How Many Czech Bands Can You Name?

Urska Jaksa

May 8, 2020

Music hero of the month: Ondrej

Besides being a music enthusiast, Ondrej’s also an active musician with a mission and a vision: “I play bass in the Rock band Painting Memories, based in Brno. Apart from playing in a band, I have a recording studio with my friend and bandmate, called Altered City, and apart from the studio work, we're trying to help underground musicians as much as we can, to get their music out there more. We promote them on social media, we organise shows etc. This is something I do because of my passion for music (we don't charge anything, of course), because I realized that there are soooo many great unknown musicians that deserve more attention. Needless to say, we don't turn them into big rockstars or anything like that, but I believe that every little bit helps and that good things attract more good things, kinda like a chain reaction.”

“I realized that there are soooo many great unknown musicians that deserve more attention.”

“I've been doing this actively for two years now, and when I discovered Viberate about six months ago, the next step was obvious. I keep on discovering new artists, mostly by going to shows (now impossible because of the lockdown) and by searching for them online. And of course, now I keep creating their profiles on Viberate.”

And a piece of advice for his fellow contributors: “I don't know if there are any hacks I can give you, maybe just a little piece of advice. There's a tremendous amount of great music that you haven't discovered yet and you can find real treasures if you try. Look for it online, but mainly, and I can’t stress this enough, go to live shows. See the musicians live, enjoy the magic of the moment, and support them as much as you can!” 

Top 5: Picks and thoughts

We asked Ondrej to select his personal Top 5 among the artists he's discovered while contributing. “It's really difficult to pick just five artists, but here we go,” he says, before making a list that’s more Czech than guláš and Staropramen.

1. Break Falls

“This one is really a no-brainer. Four super talented girls playing Indie Pop with something extra. This is not overproduced, polished music, it's much more emotional, with superb melodies and brilliant songwriting. You listen and you can feel the passion, the heart and the soul of this music.”

2. The Complication

“A kickass modern rock 'n' roll band, their most recent record 'Life Inside' is a must for any Rock fan. Great music, with vocals that recall the late legend Chris Cornell.”

3. Janet A

“A singer-songwriter with a Rock band, playing a kind of modern Pop Rock with an alternative and Grunge edge. Extraordinary voice, earworms, eye candy.😁 Check her music out, you won't regret it.”

4. Black Velvet Suicide

“This is muddy, swampy, dirty, heavy Southern Rock, Mississippi style. But these guys are from the south of Czech Republic and they have the southern feel on point. Also, they kick some serious ass.”

5. Heiden

“And last but not least, here’s something in the Czech language. It's a shame that probably none of you will understand the lyrics, because the frontman, main composer and lyricist is a poet genius. Heiden are an extraordinary band, because every album they release is so different than the previous one, and there is constant progress. From Pagan/Black Metal to Post-Rock, Alternative Rock, even a little bit of Pop. But one thing is always present, the atmosphere, the unique style and the brilliant poetry.”

An unorthodox playlist

Following the “Tell me what you listen to and I'll tell you who you are” doctrine, we were curious about the songs that are a must on his playlist, and got an unexpected answer: “I can’t really choose just a few songs I listen to, because that's not the way I listen to music. I'm not the playlist kind of guy, with all kinds of different artists in one playlist. When I listen to music, I always listen to the whole album(s), because the artist made the album as a story and I'm not a fan of cherry-picking songs. Also, there are dozens of different albums I listened to just this week. So, I can pick some artists I listen to a lot nowadays.”

“When I listen to music, I always listen to the whole album(s), because the artist made the album as a story and I'm not a fan of cherry-picking songs.”

1. Palaye Royale: “For the last year my total favourite. Modern-sounding old-school rock 'n' roll with the extraordinary and absolutely unique voice of Remington Leith.”

2. Before the Dawn: “For the last decade, the band I've been returning to. In my opinion, the absolute top of Melodic Death Metal. Tuomas Saukkonen is a genius.”

3. R.E.M.:“Do I need to say anything here?”

4. Indica: “A Finnish girl symphonic Pop Rock band. I've listened to their entire discography at least a thousand times during the past years. Absolutely love the songs and I adore the sound of the Finnish language, even though I don't understand it.”

5. Katzenjammer:“Norwegian Folk-Rock-Country-Jazz-Pop-Indie-and I don't know what else. They can all sing and the play like twenty instruments, and they switch them all the time during the live shows. If that isn't impressive, I don't know what is.”

6. Infected Rain:“In my opinion, the best Metal band nowadays. They are just different and the music is exceptional. Either you love it or hate it...and I definitely love it.”

7. Billie Eilish:“I know there are lot of people who don't like her music, but I'm not one of them. I think she is super talented and the album is really something else. I hope the next one will be even better, I think there’s a lot of potential yet.”

8. 10 Years:“My favourite Alternative Rock/Metal band for the past 10 Years (pun intended).”

9. Sum 41:“One of the bands I liked when I was growing up, they've come quite a long way and the last three albums are just great.”

10. Aurelio Voltaire:“Dark cabaret par excellence. He can write not only really funny stuff ('The Dirtiest Song That Ain't'), but also brilliant and powerful pieces of music ('Leaves in the Stream'– a duet with Alyssa White-Gluz).”

What’s Viberate, anyway?

If Ondrej had to describe Viberate to somebody who doesn’t know it yet, he’d go for: “Viberate is the MOAP (Mother Of All Platforms). Really, I see it as the go-to platform for professionals and music enthusiasts alike. I think that Viberate is the future. I wouldn't describe it further, I would say, go check it out.”

We have to admit, that made us smile. If you know a band or an artist that deserves more attention, you can lend a hand by adding their profile on Viberate. The same goes for music festivals and venues. Register and join our music community. Find all the additional information you need here.

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