The Cardigans

With their saccharine-sweet hit “Love Fool,” Swedish pop band the Cardigans were poised to rise above the mid-’90s glut of female-fronted bands like Republica, Chumbawamba, Sneaker Pimps, and Garbage. But although they found success, selling more than 10 million albums worldwide, they suffered from the curse of the one-hit wonder in the United States.

Now the Cardigans are trying again with Long Gone Before Daylight, which possesses more of an acoustic flavor than its electronic-heavy predecessors. Singer Nina Persson explained that for now, the Cardigans go unrecognized as they play U.S. tourists, seeking Laundromats, rib joints and shops to buy socks. “Mostly it’s a European, a Swede thing” if the Cardigans are recognized, she says. “But I think also because `Love Fool’ was such a hit a while ago, we look different. People probably have forgotten us. It’s been quite a while.”