This Week's Playlist #7 - The Ukraine Edition
Week #7 - The Ukraine edition
TL;DR: I'm starting a weekly newsletter with 5 songs and a short description of it, and a matching Spotify playlist if you want to subscribe.
Hello everyone!
Week 7/52 :-)
Before starting, I created a website with an excellent little signup form. So if you want to invite some friends, send them this link: www.freshnewsound.org.
This week: A focus on the music scene from a country on the top of all the world news headlines. Here are my 5 favourite Ukrainian bands :-)
Dakha Brakha - Monakh: DakhaBrakha (meaning 'give/take' in old Ukrainian) are rockstars with their traditional dresses and hats. They are played on the barricades of the 2014 unrests on Maidan square, regularly invited to NPR's tiny desk shows and KEXP, touring all over the world. They play a unique blend of folk music with punk energy and traditional music instruments (cello, accordion, percussions) and very fairy voices
Full album: The Road (2016)
Lubomyr Melnyk - Parasol: One of Ukraine's most prominent neo-classical pianists. A "Rasputin like figure" I discovered on stage at Le Guess Who festival last year. Signed on a UK avant-garde music label. The pianist developed his own unique style, named after the principle of maintaining a continuous, unbroken stream of sound. This track is a perfect example.
Full album: Rivers & Streams
(2014)
Jinjer - Wallflower: Some other cool kids, playing very catchy metal with a fusion of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, reggae. Tatiana, the singer, has a unique voice with an incredible range.
Full album: Wallflower (2021)
Somali Yacht Club - Blood Leaves A Trail: I didn't know about this band until I decided to write this newsletter. Found them on Bandcamp. Very catchy post-rock/stoner vibe for those who love Mogwai and Queens of the stone Age.
Full album: The Sea (2018)
Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! : Not 100% Ukrainian but Gogol Bordello's frontman Eugene Hütz was born in Ukraine and moved to the USA in 1992. Gogol Bordello is the perfect representation of what the American / NY melting pot would be for a punk rock band (a Ukrainian singer, a Russian violinist, an Ethiopian bass player amongst the members). For those who miss the raw energy of early Emir Kusturica's No Smoking Orchestra records.
Full album: Super Taranta! (2007)
That's all for now. Thanks for reading until here. Hit reply and let me know what you think of these songs
Until the next time, Godspeed!
Thomas
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Previous episodes
Week #6:
Week #5: The readers’ digest
Week #4:
Week #3: Albums for 2022 2/2
Week #2: Albums for 2022 1/2
Week #1: Happy New Year