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As one can see from a quick glance at the music section, there seems to be a drought of quality Armenian music. Armenians seem to be either obsessed with regurgitating the same crap over and over again with subpar singers and bands, or don't understand our music is unique to the region, and shouldn't sound like Arabic or Turkish music with Armenian lyrics. So in an effort (probably a futile one) to inspire a sad generation of Armos to demand a higher standard/caliber of the arts as we had been known to do throughout history, I've decided to start a thread for some of the more progressive, and/or better crafted and arranged music I've come across.
Arevatsag
This band has apparently been around since the '90s, but I had not heard of them until I accidentally came across one of their videos a little while back. Great prog rock sound, without loosing too much of the original, folk sound to the songs. Unfortunately, it appears as though the singer (and occasional drummer), Hrach Mirzakhanyan, died almost exactly 2 years ago.
I have not been able to find much else on this band, other than a few bits of music clips during an interview with Hrach I came across on a Google search, which sounded equally as good as the videos below.
Blbool
Maratook
And the afore mentioned interview
Armen Chakmakian
I did a more detailed write up for this musician somewhere in this forum. Great fusion of world sounds, including of course, Armenian. I've seldom heard someone pull off the modernization of ancient sounds like this. He has 2 solo albums (worked with several other bands in the past), and they're both excellent.
Gypsy Rain (obviously not an official video)
Ceramonies feat. Djivan Gasparyan (GREAT video)
MySpace page (lots more music and info here, obviously)
Official site (even more music and info)
Armenian Navy Band
While the material of this band is very intricate, complicated, creative and unique, their style is not for everyone. Arto, who collaborated with Serj (SOAD) for his Serart side project, lives in Turkey, and is a Turkish citizen, and the "lyrics" often reflect this. Sometimes he'll sing in full blown Armenian, sometimes Turkish, but he's best known for his own language comprised of mashing incoherent Turkish and/or Armenian together. It's interesting, to say the least. But if you're into something different while still clearly displaying musical elements of the motherland, they are most definitely worth checking out.
Live video 1
Live video 2
MySpace page with music and info
Official website with more music and info
Artsruni
Some of you are probably familiar with this one. They're not nearly as obscure as Arevatsag. From hearing several clips of theirs, I've noticed their sound varies widely. There are the songs like the ones I have linked to below, which basically sounds like an Armenian Jethro Tull on crack, but some of the others sound far more folksy and mild/traditional.
Cruzaid Part II
Anush Garun
I presume this is their official site; handful of MP3 samples available in their discography
Elvina Makarian
Part passionate, soulful artist, part chain-smoking, binge drinking cheesy lounge singer, this next entry is very.....different, as far as Armenian artists who sing in the mother tongue goes. She had won several awards, honors and critic acclaim while still in her early teens. I'm presuming she sounded very different back then versus her sultry style heard on her released albums. Personally, I like the edgy touch years of eroding her esophagus has given the songs, but I can see where others won't. Sadly, she passed away in 2007. It is unclear if it was the lung cancer, or the shot liver that got to her first. OK, morbid humor aside, it was heart failure. Her music will not be forgotten.
Yaro Jan
2 Guitars (French)
MySpace with music samples
Official site with more music and info
Gor Mkhitarian
'Stancis? Any 'Stancis in the house? Many of you are probably already familiar with our brown eyed, bushy (almost uni-) browed friend. I've dubbed him the Armenian Pearl Jam for introducing almost an American folk rock sound to old Armenian (and sometimes original) folk songs, with an occasional English song thrown in. I'm not a fan of all his material, but I do like it over all. He was supposed to play at the Taste of Armenia last year in Evanston, IL, but I noticed the name of the guest performer changed about a week or so before the event to some douchebag that sang in Russian the whole time.........at Taste of ARMENIA.....
Inchu Bingyole Mtar
Sogher Jan
MySpace page with sample music and info
Official site with lots more music and info
Iakovos Kolanian
Terrific classic guitar renditions of traditional Armenian songs. He was born in Greece to an Armenian father, and Greek mother (thus the Greek first name, and Armenian last name), where all of his schooling took place. He is held in high regards in Greece AND Armenia. Here's a great example of his work.
Nubar Nubar
You can hear samples of his songs here
Inga & Anush Arshakyan
Mmkay, this is an interesting touch to old Armenian folk music from a couple of sisters some of you may know. Most of it has an eerie, haunting quality to it, but it's beautiful, and it still stays very true to the old world sound. Their voices are ASTOUNDING! As Anush (no, not the one from the band, the AC member) pointed out last night by directing me to some of their live videos (I didn't realize there were so many more videos added since I first discovered them), they get very progressive sounding on their live versions of these songs. This is one of those instances where the more I listen to the songs, the more enchanting they become.
Hasrsanekan
Khio Khane (live)
Khelpane (live)
MySpace page (has music samples)
Official site with lots more music and info
Kohar Symphony Orchestra
I am eternally thankful for discovering this next entry. Kohar finally takes traditional Armenian music back to it's classical routes, and away from all the Middle Eastern influences that tainted and adulterated its natural state. Complete with some powerhouse vocalists, an evening witnessing this symphony would be a treat to the ears of even the most discriminating music aficionados, and a walk down memory lane for those from "the old country".
Hay Nare
Khorodig Morodig (thought it says Maratoug for the title?)
Parov Arakil (I LOVE this guy's voice; my favorite male singer from Kohar)
Official site
(Unnamed band)
There is only one video for these guys, but this is one of the best renditions I've heard of Tamzara without exclusively using traditional instruments. As you can see in the comments, the band has not come up with a name yet, and I don't know if they have any studio recordings, but if this video is any indication of what these guys can do, this looks very promising.
