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    Around the World in 80 Songs: Czech Republic

    Our resident Czech, Codegen86, tells me that I should spend several weeks sampling Czech music before reaching any sort of general conclusion, and I think he is probably right. But I just don't have that kind of time! I've at least been able to identify what I would consider three different broad categories of modern Czech music, though I'm sure I'm leaving many out.

    First, there are the pseudo-American bands. They sing American-style songs--in English and not very originally. These bands have a feel that is somewhere between 80s pop and 90s alternative and include Support Lesbiens (that's not a typo--they really spell it that way), Toxique (yeah, they spell it that way, too. Just be thankful there aren't more consonants), Monkey Business, Airframe, and Sunshine.

    As a representative sample of this type of music, I selected a Sunshine song called "Top! Top! The Radio!" They're not my favorite band from this genre (that would be Support [the misspelled] Lesbiens) and it's not even my favorite song by Sunshine (that would be "Pull the Trigger") but the video includes a mosh pit filled with people wearing gigantic bunny heads, and that warrants a look-see.

    The next style is updated folk. Like most of Europe, the Czech Republic has a rich folk tradition from the regions of Moravia and Bohemia. Did you know the polka originated there? I didn't. I thought polka was as Polish as Dyngus Day, so look what I learned.

    Cechomor is a group highly recommended by codegen86. Their music is a bit on the lethargic side, but the vocals are interesting and the videos are stylish. A band called Lucie was hugely popular in the 1990s. They've split up for now, and two of their members have gone solo in two very different directions.  David Koller has an American alternative sound and Wanastowi Vjecy has is more traditional and almost religious sounding. His video for the song Kouzlo reminds me of cowboys and indians in the wild west. I'm not sure why. I like the song "Modlitba za vodu" by the band Hradistan. It's a folk ensemble that's been around since the 1950s, evolving of course, but with the goal of preserving traditional folk music.

    In these two styles, I didn't run across any songs that were ridiculously bad but I couldn't shake the feeling that I've heard them all before. I like music that surprises me and takes me somewhere new, either by fusing different musical styles in an original way or blending new rhythms together. Which brings us to the final style of music that I happened upon, which is sort of updated gypsy folk. I'd include in this genre an acordion-playing young woman called Raduza, who is a self-made singer/songwriter, again according to codegen86. The accordion is an interesting choice. Unfortunately, after a couple seconds her accordion playing is as annoying as the uncle that insists on playing that Weird Al song at your wedding reception. You say poor, maligned accordion? I say pick an instrument that doesn't cause ears to bleed.

    I found Terne Chave and their high-energy, straight Gypsy folk to be a bit more palatable and I thoroughly enjoyed the hauntingly beautiful sound of Iva Bittova. And finally, Gipsy.cz was the band that surprised me. In the song "Jednou" they fuse their gypsy folk with a little Beatles, a little rap, and excellent storytelling

    Comments

    Orlando, thank you very much for doing this musical tour...I'm listening to and enjoying things I never would have tried without your suggestions.

    On this stop my favorites are Sunshine (and I listened to more than just what you linked to) Lucie, and Toxique. I particularly like the ones that are not in English...I think you are right, the words can get in the way of the music if you understand them!

    I'll be looking forward to your next stop!


    I might as well add a few more - a few tracks that I like and/or that have interesting videos; by no means representative.

    Daniela by Lucie

    Markytánka by Lucie Vondráčková

    Trouba by Lucie Bílá

    (these three Lucies have little in common apart from the name)

    Vltava by Daniel Landa

    Kdo se bojí nesmí do nebe by Wanastowi Vjecy

    Malování by Divokej Bill

    Hříšná těla, křídla motýlí by Aneta Langerová

    Nad stádem koní by Buty

    Zločin by Čechomor

    Léto by Hradišťan

    The first few tracks are more or less pop music. The last three are folk music or derivatives.


    Top! Top! sounds more British than American-influenced to my ear. Pull the Trigger sounds like American college-boy stuff. Monkey Business sounds like Asian Pop. Airfare's lead singer sounds like a cross between Billy Idol and Bono.


    Bwak thought Bill Idol too. It reminded me more of the Ramones and "I wanna be sedated."


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