Stereotyp (Austria)

Well, there seems to have had been a blowout of sorts at this blog. I have no idea why, and in the process of trying to find out why this blog wasn't updating itself, it more or less imploded on itself, and as such I have to re enter these blog entries once again. Oh well... onto less frustrating things:
-------------------------------Stereotyp website
Stereotyp myspace
Download Stereotyp Live Sessions (Feat. MC Coppa)

The next artist we featured after Australia was Stefan Moerth, better known to the music world as Stereotyp. More a producer than anything, but he's dipped his fingers into a whole array of various styles of dance music (I suppose if you were to pigeon hole - you'd call him Garage / Dubstep). Spending his time between Vienna and NYC, this guy seems to be a production nut and as you can see from the above below video, loves his gadgets. Actually - a bit of a nut in all aspects if you go over his bio. Hmmm.

Also a bit of a nut with the videos as well (I have no idea why he decided on making his video into a commercial for Lux soap???), but the beats are mainly great and that's all that matters, right?


Video
Stereotyp - Boi Da Cara Breta


Stereotyp - Stereotyp Meets The Iphone Miditrigger

The Warumpi Band (Australia)

When I knew that we had to get to my home country, I was perplexed with the band to chose to represent Australia as part of The Music Vagabond. I am sure many listeners of 2SER would roll off their tongue hundred's of bands which could be suitable.

I chose The Warumpi Band plainly because they had composed a track which in many ways, crossed the bridge between the contemporary music and traditional language of their aboriginal community of Pupanya in the Northern Territory. That track was Jailanguru Pakarnu - being the first rock tune that completely consisted of aboriginal lyrics.

They are probably however more well known for their tracks - Blackfella / Whitefella from the album Big Name, No Blankets and the legendary My Island Home from Go Bush!. Many of the band's tracks were in many different native languages of the land.

The band was initially formed by "whitefella" singer songwriter, Neil Murray who currently is still composing and releasing music (find more about him in the link below). Throughout the bands formative years, there was a somewhat rotating line up, however a few of the other main members of the band have headed to careers beyond Warumpi. Singer George Burarrwanga embarked on a solo career which dabbled a little in reggae prior to his sad death last year while guitarist / bassist Sammy Butcher is primarily involved with a studio in the outback town of Alice Springs. The band had officially disbanded in 2000.

The Warumpi Band website
Neil Murray website
A great blog article giving a more detailed background to The Warumpi Band

Videos
The Warumpi Band - My Island Home


The Warumpi Band - Blackfella / Whitefella


Christine Anu - My Island Home (Live at The Sydney 2000 Olympic Closing Ceromony)

Gor Mkhitarian (Armenia)

The landlocked mountainous country of Armenia situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, lends itself more to folk music than anything else (as far as i know anyways). There seems to be burgeoning scenes of jazz that has arisen from WWII, however the roots seems instilled in the folk music of Armenia.

Let's go a little earlier than that however, and look to another tragic event in the history of the country - the Armenian Genocide. The effects of the tragedy on the music scene in Armenia itself meant that a lot of the musicians emigrated to countries far and wide, however there was a main chunk of those who had moved to the US.

The musical creativeness of these communities were found in people like Cher (whose father was an Armenian refugee) as well as the members of System Of A Down who are all grandsons of Armenian Genocide survivor. All being very successful in their respective genres. There is much more talent however bubbling from Armenian artists from the land of the free (even though the Armenian music scene itself is probably as healthy as it's ever been nowadays).

Gor Mkhitarian was our Armenian feature on The Music Vagabond a while back, and while he is part of the US community of Armenians (he currently lives in California), he has stuck with a more folk aesthetic which has much more connection to Armenia than the pop or metal of the aforementioned artists. Gor himself has released 5 albums, and prior to that was a member of a more rock - styled band called Lav Eli. He has mellowed out a bit obviously now, perfecting a folk style that emulates a Simon & Garfunkal that would be around 40 or so years... or even a soulmate of the music of José González.

Much more can be learnt about Gor from this interview (scroll down a bit). His latest album released just last month is called United Fantasies: Exit Ahead.

