Pop music in October

Dreamy punk, fuzzy guitar riffs, playful melodies: the Manic Pixxies from Zurich couldn’t care less about genre conventions and create their own musical world just as they like it. They’re coming to Helsinki with their new album *I Know my Headphones Really Well*. Let’s look forward to a bit of Riot Grrrl energy, a touch of friendship-bracelet nostalgia, and a chance to sing and dance along.

1 October | Helsinki, Zurich

Jalen Ngonda’s concert at the X-Tra promises to warm you up on chilly autumn evenings. The soul sensation from the USA is coming to Zurich with his new album ‘Doctrine of Love’: sounds and melodies reminiscent of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, with a generous helping of retro vibes and, at the same time, plenty of modern freshness. The result: truly grand emotions, timeless.

12 October | X-Tra, Zurich

Felukah is a rapper, singer, poet and activist all rolled into one. The Egyptian artist describes her style as ‘Arabfuturism’: it is playful electronic Afrobeat; it incorporates elements of New York’s hip-hop culture; it features catchy melodies and effortlessly driving vocals; and it draws on influences from various cultures and languages, which Felukah blends into a captivating whole. Always at the heart of it all: radical joy.

18 October | Exil, Zurich

Loud, angry and provocative, the queer-feminist quartet King Kong Meuf blasts its messages at the audience. It’s punk, it’s rap, it’s garage rock – energetic and uncompromising. Sometimes catchy enough to dance to, sometimes perfect for shouting along to without restraint. Feminist catharsis in the form of a concert evening. And in October, they’re part of the line-up for a new concert series at the Gaswerk cultural centre, which aims to bring more Finta* people onto the stage, particularly in the rock genre. We think that’s great!

23 October | Gaswerk, Winterthur

A storm of drums, wailing guitars, straight-forward riffs and a frontman who gives neither himself nor the audience a moment’s respite. Over the last twenty years of their history, Danko Jones have built a reputation as an uncompromising live band, and they’ll be proving just that at the Dynamo. The trio from Canada are bringing their new album ‘Leo Rising’ with them, featuring fresh hard-rock anthems that stick to a tried-and-tested formula: Loud, no-nonsense and, played with great enthusiasm, a real sweat-inducing experience. Don’t miss it!

25 October | Dynamo, Zurich

The solo project by American singer-songwriter Madeline Johnston demonstrates that minimalism can convey profound emotion. Her shoegaze creates beguiling soundscapes: rumbling basslines, minimalist guitar work, captivating loops. She calls it ‘Heaven Metal’. The music evokes the melancholy of the endless expanses and shimmering lights of the desert in her home state of New Mexico. But it also fits wonderfully into a dimly lit, autumnal concert hall.

29 October | Rote Fabrik, Zurich