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a city by city guide to the best indie clubs, bars, record shops and local bands

Malmö, Sweden

Malmö is Sweden's third biggest city and hosts a variety of indie clubs and record shops. The city's population is not larger than 280 000 but with a newly opened university (2000) the population has grown and is now quickly changing the infrastructure of the city's nightlife and its artistic ambitions. The area to head to first in Malmö is the famous neighborhood in and around Möllevångstorget. It's the most ethnically integrated part of any Swedish city with a cheap and alternative pub and nightlife, here you can get a pint of lager for no more than £1.50 and a fantastic midnight snack for no more than a pound in the form of a southern Swedish falafel. If you feel the night shouldn't be over at 5am a quick or a long stop at one of the city's many illegal nightclubs is a must!


Clubs

Panora
S:t Gertrudsgatan 4
All clubs close at 3 am
By the central station in a house built in the 18th century in a cellar with poor air-conditioning and lighting you find Panora. Here you dance at clubs playing indie, northern soul and synth. But prepare for a sweaty night.
(www.panora.nu)

Popscene
Panora
The best indie club in town. Plays classic Indiepop, Britpop, Manchester and newer guitar-based indie with the occasional soul and girl-group tune. Expect to hear your old and new favourites played loud in a sweaty room filled with dancing bodies and flashy lights. DJs Johan Barrander and Daniel Novakovic
(www.klubbpopscene.info)

Decades
Panora
It's all about Manchester music. DJs Shorofsky and Gorski
(www.decades.se)

Reaction!
Panora
Psych, 60s pop, modpop, beat, garage, soul, hammond. DJs Marcus Cawood with guest-DJs.
(www.thegabb.tk)

Inner City Soul Club
Panora
Northern, Motown and modern soul. DJs Basta and Christan H

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Retro Restaurang
Norra Skolgatan 24
All clubs close at 3 am and always free admission.
Round the corner from Inkonst lies the newly built apartment hotel Accome and in it you find Retro, a minimalistic but classic restaurant with Sweden's finest selection of single malt whiskey. Here you can enjoy a night of good eating and drinking and finish it in the warm but intimate cellar dancing yourself sweaty to rare indie hits, northern soul or rare disco grooves.

You Can't Hide Your Love Forever
Retro Restaurang, first Saturday of the month.
Resident DJs Daniel Novakovic and Jonathan Breslin mix records in absolute salute to the magnificent Orange Juice. Sporting a framed picture of Edwyn Collins on the wall and the Postcard Kitten they bring you the finest in indiepop. Deliberatly avoiding obvious tracks it's still guaranteed to fill the dancefloor and be a classic indie sounding night with jangle, twee, C86 and the occasional northern soul stomper.
(www.youcanthide.info)

Club Understanding
Retro Restaurang, every other Friday.
The best club for northern and modern soul and pop fans. Club Understanding is guaranteed to make you dance yourself to ecstasy and pump your fist in the air shouting "Keep On Keeping On!"
DJs Jonte and Sebastian and various guests

Disco For You!
Retro Restaurang
Fantastic disco club with balloons and thumping bass
DJs Hanna Ahh!, Oscar Villata and Jazzkatten
(www.funkyforyou.com/)

Tokyo Rose
Retro Restaurang
Dekadens, Electropop and New Wave. DJs Milli and Mary

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Inkonst
Bergsgatan 29
All clubs close at 2 am
In all newly renovated rooms this place hosts several good indie, hip-hop and electro clubs all playing the less commercial music for the dignified ear.
(www.inkonst.com)

Public Display Of Affection
Ikonst
Concerts and arty stuff and guest DJs
(publicdisplayofaffection.blogspot.com)

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Tangopalatset
Amiralsgatan 47
All clubs close at 1 am
(www.tangopalatset.se)

Pinebox
Tangopalatset
Brand new indieclub
(www.pinebox.se)

Cellar Soul Club
Tangopalatset
The newest addition to Malmo's soul scene playing rare/classic northern soul & modern soul
DJs Jonte (Club Understanding) and Joppe with guest DJs.

--

Crush
Deep, Amiralsgatan 20, 11 pm ñ 5 am, 20+, varying entrance, every second Friday
Said Karlsson puts together two dance floors with various DJs playing electropop, electronica, indie and pop,.On the main dance floor it's more likely to hear the most hip indierave/remixes and electroclash sounds than on the smaller where the more classic tunes are in focus.
(www.klubbcrush.se)


Venues

 

KB
Bergsgatan 18
Just down the street from Inkonst lies the oldest rock'n'roll venue in Sweden. KB or Kulturbolaget as it's real name is gives you band concerts with bands like Belle and Sebastian as well as Ziggy Marley. In the weekends KB also gives you nightclubs with everything from indie pop to commercial disco pop.
(www.kulturbolaget.se)

Pink Flag
Various venues
The best concert organizer in Malmö with alternative and indie concerts. Also a club that plays punk, post-punk and more experimental music. DJs Lina, Micke and Mats

Debaser
New venue/hangout in Malmö. Outdoor space is always free entrance including concerts and DJs. Indoor space sometimes has a fee if bands are playing. Rock/metal/punk/hiphop/electro/pop etc stuff. (HS)


Bars

Tempo
Södra Skolgatan 30
Open until 1am, 20+
Also situated in the area of Möllevången this is THE place. Tempo has always been the centre point for Malmoˆs indie elite. There's always a good chance to occasionally spot some of the city's old and new heroes (often behind the record players). Put on your best gear and head here! Staff are all friendly old-school indie, punk and reggae veterans and the food is highly recommended.