Tamzara
And that'll do for now to get things started. I'll add more later. Feel free to add anyone else of SUBSTANCE to this thread (in other words, NO Tata, or Asatryan, or Armenchik, or Nune, etc). If you want to post about useless wastes of space like those, please start a separate thread where you can continue to perpetuate the death and demise of Armenian artistry.
Arevatsag
This band has apparently been around since the '90s, but I had not heard of them until I accidentally came across one of their videos a little while back. Great prog rock sound, without loosing too much of the original, folk sound to the songs. Unfortunately, it appears as though the singer (and occasional drummer), Hrach Mirzakhanyan, died almost exactly 2 years ago.
I have not been able to find much else on this band, other than a few bits of music clips during an interview with Hrach I came across on a Google search, which sounded equally as good as the videos below.Blbool
Maratook
And the afore mentioned interview
Armen Chakmakian
I did a more detailed write up for this musician somewhere in this forum. Great fusion of world sounds, including of course, Armenian. I've seldom heard someone pull off the modernization of ancient sounds like this. He has 2 solo albums (worked with several other bands in the past), and they're both excellent.
Gypsy Rain (obviously not an official video)
Ceramonies feat. Djivan Gasparyan (GREAT video)
MySpace page (lots more music and info here, obviously)
Official site (even more music and info)
Armenian Navy Band
While the material of this band is very intricate, complicated, creative and unique, their style is not for everyone. Arto, who collaborated with Serj (SOAD) for his Serart side project, lives in Turkey, and is a Turkish citizen, and the "lyrics" often reflect this. Sometimes he'll sing in full blown Armenian, sometimes Turkish, but he's best known for his own language comprised of mashing incoherent Turkish and/or Armenian together. It's interesting, to say the least. But if you're into something different while still clearly displaying musical elements of the motherland, they are most definitely worth checking out.
Live video 1
Live video 2
MySpace page with music and info
Official website with more music and info
Artsruni
Some of you are probably familiar with this one. They're not nearly as obscure as Arevatsag. From hearing several clips of theirs, I've noticed their sound varies widely. There are the songs like the ones I have linked to below, which basically sounds like an Armenian Jethro Tull on crack, but some of the others sound far more folksy and mild/traditional.
Cruzaid Part II
Anush Garun
I presume this is their official site; handful of MP3 samples available in their discography
Elvina Makarian
Part passionate, soulful artist, part chain-smoking, binge drinking cheesy lounge singer, this next entry is very.....different, as far as Armenian artists who sing in the mother tongue goes. She had won several awards, honors and critic acclaim while still in her early teens. I'm presuming she sounded very different back then versus her sultry style heard on her released albums. Personally, I like the edgy touch years of eroding her esophagus has given the songs, but I can see where others won't. Sadly, she passed away in 2007.
It is unclear if it was the lung cancer, or the shot liver that got to her first. OK, morbid humor aside, it was heart failure. Her music will not be forgotten.Yaro Jan
2 Guitars (French)
MySpace with music samples
Official site with more music and info
Gor Mkhitarian
'Stancis? Any 'Stancis in the house? Many of you are probably already familiar with our brown eyed, bushy (almost uni-) browed friend. I've dubbed him the Armenian Pearl Jam for introducing almost an American folk rock sound to old Armenian (and sometimes original) folk songs, with an occasional English song thrown in. I'm not a fan of all his material, but I do like it over all. He was supposed to play at the Taste of Armenia last year in Evanston, IL, but I noticed the name of the guest performer changed about a week or so before the event to some douchebag that sang in Russian the whole time.........at Taste of ARMENIA.....
Inchu Bingyole Mtar
Sogher Jan
MySpace page with sample music and info
Official site with lots more music and info
Iakovos Kolanian
Terrific classic guitar renditions of traditional Armenian songs. He was born in Greece to an Armenian father, and Greek mother (thus the Greek first name, and Armenian last name), where all of his schooling took place. He is held in high regards in Greece AND Armenia. Here's a great example of his work.
Nubar Nubar
You can hear samples of his songs here
Inga & Anush Arshakyan
Mmkay, this is an interesting touch to old Armenian folk music from a couple of sisters some of you may know. Most of it has an eerie, haunting quality to it, but it's beautiful, and it still stays very true to the old world sound. Their voices are ASTOUNDING! As Anush (no, not the one from the band, the AC member) pointed out last night by directing me to some of their live videos (I didn't realize there were so many more videos added since I first discovered them), they get very progressive sounding on their live versions of these songs. This is one of those instances where the more I listen to the songs, the more enchanting they become.
Hasrsanekan
Khio Khane (live)
Khelpane (live)
MySpace page (has music samples)
Official site with lots more music and info
Kohar Symphony Orchestra
I am eternally thankful for discovering this next entry. Kohar finally takes traditional Armenian music back to it's classical routes, and away from all the Middle Eastern influences that tainted and adulterated its natural state. Complete with some powerhouse vocalists, an evening witnessing this symphony would be a treat to the ears of even the most discriminating music aficionados, and a walk down memory lane for those from "the old country".
Hay Nare
Khorodig Morodig (thought it says Maratoug for the title?)
Parov Arakil (I LOVE this guy's voice; my favorite male singer from Kohar)
Official site
(Unnamed band)
There is only one video for these guys, but this is one of the best renditions I've heard of Tamzara without exclusively using traditional instruments. As you can see in the comments, the band has not come up with a name yet, and I don't know if they have any studio recordings, but if this video is any indication of what these guys can do, this looks very promising.
Tamzara
And that'll do for now to get things started. I'll add more later. Feel free to add anyone else of SUBSTANCE to this thread (in other words, NO Tata, or Asatryan, or Armenchik, or Nune, etc). If you want to post about useless wastes of space like those, please start a separate thread where you can continue to perpetuate the death and demise of Armenian artistry.
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