Teddybears

Right from the off, it’s pretty clear that Teddybears are in line for two major prizes - most misleading band name, and most stylistically diffuse rock band. The former was a deliberate move on the part of the Swedes to distance themselves from the very obvious hardcore rock scene in their homeland when they started out back in the early nineties, and the latter is simply reflective of how versatile and experimental they’ve proven over the course of the past twenty or so years. Their live shows, especially, have come to embody this diversity; given that their setlists generally tend to run through their entire careers, it’s quickly obvious that their gigs invoke their electro phase, some of their ambient recordings, the straightforward indie rock that they’ve made at times, and so on. It can be exhausting to keep up with them, and not only because they play with such a visceral energy; they’re not the easiest band to get into, but certainly one of the most rewarding at their live concerts, as their cult fanbase will attest to.