I should not have heard of Emiliana Torrini. She’s an Icelandic singer-songwriter, and while her work is available on American iTunes and she contributed a song to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, her career exists mostly outside this country.
And yet there she was on the radio this morning. My wake-up station is New York’s Z100, and on Thursday mornings, they play number one hits from around the world. Today, they capped off the segment with Torrini’s “Jungle Drum,” which has topped the charts in places like Germany, Iceland, Austria, and Belgium.
This song is just so cute! And no joke, you guys… I watched this video before I knew Torrini was from Iceland, and I thought, “Hm, she’s got a serious Björk-like quality.” Wild!
If this song were given a chance in America, I feel like it would succeed. It’s got the same quirkygirl vibe that made us embrace Feist and Yael Naïm and all those other folks from the Apple ads, and the low-fi, garage-rock percussion gives it a “real musician” sound that sets it apart from the studio fantasias dominating our charts.
Whaddya say, Critical Condition readers? Can we make “Jungle Drum” happen? Let’s start a campaign! (If you live outside the U.S., then contact your embassy in America and tell them to agitate!)
9 responses so far ↓
1 Deanna // Nov 19, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I love it!
2 Doug // Nov 19, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I’m down!
3 ferretrick // Nov 19, 2009 at 1:32 pm
It is cute and pretty enjoyable, but I think its a song that could get overplayed and annoying VERY quickly.
4 Jeff C // Nov 19, 2009 at 1:44 pm
In my humble opinion, the only shot this song has to crack the American consciousness even a teeny, tiny bit is (1) in a well-placed television commercial, or (2) sampled in another song.
Only in Kennedy-era MTV could a song like this get serious airtime in America…which is why there will only be one Bjork.
5 Mark Blankenship // Nov 19, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Jeff, I think you are right. If it weren’t for Apple ads, Feist wouldn’t have had her quirky top ten hit, either.
And I can’t disagree with you, Ferretrick, that this song might wear out its welcome, but for at least a few weeks, I think it would sound great on the radio. (Or my iPod. I don’t really listen to the radio that much.) I’ll download it when I get home, and and give it a real-world test to see how long it stays fresh.
6 Jeff C // Nov 19, 2009 at 1:59 pm
This is not to say that I don’t like the song, I do. Also, thank you Mark, for introducing me to my new girlfriend.
7 Gonzalo // Nov 19, 2009 at 2:36 pm
This is an awesome song! Love the crazy buildup of energy towards the end.
I’ve had it on my iPod for a few months. If I recall correctly, the first time I heard it was on a episode of Grey’s Anatomy last year – I think the people that pick music for that show are true visionary geniuses. (fact checked: it played during the icicle incident of last year’s season premiere)
By the way, I’ve listened to the rest of the album (Me and Armini) once or twice. Although it doesn’t quite match the height of this song, it’s still pretty good stuff.
8 kerrita // Nov 30, 2009 at 7:16 pm
adorable, but i can do without the video. i will download her quirky songs posthaste.
9 kerrita // Nov 30, 2009 at 7:17 pm
@gonzalo House also has great soundtrack picker people
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