Italian (Classic) Music For Dummies - Adriano Celentano

Another voiceless podcast of Italian music classics.
This time we're presenting Adriano Celentano, worldwide known for his Azzurro and one of the most popular singer (but also actor and TV anchorman) of the country since he first started his career in 1957. 

Green Like July #2

A long long time ago I wrote about an amazing band called Green Like July, promising that I would come back to you as soon as I had news about them.
So here I am, with their brilliant brand new album, a fresh video (which has been hosted for a preview by The New Yorker!) and an EP with two classy cover of John Lennon and Big Star's classics.



Here you go then.
Love and support them.
They deserve it.

Two Covers Song By Green Like July EP (2011)

Four Legged Fortune (2010)

A Toys Orchestra

This week we're finally heading south, to meet the faboulous A Toys Orchestra.

This indie-pop group has been around since the beginnig of the century (hell yeah, it's nice to say) and has conquered more and more fans with its melancholic, but still sugarish, sounds.

With their 2007 album they've also started touring around Europe, having two of their songs chosen as song of the week by the BBC.

Here you go with the usual video, taken from a Pronti Al Peggio session, another nice italian music thing you should check out:



And here you have all of the four albums that the band has released so far, with Technicolor Dreams being my favourite one for its mellow mood.

Midnight Talks (2010)

Technicolor Dreams (2007)

Cuckoo Bohoo (2004)

Job (2001)

Italian Music For Dummies #2

Italian Music For Dummies #2 by Italianmusicfordummies on Mixcloud

Perturbazione

Without doubt the most influential italian indipendent pop group, Perturbazione started their carreer in the early '90s as an high-school band.

After a long long carreer in Torino's undeground scene they exploded nationwide in 2002 with the beautiful In Circolo, which is still one of the best (if not THE best) pop album that our country has given birth to.

Their melancholic lyrics are known by heart by every real italian indie-rocker, and their concerts are always a wonderful experience, with a constant exchange between the public and the artists (most notably with Perturbazione's singer, Tommaso Cerasuoli).

Here's a video from 2007 Pianissimo Fortissimo, showing their growth as a group and their lovely attitude towards fans:

And here you go with In Circolo (their best know album) and Enlarge Your English (an album that was sold with a book teaching English for children, and is therefore all sang in English). I choose not to overload you with their discography of Italian-sang albums, because I'm not sure if Perturbazione's song can be appreciated without an understanding of the lyrics. If you want more, just ask.

In Circolo (2002)

Enlarge Your English (2010)

A Classic Education

They're still to release a full album but the Emilia-based A Classic Education and their half-Canadian singer Jonathan Clancy are for sure the next big thing in the Italian scene. A quite known band in the U.K. (where they released a few digital 7"), they're one of the few bands from our nation that has a musical career going on overseas, where they tour quite a lot (with the participation at Sout By Southwest 2010 as their highlight).
Get a taste of them with the beautiful video of their Gone To Sea.




Here's for you their two EPs, their major releases till now.

Hey There Stranger (2010)

Fist EP (2008)

Italian Music For Dummies #1

Italian Music For Dummies #1 by Italianmusicfordummies on Mixcloud

Green Like July

On the road again, this time with the Alessandria based band Green Like July.

They've made just one album (the second one is ready, but still unreleased), but their folk-rock with some splinters of country music, has been in my hear ever since I saw them live four years ago.

Here's a little taste of it with The Sky Is The Key (i'm sorry for the acting in the middle of the song, but, despite of that, this is the best quality video I could find).

Waiting for their new record, I present you May This Winter Freeze My Heart, with the hope of being able to write about them again really soon.

May This Winter Freeze My Heart (2005)

Ex-Otago

It's time of summer music and city pride.
Ex-Otago are a group from my Genova, playing a poppish music, whose "maccaroni english" will enlighten you summer days.

They started off in 2003 as one of many Genova's reaaally well kept musical secrets, but through their crazy lives, they are now a known name all around Italy.

Have a little taste of their music (and of "my sea"):

Enjoy my home-made compilation of three unrelased singles, featuring their fantastic cover of Corona's hit The Rhythm Of The Night, and their two albums (the third one is going to be released in autumn). 

Singles 

Tanti Saluti (2007)

The Chestnuts Time (2003)

Mondo Cane

I almost feel obliged to start this blog with Mike Patton's new project.

Ok, he's not italian, but the effort he made to put together some of the best italian musicians (Roy Paci at the trumpet, Alessandro "Asso" Stefana at the guitar) just for the fun of playing covers of (mostly unknown) italian pop songs from the '60s and the '70s, deserves respect and the first real post of this blog.
Here you go with a video of a live concert in Amsterdam:

I'll offer you the 11 track album, and a 22 tracks high quality bootleg from the 2008 concert in Amsterdam.

(by the way, the name Mondo Cane has been taken from an italian exploitation documentary of the '60s. That's what you call a serious passion!)

Mondo Cane (2010)

Mondo Cane Live @ Holland Festival (2008)