Suggested Listening - The Radio Dept.

This is a band I found by mistake, and what a lucky mistake it was for me. I was bored (but when am I not) on my iPhone on iTunes (no this isn't a plug for apple) scrolling through genres to finally ending up on alternative. I was scrolling and listening to samples of random artists I finally came across The Radio Dept. 


The band was started in 1995 by schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson, who named the group after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" (Swedish for The Radio Department). Shortly after forming the two stopped playing music together which put the band on hold. The group was reformed in 1998, when Duncanson starting making music with Martin Larsson. In 2001, Larsson's then girlfriend Lisa Carlberg joined the group on bass, followed by Per Blomgren on drums and Daniel Tjäder on keyboards (Carlberg and Blomgren left the band when they changed directions in music a few years later). 


I don't know what drew me to them, but I started listening. As I listened to songs on the "Pet Grief" album, I came across this song "It's Personal"





Although there isn't a video that I could find for this song, I don't think it needs one because the song can stand on its own. A beautiful instrumental that you should listen to with your eyes closed and let the song take you into a dream like state. Another favorite of mine on the album is "The Worst Taste in Music". 





Some of you may recognize their music since a few of their songs where used in the Sofia Coppola's movie "Marie Antoinette" (great sound track, not so great movie). Their (The Radio Dept.) music fit in perfectly. They have an 80's electro-syth sound that went well with the other music in the movie. This next song is off their album "Lesser Matters" called "Where Damage is Already Done". This is another great song on a equally great album.







This song as well as the album seem more up beat sounding compared to "Pet Grief". No matter the sound I enjoy their music. Listening to these albums makes me think they this would be a great soundtrack for a nice long road trip. It seems that The Radio Dept. is another group that's not well know here in the U.S. that should be. Their music albeit not mainstream seems like they would find a great fan base here but they very rarely tour the U.S. This is one of those groups that I will like for as long as they are around and together.