HEROES ARE REMEMBERED BUT THE LEGENDS NEVER DIE….NYC Dates Announced Stockholm’s Noisiest Popstars The Legends Take over NY the week of June 22
“Applying shrieking guitar feedback to spun-sugar melodies like razor blades cutting across smooth teenage skin, he exaggerates the Jesus and Mary Chain extremes of “Seconds Away,” a love song to the antidepressant Trypitzol. Song after song, he slices away at his sadness until the clouds lift and a glockenspiel twinkles. The effect is so not corny” -8/10 Spin Magazine
“The best thing to come out of Sweden since meatballs, cheap furniture and Anita Ekberg is Stockholm-based band The Legends. We’ve been obsessed with the Legends’ breezy, fuzzy, noise pop” -Paper Magazine
“Over and Over might be The Legends’ best since their first” -Brooklyn Vegan
“If My Bloody Valentine swallowed Peter, Bjorn and John” -Three Imaginary Girls
Whether he’s horseback riding or running the marathon, the man behind Stockholm-based The Legends, Johan Angergård, (Club 8, Pallers, Acid House Kings) and the highly coveted Labrador Records (equivalent to Sweeden’s Sub Pop) has been known to take his audience for quite a ride.With jarring shifts in musical direction since 2003, The Legends are notorious for being resilient to change; unwilling to compromise their sound, while relentlessly confusing and annoying his audience along the way. As Brooklyn Vegan noted, this is not surprise since Angergård is an ’80s indie pop sponge who lists Lloyd Cole, Front 242, My Bloody Valentine, OMD and about 20 other disparate acts as influences “
And back by popular demand, The Legends will perform a brilliantly modern mix of white noise, 60’s girls pop, indie, ambient and krautrock from their forthcoming release “Over and Over” plus a few gems from earlier releases. This marks their first NYC appearance since 2006.
THE LEGENDS TAKE OVER NY WEEK OF JUNE 22:
Tuesday JUNE 23 @ THE BELL HOUSE: OH MY ROCKNESS PRESENTS THE LEGENDS 10:30 / The Drums 9:30 / Soft City 8:45-9:15 / Care Bears On Fire 8:00-8:30
Thursday June 24 @ SANTOS with Blacklist
Friday: June 26 @ STUDIO with Band of Skulls (The Legends: 9:30)
More dates TBA
As the lead vocalist and guitarist, Johan plays a crucial role in determining the direction of the band, claiming, “I’m not a very skilled musician,” Johan originally intended on forming a band with people who hadn’t played before because he wanted to appear more professional, but in the end, he chose individuals who each brought a unique story: Jonas Färm (guitar), Liane Moccia (vocals/percussion),who sang in Brooklyn band Tralala and who’s voice is heard on The Legends current summer tune ALWAYS THE SAME (DOWNLOAD HERE), Martin Nordvall (bass) and Jonathan Hummelman (drums), who are all noted Stockholm musicians in their own right. Labrador artists, Henrik Mårtensson of the dark electro duo Pallers, Philip Ekström of The Mary Onettes, and Karolina Komstedt of Club 8 are among those lending their talent to “Over and Over”.
Although changing style from album to album is typically thought to be commercial suicide, The Legends couldn’t care less, and strangely enough, this has paid off! Their albums have ranged and changed from a mix of Motown, C-86, and synthpop to today’s noise pop, but there is a common thread which links their music from one album to the next – “I only follow my heart, my taste in music and write about what’s on my mind. For good or bad, my view on life and my taste in music hasn’t really changed over the years.” While “Over and Over” starts in a dark, black hole of noisy, angst-driven pop, it gradually lets in more light, letting the last song written bear obvious signs of hope. The result is a multifaceted album well kept together by a love for mixing noise and experimental sounds with vibrant pop melodies – this is undoubtedly the strongest and most innovative Legends album to date!
Over and Over released on June 16 Labrador Records /Caroline