VARIOUS ARTISTS – Musikfest Örnsköldsvik 80 (Musikhuset, 1980)

Featured artists: Murena / Lars & Per-Erik / Staffans / Horny Band / Kylans Rockorkester / Het Örn / Blue Notes
Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

One of many regional pressings providing a peep into a specific local scene, this time the Northern town Örnsköldsvik and the music forum Musikhuset. The album comprises seven acts from various genres – anti-bacterial jazz, folk pop, test tube funk fusion, straight ahead rock, B grade reggae – and while ”Musikfest Örnsköldsvik 80” obviously was made possible by the progg ethos on the way out in 1980, few of the bands have any real progg sensibilities to speak of. The best known band here is Kylans Rockorkester whose ”Min borgerlige bror” is typically pedestrian boogie rock with political lyrics. That fusion outfit Staffans' take on Dave Brubeck's ”Take Five” in a washed out Made In Sweden style is the album highlight says it all.

Murena - Flotta Sture 

Lars & Per-Erik - Johnny 

Staffans - Take Five 

Lars & Per-Erik - Tåget 

Horny Band - Solen står lågt 

Kylans Rockorkester - Min borgerlige bror 

Het Örn - Rasta din hund

Lars & Per-Erik - Historiens hjul 

Blue Notes - Rastlös 

Murena - Från oss alla 

KYLANS ROCKORKESTER – Välfärdsblues (Manifest, 1980)

International relevance: *

Swedish vocals

Kylans Rockorkester hailed from Umeå and came off like a little brother to Rekyl – they're even on the same level – with Kylans a little more towards Creedence Clearwater Revival than The Rolling Stones, and with a few more punk and/or new wave shadings than Rekyl. ”Välfärdsblues” was their first album and is forgettable. ”Inte bara vi” is decent compared to the other tracks but doesn't save the album.

They also had a couple of singles out, with the 'A' side of their second one ”I Lycksele finns ingen hundpsykolog” (1981) possibly being the best track they ever released. 1983 saw the release of their second album ”Kylans snapshot”. The original band split up in 1974 but a demo CD-R by a reunited Kylans Rockorkester was produced by Manifest in 2004. 

Full album playlist