Very early this morning, I awoke to the sound of an electric guitar, unplugged and bluesely strummed.
"What the fuck?" I asked in a voice that probably sounded like one belonging to a 65-year-old male. My husband was sitting up, plucking out a little tune.
"I'm just waking up!" he said moodily, and in such a way that told me he was, in fact, still mostly asleep. He put the guitar back on its stand, flopped exhaustedly onto his back, and began snoring loudly in a matter of seconds.
Apparently he sleep-guitars. This was a first, not for his sitting up and doing weird stuff in the small hours, but for the involvement of his guitar.
This makes for a pretty good intro to the topic I had been wanting to write about: Finnish music.
Up until now, I haven't really liked a whole lot of it. This has partly to do with my husband's tastes. I don't think he likes so much as one Finnish artist, and so he fails to, in turn, proselytize to me about what's good and what isn't. And while he likes a certain amount of metal music (the genre for which Finland is probably best known internationally), it is all in the vein of stuff like of Electric Wizard. Now, I'm as yet pretty ignorant about Finnish music, but I haven't heard much in the way of stoner metal. For the most part, he's into American and English rock and blues from the 1960s.
As for me, I'm a classically trained soprano and former choir girl who likes a lot of music (much of it outside the realm of what is considered "popular music") but I've been on a kick (read: 2 years or so) during which I've been attracted to indie and shoegaze music. It's painfully embarrassing, actually. Consider me a very intemperate person, lustily pursuing what my ears crave. Lately, I've been especially in love with bands originating from the Austin, TX area. For example, here's some distortion-infused psychedelia from The Black Angels:
When I told Rami that my musical odyssey had yielded some results and played this track for him, he said, disdainfully, "Oh, it's so indie." Then he remembered that one of their songs has been in heavy rotation on the radio where he works, fully deflating my "I never like anything on the radio" theory. Anyway, these guys can get a little cloying on certain tracks, but I dig their distorted new wave sound. Maybe that's been done a lot recently, but I don't mind.
Sadly, both of these bands sing in English. Don't get me wrong, I adore English (primarily because I can understand it rather well), but it would be nice to listen to something in the language I'm meant to be learning. Oh well. Cultural imperialism strikes again.
There are others I've found in the last day or so, but I haven't listened to them enough to definitively write an opinion about them. Consider this part one in a series. What music, Finnish or otherwise, do you like?
"What the fuck?" I asked in a voice that probably sounded like one belonging to a 65-year-old male. My husband was sitting up, plucking out a little tune.
"I'm just waking up!" he said moodily, and in such a way that told me he was, in fact, still mostly asleep. He put the guitar back on its stand, flopped exhaustedly onto his back, and began snoring loudly in a matter of seconds.
Apparently he sleep-guitars. This was a first, not for his sitting up and doing weird stuff in the small hours, but for the involvement of his guitar.
This makes for a pretty good intro to the topic I had been wanting to write about: Finnish music.
Up until now, I haven't really liked a whole lot of it. This has partly to do with my husband's tastes. I don't think he likes so much as one Finnish artist, and so he fails to, in turn, proselytize to me about what's good and what isn't. And while he likes a certain amount of metal music (the genre for which Finland is probably best known internationally), it is all in the vein of stuff like of Electric Wizard. Now, I'm as yet pretty ignorant about Finnish music, but I haven't heard much in the way of stoner metal. For the most part, he's into American and English rock and blues from the 1960s.
As for me, I'm a classically trained soprano and former choir girl who likes a lot of music (much of it outside the realm of what is considered "popular music") but I've been on a kick (read: 2 years or so) during which I've been attracted to indie and shoegaze music. It's painfully embarrassing, actually. Consider me a very intemperate person, lustily pursuing what my ears crave. Lately, I've been especially in love with bands originating from the Austin, TX area. For example, here's some distortion-infused psychedelia from The Black Angels:
And I absolutely love this band from Oklahoma, Colourmusic. Ah, the noise!
Anyway, I've begun to feel rather bad about not really knowing what's out there in terms of enjoyable Finnish music (you know, aside from Sibelius and Olavi Virta). God knows you can't rely on the radio to expose you to the good stuff, either. So here I am, on a mission of discovery.
The first Finnish band I discovered is one I've actually known about since about 2010, when I was merely visiting here. They're called Murmansk, presumably named for the region of Russia that borders Finnish Lapland. Check them out:
The first Finnish band I discovered is one I've actually known about since about 2010, when I was merely visiting here. They're called Murmansk, presumably named for the region of Russia that borders Finnish Lapland. Check them out:
One band that my most recent mission has revealed is one called French Films. First of all, I love the name. It's so...ironically douche-y. Or is it? Well, that's all part of the fun!
