Going native, musically speaking.

"Going native" is the internal term used by Peace Corps officials for volunteers who get a little too attached and enthusiastic to their assigned surroundings and culture, and who, instead of building wells or teaching agriculture, start living amongst their charges and participating in their local customs and rituals. By policy, these folks invaribly get "forcibly returned to their own culture," another internal term. Not that I'm going to start wearing lederhosen anytime soon (or even the ubiquitous rust-colored corduroys with wide wales), but I found myself actually wanting, heaven help me... a Falco album since I got here. Perhaps it was the not-bad biopic movie of this Austrian pop star I saw on the flight over, maybe it was the subconscious desire to learn more "everyday" German as opposed to the academic version, but I did the deed, and purchased an abbreviated compilation (culled from his final 2 albums and a few stand-alone singles) of Falco's later, post "Amadeus" material, which showed the guy moving in a darker, harder techo/club direction after his sales declined and the record company basically left him alone. As a new student to the language, I must say that Falco has perfect diction, so I can pick up a lot of stuff. Even though it's actually pretty decent (then again I like techo) I'm still a tad embarrassed to own this, and B forbade me to play this CD in the car. Ever.

One thing we can agree on is the band Deichkind (literally, "Dike Kid"), a German electronic band (they use the term "ghettotech"). Lots of gritty, dirty beats, and an overall sense of humor mixed in with the occasionally menacing music. Unlike Falco, I did not purchase this CD (named "Arbeit Nervt," an excellent disc) for the vocals/lyrics-- truth be told, I rarely listen to lyrics, which is good, because the vocals are buried in the mix here. I first happened across this band when MTV Germany aired a music/fashion clash, with the band and the models sharing the catwalk. These guys (wearing what appeared to black trash bags decorated with day-glo tape) were flat-out wild, and you could tell they were really ticking off the models, which was great. I've sent the video for their single out to a few folks already, and it's really worth a watch-- the fact that they are singing in German doesn't detract from the CRAZY visuals in any way shape or form. Click the title to view ARBEIT NERVT (which, loosely translated means "work sucks"). Strap in for a wild ride.