Acid House Kings

The Swedish twee-pop trio Acid House Kings formed in 1991 when singer/guitarist Niklas Angergård and bassist brother Johan, after the dissolution of their prior band Poprace, recruited guitarist Joakim Ödlund. Mutual disappointment over Felt’s breakup and dissatisfaction with Morrissey’s Kill Uncle album initially guided the three toward an innocent, straightforward brand of pop. They signed with the German label Marsh Marigold, releasing the debut EP Play Pop! in early 1992 and the full-length Pop, Look & Listen! later that year. Renewed affection for childhood favorites the Pet Shop Boys shaped 1994’s Monaco G.P. EP; its modest chart performance prompted a three-year low profile during which the Angergård brothers focused on other projects—Club 8 for Johan and Red Sleeping Beauty for Niklas—before the group reemerged with the 1997 single “Yes! You Love Me.” Advantage Acid House Kings followed the next year on Johan’s Labrador label.

Ödlund soon departed, and Julia Lannerheim, who had supplied background vocals on the album, joined the lineup. Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays appeared in 2002, with Sing Along with Acid House Kings arriving three years later. The latter record’s distinctive packaging contained a bonus DVD offering karaoke versions of every track. The subsequent EP Do What You Wanna Do extended the concept by featuring band friends performing selections from the album. The members then stepped back for several years while personal commitments and side projects took precedence. When they resumed work on a new album, they spent considerable time refining the track list until, in their words, “ten songs and ten potential singles” remained. Music Sounds Better with You was released in March 2011.