12 Lithuanian Music Artists You Should Definitely Check Out

Right now, no one really cares about Lithuanian music outside of Lithuania, and that's too bad, because there are plenty of Lithuanian singers good enough to be on the international map. Here's a sampling of artists in different genres to show you what the most talented in this tiny former soviet nation can do.

Alina Orlova

This young Russian/Lithuanian singer has a unique, emotive singing style and has been compared to Regina Spektor. She sings beautifully in Lithuanian, Russian, and English. She also has awesome hair.

Ieva Narkutė

Because she belongs to the "sung poetry" genre, it might be best to appreciate Ieva's music with translations of her songs. But even if you don't understand anything, they are still all beautiful.

The Ball and Chain

There is nothing not to like about this duo. They have an interesting history: Erica Jennings is Irish and Lithuanian, Jurgis Didžiulis is Colombian and Lithuanian, and they have both performed with other bands before (you may have seen Jurgis in Eurovision 2010 with his former band Inculto, and Erica's other band will appear later on this list). Now they (a married couple!) sing adorable duets.

GJan

GJan may be only 18, but she already has plenty of badass pop songs and videos to go with them, including this one where she stuffs her face with cupcake (and does other things).

Leon Somov & Jazzu

This duo--the talented producer and golden-voiced singer--makes beautiful music in both English and Lithuanian. Here's one chill offering from their latest joint effort.

Liūdni Slibinai

This band is amazing on many levels. For one thing, their lyrics are usually humorous, or taken from famous Lithuanian poetry, or both. They seem to know how to arrange the music behind every poem (and joke) perfectly, for maximum effect. Although their name translates to "Sad Dragons", they manage to sing even melancholy lyrics without sounding too heavy. And they are so incredibly energetic onstage that even someone who doesn't understand their lyrics at all can enjoy watching them (for the most ridiculous demonstration of that, click here).

Andrius Mamontovas

Andrius Mamontovas is pretty much the most famous rocker in Lithuania. He was known first for his band Foje (its music is very available online) and since they split in 1997, he has had a very successful solo career, always reinventing himself, experimenting with different types of rock, pop, electronic music and more. There are too many Mamontovas songs to choose from, but for now, here's a badass-sounding song about his country. (Lyrics translated here.)

Marijonas Mikutavičius

It seems fitting to place Mikutavičius after Mamontovas, because he's also incredibly famous in his domain, though it's pop, not rock. He has a lot of legendary songs, including this serious one, which is best appreciated with a translation. He's also the author of the song "Trys Milijonai" (Three Million), a sports anthem written for the 2000 Olympics, which has come to be associated with basketball and become sort of a second national anthem. It makes sense when you know how much Lithuanians love basketball.

SEL

SEL is technically a group, but it basically consists of one man, Egidijus Dragūnas, and whoever is working with him at the moment. The Lithuanian tabloids show he can be an unpleasant person at times, but the songs he comes up with are fun to party to.

Donatas Montvydas

Speaking of party music . . . no Lithuanian music-related list would be complete without something from Lithuanian pop's biggest heartthrob. Donatas Montvydas, also known as Donny Montell, represented Lithuania in Eurovision two years ago, and his career has taken off since then. He now has a bunch of dance jams (like the one above), a position as a judge on Lithuania's version of "The Voice", and a wife and daughter. He's basically an all-around great guy.

Jurga Šeduikytė

Jurga is a bit of an odd one--always creative, taking inspiration from many sources. Each song on her latest album, for example, was inspired by a different movie (more than one of them by Lars von Trier). She makes some interesting (that is, questionable) fashion choices, and some of her songs don't fit into any genre at all. But her voice is beautiful and flexible enough for any song, and it's a pleasure to see each new project she makes.

SKAMP

I said that Erica Jennings's old band would appear elsewhere in this list . . . well, here it is, for a grand finale! SKAMP represented Lithuania in Eurovision way back in 2001, and they've stuck around all this time. Their music takes from multiple genres, including hip-hop, and it's all fun to hear. Here's one of their popular songs--the line Erica sings over and over is "where you are/I want to be there too."