When I told Rami that my musical odyssey had yielded some results and played this track for him, he said, disdainfully, "Oh, it's so indie." Then he remembered that one of their songs has been in heavy rotation on the radio where he works, fully deflating my "I never like anything on the radio" theory. Anyway, these guys can get a little cloying on certain tracks, but I dig their distorted new wave sound. Maybe that's been done a lot recently, but I don't mind.
Sadly, both of these bands sing in English. Don't get me wrong, I adore English (primarily because I can understand it rather well), but it would be nice to listen to something in the language I'm meant to be learning. Oh well. Cultural imperialism strikes again.
There are others I've found in the last day or so, but I haven't listened to them enough to definitively write an opinion about them. Consider this part one in a series. What music, Finnish or otherwise, do you like?
Elena, always a pleasure reading your posts. I am so with you on indie music, and thanks for sharing those bands, which I didn't know. Anyhow, you might like to have a readd at this post I wrote a while back, and especially the comments which inludes some tips about Finnish bands. http://telefinn.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-of-finn-pops.html
ReplyDeleteYou might also want to check out my friend Robin's band, The Death of Gagarin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXJNQWdBoEU
ReplyDeleteThank you, Olli! And I had read your entry, but I re-read it and remembered a few things I had forgotten. I've often wondered why Sweden has such a monopoly on the sunny pop market while Finland only has a few middling hits of a few different genres here and there. My husband's theory is that the English speaking world finds a Swedish accent more pleasant than a Finnish accent. I disagree, though; in the US at least, the Swedish accent is often mocked kind of brutally, whereas the Finnish accent is essentially off the radar.
DeleteI really like the song you posted here. I will see if I can find some more of their stuff!
I guess the three pillars (the holy trinity) my taste in music is based on are punk, metal and r´n´r.
ReplyDeleteThere´s a lot inbetween that I like, too, I have a soft spot e.g. for wavey/gothy stuff. Sometimes I think it´s not about certain genres but about a certain atmosphere/attitude contained in the music that attracts me. This can be found in music not belonging to said three pillars as well, so I have to remind myself every now and then to keep my mind and ears open and think outside my little noisy box. I think my blog shows pretty much what music I dig cause I´m babbling there about music all the time in one way or another.
Here´s some Finnish stuff I like:
The Flaming Sideburns - Garage R´n´R from Helsinki (in English)
Laika & The Cosmonauts - Incredibly great surf combo, of course instrumental
22 Pistepirkko - Indiepop, sung in English
Ultra Bra - Hard to put a lable on this but as a former choir girl you might want to check em out.
Great musicianship, choir, deeply committed lyrics in Finnish
Kauko Röyhkä - Gnarly Rock/Pop in Finnish
M.A. Numminen - Former enfant terrible and taboo-buster, to this day a crazy, nutty and highly
intelligent artist who sings in Finnish, Swedish, English, German...not for everybody´s
taste, his voice is...er...special
That´s only to mention a few, there is really good music in this country!
Oh, and some tips for the somnambulistic guitar slinger:
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, The Hidden Hand, Torche
I know exactly what you mean about "attitude"; it's always a huge plus when rock (or what have you) has a certain swagger. I find that the sort of muddy, distorted, shoegaze-y sound that I love is often more ambient and less rock & roll. That's why I love colourmusic, the link I posted here. It's got all of the above in droves!
DeleteThanks very much for your suggestions. I gave each one at least a short sampling, and they all sound good to me. I can't wait to give them each more of a listen. Oh, and I have actually heard some M.A. Numminen. He's not for everyday use, but he is indeed "special!"
And my god, I think you've managed to capture my husband's essence with the "somnambulistic guitar slinger!" :)
I guess my taste in music is more pop and radio songs plus a little bit of classical...so can't share anything. I don't really have fave bands or singers 'coz it all depends on the song. There are particular songs I love from different bands/singers, but I don't necessarily like other songs by them he he...
ReplyDeleteI sometimes might like a certain song and not necessarily others by the same artist, too. I find it frustrating, though, especially if I REALLY like that particular song! :)
DeleteYou should really check out my favorite band from Finland, Apocalyptica. They pretty much reinvented the cello and are amazing live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnD8660_W0
ReplyDeleteYou know, I actually have a few friends back home in the states who like them. They seem like good, innovative musicians, but for some reason I can't get into them. Maybe it's how sort of... "epic" their vibe is. But I promise to give them more of a chance now that I've read your endorsement! :)
Delete