MP3: The Bear Quartet - Headacher
In the beginning - 1992 or thereabouts - The Bear Quartet wasn't much more than a run-of-the-mill indie act. They were good, but they wore their influences on their sleeve and were barely distinguishable from the rabble. The one thing they did have going for them was location. Aside from the whole big fish/small pond thing, they also had that certain something that I only hear from bands out of Norrland. A certain discordance in the melody, that unmistakable northern darkness in the lyrics. "You hate the sound of sobbing meat / it's in your eyes whenever we meet" is not the sort of couplet you'd hear from Superchunk, but there you go. On the other hand, I think a lot of people around my age probably have a certain nostalgia for this particular sound so I understand why BQ's first album "Penny century" is held in such high esteem. Ah, the glory days of 'college rock', back when being indie actually meant something! Or did it ever? I was too busy trying to be punk.
The Bear Quartet - Headacher