Division of Laura Lee

The Swedish garage punk quartet Division of Laura Lee emerged in the mid- to late '90s, assembled out of spare parts in the Swedish hardcore music underground and indebted to the sounds of Washington, D.C.'s punk scene. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Per Stålberg, guitarist David Ojala, bassist Jonas Gustavsson, and drummer Håkan Johansson, the quartet was soon playing shows wherever it could. The band debuted on wax in 1998, issuing the There Is a First Time for Everything EP as well as a split release with the American post-hardcore group Milemarker. Another split EP followed in 1999 from the Car Crash label, this time with fellow band Impel. The Division self-released At the Royal Club in 1999, and the collection of singles and odds 'n' sods tracks served as an informal full-length debut until the band signed a record deal with Burning Heart in 2001.

The label released an introductory EP, Pretty Electric, before issuing the Division's proper full-length a year later. Entitled Black City, the album found the group infusing the nervy musical tradition of Fugazi with rowdier elements closer to Supergrass (or its brethren in the Hellacopters). It enjoyed American promotion via Epitaph Records, and was supported through tours with the (International) Noise Conspiracy and Soundtrack of Our Lives. Das Not Compute arrived in 2004, and Division of Laura Lee spent several years toiling on the record's follow-up, eventually emerging in 2008 with the solid Violence Is Timeless. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi