Gustaf Kjellvander: vocals, guitars, theremin, saw,production,etc
Dan "Bizzy Fingaz" Englund: vibraphone, accordion,vocals, piano, chamberlain, mellotron, etc
Joachim "Joe the Mechanic" Leksell: Bass, vocals, blue overalls etc
Mathias Oldén: production, harmony vocals, bass and other right hand mannerisms
Fabian Ris Lundblad : Drums
Malin Svard: Hooting owl, French horn
Last but not least the extended Fine Arts Showcase family
Influences
The Byrds, The Velvet Underground, Bessie Smith, Slaughter Joe, Inside Riot, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Television Personalities, Neu!, The Fall, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gene Pitney, Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen, the Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Silver Jews, William S. Burroughs, the Rough Bunnies, Sonic Youth, the Slits, Phil Spector, Daniel Johnston, the Cure, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams , Nick Drake, The Buzzcocks, the Jesus Lizard, Pulp, Flipper, My Bloody Valentine, Acid Mothers Temple, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, John Cage, Magnetic Fields, Joy Division, Public Enemy, ABBA, Leadbelly, Miles Davis, Beachwood Sparks, Dinosaur Jr, Theoretical girl, Neil Young, The The, Orange juice, Ariel Pink, Sun Ra, Teenage Fanclub, Beat Happening, Gram Parsons, The International Submarine Band, Spacemen 3, Olivia Tremor Control, Nico, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Eno, Lill Lindfors, Dj shadow, Pistol disco, Nirvana, Sean Lennon, the Violet Quill, Calexico, the Lemonheads, David Bowie, Black Flag, Devo, B-52´s, Love is all, New Order, The Zombies, Blondie, Army of Lovers, the Who, Dipper, Friends of Israel, Radio Dept., Pop Hitler, The Flame, Broder Daniel, Skid Row and other guilty 80's hardrock pleasures such as early Guns n' Roses, Metallica and stuff like that, Northern Picture Library, The Cars, Weezer (first two albums), Hole, The Ramones, The Raincoats, Dolly Parton, The Clientele, the Beach Boys, Pansy Division, The Smiths, Polvo, Edvard Person etc etc etc ... the list could go on and on and on and on .....there are so many fabulous performers and bands out there....
The Fine Arts Showcase is a Swedish folksy, experimental power pop band that revolves around 20-year-old popartist Gustaf Kjellvander(guitar, lead vocals, theremin etc) and his friends Dan Englund(piano, keys etc,), Joachim Leksell (bass, vocals, blue overalls etc) Fabian ris vonderboy (drums and wonderboyisms) and Mathas Oldén (who is more of the "studiomember" of the band.
Gustaf spent his childhood up until the age of 11 in Seattle, WA, and started writing songs at the age of twelve to cope with the boredom and alienation he felt when his mom and dad divorced and he and his family moved to rural Sweden. Gustaf started releasing records when he was only a teenager. Fronting the outsider pop trio Sideshow Bob and the mellow misery-core of Songs of Soil.
The Fine Arts Showcase was born out of the ashes of Songs of Soil. Gustaf and multi-instrumentalist Dan Englund started up the band in 2003. Their debut album, Gustaf Kjellvander proudly presents The Fine Arts Showcase and the Electric Pavilion, was released in 2004 ..racks and was just under 35 minutes of noisy, psych-pop wonder and included their first single, the anthemic “Mock Ivory”.
In 2006 their second full-length album, "Radiola", was released on Adrian Recordings and Stickman Records. Voted by several as the best album of 2006 it sported a more varied and “focused” sound and included the astonishing underground hits “Chemical Girl”, “The Shoplifters’ Union”,” Danish Light”, and “Frida and I”. Radiola was mixed by Mathias Olden and Pelle Gunnerfeldt (whose claim to fame is producing the Hives' first albums).
In 2007 The Fine Arts Showcase third record “The Fine Arts Showcase sings Rough Bunnies” was released. "… Sings Rough Bunnies" is exactly as it sounds… a record where Gustaf and his band interpret the songs of Sweden’s best kept secret: The amazing punk rock band Rough Bunnies and their twin group Inside Riot. "TFAS sings RB" was recorded in three days by Mathias Olden and Mastered by Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels).
The Fine Arts Showcase has, in the spirit of BJM, The Fall and The The had more member- and line-up changes than most bands have songs, witch isn’t that strange seeing as Gustaf has a very strong vision of what he wants to do and how he wants things to sound. Besides Gustaf the only constant member of TFAS has been Dan Englund. However during the years Gustaf and Dan have come across a few members that are absolutely priceless and have therefore become permanent; in 2005 Mathias Olden (of Logh fame) joined the group as co-producer and engineer. Following the release of Radiola bassist and singer Joachim Leksell (front man of Swedens best jungle punk group Dipper) and the newest member to our family Fabian the Wonderboy joined us this month
"Radiola" and "Sings Rough Bunnies" are scheduled to be released in The UK in mid 2008 to late 2008 respectively on long-time TFAS champion Joe Foster's (Creation, Poptones, Revola) new label Poppydisc. Gustaf has, after two years of residing in Crackney East London, relocated back to Malmö, Sweden where he and the rest of the band are busy rehearsing and recording the follow up to "Sings Rough Bunnies" which has the working title “Dolophine Smile” (release autumn 2008). .
Fine Fine Arts! Thanks for the add. YOu are too kind. Check out the tunes. Its amazing what you can do with a few old effects pedals and a bit of mental illness.
Howdy Malmö? I'm sure that in there is more sunny than here! Anyway... are you going to see Le Man Avec Le Lunettes? I've been at their gig yesterday. The "extended" version of the band... it' great! :D
Hej! Kom och dansa loss på Functions Norway Bash nu på lördag 17 maj! Vi firar Norges stora dag ihop med Dj Bjørn Espen (Oslo Soul Experience) & Dj Bong (Malmø). Dessutom är det17:e gången Function intar Jeriko. Varmt välkomna!
Lördag 17 maj på Jeriko!! FUNCTION Norway Bash Gäster: Bjørn Espen (Oslo Soul Experience) & Dj Bong Resident DJs: Bastiano, Helena, Jonte & Joppe 2 dansgolv med det allra bästa inom northern & modern soul, funk, underground disco & soulful house Jeriko, Spångatan 38 Malmö 23-03 | 20år 100kr (80kr studentleg)
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY & The BROKEOFFS 12th May, Nya Tröls Bar on stage 21.00. Tickets www. hepcat. se
TRASHTASTIC Mini Festival, Far I Hatten Folkets Park Nationaldagen 6 June 19-24 efterfest Bodoni 23-03 100:- förköp www. hepcat. se 150:- on the day QUIT YOUR DAYJOB BRANDED THE SOUTHERN HOSTILES MAEDS DOMINOES EWING FAMILY STONE The amazing vinyl grooving DJ machine