Music Video: Maxim - Systemcrash

A couple of things to note on today's artist, Maxim.  First, if you type his name into YouTube, you get a LOT of videos with topless women.  The other thing is that Maxim is another German artist who has a remarkable grasp of the reggae genre (why are there so many of them?).  Systemcrash has a little more of an edge than his usual soulful groove, but it nevertheless remains a good demonstration of his craft.

Music Video: Jens Friebe - Neues Gesicht

Way back in the 1980s, I liked my music with the typical 80s flair for the artistic.  Think The Cure, Aztec Camera, OMD, etc.  Well, the Germans also apparently like the whole "Art Rock" thing, and one of its major proponents these days is Jens Friebe.  While it's one of his older tracks, I am a big fan of his song Neues Gesicht.  In my mind, it's just the right blend of 80s-inspired artiness and modern rock.

Music Video: Señor Flavio - El Apagón

"Latin Alternative" is an exciting musical genre.  Previously on this blog, I've stated that Manu Chao is arguably the father of the genre.  Apparently others believe that the Argentine artist Señor Flavio, formerly the bassist for Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, is the father of the genre.  I won't argue the point.  I will, however, argue that El Apagón is a great song - combining ska, hip-hop, and Latin rhythms into an exciting cocktail.

Music Video: LaBrassBanda - Bauersbua

I was introduced to LaBrassBanda by Arndt Peltner, who does a great program on German music for Radio Goethe.  With their song Bauersbua, you not only get a driving beat that will get your feet dancing and your heart beating faster, you also get a tuba solo that makes your lungs hurt just watching it.  LaBrassBanda manages to blend what you may think of as traditional "Oompah" with more modern beats to create something new and very exciting.

Music Video: Marteria - Sekundenschlaf

I am a huge fan of the German dancehall band Seeed (trust me, this is going somewhere), and have been biding my time while its various members follow their solo side projects before returning to record a new album in 2011.  Well, imagine my delirious joy when I saw on their website that they had just released a "remix" of German rapper Marteria's song Sekundenschlaf.  Well. . . it's actually not all that different from the original version, but it is enjoyable nevertheless.

Music Video: Iriepathie - Marianne

German band Iriepathie can lay down some smooth reggae grooves.  When they combine those smooth reggae grooves with a video that portrays the band in an 19th Century Alpine village setting as they do in their song Marianne, it gets pretty surreal.  But hey, isn't that part of the glory of musical cross-fertilization? 

Music Video: BB Brunes - Perdus Cette Nuit

BB Brunes are the standard bearers of France's "Le Nouvelle Scène", which consists of French bands playing hard driving rock 'n roll while singing in - gasp - French.   Well, good for them, I say!  With their song Perdus Cette Nuit, complete with driving beat, raucous guitar, and grinding keyboard, BB Brunes really sets the tone for the movement.  But this energy carries through on both of their two studio albums (so far).