2010-11-20. Published in Uncategorized
by Nina

The music scene in Gothenburg has been something I have yet to master. Coming from a place in the States where an innovative music scene has been alive for many years, I'm hoping gradually exploring the venues this Swedish city has to offer will be a audibly rewarding experience. I had known about the existence of Way Out West (which, perhaps, next summer I'll try to attend, depending on the line-up), but until then, what is there left? And what else is there?

While I plan to elaborate more on the music scene on Tuesday within my "Discovering Sweden" post, I would like to stress here the importance of getting to know new bands and new styles. So many people often stick to what they know in terms of music when they go abroad, relying on the same try-and-true playlists to get them through hard and good times... But I find when you move to a new place, broadening your mind in terms of music is a great way to get to know a new culture and meet tons of new people. People bond over music. You associate memories, places, and sentimental value to rhythm and melody. To say that you only listen to one genre and never would another is to limit yourself to understanding the things and people around you in a very closed-minded way.

Take for instance, an experience I had in the western part of the States. After moving cross-country from Boston to Seattle, I was suddenly confronted with a completely new music scene and culture that embraced coffee, lounge-chairs, and (horrifyingly) country music. While my new friends at school were loading slide-guitar-rich-melodies into their iPods, I was gaping at them in disbelief. For months, I absolutely refused to listen to country music; I was convinced they couldn't convince me.

And then, I was at party, and with a little red wine and a very helpful friend, I listened to Johnny Cash's "Personal Jesus." I listened to how he grew up with the song---about how his father used to play it on the guitar on the front porch, and later how that inspired him to build his own guitar and get into bluegrass music. He told me about why he plays music, what he eats before he does, what types of books he likes to write his songs in, what writers influences his songwriting. All of a sudden, a completely new picture of Seattle and the people in it was placed before me. And I let the country in.

I was thinking of that story earlier this September, when I managed to get into the Phosphorescent concert at Pustervik. Not too many people in Gothenburg, apparently, like country, but it was a transcendent set and a very chill crowd. If you like music that sounds a bit like Bob Dylan-meets-Bon Iver, you may want to be interested in this guy. Phosphorescent's been around for a while (gets a good reception in Seattle at the very least) and probably would deserve a bigger crowd if he ever makes the rounds back to Scandinavia. So check them out. And let the new in.

Which kinda segways into to next week's topic---omgomgomg: Spotify.