Psyched Up Janis "Enter the Super Peppermint Lounge" (1998)

Enter the Super Peppermint Lounge
release date: Feb. 12, 1998
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Craig Leon
label: EMI-Medley - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Special One" (live) - 3. "In the Sun" - 4. "Evil Beauty" - 5. "I Think You Suck" - 7. "Tonight When You Are Gone" - 8. "Picking Stars"

3rd and final studio album by Psyched Up Janis is like the two previous albums produced by Craig Leon. At this point the band had been reduced to a duo consisting of singer, guitarist and now also drummer & percussionist Sune Rose Wagner and bassist Jacob Jørgensen. The album was recorded with legendary studio musician Hal Blaine on drums - but on one track only.
The album is slower and more quiet compared to the two previous albums and it reveals a substantial change of style. All music is, as always, written exclusively by Sune Wagner, and the compositions show a final move away from grunge rock presenting itself as a more Phil Spector-inspired collection of songs with strong bonds to the '60s 'surf rock' tradition - listen e.g. to "Evil Beauty". Basically, this has more in common with the first albums by Raveonettes than the first two albums by Psyched Up Janis.
After this, the journey of school friends Jørgensen and Wagner came to its end. Another two final albums by the band were released in '99 to mark the end of the road for the band: Hi-Fi Low Life - a compilation of demo-recordings almost entirely performed by Sune Wagner and the acoustic live album The Quiet Album.
Psyched Up Janis disbanded in the Fall of '99, after which Wagner went on to form Tremolo Beer Gut with Jesper Reginald (aka Yebo, of the band Thau) - who handled drums on Beats Me (1997) and on The Quiet Album (1999) - with guitarist Jens Ole Lembcke (also from Thau) and together with Swedish bassist Per Sunding (from Swedish indie pop trio Eggstone). This quartet released three albums from 1999 to 2001, and then still of Dec. 2001, Wagner then formed a duo together with Danish bassist Sharin Foo initially named The Girl On Death Row - shortly after, this duo would become The Raveonettes for the their ep debut Whip It On (2002).

Psyched Up Janis "Beats Me" (1997)

Beats Me
release date: Feb. 1997
format: cd (RECD 8707)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Craig Leon
label: Replay Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Dying Flame" (4 / 5) - 3. "Airhead" - 4. "The Stars Are Out" - 5. "Waiting to Grab" - 7. "Hopefully" - 14. "Where the Lights Won't Shine" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by Psyched Up Janis released on Danish label, Replay offers 16 new tracks and is like the debut produced by Craig Leon. After the artistic success of Swell the band moved to England and signed with This Way Up / Universal for a follow-up album and drummer Jakob Bjerregaard left the trio, and the band is here reduced to a functional duo of Sune Wagner and Jakob Jørgensen. As for the album recordings Jesper Reginald (aka Yebo, member of Danish band Thau) plays drums and percussion - he became official member after the album release for a short period of time.
The music is generally gloomier compared to the debut. Some tracks show Sune Wagner's fascination for 1960s surf rock, and other tracks seem more alt. rock-styled as of sheer raging energy, and in connects the band with Pixies and Sonic Youth. "Dying Flame", "Airhead", and "Waiting to Grab" are close to the best tracks on the debut, whereas track #1, "Lo-Fi Industry" is more industrial with hints to Marilyn Manson and / or Sonic Youth. "Somebody Loves Ya" and "Hopefully" are surf rock-inspired and together with the fine "Where the Lights Won't Shine" they all point more to Wagner's future albums with The Raveonnettes (which is also visually underlined in the album cover).
The album was met by national enthusiasm - especially from critics, but it wasn't the international step forward that the record company or the band had set out for and after this they returned to Denmark. In the fall of '97 Psyched Up Janis signed with EMI-Medley although they were now back to being the duo of Sune Wagner and bassist Jørgensen they started out as, and Wagner took over playing all other instruments. An ever-changing line-up - and / or difficulties in finding a steady drummer didn't make prospects easier, and Sune Wagner may not have made it easier for other members to contribute as he was THE composer and artistic source within the band.
From my perspective, this is almost on par with the splendid debut.

Psyched Up Janis "Swell" (1994)

Swell [debut]
release date: 1994
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,80]
producer: Craig Leon
label: Replay Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Vanity" (4 / 5) - 2. "I Died in My Teens" (5 / 5) - 3. "Shudder" (4 / 5) - 4. "Modest Us" (4 / 5) - 5. "Reddening Star" - 6. "Swirl Like You" - 7. "Chandelier" - 10. "New 5" - 11. "They"

Studio album debut by Danish grunge rock trio Psyched Up Janis (founded in Sønderborg '89) released on Replay and produced by American musician and producer Craig Leon. The band consists of lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Sune Rose Wagner, bassist Jakob Jørgensen, and drummer Martin Bjerregaard. Wagner and Jørgensen were old school friends playing in various bands before founding Psyched Up Janis. Initially, the drummer was Lars Meyer, but after relocating to Copenhagen, Bjerregaard became the band's stable drummer and the trio recorded this full-length debut.
The album was well-received by national critics but the release was unfortunately largely overshadowed by the debut albums by two other bands battling in being the most popular alt. rock band: Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and Kashmir, both of which, I consider minor to Psyched Up Janis, who simply did not take part in much of the promotional part of selling their music. However, Psyched Up Janis was simply my kind of a band, and their music was mistakenly unwelcomed by the public and the radio stations. Imo, this very album consists of tvelwe blazing compositions - of which nine are actual highlights. Swell is the band's masterpiece. They would go on to release another three studio albums before disbanding and none of these are poor or mediocre by any standards but they simply failed to attract much attention - again their musical trend simply appeared less competive when comparing to the aforementioned bands. Psyched Up Janis were unfortunate to stay true to a Seattle-wave, which they shared more traits with than what happened on the national scene. In this regard, I think Psyched Up Janis and especially its front-figure Sune Wagner had eyes and ears more tuned in on what took place on the other side of the Atlantic.
Swell is a Danish cornerstone and a recommended listen for anyone interested in 1990s grunge rock.