The Italian Blob - Top 69 Italian Alt-Rock Songs on Spotify

We don't play mandolino. And we don't like brightly coloured t-shirts.
(source XL)

Please forgive me, but I must do it.

I must show to the (spoti)world that Italian music is not only Bocelli, Pavarotti, Pausini, Ramazzotti, old disco and even older opera. In the last twenty years, my country has been animated by a lively rock scene, coming from the underground. The big explosion happened in the middle of the 90s, with the simultaneous rising of very strong and varied acts like Afterhours (indie alt rock), Marlene Kuntz (noise rock), Subsonica (electro rock), Verdena (post grunge), Carmen Consoli (girl with guitar), Casino Royale (trip hop), Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc (hip hop), Modena City Ramblers (combat folk), 99 Posse (combat rap), La Crus (modern songwriting), Mau Mau (world/etno/rock) and many more. While big heavyweights like Vasco Rossi and Ligabue brought the mainstream rock into the stadiums, this bunch of younger artists spread in the country a new alternative & not-yet-hipsterized indie feeling. Little labels, indoor clubs and outdoor small festivals did the rest. Being a university student in the second half of the decade was a great thing: believe me.

00s haven't been the same. Much more quantity, but probably less quality. Less money, too. And the overwhelming and unfair comparison with the previous bright wave. Back to the pizza cave, again? Wait wait! Some of the best songs by bands emerged in the 90s have been published in the 00s. And some good signs have come out from the last years of the naughties. Young artists like A Toys Orchestra, Luci della Centrale Elettrica, Baustelle, Dente, Offlaga Disco Pax, Samuel Katarro are trying to write new and personal stories, to start a new season. Maybe, finally, it's the arrival of a new generation.

So, this playlist is a kind of best of Italian alternative music of the last 20 years. No sources but me. I chose songs, artists, order, everything. I shamelessly opened the door to a lot of guitars and locked it when folk and electro-guys were knocking. Anyway, "alternative" is intended in a wide and comprehensive meaning. Not just alternative rock. Most of the songs are in Italian: I guess you will find them rather odd-sounding, likely you won't understand what these guys are shouting, but for many years that has been a strong local attribute. Italian rock audience is heavily anglo-american-oriented, but they seem to prefer that national acts sing in the national language. Besides, Italians can't speak english very well. Look at my posts. :o)

Sixty-eight songs are written by contemporary Italian artists. The only exception is an old canzone from the 60s, recently covered by an American alternative rock icon. You will find him easily. I'm breaking my own rules, I know, but I really feel this playlist is the right place for that song.

No more words. Buon ascolto!

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THE PLAYLIST
(69 songs, about 4 hours)

69. Canzone di domani (Marlene Kuntz, from Catartica, 1994)
68. Due (Il teatro degli orrori, A sangue freddo, 2009)
67. Cornice Dance (A Toys Orchestra, Technicolor Dreams, 2007)
66. Trovami un modo semplice per uscirne (Verdena, Requiem, 2007)
65. Milano (Edda, Semper Biot, 2009)
64. Nel mio scrigno (Perturbazione, Pianissimo fortissimo, 2007)
63. Tungsteno (Scisma, Armstrong, 1999)
62. Istantanee (Subsonica, SubsOnicA, 1997)
61. Sempre più vicino (Casino Royale, Sempre più vicini, 1995)
60. La vedova bianca (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
59. Chiedi chiedi (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, Ero un autarchico, 2003)
58. Tempo alle mie voglie (La Sintesi, L'eroe romantico, 1998)
57. Acque sicure (Virginiana Miller, Il primo lunedì del mondo, 2010)
56. Ho picchiato la testa (Ottavo Padiglione, Ottavo Padiglione, 1993)
55. Bellezza (Marlene Kuntz, Bianco sporco, 2005)
54. Sogna (Ritmo Tribale, Mantra, 1994)
53. Pop Porno (Il Genio, Il Genio, 2008)
52. Mondo tempesta (Perturbazione, Del nostro tempo rubato, 2010)
51. Io mi rompo i coglioni (Bugo, Dal lofai al cisei, 2002)
50. In coda (Cesare Basile, Gran Cavalera Elettrica, 2003)
49. La sottile linea bianca (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
48. Spaceman (Verdena, Solo un grande sasso, 2001)
47. Charlie fa surf (Baustelle, Amen, 2008)
46. Come stavamo ieri (Marlene Kuntz, Il vile, 1996)
45. Terminally Illness Blues (Samuel Katarro, Beach Party, 2008)
44. In viaggio (C.S.I., Ko de mondo, 1994)
43. Universo (Cristina Donà, La quinta stagione, 2007)
42. Fausto (Massimo Volume, Cattive abitudini, 2010)
41. Direzioni diverse (Il teatro degli orrori, A sangue freddo, 2009)
40. Gente di merda (Zen Circus, Andate tutti affanculo, 2009)
39. Red Alert (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
38. La mia parte intollerante (Caparezza, Habemus Capa, 2006)
37. Aurora sogna (Subsonica, Microchip emozionale, 1999)
36. Tempi bui (Ministri, Tempi bui, 2009)
35. Sogni risplendono (Linea 77 feat. Tiziano Ferro, 2008)
34. Elefante (Verdena, Il suicidio del samurai, 2004)
33. Oceano (Ritmo Tribale, Psycorsonica, 1996)
32. In delirio (Marlene Kuntz, Ho ucciso paranoia, 1999)
31. Buon appetito (Dente, L'amore non è bello, 2009)
30. Non è per sempre (Afterhours, Non è per sempre, 1999)
29. Il liberismo ha i giorni contati (Baustelle, Amen, 2008)
28. Fuori dal tunnel (Caparezza, Verità supposte, 2003)
27. Incantevole (Subsonica, Terrestre, 2005)
26. Muori delay (Verdena, Requiem, 2007)
25. Inverno '85 (Massimo Volume, Lungo i bordi, 1995)
24. Potere alla parola (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, Verba manent, 1993)
23. Il cielo in una stanza (Mike Patton, Mondo cane, 2010)
22. Celentano (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
21. La glaciazione (Subsonica, L'eclissi, 2007)
20. Sonica (Marlene Kuntz, Catartica, 1994)
19. Male di miele (Afterhours, Hai paura del buio?, 1997)
18. Valvonauta (Verdena, Verdena, 1999)
17. Summer Teenage Girl (The Canadians, A Sky With No Stars, 2007)
16. Buongiorno buona fortuna (Perturbazione, Del nostro tempo rubato, 2010)
15. La guerra è finita (Baustelle, La malavita, 2005)
14. Acida (Prozac+, Acido Acida, 1998)
13. Amara (Ritmo Tribale, Mantra, 1994)
12. Nuvole rapide (Subsonica, Amorematico, 2002)
11. Lieve (Marlene Kuntz, Catartica, 1994)
10. Per combattere l'acne (Le luci della centrale elettrica, Canzoni da spiaggia depurtata, 2008)
9. Il primo Dio (Massimo Volume, Lungo i bordi, 1995)
8. Quello che non c'è (Afterhours, Quello che non c'è, 2002)
7. Quelli che benpensano (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, La morte dei miracoli, 1997)
6. Mystical Mistake (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
5. Un romantico a Milano (Baustelle, La malavita, 2005)
4. Ballata per la mia piccola iena (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
3. Strade (Subsonica, Microchip emozionale, 1999)
2. Voglio una pelle splendida (Afterhours, Hai paura del buio?, 1997)
1. Nuotando nell'aria (Afterhours, Catartica, 1994)

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0247)