Gor Mkhitarian website
Gor Mkhitarian myspace
Listen to more tunes of Gor Mkhitarian here

Videos
Gor Mkhitarian - Wherever


Gor Mkhitarian - Shogher Jan


Gor Mkhitarian & Reincarnacia - Godfather Tom

Tanghetto (Argentina)

On the week which we explored Argentina on The Music Vagabond, I decided to get a little modern with the traditional music of said country.

The band Tanghetto fuses the ideals of tango with an electronica type feel, and as such, became the perveyors of a little scene that's generated around South American and Europe known as Neo-tango. They have a little album on the way it seems, called El Miedo A La Libertad featuring a few covers of tracks by Eurythmics and Sting of all people.

Led by two guys who go by the name of Max Masri, (formally of Virgilio Expósito's) band and Diego S. Velázquez, they've been around since 2001, even though they had been collaborating since 1998. The name Tanghetto (according to the small research I've done) was inspired by the “little Argentinas” - otherwise known as the communities of exiled Argentines living overseas.

The current line-up is currently a 6 piece which includes the sounds of instruments such as the bandoneón and the erhu.

There are tons of videos online of the band, and the below are only a selection of them. Many others can be found at their site as well which you can find a link to below.

Tanghetto website
Tanghetto myspace

Videos
Tanghetto - Blue Monday


Tanghetto - Mente Fragil


Tanghetto - El Deseao (Live In Guanajuato, Mexico)

The Brute Force Steel Band / The Hell's Gate (Antigua & Barbuda)

Something a little bit rare for the Vagabond this week. An ol' time recording of an Antiguan steel band. The Brute Force Steel Band is the first ever band to have a record produced and made.

Here's some interesting info on recording the Brute Force Steel Band. Or steel bands because looking at the documentation, there was more a collective of steel pan players. An audio engineer Emory Cook seemingly, from what I can gather from info online, was instrumental in recording this music in the Carribbean and putting it onto record. As such, steel pan was brought to the masses in the 1950's.

On the program this week I featured a track that somehow meandered onto my hard drive called Men Smart, Women Smarter, which from what I gather Ellice was quite impressed with! I couldn't find a video for the Brute Force Steel Band online whatsoever despite my valient efforts, however, enjoy this video of what is credited as the longest running steel pan band in not only Antigua, but the world - The Hells Gate Steel Orchestra.

Hell's Gate Steel Orchestra info
Brute Force Steel Band info
Pan On The Net
Video
The Hell's Gate Steel Orchestra - Unknown Track

Soha (Algeria)

Off to the African nation of Algeria today and on the segment today we featured the talents of Soha. Originating from Western Sahara in Algeria, she spends most of her time in Franc e and sings in the French language. Her delicious voice gives a soulful vivacity to her sound and steps a little away from the tribal sounds of much of what comes from Africa. However there is still a tinge of that aspect in her jazz infused tunes.

We featured her track Tourbillon (Serre-Moi Fort Si Tu M'aimes) on the program today which you can see in the video below.

Soha Website
Soha Myspace
Video
Soha - Tourbillon (Serre-Moi Fort Si Tu M'aimes)

Andorra

Anonymous

Myspace
Fan Website

Being a small land locked country found on the border between France and Spain, and only having 448km squared of land as it full total area, you'd think this would be a country which would be hard to find musical talent from. But hey, that's more or less a lie. There is music which come from the lands of Andorra, however it probably is more well known for its musical lifestyle.

The country stages a famous international opera singing contest supported by the Spanish singer Montserrat Caballé and it also hosts one of the most renowned jazz festivals in the parish township of Escaldes-Engordany. However the traditional folk music with accompanying dances known as Contrapàs and Marratxa,

But we'll be looking not at jazz or folk but more at their Eurovision participants. More specifically 2007's entrant for Andorra - a young punk band called Anonymous who sing tracks in both Catalan and English. The outfit holds the "record" of being the band to go the furthest in the schlock music fest. Finishing in 12th place. ("Woo!" I here you all say).

Below is that performance at last year's Eurovision of their track Salvem El Món (Let's Save The World) which aims to tell people "prevent global warming and wars". With weird mathematical equations and random numbers ahoy all flowing behind them. (Look, I have no idea either what that has to do with anything the song is about)...



Apparently they are in the middle of a campaign to get onto Eurovision for 2008 as well. (you can see the fuss they are making about it on the above myspace link).

Here's an interesting little video of theirs which documents gigs and such for the track Un Recopilatorio