As much as I loved The Teddybears quasi hit “Punkrocker” I couldn’t help but feel like I got bamboozled when I purchased 2006’s “Soft Machine.” No one told me it was a collection of songs from their two previous 
albums. A “Collection” is a nice way of saying “repackaging for suckers who don’t know any better.” Kind of like when those ghetto movie studios release similar looking named and packaged “hit” summer hit movies to take advantage of unsuspecting overwhelmed WalMart moms. Maybe, like those moms I was to blame. I mean, seriously, when you see “Elephant Man” listed as a guest vocalist you have to question the timeliness of a track. That having been said I still really enjoyed “Soft Machine.” It just always felt uneven to me…probably because of what I just explained. Jumping from Iggy Pop’s dark and gloomy guest vocals on “Punkrocker” to Neneh Cherry’s (yeah, that Neneh Cherry) “Yours to Keep” always felt wrong. No offense to Ms. “Buffalo Stance” or her guest spot but you can’t follow “Punkrocker” like that. There was no flow mojo.
2010’s “Devil’s Music” feels like a more organized product….or as organized a product can be for three guys who run around in giant bear heads. Guest vocals are almost as eclectic here with featured cameos by The Flaming Lips, Cee-Lo, Eve, and ..um..the B52s? I’ll give these Swedes credit, they think out of the box. There are some other guests whose names do not ring a bell but the one stand out for me was fellow swede Maipe. After going through this album and hearing how the albums sound changes from track to track I realize now that there is purposeful and calculated intent in what they’ve done. They are attempting to create an instant party mixtape. Their previous album wasn’t a product of repacking at all. It was a product of them re-inventing their sound to meet the needs of their guest vocalists. They build off that idea with this album. Devil’s Music has more of a cohesive flow while still maintaining that mix tape vibe. As an avid mix tape maker i know it’s all about the flow. “Devil’s Music” does not disappoint. It is thirty nine minutes full of fun electro pop rock infused tracks that will keep the party going.
Personally I’m dying to get “Devil’s Music” mixed together with CYHSY’s “Satan Said Dance”. That would be so ace. Who wants to go to Best Buy with me to give that a try on their demo DJ kit?
Highlights: “Cardiac Arrest” (feat Maipei), “Chrystal Meth Christian” ( feat. Flaming Lips), “Cho Cha” ( feat. Cee Lo & B52’s), “Devil’s Music” (feat. ADL)
