Distant countries like Italy and Sweden blipped back onto the hipster world map at the turn of the 21st century, after the long reign of Brazil (with tropicalia), France (la decadanse), and Norway (black metal). Italy housed barely legal reissue labels replicating LPs for free-jazz and psych-fetish completists, while the two-CD overview of Sweden's completely unheard, unfathomable Pärson Sound revealed a psychedelic Pangaea of Coltrane, Sabbath, and Terry Riley-styled sludge mass. But as Benny, Björn, or newbie dinosaurs the Hives could tell you, the Swedes (whether shaggy-bearded or clean-cut) fashionably compress and commodify genres like bubbling pop, intoxicating minimalism, and obscure nuggets of rock into black gold with the best of them... More >>>