Over at Living in Europe, Eamonn's got an interesting post about the German band Lali Puna. Noting that the band is mainly concerned with the status of things in the US, he writes
The bigger point, however, is...what she doesn't sing about, Germany. The country's lack of anything approaching a political dynamic that would galvanise an artist of Trebeljahr's ability suggests that it's not just the economy that's being suffocated; the remnants of a critical tradition are being stifled as well. The distant past of fascism, the middle past of terrorism and the recent past of communism are not exactly the stuff of pop song, but a complete turning of the back upon every aspect of a history, a culture, a society is worrying.
I don't know the band's music, but from the little bit I've heard and lyrics I've read, I would be inclined to agree with Eamonn; and while I can't think of any counter-examples at the moment, there must be some [good] bands who are singing about the state of things in Germany? Little help? (I so seldom listen to new music--tsk.)
Posted by Heather at April 14, 2004 03:38 PM
Comments
German pop and rock music has a distanced relationship to German language, culture and tradition anyhow; it cannot look back to a genuine folk tradition - the German Volkslieder and folk traditions having been tainted by the Nazis. Young people in the 60's would look more to the Beatles and the Stones.
But to declare the German culture dead based on the state of German music is going too far. After all, there are books, theatre, journalism, movies, etc.
So while not trying to defend German music, or making an argument, I would like to recommend the following bands to you, all of them from the Hamburger Schule:
- Blumfeld http://www.blumfeld.de/
- Die Sterne
- Bernd Begemann http://www.berndbegemann.de/
A reader from Hamburg, having come to your blog via Ostblog. :-)
Posted by: Arty at April 15, 2004 02:48 AM
Blumfeld was one of the first bands I thought of when reading the original commentary, simply because their music is powerful. But you're right; they offer an obvious counterargument. I think what was bothered Eamonn was, in part, the fact that Lali Puna had gotten attention from Radiohead and thus have access (also because of their use of English) to a larger audience.
Ah! die Hamburger Schule. Maybe it's a Hamburg v. Munich thing? :)
Posted by: Heather at April 15, 2004 06:42 AM