Basics of Finnish Pop, Part 1

Finally a post that’s not about me, but about Finland. In this case, Finnish Pop. I’m calling it “Part 1″ because I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I’ll be doing this. And should be noted that I’m very biased. Ignoring some stuff other people probably think of as essential and just listing stuff that I like.

Neljä Ruusua – Kuka näkee

If you’re talking about Finnish pop music, it’s impossibly to make a list without mentioning these guys. The band of Ilkka Alanko, one of the Alanko musician siblings, Neljä Ruusua is one of those groups that truly managed to capture the feeling of the melancholic early 1990′s here and turn it into catchy pop songs. Melancholic, catchy, pop, with a bit of rock. The essential of Finnish popular music. They’re pretty blatantly stealing from Depeche Mode from time to time, but it works, so I don’t really complain. Ilkka has stuck to his band and they’ve pretty much stayed the course all through the years, but his brother Ismo has done loads of projects and is worth checking out. Finnish pop wouldn’t be the same without them.

Kotiteollisuus – Jos sanon

The definition of pop is a bit shady here. But I’m going with the “gets played in the regular radio stations” one. And thus, metal has been the way to go here. Lots of the big names fall into this genre. Kotiteollisuus, Nightwish, Mokoma, HIM, Lordi, all that.. We really love our metal. It plays on the pop channels all the time. We have radio stations that play pretty much nothing but it. Every local music award show seems to be dominated by these guys. And the long-haired metal guy is there as a pop icon along pretty girls and boys.

CMX – Ruoste

CMX, the brainchild of A.W. Yrjänä, started out as a punk band somewhere in the mid-80s. Since then they’ve manage to write one brilliant album after the other and managed to avoid getting stuck in a single genre. CMX has been everything from an epic space musical to progressive rock over the years. Ruoste (above) is one of those songs that, when it starts playing on the car stereo, at least one person in the car starts singing along. Usually followed by everyone else joining in. Something about it really touches the heart. Plus it’s a damn good song.

Irina – Vahva

I could make a post of their own about Finnish women artists, and probably will at some point. Irina, Jonna Tervomaa, Maija Vilkkumaa, Jenni Vartiainen, the list goes on. Singer-songwriters or just singers. Strong women personalities with something to say. Like quite a lot of good Finnish pop, they’re quite “rock-ish” in their sound.

YUP – Meitä odotellaan mullan alla

I could have probably mentioned YUP in the same sentence as CMX, but I love both of them way too much to slump them into one. They represent the two sides of the same coin for me – If they were people in an asylum, CMX would the serious one, insane in a calculating, dangerous fashion and YUP the quirky one, locked up in the mental ward because they’re breaking the norms.

Liisanpuisto – Toinen helsinki

Finnish hip hop is a thing that has been really on the “this can be called pop music” drive only from the turn of the millennium. Artists like Liisanpuisto, Sere, Fintelligens and others have paved the way for a thriving subculture over the last ten years. I’d like to say good things about the stuff that’s come out lately, but I’m more into the “classics”, I admit.

Zen Café – Mies jonka ympäriltä tuolit viedään

Not really my favorite band ever, or genre. But so popular here that I just have to mention it. I call it “the boy poet pop” – male singers, with lyrics about the modern life, commonplace situations and the angst of the man of today. Zen Café, Egotrippi, Herra Ylppö & Ihmiset represent this group quite well. And I know people will want to lynch me for grouping those three into the same category. Don’t really care.

PMMP – Pikkuveli

Pretty much like the previous but still distinct from them. The two bands, PMMP and Leevi and the Leavings. I don’t really know what is it about them that sets them apart from the previous genre, but they work much better as a whole. Touch something deeper than just the angst. They have a certain twist to them. Hard to describe, but very much worth getting to know.

Lauri Tähkä & Elonkerjuu – Pauhaava sydän

Lauri Tähkä is not really a good example of a genre and I’m not sure if it would warrant to get mentioned on its own, if it wasn’t for the fact that it represents the same Häjy culture as for example the Duudsonit. Also, they’re the closest thing to folk that gets on the pop charts these days.

Eläkeläiset – Humppasonni

I love cover versions, and Finnish humor music needs to be mentioned. Eläkeläiset is the best of both worlds. They’re pretty much like a drunk, Finnish version of Weird Al Yankovic. They’re also probably going to be representing Finland in the Eurovision song contest this year. Well, at least, hopefully will be.

Eppu Normaali – Tahroja paperilla

And then there is the “Old Guard”. I’m just going to lump all the classics here – Eppu Normaali, Popeda, Dingo, Juice Leskinen, Irwin Goodman, Rauli Badding Somerjoki and you can go further and further back. The ageless stuff that still gets air time on the radio these days.

Like said, I’ve probably forgotten the essentials. If you want, drop a note below on what I’ve missed and/or what you think should have been here.