Persian rap, a follow up to the Ding Dong Song and other interesting music
Every once in a while, I like to do a music post, putting together some of the stuff I've been listening to recently. Some of those are the songs I like, some are songs I found noteworthy for other reasons. Some are new, some are just older songs I've never come across until now.
And so, in no particular order.
I discovered ZedBazi, a Persian rap group, thanks to Persian Street streaming radio station. Wikipedia describes it as one of the most popular bands in Iran, in no small parts because they used profanity and talked about sex and drugs. "Tabestoon Kootahe" in particular caught my attention because of its catchy refrain and a nice melody. Because I wanted to know what I was (mostly likely) mangling, I looked up the the translation.
In any other context, a song about partying during the summer wouldn't be that remarkable. But I couldn't help but think about City of Lies, a somewhat fictionalized but mostly non-fictional book about life in modern-day Tehran by British-Persian journalist Ramita Navai. Among many other things, the book talks about well-off youth, kids of oligarchs and politicians who travel abroad to have fun. It's possible to enjoy Western decadences in Iran so long as there's money to bribe the right people, but as City of Lies makes it clear, that only goes so far, and the illusion of freedom it provides can shatter at any moment. Which makes the song incredibly bittersweet.
I also like the dancier remix - though it takes more than a minute to really get going.
If you know Gunther for anything, it's probably the Ding Dong Song. What I didn't realize was that, in 2013, he released another song, and it's... Just watch it.
Yeah. This is a thing that exists.
When I heard about Bugzy Malone, I wondered why an English rapper would name himself after a Chicago gangster. On further research, it turned out that he actually named himself after an English kids movie about kid versions of Chicago gangsters. Which, as far as rap artist name origins go... I've seen worse. And his stuff is actually pretty cool.
Speaking of British artists... "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" by Jess Glynne reached the top 10 in United Kingdom, and I can definitely see why. The video caught my attention first, and I admit that I'm a sucker for that sort of story.... Which is why I decided to listen to the song without a video a few times. And honestly - I think it still works. it's bittersweet, yet... life-affirming. It recognizes that grief isn't something one easily overcomes... but it doesn't mean it doesn't get easier when you have good people by your side.
And finally... DJ Mean is someone I discovered way back. Like, almost pre-Lore back. I saw a flier advertising her Myspace page (which tells you how long ago that was) at a community college I was attending, and I was hooked. Even years later, I found myself humming her songs. So I was very pleasantly surprised to discover her new official homepage - and a Soundcloud page with some of my old favorites.
I still haven't been able to find my absolute favorite ("Alive"), but this "Red Light Go" is a close second. There is something catharticly defiant about it. The sort of thing I may have enjoyed singing through clenched teeth after leaving Cook County Hospital post-chemo.
As always with posts like this, I welcome any and all recommendations. Even if it's in genres I may not necessarily like 90% of the time.
Music has a way of surprising you.
And so, in no particular order.
I discovered ZedBazi, a Persian rap group, thanks to Persian Street streaming radio station. Wikipedia describes it as one of the most popular bands in Iran, in no small parts because they used profanity and talked about sex and drugs. "Tabestoon Kootahe" in particular caught my attention because of its catchy refrain and a nice melody. Because I wanted to know what I was (mostly likely) mangling, I looked up the the translation.
In any other context, a song about partying during the summer wouldn't be that remarkable. But I couldn't help but think about City of Lies, a somewhat fictionalized but mostly non-fictional book about life in modern-day Tehran by British-Persian journalist Ramita Navai. Among many other things, the book talks about well-off youth, kids of oligarchs and politicians who travel abroad to have fun. It's possible to enjoy Western decadences in Iran so long as there's money to bribe the right people, but as City of Lies makes it clear, that only goes so far, and the illusion of freedom it provides can shatter at any moment. Which makes the song incredibly bittersweet.
Click to viewI also like the dancier remix - though it takes more than a minute to really get going.
If you know Gunther for anything, it's probably the Ding Dong Song. What I didn't realize was that, in 2013, he released another song, and it's... Just watch it.
Yeah. This is a thing that exists.
When I heard about Bugzy Malone, I wondered why an English rapper would name himself after a Chicago gangster. On further research, it turned out that he actually named himself after an English kids movie about kid versions of Chicago gangsters. Which, as far as rap artist name origins go... I've seen worse. And his stuff is actually pretty cool.
Speaking of British artists... "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" by Jess Glynne reached the top 10 in United Kingdom, and I can definitely see why. The video caught my attention first, and I admit that I'm a sucker for that sort of story.... Which is why I decided to listen to the song without a video a few times. And honestly - I think it still works. it's bittersweet, yet... life-affirming. It recognizes that grief isn't something one easily overcomes... but it doesn't mean it doesn't get easier when you have good people by your side.
And finally... DJ Mean is someone I discovered way back. Like, almost pre-Lore back. I saw a flier advertising her Myspace page (which tells you how long ago that was) at a community college I was attending, and I was hooked. Even years later, I found myself humming her songs. So I was very pleasantly surprised to discover her new official homepage - and a Soundcloud page with some of my old favorites.
I still haven't been able to find my absolute favorite ("Alive"), but this "Red Light Go" is a close second. There is something catharticly defiant about it. The sort of thing I may have enjoyed singing through clenched teeth after leaving Cook County Hospital post-chemo.
As always with posts like this, I welcome any and all recommendations. Even if it's in genres I may not necessarily like 90% of the time.
Music has a way of surprising you.