The Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files: Waxing Ecstatic About The Wannadies

Time for yet another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we blow the dust off of a forgotten favorite and give its lack of chart success a once-over.

Artist: The Wannadies Album: Yeah, 1999 What happened: if the long-running Swedish outfit the Wannadies are known for anything stateside, it’s for “You And Me Song,” a wisftul power-pop anthem that appeared in 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. After that song became a mid-sized college-radio hit, their back-catalog was condensed for a U.S. release, and Ric Ocasek was brought on board to produce the wannabe breakthrough album Yeah; alas, thanks to numerous label problems, the album didn’t even get released here until 2000. Why it should have been a hit: Ocasek’s slicked-up production here adds chunky guitar riffs and effects pedals, essentially turning the Wannadies into a hard-rock twee-pop band. And while they’ll probably never have a large U.S. following, tracks like “Big Fan” and “Yeah” no doubt sound amazing at those outdoor European festivals.

The Wannadies – Yeah [MP3, link expired] The Wannadies – Big Fan [MP3, link expired] The Wannadies – You And Me Song [MP3, link expired] The Wannadies [Official Site]