love is all

I saw countless bands on Saturday. Countless. But to speak of, there is Love Is All.

They are, of course, from Sweden, and they are a little like the Go-Team with less rap, less samplers, less tracksuits, and more of everything else including mad sax skills. They played in some kind of tent in some kind of an attic in what felt like some kind of a basement, off a dark alley in hackney. I think Nathan Barley and a hundred of his children were there, dressed as wurzel gummidge. Their attempts to pen my brother and I between trendy-haired grumpy people scowling at anyone that moved and slightly less trendy-haired drunken giants gallumphing around violently were to no avail. We bounced around anyway, enjoyed our £5 bottles of Heineken and listened to glorious swedish pop. Listen to spinning and scratching, from Rough Trade’s Indiepop compilation. I know I have used the phrase ‘mad sax skills’ to describe this band, but this isn’t ska. Do not be alarmed. This is frantic Swedish dance-pop made by people who can play their instruments and can play brass without pretending they are stuck to the floor by a spring. Which reminds me Jens Lekman is currently touring with the Bill Wells trio, playing a bass with a drummer, a brass section and bill wells on keys. It’s just what we all need.