which country is responsible for the worst music?

[michael]

nz: brings us zane lowe n'est-ce pas?

(shudder)

He's just released a new album with his group Breaks Co-op too. I think they only release in NZ cos he was worried it'd be seen as cashing in on his fame in the UK or something?!

Note the site I linked to says Lowe's "hotly tipped to replace the legendary John Peel".

 

[egg]

sample sounds bland.

shame about the peel quote. the man himself doesn't seem given to that kind of hyperbole

 

[don_quixote]

does ireland have any redeemable features?

 

[bun-u]

does ireland have any redeemable features?

planxty
margaret barry
luke kelly

 

[owen]

ireland still has the least redeeming features i've come across thus far (mind you i have heard of none of those people)

i can't believe people are mentioning belgium, france and switzerland here, they're all obviously great.

but eastern europe, all i can think of is EU and the guy who did the tarkovsky soundtracks...and scsi-9 i suppose. are plastic people of the universe any good, prog fans?

but i nominate...the last 10 years of english music not from the london pirate radio continuum. keep that proviso in mind and its obvious that we SUCK.

 

[jenks]

but eastern europe, all i can think of is EU and the guy who did the tarkovsky soundtracks...and scsi-9 i suppose. are plastic people of the universe any good, prog fans?

QUOTE]
the czechs purport to love the plastic people yet whenever i asked if anyone had any of their stuff they shrugged theri shoulders and said noone actually listens to them - i got to hear them and understood why!( must be mentioned here i have a penman like aversion to zappa whilst the czechs created some kind of govt post for him) the czechs though have got iva bittova - had dunaj with pavel fajt (sorry if sp is wrong dissensus czechs) and the early incarnation of ecstacy of st teresa was great. apart from that it was lots of sub scorpions poodle perms

 

[hamarplazt]

apart from that it was lots of sub scorpions poodle perms

No, apart from that it was also:

Leos Janacek, for my money the greatest of all the great east european folk-meets-quirky-modern-classical composers.

Jiri Stivin & Rudolf Dasek, the most bizarre jazz duo you'll ever hear.

Zdanek Liska, composer of the strange and beautyful music in many Jan Svankmajer films.

Sergej Auto, odd and charming modern techno-pop.

 

[Melmoth]

planxty
margaret barry
luke kelly

Planxty I'll grant you, and Dylan says Luke Kelly is the best ballad singer he ever heard, but back in the dodgy corner:

Snow patrol, Horslips, David fucking Holmes, Clannad, Fergie and (flourish of trumpets) Enya.

 

[ripley]

Eastern Europe?

Bogdan Racynski is pretty great (Poland)
Chris Su in Hungary has some good tracks, I think.

I like a lot of Roma/gypsy/whatchoucallit sounds (not all eastern-european, but pervasive and migratory) and many versions of Eastern European folk, up to and including Latcho Drom soundtracks and the even more produced/orchestrated Bulgarian Women's Choir.

But also, I remember hearing a live group of vocalists from Russia doing what were called 'folk' stuff with this bizarre melodeon hand-cranked-droning thing.. super harsh, close harmonies, totally great.

 

[Melchior]

How do we decide which country gets the credit? I mean Jason Donovan, Kylie and all other neighbours stars may be Australian, but they owe their success entirely to the English. Most of them got their musical career started in the UK, with UK producers.

For what it's worth, I think NZ is more good than bad musically.

 

[Melmoth]

You forgot David Holmes, Boyzone, Westlife, The Corrs and (shudder) B*witched..

I know it looks bad, but the balance has been redressed slightly from the underground over the last few years...
Theres Techno and Electro: Decal, Americhord, D1 (David O' Donoghue, Rob Rowland, Donnacha Costello). Electronica + Ambient from the likes of Front End Synthetics, Daniel Figgis, Ambulance, The Fear and Fallt.
D+B from Naphta, Bassbin, Looney Tunes, Subtle Audio etc...

...and loads more upcoming labels and artists.

And even though Ive never been a huge U2 fan - they did make some brilliant records back in the day, plus there's the Pogues, Horselips, The Frames and er Thin Lizzy...

Ill stop now.

Just seen this Droid, after I posted below. The Corrs! Argh. Haven't heard of much of that other stuff, but I've been out of Ireland for a long time.

 

[soi]

No more posts about MIA please, I beg you

they haven't heard of mia over here, if you played it to them i think their ears would fall off

 

[mms]

marcus, the avalanches are terriffic. i was also waiting for mr dale to show up and give us both a pasting, too.
plastic bertrand was from brussels, therefore belgian.
belgium is totally redeemed by nu-beat and R&S records, the french have some wicked music so whoever decided to include them is quite barmy, the welsh have those singing coalminers from the pet shop boys' version of go west, the japanese are fine - plenty of good japanese music, not least the boredoms. no, still scotland for me.

yeah my hearts not in dissing australia really i just don't like delta goodrun and an australian tried to convince me that ltj bukem was from australia .

scotland also has the third ear band and john martyn as a plus
wales are really not doing it with manic street preachers either.

 

[droid]

Planxty I'll grant you, and Dylan says Luke Kelly is the best ballad singer he ever heard, but back in the dodgy corner:

Snow patrol, Horslips, David fucking Holmes, Clannad, Fergie and (flourish of trumpets) Enya.

Argh!! Enya!!! I forgot that evil bitch!!

David fucking Holmes

LOL! Thats exactly what I typed at first, but then edited my post for some reason... I think he should just get his middle name changed to 'Fucking'. Everybody I know hates him...

As for Horselips.. the concept and look may have been vile, but they had a few good moments..... did anyone mention the waterboys btw?

Just seen this Droid, after I posted below. The Corrs! Argh. Haven't heard of much of that other stuff, but I've been out of Ireland for a long time.

Are you an ex-pad(dy) then Melmoth?

 

[bassnation]

David fucking Holmes

brings to mind that old chestnut of a joke:

whats the difference between god and david holmes? god doesn't walk round thinking hes david holmes!

boom boom!

 

[francesco]

Nobody mentioned Italy, and we still have the worst rock groups ever in every parallel universe, but lucky for you non italians you haven't heard them!

 

[martin]

Nobody mentioned Italy, and we still have the worst rock groups ever in every parallel universe, but lucky for you non italians you haven't heard them!

Yeah, but you gave us Italo-Disco and "AM FM" by Natasha King. And Maurizio Bianchi, Neon, XX Century Zorro, Rats, Confusional Quartet and Luc Ferrari (unless he was French). And that Italian woman who used to dress like a nazi and mumble over clanking industrial noises

All of which cancels out Nabat

 

[droid]

Nobody mentioned Italy, and we still have the worst rock groups ever in every parallel universe, but lucky for you non italians you haven't heard them!

No matter how bad they might be - Goblin makes up for it! Also Bochum Welt...

 

[martin]

What about Austria? It's all pub rock and hair metal there, isn't it? Oh, and Hermann Nitsch - great.

 

[droid]

What about Austria? It's all pub rock and hair metal there, isn't it? Oh, and Hermann Nitsch - great.

Patrick Pulsinger and Cheap records put out some good stuff down through the years, and I think someone was defending Austria earlier on as well...