I don’t like having to wonder if a band’s instruments are out of tune on purpose or if they’re just too lazy to use a tuning pedal. I pondered this several times during Women’s set last night. Their melodies were dissonant and consistently ajar, but never completely out of place – a strange combination of melodic pop and jangly art punk. Even when the band sounded noticeably off nothing they played was particularly displeasing, but also never particularly compelling.

Honestly though, I was at this show to see one band only. I’m genetically predisposed to enjoy Dungen. Being of Northern European / Anglo stock, their clean, smart, Swedish pop sensibilities resonate particularly strongly with me. Their melodies are streamlined, nearly immaculate, constructed like a piece of elegant but affordable furniture. Dungen play several types of rock music – pop, psych jam, indie - but encompassing them all is a smoothness and easy-listening quality that makes their sound overwhelmingly pleasant. They consistently nail three part vocal harmonies, like Abba’s stoned nephews. Singer/Composer Gustav Ejstes looks as cool playing a tambourine as anyone I’ve ever seen. If I were the International President of Being Rad and Having Good Taste I would ask him to be in my cabinet. Drummer Johan Holmegard is so fluid it looks like he’s doing the rubber pencil trick with his drum sticks. And the guitar tone, as it is on every Dungen album, is perfect live. This band is what the Fender Stratocaster was created for. Beautiful Scandanavian women is what Dungen was created for. I saw at least three ladies standing in the audience around me that I could have loved for the rest of my life.