Teddybears Are Cute!

In the 1990s, bands in Sweden had hardcore names. Death and blood were two common components to names of bands. One of these bands, Skull, decided to break away from the scariness and go in a totally different direction. Vocalist Patrik Arve joined brothers Joakim (the lead guitarist for Caesars) and Klas Åhlund (who has produced much of Caesars' albums) in changing their name to Teddybears STHLM (the abbreviation meaning Stockholm, Sweden).

In 1993, their first album came out You Are Teddybears. Only 35 minutes long, the album has song titles like, "At the Dentist's", and "Move it Vomit". In '96, their second album release, I Can't Believe It's Teddybears STHLM, hit the country. It wasn't until 2000 with Rock 'n' Roll Highschool that Teddybears STHLM began getting a little bit of exposure. Their first two albums were mostly hard rock, but now they were slowly beginning to break into some new territory. Their well known song "Punkrocker" debuted here. Not too many people know that there's an alternate "Punkrocker" song, too. It's called "Hiphopper" (feat. Teddybears STHLM) by Swedish rapper Tom Rusiak. Tom also worked with the bears on the title track off this album. AND, if I can remember correctly, I believe "Hiphopper" is also on the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Soundtrack.

In 2004, Epic Records released the band's fourth album Fresh. Later (2005), it was re-released by Sony Records. Song to mention from Fresh is "Hey Boy". It's a fun party song, maybe even a sort of anthem, and they use a lot of pot smoking references (and really, everyone likes those, right?!). Almost half of Fresh was also included in their latest record Soft Machine. That record came out in 2006, and is what really put these bears on the map. Working with the likes of Elephant Man, Neneh Cherry, and Daddy Boastin' and dropping the STHLM from their name, they started to get some play and recognition in the U.S. They even included their hit "Punkrocker" featuring Iggy Pop. Another hit, "Cobrastyle" with artist Mad Cobra, can be heard all over the place. It's the one that you have a rough time getting out of your head, "My style is da-bomb, diggy bomb, di-dang, di-dang boogy boogy, ooo-ooh, ooo-ooh!" It's been on HBO's show Entourage and ABC's Grey's Anatomy, as well as other spots.

After everyone listened to "Cobrastyle" for awhile, "Different Sound" was their newest popular track. And it did have a different sound, but it's still fun. All of their songs are. They even performed at Coachella last year. So, if you're in need of some serious music to throw onto a party cd, these are your guys. For sure.

Oh, here's a little bonus tidbit from Wikipedia:

"In an interview with Scandinavian news agency TT Spectra, Joakim Akerlund states that he hopes to record a new Teddybears album in the fall of 2008. Two tracks are already recorded with rapper Slick Rick and Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne."

So...should we be on the lookout? I hope!