It’s Moscow Night here at Gadjo’s Jukebox! There seem to be quite a few bands from Russia with interesting style and fine musicianship who one can only hope are getting more international exposure now. Markscheider Kunst are actually from St. Petersburg, but you wouldn’t guess it what with their German name and their repertoire of afro/Brazilian/ska. It’s a mystery to me but I love it. And this track’s even got a funky animation to go with it:
And here's music by art-rockers Auktyon. I don’t understand the words but I reckon it’s a version of the play that William Shakespeare and Daniil Kharms would have written together:
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1) Captain Pugwash on shore leave?
ReplyDelete2)Obvious Soft Cell influences? the jester is a bit scary - he/she's like The Judder Man [Metz] - is he swinging a sitar and a member of the ministry for silly walks?
I quite like it. What year was it made?
Sx
The first one is like a Russian version of Annie, I'm not your Daddy by Kid Creole and the Coconuts. The fellow in the cartoon should have tightened his belt rather than holding up his trousers by hand.
ReplyDeleteThe second video reminds me of friends I dined with last night.
ReplyDeleteWhat great bands! Nice to be reminded that Russia isn't all tanks and rewriting history.
ReplyDeleteThe first track is a cheery comparison of the joys of looking for a good glass of cachaca in Brazil and a similar portion of kvass - fermented bread beer - in Odessa. The singer says he doesn't want any trouble, just to get on with life, over scenes of muggings and traditional police brutality.
I'll sort out the lyrics in detail later on, if you like.
Auktsyon are amazing, and the lyrics to this song, called "My Love", are poetic. A rough translation would be:
The moon shines white to me
A marsh swan with a gentle body.
Bad blood boils within me.
My spring returns where
You so wanted it to.
The grey manes of the moon's horses
Covered grass and chasms.
And it carries away
To the chiming of the hours
On white dreams from poor words
There, where you asked
My love, my love...
And in the sky the forest plays with fire.
It has lived long and knows much.
And packs of hunting dogs cry
Among the branches and poles.
And I am almost overcome by
My love, my love...
Scarley: Soft Cell? It's an influence that eluded me, but you may be right. The album that's from is Птица ("Bird") from 1993. Yes, "Captain Pugwash, The Cachaça Years"!
ReplyDeleteBananas: Kid Creole and the Coconuts?? You may also be right - the older I get the more I am convinced that everything is influenced by evreything else. Or he could have braces I suppose, and had a pet whippet.
Kevin, you have the most enchanting friends, do bring them round some time!
Ahh, Boyo, great that you like it! Please do provide a crib of the lyrics if they're as good as you say they are, and, oh yes, it seems that they are. Some of these bands can be sampled on the two Russendisko compilation albums, though I discovered Auktyon for myself whilst in Denmark. It's gonna be Ukrainian music next up on this jukebox :-)
I'm sure I've been students from the former Soviet republics dance that that (the second clip). Without balalaikas (or whatever that is).
ReplyDeleteThe first is probably the least Russian song I've ever heard. And I've heard quite a few. I was glad I could understand at least one word (cachaça of course).
That's "I'm sure I've seen..."
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, MC, I thought I'd lost you! I agree, the first clip is gleefully un-Russian and yet has the counterpoint and gravitas of Russian lyrics. Some of this band's other music is more African and they employ an African singer - presumably some poor frozen-bollocked chap who pitched up there as a student.
ReplyDeleteThe first song goes something like this:
ReplyDeleteI'd like a nice glass of Cachaca
And a tasty Almodovar cigar
40 (something) never knew such a nightmare
Summer teaches you the rules of kvass
I don't strain my eyes to follow your traces
I've never seen your face
You thought I was dead
In fact I'm flying
It's tough, but I just don't know you at all
I spend my free time in Odessa
I usually don't have enough time for anything
I used to have a supply but now it's melting
Melting and turning into a life of problems.
I don't like problems at all
What's the point of problems?
I don't go to the market and don't like to set things out
There's no need to mess around with me.
There's a word in the 3rd line I just can't get, and I'm having a guess here and there later on, but I think I've got the gist.
I'll ask Madame Boyo for urgent clarification when she gets back from overseeing her latest scheme to plump gin into the drinking fountain at Friends' Meeting House.
Looking forward to your overview of Ukrainian music. I like Irena Karpa, me.
Just got the third line!
ReplyDelete40 in the shade, I've never known such a nightmare,
My work here is done.
Thanks a lot, Boyo (and Mme B. in absentia). There's probably a lot of idiomatic stuff that one (i.e me) misses in such lyrics, but the Auktyon one was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the "Friends" are more Old School in your part of the world, but the I suspect that the ones I knew in England would have had a nice discussion with some tea and biscuits and accepted Mrs Boyo's right to do what she did, as long as it didn't interfere with their tai chi or their lute lessons.
Our local Friends are, as you imagine, likeable souls who devote themselves to gathering signatures for the outlawing of war rather than lopping the limbs off people who do not accept the One, Divine, Silent Meeting. Mrs Boyo wanted to see whether half a pint of Tanqueray Export would impel the Holy Spirit to get chattier than usual.
ReplyDeleteThough I think that Quakerism is quite good for women - it's stops them yakking for a while, at least - I do see Mrs Boyo's point of view: the blokes (and I feel similarly about golfers, Hungarians and computer programmers) I do sometimes just want to shake, for their own good you understand.
ReplyDelete