This weekend I was away in Nashville (the greatest!!!) for a wedding for a friend of mine. His taste, to an extent, was reflected in what I listened to in the car, and this is one of the best examples.
It had been a few years since I had really spun this one, but at first it was a massive part of not only my life, but that of the people around me. It is one of the best psychedelic records of this decade, far and away and should not be missed by any fans of rock 'n' roll (granted I would think many of the readers here have it already, but I should take no chances here).
Dungen is a Swedish "group," though their records are made almost entirely by Gustav Ejstes who clearly excels in every instrument, composition, and in the art of sound recording. It is a pretty great album for any occasion as it can get loud and fast and also have moments of transcendently beautiful psychedelia. Some of the best exaples of Dungen's sound here are the rockin' opener "Panda," the catchy folk-rocker "Festival," and the gorgeous "Det Du Tänker Idag Är Du Imorn." What really sets the band apart is the use of Swedish lyrics, as almost every other group to acheive crossover success from that nation has used mostly English. One flaw of the Ejstes', however, is that the sound is not the most original, but at least it serves as a good anchor and I can firmly state that fans of other exotic psychedelia like Ghost, Amon Düül II, and Erkin Koray should not miss out.
Also included is a mostly instrumental bonus disc which really fits in with the rest of the album, most notably on "Jämna Plågor."
Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt (2004)
In other news, though, Jay Bennett, formerly of Wilco died on the 24th. The cause has not been announced, he brought a lot to the band and his influence is best heard on 1999's Summer Teeth.
Jay at his peak during the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
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