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The Sounds

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The Sounds

The Sounds are an upbeat New Wave band from Helsingborg, Sweden founded in 1999, not to be confused with the Finnish band The Sounds from 1960's or the British The Sound, or sound in general.

Their musical style is primarily New Wave with punk and pop/electronica influences. Most songs make integrated use of synthesizers, and Maja Ivarsson provides a spunky vocal lead. The group is often compared to New Wave acts such as Blondie, The Cars, the Epoxies and Missing Persons.

Their debut album Living in America was released in 2002, with the follow up Dying to Say This to You on March 21 2006.

Lead singer Maja Ivarsson is outspoken in her ambition, claiming "I want to be the best female vocalist around...of at least this century"[1]. She was also featured on Cobra Starship's "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)", for the film Snakes on a Plane. In addition to Ivarsson's contribution to the Snakes soundtrack, the entire band is featured as track 6, Queen of Apology, remixed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump.

Members

History

The Sounds were formed when childhood friends Felix Rodriquez and Johan Bengtsson decided to form a group amongst their high school friends, enlisting Fredrik Nilsson as drummer. Maja Ivarsson, named to Blender Magazine's "Hottest Women of ... Rock" list[2] and formerly a classical horn player, was invited to join as the lead singer. The group met Jesper Anderberg by chance at the Hultsfred Festival. The band's name was decided months later during a trip to London.

Their debut album Living in America was recorded in Stockholm. It earned them several "best newcomer" awards, a Grammis and a #4 position in the Swedish album charts, as well as establishing the band not only in Sweden but also in the United States. The band has played over 300 gigs since the album's release including participating in the 2004 Warped Tour. In 2006 they played again at Warped Tour but this time on main stage. and have toured with bands such as: the Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Morningwood, Angels & Airwaves, +44, Mando Diao and Panic! at the Disco.

In the United States, the band has had several TV appearances and magazine articles and has reputedly built up a celebrity fan base that includes Dave Grohl, Pharrell Williams, Quentin Tarantino, Thomas Johnson and Robin Botten, Bam Margera and his wife Missy, David Desrosiers, Ben Khodadad and Britney Spears. Dave Grohl wore a red Sounds T-shirt in the Foo Fighters' Times Like These video. The band has stated several times that it relies on word of mouth and concerts to promote its music[3] [4].

The second album, Dying to Say This to You was recorded at Studio 880 in Oakland, California, and produced by Jeff Saltzman (producer of The Killers' Hot Fuss). They started the European leg of their tour in September and in October toured with Panic! at the Disco which included dates in London and several other major European cities. Following this tour, The Sounds made another run of the United States, starting with a Myspace secret show in Miami, Florida on Halloween and then stopping at 10 major cities from coast to coast with supporting act Shiny Toy Guns. All together, The Sounds played over 200 shows in 2006, over half of which were in the United States.

In early October of 2007, The Sounds wrapped up their world-wide tour in Western Europe and Australia.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Compilations

  • "Painted by Numbers" is included on Gothic Magazine's "The Gothic Compilation 34"

US singles

  • Living in America / The S.O.U.N.D.S. (August 2002)
  • Song with a Mission / Goodbye 70s (January 2006)
  • Painted By Numbers (2006)
  • Tony the Beat (2006)

UK singles

  • Tony The Beat (2007)
  • Painted By Numbers (UK version) (2007) The song is receiving repeated exposure due to its use as a jingle on BBC Radio Five Live.

Swedish singles

  • Hit Me!/Fire (2002) - #26 Sweden
  • Living In America (2002) - #3 Sweden
  • Seven Days A Week (2003) - #20 Sweden
  • Dance With Me (2003)
  • Rock'n Roll (2003) - #27 Sweden
  • Song with a Mission (2006) - #22 Sweden
  • Tony the Beat (2006)
  • Painted By Numbers (2006)

Demos

  • Under My Skin
  • Bombs Bombs Away (alt. version)
  • 24 Hour Love
  • Turn Back The Time (Breathe)
  • Go! (You Will Never See Me Down Again)
  • Come Inside
  • She Moves
  • Free, Free, Free*
  • Like A Lady (demo version)*
  • Fire (demo version)*

B-Sides and Other Songs

  • Bombs Bombs Away (Teenage Battlefield) (from the German movie "Big Girls Don't Cry")
  • Goodbye 70s (B-side available on the Japanese release of "Dying To Say this to You")
  • Night After Night (Reggae Version) (extremely rare, and never released. Sometimes played live.)
  • Song With A Mission (Dance Mix)
  • Rock and Roll (The Pop Rox Mix)

Additional music appearances

References

  1. ^ The Sounds video interview, stv.tv, August 2007
  2. ^ "http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2295&src=blender_ed
  3. ^ The Sounds Interview
  4. ^ The Sounds
  5. ^ Rolling Stone magazine
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