You ever wonder how music is so different around the world based on place and time?
No, me neither. Here's an unfocused mess to keep me from writing about the unpleasantness of world events.
Argentina:
Serú Girán (1978)
Straddling the line between Rock and Jazz Fusion
Austria:
Mozart (1788)
If you Google Angry Mozart, this comes up. As good of a listen as anything else from Mozart.
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550: IV. Allegro Assai
Australia:
Tropical Fuck Storm (2019)
You never heard of them? That's not my fault. One of the few "newer" bands on the list. Between bands like King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard and Tropical Fuck Storm, people should really check out the Rock Revival Down Under
Young Fred really wanted INXS from 1982.
Belgium:
Front 242 (1991)
Pioneers of Industrial Music.
Brazil:
Sepultura (1996)
This should be the country's national anthem.
Canada:
Nomeansno (1995)
Did you know that Nomeansno is in the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame? You think there's better artists from Canada than Nomeanso? There's not.
French Canadian Band?
Les Breastfeeders (2006)
I am putting this here in case Quebec attempts independence again.
Columbia:
Shakira (2009)
I could argue that she may be the most popular artist from South America alive today.
Costa Rica:
Los Ajenos (2012)
It's like Latin Ska.
Cuba:
Everyone loved Desi and Lucy, right? (1946)
Yeah, don't read this article: Lucille's Scurrilous Past
Denmark:
Junior Senior (2002)
One of the best one-hit wonders you've never heard of.
England:
Beatles (1968)
Preferred song of Kings, Peasants, and Serial Killers
Finland:
Lordi (2002)
I think of Lordi as a PG-13 version of GWAR.
France:
Les Thugs (1992)
One of my favorite Dead Kennedys covers.
Germany:
Rammstein (2009)
Even the story of Rammstein is cool They weren't from the West, they came from the East German Underground where the members' style of punk was forbidden.
Hungary:
Blind Myself (2006)
I wonder if being one of the biggest metal bands in Hungary pays well?
Iceland:
Bjork (1993)
Michel Gondry and Bjork created magic together.
India:
Ravi Shankir (1969)
Ravi charming the dirty hippies at Woodstock.
Ireland:
U2 (1991)
I always liked U2....until Tim Cook made me listen to Songs of Innocence.
Isreal:
Traditional Jewish Hymn (1918)
Hava Nagila is a song that's over a hundred years old, lifted from melodies hundreds of hundreds years old.
In 1987, the heavy metal band Anthrax stole a guitar riff from the song and created the first heavy metal rap. I'm the Man is greater than the sum of all its parts.
Italy:
Pavarotti (1994)
From his 3 Tenors performance.
Jamaica:
Bob Marley (1973)
Reggae, reggae, reggae.
Japan:
The Boredoms (1989)
I was watching an old video of the Boredoms at Lollapalooza and one of the comments said "you might not understand this, but your kids are gonna love it."
Mexico:
Brujeria (2016)
Hint: Mexico didn't pay for it.
Mongolia:
The Hu (2018)
The Hu is touring America right now!
New Zealalnd:
Lorde (2012)
I actually thought there were more good bands from New Zealand. I believe I may have been thinking of Independent Horror Films.
Nigeria:
Fela Kuti (1973)
Honestly, I'm not familiar with much of his work away from Ginger Baker...
...but I am impressed with the commune he set up.
Netherlands:
Golden Earring (1982)
I don't think I realized that this wasn't an American band.
Northern Ireland:
Therapy? (1994)
For those with PG rated tastes.
For those with R rated tastes.
Norway:
The Shining (2010)
Blackjazz is one of my favorite albums. Period.
Poland:
Behemoth (2018)
Went with one of the best metal bands in the world over Chopin. The beginning of Bartzabel sounds a little bit like classical music.
Puerto Rico:
Hmmm. Ricky Martin solo or Ricky Martin in Menudo?
Ugh. Ricky Martin solo. (1999)
Russia:
Sergei Prokofiev (1936)
Ominous Children's Music.
Scotland:
Jesus and Mary Chain (1992)
In my mind, Honey's Dead should be as big as Oasis' What's the Story (Morning Glory). Not sure why it wasn't.
South Africa:
Die Antwoord (2014)
Sometimes it is a very thin line between love and hate.
South Korea:
You want BTS? You get PSY. (2012)
Spain:
Hey Macarena! (1993)
Loved, then hated. Has it come back around to love again?
Sweden:
You're screaming ABBA, that's not how we roll here, we're going with Meshuggah. (2008)
You still want ABBA? I don't think you realize that outside of the United States, Sweden is arguably one of the hotbeds of metal in the world.
Switzerland:
Sorry Switzerland, it's Krokus (1984)
Ukraine:
Roman Miroshnichenko (2016)
Nominated for scores of Independent Instrumental Awards.
Wales:
mclusky (2002)
Easiest country on the list to evaluate, with one of the best songs ever.
Don't worry, we'll get back to writing about Covid, Race, or Free Speech tomorrow.