The Finland Show is dedicated to Josephine Geraldine!
Josephine Geraldine- Ben's Diapers Middle Eights For Modern Lovers
Full Moon Turn My Head Around- Off Broadway On
Seven Days a Week- Nick Piunti Beyond The Static
Feel Like Dirt- Kevin K Band Rule The Heart
Run Now- Tommy Keene Songs From The Film
Spend the Night- The Sonics This Is The Sonics
Baby It's You- Phil Seymour Archives Series Vol 1
Take A Life- Dirty Looks Dirty Looks
^Vuonna '85- Eppu Normaali Vuonna '85
Every Boy and Every Girl- Sylvain Sylvain Sylvain Sylvain
Nearly Human- The Rezillos Zero
*Dead By X'Mas- Hanoi Rocks Self Destruction Blues
*Spotlight. Now!- Hundred Million Martians Marsbars
*So Much For You- Jalla Jalla Crumelur/Jalla Jalla
*Tapan Aikaa- Problems? Tapan Aikaa
*Astraaliprojektio- Kaupungin Valot Huomiseen
*Kirjoituksia kellarista- Kollaa Kestaa Kirjoituksia kellarista 7"
*Stereo- The Sugarrush Mirrorball Ballerinas
*Save Rock 'n' Roll- The Flaming Sideburns Sky Pilots
*I Know- The Splits LP II
Slowdown- Farrah Farrah
Is There Someone Out There?- Z-Cars This Is Z-Cars 7" EP
Whoever's Around- Linus Of Hollywood Something Good
Love Letter- Richie Parsons Honey and Tears
Shimmy, Shimmy- Jo Allen And The Shapes 415 Music
Secret Ride- The Bye Bye Blackbirds We Need The Rain
>Get On- Hurriganes Get On
Until I Get You- Hanoi Rocks Back to the Mystery City
^Power Pop Peak: #1 on Finnish Charts January 1986
*SacroSet: Finland Rock and Roll
>Power Pop Prototype: 1974
Sweden and Norway have given the world lots of great rock and roll over the years. Back in August 2010, Show #38 featured the music of Sweden and the following year Norway got the star treatment in Show #62. So, fellow Nordic country Finland's time in the spotlight is way past due. Part of the reason for the delay is that unlike Sweden and Norway, far fewer Finnish bands have cultivated international appeal,
Hanoi Rocks |
"Speedo" Matinez (center) |
One great find is the 1979 song "Kirjoi- tuksia Kellarista" by the band Kollaa Kestaa. The song title translates into "Writings From The Basement" and the band's name has a cool origin. In the Battle of Kollaa during the Winter War of 1940 outnumbered Finnish forces were defending against a Soviet attack. When asked by his superior, "Will Kollaa hold? (Kestääkö Kollaa?)", Lieutenant Aarne Juutilainen replied, "Kollaa will hold (Kollaa kestää), unless the orders are to run away." According to Wikipedia, "this simple question and reply entered the Finnish lexicon as an expression of perseverance and resolve in the face of impending difficulty or crisis." Kollaa Kestaa are a very influential group in Finland. In fact, Kaupungin Valot ("City Lights") from tonight's show are named after a Kollaa Kestaa song.
The Legendary "Tapan Aikaa" Sleeve |
1978 |
The band took its name from Mel Brooks' movie Young Frankenstein, and the subtitler translated the name Abby Normal (abnormal) into Eppu Normaali (epänormaali, roughly 'abnormal'; a Finnish equivalent of the original play on words).
Eppu Normaali's first album Aknepop (no translation necessary) is pretty standard three chord punk that sounds good at first but gets a little tiring since I can't understand a word singer Martti Syrjä is barking at me. By the early 80's Syrja is actually singing (still in Finnish, of course) and the songs sound much more polished and commercial, a mix of Power Pop and mainstream rock. Then an amazing thing happens; between
1985 |
Eppu Normaali Today |
Eppu Normaali is Finland's top selling recording artist of all time... and to think they started as a punk rock band! What's more, four of five members have been in the group since 1976. They are on their third bass player and that's it for turnover in nearly 40 years! Maybe it's just me, but in our cynical market-driven times, I find Eppu Normaali's story inspiring. I've been trying to think of an American equivalent but there just isn't one- maybe if Green Day can hang in there for ten more years!
(I couldn't resist one last "I"gor photo) |
Click on the link below to stream tonight's show or to download, right click and "Save Link As"
No comments:
Post a Comment