Manu Chao - clandestino

I got really into German punk a few years ago. Some of my favorites.

Die Ärzte Schrei nach Liebe

Wizo Raum Der Zeit

Die Toten Hosen Hier kommt Alex

I’m a Eurovision Song Contest fan, though I only came to it in the last few years, so I have a ton of good songs for this question!

ESC 2021

• SHUM by GO_A (Ukraine) was my winner for that year.
• Zitti E Buoni by Maneskin (Italy) was the actual winner and launched them to international success. They are on the US radio now too.
• Voy a Quedarme by Blas Canto (Spain) is very pretty. I DO speak Spanish, but y’all might dig it.

ESC 2022

• Brividi by Mahmood & Blanco (Italy)
• Trenulețul by Zdob şi Zdub & Frații Advahov (Moldova) is some of the most fun music I’ve ever heard.
• Saudade Saudade by MARO (Portugal) is partly in English but entirely beautiful.
• In Corpore Sano by Konstrakta (Serbia) was one of my top songs this year. Her odd stage/video performance really makes it.
• Stefania by Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine) was the winner this year, only partly because of the invasion. It was probably in most people’s top 3 anyway, and it got such a huge percentage of the votes that it really skewed the rest of the results. (Fun fact, the flautist/lead in this song is the same flautist from SHUM in 2021)

ESC 2023

• Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä (Finland) is a TREMENDOUS bop. It’s so catchy. As he was touring around before the actual semi-finals he lost his trademark lime green jacket, and fans made and brought replacements to shows for him until it was found.
• Mama ŠČ! by Let 3 (Croatia) is beyond weird but really catchy. They’re the most charismatic artists ever to fake pooping themselves during an interview.
• Ai Coração by Mimicat (Portugal) is fun and has a kind of old school vibe.

ESC 2024 is in National Finals season now, where each country chooses their entry, usually with a reality show contest. The semi-finals are 7 and 9 May and the Finals will be on 11 May. You can stream on Peacock, or hop on a VPN and watch the live feed from Sweden or Denmark or somewhere.

Ederlezi

So many. I like music and I like languages so when there are lyrics there’s a good chance it’s not English.

• Dead can dance - The Host of Seraphim - moody female vocals with backing instruments and synth that resembles religious sad hymns (not even in a real language)
• 王菲 Faye Wong《四月雪 April Snow - melancholy mandarin pop from 2003
• Hocico - Ecos - Mexican electro-industrial on the aggressive side
• Juno Reactor - Conquistador (part 1 and 2) - technically 2 songs, in Latin, Spanish and I think Xhosa. Same person who did the music from the matrix, these are sort of a musical interpretation of South American history
• Sepultura - Ratamahatta - Brazilian metal
• All about Lily Chou-Chou OST - Arabesque(アラベスク) - fictional band with female vocals, beautiful melancholy song in Okinawan
• Fly, Fly My Sadness - The Bulgarian Voices Angelite with Huun-Huur-Tu and Moscow Art Trio - Mongolian throat singers (if you’ve never heard this technique, it’s incredible and unlike anything else, this song isn’t the best example though, search for huun huur tu videos) and an ethereal Bulgarian choir.
• The Mirror Conspiracy ft. LouLou - Le Monde - French lyrics, chillout downtempo electronic
• Björk - Úm Akkeri - Icelandic version of her song The Anchor Song
• Yothu Yindi - Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming) - a classic 1989 Australian song in Yolŋu and English. Not my favourite but I wanted to have the continent represented here.
• Thievery Corporation - Satyam Shivam Sundaram - another downtempo chillour from the same group, this time in Hindi
• Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun - too catchy not to mention, Punjabi pop, hilariously cheesy video clip

There are so many more. I didn’t even touch Caribbean patois or Arabic or Polynesian languages etc. I’m very big on global music though, especially with a strong beat and lyrical themes on anti-colonialism…

Bella Ciao

99 Luftballoons - Nena https://open.spotify.com/track/2IJftBfq7pJ43tfnOR0RB3?si=Tj9rOKguQkOmpb3jJM27uw

Prisencolinensinainciusol by Adriano Celentano

https://youtu.be/-VsmF9m_Nt8?feature=shared

Numa Numa Yay, Numa Numa Yay, Numa Numa Numa Yay!

Snow - Informer

I think that would describe half my catalog :-/

• Finnish Iskelmä
  • Stig - Puumaa mä metsästä
  • Arttu Wiskari - Sirpa
  • Lemon - Nainen Tummissa (cover of Lady in Black)
• Thai
  • จ๊อบ บรรจบ - ดูเธอทำ (Job 2 Do - Doo doo doo)
  • Soreng Santi (สรวง สันติ) - Kuen Kuen Lueng Lueng (cover of Iron Man … sort of)
• most versions of Bella Ciao (except La Casa de Papel for some reason)
  • Bella ciao cantata dal coro R’Esistente del Pratello
• the “fun” stuff coming out of Ukraine
  • О.Пономарьов М.Хома Т.Тополя Є.Кошовий Ю.Ткач П.Чорний - УКРАЇНА ПЕРЕМОЖЕ
  • Andriy Khlyvnyuk x The Kiffness - Ukrainian Folk Song ARMY REMIX
  • Cвітоглядець - Bayraktar