#bruset

When it comes to punk rock, few would argue that Goteborg, Sweden is best-known as a hotbed of the traditional Swedish hardcore sound, producing such world-class Discharge-worshipers as Skitslickers and Anti-Cimex (whose second EP is one of the two best hardcore singles ever made, and would be up here itself if I hadn't sold it years back-- a stupid move that still hurts), as well as slightly more obscure but nonetheless noted kang outfits Disarm and Absurd. Those whose tastes run to the more melodic need not fret, however, for the mangel is not necessarily garanterat in Goteborg, as proven by this superb 1978 one-off from Bruset.

Of course, some among the spikes'n'studs brigade might not even count Bruset's catchy, immensely enjoyable power-pop-punk tuneage as qualifying for the punk rock tag in the first place; Peter Jandreus called "Radio Aktiiv" mere "pub rock" and relegated the group to the "peripheral band" list at the back of his Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk '77-'87 book, for example. True, Bruset are far from rapunk-- it's the '70s, there's not a d-beat in sight and the flipside really is a rather limp exercise in Brit-style faux-reggae/new wave crossover-- but the main entry here is a great punk rock song in its own right, full of energy, ringing guitars and an undeniably catchy hook that betrays the influence of such first-wave Britpunk luminaries with power-pop/mod leanings as The Jam, Undertones, Members and Eddie & the Hot Rods.

The record was released on GBG Records (GBG 003) in 1978, and my copy even has "2/1 79" hand-written on the back cover, but I first encountered this song in a playlist of obscure '70s Swedish 45s someone had posted on a blog somewhere years ago, and it quickly became a fave, so I was pleased to see it on the trade list of someone looking for an old garage comp I'd turned up cheap in a Toronto store. A couple emails and a week later, it was in my hands and then on my turntable. Like most things posted here, the music's easily found online, whether through blog downloads or Youtube videos, so check it out if it sounds like something that might appeal....then score your own copy!