Artemis

( 1991-2010 )

Comments are off--I will take condolences as read. Please don't text or call or email or snail mail--I'm not really there yet; this only happened yesterday morning. I'll post with more info when I'm ready.

Later, I'm going to post about the annual New Year's Eve party for which I supply the soundtrack -- this year the theme is "Scandanavia." Other than Grieg and ABBA, I'm at a bit of a loss, so I'm looking forward to some fun suggestions from you guys in that post.

Okay music lovers - I need your help!

For several years now, I've gone to a New Year's Eve party at my friends P&J's home. Each year's menu has a specific theme. Early themes were things like "Italian," but as J got more talented, and the party expanded, the themes went beyond specific cuisines: "everyone send me a list of food you hate, and I'll see if I can't make it in a way that you'll end up liking," or "food from all of the places Obama has lived," or "A modern take on what Delmonico's (America's first fine-dining restaurant) would serve on New Year's Eve," etc.

This year, "Scandinavia!" was, uh, foisted on J. I have no idea what to expect.

MY job is to come up with about six hours of music that goes with the theme, and then collect it and fling it on my iPod. I usually start out with the obvious--in this case, what immediately sprung to mind were Grieg (especially "In the Hall of the Mountain King"), and ABBA. Which is great for a few songs, but nobody wants to listen to six hours of Grieg an ABBA.

This is where you come in.

Wikipedia:

Scandinavia(!) is a region in northern Europe that includes Denmark and two of the Scandinavian Peninsula's countries, Norway and Sweden. While the other Nordic countries of Finland and Iceland are sometimes grouped with the region, they are not technically affiliated.

Scandinavia extends to the north of the Arctic Circle....

I've already started putting together a list of songs that work with "Scandinavia!" but aren't particularly "Scandinavian," per se. For example, I've got The Squirrel Nut Zippers' "Hell," because of Hell, Norway; "Cheer Up, Hamlet," from Slings & Arrows, for Denmark; Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," for Vikings and awesomeness, etc. Also the hip-hop-swing-rap "Äppelknyckarjazz" by Movits! (If you haven't heard this song/seen this video, get thee hence with all due haste.)

Okay, you awesome people, get creative! Anything that you think might work (I'm probably going to use the Monty Python song "Finland," because hey, why not) -- drop a comment!

Oh, and if you have recommendations for, you know, music from Scandinavia, that'll work too.

ETA: Oooh - the Animaniacs' "Anvilania!"

EATA: Holy crap, the theme song to Wallander is gorgeous.