April 4th, 2011

Despite describing new album ‘Wasting Light‘ as the heaviest of their career, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has revealed legendary pop band ABBA were a major influence during the recording of the album.

Matt Carroll, along with brother Pat and Karen Jackson, made up the legendary Central Station Design which created the effortlessly cool and exciting work that accompanied albums by James, Northside and many other Factory bands, most notably close cousins Shaun and Paul Ryder‘s The Happy Mondays. Central Station gave Factory bands a unique image as well as being as major influence on the Manchester music scene as much of the bands themselves were.

Sweden’s presence on the world’s musical landscape is one that is criminally undervalued. The unofficial ambassadors of Swedish music are undoubtedly Abba, yet there is a wealth of talent that the country has pumped into the industry, a contribution which is still prevalent today. The Hives, Mando Diao, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, The Knife, The Cardigans, Robyn and Jose Gonzales all hail from this corner of the globe. Peter Bjorn and John also rub shoulders with this growing list of artists that have conquered the mainstream, mainly thanks to their breakthrough hit ‘Young Folks‘. There is also a very active heavy metal scene which draws appreciation and accolade worldwide, if that’s your sort of thing.

Start your week right here as Live4ever’s music collection offers you all the weekend’s chart news, our pick of the week’s new album releases, and you can also plan your next seven days with our UK Gig Guide where you will find tickets for some of the best shows currently going on across Britain.