Sunday, September 12, 2010

Metro Jets - The Morning Show

The 1990's were great times for Swedish Power Pop. Bands like Popsicle, The Trampolines and the Wannadies were making terrific poppy records that mixed bubblegum hooks with punk attitude. With the exception of the Wannadies, many of these bands only produced one or two albums and by 2000, very few of the Swedish Power Pop bands were recording any more.

In 2004, the Metro Jets represented a minor Swedish Power Pop resurgence. They were a "Supergroup" of sorts featuring the talents of Magnus Börjeson , the leader of the prototypical Swedish Powerpop group "Beagle" as well as David Birde, the guitar player and sometime lead singer of the Malmo based band "Brainpool". The Metro Jets released three essential singles, some minor movie music and then promptly faded from view.

This compilation includes all of the Metro Jet's released material along with two late compilation tracks by Beagle . It starts with an overture of sorts by Brainpool extracted from Brainpool's 2004 rock opera entitled "Junk" called the "Metro Jets Permiere Concert". Evidently a fictional band called "The Metro Jets" were characters in that opera. (Must have been the origin of the Metro Jets name.) Rounding out the collection are some unfinished incidental tracks posted on the Metro Jets old website as well as some music recently posted by Magnus Börjeson.

I'll admit that the collection trails off at the end - however you have got to hear track number 2, The Morning Show. It's a Powerpop classic. If you like this, you should really pick up Favorita (another post-Beagle project from Magnus Börjeson ). Great stuff.

  1. Metro Jets Premiere Concert (From Brainpool rock opera "Junk")
  2. The Morning Show (Metro Jets single)
  3. Love Grows (Late Beagle track covering Edison Lighthouse from "Right to Chews" bubblegum compilation)
  4. Boat (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  5. The Midas Touch (B-side of Metro Jets single)
  6. Lady Gwendoline (Metro Jets single)
  7. Aluminum (Demo posted on old Metro Jets website)
  8. Well, It's Only Pain (Late Beagle track from International Pop Overthrow Vol. 4)
  9. Fish (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  10. Jingle Jangle Christmas (Metro Jets Christmas single featuring Helena Josefsson & Vibeke Saugestad)
  11. Glasgow (Demo posted on old Metro Jets website)
  12. Grand Desert (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  13. Neon (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  14. Robbie W's Best (Demo posted on old Metro Jets website)
  15. Metro Jets Premiere Concert Part 2 (From Brainpool rock opera "Junk")
  16. Candle (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  17. Pastis & Petanque (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  18. Woman and Gramophone (Incidental music posted by Magnus Börjeson on Sound Cloud)
  19. Metro Jets Permiere Concert Live (From live performance of Brainpool rock opera "Junk")