Moneybrother

Anders Wendin launched his career as vocalist for the singular Swedish ensemble Monster, whose sound fused soul, ska, and punk rock. Choosing to pursue solo work in 2002 under the unusual alias Moneybrother, he soon encountered commercial and critical breakthroughs few anticipated. His first album, Blood Panic, moved briskly in Scandinavia, where reviewers showered it with praise that ultimately yielded a Swedish Grammy and a completely sold-out tour of Germany. Observers also routinely described Moneybrother’s concerts as near-mythic occasions.

Though technically modest, Wendin’s singing carries an unmistakable grain that recalls the raw delivery of Joe Strummer and Bruce Springsteen. He further distinguishes himself onstage through total emotional commitment to every line, an intensity rooted in his prior work as a theatrical actor. A large, accomplished group backs him in performance, among them the magnetic ex-Monster trombonist Victor Brobacke. Stylistically, Moneybrother draws on classic pop and soul of the 1960s and 1970s yet channels those sources through punk urgency. Critics most often liken him to Bruce Springsteen, the Clash, and Dexys Midnight Runners, but his recordings also absorb vintage disco, Thin Lizzy, and roots-oriented acts such as Mink DeVille and Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes.

Early in 2005 the second album, To Die Alone, surpassed its predecessor in every respect. Wendin replaced the occasional leftist themes of earlier work with sweeping string arrangements and lovelorn mini-epics, thereby attracting an even wider listenership. Until then his catalog had circulated solely in Europe. The six-track EP They’re Building Walls Around Us appeared in the United States on Sabot Productions in 2006, offering American audiences a curated introduction drawn from the existing albums.