music is for amplifying the ordinary, creating something grand, dramatic and one of a kind. His vocal performances bring to mind comparisons ranging from Marvin Gaye to Bruce Springsteen to Joe Strummer, while still sounding completely original.
