2007-04-11 Finnish Music

Nightwish, $HIM$, Children Of Bodom, Apocalyptica… you might have heard of them. I personally don’t like none of them really. I have to admit $HIM$ has one good song, but I don’t remember its name and I have been planning to buy Uneasy Listening Vol. 1 since it was released. Oh and I think Ville is kinda sexy. But other than that I’m not so into these bands. Naturally there’s few finnish bands I like.

The Crash (1991 – ) – A nice little $pop$ band from Turku. First song that caught my ear was Sugared. I couldn’t avoid it, nobody could who owned TV and watched TV1. It was the tune on Radio Mafia commercial (nowadays known as Yle X). Usually The Crash is labeled as brit-pop band but their third album apparently has “kasari” -influences (kasari = 80s stuff, I like that word, kasari hevi = 80’s heavy ). I would say their latest Pony Ride is quite nice follow up for Melodrama. The singer – oh so cute – Teemus Brunila has voice that you either hate or love. For being finnish The Crash is pretty happy band.

Don Huonot (1989 – 2003) – Funny thing is I found Don Huonot because of my Swedish cousin. I have always placed Don Huonot in same genre with bands like for example Apulanta or Neljä Ruusua (my favourite song by them is JuppiHippiPunkkari), except of course that Don Huonot was way much better. Don Huonot was in the end quite typical slightly melancholic finnish rock music. My favourite songs are Tähti (Star) and Tule sellaisena kuin olet (Come the way you’re) and Taivaanrannan maalari.

What else… see I don’t listen to finnish music much… Oh yeah Sir Elwoodin hiljaiset värit (1988 – ) – My favourite by them is quite obviously Viimeisellä Rannalla, which is one their most known songs. As mentioned earlier, finnish music is stereotypically melancholic. I don’t think it’s bad thing really. Quite often pain and minor melodies touch more than happiness. This gives quite depressed image of Sir Elwoodin hiljaiset värit, I might have been exaggerating slightly . “The silent colours of Sir Elwood” makes rock-jazz or as they them-selves say III-beer-jazz (III-beer is beer that has more than 2.8% but at most 4.7% alcohol, and it’s probably the most popular beer in Finland).

Jimi Tenor (solo 1992 – ) – I don’t know about Jimi Tenor much, but I listen to his music quite often. His electronic and mostly instrumental music is very relaxing and beautiful. And I think his music is least “finnish” of bands and musicians mentioned here so far. I can’t help smiling when I hear his song Tesla. It’s an unit used of magnetic field, I guess I have learned something at school.

M.A. Numminen (1966 – ) – Avantgarde underground rock. M.A. is definitely something different compared to the most of the music I listen to. I have soft spot especially for Yes Sir, Ich Kan Boogie, well it’s not exactly the best example of his career. Though he sounds sometimes like someone would be torturing a cat, I like his very personal style and his often hilarious lyrics.

Leevi And The Leavings (1978 – 2003) – I’m not exactly a fan. Let’s just say that I respect a lot late Gösta Sundqvist‘s work, he made fabulous music with Leavings and I was also big fan of his radio show – Koe-eläinpuisto. Leevi And The Leavings was quite an interesting band, they weren’t much in publicity and Gösta was well quite ugly man. But their music is something fabulous. I think describes Finnish mentality quite well. Everything is going to hell but damn you have to build own house anyway. I didn’t like Leevi And The Leaving so much earlier, might have been because my middle school friend who liked them was also fan of Turo’s Hevi Gee, so I had some doubts. Cute guy but no music taste, was my verdict.

End note. I’m quite horrified. I thought I should find out what kind of song Tytöt tykkää (Girls Like) is, it apparently was the massive summer hit here. Well already that indicates that song must be shit, but seriously it was even worse. It’s like a horrible flashback from the 90’s O_O Only good part is that I hardly can imagine anyone remembering this song next summer.

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