A confession.
Hi, My name is Heather, and I like Scandinavian folk music. I'm on a binge today. Found that the Northside website has added more music samples and videos, so I have been scouring the pages to watch and hear stuff from the bands I like. And I have been listening to cds from my Scandinavian collection all day. I will say I don't like it all, but I do enjoy a handful of the bands, even if the music is not really what I would normally listen to. Most of it has at least a little traditional elements, whether it be the instruments like the hardanger fiddle (ie. what the Rohan theme in The Two Towers features) or the kantele, morbid Nordic myths and legends for lyrics or lyrical inspiration, or just the singing/vocal styles. I think the Russian, Polish, and Swedish in me finds something special, or a certain connection with these bands, and with my Jewish upbringing, hearing music in another language is not so foreign to me, and I had plenty of exposure to music and theater. And I think that with theses combined, I can appreciate this music better, and care less about what others may think of me for liking it, though that last part is mostly inspired by PAZ...one of the first things I really admired about him, and a trait I gladly picked up from him.