Caesars

"Wind me up, put me down, start me off and watch me go, I'll be running circles around you sooner than you know." -"Jerk It Out", Caesars

Astralwerks is pleased to announce the release of the new album from Sweden's Caesars - 39 Minutes of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World) on April 22. Caesars' songs combine the Farfisa organ-drenched sound of '60s era garage rock with the contemporary pop thrust that has already nabbed the band two Gold Records in their native Sweden. While retro-referencing rock bands are a dime a dozen, what sets Caesars apart is their ability to create and infectious groove around their adrenalin pumping rock. Their stunning mixture of classic garage rock elements with touches of the electronic DJ era has led Q Magazine to name Caesars as one of "The Top 10 Acts For 2003." Caesars' album 39 Minutes of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World) is refreshingly filled with the infectious riffs, hooks and harmonies of the obscure 60s teenage bands that inspired the Ramones, while having the rhythmic sensibility and production effects that are more akin to electronic music turntablists. Think of them as garage rock for the digital age!

Caesars (known as Caesars Palace in their native Sweden) are Jocke Ahlund (Guitar), César Vidal (Vocals), David Lindquist (Bass), and Nino Kellar (Drums). The band was formed in 1995 by singer César Vidal whose influences range from the early Stones to Dylan and Bowie. But the roots of the band actually go much further back - all the way to kindergarten. "I met Jocke (Caesars' guitarist) when I was about 2 years old," says César, "and we've both always been into music." In 1995 César decided to form a band and needed musicians. "I got Jocke to join, and he suggested getting David on bass", he explains.

After signing to the independent Delores Records in 1995 the band recorded a 3-track EP, Shake It, followed by a mini album in late 1996. "Our sound really changed when I found an old Farfisa organ," says Jocke. Indeed much of what we hear in the band today, with influences such as west coast US psychedelic rock and an almost Spector-esque sound, stems from that moment.

The band released their debut album, Youth Is Wasted On The Young in 1998, which features band favorites "Sort It Out", "Anything You Want" and "You're My Favorite". They then went on to record and release two other albums in Sweden, Cherry Kicks (2000) and Love For The Streets (2002), which achieved Gold Record status there.

With 39 Minutes of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World) Caesars unleash an album that collects some of their favorite tracks from their past albums allowing the rest of the world to hear for the first time what has made them so popular in their homeland. And together with the 20-date North American tour with their friends, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, makes it all "feel like a new band," says David (Caesar bass player). "We're playing the old songs but we're much better prepared now." And drummer Nino can't wait to impress audiences in the US, UK, Europe and beyond - "We want to get more people into our music and we're really looking forward to getting started."

So are Caesar's ready for world domination? "World domination?" ponders César. "It's not necessary. But it would be nice."

"This is straight from the garage; bran-mashed guitars, moonshine organs and enough inbred rock 'n' roll to make Jack and Meg blush." (NME)

"All hail Caesars for injecting joyful diversity into a dying scene." (Kerrang!)

"Swaggering Swedish rock that's tinged with country psychedelia and shouty garage." (Q)

Best known in America for the iPod commercial soundtracking single "Jerk It Out," Sweden's Caesars -- originally known as Caesar's Palace -- formed in 1995. Singer César Vidal and guitarist Joakim Ahlund, who had known each other since kindergarten, began playing with bassist David Lindqvist and original drummer Jens Orjeheim (who was soon replaced by Nino Keller), and despite their initial lack of chops, they began recording demos soon after. Three of these early songs were released as the band's debut EP, Shake It, by Dolores Records in 1995. Along with Shake It, the string of 7" discs and the mini-album the band released in 1996 reflected the raw, garagey sounds of inspirations like the early Stones, the Sonics, Billy Childish, and the 13th Floor Elevators. Ahlund's discovery of a vintage Farfisa organ also had a major impact on the Caesars' sound, as reflected on their first full-length, Youth Is Wasted on the Young (which the group released in the States, via Minty Fresh, under the name Twelve Caesars).

The album was a respectable hit in Sweden, as was its follow-up, Cherry Kicks. However, it was 2002's Love for the Streets that was the Caesars' breakthrough album in their homeland: not only did it go gold, it also won the band a Swedish Grammy for Album of the Year. The following year, the compilation 39 Minutes of Bliss (In an Otherwise Meaningless World) was released internationally (including American distribution courtesy of Astralwerks) and "Jerk It Out" -- which originally appeared on Love for the Streets -- became one of the first digital singles to reach gold status. The Caesars toured Europe, Japan, and the U.S. that year, and began recording their fourth album late in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, Apple featured "Jerk It Out" in their iPod TV commercials, resurrecting the song on the charts just in time for the release of Paper Tigers in spring 2005. Caesars returned three years later with Strawberry Weed, a double album produced by Ebbot Lundberg (vocalist and co-founder of the Soundtrack of Our Lives). ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide