The Monolators 10/27/09 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA. (all ABBA cover set)

(Photo by Jeff Koga)

Last week, The Monolators took part in a showed billed as a pre-Halloween concert that featured four well-known Los Angeles indie bands performing as four different bands from the past. For this occasion, The Monolators took on the material of the Swedish pop hit makers ABBA. Being no stranger to either ABBA or The Monolator's music, I was curious to see and hear how this would be pulled off.

I have to confess I have a sort of love/hate relationship with ABBA. The only real reason I'm somewhat familiar with their catalog is because I've either heard them on the radio, or was forced to listen to them on car trips when I was much younger. Heck, the only reason I saw the film version of Mamma Mia! was because Dominic Cooper had a supporting role in it (and after sitting through the entire thing, I was convinced I was almost scarred for life) It's not that I think ABBA is bad or anything - they simply aren't everyone's cup of tea (and if I hear their music too long I go stir crazy)

Anyway, The Monolators delivered a short but good set of their take of some of ABBA's greatest hits. A definite highlight was their version of "Dancing Queen," interjected with The Monolator's traditional punk/garage rock style. "Fernando," "The Winner Takes It All," and "Take A Chance On Me" stayed near the confines of their providence as ballads, but stepped into rock territory.

In interest of full disclosure, "Dancing Queen" contained a few popping sounds, but they were minimized in post-production.

1.) Introduction MP3
2.) Take A Chance On Me MP3
3.) Does Your Mother Know MP3
4.) The Winner Takes It All MP3
5.) Tiger MP3
6.) Fernando MP3
7.) Dancing Queen MP3
Text File

FLAC (lossless) files available upon request (by e-mail)