July 2010 UPDATE -- (see "About Me" below). TO SWEDEY'S JANGO FRIENDS: Just returned from nearly one month in Sweden, visiting relatives, had the BEST time. They spoiled me, but I'm not complaining. Wish I could go every summer! Apologies for not replying to numerous e-mails, andI hope to catch up with all Jango friends and artists soon. Thank you for writing!

I treasure all Jango buddies, in USA and around the globe.

Keep rockin', feel the blues, the soul, the funk, the punk, inhale the smell and lyrics of new garage-bands, or jazz, swing, techno pop, funk & soul, psychedelic, funkedelic, anything unique, cutting edge, or classic. Mix it up, make life interesting, share your musical passion, and always, always, ALWAYS let music soothe your soul and lift your spirits. Hej då! Swedey:)

ABOUT ME:

Love to dance, swim and ride the ocean waves. There's always a song in my head. Music has gotten me through this crazy life, good times and bad. Longtime Stones fan(atic). Love British Invasion music, psychedelic, funkadelic, old blues, new blues, soul, garage, punk, funk-- very eclectic tastes, including one of my longtime favorite bands, Sparks (I have all their vinyl albums - yes, VINYL!); a RABID fan of The Hives (min svenske boys!). Franz Ferdinand, The Vines, The Donnas, Robert Johnson, Janis Joplin, Blind Willie McTell, My Chemical Romance, Bo Diddley, James Brown, Mott The Hoople, OutKast, The Hollies (older stuff), Queens of the Stone Age, Kinks (I was hoping to marry Ray Davies...), The Yardbirds, The Flamin' Groovies, Ratt, Radiohead, System of a Down, Duane Eddy, and so many more. The love of my life (sorry, Ray) -- Jimi Hendrix. He was genius, pure genius. Also: The Pretty Things -- they were amazing, and terribly underrated at that time. In June 2008, officially added "The Move" to my list of Favorite Artists. They did some COOL stuff, totally ahead of their time. Swedey highly recommends them.

Proudest achievement? My amazing daughter, now in college; she has fabulous taste in music; never fell for mindless, fake pop-junk. She loves blues (especially Blind Willie), rap, classical, the unusual, and came all the way from college to see the Stroke. Saw The White Stripes twice (once with me, but it's no longer cool to go with Mom). It's an honor and a pleasure to be her Mom. We used to go to California often to visit Mom/Grandma before she passed a few years ago. We enjoyed barreling along the San Diego Freeway, blasting our favorite songs and belting out The Hives "See Through Head" at the top of our lungs as we drove through the beautiful hills of San Diego and down to the beautiful Pacific, where we ended each day surfing or swimming, eating tacos or burritos, and an evening drive over the Coronado Bridge to watch the sunset. Ah, good times! Ja! For your viewing pleasure, watch this cool Sparks video; go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSvk668Keas

You will be entertained!

Svenske-American, hence the nickname. Insanely passionate for the oceans and beaches (Atlantic or Pacific, not fussy), LOVE to body surf; also anything that involves the outdoors. Spend my free days riding big waves in the beautiful, beautiful ocean, letting the waves caress me, carry me over them, and letting me slide over them as they crest. Ahh...love swimming out beyond the breakers, but always with care; former competitive swimmer with a strong backstroke and no fear of sharks, but a healthy respect for riptides.

Love concerts...been to 100's. Comedy improv keeps me more or less sane (usually less), and I often amuse myself and others by imitating rockers, actors, and everyday people. I do a spot-on Mick Jagger, Howlin' Pelle, Axl Rose, and more.

Just about anything on HBO: True Blood, John Adams, Entourage, Hung, Big Love, Flight of the Conchords. Also: "V", Lost (great sci-fi), Boston Legal, Henry Rollins, The Soup. And, of course, good political satire (Bill Maher, etc.). Uh, The Soprano's -- but that should be a given.

John Carpenter's "The Thing" AND the original "The Thing." "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Carnival of Souls," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," lots of those old science fiction movies, and most Woody Allen movies. "Airplane" -- one of the funniest movies, ever." Also: "It's a Beautiful Life;" and "Låt den Rätte Komma In" (Let the Right One In), an excellent Swedish vampire movie.

Non-Fiction: The Flatiron -- The New York Landmark and the Incomparable City That Rose With It. Enjoy both fiction and non-fiction books describing turn-of-the-century New York or London. What a grim time to live; the outrageous diversity between rich and poor was so much worse than now (and that's saying a lot); most women were considered prostitutes or whores for having an 'out of wedlock' child. They led miserable lives. Unless you were very wealthy, everyday life was a struggle for most during those times Swedey recommends "Crimson Petal and the White." Another good read: "The Historian." (You won't be disappointed.) Anything by Stephen King! Mysteries (Swedey has read every Agatha Christie book); also love biographies, autobiographies, war stories, especially Vietnam. I'll read anything by Anne Rice! Ahh, so many great books to read, but oh, so little time to read them all, but books are one of life's many pleasures.