By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Aug 30, 2010 at 5:18 AM

As any fan of Swedish pop music already knows, Swedes speak amazingly good English and they sing it pretty nicely, too. So, why on Earth should we be surprised that they can rock the American bluegrass and roots music, too?

That's exactly what Vastervik, Sweden's The Abalone Dots do and do quite well. You can hear for yourself when the quartet of talented Swedish women plays at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 at Shank Hall.

Check out the swampy sound of "Craighead County Sky" from the 2009's "Traveler" CD. And "Long Lonely Road" from the 2007 debut disc, "From A Safe Distance," would make even Alison Krauss proud.

The group -- 22-year-old  Rebecka Hjukström,25-year-old Louise Holmer and Elin Mörk and Sophia Hogman (both 24) -- have long dreamed of touring the U.S. Head over to Shank and help them make the realization of that dream a memorable one.

And you'll get to hear some fine roots music -- via Sweden, that is -- in the bargain.

Cover is $10. 

Brooklyn-based Asobi Seksu plays at the Cactus Club, on Saturday, Sept. 4, at 9:30 p.m. with Brief Candles and Minneapolis' Gospel Gossip.

Asobi Seksu's latest disc -- now almost a year old -- is "Rewolf," an acoustic set recorded during the band's 2008 tour of the U.K. Most of the tunes included are from previous records by the band, which is reportedly putting the finishing touches on a new studio disc.

So, I suspect you might hear some new music at the Cactus Club by Asobi Seksu (which means "playful sex" in Japanese).

Please note that The Dollyrots' Tuesday, Sept. 7 show at Shank Hall has been canceled. --Bobby Tanzilo

Here is hoping the gorgeous weekend weather carries into Tuesday night, when Paul Cebar and the Tomorrow Sound headline Chill on the Hill in Bay View. It has been an amazing summer for the series, and it's worth a stop at Humboldt Park to check it out. 

It's hard to imagine more divergent artists/audiences than than KISS and Lady Gaga. The fellas in makeup are playing at Marcus Amphitheater and the Lady is at the Bradley Center. --Drew Olson