Golden Restaurant
Simrishamnsgatan 20 A
Open until 1am, 18+
In the old neighbourhood of Möllevången in a side street, there once was a dodgy old pizza restaurant. Then one day the neighbourhood went hip and so did Golden Restaurant. It's often busy in the weekdays and always full in the weekends. To spot a cute indie kid in here is never a problem, but to dig the music often is, cause even if it's now hip it's still dodgy. Cheap beer though.

Volym
ƒngelholmsgatan
Open until 1am, 20+
In the old neighbourhood of Möllevången in a side street, there once was a dodgy old pub called Bistro, then the neighbourhood went hip and the police inspected all the dodgy old pubs and Bistro was history. Volym arose from the ashes with a trendy, but still warm atmosphere. Well worth a visit in the dark of the night before heading for a cheaper joint. Often has DJs and the even has the occasional Smiths/Morrissey evening

 


Record Shops


Musik & Konst
SpÂngatan 5
Specialising in obscure soul, blues and rock'n'roll, Musik & Konst is often considered as one of the best record shops in Sweden with a staff as nerdy as the High Fidelity's. But much nicer.

Jukebox
÷stra Fˆrstadsgatan 35
Specialising in far-off produced records, this shop gives a great selection of everything from country to Elephant Six. CDs and LPs, new and second hand.

Rundg≈NG
Kristianstadsgatan 14
With a diversity of music genres as fantastic as Möllevångstorget's population but in a smaller scale this tiny shop primarily feeds you with indie, new wave, electronica, hip-hop, reggae and jazz. All very well selected, mostly second hand. In one of the rooms you can also find vintage and new stuff with a scent of the Sixties. Keywords: ties, plastic, accessories and orange.


Local Bands

 

Cardigans
Originating from the same part of Sweden as the founder of IKEA, Cardigans now live in Malmö and since 1992 have produced sugary/country inspired music.

Eggstone
No longer existing as a group but as studio musicians and owners of the famous Tambourine studios. They've released but a few records giving a disturbing sunny sound with influences of Velvet Underground as well as the Beach Boys.

David And The Citizens
Angst, happiness and a little klezmer, pretty much concludes the style of David And The Citizens.

Christian Kjellvander
Sweden's leading alt-country singer.

Radio Dept
Noise, darkness and strangeness. The style of this band varies but it's always a joy to hear.

The Fine Arts Showcase
This is the assumed name of singer/songwriter Gustaf Kjellvander (yes, it's Christian's brother), local indie master. His latest album is mastered by the legendary Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub! He is also releasing records on Joe Foster (Television Personalities) label Poppydisc. (HS)


Labels

 

Labrador
Partly based in Malmö, Labrador releases the cream of the crop of Swedish indie pop with bands like the Legends, Acid House Kings, Club 8, Radio Dept, Irene and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names.
(www.labrador.se)

Songs I Wish I Had Written
Based in Malmö this label releases the latest electronic pop by bands like Gentle Touch, Le Sport, Lovekevins, Regina and Unarmed Enemies.
(www.songsiwish.com)

Hybris
Partly based in Malmö, Hybris is a record label, releasing records, digital media and other more or less artifacts associated with pop cultureî. The result is the following bands: Andreas Mattsson (formerly of Popsicle), Hell On Wheels, Kalle J, The Kid, El Perro Del Mar, Sibiria, Vapnet, TIAC (Three Is A Crowd), Like Honey and Montt MardiÈ.
(www.hybrism.com)

Canarie
A newly started record label giving out records by the finest new indie bands in Sweden such as Springfactory (Suburban Kids With Biblical Names side project) and Billie The Vision And The Dancers.
(www.canarierecords.com)

Adrian Recordings
Home to David & the Citizens, The Fine Arts Showcase, Familjen, Laakso and many more. (HS)


Miscellaneous

Accelerator
Folkets Park
A one day festival usually in the beginning of July. Brings us the best alternative bands of the year. Both international and Swedish. Outdoors in a park and indoors with music, sun and beer in plastic cups.
(www.klubbacc.nu)

Tambourine Studios
The studio where Cardigans made their first album as well as Eggstone and Franz Ferdinand and many more well recognised bands. Malmö's answer to Abbey Road studios.

Extra reviews by Hanna Sundén

If you'd like to recommend a club, bar, record shop, band or any indie delight for inclusion in the Indie Travel Guide, please email us. If we've included a link to your band/shop etc, it would be lovely if you could link back to us. Thank you!

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